NOLA Habitat for Humanity, Week 3

Bon Jovi everybody! (That’s French for “Hello.” I’m super cultured now.)  This week in New Orleans was a little slower, but definitely in a good way.  We’ve gotten into a rhythm with work and we’re starting to settle into our little Habitat lifestyle.

This week at work, we mixed a whole bunch of cement.  The cement comes in 80 lb bags, and we made it through at least 250 bags; enough for a sidewalk and a driveway.  It was exhausting, but it looked really nice when it was finished.  (Had they rented a mixer, it would have taken a half hour, not three days, but whatever.  Habitat needs to keep their volunteers busy, so a lot of the things we do seem kindof inefficient.)

This weekend, most of our team made a trip up to Baton Rouge for a night.  Another Americorps team is staying there on the LSU campus, and we stayed with them.  After two plus months spending every waking moment with the people on my team, it was great to hang out with some friends that I don’t share Q-tips and bathroom cabinetry with.  And we made the most of the company.  After a great pizza dinner (and a large tab at the bar across the street), we wandered down to the lake/pond/mudpit across the street from their place.

It was a hilarious night, and a great break from the day to day in New Orleans.  The next morning we walked through the LSU campus.  Did you know they have a live tiger (their mascot) in a cage there? Like at a zoo?  I wish that my alma mater, Western Washington, had a caged Viking (our mascot) on display at all times.  He could wear his pointy hat and you could watch him pillage things from behind safety glass.

Lagniappe:

Lastly, a quick update on postcards. I’ve gotten a few since the Christmas break, and here are some highlights.  First, thanks to Miss Olga Z for this chestnut:

And to Water 7, thank you for this one:

I don’t know what the turtle just told this woman, but she’s taking it pretty hard.  Turtle cancer maybe? 

Goodbye until next week.  Or as the French say, “H'ordeuvres!”