Rainy days.

It has been far too long.

sorry all.

Today - Tuesday 22 of Sept. it rained, off and on , on and off ... off and on. Again.

i suppose if i were not framing a house i would not hate it so much- but when trying to lay joists on a chalk line in the rain- well you see the problem here... good news is that i got to meet the family of this new house tonight at the New Homeowners Meeting ( i am required to go for work but would opt to go if it were up to me).  This is a class for all people who are approved to own a habitat home - and let me just tell you - these houses are nice, probably nicer than anything i have lived in (sorry mom and dad)

My rational:

1.  our houses come with a promise for the first 2yrs that your energy - heating and cooling will be less than 35 dollars. I lived in an apt. that was half the size and got double that in the extreme seasons.  

2.  our houses come with options for the money- tile floors and pergo - i mean i think my rents have a beautiful wood floor and that the wood floor in my old apt was wonderful as well- but they dont do carpet as much as they used to - decreasing health problems.  

3.  our houses are well built - this is where - now that i know- i really question my rents house- i want to make sure that they are getting the most for their money and silly structure things make me question. 

ok so maybe my house is nicer but i must say these houses are pretty great.  As i said before, we began work in Siler City today - something we hadnt done in while - i had not ever done before - building joists and knee walls and all sortsa vocab. i had never heard of (one disadvantage to being the only new americorps habitat member at my location)  

it was a mighty rainy day left work played with rux went back for the class and learned about the habitat homeowning process- really interesting and i am excited to spend time with the homeowners and their kids!   I then bought some groceries at the store, which for once in my life- i could see why people like chains.  I felt almost a sense of comfort in that i am new and know not a sole- yet my harris teeter is set up in the same fashion.  

i know i will regret saying what i just did, good job branding agents at the HT.   

i will write more of my new community college corse on monday nights and this past weekend with 6 cats and 2 dogs later. 

Tuesdays are destin to be the longest, but maybe best days of the week.

Yesterday:  i got to work nice and earlyish but not as early as i was aiming for... went to the worksite excited that we had a new americorps memeber joining- Keith.  We worked and he came out to help us onsite, which was great because we only had 2 volunteers.  It was a bit disheartining because there was so much work to be done on our house to have finals next week.  eek.

After that we were all scheduled to go on a Chatham county tour- the americorps &  4 grad students from UNC.  It was really intersting to get to learn about my new county and how different it is from wake.  We got to see a lot of siler city (if there is a lot to see - smaller than bradford) and hear about the demographics of the different areas.  We all had a bite after that and i saw people that i used to work with at southern energy management- which was really exciting too. 

I was really pumped about life after that 12 hour day of work - and then today it was rainy. 

Not too big of a deal to me because i had a workshop in raleigh.  We all got to go to Advanced Energy to learn about building specs.  it was an amazing oppertunity to see how progressive the habitat i work for really is- and believe you me i have no idea of the extent of all of it.  

We were used as the poster children of building to explain what improvements can be made to other builders.  We build houses with this program and can promise the homebuyers a power bill of <$35!  

Now throughout college no house i have ever lived in has ever come even near that - how great huh?

I had to go back to my raleigh apartment and clean a bit and noticed that - MY Bathroom was LEaking! ahh- the whole ceiling and walls-ugh.  I called maintence.  The guy said the toilet above me was leaking.  Kinda grooooossss.  I thought to myself, well at least i dont live here.  

While i should have finished cleaning and such griffin came to raleigh and got dinner with me(thanks mom&dad)  then murf came and met up with us.  i love my brothers.  they are the best.  we enjoyed a great meal downtown and i realized i must cherish each of the moments i get to spend with them so close, because our lives will be farther spaced soon.  they are growing so fast (i know i sound like grandma) 

i need to sleep and stop rambeling - sorry if there are incomprehensible pieces to this because i am sleeeeepy. 

also inclosed - me at the state of things- i was thinking back on this summer. more later.  

Moving. from . Raleigh.

Wow. 

who could ever think i had so much stuff... oh wait probably everyone except me.  Living on your own requires you to have so much more stuff than living with two others.  It has been nice to sift through items and decide what to keep and what to junk- although at time i really feel like junking it all!  I am reminded how luck i am to have so much - how privillaged i have grown up- and i am thankful.  

The guy in the apartment above me is rocking out so lound to a mix of country and rap - singing as loudly as possible - and i think possibly jump roping at the same time- i find this a good reason to leave this beautiful, historic, comfortable space and venture into my new home- the Old Mann House.  I like the name personally.  I do wish i knew more of the story behind it.

Today has just been moving - Thanks Dad- and a whole lot cleaning- sorta.  who knew that masking tape left so many marks on the walls- answer - not me. 

nothing more really to report. last day of raleighwood. 

feeling pretty good about it.

sorta. haha. no this is good and i am excited. sitting on the ever so clean floor of my old place. 

The first week. New things.

This week was my first at Chatham Habitat for Humanity/Americorps. I am not sure if i can even begin to tell you how excited i am for how much i have/will learn and how tired i am/will be.  

The first day was filled with ~30pages of paperwork for our government where they required more forms for this job than any other legally can- really (every form of id that has ever been made of me)- i could not begin to tell you why they need everyone of them but -eh whatever.

Post a million hours of paper work we went out to the sites and i was given the directions that i would lead a tile installation.  Right... was my initial thought- which was then followed closely with - they want me to do what?  It is my first day/ first week how am i already in charge - i know nothing.

Day 2: Wed. Sept. 9

I woke up and headed to the site after crashing in raleigh - more on that later.  I started my day and by the end of it - the midweekers, (as they are called) a small collection of retired men that live in a place called the governor's club- which i gather to be a well-to-do retirement community of people from the north that love golf, taught me how to install tile.  Oh, and i also painted a ceiling.

The next two days were more paperwork- setting expectations- setting goals for our homes ( 5 in Chatham Oaks and 5-i think- in Siler City) - and more organizational work for me and the other americorps- which for this week was one other girl- Lauren.  She was an americorps here last year and has made me feel much more confident and at ease with this whole new world of construction and living in the middle of a small town.  Lauren rules, and this is the first year she will have another female to work with so i think she likes me to.  We share hair things, yeah i know if you are a guy maybe you are lost- all you ladies know what i am talking about.

THEN CAME SATURDAY : 

What to say of a crazy, hectic, and incredibly productive day of work.  I had a group that i was in charge of from Chapel Hill.  Most of them were young professionals that came out with some of their friends.  We were tasked with painting the entire interior of the home and doing some more tile (that stuff takes some time and is my weakness due to the necessity to be completely square, but i will get it).  These guys and gals were the best crew to work with- great attitudes and man were they speedy.  I was sooo impressed and relieved.  We almost finished the tile and finished the paint with the help of the future home owner Luis, Mercedes and I forget the other name- will post later.  They only spoke spanish WHICH WAS AMAZING.  I miss using it - a lot. Overall, the day was a success and was a great experience.  

After work was done i had a goodbye potluck in Raleigh at the Shelton (aka the compound) and thought of how i will miss this place and the comradery of living where you can walk to all the things you need.  There is much to be said for convenience.  

I am now- Sunday moving. 

Packing up what has been a very long year in raleigh - so interesting to think back to when i moved in.  Being slightly moved in and out of different homes, i think, is begining to make me feel lost and restless- but order shall be restored this week.  When i no longer have my escape in raleigh i will be forced to deal with my decision to reside in the country and establish a schedule.  I know i will like it- i just have to get things in their places.. i hope. 

I need to clean and pack more. Much more to come. Welcome to my Americorps/Habitat/living in Pittsboro experience.  

This is where i work - Chatham Habitat