Arizona ACE, Weeks 1 & 2

Hello from Arizona! Thank you all very much for your kind birthday wishes.  I had a scenic 24^th birthday in Hack Canyon.

In basketball terms, my Jordan year (23) was great and I hope that my Kobe year (24) will be almost as good. Maybe 5/6 as good?  And Derek Fisher will be there?

We’re back in Flagstaff now, but we spent our first eight days north of the Grand Canyon in a “little” feeder canyon called Hack Canyon.  (“Little” is in comparison to the other canyons in northern Arizona, despite 1700 ft rock walls on every horizon.  The big boys are 4000 ft deep) 

We started each day at 7 AM, leaving our campsite and hiking along the bottom of the canyon to the stretch of trail that we were working on.

As we worked farther down the trail, the hikes got longer, and by the end of the hitch we were hiking half the day (about 11 miles roundtrip).  The actual work was pretty fun too. Most of the trail had already been cleared, so we were doing maintenance to make it easier to hike. (Or, you could say that the trailblazers did a shitty job, if you would like another NBA reference).  The last bit of the week we cleared cactus and yucca from the trail, but mostly we built cairns. Cairns are basically rock piles that delineate the trail and they look like this:

2 feet wide, 3 feet tall, with a little rock flourish at the top.  We built 74 of these things along the five miles of trail.  You collect the biggest, flattest rocks that you can find, and piece them together so the whole thing is stable.    

In between hitches, we get six days in flagstaff, where we shower, use our phones, get binge-y, and go through granola bar withdrawls.  Also this “weekend” we went south a few miles to hike near Sedona. Here are a couple pictures from our hike along wet beaver creek.

On Wednesday, we head back into the backcountry.  This time, we might be at Lake Mead laying fence.  Or not. ACE has been very tightlipped about our next project.  Regardless, more soon!

Arizona ACE, Prologue

Time for a quick update before we head out into the desert!  I hear the wi-fi in the Grand Canyon is a little spotty.

The last few weeks have been full of roadtrips and van time.  First from New Orleans to Denver, then Denver to Flagstaff.  I’m used to our travel taking us through Texas so the drive between Denver and Flagstaff was a real treat.  Central Texas is about is about as scenic as …well… Central Texas.  I think the truth is about the same as hyperbole here.  This time around, we stayed in Moab Utah, which is only a mile or two from Arches National Park.

As I mentioned a little while back, our next project will be in Northern Arizona, working for ACE (American Conservation Experience).  We got into Flagstaff earlier today and tomorrow we’re driving to the Arizona Strip for our first work project.  We’ll be working in Hack Canyon, which is here:

Supposedly it’s very pretty.  The work will be intense- moving rocks, building trails, laying fence- and we’ll be insulated from pretty much everything.  Nine days of sleeping in tents and pooping in the ground!  We start tomorrow, so next week I should have some pictures.  Of the tents and canyons and stuff.  Not the poop.

Onward! To the Desert!

NOLA Habitat for Humanity, Week 7

Another week in the rear-view, and with it, another project.  Our last day with Habitat is this coming Wednesday, and we start the three-day drive back to Denver on Thursday.  It’s hard to believe that our time here is already over, but I feel blessed to have gotten this project at all.  Habitat work has been really rewarding, and all the friendly people and weird traditions have made New Orleans a great place to live.  A fond farewell, Louisiana.  Thanks for the music and the food!

The big news from this past week, Parents! (More specifically; mine!) My mom and dad came down from Washington last weekend and we had a great time acting like tourists.  We rode the street-cars, we took a steamboat tour of the Mississippi, we ate oysters, we toured the Tabasco(®)  Factory, and even saw a Mardi Gras parade. It was really great to see them, and it was great for them to escape February in Spokane.

Here are a couple pictures from the weekend:

On the Steamboat Natchez(®,™)

Touring the Garden District. 

Did you know that Andrew Jackson and the ghost of Archie Manning (®,™,$) won the battle of New Orleans in that house? Wait…or was that the one where Anne Rice lived when she wrote “Transformers 2”?  I think it was something like that. Our tour book was kindof confusing.

Krewe De Vieux parade, The first big one of Mardi Gras, and the only one that goes through the French Quarter.  And if you can’t make it out, that float is sperm-ies with hats.

Lagniappe:

Same as last round, we had to turn in a reflection; a poem or a picture or something to reflect on our project and our time in New Orleans.  Once again I made a stupid postcard.

Bye you, Bayou!

NOLA Habitat for Humanity, Weeks 5 & 6

Back in the saddle.  I apologize in advance for the hundreds of triplets of dozens of fifties of niners of words in this week’s update.  It’s kindof wordy, and short on pictures.  It’s been a busy couple of weeks.  I have visitors this weekend, and the Carnival parades are starting up tomorrow, so I can assure you, next week will have lots more pictures.  

With just a little over a week left here, we’re into the home stretch in New Orleans, and it has truly flown by.  Since this project is about over, we finally got our assignments for next round.  I don’t know how I keep weaseling my way into awesome projects, but the next two months should be pretty incredible.  We’re going to be camping and building trails at a national park. And not just any national park… Tell ‘em christracker:

Honestly, I don’t have a very good idea what to expect, but I do know that we’ll be working for ACE (Arizona Conservation….um… Empire? Enstitute maybe?).  I also know that we work nine days at a time- camping with no running water, possibly in the snow.  And we might see Robbie Knevel try to jump a motorcycle over us.  We’ll get four-day breaks, where we’ll stay in Flagstaff and try to shower off a week and a half worth of sweat and dirt.  I could not be more excited for the whole experience.  Sleeping in tents, pooping in the ground, arm wrestling buffalo, hunting grizzly bears for sport.  Ooh Wee! 

Also since last update, our team lost two members for underage drinking.  It sucks, but they acted dumb and got sent back to Denver.  As it happened, they were both of the other guys, leaving me as the only male left on our team. It has been kinda nice having my own room again, but I found myself watching “She’s the Man” with everybody last week (admitting that out loud hurts my head).  When our dryer broke this week, there were bras and other lady-clothes on the ceiling fan in our living room.  Dear Americorps, please send a friend who doesn’t have ovaries. Or at least send Amanda Bynes dressed like a boy (That’s a “She’s the Man” reference for those of you who still have your dignity).

Lagniappe:

Finally, a quick appeal on behalf of Americorps.  New budget cuts, proposed last week in the House of Representatives would cut all funding to Americorps, ending all the meaningful and necessary work that 85,000 people do all across the country.  Americorps helps non-profit organizations, regions hit by natural disasters, and the poorest communities around our country, and cutting such a great resource for those who need it most seems ass-backwards.  As a current employee, I find what Americorps does very important.  

If you agree, please flip off your Congressman.  If not, flip them off anyway.

Or, if you prefer to handle your problems like an adult, here's a petition (thanks!):
http://www.change.org/petitions/save-americorps

NOLA Habitat for Humanity, Week 4

Buhhh Baahh Ba Na Na Na! Go Pack Go! Nothing brightens my week like Hines Ward tears. How long does a Seahawks fan hold a grudge?  Five years and counting.

The last week or so at work have been a bit scattershot.  Habitat is kindof in a lull right now, before the big rush of volunteers that come every year for spring break.  Unfortunately for us, that means that all of the houses that they’re working on are just about finished, and the big exciting projects (putting up walls, roofing, alligator moats) have gone away.  We’ve been working with on smaller, finicky things like hanging drywall and cabinets.  Drywall is like a big jigsaw puzzle, trying to make all the pieces fit snugly.  Hopefully the work will pick up a bit soon, and I can wash the white drywall powder out of my hair. I feel like I’ve spent too much time at Pablo Escobar’s house.  Or maybe I just need to switch to Head and Shoulders shampoo.

This weekend, the Americorps team that we visited in Baton Rouge came down to New Orleans for the Super Bowl.  Our friend Sam is from Wisconsin and a huge Packers fan, and we had a great time yelling at the TV at the sports bar we went to.  Here are some pictures from our weekend.

Bourbon Street:

This balcony bar had a 3 for 1 beer special.  Like, as in buy one get two free.  This city has it out for my liver.

Sam, and I right after the game. The happiest boy in all of Louisiana.

Lagniappe:

When we first got to New Orleans, Nathan signed up for daily motivational texts from “the Universe,” and every day at breakfast, he reads one. Here are some of the better ones:

"Thoughts become things… Choose the good ones"

-The Universe

"Honor uncertainty, it's the seed from which all-knowingness comes"

-The Universe

"Simple is as simple does; you are poised for greatness"

-The Universe

So I got that goin' for me. Which is nice.

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!”

NOLA Habitat for Humanity, Week 2

Alright, another week down, and it was another busy one.  We'll start with a pretty picture:

Work these last few weeks has been great.  We’re working with Habitat for Humanity, building houses for low income families.  For anybody who doesn’t know what Habitat does (like Amish maybe?  Or mermaids?), they build houses with volunteer labor and sell them (for the cost of materials) to families who qualify.  The families are also given no-interest loans, so all in all, it’s a pretty cheap way to get into a new house.  We’ve been working outside, which is a great, and it’s really cool to see tangible change each day when we leave.

It really is amazing to see how fast the houses go up.  From start to finish, it takes three months to finish a Habitat house, but in the first two weeks we’ve been here, we’ve seen one house go from a 2 X 4 skeleton:

…to a full on house, with a roof, siding, windows and doors:

We’ve also gone out four or five days to make repairs on existing houses.  We replaced a lot of window trim. We also spent one day removing insulation, which meant rolling around in cat piss and itchy fiberglass under a house for three hours.  The best part of doing repairs has been seeing different parts of the city.  We got to see St Bernard parish, the West Bank, and, closer to home, Musicians Village:

The city commissioned Habitat to build forty or so houses all next to each other, and sold them to musicians. The houses are all new since 2005 and account for every building for a quarter mile in the Upper Ninth Ward. It’s only a few blocks from our house, and I had no idea it was there until earlier this week.  It is a really neat little community and a positive reminder of what we’re here working for. 

Habitat work is exhausting.  I go to bed at 9:00 PM sharp now, but we have made time on the weekends to go downtown.  There is so much in New Orleans to rave about, with the live music, the po-boy sandwiches, the bars, the street performers, getting to wear a t-shirt in January, more live music, etc. etc.

There’s like infinity fun things here! Maybe twofinity!

Last week we fixed window trim for a guy named Chip in Musician’s Village who plays a lot downtown. On Saturday, a few of us went to the French Quarter to watch him play.  His set was really fun, and he gave us some CDs after, which was really nice of him. Then we got some to-go beers.  This city rules. 

Lagniappe (a little something extra):

I’ll end with a brief mention of something very childish: Code Blue.  What is Code Blue you ask? Nathan told me about it.  It’s part holiday (supposedly, its Jan 29 every year), part “Avatar” homage (get those 3D glasses ready for some blue crap!), and all synchronized BM.  There are four steps to a successful Code Blue Day:

1: Tell your friends

2: For the next six days, eat as much blue food coloring as you can handle

3: On Code Blue day (January 29) take a blue poop in a public toilet. 

4: Don’t flush and enjoy knowing that you confused the hell out of someone.  (You BLUE their mind! Get it? HaHa! Somebody hi-five me!)

Happy Holiday!