Leaving Wyoming

Moonset over the Bighorns

I’ve left Wyoming. I packed all my possessions in the back up my pickup and drove away.

But I didn’t take everything.

I left part of my heart in the Murphy house. The first single family dwelling I’ve ever built was both the simplest and most complicated project I’ve attempted. The building was simple, the expectations were complicated.

I left part of my heart in Darla’s house. The last house completed, it was with me through my entire experience.

I left part of my heart in Kat’s house. The home with the strongest foundation as it was truly built by a community gathering together.

I know each stud and tie in those homes. They are as familiar to me as the profile of the mountains I looked on each morning or the face of a friend.

And like the wonderful friends who supported me through this intense year, I carry them with me in my own heart as I move on to hike the Pacific Crest Trail over the next six months and to attend the Foster School of Business at the UW for an MBA beginning this fall.

I am grateful for what I was able to give, and I am grateful for what I received.

To everyone who sustained me as I gave the best I could, THANK YOU!

Trail Journals

Writing to remember is the reason I have this blog.

Some people write to connect with others (that was a little of it too). Some people write to hear their own thoughts. Some people write so that their memories won't fade quite so easily.

As you can imagine, hiking the PCT, or other long distance trail is prime time for journaling. There are few other times in life that are so set apart, encapsulated into a single experience, focused on one solitary idea.

I've been reading a site called 'Trail Journals' for about five years... almost as long as I've been dreaming of hiking the PCT (and CDT). I lived vicariously through the experience of others while I sat at a desk in a jobsite trailer, or lived in a place where there were only volcanoes to summit, or became a workaholic while living next to a backpackers dream.

And so when I finally started my trail journal on the site a few days ago (which is actually a carbon copy of what I write here), it was surreal. I can't believe my name is on that page and my words can be found where I looked for inspiration from so many others!

It's a format that is so familiar, I recognize it instantaneously. But it's my words! It actually makes the plan so much more real to me!

Once I get on the trail, I won't be able to update you quite as regularly, so to keep your trail journaling appetite whet, here are some places to check out -

Trail Journals
Hiker Journals for the PCT

Kat's Closing

Kat has been an amazing homeowner and so it is with great happiness that we have finished her home! We received the certificate of occupancy last week and will be signing closing documents tomorrow.

At just over 1100 SF it's not a mansion, but it is the home Kat has both wished for and worked so hard for.

And it's not a revolutionary step forward for the world, but it is a huge change in this guy's world.

Congratulations Kat!

Kat's Ground Breaking
Kat's Conversation
Kat's Family

The Definition of Success

The Duplex

The houses are coming along well. I'm feeling drained with everything that's going on, but there should be a lot that gets settled in the next few weeks. So I'm looking forward to that and more time for fun things again!

Progression of Joblessness

Click on the image above to see how unemployment rates have change around you. Watch Wyoming to see why republicans here think they're doing something right.

Graham Family

Becky is a nurse at the local hospital. But she is so much more to her three kids.

And in January we will begin construction on a home for all of them so that she can continue to be everything they need.

Longoria Family

Amelia Longoria (holding the baby) has a lot of people depending on her.

At the moment this includes her daughter and her daughter's baby, another daughter who has a developmental disability and will always depend on her and two other granddaughters and a grandson from other children. A lot for one woman and a single-wide!

But next year Habitat will begin construction on a home for this family and this Amelia will be able to depend on us for a little bit.

Deeds Family

Kat Deeds has been through a lot in her life already. With daughter Chloe, who just stared kindergarten, son Ethan, 2 1/2, and another daughter due in January she has somehow managed to work (at night as a caregiver, so she can bring her kids), go to school, take care of the kids during the day AND complete all her sweat equity hours.

Kat has a plan. And that gets her through. And it gets her kids through. And soon she will complete one more step of that plan when she moves into her Habitat home.

Pehringer Family

Darla has always worked so hard, cleaning other people's homes, in order to provide a good life for her daughter Sarah. In just a few months, however, she will be moving into her own home!

Darla and Sarah are currently working on completing their sweat equity requirements so they can move in when their half of the duplex is complete!

Murphy Family

Chuck and Jennifer are looking foward to moving into their new six bedroom house to accomodate them and their five children (three of the children were with relatives when I took the photo).

While the home is being kept affordable because of the small size of each room (the house is a total of 2200 sq ft), it will offer privacy and comfort they currently dream of (the have a sizeable entryway in their current home, so one person sleeps there).

With R-44 in the ceiling, R-21 in the basement walls and a tankless water heater, it will also mean much lower utility bill than for their current trailer and more money for other needs!

Carisa

Carisa has moved into her home! We received the certificate of occupancy at the end of October and she will get to have her first Thanksgiving as a Habitat homeowner!

Carisa has multiple sclerosis and is managing it well with medications. But due to the likelihood that she will eventually be in a wheelchair, her home was built to ADA specifications and she also has a garage so that she can get in and out of a vehicle even during the winter snows.

Thanksgiving

Apple tree after an early hard frost

It's been almost three years since I've celebrated Thanksgiving, but it there has hardly been a day that I haven't gotten to see thankfulness.

In Nicaragua, water, electricity, a tin roof, nothing could be taken for granted. And here in the US there is hardly a group that can show gratitude better than Habitat homeowners.

After surviving illnesses, bad marriages that began when they were too young to know better, addictions, disabilities and other obstacles, they are often able to see blessings more clearly than those of us who have been given so much more.

Tax Credit Extension!

Carisa's Kitchen

The tax credit has been extended for first time homebuyers! And while I personally believe the extension is a dubious manner to stimulate the economy, I am excited that it makes life easier for me!

Before the extension, the tax credit was available to our families as long as we closed the house before November 30th. To do so doesn't require certificate of occupancy, just the number we will be setting the mortgage at (I had done a little brainstorming to take the construction pressure off myself).

However, because we sell the homes for no profit, but do attempt to cover our costs with the mortgage, our number needed to be estimated very carefully. That was the work I had scheduled for this week.

But now our glorious government signed an extension (on my birthday no less!) which makes my life a whole lot easier. And it ensures the families a little extra help!

Something Bigger

We regularly have volunteers from the local drug and alcohol rehabilitation center (Wystar) helping us on construction. It is one of the best relationships we have. The guys have been incredibly hard working for us and we offer them (hopefully!) a bit of repreive from their normal routine.

One of the guys decided he wanted to hold a fundraiser for us with his band and proceeded to organize the whole thing. During the concert he mentioned that Habitat is part of his 'something bigger than himself'.

Finding something bigger than yourself (generally God) is the second step of a 12 step program. And while Habitat will not itself restore sanity (I've found quite the opposite!), I certainly believe that it creates balance in my life.

Yep! I have been so fortunate that takes me 40, or 50, or 60 hours of giving per week to just about balance out what I receive in life!

The main problem with this equation is that it never quite comes out right; the more you give, seriously, the more you receive. But I'll keep trying!

Front Page of Sheridan Press!

The Sheridan Press is a tiny little newspaper (by Seattle Times, LA Times and NY Times standards), but by far the dominant paper here in Sheridan and where most residents still get their local news.

There is no local TV news station, we get Billings, MT, Rapid City, SD and Casper, WY each about two hours from Sheridan.

Only a small minority of people go to the internet for news, many still prefer calling places in order to get information, which is actually possible in this place where you can meet someone and then easily find their number in the phone book.

So it is wonderful to get an article on the front page and reach a large proportion of the local community!

And by the way, if you click on the picture to read the first part of the article and see the quote I gave, that's grad school application talk!

Remembering Drywall

Next Sunday I'm leading a small group from Sheridan Wesleyan drywalling one of the home. It seems like a neat idea, once a year the congregation goes out and volunteers with various nonprofits instead of having a normal church service.

Now I just have to remember how to drywall...

Managing Stress

With two of three grad school applications submitted, the GMAT done and rough drafts essays for the last application written, I would have thought I'd be a little less stressed than I am.

Long ago and far away I wished for a job that meant something to me. Work that made a difference to people. Accomplishments that would happen only because I was there to do them, thereby using my time and life in the most effective and efficient way possible.

And now I have that job.

Be careful what you wish for.

I mean, I love my job, but sometimes... I love it a little too much. Here's to a better balance!

Seriously, This Is My Job

There are lot's of perks to working where I work.

For example, yesterday I was profusely thanked by a guy whose family will be moving into one of the homes we're building.

And sometimes, this is how I get to spend my Saturdays working (Ok, just one time, but it was still fun). It was the first annual Wolf Creek Wrangle to benefit Habitat for Humanity!

10 Mile run

Local decorations

10 Kilometer hike

Stray horseshoes

Good scenery

And it raised around $4,000 for Habitat!

While it was only a week and a half ago, at temperatures in the mid 80's it feels like an eternity away! (Snow, mud and power outages this week and it's only Thursday!)

World Habitat Day

Last week I spoke with a weathered older woman who came into my office. She spoke English haltingly, so we conversed in Spanish. She has eight people in her family and her daughter was the only one who had full time work. They lived in a rented two bedroom, one bathroom house, but the owner has requested they move out so he can renovate.

Later that day I received a phone call from another mother. She has three kids and had just moved back to Sheridan from Montana because her husband, the kids' father had abandoned them. She had no job and no home.

Many need better housing, it is undeniable. I have no appeal to you aside from the simple facts. Find out about Habitat for Humanity of the Eastern Bighorns here and Habitat for Humanity International here.

Women Build II

About 50 women came to build last Saturday!

First Morning Shift

Cutting Siding

For some reason, traffic slows on Women Build days.

Some came to learn, some came to teach, all came to give and all had a great time!

It went fantastic as always.