when it rains it pours... and a bucket don't do sh%$

So... I hereby recant anything I have said about food prostitution and wanting a day off because it looks like I'll be having several days to weeks off... That's right folks... the restaurant has been flooded.

This picture is was taken as the water started to slow in flow. If you look at the upper right you can see some of it still falling down. They had tried to catch the water in 60 gallon garbage cans which filled up in minutes...

Shall I tell the story? Too bad, I'm going to anyway. At approximately 1 o'clock yesterday I arrived at my place of employment, the Lost Dog Cafe to say hello as I was heading next door to the Hair Company to have this mop of a lion's mane soothed. I was in mid-snippage when one of the other managers came rushing over to ask me for a key to a room on the fourth floor of the building as there was a water leak and they thought it was coming from the top floor all the way down... I explained that I didn't have the key but there was a spare in a key box we have in our office. A few minutes later in rushes, Ms. McKenna, one of the owners yelling, "Megan, Megan you have to see this, it's insane, it's raining in the restaurant, there's so much water!" Thinking that there was a leak I shrugged and thought, 'why don't they just get a bucket?' Then a patron came through the Hair Salon and said it was absolutely insane in there and that water was just gushing all over. Then the fire department ordered the building evacuated. Mind you, my hair was still being cut and still needs some work but was nicely evened out and yes, looks awesome! I walk over and stood there in utter disbelief. There was water falling from the ceiling the length of the place (and it is not small...) It looked as if Katrina was happening again but only inside this building. The wrath of god poured down... take that how you will. Some helpful interpretations: the building is crying because X (employee) is moving, the building was angry, like a cranky old lady with a runny nose, or as a cook stated to facebook: the building was pissing on us... the real reason: the landlord does not heat the empty 4th floor and a water main/part of the sprinkler system exploded.

Right now it is difficult to assess total damages- everything is not dry yet. Today management met and we tried to start compiling lists of things that are wrong and may need to be replaced, and start organizing what to do when, who to call... It's all very overwhelming. Most of the refrigeration units/freezers, compressors for all the coolers, computer systems, printers, bar equipment, etc... It's early to say for certain but the hardwood floors look like they are starting to buckle in spots (which may settle by next week once all the water is out, which is good news), the leopard print wall is peeling ever so slightly, the white tile walk ways are buckling, the new counters behind the bar are bubbling... the Earth mural the LDC has had in every restaurant since it's inception in 1994 is looking a little rough... The restaurant had 4+ inches of water covering the floor, there was water flowing down the 4 flights of stairs like a waterfall, water was pouring out of windows on the higher floors, and the basement had over a foot of water in some spots. Having worked for the LDC since 1996, it was sad and painful to see the labor of love that is most of our second homes sink like Atlantis.

The community has been very kind. People have called offering a hand from a number of places including customers, friends of the LDC, bands, distributors. Thank you! The Kilmer Brasserie brought us over lunch today which was both delicious and very helpful. I'm very grateful to live in a place where the community can pull together in times of need and we are all very ecstatic to have the support. The plus side to this whole debacle was seeing staff members that weren't even working come down to offer a hand and try to salvage anything we could, it really reminds you how much we are all part of something and how important the place is not just in terms of being part of the community and a local business as opposed to a chain but also how everyone there really treats the establishment like home and when the family needs help we get it out there. We have a great staff. In terms of reopening-- we don't know as I said, how long it will be. I can say we've had estimates from 10 days to over a month. We are a small local restaurant but we do employ 40 people... Right now everything is a blur as everyone is slightly nervous and anxious to figure out what we can do to get us up and running again. I'll keep you posted.

Ah and a little humor: The Press and Sun Bulletin- the world's easiest to read newspaper- reported that I stated I had 2 children, ages 10 and 17. They meant to have quoted a co-worker who actually has children. I do not have children! I am 27- a 17 year old kid?! A lot of people have gotten a kick out of this and even congratulated me and said,"Wow we never knew you had kids!" That's because I don't!!! To read the article and humor yourself while trying to imagine me with kids, click this link: http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20100114/NEWS01/1140400/Broken+water+pipe+closes+Binghamton+restaurant

I'll keep you updated... until then... this is Scrappy Signing off.