It's still hard...

Being down here as I said before is so very different than anything you could imagine. I met a "local", thats how they refer to those who are born and live here, they help you get a better sense of life here before and after Katrina hit.

Everyone must know that this part of LA was not in good shape before Katrina hit, so this just brought more bad to a place already in sad shape. Some consider Katrina and it's damage to be either a blessing or making a bad situation worse. Depends on who they are and where they lived.

It is very depressing down here, and my new found friend Robin say's we have to remember that the people who live here, have lived with it both ways, before and after. They are used to waking up everyday and seeing it, those of us who are new to this don't. This makes it even harder to deal with. She told me stories of people who come here to help and they cannot cope and handle it and have to leave. I myself have been having trouble dealing with things I see and getting depressed about it. She assured me that this is common among many who volunteer. The hard part is that 3 years later it is still in sad shape and theres no end in site.I always belived that if you throw a rock into the waterr it has a rippe effect and so as a person I too can have that ripple effect. Truthfully, I feel like I am pouring a glass of water into the ocean and waiting to see if the level of water rises.

I don't think I could do this everyday and so I understand those who cannot return or those who have not returned at all. I have great respect and admiration for those who have stayed or come back to their roots here and decided to tough it out and rebuild. Rebuild not only their lives, but their homes and their families homes. The truth is it works at a slow pace but gets done.

Everyone needs to know in the rest of our country that things are still so very bad here, and that there are so many other organizations here at work. I originally came down for HFH, but I have found a grass roots group founded by a husband and wife team from Washington who moved here and started the St. Bernard Project. It goes in and is helping to restore homes to be inhabitable for the owners. The folks hardest hit here were the elderly, they need the most help in many things. I have met volunteers from this project who have come down every year, and go back to visit those whose homes they have worked on and helped restore. They remember everything about the homes and the people they helped and the homeowners in turn remember them. What a great thing this is to see and hear about.

I am posting pictures of some weird stuff I have seen. The weird ones are finding boats out in the middle of pastures, or beside the roads with grass and weeds growing out of them. I drove down a local highway has all the fishing boats on it, and took pictures of how folks are building their homes out there. On "stilts", actually they are telephone poles! Imagine how tough it is to put a double wide home together, then put it many feet in the air! The poles are connected by steel beams and the homes rest on them. I haven't even begun to understand how they get them up there! Crane maybe? I will consider this one of life's many mysteries to me!

I am going to the French Quarter to walk around tonight and see whats going on there. I am sure it will be crazy because it is NOLA Jazz Fest weekend.

Vickie

The first bike ride and the first day of work.....

The first time I rode the motorctcle I went only about 2 miles away, and the street was a dead end! What a suprise huh? Anyway, the contrast still remains of destruction next to or across from the new or restored buildings and homes! I will let the pictures speak for them selves as they will do so very well.

I worked on 2 different houses yesterday with the same group the pictures are of our crews and of my bunk mates! I am staying in a room with 13 or 14 bunk beds made of 4x8 sheets of plywood and 2x4's. It is an old grade school convereted for our purposes here. I do have to say the food is not too bad, and theres is always plenty of it!

Everyone want to know if I am sore from yesterday, no not really, actually my body physically feels beeter than it has in a long time. No need for celebrex or motrin! We only get to do 4 minute showers here and the hot water is sparse, so it really is PT & A ! LOL

The houses we are doing are in the process of getting ready of rthe Jimmy and Roslyn Carter Blitz coming later this month. We getting a few things prepped and then they come in and the entire house is all pre fabricated---down to the drywall! The goal I heard is to build 25 in a week! Big goal, but most will be happy about it.

I have met some of the locals here, and everyone (even 3 three years later) appreciates what we came here to do. St. Bernard Parish and the lower 9th ward were the worst hit and still need the most work.

All I can say is it can be depressing, hot, sweaty hard work, but the end is worth it. It has been very fulfilling to do this and I expect to get sunburned even more the next few days, drinking lots of water and taking out stock in sunscreen!

BTW this is one the few places i have been were there is no Walmart! The story I heard was that the Walmart super store opened a little before Katrina hit, and it was destroyed. Walmart wanted to open it and sell only groceries, telling the locals that there just weren't enough people in the parish to open a full service store until a later date...well, the end result is that there is not a Walmart! Guess who won that battle?

It's just stuff like this that goes on that you aren't hearing on the news! Interesting huh?

I will write more later, enjoy the video and the pictures I am posting.

Vickie

Finally here! WOW!

All I can say is holy cow! I just got a culture shock! I never would have expected to see the things I have, but there is where the TV news ends and real life begins.

I got here late in the afternoon on Sunday and of course got lost! Used my GPS in the phone to get to the camp, and in order to get here I had to drive right through the lower 9th ward! There are peope living in trailers still in front of their homes, and some still sitting looking shell shocked if you can belive that. So much devastation still exists, and this is not going to get done anytime in the near future from the way it looks.

There are a number of groups here working, both local Bernards Parish and other places. Kudo's to the poeple from Americorps, these are the ones working projects in St. Bernard, they along with some of the locals here cook, and do many other things to keep the hundreds of volunteers here a well oiled machine and keep Camp Hope a success for those who come here to work and help.

I found out last night that there are still poeple who just got back into their homes! Also, there is much going on and of course the locals and the leadership in the parish have some different views, these are all things that I think would go on no matter what. The thing is most of these people and their immediate families are all from long lines of born and raised here, and so many live so close to each other that they had no place to go, yet they do not want to leave here. They want and need to rebuild their lives right here where their roots and lives are from.

It is very overwhelming to see, but here are some pictures I took on my way here and also pics of Camp Hope where I am staying. I plan on going out on my MC today and getting a better feel of the land and probably will take more pictures to post.

HFH doesn't work on Sunday or Monday, but the fun starts tomorrow . I report to Musicians Village to work at 0800.

Later,

Vickie

My day in Nashville...

The day got off to a great start even if it did rain a bit around mid day. I didn't care I was in the Hard Rock Cafe having a great time with a friend and eating lunch. I have added the pictures to the slide show at the top of the page. Most of these are from a strip in downtown where most of the tourists go. There is some great history and some great hillbilly honky tonk beer joints!

I bought myself a cowboy hat! LOL Got it for working on the jobs in NO cause I think it will protect my head ! Mostly went from shop to shop just browsing for nothing in particular. So check out the pic's. I think if you click on them you can see them better.

I left Nashville late in the afternoon Saturday, got to Birmingham a few hours later and stayed there for the night at the Flying J truck stop. I was fairly uneventful, which is unusual for me! I have met many great folks while I have been out here traveling, and everyone is so pleasant and nice.

I got into St. Bernard parish and Camp Hope late in the afternoon today and will post more about that part of the trip later. Enjoy the pic's.

Vickie

Nashville in the morning!

OK how great is this....I open the door to my room and the view directly across the street is the "HOOTERS" restaurant! LOL!



My first email today was from a friend who found this and immediately thought about me. As I read it .....I was totally shocked! You tell me what you think!


Virgo (August 23 - September 22)Your planet, Mercury, is being supported by dark lord Pluto, ruler of our unconscious minds. More than ever, you can use language to shine light into obscured areas of your imagination. You are now like the mythical Phoenix, a bird that was reborn from the ashes of the ruins of destruction. If you can visualize the creative forces of evolution at work, then whatever difficulties you have faced can be released.


Last night it rained cats and dogs for hours. We hit some wind and rain just prior to getting into TN. But we made it OK. I dropped Chuck off at the meeting place his family arraigned, filled up the van and then hit the road on my own. Now I am truly on my own, I can't say I am not nervous, it would be a lie that's for sure. Its exciting just as much as it is scary!

So of course I missed my exit for the motel and had to back track about 30 minutes. Apparently there are two Motel 6 locations here about 3 blocks apart. Of course I went to the first one I saw, it was the wrong one. I pulled in and there lined up all around the Motel 6 parking lot are literally a hundred motorcycles! I would like to have got a photo but was too dark and I was too tired! Amazing! So I find the right place and drove around the lot and pulled into a spot head first and broke the rule for trailer towing, know how to get out before you get in! I was too tired to mess with it, I registered and went to my room.
This morning there were a bunch of bikers here for a meeting, it was a group who were Vietnam and Desert Storm vets. A really cool guy, his road name when he rides is "SNAP", gave me a crash course and helped me to pull out the trailer and park it along the curb ! Once again, thanks to someone for lending a hand. Thanks Snap and have a safe trip back to Maryland with your buddies.

Well it's time to get moving and head out to face the day. It is bright and sunny and just a little chilly, but I can't wait to get out on the road. I am meeting a friend who lives here and were going to do some sight seeing.

See you all later!

Vickie

cincinnati traffic sucks!

Well we were making good time for awhile! Finally left without any problems at about 11:30 today. Thr trailer and the bike are working out just fine. It is such a beautiful day to travel, then somebody decided to get into an accident on the bridge in Cincy crossing the river. Now anyone who knows me or has driven with me will tell you that I hate sitting in traffic, sitting on bridges and in tunnels. That about encompasses everything, oh I forgot about, RUBBERNECKERS!!!! This is why we are going at a stop and go pace!

Finally we get over the bridge, into KY! Whew got it made now free flowing traffic! So I am writing this blog and Chuck says, "Does that sound like a flat to you?" Aw CRAP! The back tire of the trailer just blew out! LOL Now what? Don't panic, call somebody. I have friends in Cincinnati! Lo and be hold here comes the CVS Samaritan van behind us. This fine young man, Scott tells us he can help us out. He jacks the thing up, takes the tire off and him and Chuck drive away and get a replacement! There back in a few minutes, put the tire on and he drives away! Cost me $22.00 for the tire. Scott tells me the CVS guys are EMT's and master mechanics, no wonder he made it look so easy! Thank you CVS and thank you Scott! A special thanks to the fine driving skills of Chuck!

We are back on the road again, about 75 miles from Louisville and I will attempt to post some pictures.

Vickie

IM OUTTA HERE!!!

I used to think the first sign of spring was when the new buds came out on the trees, then there was also the Easter Bunny! :-) As I got older I realized that it was many more things than just that. Now the first sign of spring is the sound of motorcycles that have been sitting in the garage all winter....revving up and getting on the road! That's where I am now, the bike is loaded, the van is getting stocked and I am on the road! I will be officially on it around 10:15 am today and headed south to Nashville for the night and all day Saturday. Watch for pictures and updates on a daily basis.

Oh, yeah, and I just want to tell all those who are special to me I will miss them, the adults know who they are, but I will miss my kids the most, Melissa (and Jason) and my special boy Michael. I will see you all soon! Stay out of trouble while I am gone.

Vickie