If you live in the Chicago land area you are very aware of the extremely soggy week we’ve had. Soggy is putting it mildly for most of the suburbs. It was down right flooded in most areas. Many families lost their finished basements along with many businesses finding them selves in a bail out position. We sure love our new studio and and everything that the downtown has to offer but as nice as it is to have our studio located on the river it does have it’s set backs when flooding occurs. We definitely found ourselves in a panic situation on Thursday when the river began to rise.
Knowing that the damn was going to be opened later that day to relieve flooding upstream made our stress that much greater. We immediately began removing all of our computers, servers and equipment and knew that we needed to raise everything in the studio off of the floor just in case water were to enter. The whole idea made me tear up. It seemed like such a daunting project for just a few people. Then, as the old saying goes “Ask and you shall receive”…friends, family and the best clients ever all started to arrive to help. I couldn’t be more grateful! Getting the studio prepared could possibly have taken us several hours to do by ourselves but with such great friends we were able to do it in less than 30 minutes. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such loving and caring people.
3 hours later we were informed that we needed to secure the outside of the building because the water may start traveling down Chicago Ave. That meant sandbagging. I had never sandbagged in my life and wasn’t sure that the 3 days a week of boot camp that I have been attending was going to be enough training for such hard labor. Again, the thought crossed my mind, “how will we do this ourselves?” That’s when my wonderful friend Mark from Room 363 called insisting that we could do it. My sweet friend was dealing with a wet and muddy basement at his own store but still insisted that we start sandbagging our studio. He has a heart of gold! Once the sandbagging had begun more friends, family and I’ll say it again, the BEST clients ever came down to help with the sandbagging. Before we knew it we had the studio sandbagged and we started right away on the other businesses in need. Many business owners were at home dealing with flooding and just couldn’t be in two places at once so we knew we all had to help. This wonderful group of people all banded together to sandbag, Ootra, It’s a Bling Thing, Sullivan’s, Einstein’s, Red Mango, Henzel’s Barbershop, Bows & Babes and Egg Harbor.
Everyone was wet and cold yet they worked tirelessly until late in the night. I couldn’t be more proud to call them my friends. In a time when the world looks like it’s being taken over by evil, it’s kindness and generosity like this that lifts my spirits and reassures me that the world IS good. I want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart! I will be forever grateful and in your debt. I’m one lucky lady to have you all in my life. It’s because of you that I always have a smile on my face and in my heart.
In the end we are thrilled to say that our studio stayed dry due to the efforts of everyone involved! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!!
