[mean lunch lady]

Yes, I'm familiar with Margate - I grew up in a house on the edge of Melrose Park near Plantation, in the SW area of Ft. Lauderdale, near Broward Blvd. My husband's parents lived in Melrose Park, a little area right off Broward Blvd and near State Rd 7. Our house was brand new in 1960 and we found out our builder had a little more work to do when Donna hit. I walked into my room and had water up to my ankles so as soon as the storm was over, the builder had to come out and fix it.
Speaking of 60's houses, ours had terrazo floors which I used to hate but have since remembered more fondly. I would take those over carpet any day. I hear that you can't get them anymore. I'm glad your house looks better now, the last time I saw my old house it was kind of sad. It was right on 31st Ave which has since been renamed and has not aged well.

[Melinda in TN]

Ours had terrazzo floors also. I loved it! Carpet wouldn't have been practical with the flooding and sand. We had to shake our sheets at night before we could go to bed because of the sand. To this day I don't like carpet. Hubby does so we have it but I can see his point in TN. The floors would be miserably cold in winter. If I had my way we would have hardwood. The older houses here are built off the ground and bare wood floors have a terrible thumping sound when you walk if you don't have carpet. We thought it was so much fun to jump and down on my grandma's floors when we came to TN on vacation.

I hope the poor people in Florida are OK. This was a bad one!