Poland: "Is it 12:30 Yet?"

There's a fairly predictable pattern to these events as it relates to the team, the work and the energy level.

Day 1: everyone is excited, eager to go to work, jumping at everything offered in terms of tasks. Lots of happy, smiling faces throughout the day. People can't believe when lunchtime comes--"seems like we just started working"--and quitting time--"just let me finish this one thing." Lots of chatter among the team as we ride back to the hotel, again at dinner.

Day 2: eagerly gather at breakfast, off to the site, resume our tasks. A few aches or pains, since virtually none of us does physical labor, and certainly not for a whole day at a time. Plenty of enthusiasm, smiles, happy conversation throughout the day. A little readiness for lunchtime, and for quitting time, but still a focus on finishing the particular task one is doing.

Day 3: a little slower moving, more quick grimaces as we resume working, perhaps changing tasks to give different muscles the "opportunity" to be fully worked. Novelty of the tasks is beginning to wane. People occasionally taking a little break, in addition to any team breaks. And eagerly heading off to lunch, then later to the bus to go back after work. The ride back is quieter. People more eager to go out to dinner, then back to the hotel, and bed. Usually before 10, or earlier. Even the young folks.

Day 4: still slower moving. I sometimes say my body recovers about 90-95% after each day. By Day 4, that means its functioning somewhere around 75% maybe, and beginning to express its attitude to me in very direct ways. Habitat usually builds a short work day into the schedule for Day 4, with perhaps a little cultural activity in the afternoon (town museum, the dreaded orphanage visit, or something like that.) When we raised this possibility with the team on Tuesday, several said "no, I came to work." We did, so we did. A full day. And very, very quiet riding back.

Day 5: another full work day for us. Mid-morning, a team member comes to me and says "is it 12:30 yet?" (the time our lunch comes.) In the afternoon, another comes, asks me the time (2:30) and says "I can't believe it's only that late!" And I think to myself, yes, Habitat knows what they are doing when they schedule a shorter day once during the week. We simply aren't accustomed to doing physical work all day for days in a row.

So I had our bus come pick us up about a 1/2 hour early. No one complained. And Saturday is always a half day of work, since local people really don't want to work on their weekend. And so our bodies recover, a little, during the weekend. And we're much better able to return for more work the following week.

I think of mold as soft and moist. Something that wipes off with a rag, perhaps wet with some anti-mold solution. Began preparing another one of the bedrooms for painting. There had been a leak in the roof above it at some point, and there was mold on the ceiling and walls under the leak. First task was to scrape the mold off, removing all of the loose material. Very easy, very satisfying, very messy (hard on the hair/eyes/body, but very washable.) But there's still a gray tinge on the (formerly) white walls. Hardened mold (which I would have thought was an oxymoron.) Must be removed, this time with a sharper paint scraper and lots of force, repetitively applied. On a ladder, reaching above one's head at times. Satisfying when it comes, essential to be removed, and I'm glad to say that it is finished. Others spackled the cracks, ready for sanding, priming and finish coat over the next few days.

Figured out today that our goal is to have 4 bedrooms completely done, including cleaning and furniture, by when we leave. We're doing other things, too--endless windows, some demolition, etc.--but it's the bedrooms that will "show"--to the donors, to us, etc. We should be able to do that.

Off to Castorama on the way to the site today. Bought an electric sander, "which can be hooked up to the shop vac so the dust won't blow." Connection doesn't fit. "Use some tape." Tape holds for 1 swing. Jim fiddles and fiddles with it (he's an orthodontist by profession, so is very meticulous and particular.) Finally, says "here", leaves for the other room...and I sand happily (and messily) without connection to the shop vac. Don't ask about the color or texture of what's coming out of my nose. But the sander works very, very well. And quickly (not counting the time spent trying to connect it to the shop vac unsuccessfully.)

There are 50+ windows in the building. Each consists of 4 separate parts that open, and each has a double set of windows (for better insulation.) All are metal frame, painted many times, including the hardware on them. So that makes lots and lots of scraping opportunities. For reasons I don't know, we are to not only scrape off the loose paint (makes sense) but also scrape all the paint off the hardware (much more difficult and meticulous.) But we do what we are told. And have endless opportunities to hone our skills.

On the way back today, stopped at the Habitat village, home to 8 8-flats built over the last 17 years. Very, very impressive. Both the design and the construction. All appear to be in wonderful condition, with obvious pride of ownership evident.

And now it's our weekend. No more construction until Monday. Instead, we'll travel to Auschwitz where we'll tour the camps. This will be exhausting in a very different way.