Can't sleep, Please read

[tab tanner]

Well, where do I start?

I left for a vacation with my wife to celebrate our one year wedding anniversary on the tues the 21st. We went to Frankfort Germany. I left my worries behind me and headed to Europe!! We enjoyed some great food, saw some of the most beautiful places we have ever seen. Drove on the autobahn, drank some fantastic beer I did not even check my e-mails, life was great no cell phone just my wife and I what could go wrong? I'm sitting on the bed in the hotel and turn on the TV most all the stations are in German so I kept flipping and found that CNN was in English OK here we go lets see what it going one in the world? And it was like a horror movie, the town were my business is located in, and the town where my wife works are under water. The worst flooding in almost 100 years, have a look at this video
http://sidelinephotos.phanfare.com/slideshow.aspx?username=sidelinephotos&album_id=389129.

I got home today, and drove into Findlay and I'm still in shock! I want to help but where do you start? My voice mail box it filled with messages from customer with cars that got flooded, I'll have to tell alot of them that there prized possesion is now a memory. I'm just sick inside about this? And I can't sleep? I guess I'm pretty Lucky my business was not flooded. I feel so bad for all the friends and people that I know that lost so much!

Maybe tomorrow I can help someone, anyone I just can't sit here and do nothing.

[BlueSideUp]

Man I feel for you, I'm sure it makes you feel a little guilty about being out of touch but unless you're Superman there wasn't much you could do.....

Now that you're back you can help people out a lot, help them rebuild, help them determine if their car is trashed, etc..

You're in a great position to help now, sleep well knowing that you can do good things tomorrow.

[bell]

man that sucks......sorry to hear......

[Jays72T]

Tough story Tab, sorry to hear it. I think/hope your customers should understand.

[tab tanner]

Thanks guy's. I have a friend that run's a Diner, his dad opened it in 1948. The best breakfast place in town!! I love going there, this is the kind place you would see on the food network. I stopped by today. The only things that are not trashed you could hold in your hands. Everything is gone. A few pitures and some nick-nacks is all the remains. I about lost it I had to leave my wife and I where amost in tears

[Tim Hancock]

D@mn Tab, I wondered why you were not picking up your cell calls. Please tell me your shop did not flood.

We got about 6" at our place over those couple of days...no flooding. I was blown away by the nightly local news. Seeing a van 2/3 submerged on Main street in Findlay just is mind boggling. It is one thing to see flooding in "river towns" but to see the whole city of Findlay flooded by what amounts to a small stream is just crazy. I heard it did not go west of I-75 and I hope it did not make it north far enough to get to you.

My aunt and uncle got water in their crawl space, heat ducts and floor insulation, but just missed coming inside the first floor. A cousin in Ottawa had to move out of his house.

I am guessing if your shop did not flood, you will be busy trying to save some of the flood cars from the water damage?

[Rot 911]

We had the same thing happen here in Jefferson City in 1993. At first everything seems hopeless, but all you can do is start cleaning things up a little bit at a time. With the entire city pitching in you will be amazed how quickly things will return to normal.

[GDSOB]

Sorry about your situation. We're 20 miles south of Dayton and didn't get a drop.

[gr8fl4porsche]

Same thing here in St. Louis in 1993. An area called the Chesterfield Valley - mostly commercial and light industrial - was completely wiped out, as well as many other areas around town. 14 years later it now holds hundreds of businesses and the worlds longest strip mall - I think it is approaching 2 miles long.

[azasadny]

Tab,

Is that the diner you took me to for breakfast? I want to help in any way I can, so please let me know what I can do. We had tornados and heavy rain, but no damager to our home/garage/cars. If I can help on a "clean-up crew" or anything, please let me know!

[azasadny]

Tab,
Let me know if I can help. How is your house?

[M.D. Holloway]

Tab - let me know if you need anything. I might be able to score you some industrial strength odor nuatralizer to help with any musty smell as well as some cleaning products. We have all sorts of products that might help. If yoy want, PM me your address and I will get some stuff out to ya.

Sorry to hear about your stress.

[tab tanner]

Thanks guy's,
My house and shop are fine, I did not get any water damage!! It just seem like everybody else did. The tool trucks stopped by the shop today, Both the Snap-on and the Mac guy said that I was one of the only shops that didn't get flooded? I feel very lucky!!

[RoninLB]

don't worry about it.

As long as nobody's killed people can get used to nature happening. Kinda like every 10-20yrs you may get flooded. I don't worry about getting flooded, again. I worry about still having the real estate around when it's over.