Norman couple celebrates their home's destruction

To paraphrase Shakespeare, you can take arms against a sea of troubles, but what good would that do?

Paul and Cindy Updegraff decided it would be dumb to fistfight a flood, so they had a lawn party instead after their house flooded, and said goodbye, according to a recent story in The Oklahoman.

Their Norman home flooded last August when nearby Bishop Creek poured into the house as Tropical Storm Erin blew into Oklahoma, bringing with it a torrential downpour.

Paul Updegraff had lived in his house since 1971 and always knew it could flood, but, well, as he put it, "When my dog started swimming in the house, I thought it was time to get out."

After the flood, the couple found out that to remedy their situation, they would have to have built up the ground with three feet of dirt.

So they moved. The old house was slated for destruction. Normally, this is the time when folks gather around the vessel of memories and weep. But not the Updegraffs.

"We've had a lot of fun in this house for a lot of years," said Cindy Updegraff. "We wanted to invite our friends on over for a final goodbye."

A party? That's from a woman with 23 flower beds on the property. Do they know how to live in Norman, or what?

So at 8:45 a.m., the couple and 20 or so friends gathered across the street while a trackhoe moved in for the final scene.

It reportedly took about 10 minutes to tear down the old house, while the folks gathered with the Updegraffs oohed and aahed, imbibing coffee and treats.

Trackhoe operator Jeff Mason said it was the dangdest thing he's seen.

"I've seen them cry their house away, but I've never seen them party their house away," he said.

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