My Friday at LPC

5:20 AM - Jump out of bed in terrified response to my roommate's alarm clock. It's definitely Friday. 5:55 - Arrive at the Mockingbird Cafe where I find Barbara and a distressing lack of coffee. Richard -the usual suspect in coffee making- is at LPC cooking breakfast for the 150 Habitaters who are beginning their last day of the Habitat Blitz Build. 6:00 - Curt shows up just in time to brew up some beans. 6:05 - Cup of coffee #1. 6:10 - Friday AM Bible Study begins (Whoops - late! Jean is OBVIOUSLY not here... 7:00 - It's off to LPC to start the workday; but first a distraction - the sun is rising over the Bay. It's absolutely amazing how beautiful this place can be...even with all the devastation...

7:30 - Arrive at LPC; meander through breakfast, a life-planning chat with roommate Keri, and a quickly forgotten discussion of tonight's dinner (for which I'm responsible to set out...hmmmm).

8:00 - Workday officially begins as I gear into Case Manager mode. First up is the Davis family. The Davis' house sustained major damage during Katrina - the roof was completely blown off, and an entire wall knocked out; the house was flooded and everything inside ruined. Two years later, the roof and walls are repaired, but the house is only a shell; the family is still living in a FEMA trailer and has been unable to recover on their own despite their hard work. Today, I'm putting the finishing touches on their American Red Cross Grant application which will provide them with the building materials needed to complete the house. Incoming volunteers alert! Your work orders will soon address this situation!!

9:50 - Head out the door for a home visit in Waveland. Here I meet an elderly lady who lost her entire house during the storm, lost her husband this past February and one of her sons in April. We spend time talking about her experience during and since Katrina, go over her finances, and discuss her future plans. Another volunteer organization in Hancock County has agreed to provide the labor to dry-in her house, but she will be out of funds before it is finished despite the modest floorplans. I take down her info and make plans to research grants for which she may qualify.

11:00 - Swing by an LPC jobsite and notice that it is glaringly deserted! Case Manager switches gears into Detective and the hunt is on!

11:10 - This Detective is GOOD!!! In no time at all, she sweeps in and identifies the defectors! Jordan and Andrew are discovered elbow-deep in the Habitat Blitz!! (and I have THIS photo to prove it!!!)

Detective quickly turns into Prosecuting Attorney, who is just as quickly defeated by Defense Attorney, Andrew Thompson, who wins the day with a somewhat familiar quotation: "'Lagniappe Presbyterian Church exists on the Mississippi Gulf Coast to PARTICIPATE in the restoration of creation'...that means we work alongside other relief organizations!!!!" BOOM and the gavel falls. Ok, fine, they can work with Habitat for the day. However, when the case is revisited, I'm holding THIS GUY (above) thoroughly responsible!!! Dan Reynolds: Habitat Construction Manager, long-time LPC tenant, and co-conspirator to LPC staff theft! Case closed.

11:30 - It's back to The Ranch to complete paperwork on my new case, catch up with missed calls, and shoot out a couple e-mails.

12:30 - Lunch break.

1:15 - Lowe's - perhaps not every girl's best friend, but I'm ready! Armed with the F-350 Flatbed, a 16 ft trailer, and a Salvation Army Grant voucher, I'm off to pick up 243 pieces of Hardiplank siding, 2 rolls of housewrap, and Texas Beige tile.

2:00 - Fly back to LPC for a Diaconal Committee Meeting with just the tile in tow and a PROMISE that the order will be ready when I get back to Lowe's.

2:30 - Back to Lowe's where I am impressed by the Fork-Lift people and their loading prowess.

3:30 ish (I'm starting to lose it...) - Cup of coffee #2 and phone call from Andrew requesting a medicine cabinet at one of our new home builds. They must have finished that railing at Habitat...

3:50 - I arrive at Azucena Medrano's house in time to witness this sight:

"NO! NO! THIS WAY! THIS WAY!!!!!!!" The house looks great and is almost ready for the Certificate of Occupancy!

4:30 - Back in the office. Memorial Pres is arriving from TN tomorrow night, and Jordan has given me a list of work orders to prepare. I set to work.

5:15 - I'm Houseparent tonight which means get the chicken in the oven 'cause we got a hundred and fifty starving Habitaters headed this way!!!!!

7:30 - We're good and into dinner so here's me back in the office with the brilliant idea of starting a "Day in the Life of" blog. NEVER TRY THIS AT HOME!!!!

9:00 - Ok, that's it! Everyone's fed, the kitchen's clean, there's a sweet din of laughter in the main hall...I am outta here!!!

Blog addendum: 9:06 PM - tech phone call to Andrew who is still out at the Medrano house messing around with the plumbing because, quote, "When I leave tonight, this house will be ready to be inspected for a C.O. (aka a certificate of occupancy, aka. she can move in!!!)." All in a day's work, folks, all in a day's work. Goodnight!