I was able to forget about my troubles for a week, but now it's back to scheming and planning and dealing with adversity. The county where I live in Colorado, aided and abetted by FEMA (which is starting to look like the evil empire to a lot of people), has mailed damage determinations to the property owners, and we are trying to figure out how much it harms the value of our property if we don't appeal it.

The percent of damage the government says we have sustained is probably overstated. This hurts us in the long run because it is cumulative: if my little cabin is considered 40% damaged by this flood event, and another flood or forest fire comes along doing another 20% on top of that, I've crossed the 50% mark, and the government says that building is totaled and cannot be repaired, must be torn down, and no structure can replace it. Just imagine what that does to the property value.

It would make more sense if we could set the damage percent back to 0% by restoring the property to pre-flood conditions.

The numbers came from some FEMA software that is designed for other parts of the country, not our particular situation. They figure that any house that had flood water in it is automatically going to develop toxic black mold like happened in New Orleans. Our climate is so dry, mold hasn't been as much of a problem.

There's places like Florida that frequently have hurricanes and residents along the big rivers like the Mississippi experience flooding almost every year. Our floods are very rare - the last time there was anything near to this was 1976: it's a fluke, not a given.

We can appeal the determination, but it's a painful, expensive process, involving hiring appraisers and general contractors and notaries for sworn statements. I will first have to consult with my accountant and other experts to determine whether it's a fair damage assessment, and if not, get started on all that.

On a cheerier note, I'll celebrate Christmas here with the family before I go back.