Have you ever awaken to a signal from your body that makes you start eyeballin' your baseball cap as a viable 'morning receptacle' because you are simply positive that you'll NEVER make it out of the tent much less down the stairs and to the bathroom? Yeah, I hadn't either until just a little while ago. I wonder if that's a certain chemical released by the hypothalamus rather like the runners high of endorphins. I'd like to think so; that way I can play that weak moment off on a chemical imbalance rather than having to accept that my moral agility includes ruining a perfectly good 'Life is Good' baby blue baseball cap.
For those that don't know, I've been offline due to a mishap with my computer. In the coming days I will try to bang out a series of updates about what's been happening around here since the last update.
I'll start where any respectable story teller would start: the end. You see, since I am not trying to keep any motives or actions veiled it makes sense to let you know where I am now for you can then read what came before with a keen eye toward where it's all going.
If that makes no sense then feel free to hold off a few days and read the next posts bass ackwards.
I just got a resupply from home! Hence the computer and the reinstatement of blogging. It was just too damned difficult to blog using one of the three public computers since they are in constant use between the Local Volunteers and the International Volunteers.
Contents of the resupply: computer, camera (that got damaged in a separate incident during the same trip as the computer's demise...more in another blog about that one), Skil Saw and blades, carpenter bags, 2 hammers, facemask and snorkel, books (which I'm dying to plunge into but can't as I have a backlog of blogging to write...sigh), goodies for Plaza Playtime with the local kiddies and the orphanage (and some for the kid in me, too...especially the little parachute penquins...yippeeeee!), and some more food stuff including Reeses Pieces and Junior Mints! Yummy, yummy for my tummy.
So: I am staying longer than initially targeted. I have yet to change the plane ticket but I'm right now thinking January 15. This is the date All Hands was scheduled to close down operations in Haiti. Just as I decided to extend my stay they announced an extension of their commitment to this project into December of 2011. No, I'm not planning to extend my stay deeper into 2011 (well, not without coming home for a goodly visit at least!).
My primary reasoning is pretty simple: I just feel like I'm not done being here. I am working hard to iron out the snafu's on the construction process and it feels like we are on the cusp of hitting our stride. Right now we are working on the foundation for School 5 AND we are about to hand off School 4 to the stucco/rendering team. I've got a few of the important kinks worked out on the concrete forms as well as new concepts for some of the framing components. I still want to try and get roof truss production running with the use of a jig to eliminate so much waviness in our roof's.
Additionally, we are looking at local candidates to bring into the school build program that might be good apprentice's. As I drive around in Leogane I'm seeing more and more wood framed structures being built: now is the time for a few local guys to jump on board with us and learn the ropes of running a crew, wood framing techniques, and tool and site safety.
So, on to the story!
When last we left our intrepid adventurer he was about to leave on MHB2. We will return to the time and see how things faired from that time to now. I asked the group if there was anyone that wanted to travel with me on my break to help keep costs down and share time with. Patrick stepped up but he soon after backed down as he was working on a much better offer than the back of a motorcycle with another guy. In his place moved Alidia, who was desperate for a MHB as she's been experiencing some great difficulties on the home front. We packed up for Jacmal and headed out the door on a Wednesday.
We pulled out about 11am and headed for Jacmal under somewhat threatening skies. We both decided that long pants and boots would be the order of the day since heavy rains would likely make the mountain pass quite a bit more treacherous. While the rains held off we did experience something neither of us bargained for: at one point we came around a corner high up in the mountains. So high that we were in the cloud layer and with a bit of wind it we both gasped as we were instantly transported to Highway 1 in Marin in the early morning. The clouds felt just like fog rolling over the coast heavy with moisture. The temperature dropped into a nice mid-seventies (felt almost cold to us), and the visibility dropped into the mid-distance fading to a shrouded mist where the road doesn't so much unfold as it does coalesce into existence from the white and mythical plane of clouds.
We slowed to 20kph to enjoy the sensation as long as we could. It was one of those moments in the saddle of a motorcycle where you know you could not really appreciate the situation from any other vantage point quite as purely.
Okay, it's late here...tomorrow starts a new week and it's looking to be a pivotal one as School 4 framing comes to a close and School 5 foundation also gets dialed in and ready for the pour.
Next: Biso Blu...the Blue Basins...or the Jacmal Waterfalls...and a stoning.
