Monday, January 24, 2011

RIP Jack LaLanne

If you don't know health, then you don't know Jack!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

More On Pearlington

So when we were done in Pearlington, the trailer at Captain John's went bye-bye...



and his ramp was finished

Here is Mr. Ben explaining to steven that he's using the ramp incorrectly!!

Here's Sammy and her high-ladder act replacing some of the molding and paint on the front of the house!

And we finished the drywall in the two front rooms at the purdy house


It was getting dark out that last day as we finished the last of the drywall...D.J. hooked up the lights to that room so we could finish...and we did!

Bill putting on the last piece of the puzzle! (under Mr. Ben's watchful eye!)...

Then, all there was left to do was to bid a tearful goodbye to Mr. Ben and D.J (wasn't that a sitcom in the 60's?!)Happy to be done, sad to be leaving. Everyone had sweet and shiny eyes!

I had noticed all week that people drove by the purdy house and when they saw people working they would honk! Imagine what they thought when they drove by and saw the lights on!!

Ralphie

Thursday, January 13, 2011

This Just In...

There was an interesting memo in everyone’s box today from Adam Nathanson.

He announced that he is stepping down as the head of Mapleton’s radio empire and will be moving to some other endeavor at Mapleton. (
Yes, I’m sure it was all his idea!)


We don’t know who will be replacing Adam…will it be someone with a radio and broadcast background, or simply a money person?!


I’ll keep you posted as best I can! As always, thank you all for your support!

Ralphie

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Pearlington, Mississippi 2010

The Players


From California
Front row L to R
: Gail, Ralphie, Ellen, Lynn, D.J., Doug, Mary, Debbie, Brittany. Back row L to R: Steven, Jonathan, Sammy, Bill.


And taking the group picture: Mr. Ben. Mr. Ben is our man on the ground in Pearlington. He knows everyone and what jobs need to get done. He cracks the whip pretty good!!

D.J., a volunteer from Virginia; He is an electrician and jack of all trades. He has been doing the wiring at the Purdy house, living in a trailer on the property, since October, and hoped to be done by about this time. He was funny, kind, hardworking...a real joy, and a blessing to everyone on the team! He helped us tear down Captain John's trailer...he said "anything to get out of the attic for a couple days!" I was sure glad he was there helping on that project!



Ellen and Captain John. He used to take people out on tours of the swamp. Big biz down there!
Mr. Ben gives us our orders...although it looks like Brittany is taking his order..."Do you want fries with that?" Pull up to the window!

One team to do the drywall at the Purdy house...one team workin' on the ramp at Capn' Johns, and one team to tear down the old travel trailer behind Capn' John's house.

Our Work

The yellow house, the pretty house, the purdy house...all names we called it...I guess purdy house stuck with me!
That first day the whole group worked here getting it ready for the sheet rock.
D.J., our friend from Virginia!
Lots of wood and other debris...throw it on the burn pile! Ellen became know as Woodchuck in our homage to the Geico commercial....when there was something to throw away I'd yell "Hey Woodchuck!" and she'd yell back "I'm chuckin' that wood!" Just about every yard in town has a burn pile.

Day Two....

One team stayed at the purdy house, and two teams crossed the Pearl river into Louisiana to work at Captain John's house.
Brittany and her team we determined to finish the walkway/ramp they had started back in April, when John and his sons finally moved into the house.
That houseboat in the background was lifted up by the 18 foot wave and carried into town. When the water subsided, it was sitting on a house! Maybe it was trying to mate!?!
Sidewalk ends...


Meanwhile....the other team headed out back....


To meet our foe......

The Trailer!!

dun dun dun!

This is the trailer that Captain John and his sons lived in for at least three years. It was too old, rotted and moldy to refurbish, so we take it apart and sell it for scrap!
I could almost hear it taunting us!

I kept hearing that music from Jaws!
The door was the hardest part to get off...it had glue and screws holding it in...so I grabbed my tool of choice...a crowbar, which my wife was calling a Mississippi hammer because I was using it with both hands to hammer the crap out of that trailer, as well as pry and poke!

But the door could not defeat me!!

I know that in the back of all our minds we were thinking that a hurricane could have taken this place down in minutes, instead of the two and a half days it took us.

What they couldn't sell or recycle, they threw on the burn pile!


Trailer? What trailer!

Picked it clean to the bone like a Christmas Turkey!!


That Christmas stocking was amidst the clutter inside the trailer, so we hung it there because...what better gift than to be rid of this painful reminder.

And God bless us, everyone!
This really is one of the most meaningful pictures that I took. I can't even describe how it makes me feel!


Ralphie