October 27th-early morning
I'm am up very early as I'm on breakfast crew. Not much for me to do as it's just cereal and toast. The best part is that I get to pick out the wake up song that is played at 7am on full blast as the lights go on. I'm picking out a Tito Puente song that will either be appreciated or I'll get growled at. I'm looking forward to it.
I wanted to write my blog last night but my hands could not type. I had a difficult gut job yesterday, overdid it and I'm paying for it. Not complaining though because working physically like that helps me get out the frustration and anger I sometimes feel here.
As we drove to the sight again I was overwhelmed by the level of poverty that exists here in such large numbers. The streets of the poor are falling apart and there are huge piles of debris that have not been picked up by the city as promised. The house we gutted belonged to an older woman-older than her age who took the bus out to her house to open it for us. Inside in the front room there was a large pile of things she had pulled out to keep. It looked like a pile of moldy trash but it was her stuff-and it's all she has. We first worked on shoveling up a deeply compressed pile of debris that looked like papermache with rusting batteries, Mardi grass beads and unrecognizable items. Huge cockroaches, spiders as big as my hand and termites poured out of it. I nearly threw up in my mask. The owner, Carol, stood by picking out objects that she wanted to keep wearing a hefty trash bag and a dust mask for protection. It was the saddest thing to see and i had to check myself to get that look of disgust off of my face. This is her house and her things however sad it may be. The floor was tilted and the floorboards rotten.
After getting that gross stuff off the way we began to tear down the walls and ceilings down to the frame-pulled up the tiles and moldy carpet-filling huge trash cans with debris and emptying them out in front of her house until the pile was 10 feet tall and 10 feet wide.
Outside of the house there was a constant traffic of drug dealing and neighbors stopping by to say hi to Carol and to us. Many came by to thank us and say, "God bless you."
Some of the neighbors-were coming home for a break from work. Work being that they are also gutting houses nearby for money. That is one way they can make money right now. It's rough rough out there. I made a point to take time to talk with Carol. The house was built by her grandfather. She told me it was the prettiest house in the neighborhood and asked me if I thought they would end up tearing down the house. I told her I didn't know but felt very sad. She had a great sense of humor and we laughed about young kids and they music they like and how she should set up a crystal ball and tell people their future as she thinks she may have the gift.
The team leader, Jud-21 years old grew up with the Amish people though he and his family are not. He told me they work from 4am and go to bed by 8pm. Amazing great people and many his best friends he told me with a smile. Many people assume he is Amish because of his name and where he is from. He works so damn hard but is a gentle soul who told me to take as many breaks as I needed.
A group went out to see a local jazz band that I've been told are truly great. I tried to go but I couldn't make it to 10pm-my body and mind were screaming at me for rest and I had to give in.
Well, it's time to play Tito and wake up the little angels.
I wanted to write my blog last night but my hands could not type. I had a difficult gut job yesterday, overdid it and I'm paying for it. Not complaining though because working physically like that helps me get out the frustration and anger I sometimes feel here.
As we drove to the sight again I was overwhelmed by the level of poverty that exists here in such large numbers. The streets of the poor are falling apart and there are huge piles of debris that have not been picked up by the city as promised. The house we gutted belonged to an older woman-older than her age who took the bus out to her house to open it for us. Inside in the front room there was a large pile of things she had pulled out to keep. It looked like a pile of moldy trash but it was her stuff-and it's all she has. We first worked on shoveling up a deeply compressed pile of debris that looked like papermache with rusting batteries, Mardi grass beads and unrecognizable items. Huge cockroaches, spiders as big as my hand and termites poured out of it. I nearly threw up in my mask. The owner, Carol, stood by picking out objects that she wanted to keep wearing a hefty trash bag and a dust mask for protection. It was the saddest thing to see and i had to check myself to get that look of disgust off of my face. This is her house and her things however sad it may be. The floor was tilted and the floorboards rotten.
After getting that gross stuff off the way we began to tear down the walls and ceilings down to the frame-pulled up the tiles and moldy carpet-filling huge trash cans with debris and emptying them out in front of her house until the pile was 10 feet tall and 10 feet wide.
Outside of the house there was a constant traffic of drug dealing and neighbors stopping by to say hi to Carol and to us. Many came by to thank us and say, "God bless you."
Some of the neighbors-were coming home for a break from work. Work being that they are also gutting houses nearby for money. That is one way they can make money right now. It's rough rough out there. I made a point to take time to talk with Carol. The house was built by her grandfather. She told me it was the prettiest house in the neighborhood and asked me if I thought they would end up tearing down the house. I told her I didn't know but felt very sad. She had a great sense of humor and we laughed about young kids and they music they like and how she should set up a crystal ball and tell people their future as she thinks she may have the gift.
The team leader, Jud-21 years old grew up with the Amish people though he and his family are not. He told me they work from 4am and go to bed by 8pm. Amazing great people and many his best friends he told me with a smile. Many people assume he is Amish because of his name and where he is from. He works so damn hard but is a gentle soul who told me to take as many breaks as I needed.
A group went out to see a local jazz band that I've been told are truly great. I tried to go but I couldn't make it to 10pm-my body and mind were screaming at me for rest and I had to give in.
Well, it's time to play Tito and wake up the little angels.
posted by singsforyou at 4:44 AM
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