Last week I was asked to help our church build another Habitat for Humanity home. I agreed to work today, December 1st and tomorrow, December 2nd. If you've never worked on a Habitat project, I recommend trying it at least once.
I left the house about 6:45 this morning to arrive at the job site around 7:15. I thought this would be a standard project where we meet at the sponsored home and begin work. Something was different. The other job sites lacked the video cameras and producers. This morning they were taping for the Oprah Winfrey show. Everyone was asked to wear baby blue Angel Network tee shirts and to stand and cheer on cue. Our house was chosen as the "First wall going up on the first house" house.
Waiting and waiting for the camera crew to set up, we lined all the walls in "pre-lift" stage. I saw this guy who looked very familiar. I thought, "Jana would immediately know this guy." We were left still waiting, about an hour behind schedule - building schedule, not show-taping schedule. This is when I met
Nate Berkus, an Oprah producer and show regular. He looks much taller on television.
And then finally we hear, "Everyone grab the wall", shouted by some director.
Nate said, "We are about to raise the first wall of the first home ... "
"CUT!", yelled the director. "Let's try that again." We lower the wall.
"We are now raising the first wall of the first home." said Nate. We are allowed to raise and secure the wall. Work continued to flow normally after this initial moment. Except we had cameras following us till lunch.
It was a brutal day full of hammering, climbing, carrying, and lifting. I was so tired, at dinner I poured spaghetti sauce on my salad instead of the pasta. Keep watching Oprah, you may see me.
tired
content
contemplative