Back in Seattle for a rest

It's been 2 weeks? Since my last blogfession.

The last 2 weeks in New Orleans I was sick and not getting any better. It may have had something to do with my living quarters...We were at full capacity and 120 or so people bunking in a single room with a majority of them sick was not the best. Plus, I just felt bad being there and not able to work. I tried to do admin work and such but all I really wanted was rest. So I came back here to Seattle for 2 weeks. I saw my doctor and was told I had a bad case of bronchitis and I'm now on super anti-biotics and feeling nearly 100% better.

My first impressions when I returned to Seattle was how clean and fresh it is here. Lush and seemingly weathly America. I've so enjoyed sleeping on a real bed, watching DVDs, taking long naps and bubble baths.

Since feeling better I've been getting around to see some friends and spend time with my siblings. I'm in another world-so far away from what I've become used to. I miss New Orleans though I'm not sure if I can explain why. It has gotten under my skin. I miss the simplicity of being a volunteer and the satisfaction of doing that kind of work. I don't have "to do" lists and house projects and worries there. It's all in the moment. The only material things I desire there are electronics:)What I miss most in NO is having friends and family around me. The other volunteers, well especially a few have become my family there and for that I'm grateful.

I've been getting some feedback as to what sorts of things people want to hear more of in my blogs and see more in my pictures. So I'm going to add more of what live is like in the bunks-more personal stuff.

fyi: In the blogs where there is just a single picture, just click on the pic to see the album.

Tomorrow I get to see the kitties, my babies that I gave to my good friends so that I could do this volunteer gig. I'm so excited to see them. I miss my human kids so much but they had their own plans for turkey day (which my son calls "stab the Indians in the back day") and my daughter is in El Paso visiting her boyfriend's family. They sound happy and that's all I need to know to be at ease.

I leave for NO on Wednesday. Coming back rested and ready to power through the next 3 weeks. I plan to return to New Orleans to continue my work there in January. Again, thanks to all of you for giving me support.
ps. If anyone can or wants to take a week to come and volunteer, I can help you with info.

movies I made in Biloxi MS

Biloxi movies

Recent pics of NO and Seattle

From New Orleans to Thanksgiving in Seattle

Taking a Break

I haven't written in my blog for the past 4 or 5 days. I've been really sick and trying to get well. Just about everyone here is sick so getting well has been impossible. I'm going back to Seattle for 2 weeks to recuperate and will return to NO at the end of November.
I can't wait to sleep in a real bed and take a long bubble bath. I also can't wait to come back and work more. I feel so passionate about the rebuilding of New Orleans and I'm not satisfied with my contribution yet.


I'm off to pack my stuff.

Yesterday I worked with a large group of Americorp volunteers gutting a house and getting team leading training. I don't know if I really want to be a team leader but what I'm learning is valuable.
I know I overdid it yesterday as I'm feeling more congested this morning, muscles hurt and my hands went numb again.
A huge group from Boston Cares came in yesterday. Every bunk is now filled. They are here for a week and their ages vary-most are professionals in their 40s and 50s.

Rehearsal for Tyvec, the musical continues. 3 hours each night and that is such a strain on everyone. The director Adam is intense and keeps making changes-he is very frustrated by our lack of energy. Oh well, its not Broadway after all.
My roles are cockroach #3, debris and gutter #4. Its really funny-the musical is about a girl that has these dreams-wizard of oz like-where she defends her reasons for being here volunteering. There is the annoying voice of discouragement from her mother, the house that cant be gutted, the snickering cockroaches and a subplot about her love interests.

The picture I've displayed I took at the gut of the only salvagable items from this house that was under water for over a week. The nails were so rusty that they broke in half when we tried to take them out.

Wednesday morning-feeling better

I think I'm on the mend. Still sick but turning a corner and realizing that I can get through this. I'm investigating another organization called "Common Ground Collective" here in New Orleans. I'm thinking of doing a week there just to check it out. They do much of the same work that we do here but in addition they do a lot of community outreach and are more involved in activism.

I'm going out to do team leader training today on a gut. Hope I'm not pushing myself here too much.

The headline this morning made me very happy. DEMOS TAKE HOUSE!!! Being around these young volunteers gives me hope too. They aren't passive-and I know this experience will change their outlook on the world just as it's changing mine. Here's hoping.

Burn out

I haven't written much in my blog in the past few days. I've been really sick and in denial about that. I'm hitting a wall-constantly tired, sore throat, cough and my back is in pain. I've been told it may be reaction to mold but I won't know that until I've been seen by a doctor. I sort of took some time off last week doing admin work, going to the library and doing team leading training. I'm rehearsing with volunteers who are putting on a hilarious musical called Tyvek. We had a 4 hour rehearsal in Autabon park and the whole time I was feeling horrible and trying to not show it.
Part of this is pride. I feel obligated to keep up and not let anyone down. But, here I am, feeling so tired and sick and unable to work.
I've talked with the staff about me taking a week off-going to Seattle and resting for a week and w\ether or not I'll still have a bunk when I come back. They are going to be over capacity next week and I feel bad to take up the space. How I'm feeling is effecting my mental state and I know that. I've been assured that they will keep my space for me, x-mas lights and all.:)
I'm looking into air fares today.

Even so I want to tell anyone who is reading this that I had an amazing experience on Saturday.

I started the team leading training with about 17 other volunteers. On Saturday they took us out on a tour of the places where we will be working and to a museum dedicated to Katrina.

First in the french quarter at the museam-pictures and documents displayed as far back as the mid-1800s to the most recent, Katrina. In the back room there were various screens: One was a film about what happened to the wetlands and how that has been affecting the flooding. Another screen ran clips of news reports from around the country right after Katrina hit. Some were good human interest stories of courage and other shows like Fox news were ridiculous. There was footage of the rescue attemps and interviews of rescue workers, victims of the storm/flood. One clip of hundreds of people waiting in line on a small strip of highway waiting to get on rescue helicoptors. Only 3 at a time could be taken and the elderly and disabled were airlifted first...another bit of footage showing people being lifted off of their roofs by heicopter ladders

Today at the Salvation Army children's school.

I went with Donna today who has been volunteering for the past two weeks at a local library for kids. She and her husband Wayne (both in their 70s) are returning to Iowa tomorrow. Donna is a retired school teacher and Wayne teaches social work studies at the U of I. We will all be sad to see them go as they have added so much to our community spirit and have done a kick ass job here. Wayne has been out there everyday gutting houses and doing mold removal. In talking with them their political viewpoint is very liberal and they do alot of volunteer work all over the country and have done it overseas as well. They really inspire me.
Since I will be working in the library next week I went with her this morning so she could explain their system of checking out books, distributing library cards and reading to the young ones.
She was amazing to watch. She obviously loves it and got the kids involved. Having them read along with her on repetitive parts and stopping to explain more complex words by first asking if anyone knew what that word meant. She had them stand up to sing songs to help them from getting too sleepy. She would have read to them all day if she could. She read to 5 groups today.
I only stayed with her a few hours. I'm down again with the flu. I don't know what's going on with me. This week I've had many physical problems and I feel bad not being able to be at par here.

I'm thinking of buying a cheap scooter or car here. I'm realizing that I need the ability to get out of here and see/do things. I need some independence.

My body is covered in mosquito bites. The downside of living in a warm environment.

I really hope that I can get it together physically. I saw an acupuncturist yesterday for my back and numb hands. Im not ready or willing to give up on this and I know there are other ways I can make a difference-

I'm signed up to sing in the talent/no talent show tonight. "Fly me to the Moon" with 2 guitarist. Its upstairs and it's only one song so I'm going to make an effort.

Pictures of Donna reading to 2nd graders

Donna working at a school library-She is my hero

Thursday, November 2nd

Yesterday I took some down time. My hands have been getting more and more numb-now during the day as well. I decided to seek out some help. Common Ground-another organization-has a free health clinic for volunteers and Katrina victims. A sect of that is a group of volunteer alternative medicine professionals. The recommended an accupunturist who offers accupunture those those suffering from depression and stress. I called him and explained my past injury and my current symptoms. I went to his office located near Tulane. Beautiful area of New Orleans and on the bus I started to find the desire and courage to do some more exploring during my time off here.
He must have put 60 needles in me-I feel much better today. He told me to take at least a week off of hard physical activity. Also, he told me a little about his story. He moved to New Orleans one month before Katrina. He lost everything and moved to Texas for 6 months. When he returned he worked as a volunteer, mainly treated people who were physically and spiritually disabled post Katrina. After 6 months he opened his own office to make a living but still goes to the jazz church on Wednesday evening to do free work. I will be seeing him two more times in the next week.
So, today I asked to be "volunteer for a day". Basically that involves taking their nice camera, going out with a crew and take pics of all that volunteers do. These pictures become part of brochures and the website. It was weird to not participate in the gutting of the house-I really wanted to jump in. On the other hand I really love taking pictures, especially with a good camera. I took a different angle than I would if I were doing it for my blog. After all, this is pics to promote volunteering, not a direction of what I see that is hard to look at and sometimes beautiful.
Tonight I will audition for the lead role in the musical "Tyvec" that a few volunteers wrote this week. Friday night we will have a talent/no talent show...However I may pass on that and go to an art Gallery with a friend of Jenny's.
Just to get out of here for a night without the volunteers would be a treat.

Watching the team work on gutting this apartment was amazing-they work so hard and in silence as everyone just jumps in and gets the job done. It's exhausting work and the motto is, "Get 'er done". We went to lunch at Voodoo BBQ. Amazing food. I had a Caribbean jerk chicken po boy with spicy greens.

I'm about to jump into the kitten and capture some of the preparation for dinner. Then go back to the gut site to get the shots of the finished gut.