The South, my take-aways

• Jesus is everywhere. If the "Jesus is coming soon!" signs along the highway or all of the "May the good Lord bless your souls" we get from many kind folks didn't already make me feel that "Jesus" is everywhere down here, the entrance sign Claudesville, Oklahoma took care of that:  "Jesus is Lord! Welcome to Claudesville." During one thunderstorm, a number of my teammates sought cover in a McDonald's. Dressed in dripping wet spandex, they quickly attracted attention. After explaining our journey and cause, a woman in the McDonald's asked if  she could pray for them. When they responded yes, a group prayer circle ensued in the McDonald's customers and employees together hand in hand! 

In case you can't read it, the license plate says, "Jesus Chris is the Answer." I have seen many of these. 

• It is really HOT down here. I think this picture says it all. 

• Southern hospitality is real. The generosity of the hosts who have graciously welcomed (and often fed) 27 sweaty (and hungry) riders into their churches, gyms, and even homes has really blown us away. One of our favorite hosts thus far, Sally in Dallas, sums up what we have found Southern hospitality to mean. Sally opened up her entire house (including her own bed!) to our team for 3 days while her and her husband took to their RV. She greeted us upon arrival with a pool, hot tub, and an endless supply of milkshakes and beer. She lent us her cars to check out the area on our own and even paid for us to spend an afternoon at a water park. Aside from all of the material comforts she spoiled us with, I think most of team would agree her warm and friendly nature really made us feel quite at home. 

The Over-21ers being spoiled in Dallas.

Another southern home that kindly opened their doors to our team in Elm Grove, Louisiana. Jumping in that lake after a 90 mile ride through southern heat...amazing.

• Southern cookin' = awesome. Hand in hand with the southern hospitality has come amazing southern cuisine including shrimp boils, sweet tea, pulled pork, and (my personal favorite) homemade biscuits. The food is especially appreciated given the enormity of the cyclist appetite.

Shrimp boil dinner provided by a host. 

Awesome start to a ride day provide by a host including sweet potato biscuits and pulled pork egg casserole.

MMmmm...biscuits straight out of the oven.

• I'm not in California anymore. Conservatism is no secret. I will just highlight two encounters: 1. When wrapping up a conversation with two older men about our trip one says, "Can I ask y'all a question? What do you think about the shape of the country?" and the other cuts in, "Don't ask them that! You know who put Obama in the White House in the first place...them college kids!" 2. When explaining to a man at a gas station what we are doing, his first question is, "Well where are your husbands?" When my friend (with very short hair) responded that she doesn't have one, he says, "Is it the hair?" (I guess this is more traditionalism, but a good story nonetheless). 

• Gun culture. "Y'all should be carrying pistols in those backpacks of urs. There crazy folk out thur," said a very kind older gentlemen I met in a gas station. As I mentioned earlier, Sally in Dallas was kind enough to lend us all of her cars to explore the area. Before her husband handed out the keys I saw him counting on his fingers up to  5 and then turn back to Sally and say, "Gotta get the guns outta the cars before they use 'em." Another host in Texas offered shooting guns in the backyard as a fun activity along the same lines as watching TV or playing board games. When we acted surprised she responded, "Y'all don't shoot guns where ya from? That's inturesting." 

• Misc.

Drive-thru liquor store advertising $3 jello shot special!

Lots of hay bales. 

Lots of corn fields (and other plantations).

Lots of trucks. 

If you can't read it, the sign on the right says, "You don't need teeth to eat my beef"

Lots of Confederate Flags 

NOLA Building

Two weeks ago (sorry I am behind on posts! More to come in the next few days!) we gave our tushes a break from our saddles and got down to building (or rebuilding rather) in New Orleans. We worked with an organization called the St. Bernard Project. SBP assists residents from industrious, working class neighborhoods in St. Bernard and Orleans Parish neighborhoods including Chalmette, Violet, Meraux, Gentilly, the Lower Ninth Ward, New Orleans East and the 7th Ward. 

For many residents SBP assists, their savings were tied to their homes. In the years before Katrina, insurance companies rezoned St. Bernard and areas of New Orleans out of the flood plain, so most residents no longer has flood insurance after decades of paying for it. When Katrina hit, the people of St. Bernard and New Orleans lost everything. All but eight of the 27,000 homes in St. Bernard Parish and 80 percent of the 250,000 homes in New Orleans were flooded and rendered uninhabitable.
 I visited New Orleans last summer, but staying in the 9^th Ward this time around the lasting impact of Hurricane Katrina was far more apparent. The spray paint of rescue workers still marks many houses while others appear wholly abandoned since the 2005 storm. 

TFW stands for toxic flood water. The 0 means that no bodies were found in this house. 

Our efforts for the week focused on putting the finishing touches on the restoration of a Katrina-destructed house in the lower 9^th Ward. The house belongs to a NOLA native by the name of Oliver. He is 65 years old, disabled, and recently retired.

My team (Allison, Marta, and I) installed base boards and shoe molding, did a bunch of caulking, and –what was most satisfying- put in a hard wood floor! Once us Bike and Builders closed up shop on our 5^th work day, just short of a week of work on the house remained.

Before

During



After!

He met with us on our last day of building to express his gratitude and share his story. Oliver’s parents had lived in New Orleans all of their lives and never left the city for any hurricane. It was when his parents decided to evacuate for Katrina that Oliver first realized that perhaps Katrina wasn’t your average Gulf Coast hurricane. Oliver and his family evacuated to Houston as his New Orleans house filled with 11 feet of water.  Toxic flood water sat in Oliver’s house for 8 weeks before residents of his neighborhood were allowed back in.

Oliver’s house has been inhabitable since 2005. The incredible financial burden of rebuilding a house, a series of construction frauds (an unfortunate commonplace in post-Katrina New Orleans), and his physical disabilities have prevented Oliver from restoring his home. Thanks to the work of the St. Bernard Project, Oliver will be able to move back home in a week’s time—nearly 8 years after the Katrina disaster.

The week we were in NOLA another SBP recipient was being welcomed back into his restored house. We were able to attend the welcome home party. 

Day in the Life of a Bike and Builder (ride day)

5:30am - Rise and Shine!

Robe up in spandex and pack up that damn thermarest!

Apply BUTT'r to minimize unpleasant rubbage. (Repeat various times throughout the day).

6:00am - Get all belongings in bin and out to trailer to be packed up. 

This is our trailer, which we painted. Her name is Miss SUSie (after our Southern US route which is known as SUS).

6:20am - Trailer packed. I am on trailer crew this week. Chore groups rotate weekly. 

Once the trailer is packed, we can eat breakfast (set up by breakfast crew). 

During breakfast we have a route meeting to discuss any particulars about that day's ride. This 57.3 mile ride from Mobile, Alabama to Biloxi, Mississippi is a shorter day. Most ride days are 70-80 miles. 

Bike maintenance - Lube chain and check tire pressure, brakes, and gears. 

Camelback and gatorade bottles filled. Helmet, sunglasses, and safety triangle on...ready to ride!

7:00am (ish) - Roll out. Groups of 3-4 are best so we are more visible to cars, but can easily communicate amongst each other and aren't difficult to pass. 

Enjoy the ride!! 

Pop squats when necessary (which, when you are drinking 200+ ounces of water daily, is quite often).

#1 on our team charter: Stop and smell the roses. 

Half-way through the ride - spot our team alligator, David Hasselhoff. David represents LUNCH.

Grub.

Typical B&B lunch.

But with the proper materials we can get more creative. This is a nutella banana sandwich made with leftover pancakes.

Unfortunately, crashes do happen :(

But sweep (the 2 riders designated to ride in back for the day) comes with the first aid kit to save the day.

4:30pm (ish) - Arrive at host! (Usually a church).

Shower time - sometimes we are lucky enough to have a real shower, but often shower time looks like this.

Dinner - This night an amazing dinner was provided by our generous host. When it isn't, we go into restaurants looking famished, tell them about what we are doing, and try to get them to donate. Otherwise, dinner crew hits up the grocery store and we make something. Most important thing when it comes to dinner: QUANTITY.

Hang out with the host family!

Typical B&B debate: Do we eat the cookies now or save them for lunch tomorrow?!

Team Eat-Them-Now Wins!

When the church we are staying in isn't the biggest attraction the town we are staying in has to offer, we get out to explore. Biloxi is known for their casinos. 

Catch some shut-eye whenever possible. 

Make use of awesome church memorabilia. A rendition of Sister Act 2 followed. 

10:30 (hopefully) - SLEEP.