Last weekend was International Workday 2002 for Pi Kappa Alpha. As such, we (about 118 Brothers, girlfriends, parents, and alumni) worked on a dozen projects around the House. Various groups did everything from cleaning abandoned buildings to raising a pole barn. (No, not razing, though we’ll get to do some of that to the old garage once the barn is complete.) It was a perfect Saturday for outdoor projects: mid-forties and sunny. Such weather was in stark contrast to the previous night, when a bunch of Brothers (including myself) were setting the pole barn posts in the midst of a raging thunderstorm. Needless to say, it was a welcome change.

I spent the first part of the day priming the inside of our gym, in preparation for eventual repainting. After a brief lunch break, I switched to driving a scissors lift and putting up the roof trusses on the barn. It was great fun; I can’t wait to see it complete! Alex Lo took quite a few photos of the event; look closely and you might catch a glimpse of me.

Today I woke up early and planted trees around Terre Haute, in the annual Trees Inc. Adopt-a-Street Tree Canopy program. Our chapter has a tradition of participating in the program that goes back many years. I helped plant five hardwood tress with two Tri-Delt members and a husband and wife team. It was a much better use of a Saturday than sleeping till noon.