Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Day 2 - If I Had a Hammer ...
Mary reports: We are no longer humming, "If I Had a Hammer". We do have them, and we've been pounding and pounding and pounding. Much has been accomplished today. We got the roof trusses up. First ones were very heavy; others just incredibly awkward to move and lift, but we got it done. No incidents except a ripped pair of jeans (Jeremy), a couple of splinters and Pete cut his hand. Jeremy was "the man" guiding the moving of the trusses and using the "Y" frames to help get them up on the roof.
We got the sheathing done all over the house and the fiberglass facing on the outside of that. The window holes came and went as the sheathing covered them up, then they were cut out, then the fiberglass covered them up again. Much of the roof sheathing was put in place also. I did ladder work but nothing up on the roof.
Our Habitat foreman tells us we're ahead of schedule. This is good, because it's supposed to rain tomorrow. They say the weather is tricky; so we should come out to the site as usual in case it's raining at the motel but not the site.
We're quite fired up and ready to work - and surely hope it doesn't rain us out. We're tired and sore but ready to go out to dinner as guests of the Alabama Association of REALTORS.
Today's Media Coverage
Today's Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel included articles about the Mobile trip. The Sentinel has it as lead online story; the KJ in the Sports section (where our builders no doubt belong with their hammering athleticism).
Includes this: "Those people lost their homes right out of their lives three years ago," [Tom] Munson said. "It seems a small price to take a week out of my life to help build one of these homes through Habitat for Humanity."
Monday, January 14, 2008
Day 1 - the wrap-up
Bart report: The first day was a "rising" success with the entire floor plan almost completely enclosed. Amazing how a group of over 30 people can come together and accomplish so much. After some safety instructions, Habitat info, and a morning spiritual we started to build the house. After a rather chilly start, the sweatshirts soon started coming off - enough strong sunshine for some of us to manage to get a little sunburn. The Americorp kids are great and have a lot of adventures ahead of them in the remaining 8 months of their 10 month trip around the country. Tomorrow we raise a roof - long day ahead but sure to be most rewarding.
Patti report: Carol, Deb and I are in our "office", a room the motel is letting us use tonight to get online as our routers have apparently been stolen and we have no Internet access in our rooms! Had a wonderful day, there are so many of us here who actually know what they are doing and then a few of us (me) who wait to be told where to hammer .... but I guess it takes all kinds to build a house. Can't wait to see what we accomplish tomorrow.
Note: Patti Lawton is the 2008 president of MAR.
Day 1 - 30 hammers are noisy!
From Mary: Well, we've completed our first day of work. The weather is gorgeous, but chilly.
We learned how noisy it is when 30 people are wielding hammers at the same time. How hard it is to hammer in nail after nail, after nail ... and still have some feeling left in your arm at four o'clock. We were halfway back to the motel before we all realized we were sitting down.
Boiled peanuts are just as bad as I remembered. Southern hospitality and smiles are every bit as nice as I remember. JoAnn tells everyone I'm our token southerner. I'm not very focused right now. Very tired, sore and hungry.
Note: Mary Kuykendall is the president of the Bangor Board of REALTORS
Day 1 - 500 nails (each) and pickled pigs lips
Jeremy reports: Framed the entire house ... putting up walls, headers and studs. Then put sheathing on the outside of most of the house. All about keeping it level so windows and doors aren't crooked. Few minor "oh this is backwards" moments, however, those were due to mismarked materials not the inexperienced REALTOR crew!
The next big thing is the trusses on the roof. Long day, but good positive people on the job site. Including a dozen or so Americorps kids from around the country.
My car (Jo Ann Higgins, Joanne Webber, Mary Kuykendall, and Callie Pecunies) stopped at a little fruit market on the way home. In addition to the very fresh fruit, they had "pickled pig lips". No, this wasn't a Fear Factor or Survivor challenge, these were actually available to purchase.
Tiring day, but optimistic about the remainder of our stay. Dinner at O'Charley's tonight at 6pm (again). No major injuries or problems to report, save for the crampy hands that we're all experiencing due to pounding in approximately 500 nails each.
Presidents on the go ...
2008 MAR President Patti Lawton; 2008 MAR Foundation President Sherry Gregory; and Team Leader (and 2006 MAR President) Gail Rizzo. After traveling to Mobile, they checked out the site, including the driving directions .... Gail is holding a meeting of the MAR builders at 6:15 am at Denny's ... then the rent-a-car convoy heads to the start ....
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Today's Media Coverage
Maine television stations (Channel 2, Channel 6, and Channel 8) reported the departure of MAR builders on today's news reports. Here's a video clip with Steve Joy at the Bangor airport.
Checking in at La Quinta
From Jeremy Payne: Just arrived at the lovely La Quinta. Other than the lobby being as hot as a sauna the facility seems nice. Carol Minnehan-Lee missed our connection in Atlanta and is now flying to Gulfport where Deb Marathon has graciously agreed to pick her up.
Mobile (so far) appears to be like any city ... lots of chain restaurants, big box stores, and 500 traffic lights along the way. They also have this incredibly unhelpful way of making right-hand turns...some require you to turn onto a carriage road before the actual right-hand turn. So, Mobile "rookies" like myself just pull up to the light where know we should be turning only to be faced with a "NO RIGHT TURN" sign. Oops.
Having dinner at O'Charley's with those already here; then, it's off to enjoy the spoils of Wal-Mart … to load up on liquid ibuprofen and the like.
Note: Jeremy Payne is the Government Affairs Director for MAR.
Getting ready for the build ...
From Bart Stevens: Not overly hot here with the temperature only 62, sunny though - actually feels chilly amazingly enough. A definite improvement over Maine’s weather focus for tomorrow. Gail, Sherry and Patti spent the afternoon shopping for the first aid kits, bottled water, apples, oranges, coolers and more. Looking forward to tomorrow, although not the 6:15 a.m. group breakfast at Denny’s piece. We don't start quite that early in Waterville!
Note: Bart is past treasurer of MAR, and the current president of the Waterville chapter of Habitat for Humanity.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Bama Bound ...
Jeremy has 40 work gloves. Carol reminds all to pack bathing suits in case aching muscles can find a hot tub. And JoAnn Higgins the first to leave ..
"I left Bangor this morning at 7:15 on the bus. Got to watch 'Hairspray' on way to Portland. Sat in the bus/train station for 3 hours. Thank goodness they have wi-fi, so kept busy doing two BPOs. The 12:50 train to Woburn got in late because the winter weather (rain!!!) knocked out the signals and they were being careful not to run into another train. Good thinking! Sunday I'll fly from Newark to Atlanta, where I'll meet the Hancock County group, and off to Mobile! I'm Alabamie bound! See ya there, gang."
Media says "bon voyage" to MAR builders
Yesterday, a Bangor TV station featured REALTOR Emilie Jones and the trip to Mobile; and the Bangor Daily News has an article at this link, or read here:
Realtors to 'Deliver' Home to Katrina Family
by Joni Averill
"Bon voyage and happy building wishes go with 20 people representing the Maine Association of Realtors, who leave Sunday for Alabama to participate in a Habitat for Humanity home construction project for a family affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Mary Kuykendall of Bangor is president of the Bangor Board of Realtors.
She e-mailed me that the Maine Association of Realtors, in partnership with the National Association of Realtors and Habitat for Humanity International, is participating in Operation Home Delivery.
"Funds in the amount of $70,000 have been raised, and 18 Realtors (one of whom is bringing his wife as a volunteer) from all over Maine … along with Jeremy Payne" of Augusta "who is our association’s Government Affairs Director, will spend a week building a home in Mobile.
"Weather and stamina permitting," Kuykendall continued, "the house should proceed from just a slab to needing only carpet and appliances in the week we’re there."
Kuykendall explained that "each state’s association was challenged by the National Association of Realtors to raise money and build a home in the hurricane area."
The Habitat volunteers traveling with Kuykendall and Payne include JoAnn Higgins of Bangor; Steve Joy and Emilie Jones, Ellsworth; Peter Wood, Belfast; Paul Trowbridge, Blue Hill; Vicki Doudera, Camden; Marsha Steinglass, Rockport; Tom Munson, Fairfield; Bart Stevens, Winslow; JoAnne Webber, Waterville and Sherry Gregory, Winthrop.
Also taking part are Mark and Paula Schoenthaler, Rangeley; Gail Rizzo, Belgrade Lakes; Callie Pecunies, Bethel; Patti Lawton and Carol Minnehan-Lee, Brunswick; and Deb Marathon, Ogunquit.
Members of the Maine Association of Realtors can take pride in accepting and meeting that challenge and for the contributions these people are making to help those still suffering from the 2005 hurricane. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Web site, more than 1,800 people died and damage totaled at least $81 billion."
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