Day 2 of our Habitat stint…

One group continued the finishing work on their house, and this time they even got to paint! More kids got involved with the power tools, and, overall, they began sensing real progress as the house nears completion.

The other group wrapped up yesterday’s insulation job in the morning before moving on to a new site where they’ll really get to see progress quickly… they’re getting ready to frame a house! Today involved putting in floor boards and assembling walls. Tomorrow, they’ll put those walls up.

On lunch break, a few kids found a cozy stoop to eat on, and were soon joined by a local barber who discussed the neighborhood’s history. For instance, they were sitting next door to a once-famous club where Fats Domino and Ray Charles frequently played. And, the street they were sitting on, Desire St., was the impetus for Tennessee Williams’ famous play, A Streetcar Named Desire.

After our workday, we got to play a little… in perhaps one of the most interesting venues in all of New Orleans- Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World! Someone has to make all the floats for the Mardi Gras parades, and these guys are the biggest and the best! They took us on a tour of their facilities and the larger-than-life creations they make!

Dinner was a New Orleans standard- crawfish, corn on the cob, and potatoes- served pool-side at our hotel, the Four Points by Sheraton, Metairie. A spice-filled meal that everyone should experience at least once!

For more photos of today’s events, check out the Flickr slideshow.

- dk

You learn something new everyday…

If you put enough spice on anything, it’ll taste good! I am NOT a seafood eater, but the Cajun-style crawfish were delicious. And of all the components of the meal, the spiciest was, believe it or not, the corn! I now know to watch out for that in the future, my mouth is still burning!