the new has come...

sorry its been way too long, so i ll make this short and to the point...

i m back in mississippi at the moment...i live in ocean springs, MS...work in pascagoula, MS...and in a week or two am moving to new orleans, LA for this project...strange because i m actually working with the same sponsor that i worked for last year during this time...i m actually workin on the same neighborhood as last year too...how strange but i guess i m kinda glad cuz i get to see things finish and close out here too...gives me a little closure...being a team leader is definitely different than what i thought it would be like...not necessarily in a good or bad way, its just different...but i m learning a lot more now, especially since we re out on our project now and i feel like i have more direct control over things...i ve been pretty busy all the time which has contributed to the breaking of my one big promise to keep in touch better this year...i m hoping that as i get more into the groove of things, i ll have a little more free time...

i m not gonna lie...this is how it goes for me...i know that i have a lot of people to call...right now on my computer i have a virtual post it note that is telling me to call 18 different people...18!!!...and these are people that i want to call too...but the problem is that i know each phone call is gonna take awhile and deservedly so...i want to have enough time to talk to everyone...the problem is that after a long day of work and meetings and any other obligations that i have as a team leader, i rarely want to be on the phone for hours after that...so thats why i m so crappy with calling people back at the moment...i dont want anyone to think that i ve forgotten, its just that as i hold off calling people more and more, the more and more new people i have to call...and thus its a neverending cycle of me putting it off and more people accumulating which makes me want to call even less...but dont worry...i WILL get to this eventually...

i really dont know what else to tell anyone...i m doing construction work at the moment...i just got back from my spring break which i spent in new orleans...i took it really easy this weekend...i just saw some old friends still in the area...watched some good music, ate some good food, etc...and i got 2 new tattoos...if you want to know what they are you ll just have to ask...i really feel like i m getting older...i just dont care to do a lot of things anymore...i ve hardly drank at all since i ve been in the corps this year, mainly because i dont feel like it...and thats how i know i m getting old hahah...and i dont really care either...its actually a pretty good feeling because i really feel like i do what i want now...and i m not limited to always thinking about drinking or partying all the time...its a welcome change i guess...hmmm...my team is WOLF 3...my van is definitely the most decorated in the corps...i have a team of 10 people that range from the ages of 19-25...right now in the stage of our house...we have finished hanging drywall, sanding, mudding, and we are finishing up painting tomorrow and then we ll start laying down the hardwood floors and the baseboards etc...

i ll just say a couple more things about being a team leader before i stop this post...i must say that i m finding this experience a lot more challenging at times than i thought it would be...people always told me that this would be the hardest job i ever had and that its totally different than any other job that i ve had and i guess its true...its wierd being a 24/7 supervisor...there are so many times when i totally feel like a parent of 10 kids...not even joking you...cuz i have to watch these 10 people and make sure they re always safe, always working, have enough to eat, know where they are, discipline them, etc...i totally feel like i ve gotten a taste of what it feels like to be a parent...other than that i dont know what else to say at the moment...i will be calling soon...i just dont know how soon...i ll try to post again with some pictures next time...take care everyone...i havent forgotten

it begins again...perry point, maryland

so here i am, back for another term with americorps nccc but there is one minor detail change...this time...i m wearing green...which means i m a team leader woot woot...i m sitting in my lovely house right on the mouth of the chesapeake bay!!! yes...you heard me right...right on the water...its pretty amazing...i live with 7 other guys, 2 guys to a room...we have already dubbed our house...the kingdom...remember this name because i will no longer refer to my house as my house, but rather the kingdom...hahah...out of the 36 team leaders here there are only 11 guys total...the weather is a bit chilly but not as bad as when i first got to denver last year...its so weird to be wearing green...weird to be here in perry point instead of denver...and weird to be doin it again with none of my team...i miss them...there are 2 people here from the denver campus as well...and i m glad that one of them is my good friend who lives here in the kingdom with me...the campus is beautiful...its SO east coast...the trees and the houses...when i take pictures and post them...you ll really know what i mean...

so i had that long day of travel...from arriving back from china in sf at 830 AM to repacking and doing laundry to catch my 8 PM flight to LA in order to connect to my flight to baltimore...basically i slept on planes for 2 days...but i arrived safely and met all my colleagues and i must say that i m both scared and excited for the term ahead...i know its gonna be a real challenge for me but i really think i need it and i ll get so much out of it...training has been the usual stuff...getting to know each other, the rules, expectations etc etc...we are actually flying out to denver tomorrow for a week to do a weeklong joint training with the team leaders from my old campus...it should be really fun...i ll get to see a lot of people again...

i didnt feel like i had enough time at home but i m glad for what little time i had...sorry to anyone that i didnt get a chance to meet up with to either say hi to...or bye to...you ll just have to come see me...the goodbyes this time were much harder for me this time compared to last...especially with family...

if you re wondering...my china trip was really fun...it was a good time just to hang out with everyone so much...since we dont get that kind of time often...it really helped me appreciate and love everyone that much more...i was really glad to visit my grandma and grandpas villages...it was crazy just to see where they grew up and just how amazingly different it is...i ll keep this short and write more in depth another time...all in all...i love my family...love you mom and dad and peter and stephen and andrew and yeen yeen....

before i go i ll give you my mailing addresses:

if you re going to mail me PACKAGES then send it to me at this address:

David Lee/Class XIV TL
Americorps NCCC
VA Medical Center
Building 15, Rm 2
Perry Point, MD 21902

now if youre goin to send me REGULAR MAIL then send it here:

David Lee - Class XIV TL
Americorps NCCC
PO Box 209
Perry Point, MD 21902


ok everyone...i m making a commitment to keep in touch better this year...to really fight the fade...and keep this updated more so keep my accountable...pics will be up when i can get them up...no promises on that one...take care until the next post...which i ll make sure is sooner rather than later...