Carhartts & long johns

Miss Yolanda, 2 neighborhood boys & me

I live in the South? I'm bundled up like I'm back in Lake Placid! Freezin' our tush's off this week, but still progressing!

It was to be a slow week. There were only to be 8 people TOTAL volunteering with the St. Bernard Project. One of my good friends here- fellow Site Sup, Alex, joined me for the week. And then I was lucky to be assigned 4 of the 8 volunteers to be working at Miss Yolandas... it says a lot since we currently have 18 different houses being worked on. Miss Yolanda is of highest priority at the moment.

There was a mighty little force of site supervisors at Miss Yolandas on Monday and Tuesday - Marissa & Cody joined up with Alex & I, and they were able to completely finish all the underhouse insulation, as well as some siding, and some work in the interior of the house.


Site Sup Alex!

Our 'new' volunteers this week were Hazel and Hallie from Oklahoma! The mom & daughter pair have been coming down to help the New Orleans community for 4 (or was it 5?) years now. They decided that this year they would actually try to see some of the city, and be a little bit of a tourist... so the two of them worked hard at the tasks I set them in the mornings, and when the work was complete, they headed off to venture. The two of them even opened my eyes to a few new places to see, including a trip to Biloxi, MS beach when it warms up! Thanks for your hard work ladies (and I forgot to have you sign Miss Yolanda's book... so I stuck your name in there, send me an email if you want a specific note!)


Hallie doing the last skim of mud in the closets!


Hi Hazel!

Bob stopped by on Monday too and helped us get cranking along on some more seams to finish up mudding. He's such a great guy, and I hope to be working with him some more in the upcoming weeks.

And then there was Rick & Becky... Or Ricky & Beck as I kept saying on accident. Three full weeks of working with SBP, and over 2 weeks were dedicated to bringing Miss Yolanda home and working with me. Tim Phibbs was here for 8 days or so, and I thought nobody would outrun his stretch working with me. But Rick & Becky emerged from their RV from a camp about 10-15 miles away, every morning, sleeves rolled up and ready to go, for a total of 11 ( out of 16) days with me.


Becky & Me! (after texturing the kitchen, the oldest boy's bedroom, and the boys' bathroom!)


Rick & Becky heading onward to Florida!

There are some people that build you up, and some people that cut you down. There are some people who make every day brighter, and others that make them dimmer. Rick & Becky were with me ELEVEN days. If they were the cutter-downers, the dimmer lighters, the type of people that think it's their way or the highway...I wouldn't have made it. Instead, I found myself comforted to know that the 2 of them would be with me the following day. I was relaxed (ok rick, ok i remember that ONE time...) haha! I found myself missing my own family, the more and more I worked with the two of them. They were supportive of me, supportive of the project, supportive of each other (though they hassled each other all the time which I only found to be endearing), and just seem to have a great grasp on what 'life' is all about. They brought pictures of their children, I learned about their past lives, and learned more about their lives that are now filled with wintertime roadtrips like a pair of birds flying south for winter.They are really wonderful people, and I hope I get to see them again when the swing back past in March, headed back for Wyoming! Thanks Rick(y) & Beck(y)!


Kevin & Karen

We had a 'special' guest on Friday, as my friend ( & fellow site sup), Adrian, had his brother Kevin and girlfriend Karen on site to work on the house. The two of them painted the entire day, finishing up the 2nd coats of paint in several rooms.

We're lookin' at 2 weeks til Christmas, folks! Doing everything we can to get the Julien family home for the holidays!


Front Room (future "Saints" room!)


Bathroom #2 (Girls side!)


Kitchen View!


Bedroom #1 (youngest son's room)