Thursday we arrived via 8 passenger van and Tahoe with trailer for luggage and tools, at 1:07AM in New Orleans. That night I could not sleep. I was in a dorm room with about 10 bunk beds. In a group of 14 men there is always going to be at least one person snoring...this group there was at least 6 snoring...and one snored louder than I have ever heard in 26 years 5 months 17 days and 12 hours I have been here. Hence I lay awake until I finally decided at 5:23AM that I needed to find a new place to sleep. I grabbed my pillow and blanket and went out of the dorm room. I found a nice piece of carpet in another room and slept till about 8:30AM...Everyone else got up about 8AM. We then got to work...I worked on doors almost the whole time...then I helped out on installing a projector.
Friday night we stopped about 8PM and some of the crew wanted to go for a drive, I was one of them. We drove through New Orleans and saw the damage and the repairs and some of the historic Garden District and some people living in tents under the bridges. We then stopped at Walgreen's and I purchased a large pack of ear plugs...very good investment.Friday night I slept like a little baby who had played all day and needed a nap...except I didn't fight it and cry with my face turning red or any of that.
Saturday I woke up with everyone else and we got to work. We got snow balls and Muffalettas for lunch...then finished up everything we needed to finish by 4:30PM...just in time for the Saturday night service, which we didn't go to because we had reservations at a restaurant called Oceana Grill . It was some good food. Only negative was that it was near Bourbon St. This is what I ate:
During about the time I was eating the Taste of New Orleans dish a friend of mine from Elementary school through high school's Mom and two sisters spotted me:
We then headed back...on the way to the vehicles, we spotted a Gibson tour bus right next to the Hardrock Cafe at New Orleans. The driver was outside taking a smoke when he noticed us admiring the cool looking tour bus...He then asked us if we would like a tour: unison answer YES!I just did a google search on the Gibson Tour Bus and lots of famous people have toured in it...such as Daughtry from American Statues. Anyway, I did not have my camera other people did though, I will post pictures when they get emailed out.
Well after that we went back and agreed to leave there at 7AM. I awoke without an alarm and first and was ready to go. We left at 7:01AM. We had to stop at the airport because one guy's father-in-law was having surgery and he needed to be back ASAP. Then we headed out of New Orleans. After driving about one hr we the group with the trailer had a flat on the trailer right side tire. So we stopped and helped them change that...Then two hours later the other tire went flat on that trailer. We were 15 miles north of Opelousas when this one happened. Out of spare tires, a small group backtracked to Opelousas to get a spare...and ended up having to get two because they couldn't match the size anywhere...Hence we had to change both tires. The good thing is that we were at a rest stop waiting while the tire searching group searched and purchased tires. So, we played guitars and made up songs...actually the musicians in the group did that...I just listened and occasionally did a back flip off of a picnic table for fun. After we changed the tires we had no more incidents besides one stop in Shreveport to drop off one guy at his Brother-in-law's house. Oh and of course we stopped about every 1.5 to 2 hrs for restroom and snack breaks. Eventually we made it to the church in Allen at 8:15PM. After everyone shook hands and hugged we all left for our homes.
Arriving home Jenny surprised me with a brand new car.....sike! Actually she surprised me with some slow churn ice cream. All in all it was a great trip and I got to put money into the New Orleans Economy and help restore a church. Pictures to come when I get them.
1 comment:
mmmmmm! Cafe' Du Monde' I went there with my family and met my uncle and ate and ate and ate when I was young and could eat donuts like that!!
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