Living and Working on Long Island

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The days of working in New York were much the same, drive down to the Marriott, sign in at 6:30am, work in the lobby until I needed to leave for my appointments then off to inspect. In the afternoons I’d go back and write up the estimates, sign out at 6:30pm then off to the Extended Stay. All of our work and hotels were on Long Island.

This routine lasted a week and was well and good but then I realized that I could stay at the Marriott using Priceline. Wow, $89/night what a deal and I didn’t have to leave at 6am to drive down, just walk down the stairs. (Stairs for the exercise)

The Marriott was so nice after the Extended Stay which was old and dirty. I was ready for a nice place to live again. Plus I was happy that I could actually work in my room where people wouldn’t bother me. There were adjusters who just didn’t know what they were doing, and while I wanted to make sure that the company looked good, it just took way too much of my time to help with basics.

Because I’d stayed so long at the Marriott in Folsom, I’d accumulated lots of reward points and the highest status. Never mind that I’d used all my points in Toronto I hadn’t lost my status! Here I was given access to the top floor where breakfast was served, hors d’ Oeuvres in the evening, water, soda, coffee that downstairs was $3/cup. Not too bad.

Hated to move when we had to at the very end. The Clarion wasn’t any comparison.

The claims varied from totally destroyed houses, completely boarded up houses, houses being rebuilt and those already rebuilt. While I appreciated that all of my inspections were close together, I didn’t appreciate that I had the houses around the golf course, the big houses. I had only a couple of condos. Some people had all condos so had time to sit around. Alas, I had to work but then I got to stay longer.

Fortunately, not all inspections were around the golf course, there were quite a few on the beach with a 2^nd bunch of inspections. It is always so hard to imagine how the storm really was when standing looking out at the beach. The water is so peaceful out, gentle waves, blue skies. Then behind is a house where waves washed completely thru it. I’ve seen the same thing over and over again in hurricanes since 1991. The power of water is amazing.

The stories, and each person must tell theirs, varied from barely making it out of the basement moments before being crushed to death by water breaking down the door and rushing in, to houses partially falling down. Others had little damage at all, didn’t leave, but because they lived up a little higher they were able to watch the devastation occur.



Every storm I get asked how bad that owner’s damage is compared to everyone else or in the whole of all the hurricanes I’ve worked. I always tell people that their damage is the worst for them because it is theirs. A non-answer that seems to make everyone feel good.

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Photos

A Long Island Sunset
Sunset on the Island

A Cup of Seafood Chowder
Gluten Free Chowder full of shrimp, lobster, scallops and cream