IRL Tour of 14 Branchland Court

The IRL Tour of 14 Branchland Court followed the Applebee's date between Catherine and Chris on 31 August 2014. As on the date itself, Catherine's cousin Al tagged along. As Catherine would later relate, "We were going to escape to the 'mechanic' where Catie's car was, but Chrissy wanted to follow us. When he offered to show us 14BC, we took him upon it. We followed him even though Al knew where we were going. Chris seriously drives like my demented old grandma who doesn't have a license anymore because she kept going the wrong way up one way streets." For about ten minutes the trio trudged through the weedy, garbage-strewn lawn outside of Chris's burned-out home. Catherine's description: "The place is.... Bad. Much smaller than I thought it would be, too. Its overgrown and there is broken glass everywhere. Everywhere you look there's STUFF, all garbage. Bob's old workshop is full of rubbish. His greenhouse is doing slightly better but not much."

After this stop, the three made their way to the rental house for a tour and a meet-and-greet with Chris's mother and their dogs.

Summary
During the tour, Chris reveals some information regarding the house fire, the state of the Chandler's possessions and the contents of the yard at 14 Branchland Court:


 * The Chandler's dogs, Clover and Snoopy, woke Chris up and alerted him to the fire.
 * Chris says that Barb tried to put out the fire with an fire extinguisher, claiming she would've succeeded if they had a second one.
 * Chris and Barb were able to salvage much of the hoard following the house fire.
 * The firefighters broke several windows in order to get inside the house during the fire.
 * One of the Chandler's cars has been sitting at 14 Branchland Court since the fire, due to an dead battery. Chris says that they plan on selling it.
 * Chris claims he used his "strong" muscles to move Patti's doghouse near her burial site.
 * Chris spent time in the yard gazebo during his childhood, until his parents were no longer able to tend to the yard.
 * Chris says that as a child, he and Bob used to build things out of wood in the workshop. The workshop was converted to a storage site sometime before the move to Chesterfield.
 * Since Bob's death, Chris has been keeping his father's vinyl records in storage boxes. He says he is thinking about selling or donating them.

Transcript
[Garbled, Chris and Catie talking in the background]

Catherine : ...from what you had told me, it didn't sound like the damage was all that bad, it just in need of a new roof but it looks like it's a lot more damage – you must be... that must have been devastating!

Chris : Yeah, it was devastating. At least we all got out safe.

Catie and Al : Yeah.

Al : So what's under this tarp?

Chris : Oh, that's, uh, material for the renovation.

Catherine : Ah so...[garbled by Chris speaking over Catie]...better not touch it.

Chris : The other triangle ones over there on the other side dumpster, rafters.

Al : So, how long's it been here? I see that there's the leaves and everything on it...

Chris : Oh, It's been here for, like, uh, about a week or two.

Catherine : Oh, just a week or two?

Chris : Yeah.

Catherine : Yeah.

Al : How long ago was the fire again?

Chris : It was last January, on the tenth.

Al : So it's been what, like, seven, eight months?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah, it happened at like two a.m.

<font color="#009900">Catherine : That must-

<font color="#000099">Chris : Dogs woke me up, and I saw the fire, I- I was like, oh my God, fire! <font color="#DF0000">Al : So...shit, so you just ran out of the house, then?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Well, didn't- I didn't think of that initially, but I called 911, they advised us to get out of the house. My mom tried to py- tried to put out the fire with the esstinguisher...

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Yeah?

<font color="#000099">Chris : If she had a second one, she would have won that battle!

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Think so? Oh, don't go in!

<font color="#000099">Chris : [?]

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Is that all locked up, then?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah, it's locked up. I don't even remember the combination anymore for that thing. I used to have it for when I was putting the box- collecting the boxes...

<font color="#DF0000">Al : So after the fire, you got what was left out of the house, then?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah, we salvaged a lot! There were a lot of things that were still...very good shape.

<font color="#009900">Catherine : What kind of things?

[garbled, as everyone speaks at the same time]

<font color="#000099">Chris : Hundreds, and thousands...

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Oh, there's broken glass, I'm not going to stand there!

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : You've got hundreds-

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Come right here and not stand on the broken glass!

<font color="#DF0000">Al : I got boots on, I'm fine.

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Well, you've got boots on, I haven't.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Yeah, well...damn.

<font color="#000099">Chris : Oh, it's the same shoes as you wore in the picture!

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Yeah! They're my favorite shoes. I'm probably going to have to get rid of them soon, they're starting to get um... [garbled]

<font color="#000099">Chris : They've got a nice selection at Target or Walmart-

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Mm-hmm, usually. I used to get my shoes at the [?]-

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yes, they're the upper end, that.

<font color="#009900">Catherine : ...discount- discount shoe warehouse.

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah.

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Yeah, it's a good place. If you- if you know how to shop, you get them pretty cheap.

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : So, Chris, you said the fire was eight months ago, but they only delivered that stuff like, a week or two ago?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah, a whole lot paperwork had to be processed, everywhere.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Yeah!

<font color="#009900">Catherine : What sort of paperwork?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Oh, you know, the- whate- I don't know all- I don't know specifically, but-you-know, between state farm and Arcam Construction [sp?] and...Rainbow Cleaners...

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Okay.

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah.

<font color="#009900">Catherine : So...I suppose...[?]...I was born to speak all mirth and no matter, it's a quote from Shakespeare. This one's Shakespeare as well.

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah.

<font color="#009900">Catherine : I like Shakespeare.

<font color="#000099">Chris : I know you do, you told me.

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Yeah, it's a little strange, but...

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah, and the li- and the Tudors, you like dressing up for Halloween.

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Mm-hmm, I love dressing up for Halloween; Halloween is not too fa- too far out.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Yeah.

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah, you know...

[garbled]

<font color="#DF0000">Al : So, what happened- what happened with all the windows and all?

<font color="#000099">Chris : The firemen did that, they broke the windows so they could get in... yeah, 'cuz of all the clutter we had...in the house.

<font color="#009900">Catherine : [unclear, perhaps: Yeah, you got- you've got to throw some of those things out?]

<font color="#DF0000">Al : So what's the story with this? It looks like an old car.

<font color="#000099">Chris : Uhhh, no, uh, actually it was a- it was- it's in newer condition than you think.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : How long's it been sitting here?

<font color="#000099">Chris : It has been sitting here since the fire, actually, uh, couldn't get it started to move it...da battery died, it needs a new battery.

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Oh, that's an easy fix!

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah it's an easy fix, but then it's got worse problems than that. We're gonna sell it.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Yeah. How much you trying to get for it?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Mm, I don't know, My mom my- my mom...I don't know, that's her department, but...guessing, guessing maybe five, two to five grand.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Two to five grand? How long's it been since it's run?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Ugh.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Since the fire, you said?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah, pretty much.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Well, Chris...how old's this car again?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Ugh, I forget. Um...

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Probably about fifteen years, or so?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Uhh, a lot le- I'd say...less than that.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : All right. Well, if it hasn't run in almost eight or nine months, a lot of the gasoline inside the motor can clog it up and damage the motor so the engine might be damaged. I don't know if you'd get two or five grand for it.

<font color="#000099">Chris : Eh, well, you never know, we're gonna try sell it.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Yeah. I don't know, I hope- I hope...

<font color="#009900">Catherine : I suppose you'd have to get what you could for it.

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : I hope you get some cash for it, so, yeah...

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Yeah.

<font color="#000099">Chris : Well, maybe you could help me find somebody.

<font color="#009900">Catherine : There's always Craigslist!

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Yeah. But you get a bunch of weird people on Craigslist, too.

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Yeah, I suppose you do. I mean, I don't use Craigslist very much, but...

<font color="#DF0000">Al : So what's this? Is this like, an old dog pen, or bed-

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah, yeah, Patti, my dog Patti, who, uh, died quite- quite a few years ago, she lived- she lived in the pen. I moved the doghouse with my muscles and how strong I was, moved it right over there to where we buried her.

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Oh, right there!

<font color="#DF0000">Al : She bur- what?

<font color="#000099">Chris : We buried her underneath where that doghouse is.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Right- right over there where that doghouse is?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah.

<font color="#009900">Catherine : But that's- I guess it's best not to tread on it.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Yeah, probably not good to walk-

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Oh, you've got a little gazebo back here!

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Ah, ye- did you ever spend time here?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah, in- young- in my younger years we did spend time in the gazebo. And then my par- and then my parents got older than they did and couldn't [garbled] tend to the yard as well.

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Well, you could've-

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Maintenance- when you have a property, maintenance is a huge issue, so...

[garbled]

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Did you step up and help them a bit [Chris speaks over Catie]

<font color="#000099">Chris : I helped, I helped a bit, yeah.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : So what did you do to help them around maintenance, around the house?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Eh, I pull- I pulled weeds and mowed some- I did mow a lo- I'd mow the lawn, I mowed the yard, yeah.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : What's underneath here?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Uh, just old furniture.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Furniture...

[garbled]

<font color="#000099">Chris : Like I said, a lot of stuff. Eh, get rid of all this, I'm sure.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Yeah.

[Catie in background, indistinct]

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Hey, uh, Chris, so what's this?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Oh, that's the workshop.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Well, what's it say here out front?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Oh, that's a memem- in memory of my father, here, that's his- it's a, it was me and Mis- me and my father's "dreaming studio"...[Al talks over Chris]

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Hey, Catie! Come take a look at this!

<font color="#009900">Catherine : What have we got here?

<font color="#DF0000">Al : So that plaque, that little sign there on the door, who made that?

<font color="#000099">Chris : He did, my father.

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Oh, that's lovely! [The plaque reads: "DREAMING STUDIO OF MR. C AND LITTLE C WHERE DREAMS DO COME TRUE - 1989"]

<font color="#DF0000">Al : So your father did?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah. He kep-

<font color="#DF0000">Al : When did he make it?

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Oh, it says 1989 [Chris chimes in: 1989] right there on the bottom.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Oh! So you would have been how old then?

<font color="#000099">Chris : It would have been...uh, definitely seven.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Seven years old...so this was a workshop, you said?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : So what did you and your father do here?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Oh, we ended up building a few things in there.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : What- what sort of things did you build? Do you remember?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Oh, you know, wood- wood things, whatever.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Like carpenter stuff.

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah, kind of.

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Like cabinet- or cabinet making?

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Yeah.

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Yeah.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : So, what, have you done anything in there since then?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Ugh. Wha-Uh- um, uh, erm since uhh-fter we stopped using it we essentially been using it for storage...for...a number of our things.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Yeah. So how long's it been since you've used it as a workshop?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Ugh, it's been like, uh...um, sometime after nine- sometime before ['92?] or after 2000, before we moved to Chesterfield and uh- that's his garden- his garden, though. He came back here in his la'er- in his later years within the past decade to, uh- y'know-

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Ooh, more broken glass! I'm- gonna step carefully.

<font color="#000099">Chris : [garbled]...yeah, they broke the glass out of the screen door, there.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : So, wait a second, like, the glass here is falling outwards, like, did somebody break from the inside out? Or...

<font color="#000099">Chris : Mm, yeah, I guess so.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : 'Cuz like if they were outside and they broke the glass it would fall inside the building, so it-

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah well, also, we moved things out, so we might [have] kicked some glass out here.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Ah.

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Oh, there's [marbles?] everywhere!

<font color="#DF0000">Al : So, when you left the house during the fire, what- where did you get out of? The front door?

<font color="#000099">Chris : We went out- we went out through the front door.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Oh. It's good that you could get out that way, so...

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah, he had his own little setup in there of all the, uh, little [people?] and Christmas things.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Ah, so your father set that up?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah!

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Can we see?

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Cool!

<font color="#000099">Chris : He enjo- he enjoyed records.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Oh, jeez!

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Oh, wow! That's quite- that's quite a collection!

<font color="#000099">Chris : There's qui- there's quite a number of records.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Yeah, [such very beautiful-?]

<font color="#000099">Chris : Like I say, [there's? He's too excited to hear] a real record case! Thousands of records.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Thousands of vinyl records.

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah!

<font color="#DF0000">Al : So those are all your father's?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah, all- they all were his.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : So, have they just been sitting out there then, since he passed away?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah. Yeah, pretty much. Hey we got- there's- like, boxes of them more back at- between the storage unit and a few at the house we're renting.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : So you've got a storage unit?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Does that help, to store some of your stuff?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah, a lot of it.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Yeah. Do you think you'd ever consider selling those records?

<font color="#000099">Chris : Yeah, yeah, I belie- yeah, we're thinking about it, either donating them or selling them.

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Ouch...ouch!

[Chris and Al ignore this]

<font color="#000099">Chris : Selling them will be a lot better...

<font color="#DF0000">Al : I actually- I actually collect vinyl records, Chris...

<font color="#000099">Chris : Oh you do?!

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Yeah.

<font color="#000099">Chris [noticeably thrilled]: You-ba-dee-you'll be a big help to us, Al!

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Yeah. I-

<font color="#000099">Chris : She's a lot more than heaven-sent since she brought you along, now! Haha!

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Well, I might be willing to buy some [of] them, but it would have to be a fair price, and I- 'd be only the ones that I would want, but I might be able to help you out with some cash.

<font color="#000099">Chris : I appreciate that. Thank you so much, Al!

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Yeah, no- no problem, yeah.

<font color="#000099">Chris : Hmm. Well, yeah, after we get moved back in, then we got all the boxes in- in the utility room area, which is close to that door you just passed...

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Hello?

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Yeah.

<font color="#000099">Chris : We'll be able to [flip them out?]

[Catie talking on the phone in the background]

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Well, yeah, don't sell 'em to anybody else, make sure you keep 'em, let me know first before you get rid of them.

<font color="#000099">Chris : Oh, I'll hafta- I'll hafta get your- get your phone number into my phone-

<font color="#DF0000">Al : Yeah.

<font color="#000099">Chris : -and your address, [get yours] over there...

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Al!

<font color="#000099">Chris : We'll go on- we'll go over there now...

<font color="#DF0000">Al : How m- how-

<font color="#009900">Catherine : That was the mechanic, he says he's going to close up sooner- oof! Sooner than he thought he would, said he's got a family emergency. We've got to get going now, as I need my things.

<font color="#DF0000">Al : All right, well I can just give you a ride- I can just give you a ride home, anyway if you want, so...

<font color="#009900">Catherine : Yeah.