View previous topic :: View next topic |
Author |
Message |
Roland
Helmsman
Posts: 4085
22541 Gold -
|
Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2015 12:25 am Post subject: Eponymous Saints |
|
|
Today is the Feast of Saint Eustathios (aka Eustace), the namesake of the island of Saint Eustatius.
According to legend, Eustace was a Roman general who served the emperor Trajan. While hunting a stag, he saw a vision of a crucifix lodged between the stag's antlers. He was immediately converted, had himself and his family baptized, and changed his name to Eustathios.
A series of calamities followed to test his faith: his wealth was stolen; his servants died of a plague; when the family took a sea-voyage, the ship's captain kidnapped his wife; and as he crossed a river with his two sons, the children were taken away by a wolf and a lion. Because of these trials, he is often likened to Job.
He was then quickly restored to his former prestige and reunited with his family. There is a tradition that when he demonstrated his new faith by refusing to make a pagan sacrifice, the emperor Hadrian condemned him, with his wife and sons, to be roasted to death inside a bronze statue of a bull.
He is the patron saint of firefighters and hunters. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Roland
Helmsman
Posts: 4085
22541 Gold -
|
Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2015 12:31 am Post subject: |
|
|
I am feeling a special connection to the Job-like St. Eustathios today. Yesterday my apartment building burned down. I escaped with nothing but my computer and my cell phone (sans chargers), and the clothes I was wearing. It is looking like I will not be permitted to re-enter the building to see what I can salvage.
I probably won't be playing Pirates for a while! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
|
Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2015 2:12 am Post subject: |
|
|
I hope you are kidding us Roland. That is TERRIBLE, I'm so sorry for you! I sure hope you had renter's insurance and also able to re-enter your apartment and retrieve any momentos or keepsakes. Property is one thing, loss of life is entirely worse so, in that regard we are happy you are well. But damn! That is awful! Hang in there buddy!
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
Roland
Helmsman
Posts: 4085
22541 Gold -
|
Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2015 4:56 am Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks for your good wishes, Salty. I did have renter's insurance, but I am expecting my insurance company to doubt the enormous size of my collections of books, CDs, and comics. (I thought I also had a lot of DVDs, but I had nowhere near as many as the friends I am currently stayng with!) Fortunately, my two valuable pieces of art are out on long-term loan to a friend, and my newest CDs are at the office.
I am most upset about losing things that I had invested personal effort in. The notes for my thesis - hundreds of pages of annotated photocopies - are gone, along with the relevant books I accumulated. I might be able to replace most of the books, but not the notes. So I won't be able to publish anything from that research. I also had homemade DVDs of some favorite music programs I had recorded, along with a DVD of every Catwoman episode of the Batman TV series.
In addition to my own stuff, I lost a few items I had borrowed from the local library. I have already ordered new copies of two of the items from Amazon, which I'll give to the library after I read them. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Rusty Edge
Rigger
Posts: 1977
2992 Gold -
|
Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2015 6:02 am Post subject: |
|
|
I'm glad you're Okay, I hope you didn't have any pets.
Keep us posted. If I knew your size, I might have some spare clothes. Or shoes and coats or something. I definitely have excess stuff, some of it new, bought when companies were going out of business, I might have more bottles of wine and books than racks and shelves. You never know.
I'm driving to PA in my station wagon sometime this week to see my parents for about 2 weeks.
So I'll be in daytrip distance or cheaper shipping zones. Maybe there's something I can do to help.
Like I said, keep us posted. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Captain Teague
Rigger
Posts: 1185
12207 Gold -
|
Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2015 12:51 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Wow, sorry to hear that mate. I hope you can salvage as much as possible. Definitely keep us posted. _________________ The Code is the Law. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
|
Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2015 11:59 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Rusty Edge wrote: | I'm glad you're Okay, I hope you didn't have any pets.
Keep us posted. If I knew your size, I might have some spare clothes. Or shoes and coats or something. I definitely have excess stuff, some of it new, bought when companies were going out of business, I might have more bottles of wine and books than racks and shelves. You never know.
I'm driving to PA in my station wagon sometime this week to see my parents for about 2 weeks.
So I'll be in daytrip distance or cheaper shipping zones. Maybe there's something I can do to help.
Like I said, keep us posted. |
Me too, tell us your size of clothes and shoes. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Roland
Helmsman
Posts: 4085
22541 Gold -
|
Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 5:53 am Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks for your kind offers. However, I'm trying not to accumulate too much stuff until I have a new apartment to keep it in. While staying with friends, I prefer to keep my possessions to a minimum. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Red Rabbit
Cutthroat
Posts: 414
327 Gold -
|
Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2015 9:25 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Sorry to hear what happened. Thank God that you managed to get out from there, and you're well. Most of the lost property can be collected again with time and money which is still arduous. But those personal notes, damn! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
fleetp
Boatswain
Posts: 3736
36123 Gold -
|
Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2015 2:56 am Post subject: |
|
|
Sorry to read about the fire and loss of property. I hope your insurance company settles quickly and fully. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Roland
Helmsman
Posts: 4085
22541 Gold -
|
Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2015 5:42 am Post subject: |
|
|
Today I was able to re-enter my old apartment. I grabbed my checkbooks, IDs, lists of computer passwords, and computer charger. Anything with a USB connection was ruined by rust, but at least my charger still works. A friend who came with me grabbed my cell phone charger, but he must have set it down before we left, because it hasn't turned up. He also rescued most of my icons, and 80% of them appear to have survived more or less intact. I forgot to grab my Pirates disks!
I'm pretty sure my TV and stereo are dead. They were in the corner that took the worst of it - there are actually holes in the wall and ceiling in that corner. The TV was lying flat on the floor. I'll try to rescue the DVR, but I'm not getting my hopes up.
I got some good advice from an independent insurance adjuster who is working for my landlord. He looked over my policy and made suggestions about what I should claim. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
|
Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2015 6:21 am Post subject: |
|
|
Best of luck Roland. So sorry about your huge loss. I hope you rescued any family momentos and pictures, diplomas etc. The type of things that just can't be replaced. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Rusty Edge
Rigger
Posts: 1977
2992 Gold -
|
Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2015 2:46 am Post subject: |
|
|
How's it going, Roland? |
|
Back to top |
|
|
sparticus
Helmsman
Posts: 5818
44872 Gold -
|
Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2015 4:33 am Post subject: |
|
|
Yes - hope all is well. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Roland
Helmsman
Posts: 4085
22541 Gold -
|
Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2015 4:43 pm Post subject: |
|
|
On Tuesday I made a last visit to my old apartment and spent the day salvaging stuff and taking photos to support my insurance claim. Next, I need to find a new apartment.
Since I lost my shaver in the fire, I decided to let my beard grow. I have grown a beard before during times of transition in my life, and I think this qualifies. Today I trimmed it for the first time since the fire. It's a lot whiter than the last time I had a beard!
The magnitude of the tasks ahead of me - making the insurance claim and rebuilding the material aspects of my life nearly from scratch - seem overwhelming when I think about them. So far I have been trying to carry on my life as usual, but between that and post-fire necessities other things are getting squeezed out - including sleep. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
|