6AM wakeup. Cold cereal for breakfast today - I guess they give the kitchen staff a break every now and again.
Met up with Richard at the project house. We had planned on just meeting there and going to a different location since the exterior of this house was complete. Once everyone arrived, we drove over to Spain street. There was a lot of exterior work to do including another set of back porch steps.
Mother nature had other ideas in mind. It was looking pretty bad. As soon as we got to the house, we could see just how dark the skies were and they opened up with a torrential downpour and lots of lightning. We all went inside and just talked with each other for about an hour and a half before the main Habitat office called off all work projects for the day. I was a bit disappointed.
After all of the other volunteers had already left, Richard's friend called and told him to meet him at the Village and they would go to lunch a bit early, and Richard invited me along. Once at the village, I met Richard's long time and best friend Will. We all climbed into the Mercedes, along with Richard's girlfriend Megan (who is an E-5 in the US Navy at the local base) and headed to Rocky & Carlo's, a diner on the other side of the canal.
I ordered a HALF ham po-boy sandwich. Not sure what makes a po-boy any different than a sandwich, but my HALF a sandwich was so big they had to cut it in half in order for it to fit on the plate!
We sat in the diner for quite a while trading stories for our childhood and other experiences. I told the story about how Joe busted his face up at the skate park, split his chin open at the other skate park and how I split it open again and glued it shut.
These are all good people doing a really good thing.
I dropped them off at the Village after lunch, and after getting our picture taken together and some directions to some areas worth photographing, we said our goodbyes. Richard and Sam were great all week, and although it may be the rare occasion that I hear from or about them again, I will consider them always to be my friends.
I went around to various spots in the lower ninth and upper ninth wards - 2 of the hardest hit areas by the floods after Katrina. There was a housing project, not unlike the ones that Cleveland had been building off Broadway - really nice houses - that were all boarded up - destroyed.
And another new development with brand new streets, the street lights were in but were still wrapped in plastic and only one house was started a week before Katrina hit. Some of the framing is still standing, but the rest of the lots are empty and the construction trailer is overturned, still full of junk.
I ended up in the Quarter again - I am beginning to know this area really well.
Watched some of the street performers. Many were really good. This crew of four black guys did some break-dancing and acrobatics. They mixed in some comedy, too.
Right next to Decatur is the river and between the river and the street, there are several rail lines. I would see an old fashioned trolley come down the tracks from time to time, but I also saw a TFM mixed freight train.
There was quite a bit of traffic on the river, and as I watched the large freighters barrel up river and the barges being pushed by the tugs, it was then that I realized just how much lower downtown New Orleans is from the river.
The local residents made dinner tonight. Had some black eyed red beans, jambalaya, catfish cakes and anise bread. I'm going to have to order some catfish the next time we go to a place that serves it. And finding a recipe for jambalaya and gumbo will be high on my list, too.
This is an experience I will always remember, and I plan on making more trips down here. We as American's have always come to the aid of others that are not able to help themselves, and that was what this trip was about for me. I feel good about what I have accomplished and proud of my fellow volunteers, young and old, that lent a hand this week.
I have my stuff all packed ready for my 4:30 AM wake up alarm in the morning. My flight leaves at 7:30 in the morning and I still have to drop off this Mercedes Benz. I wonder if they would mind if I kept it. :-) Nah. It would look weird sitting in my driveway.