Wednesday, April 30, 2008

I'm back

I was gone. Yea.... I know.... it's hard to tell with my blogging frequency. Or lack thereof....

But here's where I've been.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

NOLA

I'm posting this today because tomorrow is going to be packed with last minute getting ready-ness.

We leave Tuesday morning. Our flight is at 6:20am. We have a three hour layover at LAX which is rather irritating cause that could have been valuable sleeping time. Although I'm hoping with THREE hours, United can get our bags from one plane to the next without a problem.

There are 9 of us and each of us is taking 2 bags. That's a lot of suitcases to get where they need to go. They have our bedding and tools inside, so we need them to travel WITH us.

We have been told that we will be installing drywall. We were told months ago that we would be working in the Lower Ninth Ward. We are staying at a Volunteer Center in the French Quarter which is going to be interesting. Jazz Fest starts while we are there so it's going to be quite busy in the French Quarter.

We will be meeting a friend while we are there. Kurt has been a friend of EGUMC for 3 years now and he happens to be in town, preaching at the Catholic church next Saturday night. So us Methodists are going to the Catholic church to hear our friend, an ordained Methodist pastor, preach and then we are, like all good Methodists, going out to dinner. Kurt has pulled the required strings to get a table for 9 at Emeril's during Jazz Fest for us too. Emma is a little scared of the menu and has decided she'll have the pork chops. I'm considering the Rib Eye. The menu says it's Harris Ranch beef. Harris Ranch is just down the road a piece from us... I know it's good! ;) Is it wrong to go all the way to New Orleans and then have California beef? Yea... that's what I figured. I'll go with something else! Of course, I'm the one that bought wine made just down the river from us when I was in Texas.... LOL!

We are taking a Day of Rest on Sunday and will get in some jazz and see some sights. We'll won't see New Orleans as it was. It may never be as it was again. But since we are there, we might as well see how it is and be tourists and put some California dollars into the local economy. Something that is as important as rebuilding. Folks need to make a living there.

It's going to be an adventure. Of this we are positive. We are looking forward to going and once I get everything packed, I'll look forward to it even more!

Keep a good thought for us. Safe travels. Safe working. We will be working with power tools, and we want to return with all appendages we left with. And personal safety. New Orleans has lost most of all the law and order it had. We'll be smart.... but still... ya know?

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Reality Check

Today, The Boy wasn't at school before school. He wasn't seen passing between classes. He wasn't in French class (with The Best Friend). He didn't answer his cell phone after school.

Today was "Every Fifteen Minutes".

Today, every 15 minutes the bell sounded throughout the high school campus and sounded like a heart beat....followed by the sound of a flatline. Some classes were then visited by a police officer who read the obituary of a classmate who wouldn't be coming back. Then the officer placed a rose on the desk of the missing student.

Kait was a MESS. The Boy wasn't in school. With every passing moment when she SHOULD have seen him and he wasn't there, she got more frantic. By the end of the day when he didn't answer his phone, Kait and The Best Friend were hysterical. And The Best Friend isn't too keen on The Boy most days...

When he showed up at the Science Olympiad meeting after school, Kait hugged him tight. Then slugged him.

He was oblivious.

There was no warning about this event. A day is chosen and students are asked to stay home for the day. The Boy was not one of them. But "popular and visible Seniors" are the ones that are asked and The Boy fits that description. He just chose to take a day to catch up on homework or something. Serendipity.

Telling us about her day sent Kaitlyn back into tears. Yesterday she knew a friend could die. Yesterday she knew that drunk drivers kill people. Today she felt it. She KNEW The Boy was no doubt just fine. He simply had been chosen to be the victim. But she FELT his absence. His "death" was felt to her core. The sobs were real sobs.

We talked about why she doesn't have her license yet. Why it is that we are so strict about her showing personal responsibility. She 'knew'. Ok.... so yea.. driving...responsibility... yada yada yada. But the idea of being DEAD. Not here kind of dead. Or....worse... killing a friend. Having to face the parents of The Boy or The Best Friend then live with the fact that she killed her best friend.... she FELT it today.

Reality check today.
Reality check tomorrow. Tomorrow it continues.

Prom is Saturday.

Today, in near tears, her English teacher told her class that if anyone needed a ride home on Saturday, call her. She'll be there, but call her. She wants them all back on Monday morning.

Reality check.