I must suffer with 70's, 80's, sunscreen and bug juice. Hydrate! is the cry of the safety officer... Coveralls during the day and shorts at night.
WARNING!! RANT APPROACHING!!
Camp Swampy is okay - still have armed roving and gate guards, but I've seen no sign of the long-gun-armed guards that were evident last deployment. Getting a half-day off - a real change - on Sunday, but the contractors need it. Guess that'll be SOP from now on. I've got at least two folks on my teams that were here for casualty recovery from boats (they were on the same freakin' boat) in September - and haven't been home since. Haven't asked Tulsa guy yet if he's married.... And I know the guy from Denver isn't.
I think we are makin' a difference in the parish of Orleans. Glad to be a part of the effort. Miss the urgency that was far more evident in my first deployment. Hannibal Smith on that bad ol' TV guilty-pleasure known as "The A-Team" used to talk about "bein' on the jazz". The adrenaline buzz that clears your mind and senses when you're dedicated to something bigger'n you that you think you can make a difference doin'. Cleaning up the area has furnished the jazz for a lot of folks. Red Cross volunteers that spend countless hours handing out water, lunches, snacky packs and cleaning supplies and items to returning citizens struggling to recover a semblance of normalcy; driving around in endless circles to reach everyone. Water and sewage workers rebuilding the essential underpinnings of civilization (flush toilets beat the HELL out of cut-down 55-gallon drums) and electricity powers our ascent when available. Faith based groups that (on their own nickel or their supporters) outfitted themselves with garbage bags, shovels, trucks, respirators, Tyvek suits, flags, signs, knowledge and grit. A block cleaned by those folks is CLEAN. More and more homeowners/renters/contractors are working on homes in the areas we've worked. Most are upper-middle to lower-middle class housing, if I recall my sociology classes of 30 years ago correctly. From under median to twice median USA housing prices (est. $140,000 to $500,000 - with median @$218K). Due to "location", some very modest housing now commands top $ even as an empty lot. Real estate ads are omnipresent and it appears a large percentage of realtor-types are agents of developers. But that's just my opinion.
END OF RANT
Put another day "in the can" today. Was a good feeling. Hard to b'lieve - I have only 10 days left.... Oh well, tomorrow is another chance to kick ass. And I've got the folks to do it.
I pretend I have readers to lend a sense of sanity to my blogging....
3 comments:
me again - Bert said that she thought I was sunburnt today - she was correct. Rough day as you know dealing with issues but you definitely brightened it up. We are making a difference - even if it means making the Command VERY AWARE of the dangers of what we ARE NOT picking up (can we say 'bandilions?' 'dandilions?' what the heck is that word?' (and START Steve coming to the rescue with a translation...I still laugh when I think of our attempts to read your handwriting)...I am not an early riser but I do get up with each day rather easily with the thought that another day brings the folks of Orleans Parish closer to something that resembles a rebuilding of their lives - knowing that WE - our little group - worked so hard to help makes me proud to be part of this organization - all bullshit aside that comes with the command. I was telling Significant Other Himself tonight on the phone(OPS Chief on rotations to Reg 4) that we have a tight group - one that eats together after spending all day working on the Parish activities together - what are the odds of that? IT IS A BLESSING - BTW - I am a Virgo too - makes sense...
My brother, your audience is paying attention.
Heard a N'awlins Real Estate Broker on NPR last month talking about some smoothy from New York calling and saying "I'll take all the properties you can close for $250K."
N.O. Broker said, "you understand these properties sold for $140K when they had habitable homes on them, and the homes are now inhabitable?"
New York Guy says, "I said I'll take all the properties you can buy for $250K."
New Orleans as it was is history.
What rises from the ashes will be upscale and more urbane.
Keep the updates coming. I'm glad you're not using WD-1 wire, pal!
we really are reading there "sir".... It's my way of checking up to make sure you're "aiiiiiiiiiiiiight" when you're not home.
Post a Comment