potholes

Today I went off-site to another place where we were clearing land to build. Actually the blocks had been mortared and the floor joists laid, so it was a step ahead.

However, it was a jungle, so we spent quite some time pulling and hacking weeds before starting in on finishing spacers and then the subflooring.

But I get ahead of myself. The ride there was in a bright pink bus with a Gulf Coast Casino's name on the side. The windshields were cracked, no A/C - no problem, we're tough.

But then we hit a pothole the size of Detroit and the right side of the windshield started to actually remove from its space. Michigan Leader had duct tape, which always works wonders.

Returning to the site after lunch, we reached the pothole and there was a white car stuck in it. Keith pulled over and we jumped out without question. We were going to lift that damn car if we had to, dammit! The people riding in the pickup which had stopped behind the car said we looked like slow-motion action heroes, walking out the bus toward the car. We actually didn't have to pull it out, though we were all in position, because a tow-truck driver pulled up, pulled it out, and drove away without even a handshake thanks.

Which is what it's all about.

I just got this group e-mail from one of the folks last week:
"Hello! It was a pleasure to have met you all. While I truly enjoyed the building aspect of the week, there is something very powerful about being surrounded by such kind, generous individuals. It really affected me in a way that I hadn't predicted...so thank you!"

*That* is why I show up each day. Preacher Billy each day starts us off with too much prayer, but some of his preaching isn't bullshit - this, what we do, it's about loving people. Putting nails back in the right bin, refilling the water jug and helping carry it, holding a board, letting somebody else cut, never complaining and being kind and patient, all that and overall building the house - it's all about loving people.

We had a busload full of folks here for a convention, here for just one day. One of them got stung on his eye. Anything around the eye freaks me out, so despite his protestations that he was fine with the pain, I bustled him right back to the main site and made him sit in the medical tent. The "medic" didn't know anything about stings, so I walked over to where my friend Kim was working and asked for her help - she's from the area, and a mom, and a nurse. And she was awesome, and he is fine.

I spent a lot of time riding in the truck today, back and forth from site to site, hauling wounded Kansans and more boards, but I'm still tired. Good tired.

Last night I went out with The Roommate and we got completely and totally drunk (as Michele well knows). Then I got four phone calls after 12:00 pm, when I finally got to sleep. Despite all that, I'm fine today. Now I'm off to make me a yummy African stew and curl up to finish Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. It's a good day.

Oh, and I found that the Quaker meeting is actually only two blocks from my house! What are the chances of that??