It's gonna be a happy new year!

Oh yeah, I just quoted from the Broadway show RENT and made it this blog title, duh. And it's fitting too, seeing as we're approaching the new year.

Anyway, where did I leave off with you last? Oh, that's right, I told you about our next project, and informed you that we only had 5 days left of work/7 days left in NOLA.

All 'n all, in my opinion, our first spike was a success. And, I'll say it again, fabulous, fo' sure. We were lucky with truly amazing site supervisors, spoiled with our housing situation (that being in a Presbyterian church with a lot of accommodations such as laundry access, space, multiple showers, internet, etc), the city we were in, the organization we worked with, and the project itself of getting to build a house as a real team:

Here's what the house looked like, well, BEFORE it was a house...

what the roof looked like before it was a roof...

And what the house looked like when it started to look like a REAL house.

However, we did a lot more than the above. The New Orleans rain didn't like us all that much and decided to downpour during the last day of work therefore, not letting me take a picture of what we accomplished during our month. Like, we installed the windows, door, completed the roof: shingles and all, and started on the siding. Yup!

So, here's to wonderful memories of rainy days, pain in the ass nails (sometimes), rocking out to Taylor Swift on full volume, and so on, while working on our lovely house on N. Tonti St.

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As for the 3 day road trip back "home" right before our current break...

This time we took a different route, driving through Louisiana, Texas, Texas again (getting the chance to drive through where we will be living and working this upcoming spike), Texas some more, New Mexico, finally making it into Colorado back to Denver. Taking a pit stop at Capulin Volcano National Monument in New Mexico! Which was a beautiful site.

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Wishing everyone the best in 2010; here's to a happy, healthy, and prosperous one!

Just keep building, just keep building!

Totally forgot about this.

To make up for my epic fail here's a quick update for y'all:

• We only have 5 more days of work, and one more week here in NOLA.
• Got 8 more ISP hours in today working with Hands On New Orleans (http://www.handsonneworleans.org/) painting the inside of some family's home. Good times.
• We found out where we will be/what we will be doing for our next spike... we'll be in Wichita Falls, TX... working with United Way... filing peoples' taxes... It's not working with Habitat down in Nawlins but we'll be helping people/families who need it... with the tax filing and all... Plus, there are saloons and rodeos in town so yay! for new life experiences.
• Did I mention that we only have 5 more work days/one more week in NOLA?

Next post will be a reflection on our fabulous first spike with pictures, etc. for ya so keep on checkin' in!