The Weekend

For some reason, my postings have not gone through on the blog. In fact, they have been disappearing into cyberspace. So I’ll see if I can recreate my updates.

Friday:
We moved into the Brentwood Inn in Webster, Texas (between Houston and Galveston). It looks like at least 60% of the people here are evacuees from Louisiana. As I was unloading my luggage, there was a young woman wondering the halls asking if anyone had laundry detergent. I was a little preoccupied with my own stuff, but I did ask if she was from LA. Turns out that she was an Air Force medic. She and her crew had been working for heavens knows how long, evaculating critical patients from the N.O. airport. They had been relieved of duty at 6 am, but had to report back at 7 pm. As her crew tried to grab some sleep, she had gathered up all the flight uniforms. Said that they smelled so bad, that she just wanted to help her crew by at least running them through a rinse cycle. It took me about 2 seconds to drop my stuff, and go find the laundry detergent that I had stored in my trunk.
You get to talk to people as they hang out in the lobby or outside. They are so grateful for all that is being done. Most had not paid for any meals, provided by hotels or other community resources. A nice black woman with two young boys talked about how her family had been approached by a white couple, asking if they would like to come stay in their home. She was so amazed by their kindness, and had not immediately taken them up on the offer because she was concerned about the havoc her sons might create in their house. Lots of people have their animals. Most of the dogs are running around, happy to make friends with anyone. I hear there are cats, but they prefer the privacy of their hotel rooms. Without any exceptions, these people feel that the government is doing everything as fast as they can. They are disgusted by the violence, and looting…and feel that it’s mainly the crackheads that are unable to get their drugs and are going crazy from withdrawal. Interesting to talk to these folks.

Saturday
It was like the first day of school, except it was called State Farm orientation. As I pulled into the parking lot, it was full of pickem-up trucks with extension ladders hanging out the back. My little Honda Accord, feeling totally intimidated, tried to make a run for it. But I forced my car into a parking space. I checked in with Worley managers Rodd and Dee Jackson. My name wasn’t on their employee list, but they told me to go through the classes and they would work on it. Now let me tell you about these classes. I think there might have been about 12 newbies like me, but I don’t know for sure. Newbies would keep their mouths shut and heads down. Because all the rest of the people were seasoned insurance adjusters. So sitting in these “classes” (more like updates for these adjusters) was like attending an advanced lecture on a micro-technique used in brain surgery. Every once in a while, there would be a word I would recognize, like “coverage”. We were there from 7:45 am to after 8 that night. I think my brain shut down about 4, but that may be a bit of a stretch. It might have been more like 9 am.
At some point, Rodd and Dee called me over. He asked if I had attended the three State Farm certification classes. I told him that I had gotten my license in June, and the next class that I could attend was scheduled for Oct. 5, which I had planned to attend. Unfortunately, the class was supposed to be in New Orleans. I wasn’t certain, but I think it might be postponed. They then asked if I had worked any claims, or even ridden with Lana. I had to tell the truth and say no. I did tell them that I was a Licensed Professional Counselor and felt totally capable of asking a roof how it felt about being torn to shreds. At least I got smiles from very weary people. So we developed a plan for me. Normally there would be trainers available to help newbies, but again the level of this storm changes that at this time. (The trainers are also adjusters that will be called into action). They told me to stay with Lana and work with her for the next several weeks. When I feel comfortable doing the inspections and the very complex computer program, let them know. They will find me another job, maybe with someone like Traveler’s Insurance. And I will try to find the State Farm classes somewhere and get those under my belt also so that I might be able to work for State Farm. It looks like one class will be in Austin in early October, so I will plan to fly/drive in for that one….and also get a cat and Mother fix.
When all the State Farm classes were over, as I said it was after 8 oclock, we had a Worley meeting. This is how much the insurance companies are trying to get people into the LA areas. There is no lodging available, even in the safer areas like Baton Rouge. State Farm finally told Worley to get their adjusters to drive their trucks to Baton Rouge, and leave them. Then State Farm is flying the adjusters back and forth every day between Baton Rouge and Houston, just to get them to start doing claims. I don’t know how long this will last, and I don’t know if I will get to fly in as an assistant. If not, my job for the next couple of weeks will be to learn the computer program (which also means learning a whole shit-load of construction terms) and be able to input claims while Lana is doing the inspections. Then when I can go with her, I will start learning how to do the inspections….assuming there is anything left on the claimant’s property to inspect and measure.

Sunday
I spend some of the day going over insurance terms and reading through some of the tons of handouts that were given out yesterday. I finally had to put everything up, and turn off the TV. I’m tired of reality. I’m tired of the armchair quarterbacks, most of whom are newscasters, focusing on what was “not” done properly. I’d like to see one of them, with a Cat. 5 hurricane coming in over a weekend, prepare a city with the economic problems, the intrastructural problems, the mass amount of people who did not own transportation, etc., etc., do any better. I’m tired of wondering how fast I can learn such a foreign language and start doing my own claims. I’m tired of wondering what the next change in orders will be from the insurance companies, or where I will be tomorrow. It’s time to sit back with a mystery book and watch mindless TV and not think for a while.

Monday
Lana left early this morning for Baton Rouge. She just called (7 pm) and said that all these adjusters were waiting at the airport for a flight back to Houston. She has “heard” some of the other adjusters say that the company is checking everyone into the Hilton near the airport, but no one has told her that officially. Maybe she’ll find out when they land in Houston. She has been given 65 claim files to start working on tomorrow. To put this into perspective, I think she said that she had done 80-something files for State Farm last year in Florida, over a 3 or 4 month period. And it’s really clear that the faster your files get done, the sooner you will be given new ones. She thinks that the claims are from the Houma area, but hasn’t been able to access a computer map program yet to verify that.
Maybe I’ll have more information tomorrow. Today is still another day waiting for enlightment. I did get to pet a cat today. You have to get pleasure where you find it.