i'm trying to get better at this!

alright lets seeeeeeee.

i dono if i already explained what my project is here in lake charles, and if i have, i'm sorry. but we're working with the Southwest Louisiana Volunteer Housing Center, along with United Way. we are also working alongside with 40 differen organizations in order to rebuild lake charles. the difference between here and new orleans is that it was hit by hurricane rita. there were only seven deaths due to rita, but that is only because it hit nearly a month after katrina, and everyone evacuated. [thanks goodness.] but if they adn't it would have been much much worse than new orleans [i didn't know that was possible, but apparently it is.] we've done everything on this project from assessments and cleaning the housing center to chainsawing, debris removal and yard clean up, rebuilding, roofing, gutting, etc. etc. etc. but the problem is that because there are so many organizationsinvolved it is really, i mean really unorganized. so sometimes we find ourselves without work, which is frustrating because there is still so much that needs to be done. other than that its not too bad, the housin center is great. especially compared to comp hope, which i loved and all, but it's nice having a bathroom that doesn't have a sign saying "use a plunger everytime you flush."

the south is a crazy crazy place. i feel like im in another universe most of the time. first of all the food. oh man. its just very....defferent. and freakin spicy. i must say that i've eaten alligator, frog legs, jumbalaya, gumbo, poboys, fried.... everything you can imagine. its interesting..z. to say the least. (: people here are so different. i've come to realize southern hospitality is infact real, and all this time i thought it was a myth. but i've also come to see the south is muuuch slower in other ways. for example, the other day i ate in a restraunt where they still seperated black people from white people. how does that still happen?! i talked to kirtley who i sform mississippi,and he told me it is actually quite common, its just kind of one of those things nobody says much about and it isn't a big deal, thats just how it is. it sill just blows my mind. anyhow, the way of life is just slower here, especially compared to san diego. everybody back home is just go go go all the time, and here... people know how to wait. its interesting. i do love it here though, i could never see myself living here permanently. i would however like to live for some time in new orleans. we'll see.

hmm. major events in life?

well for mother's day i surprised both my parents and flew home. only my sister knew i was coming, so she and lisa came and picked me up from the airport, and i surprised my parents at likemidnight. awh, it was so great being back home. i was only there for three days, but it was incredible. i saw a bunch of friends, but mainly spent time with the fam bam. they noticed i did pick up a slight southern accent, as well as saying "ya'll" hahahaha me saying yall. tiiihgt. it was great, and i cannot wait to come back over fourth of july! i'll be ohme for a week, and i'm so excited!

thennnn oh. i hit myself i the face with a crowbar! we we're gutting this house. and it was incredible. i basically love demolition. hahah. so imagine being in your uniform, plus coveralls, steel toes, gloves, plus a hardhat, goggels, and respirator. [think hazmat crew... seriously]annnd its about 97 degrees outside, not to mention 94%humidity. aye aye aye. so we're gutting this house, and i have only about an inch of skin showing. i'm working on the bathroom and i was ripping out a big piece of wood paneling and it was above my head, and instead of the whole sheet popping off, it broke in the middle, and the crobar went straight down into my face, [right under my hardhat!] knocking my goggles off and i immediately start gushing from the face. but silly me, its so hot i thought it was just a lot of sweat. haaaaa. i looked at my gloves that were bloody and was like"oh... no" go outside absolutely gushing blood. take off all my gear. put a cold water bottle on my face. annnd yeah. thought i could keep working, but then my teammate was like "try standing up" annnnd seeing as how i was too dizzy to stand up, i went back to the center. the funny part is, the cut is TINY. its right under my left eyebrow. so so so little. hah. goodtimes. i hope i get a sweet scar. (:

other than that, i also just got back from michigan. i went to fremont [about an hour north of grand rapids] i went with sam on my team and stayed with her family. we wen back for her brothers garduation...annnd lets see, we went camping and hung out with some of her friends and her wonderful family. and yeah. it was great. michigan is beautiful!


jhgj. a.d.d. has set in. but hey man this was a pretty sweet blog effort i would say. (: hope everything is well with everyone. miss you all!