10-22

Left Meridian, MS at 7:05 enroute to Gulfport. Shelton said he would wait for me to go to New Orleans. Arrived at 9:30 and checked in. Our accommodations are dormitory style with 28 beds (bunk) to a trailer. Shelton, Willis, Billy, and I went to New Orleans for a tour. Along the way we could still see the devastation from Katrina. Many homes/businesses are still unoccupied or destroyed. Many of the neighborhoods that were still unoccupied because of the flooding. Golf c
ourses are overgrown, public parks are used to store debris. However many neighborhoods are revitalized and the tourist areas around Bourbon Street and the Convention Center are attracting crowns. We had Gumbo and played tourist. On the way home we drove along the coast—the devastation is incredible. Many of homes near the water are gone or destroyed and many of the residents are still living in FEMA trailers. We have a renewed sense of how fortunate we are and are looking forward to doing our part to help this week. When we arrived back in Gulfport we met people from Marion and Asheville who had also arrive to help this week. After a shower we were ready for bed, excited about the prospects of a new day.

10-23

Lights on at 6--time for breakfast! Scrambled eggs and bacon with a biscuit—it doesn’t get any better that this. Shelton stopped by the plumbing supply to get parts for the day. Willis and Shelton fixed the drains in the kitchen and bathrooms. Shelton also hooked up the bathtub. Billy and I put down flooring squares in the living room. Jeff joined us after lunch—we made great progress. After a hard days work we showered and went to eat at the Lookout 49 restaurant. A satisfying day and a good sense of accomplishment working for a worthwhile effort with friends.

10-24

The routine is becoming familiar. Lights on at 6—breakfast of scrambled egg, biscuit, and sausage. Load into Billy’s van and onto the house to continue repairs. Shelton completed the wiring for the fan and lights. Billy, Jeff and I continued on the flooring, and Willis did plumbing repairs. Much of the day was spent on the toilet from hell. Seems like the homeowner contracted with a shady contractor who did a poor job and took her money. An example of his work was the toilet. Apparently he bought the wrong toilet—it didn’t fit. His solution was to cut a hole in the wall any put most of the tank in the wall! Shelton and Willis spent most of the day fixing the previous plumbers mistakes. After a hard days work it was time for showers and dinner. After dinner
Jeff and I searched for a Wi-Fi hotspot. The Fairfield Inn was gracious to allow a couple of volunteers to access the outside world. The also offered us birthday cake from their 25th celebration. Thanks Fairfield!!! Our return to our beds in the bunkhouse found much snoring—everyone was worn out after a hard days work. Shelton gave me last minute instructions and the paperwork to be completed on our work. They plan to leave at 4am to return home. Jeff and I will be on our own to complete the work as best we can. Sad to see everyone leave us …

10-25

After breakfast I turned in the paperwork that Shelton had left and picked up some additional tools that we needed. The bad news was that we no longer had Billy's van some we had limited carrying capacity. The good news was that we were traveling in style in Jeff's Porsche! When we arrived, the homeowner was not there to let us in. Took a run to Lowe's a when we returned she still was not there. A phone call produced no answer--we were frustrated because we were eager to start. We returned to the Armory to get some supplies and called again. The homeowner was away and had left the key with her son to let us in ... she said she would come back (an hour drive) and let us in. By this time it was after noon.

Jeff and I worked on completing the flooring and laying the moulding. It was looking good and we felt good and finally accomplishing something. We bogged down on the toilet from hell. A previous contractor had bought a toilet that was too long. His solution was to cut out the wall and put half of the tank in the wall. Shelton left a drawing of a potential solution. It involved fabricating a sheet metal pan to cover the hole in the wall behind the tank. Jeff and I were to get the proper dimensions so we could have it made. Well that was easier said than done ... There were two flanges inside the wall that severely limited the clearance between the toilet tank and the pipe inside the wall. After hours of measurement and taking the toilet out and puting it back to confirm the measurements we hope to have it made tomorrow.

10-26