Week Five, Day Four

Wednesday ...
If it's Wednesday, it must mean rain ... except, happily, NOT this time. This is the first rain-free Wednesday I've spent in Biloxi, MS.

We meet downstairs at camp and drive to Waffle House.


We're served by a waitress who has been an employee since 1989 and her name tag identifies her as "Brat". Bill decides this is so unique that he asks her to sign his volunteer shirt. (He's asking all those he meets to do this, and plans to preserve it and hang it in his garage back home.)

We work for a bit in each room of the Parker Home - either taping, sanding, dusting, painting,
or scraping off edges - and mid-morning, I see Miss Parker pull up. I ask the team to take a break and come and meet our homeowner. Despite not moving into her home this week (as originally planned), she's in great spirits. She tells me that she would like to be in her home by her birthday in October, and while there are lots of details still to be done, I'd say she'll get her birthday wish.

We clean up for lunch and head to Mary Mahoney's. I want Ling and Bill to notice the history of the restaurant, and it's also where I've arranged for my friend, Nowal, to spend some time with us.

Nowal was working in Mississippi when Katrina came ashore. She and her husband live in St. Bernard's Parish in Louisiana, so I knew she'd be more than qualified to talk about the differences between the two states where Katrina is involved. One thing she tells us is that rebuilding is slow not because of the lack of skilled labor, or the difficulties of reaching home owners, but because residents of both states have not yet received federal and/or state payments. So, if you're rebuilding today without a non-profit org. backing you, you're paying for it out of your own pocket. In fact, you can't even count on your insurance payment already having happened either. I think of the people I've met on my 5 weeks here and I know none of them would have the kind of disposable income it would take to accomplish this task.

After some photos (and another autograph on Bill's shirt), we head back to work. I can't speak for Ling or Bill but with the information Nowal shared echoing in my head, and the continuing blast of heat, it was a slow afternoon. I thought maybe the heat was more manageable for Ling and Bill, until Ling wondered aloud if Iraq is as hot. I'm sure that it is, but there probably aren't too many other places that would be on the list. I also haven't yet shared with them that I'm coming down with the flu.

We head back to camp at the end of the day and, after dinner, I finally totally give into my cold. I go to the local drugstore for some medicine and hit my mattress at 8:15pm. With this heat and my cold, I don't expect to sleep well, but I really hope that I do.