NOLA-Day One

Well, I made it to NOLA (New Orleans). There is a group of about 40 from Boston. We all had our share of airplane stories-the worst being the people who took American Airlines out of Boston and had their flight cancelled and then were routed to Continental and then missed their connection in La Guardia and made it finally to NOLA but without their luggage, which was still sitting on the original American Airlines flight. They were surprisingly nice about it all. Of course the Boston Cares group came together and offered clothes and stuff.
My flight was all right. I loved listening to the XM Satellite radio, which has channels for every type of music imaginable. I basically lived in the 40s-90s stations with forays into the country and alt stations. As we landed at at the NOLA airport, (a beautiful flyover by the way as is Atlanta, GA) I listened to "Ring of Fire" by the man in black (Johnny Cash) and "Physical" by Olivia Newton John. I will take the time to apologize now for those who read this and go "Arrgh! These songs are stuck in my head...."
The neighborhood we are staying is decent enough though there seems to have been a major drug ring bust prior to our coming. There is increased police security and we have been told to go out at night in threes and the places that we need to avoid.
Driving down St. Charles Avenue was interesting since you would see chain restaurants housed in buidlings that you would associate with the 19th century.
It has been more than a year since Katrina hit. You can see that downtown has made a lot of progress. I was actually pleased to see children going home from school in the afternoon, which to me is a sign of nornamlcy.
The weather is in the 70s-a welcome change from the freezing rain that I left. I did not hit any of the nightlife yet. Traveling made me tired and I felt like staying close to home. But tomorrow...
Our hosts, Hands On New Orleans, are great. They have energy and they are practical. One of the staff memebers is also named Emma (a very lovely name to be sure). After we arrived, we receeived a great orientation and safety lecture, since as you can imagine, there is mold and stuff to be concerned about as well as falling debris.
Definitely no frills here. Everyone mucks in with chores and we sleep in bunks not unlike barracks. I signed up for kitchen patrol (cleanup) on Thursday. As I stated before, I can sleep on a concrete floor with a sheet and be okay. Our group is on the top bunks. I joked that it reminded me a bit of the movie "Rooftops."
The Boston Cares group, headed by Whitney, is a great group. Clearly we are all people who want to make a difference no matter how anonymous it is. Many of us don't know each other but we came together rather well. I had a great time playing (and winning at) UNO with Ethan and Pam. I also got a kick out of our reaction to the recent elections, including the Democractic wins.
And though I felt a bit silly, Whitney's idea about us all wearing the yellow Boston Cares shirts was a good one.
Tomorrow I will be a part of a "last gut" team. This team completes the gutting of a house with things like nail removal.
I'll blog more later.

More Surveys

1. Ever punch someone in the face?Yes but they hit first.
2. How old are you?33
3. Are you single or taken?Single.
4. Eat with your hands or utensils?Utensils
5. Do you dream at night?Yes.
6. Ever seen a corpse?Unfortunately yes
7. have you ever wished someone dead?Yes
8. Do You Like Bush?No
HERE COMES THE FUN ... ... ...
9. Whats your philosophy on life? and death?When you number's up, it's up so live like it's up in 5 minutes
10. Tell me one odd/interesting fact about you:I have an amazing body of knowledge about the 1930s and 40s
11. do you trust the police?Not always
12. Do you like country music?Yes at times
13. Do you think I'm attractive?Actually I do
14. If you could change anything about yourself would you?I would take more risks
15. Batman or Superman?Batman
16. What do you wear to sleep?Stuff
17. Have you ever peed in a pool? while you were still in it?No
18. Would you hide evidence for me if I asked you to?Unfortunately, no
19. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together?Go to the top of some of the mountains in Alaska and watch the eagles.
20. Will you post this so I can fill it out for you?
Sure.
----------------------------------------------------------

"How much have YOU changed in?" Body: Two years ago....
How old were you?31
Where did you go to school?Out of school
Where did you work?Circles
Where did you live?Somerville
Where did you hang out?Places
How was your hair?short as usual
Did you wear glasses?No
Who was your best friend?Ken
Who was your regular-person crush?no one
How many tattoos did you have?none
How many piercings did you have?2 one in each ear
What car did you drive?None
What was your worst fear?Not going anywhere in my life
Had you been arrested?nope
Had your heart broken?yes
Single/Taken/Married/Divorced/Bitter?Taken
**HA HA HA!!! LETS SEE WHAT YOU ARE NOW !!!!!**
IN November 2006.....
How old are you?33
Where do you work?Nonprofit
Where do you hang out?places
Do you wear glasses?No
How long is your hair?longer
Who are your best friends?Ken, and other people
Still talk to any of your old friends?Yes
Who is your current interest?no one
How many tattoos?none
How many piercings do you have?same
What kind of car do you have?none
What is your biggest fear?same
Have you or a Loved 1 been arrested since, if so, how many times?nope
Has your heart been broken?yes
Single/Taken/Married/Divorced/Bitter?single
REPOST AS "How much have YOU changed in?"
---------------------------------------------------
1. How old will you be in five years?38
2. What month is your birthday?January
3. How tall are you?5'4"
4. What do you look forward to most in the next week?Doing some great work in NOLA and completing some work on my novel for NaNoWriMO
5. What's the last movie you saw?Brothers of the Head (I think), maybe it wasn't but it was the one I remember enjoying a lot.
6. Who is the last person you called?Carl
7. Who was the last person to call you?Carl
8. What was the last text message you recieved?Hey! Be Safe. Ken
9. Do you prefer call or txt?I'll take both
10. Do you have any pets?No
12. Are your parents married/separated/divorced?Not together. Death kinda takes care of that
13. When is the last time you saw your mom?August 15, 1994
14. what color are your eyes?Brown
15. What time did you wake up today?5:00pm CST
16. What are you wearing right now?Plaid pajamas, white sox
17. What's your favorite Christmas song?O Holy Night-when done well (I recommend the Jerry Butler and Andy Williams versions), it's amazing to hear even if you don't celebrate Christmas.
18. Where is your favorite place to be?Right now-On a porch watching things
19. Where is your least favorite place to be?At an office
20. Where would you go if you could go anywhere?Alaska or Japan
21. Where do you think you'll be in 10 years?Own house, car and property, own business and with at least 2-3 kids
22. do you tan or burn?I am already tan so I don't need to try to tan or else I would burn
23. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child?Death until we reached an understanding
24. What was the last thing that made you laugh?Ted Kennedy of the "accent" making fun of his nephew in law "Ahhhrnold"'s accent in his victory speech.
25. Have you ever gotten stitches?Inside my mouth after having my my wisdom teeth extracted. I have scars from places where I should have gotten stitches but didn't.
26. Do you prefer an ocean or a pool?I prefer the ocean
27. Do you prefer a window seat or an aisle seats?Window!
28. Do you know how to drive stick?Not really
29. What is your favorite thing to spend money on?Music and books and savings accounts
30. Do you wear any jewelry 24/7?No
31. What is your favorite TV show?See my profile but to give a sampling: House, CSI Miami, Law and Order SVU, Grey's Anatomy, NOVA....
32. Can you roll your tongue?yeah-though I'm out of practice
33. Who is the funniest person you know?Huh...well Carl makes me laugh though the thought of Colleen as a mother is funny too...then there's Ian...
34. Do you sleep with stuffed animals?No
35. What is the main ring tone on your phone?Sony Ericsson
36. Do you still have clothes from when you were little?A few.
37. What color are your bedroom walls?White
38. Do you turn off the water while you brush your teeth?usually
39. Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?Closed
40. Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm ofbees?Rather not be attacked by either. Seems to me that there should be easier ways to get honey.
41. Do you flirt alot?I can...but not a lot
42. What do you dip a chicken nugget in?Honey BBQ
43. What is your favorite food?The kind I can eat
44. Can you change the oil on a car?yes
45.Do you like video games?At times. I do like PC world building games best.
46. Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket?No
47. Have you ever run out of gas?Yes
48. What is your usual bedtime?11:00
49. Do you read the newspaper?yes.
50. Do you have more than 10 cd's?yes
51.Who is the best comedian?Me
52. Do you watch soap operas?At times
53. Do you dance in the car?I can if the proper music is on. You know it! lol

Travelin' down to NOLA-11/8-11/13

I'll be joining a group organized by a great non-profit called Boston Cares that will help with the ongoing rebuilding effort in New Orleans (NOLA).

We will be hosted by Hands On New Orleans, which is a member of the Hands On Network. (Boston Cares is a member also!) I am told that a lot of the work will include mold removal, long days, and 3 minute showers. All of this I can do and willingly. I hope to be able to blog about my experience there for the next few days or at least provide a report once I get back.

When the Katrina disaster took place, I experienced the covereage largely through the net and through listening to the television broadcast on my headset. I never saw the footage as it unfolded. Hearing the desperation and fear of the victims and the utter incompetence of those who should have known better gave me a different perspective on the disaster than I otherwise would have had if I watched it on television. (I moved but had not unpacked my tv and was not really missing it since I could hear all of the shows that I liked on my headset).

Wish us well. We go to do good and to effect change, which is what Boston Cares, Hands On New Orleans and the Hands On Network are all about.

a myspace survey with balls...thanks Lucy

1. How many people have you had sex with in 2006?
2


2. Weed, coke, crack, heroin, oxy, acid, x, k, peyote, mushrooms, opium, hash....out of these 12 drugs how many have you done?
None


3. Ever cheated on a GF/BF?
No, been cheated on twice.


4. Ever paid for sex?
No


5. Ever been married?
Almost


6. Ever been divorced?
No

7. If you had to pick one whats your favorite sexual position?
The one that brings me the most pleasure.

8. Do you own any guns?
If I told, then I would be giving the bad guys the upper hand...


9. Craziest place you ever had sex?
In the other room


10. Ever been to rehab?
No

11. Ever have a 3 some?
Yes


12. Ever have sex with anyone that you met on myspace?
As far as I can tell no...I think I almost did with one person but then I am getting old and the memory fades


13. What size are your breasts/dick?
My breasts are a healthy size.

14. Do you think Arnold could beat up Chuck Norris?
No but that's not important right now.


15. What celebrity would you want to have sex with?
The first name that comes to mind is Kathryn Morris of "Cold Case"-if I had to choose.


16. Ever been unemployed for over a year since becoming an adult?
No


17. How many states have you lived in?
2


18. How many countries have you lived in?
1


19. Do you keep a weapon under or next to your bed at night?
Not telling.



20. What celebrity would you want to beat up if you had the chance?
Whitney comes to mind...


21. Ever rolled into the harsh ghetto to buy drugs?
Not to buy drugs-just to hang out with a peripheral friend's friends.


22. Do you enjoy sex with or without condoms?
I prefer protection.


23. Ever been paid for sex?
Wasn't that question #4? The answer is still the same.


24. Would you do "Dave the Goofy Professor" from GoofyAuctions.com?
Uhhh....no....


25. Ever hired a PI to follow someone?
No.


26. Ever f*cked a friends bf/gf?
Only after the person was converted into an ex and the friend was okay with it.



27. Do you prefer a partner with a tongue/nipple/private piercing?
I'm easy.


28. How many times a week do you masturbate?
Again, not tellin'


29. Fake tits or real tits???
Too real to be a lie.



30. Ever watch someone die?
Yes.



31. How long has it been since you had sex?
Not telling


32. Name your favorite Beer?
Guinness of course


33. Do you have a sexual fantasy?
Maybe



34. Ever gone to jail for 10 days or longer?
No



35. Anyone on myspace you want to f*ck?
Sure

A n Austenian heroine

Take the Quiz here!

More fun With Quizilla...

How to make a Alaiyo

Ingredients: 1 part friendliness 1 part silliness 3 parts ego

Method: Combine in a tall glass half filled with crushed ice. Add a little wisdom if desired!

Username:

Personality cocktail
From Go-Quiz.com

Odd Facts About ME :)

I personally believe that MySpace owes its success to the Bulletin, which people use not only as a way to inform others of events but about themselves.

For whatever reason, I like filling out these crazy things and will post them here from time to time.


Odd Facts About ME :)


DO YOU SNORE?:
At times though not as much as I used to.

LOVER OR A FIGHTER?:
A little from column A and a little from column B

WHAT'S YOUR WORST FEAR?:
Not living up to my potential at times. I don't know that it is my worse fear but it's a real one.

AS A KID, WERE YOU A LEGO BUILDER?:
Yes...we could not afford Lincoln Logs

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF "REALITY TV"?:
I don't think when I watch the few reality tv shows I do watch.

DO YOU CHEW ON YOUR STRAWS?:
No

WERE YOU A CUTE BABY?:
Of Course

HOW IS THE SINGLE LIFE FOR YOU?:
It is.

WHAT COLOR IS YOUR KEYBOARD?
Black

DO YOU SING IN THE SHOWER?:
No, not intentionally-usually associated with chorus

HAVE YOU EVER BUNGEE JUMPED?:
No

ANY SECRET TALENTS?:
Yes-if I told them then they would not be a secret...

WHAT'S YOUR IDEAL VACATION SPOT?:
Alaska

HAVE YOU EATEN SUSHI?:
Yes.

HAVE YOU SEEN THE MOVIE "DONNIE DARKO"?:
At times

DO YOU GIVE A DARN ABOUT THE OZONE?:
Of course

HOW MANY LICKS DOES IT TAKE TO GET TO THE CENTER OF A TOOTSIE POP?:
The world may never know.

CAN YOU SING THE ALPHABET BACKWARDS?:
No, not yet

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON AN AIRPLANE?:
Yes

ARE SPEEDO'S HOT?:
Next question...

WHAT'S YOUR STAND ON HUNTING?:
I agree with Lucy's "shoot what you need and no more!"

IS MARRIAGE IN YOUR FUTURE?:
Likely not if things progress the way they do.

DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?:
When it's good.

WHAT ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO?:
I don't recall anymore except nothing life threatening like food allergies or bees.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SAID, "I LOVE YOU":
Two days ago to my aunt.

IS TUPAC STILL ALIVE?:
In the hearts and minds of his fans.

DO YOU CRY AT WEDDINGS?:
No

HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS?:
Scrambled usually

ARE BLONDES DUMB?:
At times, (at least on tv) but GW Bush will always be dumber.

WHERE DOES THE OTHER SOCK END UP?:
On the other foot.

WHAT TIME IS IT?:
12:03pm EST

DO YOU HAVE A NICKNAME?:
Sometimes Em-but my aunt is the only one who is allowed to say it.

IS MCDONALD'S DISGUSTING?:
Depends on what

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WERE IN A CAR?:
this evening

DO YOU PREFER BATHS OR SHOWERS?:
I generally shower but I am a sucker for the candlelit dealie.

IS SANTA CLAUSE REAL?:
Any clause is real if it is legal.

ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?:
No.

WHAT ARE YOU ADDICTED TO?:
Internet, blogs, New Order, paradigms for behaviour, if, then...statements, making Carl collapse on the floor in laughter, books, history, John Adams and other stuff

CRUNCHY OR CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER?:
Creamy-crunchy is hard to spread

HAVE YOU EVER RIDDEN IN AN AMBULANCE?:
Yes-too many times to want to admit to but only one as the patient.

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BRUSHED YOUR TEETH TODAY?:
Once-the best part of waking up...

IS DRUG FREE THE WAY TO BE?:
Pretty much unless you need them to function as a productive human being.

ARE YOU WEARING SOCKS?:
Yes

HAVE YOU EVER HITCH HIKED?:
Yes-three times

WHAT COLOR ARE YOUR EYES?:
Brown

WHEN'S THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?:
When I was 10.

DO YOU LIKE YOUR LIFE?:
I like living.

WHOSE LIFE IS BETTER?:
Carl's-at least when he's having fun, which seems to be more often than not...

ARE YOU PSYCHIC?:
Not really. I have decent intuition when I listen to it.

HAVE YOU READ "CATCHER IN THE RYE"?:
Of course

DO YOU PLAY ANY INSTRUMENTS?:
I played the violin and kinda studied the drums. I also sang a bit.

CAN YOU SKATEBOARD?:
No, but I am a huge fan.

DO YOU LIKE CAMPING?:
It's all right.

DO U SNORT WHEN U LAUGH?:
If I make myself.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC?:
Of course

IS A DOG A MAN'S BEST FRIEND?:
Sure, though I think that an education and a job are a woman's best friends

YOU BELIEVE IN DIVORCE?:
Sure

CAN YOU DO THE MOONWALK?:
No, sadly never could

DOES YOUR MOM KNOW YOU HAVE A MYSPACE?:
No, death has a way of making that impossible

WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?:
Utz salsito chips and Lay's Kettle Cooked Mesquite BBQ chips.

DO YOU WEAR NAIL POLISH?:
Usually in black.

DO YOU LIKE SOMEONE RIGHT NOW?:
I like many someones right now-that's why I added them to my friends list

WHAT'S THE MOST ANNOYING TV COMMERCIAL?:
Head-on...apply directly to the forehead...

DO YOU SHOP AT AMERICAN EAGLE?:
No

FAVORITE BAND AT THE MOMENT?:
Barenaked Ladies, of course.