Last night we participated in our first Big Brother/Sister event that didn’t involve the kids. We went to a happy hour at Lew’s with Mike and also brought Christie along so she could get some info on the organization. It was actually a really cool deal. We got free food and free drinks for two hours! There were probably 20 other ‘Bigs’ there and everyone we met was really nice. We’ll have to do more of these activities in the future.

Tomorrow is our big race! We tried to run this morning but I was having some back pains, so we decided to just turn around and spend the morning stretching. I guess we’ll have to ‘carbo load’ tonight and then get up around 6 tomorrow to get ready and head out. The race is part of the Jesse James Festival going on in Kearney, MO. I’m sure that I’ll have some interesting stories from the festival and other events throughout the weekend.

And here’s another update from Gabe, it looks like everything is almost back to normal for them:

It has been about 18 days since the hurricane hit, and life is really beginning to return to normal. I think you can tell from the tone of my first sentence that things are looking up. First, thanks again to everyone who has e-mailed and text messaged. My cell phone sometimes works, but not all the time, so sometimes I can get calls, and other times no. So e-mail is still probably the best way to keep in touch……….

The good news first – I got a job! I am so, so, so happy to report that I am now a Special Ed teacher at Destrehan High School. Today is Friday, my second full day, and I know that I am so lucky to have this job. Not only and I employed again – thank god – but it is a GREAT place to work, and not poor school district. I was in Orleans Parish schools, and those are about the worst of the worst schools – you name it, it is wrong. But this school – a competent administration, gorgeous building, respectful students, great teachers, computers, supplies, safety – it is great. I know I really lucked out and I do not take it for granted. As far as I know, I am the only one of the people from my old school to have found a job so fast. I now work out by Brad’s plant, so it is about a 20 minute commute – very easy. And for those of you that have visited, you know the area around where Brad works can be a little hillbilly……but I am in a little town that is not redneck at all, so again, it worked out.

We are officially at home, and not living there illegally anymore. When we first got home last Friday, we were not supposed to be living there even though we had water, power, and sewage. But they gave us the “all clear” yesterday, so I would say about 75% of my neighborhood is back. That is good. Stores are opening – Wal-mart, Papa Johns, etc. We even have a working gas station! But life is still odd – military planes and choppers everywhere, police and military police everywhere – and we have a curfew of 8:00 pm. Tomorrow I think we might have a little “outing” to Baton Rouge just to go out to eat and maybe see a movie! The things we all take for granted – freedom with our time, etc…..this has just been such an experience.

So that is the news for now, and life is slowly returning to normal, at least for us. Many, many people I know and worked with lost everything, including their jobs. Life is not normal for most people. I know many people have donated to the Red Cross, and I would definitely encourage that, even 3 weeks after everything happened.