A week in review

It's been a while since I posted... the world's turning a little faster now that I have work to do. My team arrived in Des Moines on Tuesday, and immediately had a briefing of our project at the Habitat office. Of the ten of us, Keri and I stayed awake, while the rest were somewhere between head on the table and vacant stare, but I think we all got the gist: You're going to get dirty and sweat more than you ever have before.

Very true. Our second day we arrived at the home-to-be with a poured concrete basement and one erected plywood wall. The interior walls were laid out, but unfinished. I started on erecting the wall that would provide a little shade; at 8 in the morning, it was already toasty. Drawing out my first hammer, I pounded twenty hits to a nail (at least) while others gave a solid whomp-whomp-whomp and were done. On my third completed nail I had an idea of how to use the damn thing, but not before five bent nails and several flying nails -- one hit Zar in his protective goggles. That first day I was up a ladder more than holding one, and by the end I sat on the framing nailing down tresses (not tresseses). My goal for the trip was already complete, so I had to make new ones after crossing out "learn to use a hammer"

Our second project was completely demolition. Tearing out molded carpet, breaking apart molded cabinets, transporting refrigerators, and no you don't want to know what was still inside them. The team started coming together with exceptions. All the older stronger crowd asked "what can I do to help" while one watched from the background, taking breaks whenever possible, holding ladders instead of climbing them etc. That problem is still being worked out, but Anxious Ashley is still my bet to leave next.

Friday was pea-gravel. Monotonous labor. Shovels and rakes at 100 degrees. Rewarding. I thought all day about how there would have been no way I would do this for nothing. How I'm doing it for a medal, for a team now, but back home... try to get me to do this kind of work and I'd quit. I took too many breaks and felt guilty for it, not as many as some, but enough. The guilt felt good though, because I knew this was something I not only had to do but wanted to do, at the same time being mad at my body for not cooperating. These three days we had physical training and meetings until 9 or 10, leaving 6 hours of dedicated sleep until we met the next morning. Ultimate Frisbee, Water Aerobics, and weight lifting on top of all the work we'd done during the day, and on little food. Rage built toward the system that hasn't changed the $4.50 for meals a day since NCCC was established in the early nineties. With rising food and oil prices, directly related, I'm just glad at this point that we have something, and that the program still exists. I wish more people had this opportunity to work, and to have people say "now I have faith in the youth of America."

It's weird when they say things like that. I'm used to, "You're doing such a good thing" which I admit we are, but "I have renewed faith in the youth of America" is weird. "I can see where this country is going" even though there are less than 2,000 of us spread across the U.S. I admit it's a great thing, but apathy is more contagious than action.

I've had more time to think about these things since our days off. Saturday night Sam, Stephanie, and Janiece met us all at the work site after driving from Vinton for the weekend. Keri and I stayed the night in their hotel, playing Kings (or Ring of Fire as I've always heard it) and being obnoxious and loud. It really gave me energy to go on, seeing the "youth of America" in this seedier light. We woke early and lazily, watched the recent news from Georgia and Russia, discussed politics and went to the state fair. Everything is fried on a stick. Everything. Everything is bigger in America: 1,200 pound pigs, 3,000 pound bulls, and all the stereotypical sweaty-hairy-backed overweight Iowans in "Get 'er Done" t-shirts that you can handle in a day. I wanted to stay til night to see a live taping of Prarie Home Companion, but instead went back to Carpenter Ave, took a nap, called the family, and spent the rest of the night reading Ender's Game, having Jim Beam on the porch, and waiting til midnight.

It's my birthday today, and I'm feeling good. My team is buying me lollypops, my disgusting replacement addiction, and we're having raspberry pie tonight. In just a couple minutes we leave to train at the Science Center for independent service hours, and I can't wait.

Love you all, and keep in touch. :)

1611 Carpenter Ave.
Des Moines, Ia 50314

I'll be here till October 3rd.