Thanks For The Phlegmories

So it appears that most of the volunteers that were gutting and de-molding for the entire week have come down with some version of a cold that basically just amounts to various states of what I'm calling phlegmage. Nothing too bad, just a stuffy nose and some sore throat reports. We all wore our respirators like good little gutters, but I think that inhaling dust, being exposed to many different peoples germs and flying all conspired to mess with our immune systems. Basically a minor inconveniance in the face of all the good we did down south!

One thing that struck me on both trips was the enormous generostiy and modesty of the people who answered the call and contributed to our cause. They are just as important as any of our volunteers and I consider them all part of the team. I can't always afford to pay for a plane ticket and equipment for these trips, so without their financial support it would difficult if not impossible to go at all. And yet when I thank them they say, "The people who go are the real heroes." And I say "oh BALONEY!!!" (or some other word that starts with a "B"). We are all heroes people. Beleive it!!

So endless thanks to all concerned. I'm a very unmushy / uncheesy person (or at least I pretend to be), but I feel an intense emotion that might just be impossible to articulate when I go on these trips, when I meet the absolutely amazing and inspiring people of New Orleans, and when I think about my fellow volunteers any time afterwards. So I won't even attempt to.

OK, now I need a kleenex. Oh come on it's just the phlegmage, I swear!!