Ole Spring Relief: immediate recap

Man, I need to take more weeks off from all electronic forms of communication. With the slight possible exception of not having my phone with me so I could take pictures of everything I saw and did, it did me some wonders to just have the outdoors and not rely so much on computers and crap.

It was an interesting experience. Out of the 120-or-so people that joined us on the voyage to Biloxi (pronounced "Bil-lux-ee" and not "Bil-ox-ee") in Mississippi, I probably knew about ten people, and perhaps one or two even decently well. So in addition to the service work that I had to do, I had a new challenge to take on, which was getting to know all sorts of people well (and people different from the types that I hang out with). I think I did a good job of that.

So, on to the particulars of the OSR trip: we left last Friday (the 21st) and bussed down to New Orleans and hung out there for 8 hours last Saturday. After going to Easter services, the beach, and taking a tour of the damage around the area on Sunday, we spent the work week divided up into multiple groups and shipping out to various outposts in Biloxi, Gulfport, Ocean Springs, Moss Point (all in MS). Monday and Tuesday I spent painting and general assisting with a couple houses, apparently the only ones that didn't get completely destroyed in all of eastern Biloxi. Wednesday I helped pick up trash off streets, including about 50 beer bottles in a 10-ft radius (yeah, street cleaning is not my favorite...). Thursday and Friday the group I was assigned was due to be sent out for more street cleaning, but I volunteered myself out both days to new jobs that opened up last minute. So Thursday I did yard work around a house in Ocean Springs (kind of like the "rich" suburb of Biloxi), and Friday I tore down drywall and insulation, easily the most fun work I did all week.

The best parts, though, were three-fold: making new friends, catching some 'rays, and enjoying one last camp-like experience. Honestly, camps were the highlight of my childhood, and I still remember being really bummed out back in 2002 when I realized I would never go to one again. We had a talent show and a bonfire on Friday night (finally felt like spring break, even if it was for one night), and we had a couple stopovers in New Orleans (which I already mentioned) and Memphis.

Like in past years, it's weird being back at Olaf again. It's not so much because it's empty, but the realization will hit that the reason I know most of the people on my trip is because we go to the same school (and many of the new friends I made I didn't first meet on campus). I dunno, it's just a weird feeling for me, one I know that will subside as I run into the same people again over the coming weeks.

We also had to write a quasi-daily journal while we were down there and turn it in upon return to campus. The journal itself is for the people at the Lilly Foundation who made the OSR trips possible, so we had to answer some questions that they drew up about the experiences. Whenever I get mine back I'll post what I wrote.

Back to intellectual labor.

The pot of gold

Earlier this evening (yeah the sun was still out, thanks to Daylight Savings Time) I had to make a run into town, and in addition to witnessing the first real rain of the calendar year, this rainbow caught my eye through the east window of the Subway restaurant at the corner of Rtes 3 and 19. I snapped this pic after I left. If you look really closely, you'll see that the rainbow is actually closer than it appears; it was closer than the farthest line of trees, and I'm thinking it landed on the Cannon River in the background (you can't see it from here, but it's there). A stunning sight indeed.

Cat anecdote

I was just going back through a few blog posts from about a year ago. I found out a friend's dog died a week or so ago, so I reached out (via a facebook wall post). Doing so kind of triggered bits of memories when Maggie passed this coming week last year, so I reread my sentiments and philosophies I had spewed out in the aftermath. I had written that I'd never taken the chance to pick Maggie up (for some reason I could never really get myself to figure out how to hold her, or the courage to do so, so I just hugged and pet her instead). When I went home for break a little more than a month ago there was this one evening when I was rubbing Teya's belly and my mom wanted to get her attention. So I scooped her up and carried her all the way over before I realized what I was doing. I finally figured out how to pick up and hold a cat, and with Teya it was easy. I'm not sure if I'd dare try that with Cotton yet, but (and with the proverbial twinkle in the eye) I'm sure Maggie would have been proud of me. Maybe. ;-)