Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Flood Cleanup Photos

Here are some photos I took today with the camera in Austell. This is the staging area for Samaritan's Purse at West Ridge Church, for their efforts which comprise cleanup only. The church itself also has food and supply sorting areas.
Here are Jennifer and me in front of one of the Samaritan's Purse trailers. This is the street where we helped. Coincidentally, this is the same street I had tutored on a couple of times in the past, but that family did not seem to be affected at all. Their house and a couple of others at the front of the neighborhood must have been on higher ground. You can see that all of the sheet rock and some belongings are just piled in the front yards to be taken away later. These houses are down to the wall studs, and none are inhabitable. The whole neighborhood has a very strong mold smell. The creek back there is what did most of the damage in this particular neighborhood. It picked up this shed and flipped it over. You can see where this shed started out and where it ended up. I didn't realize it at the time, but this person's back deck, which should have been where I was standing, is to the right of this photo, in the trees. Here is me in front of one of the houses in the neighborhood. Samaritan's Purse gave us shirts, face masks, and gloves. There were also plenty of opportunities for us to eat sandwiches or barbeque or get water or soda. It was a very good atmosphere for the volunteers. This is the house we worked in. We heard that it was really beautiful before they tore out everything. We mostly swept out insulation and got carpet and linoleum glue off of the floor. Here is the cul-de-sac near the front of the neighborhood. On the very right edge of the photo, you can see the edge of a dumpster. The houses mostly have missing garage doors from the flood. Some of them seem to have been damaged by water only, others seem to have been hit by something within the garage carried by the water.

Holy Wow

A kitchen.  Guy doesn't want his house cleared.  Can smell from outside.  Notice refrigerator upside down.

Cleanup

Jennifer Conner and I are on our way to help clean a house in Austell.  Although I cringe every time someone says how much fulfillment we'll get from this experience, I am really grateful to be a stay-at-home mom so I can be available for this.  Just want to share a photo here and there to document. 

This is at West Ridge Church, where Samaritan's Purse is set up.  The water and other supplies are from the church, and Samaritan's Purse only does cleanup.  We had to read through an OSHA folder and sign waivers.  They gave us cool tee shirts so we can be identified.  We are now driving to a specific house, where someone will be waiting for us with cleaning and safety supplies.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Rain Rain Go Away

Yesterday, we were invited by our friends Tomoko-san and Jun-san to Japanfest, so we could watch her perform tea ceremony, or chado. It was really beautiful and so interesting, even the Chipster paid attention!


Yesterday was also our sixth anniversary, and we went to South City Kitchen to celebrate. M had the pork with salsa verde and cheddar grits, and I had the spring mountain trout with asparagus and mashed ginger sweet potatoes. Delish! We followed up with a trip to Starbucks to work on the New York Times crossword puzzle and had an interesting time getting home in the rain.

This weather is really crazy, and a little scary at times. We were virtually trapped today but finally figured out how to get out of our neighborhood. M stayed home from work, based on our difficulty getting home from dinner last night. We took G in late to school and brought him home early to avoid the worst of the weather, but as soon as we got him home it let up and the buses got through. It's hard to know where the line is between careful and paranoid, but we are definitely walking it!

This is Highway 278 in Hiram, closed. Our first of three flooded and impassable roads on the way home:

This is the view from our kitchen window - the creek in the property behind ours has turned into a lake and is all the way up to the fence separating our land from theirs. It was actually higher than this earlier today but the water levels are rising and receding very quickly.

Here is one of the blocked roads near our neighborhood. Despite the bridge, this normally looks like a normal road between two fields. In fact, before today I had never even realized that this is a bridge:

You can see a slideshow of some of the local flooding here.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

The Knitting Hooker

I finished two projects today: a crocheted Cyber Zombie for the Chipster and the knit fingerless gloves I have wanted to make for myself for about a year. Please to enjoy.





Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Gutsy Squirrel

I don't know if you can really tell, but there is a squirrel walking upside side on this very high (25 feet) branch.  I just thought it was interesting.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

All The Way Up

We are at a classmate's birthday party at Bounce U, and the Chipster made it all the way to the top of a pretty difficult rope tower.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Tying One On

The Chipster had his first soccer practice on Tuesday. He already knows several of his teammates, and we also know his coach and think she's the greatest, so this promises to be a great season!

Dirty face = sign of a good practice:

To get a little more comfortable with sewing before I start G's Halloween costume, I made myself an apron this week. I think it turned out great, despite a near-disaster yesterday involving a dirty iron and the very last piece of my garment. My little man cheered me up, telling me I was right to be angry and that it still looked good and anyway nobody would notice - when did he turn 35? - but I kept that messed up piece and now it's done!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

The Fowlest Kid At School

I just ran into this pheasant (almost literally) when I was leaving school.

Correction: It's a turkey. And so am I, for thinking it's a pheasant.

Monday, September 7, 2009

The drooling fraulein

Nationwide Is On Your Side

Matt and G are explaining Avatar:  The Last Airbender to me, and they are explaining the Air, Water, Fire, and Earth nations to me.  All of a sudden, Chip burst out into the Nationwide theme song.

(For those of you viewing this on Facebook, the video is on our blog, http://complementaryangles.blogspot.com.)

Saturday, September 5, 2009

PJs, Pine, Piedmont, and Pigskins

We went to Book Fair on Tuesday evening. It was lots of fun. The theme was "Reading Around The World." They had lots of different kinds of cookies, and some of the teachers read to the kids.

It was PJs and pancakes day yesterday at school for the letter of the week, P:

M and I went hiking yesterday while Chip was in school:

Here are some pics from this morning at Piedmont Park with our friends and their goddaughters, including our goddaughter:

Here are some of G's pics from the park today:

Here is some video of G and M playing. I didn't notice at the time, but there is a wedding party in the background about to say their "I dos". They were married down next to Lake Clara Meer.

Today, football season started, so we wore our shirts, raised the flag, and cheered "Mickishan" on to VICTORY! Go Blue!

Friday, September 4, 2009

Back Down To Earth

On our way down the mountain.  This is our second favorite spot there, great rocks to boulder (as in rock climbing) on.  Unfortunately, I dinged my wedding ring on these rocks a couple minutes after taking this photo, when I went down and started to climb them, but hopefully it will buff out next time we take it to be cleaned.

Friday Morning Summit

We are atop Pine Mountain, elevation 1562 feet above sea level.  We can see boats (but only two) on Lake Allatoona, I-75 and US41, a gigantic power plant about ten miles away, but most of all, lots and lots of green trees.  There are so many birds up here that we can hear their wings flapping, a lizard just ran by, and just to prove the warning signs right, yellow jackets are making their presence known. 

<p><br><p>Not a bad way to spend a Friday morning, eh?

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Gabriel's First Fundraiser

If you are interested in buying gift wrap, sweets, or a small gift for someone, please check out http://tinyurl.com/lzkuq8. It's the link to Sally Foster, where Chip's school will receive 50% of any purchases you make there. Happy shopping!