Iowanna do that - I'm Spinal Cord in Iowa

I'm back (if you didn't get the title)!! We came back early (again) and I'm starting to realize that nothing is certain with Americorps. I know it wasn't their fault for this, but I'm still going to blame them because I work for them. I'm not going to name the charity that we worked with...cough cough Catholic...but they definitely weren't ready for us. I understand they were dealing with a disaster, but I feel like they shouldn't request help if they don't know what the help will be doing or where the help will be staying. Not mad at them, but they need to be educated on how to handle people. Needless to say, playing Simon Says with them was not a good idea. They had us chasing our tails for a week.

But, despite the sponsors inability to lead us, being in Mississippi was about what I expected. We worked hard days sometimes, and not so hard days other times. Some of the places we went to help out were in extreme need and some were not. But overall we helped some people and it made the trip worth it.

The first place we went was a trailer home that was destroyed in the tornado. An aunt and two kids survived by hiding in the bathtub. When looking at the wreckage I don’t understand how they survived. The tub was thrown 20 to 30 feet from where the house used to be. There was large amounts of debris everywhere and for the three survivors to not have been struck with any of it was amazing and a blessing. I’m glad it was our first job down there because it put things in perspective. After that a lot of the things we did were just picking up debris and tarping the occasional house.

The heat down there is no joke. I didn’t get burned or anything, but my body would get dehydrated from standing still. Does that compute? Now I know why grapes shrivel up when they get too much sun. Radiation is no joke! At first I didn’t realize how dehydrated I was until I noticed I was drinking more than 50 ounces of water a day. I mean I was downing three or four bottles of water during the day and two or three at night. Yet, I still felt lightheaded one day but nothing too serious happened. I think the world ending is just going to be everywhere becoming like the south. Crazy thing is, we weren't even there during the hottest part of the year. I'm like ten shades darker now and know what bacon feels like when it's in a skillet for too long.

I thought the government was unorganized, but going down there showed me that most organizations are disorganized. The charity we were working with switched our housing a couple of times and everything we did seemed last minute. There were definitely a few days when we didn’t even know what we were going to be doing. I can’t bash the leader of the charity too much because I’ve never done what she’s done, but somehow I think that she needed to quit and go into gathering bat guano or picking raspberries for a living instead of leaving people.

Overall the project was a plus and we helped who we could. I was on T.V. at least once, but I didn't have any speaking parts. I'm putting a lot of pictures on Facebook so check those out if you haven't already. Disaster is never good, but going down to help out; and, watching other people's desire to help was definitely a positive.

Iowanna do that - Blow Pop

According to the gov, we're leaving for Mississippi on Monday. Assuming we'll at least make it half-way this time, you won't be reading a blog from me for at least two weeks. We're scheduled to return on the June 3rd, so hopefully they don't push us back. I'm all for doing the tornado relief down south, but I also want to see Minnesota so hopefully I can do both. I'm still going to leave my laptop up in Iowa. Hopefully I won't go through withdraws or anything. My blood already itches from my multiple addictions to cocaine, heroine, crystal meth, and generic-brand cold medicines; and, of course I don't want my teeth to start itching from a Facebook addiction. Wish me luck.

Not having internet means more than not blogging (I know, I know, you're going to cry every night until I return), but it also means I can't demonstrate how fat I am through my pictures. Hopefully I'll actually be able to eat some new food down there, so when I return I'll flood your newsfood, oops I mean newsfeed (haha equally as satisfying) with lots of pictures.

I know I fail at titles because I keep explaining them, but whatever. Just like you can't get to the center of a blow pop without finishing off the tongue-tiring hard candy, the government is making me lick my way to Mississippi (doesn't quite sound right). Though it took some time, time that I'm not so mad I had to endure, hopefully Monday will mean I get to the center of the blow pop where I can chew the gum of Mississippi and aid the people down there. Blow three bubbles and wish me some luck. Help is on the way Mississippi!

Iowanna do that - Blown Back

You're probably wondering why I'm blogging again when I said I wouldn't have internet for three weeks, and I don't really have a good answer. We actually left for Mississippi this time around, getting about two hours away from Vinton before they gave us the call to return. Apparently there were more displaced citizens than expected and they didn't have a place for us to stay. So now we're stuck in Iowa until Monday (at least). We still don't know when or if we're going down there so it's back to the waiting game.

On a positive note, we heard word that today was prime circumstances for more tornadoes. It was possible we would have driven right into a few so at least we can avoid that. But now we're just sitting in Iowa doing random things.

An even more positive note (is double ++ possible or do you angle it a bit and call it multiplication?) is that we went grocery shopping. The monster that lives in my tummy will be happy to eat a sandwich out of regular bread and not tortillas. I hope we do go down to Mississippi but if we don't I hope they tell us soon. I still want to go to tiny soda (get it! get it!) so we better still be able to do that. Overall this all makes me want to call my mum or fall through a horse stall thats not too tall while holding a basketball. Too much? Probably, but I'm just saying I'll be waiting to see what happens next.

Iowanna do that - Blow Me

Well I'm finally about to leave for mississip. If you haven't heard, I'll be doing tornado relief down there. Hopefully things aren't too crazy. Everyone round these parts keeps saying that you have to mentally prepare for disaster and all the implications that disaster brings, but I don't know how I feel. My brain walked away long ago, so I don't think I can mentally prepare for anything more than a sandwich, but it should be interesting to deal with my team while they do. I don't really know what to expect, but I guess that means I should expect the unexpected because thats how that saying goes. Though, when you stop and think about it, it's a pretty dumb saying. If you expect the unexpected then it wouldn't be unexpected...I'm confusing myself too so I'll stop.

I'm leaving my computer up in Iowa (for fear a tornado will reach down and take it from me. This of course means I can't really blog about my experience until I get back...Blown! I guess I'll have to write stuff down the old fashioned way and type it up. My g/f gave me some notepads so I'm set on paper...unless the tornados steal that.

Someone close to God pray for me because the ride down to Mississippi is going to be wickity wack and not because I'm black. Last trip we took we had two fifteen passenger vans...aka we had plenty of room to sit and not be cramped. This time we have one fifteen passenger that has a row of seats taken out (i.e. 11 or 12 seats left) and ten people on the team. Our bags will also be in the car. Needless to say (though, I'm going to say it anyway) we're all going to be blown away (my tornado puns are pretty bad) by how little space we have. The twisted (another) thing about it is that it's hot in the south. This means that since we won't have room to move we won't even be able to cover our noses. Imma stink, they a'gonna stink, we all a'gonna stink and we gon create a vortex (wink) of funk unparralelled (who said I can't spell without spell check?) in this universe.

Well, I'll stop wasting your time and let your eyes have a break. Until I return (if the tornados don't get me too), read the title again and be sad that the title was a tornado reference and not something juicier.

Iowanna do that - On My Goose Tip

My time in Milwaukee was cut a bit short. Can’t say I’m going to miss the place, but I definitely didn’t mind spending my first spike here (minus the crappy housing situation). Got tons of great food under my belt, realized that people usually act a lot younger than they actually are (interesting life experience to keep with me), and absorbed way more ultraviolet radiation than I’ve ever absorbed in my life. Throughout all the things that Milwaukee has to offer, one thing that I can be grateful for is that it has challenged me as a person. Not on my human-to-human interaction (if you’re managed to convince yourself that I’m actually human), but on a more me-to-me doodad sort of way. Before coming here for an environmental project I hated going outside. Screw becoming one with nature, I didn’t even want her germ-laden vastness to touch my skin. Yet, now I can’t go a day at work without a branch brushing my forehead or dirt flaking off on my mustache; yet, this doesn’t bother me anymore. As if getting over Mother Nature’s scorn wasn’t enough growth, I’ve also shoved my mild distaste for household germs aside. Since the house I’m living in has an equal germ count as a port-o-potty I really didn’t have much of a choice. It was either get over it or cry about it. And since I’m not a baby I didn’t really cry. That one tear was because Mother Nature’s dirt was in my eye. So in the end I’m a better person for being here…but don’t ask me to do it again because I’ll probably never respond.

Thankfully I haven’t gotten a call from any friends informing me that someone is talking behind my back. Either means the talking stopped or the people realized I don’t actually care. Either way it’ll be interesting to see if more comes. Drama definitely hasn’t left my team though. Should be interesting enough to see how much worse or better it gets. I like to look at us as one big elephant on a toothpick platform. We keep pulling out toothpicks and not really adding any so it’s only so long before we tumble down into the anti-elephant goop that waits below. Some things in life only go two ways, and this is one of those things so we’ll see which direction the team takes.

So it’s back to Iowa to be bored for a few days before heading out to Mississippi (that jingle spelling this state comes to mind). If that sounds a bit fishy, your gut is right. I was supposed to go to Perham Minnisota, but all the tornados down in the south called for Americorps to help…and we answered because we have mouths and we don't like tornadoes. We’ll be down in some town I’ve never heard of, and I’m a bit excited. Hopefully I can get some good southern cooking. Don’t know much about this project so just wish me some Stevie Wonder luck (blind luck). A little bummed that I couldn’t see my g/f one last time before leaving the area, but I guess I’ll work something out for the future. Of course they told us we leave on Saturday afternoon and I was supposed to see her Saturday, but there's nothing I can do about it now. Sad face. Guess I'll play goose and fly...well drive south.

Apparently we’ll go to the tiny town in tiny soda a bit later. After three weeks in M-I-crooked letter-crooked letter-I-crooked letter-crooked letter-I-P-P-I I’ll be going to Perham. If you thought Iowa was bad, Google Earth my town and tell me what I’m supposed to do when I want to leave. I’m oober excited for the work we’ll be doing there though, but we still don’t know what type of housing we’ll have. Probably means I’ll be living in a church basement, but at least I’ll be closer to God. I honestly won’t care where I am as long as I have some room. I’m sure some personal growth will occur in some way or another and I’m all about progression so say a little pray, do a tiny jig, and write me a small letter.