Gutfest

This is a definite "when life gives you lemons make lemonade" moments -- people in New Orleans' devastated 9th ward decide to have fun with gutting their own waterlogged homes:

An ordinary day of hard work adopted the look and feel of a full-fledged weekend house party.

Kathleen Kraus's Lower Ninth Ward home was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. While she may not possess many resources, Kraus says she does have a lot of friends. "It's been amazing,” she said. “They gutted the whole house almost in one day."

Kraus and her friends dubbed the necessary task a "house gutting party" or more aptly, a "gutfest."

"It's good just to see Kathleen breathe a little easier," said Kraus's friend Sandy Hester. "I had no doubt that I was coming over here to help out and then tomorrow people are coming to help me."

Sort of the opposite of an Amish barn-raising. I have to say, I have some admiration for people who can look at the wreckage of the home, and the clean-up of such, and can approach the task with more than just abject depression. But then again, this is New Orleans, which is famed for its celebratory funerals. If any place could have people who could do this, New Orleans is the place.

Written by johnmscalzi Blog about this entry

This entry has 4 comments: (Add your own)

#4 Comment from lurkynat
11/16/05 11:14 PM | Permalink

fighting spirit!
nat
#3 Comment from visionarydiva1
11/14/05 6:40 PM | Permalink

I am just wondering where in the world is all this money that has beent donated going to. I mean there is almost a billion dollars (if not more) that has been donated so who is getting it?

Amy
http://journals.aol.com/visionarydiva1/ABookClubforJLanders/
#2 Comment from monponsett
11/14/05 11:30 AM | Permalink

After the 1991 Halloween Nor'easter... I got my entire cellar shovelled out (the Atlantic had put 4 feet of sand in there) by half of the Duxbury High School football team for 3 kegs of Bud Heavy, 500 hamburgers, and what amounted to an ounce of weed.

I also had them tear out the no-longer-drywall as a bonus.

The insurance company had offered this service to us via 2 contractors who were going to charge us $5000 for the same task. They gave us an estimate of one week to perform this service. I had $500, and I had $100 left after- even with hiring a huge dumpster.

I'm not that pretty, either. Sometimes, you just have to rely on beer and the kindness of the human spirit.
#1 Comment from tc01hm
11/14/05 10:01 AM | Permalink

Being from NO is one of the nicest parts of living here. Visiting can give you the flavor of our culture. Families have lived here for centuries. If you are a local or an adopted resident, a whole banquet awaits.

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Gutfest