Ten Things I miss about home...

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1.My Sister pretending to be Margot Tennenbaum
(even if she stole it from me.)

2.My Dog pretending to be Darth Vader


3. Jake Gyllenhall pretending to be my boyfriend




4.My Friends

5. not living out of a red pack

6. Fat Tire Beer and overalls (okay, that's two, but they are little...and I love those overalls, it's like my unofficial I'm-off-work uniform, much like the 2xl brooklyn sweatshirt and fleece pants I would wear in the winter at Mansard apartments b/c we couldn't afford to heat the place and entertained ourselves with rap music and wrestling matches in the living room, and lets not forget the candy bucket.)

7. Flushing Toilets

8. My Family

9. Singing in my car, despite the fact that it has a big dent where my mom backed over the front of it, hail damage from Arkansas tornados, and the check engine light does not go off.

10. I do not have to change clothes in front of 400 people revealing to all that I have a severe dirt/tan line that starts at my knees.



As a final note, I want to add, that one thing I do NOT miss about home is waiting tables. I may make as much a day as I made an hour, but nobody ever shakes an empty glass at me. I officially have the best job in the world.

The best boys wear Carhartts

I get to see David in 18 days! You get to see him in all his pig-pen glory on this blog! Long Distance relationships with a boy without a digital camera result in really old pictures to look at and no idea if your suitor has lost a lot of weight, grown a bunch of hair, or had dramatic plastic surgery due to the harsh climate in Minnesota (see proposed picture below), oh the suspense.

Team 5 in a nutshell.......help I'm in a nutshell

A few notes about team schfifty five (go to ebaums world and watch the schfifty five flash animation). Kat is lazy, see above picture. Resses pie has 400 calories. You can never get tired of chick-fil-a sandwiches. Christina can make up songs about God to any song (The Lord is my Shepherd, to the tune of "I'm in love with a stripper, which is a song I cannot believe is on the radio in the first place) Don't let Leigh Ann take shotgun, Ben will throw a coke can and punch a port-a-potty. Don't take Nicole's Job (THANKS FOR PAINTING THE DOORS, GUYS!)Courtney doesn't exist because of calcium deposits in his ear from drinking too much milk. Nick is particuarly fond of a little Bobby Brown song entitled "My Perogative". Baby sometimes gets "venee eyes" apparently this means she has no personality. Cameron is a 50-year-old redneck. I constantly refer to the Saved by the Bell scene involving Jesse addicted to Caffeine pills and NO ONE gets it. (I'm so excited, I'm so excited, I'm so so scared (clip is on collegehumor.com). Amar, we miss your undying cynicism. Have fun on team traitor.

If there was no toothpastefordinner.com, how would I laugh?

How many times can you put a shelf in wrong?

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I've been at work or in the van for 12 hours a day. I would have caught up with you this weekend, but my parents came down. It was really nice to see them (and have running water). Christina hung out with us and we shopped and went out to eat and took a tour of the French Quarter. It was really nice.

It was weird to actually get out in the city though. Most of the time we just stay in our Camp Algiers bubble and I don't have the money to do much. A lot of the businesses are reconstructed, but they don't have the manpower to stay open. The riverwalk was eerily deserted. When we walked in, to what used to be a bustling mall, it was dead silent and most of the lights were out. Ashur got pretty freaked out and didn't want to go in. I wish people realized how much of New Orleans and Mississippi is still a sort-of ghost town. In some places streetlights are out and no one lives in the miles of abandoned subdivisions. It's like nothing I've ever seen, and it's been 8 months. Sometimes it feels like one of those zombie movies where the guy wakes up and the whole town is quiet. Basically, Lousiana is in need of drastic demolition and reconstruction, immeasurable, and there aren't enough volunteers to do it. Not only that, but next year, NCCC won't even exist. I can't explain to you the destruction that still covers New Orleans; I also can't explain the negligent approach the government is taking.

On a not-so-make-you-want-to-cry note Habitat is going really well. We've put the finishing touches (A couple of times) on one woman's house. She should be able to move in at the end of next week. The other 4 houses we're working on are in different states, but making great time. We also get to work with some of the best volunteers I've met all year. Shout out to Matt and Mike, and all the guys on the Catholic build. It's the best project we've had, and we get to build houses for people who really need it. Hope everything is good in Arkansas and Minnesota, or wherever you are.

Habitat pictures

Here are some pictures. I'm too tired to write. I hoed all day (for sod, for sod)!!!

And the award for stupid thing of the week goes to.....

So I'm taking a shower in the virtual port-a-potty when, OUT OF NOWHERE, a mosquito hawk comes flying towards my face. I happened to be shaving my legs, and in a moment of panic I swipe at it with my 3-bladed razor in my hand. Instead of knocking the mosquito hawk on it's butt, I take a CHUNK OF SKIN OUT OF MY ARM! Really, how stupid can I get.

Second funny story moment. Kat said she couldn't sleep the other night, and I was out cold. In my sleep I say "look it's a bean!" and then I say "And you're a citrus bean!" And Christina, who's sleeping in the cot next to me laughs and says "yeah." Pretty weird.

Third reason I'm kinda stupid. I paid 5.50 to see "The Hills Have Eyes" out of boredom. I ended up crying a little bit in absolute disgust and total horror. DO NOT waste your money, you'll make my stupid list.

My mom called me today to say that northwest Arkansas got hit by some bad tornadoes. My family is okay. Apparently 50 homes were destroyed. I wish I could go back home and help out there. Keep everyone there in your thoughts.
I am also convinced that the apocalypse is coming. Tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, Jennifer Aniston appearing on the cover of Good Housekeeping. Pretty soon giant locusts will be biting our heads off.

Peelander Z

Things here are pretty good. Yesterday my team and some volunteers started with a cement slab, and ended with the entire frame of a house. It was amazing. We did all get killer farmer's tans though. Last night some of us went to a free punk show close to Bourbon St. The band is Peelander Z, they hail from Japan and sing songs such as "Medium Rare". Human bowling occurs at the end of the show and audience participation is encouraged. I had a really good time.

Since my team is driving to Baton Rouge every day for work, NCCC is trying to move our housing to Baton Rouge. Probably in the very near future. Not soon enough for me to see Lucero on Tuesday, and not late enough for my family to stay in New Orleans. I'm pretty much done being flexible; I'm one big apathetic wet noodle.

This is what you do when your trapped in a van for 25 hours

Beautiful Virginia (not Virginia Mcalister, Virginia the state, but she's beautiful too.

Ben in the cafeteria showing off his cool war wound (from being too sleepy, breaking a glass, and trying to pick it up)

Outside of the FEMA tent

Showers!

Christina in the Cafeteria

Camp Algiers

So I'm finally at camp Algiers. It's crazy here. Remember your freshman year of college? You didn't know anyone, or what to do in the cafeteria, and there were people EVERYWHERE. Yeah, it's kinda like that, except you live in a giant tent with 400 people, most of them students or AmeriCorps members. A lot of schools took groups down for spring break. The food is good and everyone is friendly. We have wireless internet and hot showers. They print a newsletter with the menu for the week, crossword and sudoku. There is a TV lounge with eliptical machines and boardgames. There are laundry facilities and detergent and linens are provided It's the swankiest camping trip I've ever been on. I did kinda forget how CRAZY HUMID it is here. Arkansas has nothing on Louisiana, they win. My hair looks like a cotton candy factory exploded.

Two days ago we got to visit a camp Leighann worked at this summer. We got to spend a couple of days in a wonderful cabin and hike and do ropes course stuff. It was perfect. Turns out spring break is the same dates, so I bought a ticket to see my baby. I miss you, David! I love you even more now that you call me during commercial breaks for American Idol to gush over performances. My parents and Ash are coming in a week. I can't wait!

For Elizabeth, Nick and Amar, who could not live without morningstar products

Wink, Wink, Nudge Nudge

"Hey, Chandle, why haven't you posted in awhile?" Well my friend, that is because this week has been a week of watching movies that aren't good (deep end of the ocean, lords of dogtown, the dreamers), ridiculing American Idol contestants (thank God Brenna is gone, I hate her, and what is with all of the guys teeth, I think they should combine extreme makeover with Idol just to make it more interesting!) transferring music to my MP3 player, taking naps, wondering what I am going to do after AmeriCorps since I left my house, my job, and have no idea if I'm going to grad school, and, oh yeah, we worked for a non-profit that helps ex-cons learn how to start a fashion design business. It is now time to post completely irrelevant pictures, like the one of Jed above (winking ;), wish Grey's anatomy were on and not the Oscars, and pack for 4 months in a 2ft by 1 ft red pack. How does one do such a thing? Maybe some of the ex-cons can send me some new clothes. My life is boring for today, tomorrow I'll be on the road, and I'll be a carnie at tent city by Friday. Hope to talk to you then.
P.S. my parents and Christy and Ash are coming to see me on the 19th and 20th. I wish PJ and Jed could come to, but I understand not wanting to visit my primitive living conditions. Love you all!!!!!!!!