About a month or so ago, Ellen Potts and Brandon Kastellar, Habitat of Tuscaloosa's Executive Director and Construction Director, were invited to speak to the Board of the Mercedes Plant. Brandon told me that the board room felt like the bridge on a starship. Very intense. the outcome of their five minute meeting (after cooling their heels just outside the room for 45 minutes) was a $10,000 check towards the construction of a new home for Marphus. They also talked of wanting to send of group out to volunteer to help build the house. This past Friday and Saturday they did just that. About twenty of the higher up management team, including the president and a few vice presidents, came out, rolled up their sleeves, and instead of managing the work actually did the work.   And did very well, I must say. When they started the home at 24 Juanita Drive at 8:00 Friday morning, there was only a slab concrete foundation with the 6' x6' saferoom already sitting on it. By end of day Saturday, the building had a roof with black paper on it, walls with sheathing and windows and doors cut out, doors installed. Marphus, the homeowner came by just after the group had left on Saturday and was blown away. Couldn't believe how much had gotten done.
     Another nice detail or perk was the fact that breakfast and lunch was catered to the site both days by Chick Fila and Edgars .
     Our electrical subcontractor drove by the site that Brandon had told him would be ready for him to start roughing in the electric on Monday. He saw just the slab on the Thursday before the build and told Brandon, "No way"  The Mercedes group made it possible to say "Yes way".
     We will continue to build on this and another home on Juanita drive this week with two great groups. Both are good friends and have brought groups multiple time here to work with us. The first is a group mostly from Frederick, Md. led by Chuck Halsey. The other group is from Pennsylvania and is led by Lori and Terry. Should be about 40 combined in the two groups.
    Also we have three RV Care A Vanners starting with us for the next two weeks. The past two weeks we had Joy and Bob, Joe and Pam (Florida) and Mr. Pete.
      On Monday, Trent from the Mennonites returns home to Minnesota, eh, after volunteering with us for the past 6 months. Two new young men will take his and Jeremy's place for the next six months . Besides being an awesome builder, Trent's claim to fame here in T-Town is that he sampled all 46 of the summer snow flavors while he was here. He couldn't decide on a first place favorite- said it was a tie between watermelon and green apple.
     Joey Crimmins went back home to Indiana to work with Habitat there. He worked with us for two years here and will be sorely missed.
      My son Alex has re-upped for another year with us through the AmeriCorps national program. It's great to have him here with me.
     Beautiful fall building weather these days. Lovin it. Bought a bike and have ridden to work a cupla times and the number on the scale is moving down slowly. Lost 9 pounds lately. Hope to keep it up.
   That's all for this week. Love you all.   Peter