Day 1  After discovering that we didn't have an up-to-date proof of insurance, and making arrangements for that, we left (3 cars and a van) at about 7:30 a.m. We drove through off and on fog until we were about 10 miles into Ohio. We stopped for the first time at a truck stop in Ohio (can't remember the name) to pick up Paul. Then we were off and running. We managed to hit Cincinatti at lunch time rush hour, and later hit Nashville at evening rush.
Other than that, it was a beautiful day - by lunch we were able to remove winter coats and still be comfortable - in the mid 60s. Before we left, Brian Bird mentioned that we could use some CB radios - how last century! - we've all got cell phones! I lost count of the number of calls I made, plus calls that others made. I also made and received calls from Debbie to make arrangements for proof of insurance to be faxed to our hotel. Technology is wonderful.
After more than 12 hours in the car, 2 gas stops, 2 fast food meals (Wendy's and Arby's) all is well. We are all tired, but very excited - expecting to leave at 8:30 a.m. local (central) time, and arrive mid to late afternoon. We really appreciate your prayers, and will continue to rely on them.

Day 2  Another day on the road - I uploaded 3 pictures - I'm still learning. Be patient with me. Today we went through Alabama and Mississippi. We ate at the world record holding slowest Taco Bell in the world - also the dirtiest. When you walk in the door and your feet are sticking to the floor you really should turn around and leave, but then, if you're really hungry . . . We looked at one of the houses we are going to be working on tomorrow. Breakfast at 7:15, work day begins at 8:00. We're going to try to get one of the houses that our group worked on this past summer ready for the lady to move in ASAP. It looks like we'll accomplish that + we're going to be working on another house (a log home) installing some hardwood flooring and sealing the inside. They will probably come up with something else before we leave. Of course we need to stop working on New Years Day since there is some kind of football game going on (GO BLUE!)

Day 3  We were quite busy on our first work day, so I didn't get a chance to enter anything last nite. We started on our projects Friday. The largest part of our group went to the house that our people worked on in August to get it ready for them to move in (sometime before we go home next week). I thought it would be great to set up an "Extreme Home Makeover" scene with the church van blocking the house (kind of hard since it's up on stilts), bring in the family (a single mother with a 14 year old son and a new puppy), and do the "move that van" bit, and then show her the new house. (We need to cast someone for the Ty Pennington role - someone hyper). (Philip? James? nah - we'll work on this idea and see if we can make it happen - we do have the technology and we're not afraid to use it!) Several of us went to our other work site which is a log home on stilts that a gentleman (Robert) is basically building himself. He's a member of an Episcopal church in town, and his church called the Operationescue organization to ask if he could get some help. He's from Wales - has a great accent - not exactly British - something of an Irish bit there too. He's been in this country 4 years with his American wife. When we arrived he was cleary skeptical about this "volunteer" help that had come to work on his new house. By the end of the day, I think we had turned him around - he was clearly appreciative. We'll be laying hardwood floor throughout the whole house - plus painting, staining, cleaning up, etc.
One of the annoying thinks that I don't think anyone expected is that there are still misquitoes down here (and gnats - ask Rob Finkle how he avoided gnat bites). We also heard that you were expecting and/or getting up to 6 inches of snow - bummer for you. I'm going to try to load some pictures today. Check the picture page later.

Day 6  It is Monday December 31, and it has been a couple of days since I have entered anything – sorry. On Friday night we went to a local Catholic church that does regular dinners for volunteers – there were dozens of people there when we got there who were just leaving. It appears that there are many others here at other sites with other organizations. They promised to serve us jambalaya. We were expecting some kind of fishy soupy brew, but it turned out to be more like Spanish rice with fish thrown in. Not extremely likable, but if you pretended it was Spanish rice, it was edible. They served something else called Taco soup. That was like a Chili with Taco seasoning and corn. Not bad – but we did make a trip to Sonic after our outing with the Catholic brethren (actually it was in the Knights of Columbus hall). Saturday night we had a local family come to the camp and bring us supper. They brought (guess what) Taco soup – much better than the Catholic version. (It turns out that Taco soup – especially when consumed two days in a row – makes a kind of natural laxative.) They also brought us a DVD of some home movies they made during and just after Katrina. They live several miles from the coast – didn’t have significant flooding, but they drove into town within days. It’s really impossible to describe – you have to see it to believe it. (The family is Norma Glock’s brother and his family – Norma bowls on our bowling league.) Yesterday we had our own church service and then headed out for the work sites. We quit early to go on a tour with the people who are managing this work group now. (They’re from Virginia, and will eventually replace Randy. – Next month will be Randy’s last month I think.) The tour was another of those “you have to see it to believe it” experiences. Last night they had a bonfire on the beach for us. There are two other groups here now, and all of us were invited to the bonfire. (These people have almost no clue about bonfires – they used wet wood (some of it treated), and tried to make up for that by dousing it with diesel fuel. Since that wasn’t very successful, someone got the bright idea that perhaps gasoline (!) would help. I had my finger on the 9 of my cell phone, ready to dial 911. Fortunately, the gas did it’s job and got the fire going (also the sand around the fire.)) There are a few people who have experienced some stomach problems – Melanie Bird has not been feeling well, and Rob Finkle has had some stomach problems as well (personally, I think the Taco soup was the beginning of these upsets) – pray for them.
Joanne’s house is almost done – they’re pulling some people off that job to start on something else. Robert’s hardwood floor is coming along nicely – the laundry room, hallway to the side door, and half of the kitchen/dining room is done. We’ll be back at work early today.
It was great to talk to all of you yesterday – it’s great to make a connection with home. I can’t say I missed the ice though. It’s been cool here, but not lower than 50s and 60s.