Well we just finished our last work day. Hard to believe that we showed up to a few frames nailed up - and left a house that is about to have the final siding put up.
I think the most amazing thing has been how may times all of us have been thanked. I think I've teared up about 15 times this week. Today I was in the little convenience store/crawfish shack. We were all wearing our fabulous I Build Biloxi T-shirts that our design guys made for us - and a group of policemen saw the shirts. They loved the t-shirts so we went back to the work site and brought them one back. I don't think I've ever been hugged so hard. He was also about 6'3" and said his nickname was Chunk - so you can imagine! But he walked to the site so he could personally thank the entire group for coming down here and helping them re-build. We've heard a million times that if volunteers weren't down here helping, nothing would ever get done. He and his wife lost everything and are also about to get a Habitat house. President Bush was here yesterday - unfortunately, I don't think he ever hears that side of the story....
Mel and I have a ghost in our room. Friendly we think....the doors mysteriously open and shut. The other night the balcony door opened and the fog rolled in - setting offf the smoke alarm at 3:30. The day before the inside bolt somehow fliiped over and locked. The owner had to kick our door down so we could get in. Then yesterday - when those horrible storms passed through, it blew our balcony doors open and soaked the whole side of our room - unfortunately including all of Melanies clothes and her suitcase.....so we've been hanging her clothes off the balcony. But even the guy who came to suck all of the water out of the room thanksed our whole group for coming down to help.....
We were lucky that all we had were tornado warnings after seeing the news when we got home - although I will tell you that Sarah and I were racing to get the last roof shingles on when it turned into the final scene of caddyshack with 30 mile an hour winds, thinder and lightening and rain coming down in buckets. Needless to say, being on a roof in a storm is a liitle scary. I don't think any of us roof rats had ever moved so quickly....carrying a metal hammer and climbing down a giant metal ladder in a storm is not a good thing.
Everyone tells you this will be a life-changing experience - but until you do it, you can't explain it.
This group of 15 has been amazing. I've never seen people work so hard - and also everyone has been so great about driving around packed in a van - eating crap, being bleeding, sore and tired. I also don't think I have laughed as hard as I have this week. I'm so proud of our Team Biloxi - and we got glowing reviews from some pretty hardened construction workers - a true sign of accomplishment.
I will look at my purple, internal bleeding thumb for weeks to come and smile about how I was able to, after putting in 500 nails, slam the hammer into it on the last day, then announce thirty minutes later "this is how I did this last time" then promptly do it again to the amusement of Craig and Sarah.
Sitting at a desk next week is going to seem very cushy......Off to the shower to try and sandpaper the dirt off of my body...
-CK
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You all have spent the last week building a house, a structure, but when that family steps foot in it after its completion, they will not be entering a house but rather a home. A home that you all, with your own blistered hands and sore backs, built on a foundation of love and caring and selflessness. I am humbled by your dedication this past week and over the past couple of months and thank you for taking the time to lend a helping hand. Congratulations Team Biloxi! Safe travels back.
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