6/26 Happy sad mad disappointed and more

I moved into my new office and the new job starts Monday. So I'm happy about that.

And my house sold in MS. So I'm happy about that too.

And my pets are fantastic. They make me smile after a day of listening to people's very real problems.

The sad mad disappointed comes from this: after work I was totally pain free. Decided to play with my pets a few minutes on my bed and then actually clean part of my house.

Kris came over and helped me fix a few things, and while getting her a screwdriver the shooting pains and spasms began. This was around 5:30 or so. And they're still happening. Makes me so damn mad.

I've finally gotten to the point that I'm not in constant pain. So that's very good. Yet, when it hurts it really hurts. I'm still in physical therapy, and will visit my doc again on Monday.

So I guess it's just cuddling with my cuties tonight. Love to all.

6/4 The best, the better, the good, the bad, and the OOPS.

The best is that I accepted an offer on my Mississippi house. The bad is that I'm losing a ton of money, but I just need to unload it.

The better is that I had physical therapy today and it felt good while I was there. The bad is that it doesn't feel good right now.

The good is that my promotion will give me a lot of satisfaction at work. The bad is that I'm hardly getting a raise.

The bad is that I still haven't found homes for Q and C. The good is that I get to keep them longer.

And the OOPS? Well, I slipped on a wet kitchen floor and fell flat on my back. Ah well...such is life.

6/2 The good, the bad, and the forgetful

Let's start with the forgetful before I forget. May 29th was my darling Jill's birthday, and I was so caught up in my own drama that I didn't post about her. Please forgive me, Jilly-bean, and I'm so happy you had a great 34th birthday.

The bad is that my back gave me fits over the weekend. Today was the worst. I start PT on Wednesday morning. That should help. And Doc said he'll order an MRI.

The good is really good--in fact two goods. First, we had a super time at the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. There were 4,000 walkers and 600 crew. What a fantastic weekend. The group raised more than 9 million dollars. Unbelievable!

The other good news is that I got a promotion at work. Beginning very shortly I'll be the Coordinator of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Programs at work. I'm so happy, and am really looking forward to the new challenge.

2/21 Time? Anyone have time?

I can't believe all the stuff I have to do prior to leaving here on March 21. Oh, my.

Today I found out that CitMortgage doesn't do bridge loans, so I'm in process of getting a pre-approval letter, so when the time comes, it won't take long at all to get the mortgage. In the meantime, if my home doesn't sell before I leave, Kris will rent to me until my house sells.

Even though the market is rotten elsewhere, it's still pretty good here, because of the storm. So I'm pretty confident that it will sell within a reasonable period of time.

It's raining horribly here, and I have to take Q to dog training class tonight. But it's supposed to be beautiful over the weekend--70 and sunny. Yay.

2/20 Chocolate cake and champagne

What in the world would possess Genia and Caroline to surprise me with champagne and chocolate cake?

Could it be that I got hired today?

Yep. I'm going to be working as a therapist for a mental health center in Quincy, IL beginning March 24. Am I thrilled? You betcha.

If all works out as planned, I'm going to buy my niece Kris's house when I get there.

So much to do between now and the 21st, which is my last day at work. One month from tomorrow. Wow.

Thanks, Genia and Caroline. I had a really fun evening.

(Oh, and I kicked their butts at spades. It really is my lucky day.

2/19 Grieving

It's funny how diverse we are culturally. It shows up in millions of ways--how we treat the common cold, how we discipline our children, and how we grieve, for example.

Today I attended a Mississippi funeral. The deceased was an elderly woman whose one goal was to get back into her home before she died. It didn't happen. Her death saddened an entire community, but her dying without her home also saddened those of us in the long-term recovery field.

Her caseworker is a dear friend of mine, and is suffering greatly. We wonder how we could have done thins differently. Could we have made a difference in whether or not this matriarch was able to return home.

Too late for those second guesses. We need to move on, and ensure this doesn't happen to any other people on the coast.

Ah, but this began with a sentence on diversity. The deceased left behind a huge family--four children, many grandchildren, many great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren. What a beautiful legacy. And the church was full of other relatives and friends who loved her.

Throughout the service you could hear wailing coming from one or more of her daughters, and one very close granddaughter. It didn't seem odd or out of place at all. And I thought how wonderful it was that folks can express their emotions so readily. That if someone wanted to scream and cry they did so.

If someone did that in our German Catholic community back home, people would think they'd gone off the deep end. We stuff our big emotions, and in my family especially we cover them with jokes. How I would have loved to have wailed at my Mom's funeral. She died way too young and it was more than sad.

Right now, I want to scream as well--for several reasons--not the least of which is grieving for my job and the jobs of others. Grieving for the clients whose homes are not yet rebuilt. Grieving for the 11,000 families still in FEMA trailers.

Wishing things were different.

So I stuff my emotions, and soldier on. Looking for a new job, a new home, a new life.

Just as sh!! happens, so does grace. Grace happens. That is what I'm counting on.

2/13 Excellent news

Nope, not about my job search, although the interview went very well and I feel confident.

But my sister, Jan, s-i-l Cindy, and nephew Eric are coming to visit me next month. Plus a b-i-l (Tim) and another nephew (Cody) may join them. I am beyond thrilled.

Gotta run to a meeting. Will post some Mardi Gras pictures tonight.

2/12 Thunderstorms and scary stuff

The weather is wild at the moment. Still really warm, but lots of thunderstorms and tornado watches. It's been warm and sunny all through February so far, but this is a big change.

Keep your fingers crossed. I have a job interview by phone in a few minutes.

2/7 A long day

Just returned from a great, but grueling, training session with Quincy. She learned some really cool stuff, and I really hope I can keep it up. Plus I made arrangements to take Cookie for a one hour individual session to deal with her horrific pulling on the leash. I'm sure looking forward to getting her broken of that.

Today was busy, but tomorrow will be even more so. Lots to do.

BUT I did hear from one of the places I applied to in Quincy. They want to set up an interview. To say I'm psyched is definitely an understatement.

Wish me luck.

2/1 Can you believe it's February?

I sure can't.

It's Mardi Gras season here but I haven't felt much like celebrating. But Fat Tuesday I'm going to a parade with Genia and Caroline. We're going to do some drinking and dancing, and I said I'll threaten the floats, "If you don't throw me some beads I'm going to show you my ----." I think that threat definitely ought to work.

Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and in the high 60s. Instead of going to a parade, I'm going to work on my taxes and maybe have lunch with Caroline. There's a new restaurant nearby that is my favorite--High Cotton. I love their fried green tomatoes.

Then tomorrow night some of us are getting together for games, so it should be a good weekend.

I decided I'm going to begin serious job searching and serious "thinking about selling my house" on Ash Wednesday. Seemed appropriate.

1/31 I can talk about it now

Due to an abrupt and unexpected funding cut, my program has been terminated here in Mississippi. Most of our staff received their RIF (Reduction in Force) letters today. They received two months notice so will be laid off after March 31. There are five us staying on until the end of June in order to finish out the necessary administrative tasks.

I closed on my house April 13 of last year. I should have known that Friday the 13th would not bode well.

This program termination isn't the fault of anyone in our company. It's purely a funding issue. So I can't feel bad about all the good work we've done. But I can feel bad about all the work left to do. Luckily there are other agencies rooted here in Mississippi who will continue the work.

We really want to stay here to finish, but it's not to be. My company came here from Texas for what we knew would be a limited time, but we certainly didn't expect the abruptness of this. It is gratifying to know that we did what we could and that other good companies will stay until it's done.

So, like many others here, I'm job hunting. And will chronicle the travails of doing so. Also, I have to look at selling my house because the three jobs I'm looking at are all in different places. Gosh, I really love it here, but I know I can be happy wherever I end up. God is so good to me, and always has been.

So tonight I'm thinking of our clients, still struggling to put their lives together; I'm thinking of our staff, and all the energy and passion they've continually put into their jobs; and finally I'm thinking of me and wondering what life will give me next.

Please pray for all of us.

9/17 Dinner Impossible

Robert Irvine, the chef from Dinner Impossible on the Food Network, is cooking dinner for volunteers and staff at the Salvation Army place (called Yankee Stadium) in Biloxi. I went there for a while and it smelled awesome. But my dogs had been alone for 5 1/2 hours and I needed to get home. Drat!

But the primary foods were meat and seafood; at least what I saw and smelled. There was a tremendous seafood gumbo being prepared, and I saw ribs and chicken. It will be on TV during the Christmas holidays. That will seem funny because we were all sitting there sweating. :)

Prior to that I had another function to go to and they had baklava. Omigod, I love that stuff. Luckily it's always cut in little pieces since it is so rich. Had two of them.

Got a lot done at work, but problems keep popping up. Guess that's the nature of the job. Lots of stuff going on. This Friday the caseworkers move to their new location, and next Tuesday I move to mine. There will only be three or four of us in the state office in the future, since our case managers and construction folks are stationed at the camps now. It will be quiet. No excuses for not getting my work done--well, except that I'm not in my office all that much. :)

Oh, Quincy did fine for the time left alone today. I figured out that Cookie is the destructive one--chewing cords and my clothes. And poor Cookie had an accident in the crate today. That really surprised me. Anyway, tomorrow they're back to Doggy Day Care. Hooray.

7/24 Got 'er done

So many things hanging over my head, but I got three important things done this afternoon. I got my license plates ordered, registered to vote, and got my drivers' license. Oh yeah, I feel so good.

Perhaps you noticed that all of the above are personal things and not related to my job. I noticed that too. Didn't accomplish anything at work--worked on the budget all day. Aaarrrggghhhh!

(Quincy is still sleeping all night. I love that puppy.)

4/3 Another full day

The day whizzed by. I stayed in meetings or "putting out fires" all day so didn't do any of my regular work. Decided to stay home tomorrow and work. I'm finding it almost impossible to dig in at the office. When I close my office door the cold air return doesn't work and my office gets overheated. So if I work at home at least I'll be able to both stay cool and stay focused.

But as I tell everyone--being this busy is good job security. :)

I brought home a stack of paper over a foot high. My goal is to get through it all tomorrow. I'll read, file, pitch, or act on it...but by gum, it'll be gone.

4/2 More...

The best news is that my nephew is home and fine. Luckily it was something they could fix right away.

Work was so, so, so busy. I wasn't able to get to my planned work until nearly 5 tonight. I decided to work from home one day this week and one day next week so that I finish some tasks that are overdue. There are some really wonderful people working for our company. I feel so blessed to work with them.

Just got some good news from my realtor. The tenant in my house will be gone by Good Friday. They'll have the house cleaned on Saturday, so I will definitely be able to move in on Tuesday, April 12. Well, I won't have any furniture yet, so will probably wait several days before I move in "for real." But I'll be able to take some of my stuff over there and clean out the RV to just essentials. This makes me smile.

Oh, and we had more than 3 1/2 inches of rain when those thunderstorms came through yesterday. Amazing.

3/30 Friday again

Time is passing so quickly. In one week I'll be picking up Quincy. Yay for that.

The work week did fly by. We had visitors from Austin. And next week we have people from two different departments coming down to see us. I'm really glad, too., They're going to help us with some difficulties, and life will be a bit easier f or us afterward.

Tomorrow I'm going to finish my taxes. Haven't worked on them since last Sunday. Must get them done, especially because I'm going to get a nice refund. I can sure use that.

3/29 No more bathroom woes

During a managers' meeting today I got called out and someone said there's a guy here who needs your RV key. Yeah I was surprised. Turns out one of the camp directors' surprised me by calling an RV plumber to fix my bathroom problem. All I can say is, "Oh, yeah!" Life is really good when you have a working bathroom.

And last night, I had to walk up to the shower building to use the restroom. Of course that was the night when I couldn't sleep and had use the bathroom all the time. But now, all is good.

It was so very busy again. I didn't get much of my planned work done because a lot of things kept popping up. Guess I just better get used to it!

I'm still smiling, though. Love it.

3/28 Black water and gray water

Ah, the joys of RV living. I'm learning the hard way about the intricacies of plumbing issues in an RV. 'Nuff said.

Today was busier than I could have ever envisioned. Didn't get any of the work done that I'd planned. One HR thing after another, and then one contract thing after another, and then one blah blah blah. You get the picture. I'm weird though--I love it.

Jill called me a few minutes ago. She's registering Hunter for kindergarten. It's so weird when your youngest goes off to school. I remember experiencing the same thing with Jill. My little one--all grown up; or at least she thought she was. Hunter is excited about being at the same school with his big sister Kayla. They are both so adorable...miss them tons.

3/17 Happy St. Pat's Day

There's a parade in downtown Biloxi, but I went into work for several hours and now am doing laundry and packing for my move tomorrow. Am moving into an RV temporarily, until my house closes next month. So this will be another adventure, I guess.

3/16 I'm glad it's the weekend

Even though I'm going to put in a few hours tomorrow I'm still glad it's the weekend. Today was just as busy as the others have been.

I took a tour through one of the heavily damaged neighborhoods. There are 200 houses in this neighborhood and we're going to rebuild 175 of them. It's a project that may take up to two years, but we're so excited about it.

Also, I went to Ocean Springs late this afternoon to see Miss Ruby's house. She's an elderly woman who uses a walker and sometimes a wheelchair. Her home was completely destroyed, so we built her a new one from the ground up. Tonight they're having a housewarming for her. I got a sneak preview of her home and it's adorable.

These things make me feel good about what we do.

3/15 Staying busy

Started with an 8 AM meeting with John and at 8:30 we left for a meeting with the Executive Director of IDTF (Interfaith Disaster Task Force). Guess I'm going to take John's place on the board. Then lunch with Mike from Lutheran Disaster Response in Chicago. (I'm getting a lot of free lunches out of this job.) Afterward I had a Managers' Meeting, which went well. But I wasn't able to cover half of what I needed too. Normally they only meet every two weeks, so I'm going to call some special meetings to get stuff done.

At 3 had a conference call with my boss in Austin and the other state directors from Louisiana and Texas. We worked on the the evacuation plans. Wow. So much to think about. I have 50 staff and usually around 400 volunteers, plus tons of vehicles and equipment. This is going to take a while to finish, but will be very valuable. Hurricane season starts again in June and lasts through November. Never know what Mother Nature has in store for us.

Worked until around 6 and now I'm sitting here eating and typing. :)

3/14 Home inspection

Started off with a morning meeting with John to pass off the "almost final" stuff to me. Then went to the luncheon with the mayor of Biloxi to celebrate how much work has been done. The room had hundreds of people in it. I don't think the mayor will recognize me if we meet again. :)

At 2 I went to my house for the home inspection. I followed the guy around so I would know everything about the place. Afterwards the inspector said, "I don't think I ever had a house where I didn't write anything on the comment page." So needless to say I feel really good.

The house was built by Adams Builders and apparently they have a really good reputation. Yay for that!

Tomorrow I have lots of meetings and a conference call with the Senior VP in Austin, my boss.

3/13 Me in a jet!

This is me in a C21, commonly called a Lear Jet. John and I went to Keesler Air Force Base, just a few miles from our office. We met with Chaplain (Captain) Mike Howard and got the grand tour. We saw a huge flight simulator for the C130J. Amazing. Then to a hangar where we saw the C21. Even though the one I was in is a very tiny plane and the C130 is gigantic, they have exactly the same control panels. So they have pilots requalify in the smaller plane. Plus they use them to transport VIPs. I met some great guys there, including some other chaplains. The chief one is a priest and is retiring next month. What a nice guy. But I really liked Mike. As part of the tour we went by the base housing--more than 2/3 of the houses had been destroyed by Katrina. Only 600 are currently in use. More than 2/3 of ALL the buildings on base had been damaged also. But the post is coming back...one chaplain said you can hear kids playing now, and that's such a hopeful sign. Oh, and I kept getting introduced as a Special Forces Mom. :)

John and I stopped for lunch with his wife OkHee. She made a great salad in their RV. When they leave Sunday, I'm moving in. It's a new-ish one that is quite large. I think it will be nicer than my hotel room, so I'll stay there until I can get in my house. Plus I can have my puppy there when I pick her up.

After lunch I had a meeting with two of my senior staff members to discuss our Evacuation Plan. We have to refine it because hurricane season begins again in June. So there's lots to do. Thursday I have a conference call with Austin about it, and another meeting after that.

Tonight we had a dinner meeting with a married couple who travel all over the US teaching construction classes to volunteers and staff. They're here for a week to help us catch up with our estimations. So it was fun meeting them over a Chinese buffet.

Tomorrow I'm going to a luncheon with the mayor. So tons of other people will be there too, but I'll still have lunch with the mayor. After that it's time for the home inspection on my new place.

3/12 Another good day

John and I traveled all over the Mississippi Gulf Coast today. Had some good meetings. Went to FEMA and will sign up to get a FEMA badge so I'm able to get access to places in case of another disaster.

Went to dinner at John and OhKee's tonight. Amazing what you can make in an RV. :)

I'm going to move into their RV when John moves out. That way I can save a little money for the company until I can get into my house.

Talked to my mortgage guy today, and everything's a go even with the new price on the house.

I'm really tired tonight, so will turn the computer off early.

3/10 The article

Lutheran relief group welcomes new leader

By PAM FIRMIN pfirmin@sunherald.com

BILOXI — Lutherans working to help rebuild Katrinadamaged homes passed their leadership torch — wood from a 500-year-old oak tree — to Jerilyn Dufresne of Milwaukee on Friday.
She succeeds retired Army Chaplain John McRae, who took on the job 11 months ago as state coordinator for Lutheran Social Services Disaster Response and now says “it’s time for me to go home and be with my wife.”
McRae said he is excited about what’s happened here. He praised those who stepped up immediately after the storm and started helping, and the thousands of volunteers who have taken time away from their lives and used their own funds to come here. He said every week 300 new volunteers come in.
Lutheran Social Services Disaster Response has housed, fed and organized more than 15,000 volunteers and done more than 5,300 minor repairs to homes and 600 major repairs, according to LSSDR statistics.
A donation of $18,843 was presented from St. Luke’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Devon, Pa., collected by people there who had been here to work after the storm. The sum incudes $4,000 from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. So far, said Terry M. King of Slidell, a Thrivent consultant, Lutherans have spent $16 million on Katrina recovery from Texas to Alabama.
Dufresne is a licensed social worker who was working with the Red Cross in Florida helping with tornado recovery when she was notified of this job.
In response to questions about her plans, Dufresne said, “I’m buying a house and getting a puppy. I’m here to stay until I’m not needed any longer.”

PAM FIRMIN/SUN HERALD Jerilyn Dufresne accepts the ceremonial plaque that marks her new role as leader of Lutheran Social Services Disaster Response in Mississippi.

3/9 An exciting day

Right now I'm waiting for the news to come on so I can see our ceremony. The newspaper was there as well as the local ABC affiliate. I'm so glad I didn't put on any mascara today...cried....

The ceremony first of all honored John McRae. He's such a good man, a retired Army chaplain. When he was called by a friend to do this job he said he could give it a few months. Well, he's been doing it for 10 months. Finally he's going to be able to go back to Maryland and be with his family. His wife OkHee is here and only bought a one way ticket. She's riding home with him in the car to ensure he actually makes it.

The staff gave John beautiful gifts, but the real beauty was what they said about him and how they feel about him. It was very touching. Around 30 people attended the ceremony. They also had this awesome symbol made--it's hard to explain. But a staff member named Tony climbed a dead water oak tree (dead from the storm), and he cut off a piece of a limb. The tree has been determined to be 500 years old. Amazing enough, huh? Then he burnt our company name in it--Lutheran Social Services Disaster Response. It was put into a base, and on the base it says "Turning Tragedy Into Triumph." On the side it says "John McRae May 2, 2006 thru March 9, 2007." Next to it is another sign, "Jerilyn Dufresne March 9 thru ___." I get to keep it in my office. What an honor.

What a moving symbol of what we do here--the 500 year old tree has been here long before we came, but we're here now and will continue to be here until we're no longer needed. I'll post pictures Monday when someone gives them to me.

It was awesome today. People who are here because they feel God has called them to do this work. It's a privilege to work with them.

3/8 So much going on

Today we visited Camp Biloxi. Totally cool, just like Camp Victor, but very different. I love that the camps are different. Victor is self contained in a 52,000 square foot converted warehouse. Inside are all the bunkhouses, kitchen, mess hall, distribution center, and warehouse. At Camp Biloxi it's not centralized. People live in containers that are like big trailers. The kitchen is currently in a huge tent, but will be moved to a permanent structure. There are spaces for 27 RVs as well. Both camps are really big, and very well organized.

We also talked about the plans for the big ceremony tomorrow. John had the idea to have a "passing of the torch" so that people would know when he's bowing out and when I'm taking over. The media will be there, and all staff will wear their Lutheran Disaster Response polo shirts. I'm quite excited about this. I'll report tomorrow night about how it went.

Because of a tragedy in the selling agent's personal life, I'll hear tomorrow whether they accept the offer or not. Keep your fingers crossed.

3/7 Made an offer

Couldn't help myself. I made an offer on the house. It's in the north of Biloxi out in the country. Yet I'm only 10 minutes from the Gulf and 20 minutes from the office. I'm thrilled. Made kind of a low offer, and I don't know if they'll accept it.

The place is only 18 months old. Brick, 3 bedrooms, two bath. Master bedroom is big. The other rooms are small. Nice sized back and side yard. Will post pictures if they accept the offer. Couldn't find a condo that I could afford (and that was in a good neighborhood. But these houses are just right and in a nice area.)

Work was good. Drove with John to Long Beach, MS to meet with a pastor, then stopped at a great pizza place for lunch. Tomorrow I'll be going to Camp Biloxi for the first time. (Yesterday's visit was to Camp Victor.) Am really looking forward to the visit tomorrow.

3/6 Survived the second day

So much to write about. First of all I got to work at 7:30 because I was awake and anxious to get started. At 9 there was a meeting with someone from Habitat for Humanity. We have several projects going on with them which are quite exciting. Then at 9:45 a meeting with the president of a neighborhood association where we are going to rebuild nearly 100 homes next year. Yep. And that's only one project. I'm amazed at the scope of work my organization does. (Yep, my organization. I'm already feeling like a full-fledged member.)

Later we went over to our camp in Ocean Springs for a tour. Again, I was amazed. This place houses 200 volunteers at one time, as well as a distribution center, kitchen, and dining room. Such a dedicated group of people. Many of them are from other states and are living here as staff members. Others are volunteers from all over the US. Even five people from other countries. We ate lunch there and it was amazing. They had veggie corn dogs too. And I ate two of them. Yum.

At one, my realtor picked me up and we looked at houses. No condos are available. Well, one is, but it's in a rough-looking neighborhood. I found two houses that I really liked. One is in Ocean Springs about 1/2 mile from the Gulf, and the other is in north Biloxi. We'll look at a few more tomorrow.

The devastation is still everywhere. Many people are working hard to rebuild, but others either don't have the resources or the inclination--or maybe both. My heart just hurts for all the damage and loss.

Now I'm tired. G'night.

3/5 Back at the hotel

Just returned from a very pleasant dinner at a Japanese restaurant. John (the guy I'm replacing) invited some managers to join us, and it was fun AND delicious.

The day went by quickly. There are so many appointments, meetings, and meals between now and when John leaves. Lots of things are on weekends and in the evening, but as things progress I'll be able to take time off during the week to make up for it.

My office is really nice. The whole place is nice, but because it's so new it hasn't been decorated yet. That will be fun to work on with other staff.

Gotta run. Have more clothes to unpack.

3/5 First day on the job

I'm really excited about going in to work, and woke up well before the alarm. My room is still a mess. No space to put everything away. Guess my little SUV held a lot after all. Only problem I'm having is that my back is very sore. Nothing serious, I'm positive. Just muscles that are unused to carrying heavy boxes and tubs. A few days of rest should fix it. And we all know how much I love taking it easy. :)

When I talked to John last night he said that the Deputy Director is expecting me at 9. Omigod, I'm having such a hard time waiting until then. At least tomorrow I'll have a key and will be able to go in early if I wake up early again.

There's just so much to do, and I'm anxious to get started.

3/4 In Biloxi

Yeah, I'm home. At least in my temporary home. When I arrived it was still too early to check in so I started exploring. I drove all along the coast from East Biloxi to Gulfport. Is it possible to feel both despair and hope at the same time? I think it is, because that's what I felt. Still so much devastation. Even though it was mostly commercial on Beach Drive, it's still so very sad. Yet, the signs of people cleaning up and rebuilding are everywhere. So many volunteers are here, and there are signs all over thanking them.

Then I drove through some residential neighborhoods and felt the same two emotions.

Finally was able to check into my hotel. The room is small but wonderful. A bed, two nightstands, TV, bureau, table, three chairs, kitchenette with stove, refrigerator, microwave, and a full-sized bathroom. I should be fine here for a month.

Spoke to John MacRae, the guy whose position I'm taking. He has strept throat plus has to have a root canal tomorrow. So I won't see him tomorrow morning. Am meeting with my deputy director and a few other staff. Then will meet my realtor at one. Finally, John set up a dinner for tomorrow night with a few of the managers. I'm looking forward to it.

Gotta run. Must go to the store to find "stuff" for dinner tonight. Love to all.

3/3 In Montgomery, Alabama

I left Rob and Beata's home around 9:30 this morning and drove for nine hours. It was really a pleasant drive, good weather, and no complications. Right now I'm at a Holiday Inn Express in Montgomery, and tomorrow the trip will be easy--three or four hours.

The orientation in Austin went by so quickly--so much to learn and lots of paperwork to complete. Everyone was really nice, and I am psyched to begin this next adventure in Biloxi. Tomorrow I check into an extended stay hotel, and can stay there for 30 days which is what I need because it will take that long to close on a condo or house. My realtor is picking me up Monday afternoon and we're starting the search. I'm really excited about the possibilities.

The other day the Red Cross emailed me and said they really needed mental health people to work with tornado victims in Alabama and Georgia. Had to decline, even though I'd love to help.

While driving through Georgia so many memories flooded--I'd lived there for seven years, and passed by many towns I was familiar with. I called an old friend while passing through. Carolyn and I met in 1978 and were best friends for two years before I moved back to Quincy. We've stayed in touch over the years, and it was neat talking to her.

Enough for now.

2/28 Offer on my condo!

I am beyond thrilled. My realtor, Patti, called last night and said I have an offer on my condo. The woman's old condo will close on 3/31 and mine will close shortly thereafter. I'm now printing out the 29 pages of legalese to read on the plane.

Wow. This is excellent--to get an offer on the condo the day before I leave for my new job. I'm one lucky bug.

This morning Beata will drive me to the Raleigh airport. On the way we're stopping at Panera Bread so I can buy her a birthday breakfast. It will be fun to just sit and chat awhile before I leave.

Flying to Austin today for orientation, then will fly back to Raleigh on Friday night. Early Saturday I'll begin the drive to Biloxi. Am psyched.

2/24 Details of new job

I spoke to Jan on the phone today and she said I'd been kind of cryptic about my job. Now that it's official I can say more. The company is LSSS (Lutheran Social Services of the South), based in Austin, TX. It's a not for profit associated with the different Lutheran denominations. They provide many social services in Texas including disaster relief, foster care, adoptions, group homes, adult day care, retirement homes, and more. In Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Mississippi they provide disaster services only (and it includes case management). I'm hired as the State Coordinator of Disaster Services for Mississippi.

With the Red Cross I've been doing kind of first responder work. With LSSS it will be long-term recovery work. We muck out houses, clean up, rebuild, and build from scratch. We house hundreds of volunteers in camps in and near Biloxi. I think there will be around 50 staff (at least that's what the Louisiana coordinator told me). I'll find out next week.

I'll be in a hotel for up to 10 days, and then will move to an apartment temporarily. I've also got a realtor who is already looking for condos for me. It's odd--everything used to be so cheap there, but now it's more expensive than up north because there's still a lack of housing. Apartments are so expensive that it will definitely be cheaper to buy a place. One downside is that the prices may go down as more places are rebuilt. Another downside is that homeowner's insurance is extremely expensive. We'll see how everything pans out.

Won't be long now.

2/22 Oops

Sorry I haven't blogged in the last two days. Tuesday was busy and I didn't get home until late. Rob and I stopped at our favorite Thai restaurant in a Raleigh suburb and bought TONS of food. We got three entrees and FIVE orders of sticky rice with mango. Yep, five orders. I had one and Rob and Beata each ate two.

We did this to surprise B after her first day at her new job.

Speaking of jobs, things are moving quickly. On 2/28 I'll fly to Austin for two days of orientation. Will get back here on Friday night (3/2) and will drive from Sanford NC to Biloxi MS, and start work there on 3/5. The company is putting me up in a hotel for a few days while I find an apartment.

Found out today I'll be going to Albuquerque in April for a conference. A good friend lives there, so that's an extra bonus.

And GREAT NEWS! My puppy was born a few days ago. The dog had 14 pups (had 13 the first time). Wow. Anyway, I'm thrilled and am going to visit over the weekend. Will be able to pick her up when I'm back here for Easter.

Can't wait for the job to start!

2/16 I said YES

Just got in and am way too tired to post. But I called Austin and said YES! Will post details tomorrow. It should be a short day at the disaster mill.

2/15 A Big News Day

I got the job. In the middle of talking to Beata on the phone, I took another call. It was David Y. from Austin offering me the position. I asked for a few things, got a yes on one, a no on another, and a maybe on the third. They want me to start March 1.

Will call him back tomorrow with my answer. What will the answer be?

I really don't know yet.