Okay...Here We Go!

This seemed like a good picture to start with!

I think I found the name for my first band!

Ralphie

Recovering

I think I'm almost all caught up on my sleep since returning!

Still sifting throught the over 600 photos I took; hopefully will have some ready for posting in the next few days.

Ralphie

Greetings From Pearlington

Busy, busy, busy!

Brittany has been posting regular blogs since we got here, so if you've read them you can keep up. I would write more often, but I don't have my own laptop...which I really should have since I now have a lap!

We all started the first day at the "pretty" house, (but being in the south it comes out "purdy"). This house needed the sheet rock put up and we all got busy cleaning an prepping for that.

Last year while we were here at Christmas, we worked to finish Capt. John's house. He finally moved in on April 1st, with the help of our team that came during Spring Break. He had been living for four years in a travel trailer on his property. One group has been working on a ramp, that is more of a raised walkway. The property is right on a bayou so that even when it rains a little the water level rises enough to make getting to your car kinda dicey. The ramp/walkway will make it easier for him (he is an older slow moving gentlemen) to get out to his truck and when the water rises.

And while we are here to build up, some of us have been busy tearing down...Ellen and I have been helping tear down that trailer that Capt. John and his son Joel and their two dogs lived in for almost four years. It's a travel trailer that started it's life down in Florida after one of the big hurricanes down there, later it ended up in Colorado, and when Katrina hit the first responders from near Aspen brought it here and used it for their command base. Eventually it was given to Capt. John, and now it is going to trailer heaven.

Well, we tore that trailer up real good and John and his sons were mighty glad to have it gone...probably as glad as they were to get it when they needed it, but now it was just sitting there as a painful reminder.

We've been working with a fellow named D.J. who is from northern Virgina. He first came here shortly after Katrina with a group from his church, and has been coming back ever since. He is an electrician and he is a wonderful man with a great sense of humor and a loving heart. He has been here since October living in a trailer on the property at the "Purdy" house doing the wiring and is now about 85 percent finished. He was happy to come out and help us tear down the trailer, saying "it was nice to get out of the attic for a few days". He has been a real blessing to all of us, because he is more than just an electrician, but a jack of all trades and ready and willing to jump in and help with any project!

He will be working here until after new year, and he is anxious to get home to his family (they are expecting another grandchild after the first of the year). But he and his family know how imporant this work is.

I really have this tremendous desire to stay here and help him finish this project so he can go home sooner! I think he and I bonded because his name is D.J. and I am a D.J. He thought that was pretty funny!

Tomorrow is our last day of work and it looks like the ramp will be finished, and the two front rooms of the Purdy house will be done and we will all be sad to leave here since this will most likely be our last trip here.

It has been a real amazing journey.

The first day we were here, four of us went into Walmart for some groceries and the greeter saw us in our matching team swearshirts, asked if we were volunteers, almost...well, actually did cry as she shook our hands and hugged us and thanked us for our service.

That was probably the best greeting anyone has ever gotten at any Walmart anywhere!!

Ralphie

Gonna See Miss Liza, Gonna Go To Mississippi

Well here we are, the doggies are off to Camp Thormann, and in just 10 hours we will be on our way to Pearlington!

Ralphie

KPIG's Greatest Hits

I think if you're going to spend money on any KPIG item, it would be best spent on the KPIG Greatest Hits Volume 3 CD...lots of cool songs recorded live on the air in the Sty, and it's only $10.99 plus shipping (great stocking stuffers!!) ...and for the more local folks it's available at Streetlight Records in Santa Cruz, San Francisco and San Jose, and Cheap Thrills Records in San Luis Obispo!

It's a good deal, because you get some cool, unique cuts of music, and most of the money from the sales of the CD goes to charity! The Santa Cruz Chapter Of Surfrider Foundation and Jacob's Heart, which helps children with cancer and their families!

www.surfridersantacruz.org/

www.jacobsheart.org/

And the CD is dedicated to our fallen leader, Laura Ellen, who made all of this possible!

These are two of my favorite photos of Laura Ellen!

Ralphie

The Sherry Austin Band Rocks!!

The show was great, and we had a great turn-out! Thanks to all who attended and made the evening a rousing success!

Thanks to Sherry Austin, Sharon Allen, Dan Eyde, Tracy Parker and Jimmy Norris for doing a perfect job! And the same to Elisabeth Carlisle for opening, (thanks for playing my request!)

And thank you to Patty and Alta Organic Coffee & Tea Company from Davenport for providing the coffee we served. Check them out http://www.altaorganiccoffee.com/

I love the slogan "Drink Coffee With A Good Conscience: It's A Sustainable Addiction!"

Also thanks to Jill McFarlen for making the Welcome To Pearlington sign we used for our backdrop...excellent!!

And a HUGE thank you to Toby Gray for doing a wonderful job with the sound! Reeeaaallly couldn't have done it without you!

39 days, 5 hours 42 minutes and some seconds until we leave for Pearlington!

Thanks again to everyone for everything!

Ralphie

www.ca2ms.blogspot.com

Somewhere Near Roswell, NM

I guess that would be a UFWD...Unidentified Flying Wiener Dog!

Back To Pearlington!!

It's official...here we go...trip number 10 to Pearlington, Mississippi!!

Looks like about a dozen of us will be going December 16th thru the 24th. There might not be too much work for us because money has dried up so work has slowed. But we are willing to do any job big or small, clean or dirty!!

If you wish to contribute to this trip and help the Pearlington team to git-er-done, then go to Brittany's blog page http://www.ca2ms.blogspot.com/ and click on the PayPal button that says "Donate". Make sure you write in the space provided at PayPal that it's for Ralphie's Pearlington Trip.

You help us, and we'll help the folks of Pearlington!

Ralphie

You Are What You Eat (or, A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Calories)

Remember Uncle Fester from the Addams Family TV show? That's what I think of when I look at this picture! That's waaayyy scarier than Uncle Fester could have ever been!!



I've lost 100 (and a quarter!) pounds as of today! Only 30 more to go to get to my goal...and yes, I see the irony of using the words "quarter" and "pound" when talking about dieting...after all, it was all those Quarter Pounders, Big Macs, Big Boys, Fatburgers...hmmm, I guess you really are what you eat!!



Thank God I met Cheri Bianchini, the owner of The Healthy Way...my Earth Angel, my healthy eating mentor...when she first took my measurments, she had to use the extra large measuring tape...now, not only 100 pounds, but I've lost about 110 inches ...and that was just my neck (ba-da-boom!)



The one picture that's really frightening is the one I posted a couple blogs down. I looked like the Michelin Man's illigitimate son! People didn't think I ate all the Girl Scout Cookies...they thought I ate all the Girl Scouts!! (ba-da-bing!) Even Cheri agreed I looked like an advertisement for really sturdy lawn chairs! Feel free to scroll down and post your own one-liners on that one!

When I see the profile I'm always amazed at how much back I have...and I don't mean my butt, I knew that was big, I mean my actual back!

I did have high cholesterol and high blood pressure, but even now those numbers are lower and under control! I was lucky I didn't have diabetes or bad knees or any number of other health problems! And to answer the question I often get "YES"... Yes I do feel better and have much more energy...and I don't require a nap after every meal...and I don't get winded just opening my eyes!!

100 pounds...I'm not sure I can even lift a 100 pounds now...good thing I don't have to!

Thanks Cheri!

Ralphie

http://www.thehealthyway.us/

OMG

This is right before I got busted for smuggling innertubes !! (ba-da-boom)

So good to be free!


Ralphie

Ralphie In The Morning

I put this picture on as the screensaver today in the Sty...it kind feels like the Sty is connected to this cozy little coffee house, like looking into the other room, and it makes me feel warm and relaxed. The Mockingbird Cafe is where we went for our fru-fru coffee, fresh baked breads and free WiFi when we were in Mississippi. Kinda wish I was there right now...if I could figure out a way to broadcast live from the Mockingbird Cafe, that's where I'd be spending my mornings!

Ralphie

More Pearlington...And By The Way...

Here's a photo of the team that was there for week one of our last trip to Pearlington

That's Brittany down in front...she has planned and led all nine of these trips to Pearlington...

And by the way...

Brittany Overbeck is one of this years Jefferson Award Winners!!

Yay Brittany!!

She is currently leading another team to Pearlington for a week, and she will be blogging about the zany and not so zany antics of the Mississippi Team and their trip at http://www.ca2ms.blogspot.com/ this is exactly what she looks like when blogging...except I'm not there this time!

Congratulations!!

Ralphie

THIS JUST IN:

Brittany was chosen as the Jefferson Award Winner who will get to go to Washington D.C.

Return To Pearlington

This is one of the many photos I took on our Mississippi trip...I can't remember if it's sunrise or sunset, but it sure makes me feel good!

Right now 8 people are boarding a plane and heading back to Pearlington to continue helping the victims of hurricane Katrina...I wish I was one of them! No one offered to hide me in their suitcase...!

I pray they will have a safe, productive and fun trip...and if they see a sunrise (or sunset) like this one, I hope they will take a moment to stop whatever it is they are doing and appreciate it!

You too!

Ralphie

Huh? Duh? Wuh?

To defray the monthly cost of running the KPIG stream….that’s why they are charging 5 bucks a month for you internet folks. That’s fine…I know a lot of people who wouldn’t mind supporting the Pig in this way…as one listener said, (after she made sure she would still get to hear all the DJs and usual programming) “you guys are worth it!”….well…yes….yes we are….damn right, frickin-A, we are totally worth it..!!! But, I digress….

I think the problem is what we, the DJs, and many of you the listeners keep wondering….why couldn’t they at least offer the option of listening free with the commercials?! And whichever group of suited gentlemen it was sitting in their boardroom that thought of this idea never had it enter their minds to offer something for, gulp, free! If they had asked us, that would have been the first question….is there going to be an option to listen for free…are they going to have a choice?!

Of course, no one ever asks us folks on the front line anything…but now that we brought it up at our meeting with Ed, they say they are going to look into getting, what Sleepy John and I were calling, “The Public Option” ….I hope they can make it work. They did say that they would bring the free stream back when the economy gets better! Hmmm, that sounds familiar….where have I heard that….oh yeah, that’s what they said a year ago about bringing the live DJs back at night…when the economy gets better.

I think that’s a very blatant way of saying, “We'll try, but don’t hold your breath”! For, as bad as the nation’s economy is, the economy of Mapleton Communications is even worse. And that’s why everyone is a little edgy right now, from Adam down to us lowly DJs at stations up and down the central coast…nobody really knows what’s going to happen…and if they do know, they certainly aren’t telling any of us little people… Is Lazard going to get more proactive in the operation of the radio stations?

Are they already?

Is this internet thing their idea?

Inquiring minds want to know!!

Eventually Lazard is going to want their money back…so stay tuned to see what wacky thing happens next!!

I will if you will!

For all of you fine swine who have decided not to pay...thank you for your support!

And for all you fine swine who are subscribing, thank you for your support!

And if you’re one of those who can’t afford it right now, maybe you could find yourself a Piggie sponsor…one of your cyber pals out there who could help you out… (cue the Patriotic Music!) ...I know y’all chat with each other and keep in touch…help a Pig out…you guys and gals never cease to amaze me with your generosity ….that’s what it’s all about, Pigs helping Pigs…in this case, helping to spread the music around…and music is so important and powerful!

As that lady said, “we are worth it”….and we do it because we think you all are worth it…and we all keep proving it to each other again and again!

We all are;

Real People

Real Music

Real Radio

Real Ralphie

Miss Donna

Sorry I haven’t been posting much lately, but, my mind has been whirling these last couple weeks, and there are many things going on that have distracted me.

I heard it snowed as far south as Mississippi….I’ve been thinking about Miss Donna, who’s house we worked on in Mississippi. She is a wonderful lady, who works 9 to 5, and lives in a pretty large house with her wiener dog named Molly (sooooo cute!). Her house is full of stuff…wall to wall, floor to ceiling! There are boxes and furniture and clothes in every room but her bedroom and kitchen.

It’s not that she’s a pack-rat…but that her neighbors and friends needed a place to store their belongings after Katrina. She has plenty of room, so she’s let people store their stuff at her house. She is a kind compassionate person reaching out to her neighbors…didn’t even have to think twice!

Her house still needs weather stripping done around the windows, and some boards around the window replaced, that’s probably the main thing, but there are lots of smaller jobs to get that house repaired. Since she lives further inland, she didn’t get the water damage that they got along the coast, but the high winds from the hurricane kicked up a few tornados, and that’s what caused the most damage.

The area is beautiful farm land, and everyone along the road knows everyone and keeps an eye out...Miss Donna lives at the end of the road, which is named after her father-in-law. As I looked around I realized what that saying “Land rich, and cash poor” really meant! She may not have all the funds she needs to do all the projects, but she sure is rich with friends and family. She’s got family living “just up the road apiece” , including her parents, so she can see them and watch her grandson, Kinley, grow up. He’s about 10, and way into Sponge Bob…something we had in common!

Her best friend Cynthia invited us over to dinner one night as a way to thank us for helping their friend. She brought us red beans and rice one day for lunch…and the last day Miss Donna cooked us Gumbo and fresh greens, sweet potatoes and Mexican cornbread!

We didn’t starve that week, is what I’m saying!

We did work hard for that week….here, some of the photographic evidence….

Every morning before she went off to work, Miss Donna would write us these short letters in a notebook. One letter in particular got us a little choked up:

“….As I reflect on what you’ve given me, words still cannot express my feelings as my heart burst and overflows with joy. I look forward to spending more time with y’all, I will be home on Thursday and Friday…”

Then at the end, in a slightly more excited hand, one more paragraph…

“You are a fresh breath of life to me. Renewed hope. New life. I hadn’t realized that Katrina had worn me down to a frazzle. I did not know that I was so depressed…Have a Blessed day!”

A few of us have been keeping in contact with her by phone and email and snail mail. It seems like there haven’t been any volunteers showing up since we left, plus she’s a little low on funds for the various projects, so I know she’s feeling a little down.

But she holds on to God and to her family, and Molly of course, and she presses on!

Ralphie

Haiti Relief

Right now the best thing I think we can
do in the direct aftermath, after some strong prayer, is send money to the relief efforts so they can get the medicine, food, water and clothes that are so desperately needed. Both prayer and donating money are easy…you can do it…go on, give it a try!

Here are a few ways that I can suggest….

Heifer International does great work, and I've had dealings with them before...

www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.183217/#

Doctors Without Borders already have a strong presence in Haiti...and doctors and medicine sound like what's needed there...

www.doctorswithoutborders.com

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance...they have done a lot for the victims of Katrina...

www.pcusa.org/pda/response/latinamerica/haiti-earthquake011310

And here's a couple that Brittany suggested...

www.compassion.com/contribution/giving/disasterrelief.htm?referer=105910

www.worldvision.org/home.nsf/pages/home.htm

Come on, let's do this thing!

Ralphie

Christmas Day Outing

Christmas Day the weather cleared and it was calm and beautiful. Good Day to check out the Gulf. Still lots of evidence of Katrina...broken piers, new beach front homes and empty beach front lots.

Very nice homes, but more empty lots...many driveways leading up to nothing!

More to come...

Ralphie

More On Our Trip

It was dark when we arrived on Friday. The house that would be our home for the next two weeks is in Waveland, about ten miles East of Pearlington. You couldn't see much from the deck at night, but in the morning I was the first one up (most mornings, force of habit!) I got the coffee made and stepped out onto the deck. It was a beautiful neighborhood, but you could see that a lot of the homes around were new. Waveland and Bay St. Louis also had a lot of flood damage and are slowly coming back.

The towns are lined with canals, so it's no wonder the storm surge did a lot of damage. It rained on the 23rd and 24th and just one day of rain and high tide brought the water behind our house up noticably!

Brittany and I braved the storm on the 23rd to go out to the local fish market called Clawzilla's to get some fresh shrimp for the Christmas Eve Scampi! The folks there were so funny and friendly, I felt like I was in a movie! About peeling and cleaning them he said "I'm from Louisanna, and I don't mind leaving that vien in there...but my Mama, she's from Louisianna and she don't like that vien in there...it's up to you" To which Brittany said, "Oh no, we don't want the vien...my Grandma taught me how to clean them..." and volunteered to clean the shrimp...all five pounds.

We then found our way to the Mockingbird Cafe where they had told us we could still use the free WiFi from out in our car if it was after hours, so we sat in the car and Brittany posted her first blog in the storm! Again, very surreal!

On Christmas Eve Brittany, Regina, Jolynn (Regina's Mom) and I went to work for a few hours in the morning at Mr. Pat's scraping tiles, and on the way we cruised by the Mockingbird Cafe when they were open and got some good coffee, and some Serious Bread from the bakery in the back!

Fresh Local French Bread, Fresh Local Shrimp...it was quite a feast for Christmas Eve!

I even brought a recording of my Christmas Eve show on KPIG from last year, so we had that going while we cooked and ate! It was very festive!

Brittany and Jolynn peeling shrimp!

Dinner is served!

The stockings were hung on the staircase with care, in hopes that a chiminey soon would be there!

And Santa came! I heard a noise in the night, I peeked down the hall and I saw Santa filling the stockings. He looked a little like Brittany!

It was Christmas...just like the ones I used to know....only different! We got up and had a relaxing morning, coffee, real breakfast, not just a quick bowl of cereal and out the door...we opened our presents...it was a Christmas I will always cherish and always remember...even if I didn't get my Red Ryder BB gun!!!

Ralphie