I woke up at 6:30, much earlier than usual, and as I sat on the can, Andrew walked in chirpily and I glared and bitched at him: "What the fuck did you sign me up for?"
We spent today - along with a few of his colleagues - volunteering for a house build for Habitat for Humanity. My mood - foul from having to get up early - was worsened by the yucky rain. But by the end of the 7-hour day, I came out feeling great and with a bigger appreciation for the hard work that goes into a house.
We weren't entrusted with major jobs - just cutting/installing baseboards and door frames. But it was so much fun whipping out the tape measure, playing with the power saw/router and just letting out steam in a productive way with the nail gun ("Take that, you passive aggressive shithead!").
I'm not a handy person. In Grade 7, woodshop was the bane of my existence and the one class that puked on my report card. The teacher took pity on my pathetic ass and gave me a sympathy pass for this half-finished, decrepit-looking CD shelf that now serves as a plant stand in my living room. I'm just glad I survived with all 10 fingers in tact.
But today, I gained new skills and confidence - and an appreciation for working with my hands, feet and heart.
