Pilates Your Body

I've been taking pictures like a mad woman and making lots of mental notes but haven't had as much time as I'd like to write it all down. In any case...here's the latest and greatest from New Orleans.

It was a long day because of delays in Dallas due to the thunderstorms but I made it safe and sound and got a very warm welcome...ending the evening with drinks and live music, dancing and kicking ass at pool ;o)

 

 

 

 

Despite my long day of travel and getting less than 5 hours of sleep my first night in town I somehow managed to rise and shine for a pretty intense day of work. I started the day with a po-boy and a cup of coffee and then headed out to one of the few homes still standing in the Lower 9th Ward. This house is still in the gutting phase but soon the owners, along with the help of Common Ground, will begin the reconstruction. My job this day was to help rip up the floors. Wood tiles, ceramic tiles & linoleum...stubborn stuff. Anyway, there was lots of dust, lots of sweat and lots of cursing the linoleum, but we got it done and we got to hear from the owners daughter how grateful she was for our help.

 

 

 

 

New Orleans summers come equipped with a constant chance of showers, or at least a way better chance than what I see back home. On Wednesday we were looking at a 60% chance and some important lots in the Lower 9th to be mowed. See, if the lots sit unchecked the weeds can creep up to 6 feet high in no time and for homeowners this isn't good. Apparently if a lot is covered in overgrown grass and weeds the government can come in and declare it abandoned...and just take it.

So, we mowed, we pushed and pulled, and once again...sweat so much I didn't pee once the whole day.

 

 

 

 

Thursday's chance of rain turned out to be 100% for just about the whole day. This limited what we could do for work so I found a way to be helpful inside. I sat on the computer most of the day researching school organizations that may be interested in working with Common Ground. The job wasn't bad but sitting in a folding chair all day was reminding me of why I left my desk job not too long ago, so when I had a chance to borrow an umbrella I took the opportunity to go for a walk around the neighborhood and take some pictures. It was pretty humbling. I had seen it all before but in the rain, and in solitude it had a chance to really sink in. This place is  a quiet wilderness of swamp reclaiming concete and asphalt where it once was a neighborhood filled with the sounds of front porch chatter, cars pulling into driveways, doors swinging shut behind people coming home, children's laughter, and every other sound we are used to hearing around home. Now it's just the frogs and a few volunteers singing in the night.

 

That afternoon saw the rain dwindle and then stop completely by dinner time while we sat around on wet chairs eating a delicious meal prepared by our five star chef volunteers..no kidding...we have two five star chef's on duty here at Common Ground! Later on that night we called a cab to come to the block because someone had donated 40 tickets to a Jazz show down in the Quarter and we were ready to go! I took the opportunity to put on my party shoes we went out and painted the town red.

 

 

On Friday Jennifer, the other volunteer working on the research project, and I got a ride over to the other Common Ground location to finish our work there. People smoke in the computer room here in the lower 9th and we were ready for a break from it and it was just a nice opportunity to get out and see the other facility. Turns out, we really like the other facility! It's got a coffee shop right across the street, a grocery store down the other way that has the most beautiful produce section I could imagine! (See, we've been living the simple life out here at the 9th so it was a stark contrast) Also, the other location, called here The House of Excellence, is where the legal team, media team and general administration operate out of and so there is a very different business going on out there.

 

Anyway, we had a good day there and then got dropped back at the block. After showering and sitting out on the stoop for a while with the rest of the crew here I started to get restless. I asked around and there was no support for a mission to town, even after I offered to cover the cab! Well, finally Carl came around to my way of thinking so we borrowed bikes from some of the other kids and rode over the bridge and through the Quarter to Frenchmans and it was awesome! So warm and breezy, and such great scenery...anyway, it was Friday night and I just wanted to get our for Christ's sake! ;o)

 

Frenchman's was really fun. We danced to some latin band in one bar and then a kickin Reggae band in another. Then some friends found us and we rode off to Harrah's because one of them was feeling the need to play Gold Fish...a nickel slot game that he seems to be pretty lucky with. Not me...spent $5 in less than a minute. Lame.

 

So, after a spontaneous and excellent night out we rode home and low and behold, the sun came up as we crossed back into the Lower 9th. Needless to say I was going to be short on sleep for the next work day, but I couldn't care at that moment. It was so beautiful...like a dream.

 

 

 

Calvin heads up the building they call Distro...short for Distribution Center...where they give out everything from clothes to food, when they have them. I'll post pictures soon.

Anyway we cleaned it out today. More later :)

 

I just got back from an evening bikeride around the Lower 9th. It woke me up nicely as I was falling asleep in my chair after dinner! I finally saw some houses that were on their way to being rebuilt, but it was very few. We also rode up on the levee...it was cool.

 

Today I worked in the toolroom for the second day in a row. Me and Calvin pretty much finished the job and I'll have pictures of before and after to post before too long.

Continuing to clean up the yard behind the Blue House.

Seed planting.

Plant harvest bike ride.

Prepping for the storm.

Drove down to the Mississippi coast. It was refreshing to get out into the big world for a little bit and it was awesome to swim in the Gulf! I hadn't been in some sort of water for weeks so I was really happy to get more than my feet wet.

Departed New Orleans by way of Rental Car. Let the Road Trip begin!! Red, a fellow volunteer decided to come with me to see the West. We were sad to leave our friends...but determined to see them again.

Spent most of the day trying to get to the other side of Texas. It was a success. We made it to the handle of Oklahoma, spent a chilly night in the tiny park of Boise City and then headed for Colorado next morning.

Wound our way up through the plains to get to Boulder, where we decided to settle in for a bit and have a good time. We've enjoyed strolling the neighborhoods, the town center and hiking the local hills by full-moonlight.

We started the day with a great cup of coffee and then I headed off to a Pilates class. It was the perfect therapy for my post driving muscles. I wish I could squeeze a class in every day! Now we're off to see the rest of Colorado on our way to Utah. Hopefully we'll find another warm place to sleep tonight!!