Mountaineering

     I know; you're thinking, "What in the name of self aggrandizement can this guy have to say now? He just posted last week!" Well children, gather 'round as uncle Spike tells you about his latest adventure.
     Last week, I was privileged to accompany some amazing folks on a mission trip to West By God Virginia. Specifically, I was part of a team of 15 that volunteered with a group called Appalachian Service Project (ASP). We travelled about 9 hours to southern West Virginia, to perform construction projects for residents of some of the poorest areas of the country. ASP operates in 5 states, all in Appalachia (duh!), and provides construction-type services for the neediest of the needy. I love their (ASP's) slogan: "Make It Warmer / Make It Dryer / Make It Safer". That's exactly what they do. This is no dopey "Move that bus!" kinda operation, the likes of which are geared more at publicity and ratings (and, in my view, are more exploitive in nature than anything); no, this is honest folks meeting honest needs. Here's a link to their site: http://asphome.org/
     Our group split into 3 teams of 5 persons each. Two of those groups were assigned one house to work on, but there were two seperate projects. They did eletrical work, plumbing work, cabinetry construction, foundation work, room construction and probably lots more. Their accomplishments in two short days of on-site work were amazing. The third group (the one I was assigned to) was apparently more trustworthy, as we were assigned our own project. The skill level in our group must have been superior, as we needed no "support team" on-site. Our project was to construct the underpinning around the trailer, replace the bathroom floor, tile the floor, replace the toilet, and replace the faucets in the kitchen and the bathroom. We also had to determine why there was no water getting to the trailer, and resolve same. This, we did with alacrity. We also repaired the drip edge around the unit and removed some dangerous tin overhangs on the porch. Normally, I would include some pics of our efforts, but it is critical to maintain the anonymity of the clients, as well as respect their dignity; thus, my uncommon restraint.

     The coordinators of all these afforts were two young ladies named Kristen and Ashleigh. Though barely in their 20s, these ladies were more than a match for everything our teams threw at them. Their focus and attention to detail, as well as their seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of construction projects/jargon (far beyond anything I'm capable of) was impressive. I will include their picture; hats off to them both.

     I should also add that our team won extra special t-shirts for winning the Safety Raffle......amazing what a few ice cream sandwich bars can do. Other trip highlights included an appearance by a real live bluegrass group. That's not necessarily my cup 'o tea, but they were really good, and it was a great way to end the trip on Saturday night. The team leaders are planning another trip in the fall - 4 days in Octoberish, I think. I encourage anyone who wants to experience mission trips, but doeasn't want to go for a full-bore, 2 weeks, costly trip, check this out. It's a great way to see if this kind of experience is for you.

     Well, enough about this. Now that I'm freed up from helpin' others, I can FINALLY focus on me! What I'd really like to do is go to Texas - "they got some big, long roads out there" (Chris Rea reference, y'all). Guess I'll go to Cali instead; that's comin' up in early summer, so watch for details on that. Also scheduled is the 3rd annual SusQ Flotilla. Upwards of 10 watercraft may make the trip - the exact location of which has yet to be determined. There's also the grand opening of the pond, the 20th annual CPUMC Classic, a May wedding in Altoona. So many things to do, so little time, and only one of me......pity, that.

Thawin' Out

     Ladies & gentlemen, boys & girls: so much stuff careens around in my head that I feel compelled to share some of it with those of you who are, by now, doublessly breathless with antici..........pation (Last Rocky Horror reference in this post, I promise), as you await the next garbled ramblings of your hero, Tommy Geronimo.
     The melting snow and ice has inspired many of you to venture out of your wintering quarters, to allow the sun's radiance to warm your faces. I too have come out of my burrow, hitting the ground running (so to speak) with a flurry of activity - the likes of which hasn't been seen since Noah yelled, "All aboard!" Of course, there are the mundanities of home ownership to endure; I continue to dispatch these with as much feigned enthusiasm I can muster great joy and a sense of real accomplishment. Of course there are projects to plan, rocks to move (there are always rocks to be moved) and activities to schedule.
     The first, and probably most rewarding event is the upcoming Appalachian Service Project (ASP) trip to West Virginia. There are 15 of us on the team. I'm a rookie on this venture, and I'll look to the vets - some of which have been on many of these trips - for guidance, in my attempt not to embarrass the team. The work we'll be doing is mostly carpentry/plumbing related stuff, not exactly my sweet spots, so I'll do my best to stay out of everyone's way and not cause injury to a team member, or damage to one of the sites we're working on. I'm not sure where we're going in WV; I spent some time there several years ago, and I got a sense of what we might encounter. I remember seeing lots of cowboys and cowgirls (I like cowgirls a lot), and thought it odd to see these types east of the Pecos, but what do I know? We'll return 4 days later; hopefully, having left these places better than we found them.
     There's lots more in the planning pipeline - nothing as dramatic as last year's skydive, but I'm gonna try to fill the summer slate as much as I can. I hate doing nothing.........
   

March Madness

     I must confess that, as of late, I've been kinda grouchy. Lotsa reasons for that, I'm: mad because:
                                    * of the relentlessly grim weather.
                                    * it isn't Spring yet; I just saw my first robin today, for cryin' out loud.
                                    * of the paucity of meaningful sporting events - baseball has yet to 
                                       begin and football is over, leaving only the most unwatchable sport imaginable 
                                       basketball.
                                    * there is no real alternative to the mindless sedation that is network television.
                                    * gas prices continue to rise
    However, today my heart soared when a little slice of heaven was delivered to my door. Many of you know my deep, unfettered devotion for Lucinda Williams; today, her newest CD arrived, thanks to the good folks at Amazon.com - and despite the bumbling efforts of the USPS. But I digress - back to blue eyes.
     For those of you that have yet to discover this American treasure, here's a link to get you started http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucinda_Williams. I gotta tell ya, I'm definately mad for her. I guess I'm mad about a lot of other things but those rants will have to wait for future posts.
     I'll also have some details on the upcoming WV mission trip later this month. Peace.......