Gulf Coast Works weblog

Toby joins the babes
Originally uploaded by bridge to biloxi.

David, Toby (David’s wife, who joined us today and we are all very glad to meet her) and the Biloxi Babes have been enjoying the blue skies, not the Biloxi blues.

Dan and Cynthia’s house is moving along very quickly. One entire side has had the siding put up. This has been done without any level available - and it is very even!! Although some people dispute the claim of being level-less. Inside the Babes have been hard at work putting the 2nd or 3rd mud coats on the walls, ceilings and themselves. We have many experts doing the corners. Dave has to continually fill the bucket with new supplies of mud because we are moving with great speed. The plaster master came today to explain the plans for wall texturing prior to painting. He will spray the texture on while all of us follow behind to scrape it off, trying to avoid getting sprayed. This may take a couple of days. Painting to follow.

Lunch was recommended by our tour guide, Sue from Connecticut. It was gumbo-licious!! Hush puppies, crab cakes, crawfish ettouffe`, iced tea and 80 degrees sunny sky. De Sportes on Division Street is the restaurant for the next crew coming down. Tonight’s dinner was quite amazing. Jerk chicken, basmati rice, dirty rice, shrimp with sweet and sour sauce, ratatouille, curry with spinach potato and garbanzo bean, apple pie, pear and apple pie, some with double crust and some with crumb topping. The Biloxi Babes donated a volley ball to the Hands On facility.

Tomorrow is coming in a few hours. Bon voyage to Art who will be leaving tomorrow. Doree and Kathe Falzer did the true dirty work today. The both volunteered to do mold remediation. Kudos. This is a really dirty, disgusting, rank job that must be done and anyone who signs up for this deserves the biggest pat on the back. Tonight’s bloggers were not David.

P.S. (and this is very important). It would be great if a big crowd of you would make plans to come down for some days, a week, to give the family the opportunity to be in and settled completely before Christmas. From what I understand there is nobody signed up to be here after Thanksgiving. Please consider. We are very close to completion and it would be a pity to have the family so close yet so far.

Sisters Kathy and Sharon in their mother’s memorial t-shirts
Originally uploaded by bridge to biloxi.

Everyone has been asking me what am I going to do with all those women. There were 14 on the job today. New comers are; Kathy and Sharon Belisle, Demi Ayres, Leslie Ackles, Joie Lemaitre, Susan Tunnicliffe, Kathe Falzer, Doree Pedersen, Karen Barton, Chris Rinaldo. Then there was Sue, Brittany, and Pamela. Art and David V were there to help me out. Well it went better than expected. Pam worked outside with the Hands On siding crew, the rest started with some instruction on taping. How can you tell 10 women what to do? Some listened and did it the way I showed them. Some decided fingers worked best. Everyone wanted the smallest trowel (which I hid at lunch), they are too stiff. Some didn’t smooth it enough or put too much on ( they will be sorry when we have to sand). By the afternoon they were all doing the hard corners. Tomorrow we have 4 more joining us; Donna Deangelis, Katherine Elias, Christine Patsos, and Leslie Mahoney. I’m going to have half working and the others blowing on it so it will dry sooner. Everyone is eager to paint….next week.

Cynthia gets a set of keys
Originally uploaded by bridge to biloxi.

Had an early start today to make up for the rain yesterday. Art and Pamela finished the last room of drywall (except 2 sheets in the MBR; the plumber has to move the shower head). John and Rudy installed the other 2 locks. We can now lock up and not have to carry the tools around.

Cynthia was excited to get the keys that all matched. She asked me 3 times if one key would open all the doors. Eddie came by and started the siding. Sue and John learned to mud corners. Sue uses the finger paint style. Brittany wore her badge of mud at dinner. She is hoping it will last till she gets home.

We should get a lot done tomorrow, we have 10 new volunteers. Lets see if I can match the right names to the right picture.

Front door with lock-sets
Originally uploaded by bridge to biloxi.

We have doors. Eddie came by this morning with his crew and with the help of John they are in. John and Rudy got the front door lock on before the” all hands return to base” because of tornado warnings. The drywall crew of Art, Brittany, Rudy, Will, Ann, Pamela and David V. were almost finished when the call went out. Sue (our new member from CT) and David K were mudding and taping. The arch is taking shape and is becoming our new symbol of B2B. The crew we have had the past few days have mostly been from places other than Concord. Brittany & David V are from Calif. Will from Seattle, Sue from CT., Pam from NYC, John & Ann from WI. What would we do without them, thanks. Tomorrow we will add 10 from home. I hope the weather will cooperate to get a lot of us outside.

Back to the tornado, we were spared. Tonight they are forecasting 40 mph winds and heavy rain. Tenters beware.

Ann & David V with the arch
Originally uploaded by bridge to biloxi.

I can now see the end of the drywall. We have every thing done except the utility room MB (10%) and kids bath (80%). Monday is the end. Mudding starts Tuesday. The siding can start any time. John & David installed the Attic vent fan and the MBR door. David also made a few corrections to the WC door. The drywall crew was David V, Art, Rudy, Brittany, Ann, Will, and a newcomer Pamela.

We are getting a few people that come up and ask to work with us. I am still looking for Ariodante Shaw and Katie Higley who said they would drive down and be here by Nov 3rd or 4th. If anyone has any info let me know.

Tomorrow is a day off so some of us are going to New Orleans for the day.

Another sad goodbyeOriginally uploaded by bridge to biloxi.

A sad farewell to Peter, Joannie, Jodi, Zara, Glenn, Jane, Tony Jr & Sr. With only Art as a replacement it will be a little slower. Today, John and David and Nick finished all the window trim and almost all of the corner boards. The drywall crew finished the Boys room and the MBR.

The HVAC guys showed up at 5:30AM to beat the heat in the attic. We showed up at 8 with sweatshirts on. The weather is starting to change.

We keep answering questions like what floor coverings to use in the MBR (any thing but carpet). Joannie and Cynthia went shopping for sinks and cabinets and created more. Ralphie, I finished framing the linen closet door like you said to. John the phone and TV cable is stubbed outside. Barry, you missed a low point in the LR ceiling, the Tonys fixed it. Jim, everything you nailed up is still standing. Mark, I took Betty Bostick for a ride around the closet door, she does a bang-up job. Bill, I still have your thing a bob, will bring it to Calif. when we visit. Lights out.

Jane signs it all away…

John works the table…

Today as I was working on the window trim, answering questions about hanging drywall, trying to find out how big the kitchen sink is, trying to get the doors ordered, I had this feeling not unlike the colonel in the movie Bridge Over the River Kwai. He was so proud of how well his troops were working and the progress they were making. I am doing all this work and not getting paid. Eating lunch at Salvation Army. Sleeping in a bunkroom. Why do I feel so good about it? Everyone is working so hard, I can’t get them to stop working so we can go back to camp and take a shower before it gets dark. (The showers are outside). They ask me what to do, I tell them, and they do it. It’s that easy. This is not my house. I will go home and may never see it again. So why does it feel so good? I have dust in my hair, splinters in my hands, and my shirt is soaking wet. Can you tell me why?

A giant shout-out to Peter Hilton and David Kramer for the outstanding leadership they’ve provided on this project; Peter for his skillful guidance of Bridge to Biloxi as an increasingly meaningful grassroots organization and David for his team leading and overall management of the rebuilding project in Biloxi. You guys have done so much in the last 4 or 5 months to make this project the success that it’s obviously become, and those of us back in Concord can’t thank you enough. Great work, which will, no doubt, lead to even greater things as Bridge to Biloxi moves on to its next phase…

Luke carries his weight

Originally uploaded by bridge to biloxi.

Today was another good day for B2B. The HVAC vents were installed, enabling us to sheetrock ceilings; our two new team members John and Ann from Wisconsin are hard and skilled workers. John brought down his tools and immediately added value to our team. He and David K have trimmed half the windows (exterior trim) and are preparing for siding the home. The rest of us finished the insulation and continued sheetrocking - we are about half way done now. Joannie went shopping with Cynthia and they selected kitchen cabinets, bathroom fixtures, appliances, … We are still hopeful of finishing by Dec 1.

Today Cynthia was awarded a grant for appliances. We are getting the sheetrock, insulation, and probably doors. This helps our effort a great deal and will enable us to come in well within budget and perhaps have some money to start another house in 2007.

I tried to change flights and stay longer but the cost was unreasonable so I am coming home tomorrow evening. I must tell you how thrilling it is to be down here working on the house. I want to do it again and I highly recommend it to all of you.