Day 69:11/14/06
Another day, another house to gut...but not just any house. This is Frank's home. Frank lived here with his wife for some 40 years prior to the hurricane. They raised a family in this home. Frank's health had deteriorated since the storm and he wouldn't be able to move back. His son Mark was on hand to tell us there story and watch us demolish his childhood home. It was almost as gut-wrenching for us to bring one wheelbarrow load after another of belongings onto the front lawn as it must have been for Mark to watch us. 
What keeps us going through hour after hour of intense, smelly, physical labor you ask? FEMA water of course! Pallets of the stuff remain at Camp Hope and despite it being both expired and recalled, we guzzle it down with smiling faces. Like fruitcake, a can of FEMA water makes an excellent doorstop.
The "after" shot of Frank's kitchen. We completed most of the work, but there's still an attic to go through and a ceiling to remove. We'll be back tomorrow. 
Okay, so we haven't found the hissing variety, but we have found many happy, healthy cockroaches. Anybody seen Joe's Apartment? (The movie, NOT my apartment.)
Frank's next door neighbor doesn't even have the option to rebuild. This "Involuntary Demolition" notice is posted on countless doors all over the parish. Stupid structural soundness!
posted by Joe & Ben Palmquist @ 6:51 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Tons of good juju boys. Can't wait 'til you are home. Jenny and I miss my Joe. And we miss you too Benifer.
Andy
Probably one of the sadest pictures i've seen on your webpage so far. (the X on the door) Were there entire neighborhoods that were X'ed off like that? I had a good friend travel down to New Orleans this last spring break to help rebuild homes like you guys and she walked into a part of the 9th ward that hadn't even been looked through yet. 9 months after the storm! anyways, they were walking along the sidewalk and noticed there were a few houses with X's painted on the doors and were curious about the inside of the house. to their disgust when they opended the door and looked in they found 3 dead bodies that had be laying around for 9 months. After they called the police the entire neighborhood was searched and nearly 20 more bodies were found!
I'm just curious if you guys ran into any similar situations during your time in the city?
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