Boxing Day

Christmas was great, we awoke around 8am to open our gifts, Mom got a lot of new appliances (small) and dishes and stuff for the kitchen. Dad received a new chainsaw for Lorne to use lol, as well as clothes, and odds and ends. I got some dvd's a few older ones which I have on vhs, but wanted to upgrade to dvds, I got a few newer ones as well, some Newfoundland books, which I enjoy reading. I got some clothes, and a nice wool sweater from Aunt Ruby, some odds and ends for the apartment. Over all and excellent time. Me and mom watched Jericho season 2 for the most of Christmas day, ate a lovely jigs dinner, and headed down to the shore to Lori and Brads, for supper.

This years Christmas was quite different from what we have became accustom to over the past years, in the past we would rush through our dinner, and leave the dishes on the table, to go to placentia to see Nan at the Lion's Manor Nursing Home, this was our first Christmas without Nan, miss you so much Nan, we all love you.

After that we would normally head to Aunt Viv's and Uncle Sam's for cold plates, but again this year was different with Uncle Sam in the Hospital, he just had his stomach out, he's doing good now, wish you all the best Uncle Sam.

Today me and mom continued watching Jericho season 2, and a few movies, Lake Placid 2, and untraceable, I am now lazing around reading some of my book, and watching a bit of tv.

We will be heading in to St. John's tomorrow for Aunt Brenda's Christmas party potluck, and the visit Uncle Sam, hoping to be home some time tomorrow night. I enjoy a break from town, having lived there for 4 months as so as i gets home, all dad wants to do is go to town, I personally, don’t want to go back until the day i register for my last semester of college.

This next semester will be my last in my Civil Engineering Technology program, then it will be time for me to enter the workforce, but before I start, I'll be heading to New Orleans for 2 weeks of volunteer work with Broadmoor, and the Annunciation Mission, the same groups I worked with this past Month. On my way back from New Orleans I plan to visit my Family in Indiana for a week or so. I hope it all works out, PS Erica the plan is for me to be in Indy in the 3rd week of May, you can let your mom know, and we can arrage something.

 

Cor

Merry Christmas

Wow, its been awhile since I written one of these. time for  a few updates I guess, I returned from New Orleans on the 9th of December, shortly after 12am, headed back to the apartment from some well needed rest, only to have to awake by 9am, to be to a review class to get the material covered while we were gone. Went and got a few groceries and what not and hit the books exams were only a few days away, beginning on the 11th. just a few days away, i studied hard and got through them. Soon enough the weekend was here and i headed home to see my parents, I hadn't seen them since before my trip. I headed back to town and wrote my last two exams, and celebrated the end of semester 7 with my class.

I had a appointment with my cardiologist on the 18th, to get the results of all the tests i have had done over the past months, glad to say that they all came back normal. My cholesterol is a little high for my family history, but I should be able to control that myself without medications. My level is good my someone of my age, but because of family history she recommended that I lower it. She found that I have a small curve in my mid-back, and a small amount of arthritis in the same area, she told me that this was what caused that chest pain, that pain was actually in my ribs, coming from my back. Its good to know that there is nothing wrong with my heart.

The local newspaper, for placentia and area "the charter" published a story about my trip to New Orleans, and had my picture in the paper, it was great to continue to get positive press about the trip. Unless something changes i'll be back on the ground in New Orleans in early may, with a possible stop in Indiana to visit family on the way back before i enter the work force.

I moved back around the bay for Christmas after leaving that appointment, and have been out here since, was in town the other day to see uncle sam, he had his stomach out. Other then that i have been just relaxing and visiting family.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Be safe, don't drink and drive.

 

Cor

New Orleans Thursday to Sunday

Thursday we started with some surveying around the library area, for our project, we then headed to the lower ninth, with Gennie, a women from the mission, she showed us the area and the utter devastation, this was the area she lived in before Katrina, and you could tell it was quite emotional for her. we presented all the volunteers at the mission with gifts, lapel pins, flags, and other items. We then presented the mission with a large Newfoundland flag which is hung proudly in the main hall. we stayed around the mission for a while, and ate some jumbelia, and went to walmart.

Friday we spend preparing reports for hal, and the BIA, and helped move some beds, and desks at the mission. We then presented our work to hal, and discussed the project for may which i hope i will be able to be a part, and katrina memorial, one brass plug set in concrete for every victim. I think this idea would be really cool, plus there is not a katrina memorial in place anywhere yet, it would be the first, and way to as hal put it "stick it to the government" because they have done nothing for the area.

We left the mission, and headed downtown to magazine street to our hotel "the country inn and suites" really nice place, pool and all.

Shortly after checking in we headed down to the riverwalk mall, got a bite to eat, and had a look around. Me and brent picked up a few beers, and hit up bourbon street, wicket time, got in most bars, and got a good drunk on, the hand gernade is the best drink ever.

Saturday, we checked out the aquarium, and the imax therater, shoped jackson square, and the french quater, went for a swim.

The 4 of us went down on bourbon for a little while and had a look around, a few drinks and headed to bed.

Today we went out to brunch at murials, a jazz resturart, really nice place, then we walked around the area again, we and brent took the free ferry across to algeries, and looked around, then looked around the area, and went back to the hotel, for a swim and ordered so supper. we lazyed around for the night, packing up now back to the rock tommorow.

pictures going on facebook asap.

Cor

Day 2 & 3 New Orleans

yesterday we spent the day at lakeside mall, surveying the roundabout in which we will be doing cost comparisons for the broadmoor intersection, the surveying went great picked up alot of points, and got to see the area. After supper, we headed back to the mall to do a little shopping, i picked up a hollister sweater, and a bite to eat. We headed back a chat'd for a while, and hit the hay.

Today was great, more surveying for the area around the mission, for a parking lot design. We also help load beds, on a truck to be delivered to need'y families in the area. after lunch. we hoped on the street car, and headed downtown, to jackson square, seen the mighty Mississippi, the holiscost memorial, french quarter. Bourbon street, and the area. brought a few beers on bourbon, and hit up the hard rock cafe for a bite to eat. Done some shoping and bought a few things.

Anyway i got to get some work done.
Night Ye'all
Cor

New Orleans Travel & day 1

Well i made it, I'm here on the ground in the big easy, New Orleans.

The trip down was great only a few minor issues, not getting all your broading passes when you check in is one issue. When we all checked in to Air Canada in St. John's most of us were only able to get boarding passes to Toronto, then we had to go check in again. Weird computer malfunction it was called. The flight to Toronto, and to Chicago was prefect on time the whole way. the one from Chicago was delayed by an hour because of snow and deiceing but that was fine we got here safe and sound and in one peace.

Upon arriving we took the shuttle to the car rental company and got our SUV's, and headed to the mission, taking in a few sights along the way, couldn't see much because it was dark. We got all settled into the mission, and met the people here, this place is great, nice bunk rooms, clean bathrooms, and showers, excellent kitchen.

After getting settled in we headed down the Jackson Square, and ate at the Corner Grill, excellent food, excellent place, and the people were very grateful of the work we are doing, they could not thank us enough, and that means a lot. After eating we walked around the area, and walked Bourbon St. Wow, thats one long street, it wasn't too crazy, at all. lots of bars. We headed back and settled in for the night then.

We got up bright and early this morning at 6am, hit the showers, and ate breakfast before 7. We headed to the school we the girls would be working to look at the site, renos have started on the school its self with an massive addition and reno under way, the contractor was really nice to bring us in the office and show us the plans and talk to us about the construction concepts.

We then headed out to get our survey rentals, brand new equipment! excellent! we then went to met Hal Roake, the executive director, of the Broadmoor Development Corp. the group we are doing the work for. He talked to us about the projects we will be doing, and the work it entails.

the plan is for me and Brent to take on an extension of the project completed last year by Jon and Derek, the traffic calming circle, or roundabout at the intersections of napolpian, fouitblue, and South Broad. the guys developed the plan last year, the BDC wants me and brent to devlope cost estimates, deatiled plans, and conparason to an existing roundabout at the lakeview mall.

this is going to be itneresting, while our work does not focus on design, but impelentation. Hal has set up meetings with the City of New Orleans, for us to help pitch the idea. the plan for tommorow is to survey the roundabout at the lakeview mall. and overlay it on the area, for conparison.

The girls will be doing the work aboud the school, that was orginally planned, surveying the area, and meeting with persons of interest. looks to be a great project.

Once we and brent gets our data from the mall, there is a few more sites to survey, areas, that are planned to be developed in to community parking lots.

Once all our meetings was done we headed to the mission for dinner, po-boy sandwhichs and salad, excellent meal.

We then went on somewhat of a tour of the city, stoping at the area were the levee broke, to see the area, we toured a home that had been damaged, all was left was the framming, we seen the dmage caused to the street, and sidewalks.

Hal then took us to one of the pumping stations on the outlow cannel, this one is equiped with gates, to stop the flow back from lake ponchutrain. that is what caused most of the trouble with katrina. it was quite eye opening to see it. he then took us to the mall to show us the traffic circle that we will be surveying tommorow. from there we headed to the school and toured the area, and met with Ms. Hanna, one of the nicest persons we met, she was the first person back into the broadmoor area after katrina. the the BCI helped rebuild her home, she took us in for a tour of her house, and told us lots of stories.

From there we headed back for a feed of red beans and rice, and settled in for the night.

heres a few pics form today.
The Andrew Charter Wilson School (girls project)


The roundabout at the lakeview mall, which me and brent will survey


The pumping station./gate at the lake.

abandon home lake area.

Tree branch stuck in power lines, near libray site.


A local drainage design, a bayou swell, it funnels water into to water loving low maintenance plants


I well post more on facebook as i get time.

Night AllyeAll
Cor