DAY 1

Today was busy!   Worked hard at a nice house that is about half way to completion.  We are hanging dry wall, mudding and taping.  Lots of work.  We have a big energetic crew.  Willing to learn and willing to do anything.  My leader is my friend Jen.  Love that girl!  We have the best time together and laugh a lot.

The accommodations here are not real nice like before.  And the food stinks!   Thinking of going out to dinner tomorrow night.  There are a lot of people here.  More than just us.  There are people from the New Jersey area, Boston and Albany New York.  They are all college kids.  It is a hoot but there are waaaay too many folks.  It takes forever to get dinner.

In the neighborhood that we are working in there are still homes that have not even been touched yet.  I ventured into the house behind the one we are working on and it is gutted but that is all.  I feel sorry for those people - 5 1/2 years after Katrina.  What a shame.  There is a house across the street from our house and it has also not been touched.  I was crossing the street, hoping to maybe get a picture of the inside when someone waved from the trailer in the front yard.  I retreated across the street real fast.  Hope they didn't think I was trying to rob their place or anything.  It was interesting.

We are seeing a lot of growth around here.  There are new fast food restaurants, an auto zone, and a few strip malls that are filling up.  That is a positive.  For so long it was a waste land but now it is growing.  That is GOOD.  The Lower 9th still has a long way to go.  We were driving around and there are so many houses that have not been touched.   I did finally get to see Fat's Domino's house on this trip. It's tiny.

We took a small side trip - imagine that - and saw the battle ground where the British and the Americans had a huge battle and the general of the British militia was killed.  We won!  That was really cool.  It is tucked away in an industrial area and right next to the Mississippi River.  Who knew??

I  just LOVE my traveling buddies.  They are always up for an adventure and not against taking "detours" when there is something of interest.  We do a lot of U-Turns when we spy something interesting.

Well, tomorrow is another day of taping, mudding and the dreaded sanding so I best get to sleep.  I really am tired.  Most of you know (because I have whined about it so much) that I fell last week and hurt my back.  Just wanted you to know that because of a DEAR friend and some super-duper Ibuprofen 800's from her, I was able to get through the day but right now I'm hurting so nitey-nite

Love you all.  I will keep in touch.

Ginny