.tsop a si sihT

After a very stern and large-fonted email from Ben, I decided to post. The last couple days I've been thinking of things to post, and I've had great ideas, but i forgot them. I just remember something entirely irrelevant!!! The cancelled Corner Gas tonight. It's one of my favourite shows and I look forward to watching it every Monday night, but tonight its replaced by some "Red road" or something. About the picture, it's the volleyball finals from last Thursday( we won, by the way) Appartently i'm blinking, but I love the look on Bryant's face (sitting on my right) Okay, that's the end of my post, but hopefully I'll manage to post before Ben yells at me again.

New Orleans

Here are the pics. It was awesome in "The Big Easy." I don't know why it's called that, but it is.

N'Orlins

Yesterday we were in New Orleans (southern's say Norlins or Norleens). It was awesome. On the drive there, we stopped in Diamondhead (between Pass Christian and New Orleans) and I bought a pair of Mississippi State pajamas (with the Bulldog on it) and then we finished the hour and a half drive to New Orleans. We started by going to the aquarium. As we walked towards it, we saw a trumpet player, and put some money in his box. After the song, he gave us the advice "get drunk and do something stupid. Because the people here don't care and the people at home won't know." (we didn't take the advice) The aquarium was amazing, but the pictures aren't really that great because of the aquarium's lighting, and the fact everything is behind glass underwater. I will give you the pictures anyways, but I'm in the airport right now so I'll put them on later today. After the aquarium was mostly shopping. We went down Bourbon Street and a couple side streets and bought a N.O. sweater, t-shirt, and probably something else. We had supper at Bubba Gump's and I am now convinced that I need to see Forrest Gump. I think my plane out of Gulfport (15min from Pass Christian) is leaving right away, so I should probably go.

The Untitled post.

Strangely, both of the good pictures I took to day were on Color Accent, which makes everything black and white except one color. The first is a toad we found, the second is my mom washing a van while Les is goofing around. Today was pretty uneventful. I forgot to take a "end of Day 5" pic, but it wouldn't have been good anyways. We put some plywood on the sides below the roof, but you couldn't see the change anyways. Tonight we're shopping (I want to buy a U of Mississippi sweater) and then going out for a crab supper. Tomorrow we're going to New Orleans and doing something. I don't know, probably touristy stuff.

Here's more pics. Look down for today's post. And please leave a comment so I can see who's reading the blog. Thanks.

Shingling

Today was a day of unsuccessful hope. Actually, it was just the evening that was disappointing. The day was great. Kinda. The only thing we really did today was shingle. First we had to get them on the roof, then place the paper, then shingle and nail, shingle and nail, shingle and nail. By the time we were done we were all pretty tired. Then the evening was a couple small disappointments in a row. First of all, when we got back from the job site, we heard a football game announcer. It was right before supper, so we tried to eat fast and get to the game. But this was the night they brought in Katrina survivors, so it used up more time. By the time we got to the game (it was a nearby high school) the stands were empty and the lights were just being turned off. Then we went to a house that Les had helped with 2 years ago. Apparently the girls (gr.8 and 11) are good at basketball and we were going to invite them to play, but they were going to bed because they have school at 7:40. Then we drove around Pass Christian. It was kinda boring. We plan on playing computer Jeopardy tonight, but otherwise I want to go to bed early so I can wake up in decent time (breakfast is at 7, making lunch is 6:30-7)

End of Day 3

Today we put the plywood on the roof (which took a while) and then on the sides of the house in the part that was missed (intentionally) before. I got to be on the roof most of the day. At first it was freaky because it's ~15 feet off the ground. Later on it was better because I got used to it and the space to walk on got bigger. Yesterday a little kid came onto the site and just started climbing the 5-foot scaffolding. I saw him, but wasn't sure if it actually mattered, and kinda watched him as I kept working. Then he climbed into the house, where Les (the project manager) said 'Hey Bud' and then let him be. Then the kid climbed onto the scaffolding on the other side of the house where Sylvia (a grandmotherly lady from Pennsylvania) said 'Oh, you should get down from there' and then lifted him down. Mom talked to him for a bit to keep him out of trouble and found out he lived next door, he was four years old, and his name was Canaan (we think, he had a southern accent) It was really funny to hear a four-year-old say Y'all. Then he decided he was bored and wandered around for a bit, being a bit too close to everything. Mom tried to tell him to watch from the steps, but he just wandered some more. He was standing too close for a while when someone accidentally dropped something on or near him (I can't remember) and then he wandered home to the neighbours who have an eternal BBQ Party (we are invited for tomorrow).

Pecans

Okay, I don't really have anything to say, mostly just pictures of us working (yes, working, Auntie Eileen) We picked pecans at a pick-your own place. It was pretty cool, but I have trouble opening them.

Dayo Numbero Uno

Today was the first official work day. We went to a house that only had framing done. We had to rip off the initial layer of plywood because it didn't meet some regulation, and then nailed another layer on. Then we added most of the trusses for the roof, and that was mostly it. It was very hot this morning and was brutal in direct sun. The shade was nice, though, because it had no direct sun but a warm breeze. The pics above are before and after of the house we worked on today.

We have now seen some cool wildlife. Sadly, they were all quite small and we didn't actually see a gator. (I saw something moving in the water, but it looked like a dog) So far we've seen a crane, lizards (hiding in siding at the work site), a couple tiny frogs (most were finger-sized), a regular sized toad, some butterflies and a Katydid or a walking stick (we aren't sure what it is.) Remember to check my blog daily because I will post frequently because there is very little to do. After working and supper, we go to the Shell to get a snack, then sometimes play Apples to Apples, and then I'm on the computer lots.

Gud Ol' Mississippi

Where is Les? (our project leader) and why is his food left alone??? We were at a breakfast place in the Minneapolis airport, when we were looking at our tickets. We had already ordered, and we were looking at how much time we had between flights. We checked our tickets out of Minneapolis and saw that we still had lots of time. Then Les looked at his, and realized he had ten minutes. We still don't know exactly why, but he had a different flight to Memphis, so he ran to his flight and then met us in Memphis (we had the same flight from there)

Another strange thing is shown in the picture above. Mississippi aboriginals had found a way to defy gravity. We were lucky enough to be taught this amazing feat of nature. Les (far right) didn't quite catch on. I'm pretty sure I had best perfected the act out of our group.

Travel Mission Status: Complete

Okay, I'm in Mississippi perfectly safe. I'm blogging from Mary-Jane's computer because she lent it to us after she found out she wasn't coming. Luckily we also have wireless internet, so I can check blogs and e-mail. I have a really awesome airport story, but it goes better with a picture that will be downloaded in the future (if I get the cord), so look forward to that.

As they say in Mississippi, ADIOS!

PS - I know mississippi isn't Spanish, but I'm sure its been said at least once here.