Guess who successfully gave an entire donation of blood today?! If you said either Erica OR Bradley, you'd be right the eff on.
No pictures this time, but a quick story:
When I was in the screening booth, I mentioned that I always have trouble giving blood. The nurse looked me in the ey and said, "This time it's going to work out."
I've never met this nurse before, and she said it so certainly. She took my iron, which was higher than it's ever been before (46). My pulse was fine. My temperature-- normally low-- was fine. My blood pressure was fine. So far so good.
Then I went over to the donation station and the nurse there was busy, so Mystery Nurse came over to help me. She asked me which arm I wanted, and for once I was thinking and asked her to check before we tried and failed. She found a small vein in my left arm but found a better candidate in my right, so she set me up.
Annnnnnd, BOOM.
Needle in.
First try.
Painless.
Whaaaaaat?! Another nurse monitored me for the rest of the time and only had to adjust my arm once. I gave a full donation in record (for me) time. No bruise! Hardly a mark at all!
I practically floated out of that office.
Bradley naturally rocked his donation too. I always hope that I don't downplay his donation just because it comes easier for him. As always, I am incredibly proud of him and his philanthropy.
This was our last donation for the year. I need to go back and count up how many times we gave this year. Also, we're not stopping just because the Year of Philanthropy is coming to a close-- our next donation is in January. I'm sure at least that part of this blog will continue past the end of the year. ;)
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Surprise from Hoxworth?!
I was completely befuddled when I checked my snail mail today... I had a small package from Hoxworth.
I had no idea what it could be. Bradley of course runs in and says, "Did you get your gallon pin?!"
How does he always know everything? I did not know this was a thing!
I am bouncing off the flippin' walls here. Have I really given a gallon of blood? With all the drama and tribulation?! And I now have a gorgeous little pin to show off?
This is me, trying to look like a proud American. How'm I doing?
By the way... can I just rename this thing the Blood Blog and be done with it?
I had no idea what it could be. Bradley of course runs in and says, "Did you get your gallon pin?!"How does he always know everything? I did not know this was a thing!
I am bouncing off the flippin' walls here. Have I really given a gallon of blood? With all the drama and tribulation?! And I now have a gorgeous little pin to show off?
This is me, trying to look like a proud American. How'm I doing?
By the way... can I just rename this thing the Blood Blog and be done with it?
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Bloody Proud
This blog is difficult for me to write. (Obviously.) As I've stated before, the big problem is that I feel bad writing about all the little things I do that I mean to be philanthropic. It makes them feel cheaper... like I'm doing them to write about.
BUT.
When I give blood, all bets are off.
It feels different when I give blood, because it's so freaking DIFFICULT for me. Like, by the end of it I have really earned the right to say HEY! I did a good thing for someone and it really hurt but it was totally worth it!
Today's was almost easy for me! First off, Bradley and I were a bit behind schedule because when we were supposed to give blood, we both had colds. We can still fit one more donation in before the end of the year though.
My iron count was commendable! My blood sugar was stable! I drank so much water that... are you ready?... they found a vein the first time, like it was no problem!
And then, because it's me, it had to go wrong.
My blood doesn't flow very fast, apparently. And my vein is also picky. This is a word that the nurse used. Picky. My goddang vein is picky.
For those of you who don't give blood, the nurse typically sets it and forgets it. Needle in, doop-dee-doo, needle out. My poor nurse had to stand there, one eye on my blood bag and one eye on my arm, moving the needle around my vein. (I'm about to ralph/pass out/ralph just thinking about this.)
They brought out the scale and finally had enough blood to unhook me. I think. They weren't really clear on if they ended up getting enough blood but I am counting this as a victory.
Bradley, of course, was a complete trooper and gave a full donation with absolutely zero upset. But that does not mean that I am not completely proud and excited for him. Together we give more than I could ever give alone, and even if they can't use me at all (like other times), Bradley saves lives like a champ.
BUT.
When I give blood, all bets are off.
It feels different when I give blood, because it's so freaking DIFFICULT for me. Like, by the end of it I have really earned the right to say HEY! I did a good thing for someone and it really hurt but it was totally worth it!
Today's was almost easy for me! First off, Bradley and I were a bit behind schedule because when we were supposed to give blood, we both had colds. We can still fit one more donation in before the end of the year though.
My iron count was commendable! My blood sugar was stable! I drank so much water that... are you ready?... they found a vein the first time, like it was no problem!
And then, because it's me, it had to go wrong.
My blood doesn't flow very fast, apparently. And my vein is also picky. This is a word that the nurse used. Picky. My goddang vein is picky.
For those of you who don't give blood, the nurse typically sets it and forgets it. Needle in, doop-dee-doo, needle out. My poor nurse had to stand there, one eye on my blood bag and one eye on my arm, moving the needle around my vein. (I'm about to ralph/pass out/ralph just thinking about this.)
They brought out the scale and finally had enough blood to unhook me. I think. They weren't really clear on if they ended up getting enough blood but I am counting this as a victory.
Bradley, of course, was a complete trooper and gave a full donation with absolutely zero upset. But that does not mean that I am not completely proud and excited for him. Together we give more than I could ever give alone, and even if they can't use me at all (like other times), Bradley saves lives like a champ.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Happy 80th, Busken
Brought a dozen glazed doughnuts into the office today, just because I love my workplace and I'm not always a ray of sunshine. They were devoured within minutes.
Yes, that $10 could have been better spent, but this is the kind of philanthropy I most enjoy.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
And over, and over, and over, and over, and over... and over again!
Just for fun, here's a picture of the bruise that the nurse at Hoxworth said I probably wouldn't get. Eek. That was taken a week and a half after my last botched donation.But I'm not here to complain: in fact, I am here to exalt in some philanthropy in which I was on the receiving end. My friend Andy-- whom I met at a Weird Al concert and we have been fast friends ever since-- gave me four tickets in the sixth row for the Weird Al concert in Columbus tonight. He was unable to use the tickets for reasons that are none of my business and refused to take a dime for them. Even paid to have them overnighted.
If I blogged about every time a friend or family member did something awesome for me... well, you'd certainly hear from me more than the once a month I'm averaging now. But this was particularly touching to me and I wanted to say thank you to Andy. Bradley and I are on our way to Columbus in about ten minutes...
P.S. Name the song that this post's title comes from.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Blood Donation
Ohhhhhhhhhhmygod.
The quick version, in case that's all that you're here for: Bradley made a successful, full donation and I am proud of him. I, on the other hand, made only a partial donation, which in itself was fraught with complications. Read on if you want details! If not, stop here and maybe comment to congratulate sir Bradley.
So! The first complication, which was a minor one, was that Hoxworth Anderson was not open on this particular Saturday... which, if you've been playing along at home, is our very first day of eligibility to donate again. But I knew that Bradley was rarin' to git, so I made an appointment at Hoxworth Tri-County. It's about half an hour out of the way but worth it.
The sign-in process went flawlessly (and at this point I'm just talking about my experience, because Bradley was behind me in line). Temperature? Low, but normal for me. Blood pressure? Good. Pulse? Check. Iron? Rock steady, fools. Didn't even flinch at the little needle thing. Let's get crankin'.
Unfortunately, at this point in my tale I am paired with the worse possible nurse for me-- not a bad nurse, please don't think that I am saying she is a bad nurse, but we were a horrible match and I'll tell you why.
I decided to start with my left arm. Why? Because I still have needle marks there from last time so it had to have worked at some point, right? She sits me down and I inform her in no uncertain terms that I just don't want to look at what's going on or talk about it. Whatever you gotta do, do it, and let me know when it's over.
But that's all she can talk about. And when the needle isn't successful the first time, I get to hear all about it in insensitive detail, up to the point when she said, and I quote, "Every time I try to stab it, it wiggles around."
(Sorry, had to pause, just got squeamish again.)
At this point I ask her politely to please, please not say things like that. I am more than happy to try the other arm if she thinks it's a lost cause, but please please leave me out of hearing about my veins "wiggling."
But she thinks she can do it and she pulls another nurse over and together they collapse my vein. And it hurts, and that's fine, and they bandage it, and I'm over it, and I'm ready to move on to the other arm. They check with me a hundred times to make sure I'm okay (I tend to get pale during this process, especially when they won't stop talking about it), and I assure them that they can just do it already.
So they strap down my other arm or whatever they do (I have vague notions and I know what a tourniquet feels like), and the nurse is poking and poking with her finger, and telling me to squeeze or not squeeze or squeeze harder or just generally do the opposite of whatever I am doing, and meanwhile she keeps talking about what's happening and I am trying so hard to block her out. And she gets it! Spot on!
And then she mentions that "man, it's racing out of there." At which point I go pale again, but it's too late to stop her, and she keeps talking. Now I'd like to mention that there is nothing I can focus on at the time: there is no TV, I am facing two people in apheresis machines, to the right of me is my own pulsing arm, and to the left of me is Bradley's pulsing arm. There is nothing to distract me, no direction I can look to tune out.
Finally, probably 45ish hours later, she yells across the room that my blood is too slow and she doesn't think they're going to get a full donation and etc etc etc and how every time she tries to adjust the needle, I flinch like it hurts. (Yes, I can hear you, and yes, it hurts!) Other nurse comes over and moves the needle around (gawwwwd it hurts) and meanwhile they keep talking about it and I am slowly losing it.
And that's when I feel my face go hot, which for me usually means The End. And I say words I never ever want to say: "Please, can we just stop this? I don't feel well."
Which in nurse terms means that I am about to pass out (though I'm not), so my nurse is yelling across the room that I need cold towels and she flips some button that makes my chair fully recline and she is trying to get the needle out of my arm and it is finally Too Much For Me.
So I cry.
I cry because:
A) I want to badly to just do this right,
B) My arms-- both of them-- hurt pretty badly
C) No less than six people are watching me fail fail fail
D) I am overwhelmed by all the things I've been hearing
E) I have been trying not to cry and that makes it worse.
A nurse brings me an orange juice, which I cannot drink because both of my arms are bandaged at the joints so I can't bend them.
I finally stabilize enough to get out of my chair and I go to the little snack station where Bradley is and I cry all over again. And I swipe a donation sticker because no one gave me one. And then I try to leave and they don't want to let me because I'm crying and I leave anyway. And I get in the car and, still bawling, tell Bradley everything that happened and he sympathizes and then I'm fine again.
So that sucked.
Like I said, please don't think she was a bad nurse. She just couldn't adhere to the one rule I tried to lay out... the one thing that gets me through this (pretending that it isn't happening, haha).
And as a punishment for being weak and veinless, besides this huge crying jag, I have two incredibly sore arms and very little philanthropy to show for it. Oh, and an entire Hoxworth full of people who think I'm a mental case.
Here's to the next 8 weeks!
The quick version, in case that's all that you're here for: Bradley made a successful, full donation and I am proud of him. I, on the other hand, made only a partial donation, which in itself was fraught with complications. Read on if you want details! If not, stop here and maybe comment to congratulate sir Bradley.
So! The first complication, which was a minor one, was that Hoxworth Anderson was not open on this particular Saturday... which, if you've been playing along at home, is our very first day of eligibility to donate again. But I knew that Bradley was rarin' to git, so I made an appointment at Hoxworth Tri-County. It's about half an hour out of the way but worth it.The sign-in process went flawlessly (and at this point I'm just talking about my experience, because Bradley was behind me in line). Temperature? Low, but normal for me. Blood pressure? Good. Pulse? Check. Iron? Rock steady, fools. Didn't even flinch at the little needle thing. Let's get crankin'.
Unfortunately, at this point in my tale I am paired with the worse possible nurse for me-- not a bad nurse, please don't think that I am saying she is a bad nurse, but we were a horrible match and I'll tell you why.
I decided to start with my left arm. Why? Because I still have needle marks there from last time so it had to have worked at some point, right? She sits me down and I inform her in no uncertain terms that I just don't want to look at what's going on or talk about it. Whatever you gotta do, do it, and let me know when it's over.
But that's all she can talk about. And when the needle isn't successful the first time, I get to hear all about it in insensitive detail, up to the point when she said, and I quote, "Every time I try to stab it, it wiggles around."
(Sorry, had to pause, just got squeamish again.)
At this point I ask her politely to please, please not say things like that. I am more than happy to try the other arm if she thinks it's a lost cause, but please please leave me out of hearing about my veins "wiggling."
But she thinks she can do it and she pulls another nurse over and together they collapse my vein. And it hurts, and that's fine, and they bandage it, and I'm over it, and I'm ready to move on to the other arm. They check with me a hundred times to make sure I'm okay (I tend to get pale during this process, especially when they won't stop talking about it), and I assure them that they can just do it already.
So they strap down my other arm or whatever they do (I have vague notions and I know what a tourniquet feels like), and the nurse is poking and poking with her finger, and telling me to squeeze or not squeeze or squeeze harder or just generally do the opposite of whatever I am doing, and meanwhile she keeps talking about what's happening and I am trying so hard to block her out. And she gets it! Spot on!
And then she mentions that "man, it's racing out of there." At which point I go pale again, but it's too late to stop her, and she keeps talking. Now I'd like to mention that there is nothing I can focus on at the time: there is no TV, I am facing two people in apheresis machines, to the right of me is my own pulsing arm, and to the left of me is Bradley's pulsing arm. There is nothing to distract me, no direction I can look to tune out.
Finally, probably 45ish hours later, she yells across the room that my blood is too slow and she doesn't think they're going to get a full donation and etc etc etc and how every time she tries to adjust the needle, I flinch like it hurts. (Yes, I can hear you, and yes, it hurts!) Other nurse comes over and moves the needle around (gawwwwd it hurts) and meanwhile they keep talking about it and I am slowly losing it.
And that's when I feel my face go hot, which for me usually means The End. And I say words I never ever want to say: "Please, can we just stop this? I don't feel well."
Which in nurse terms means that I am about to pass out (though I'm not), so my nurse is yelling across the room that I need cold towels and she flips some button that makes my chair fully recline and she is trying to get the needle out of my arm and it is finally Too Much For Me.
So I cry.
I cry because:
A) I want to badly to just do this right,
B) My arms-- both of them-- hurt pretty badly
C) No less than six people are watching me fail fail fail
D) I am overwhelmed by all the things I've been hearing
E) I have been trying not to cry and that makes it worse.
A nurse brings me an orange juice, which I cannot drink because both of my arms are bandaged at the joints so I can't bend them.
I finally stabilize enough to get out of my chair and I go to the little snack station where Bradley is and I cry all over again. And I swipe a donation sticker because no one gave me one. And then I try to leave and they don't want to let me because I'm crying and I leave anyway. And I get in the car and, still bawling, tell Bradley everything that happened and he sympathizes and then I'm fine again.
So that sucked.
Like I said, please don't think she was a bad nurse. She just couldn't adhere to the one rule I tried to lay out... the one thing that gets me through this (pretending that it isn't happening, haha).
And as a punishment for being weak and veinless, besides this huge crying jag, I have two incredibly sore arms and very little philanthropy to show for it. Oh, and an entire Hoxworth full of people who think I'm a mental case.
Here's to the next 8 weeks!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Attempted (read: failed) philanthropy
So, a bummer:
A week or so ago, I found out that some people in my area were getting together to put together a bake sale. The money would to toward Obama's campaign, and I thought this was the perfect opportunity to jump into YoP action! Because if you haven't picked it up by now, I love me some Barack Obama.
I got in touch with a woman who was really put together... the kind of person who leaves perfect voicemails with the phone number clearly stated at the beginning and end. Awesome. And Bradley was pumped up, and I was going to bake my special Splookies (cookies made with Splenda instead of sugar) and all would be delightful.
In one of her voicemails, the aforementioned woman mentioned that it might also help to bring something like lemonade because so many people had already signed up to bring baked goods. This ended up working perfectly for me when, on the night before the bake sale, my dad left a plastic-handled knife in the oven and I cooked it. I decided to pick up some absolutely succulent Chik-Fil-A lemonade in the morning instead of bringing cookies that tasted of plastic fumes.
Saturday, the day of the bake sale, everything went according to plan. I somehow wedged myself out of bed before the crack of noon (it's my Saturday tradition), shower up, and swing by Chick-Fil-A to get a gallon of iced tea and a gallon of lemonade. Just so you know, in case this comes up in your future... a gallon of iced tea is about $4. A gallon of lemonade is closer to $9.
So Bradley and I drive all over Beechmont looking for the bake salers, finally locating them in front of a small grocer's right off of Beechmont Avenue. Here's where things take a turn for the weird...
We approach the table carrying mounds of cups and our gallon jugs. We are all smiles as we approach the table... and no one really looks at us. Bradley and I cast each other glances and I say something inane like "We brought the lemonade!" One guy at the end of the table says unsurely that "You can probably set up here," and clears us a little space on the table. I set up the cups and notice that no one else has given me the time of day yet. Bradley doesn't even have room to stand by me and is kind of awkwardly just pacing around the side of the table.
So I try to make people talk to me. "Um. So! I don't know how much to charge for the lemonade." The woman at my side (there were probably four people there, selling) just shrugged. The guy, still the only one even trying to be helpful, says "Well I'll give you $1 for a cup right now." I thank my stars that I have something to do with my hands for a minute and I pour him a cup; he accepts it and disappears.
There are probably five more minutes of awkward standing around while I try to think of something to say or do here. I tell the woman next to me that I made a dollar; is there a communal till where I can put it?
WOMAN: What would you like?
ME: I sold some lemonade. Just not sure what to do with the money.
WOMAN: Is there something I can box up for you?
ME: ...No. I made a dollar. I sold some lemonade.
WOMAN: Oh! I thought you brought the lemonade.
ME: *stares*
At this point I am completely confused and still no one is talking to me. I am not sure how to combat this. Suddenly I hear through the grapevine that we are being asked to leave; we don't have permission to sell here, and we have to relocate. I ask where we are going, and no one responds as they all pack up their stuff. In their defense maybe no one knew where we were going, but I felt so outcast by then that I was over it. I gave Bradley a look-- he was still lingering by himself on the sidewalk-- and he gave me what I took to be nonverbal permission to bail. I gathered up the 95% full gallons and headed to my car. We drove home.
Basically, I spent $14 and made $1 for Obama's campaign. I met no new people, I had a miserable time, and I have a bad taste in my mouth. Thank gawd I didn't bake my fabulous cookies.
Since then, the organizer woman (who I believe was not at the table at the time, though I wouldn't know because no one introduced themselves even when I tried to tell them my name), called me later. She did not know that I had been there and left a very sweet message apologizing and telling me what had happened (about it being canceled because they had to leave, and she thought she had permission but not from the right person, etc). I am fairly certain that if she had been there things would have been different... someone would have at least said hello to me when I walked up carrying gallons of liquid for pete's sake.
And the saddest part is that I was rarin' to go, to get a good bit of philanthropy under my belt for a cause I truly believe in. I'm sure there will be more events like this in the near future but I know I'll hesitate next time (especially when it involves waking up on a Saturday, haha).
A week or so ago, I found out that some people in my area were getting together to put together a bake sale. The money would to toward Obama's campaign, and I thought this was the perfect opportunity to jump into YoP action! Because if you haven't picked it up by now, I love me some Barack Obama.
I got in touch with a woman who was really put together... the kind of person who leaves perfect voicemails with the phone number clearly stated at the beginning and end. Awesome. And Bradley was pumped up, and I was going to bake my special Splookies (cookies made with Splenda instead of sugar) and all would be delightful.
In one of her voicemails, the aforementioned woman mentioned that it might also help to bring something like lemonade because so many people had already signed up to bring baked goods. This ended up working perfectly for me when, on the night before the bake sale, my dad left a plastic-handled knife in the oven and I cooked it. I decided to pick up some absolutely succulent Chik-Fil-A lemonade in the morning instead of bringing cookies that tasted of plastic fumes.
Saturday, the day of the bake sale, everything went according to plan. I somehow wedged myself out of bed before the crack of noon (it's my Saturday tradition), shower up, and swing by Chick-Fil-A to get a gallon of iced tea and a gallon of lemonade. Just so you know, in case this comes up in your future... a gallon of iced tea is about $4. A gallon of lemonade is closer to $9.
So Bradley and I drive all over Beechmont looking for the bake salers, finally locating them in front of a small grocer's right off of Beechmont Avenue. Here's where things take a turn for the weird...
We approach the table carrying mounds of cups and our gallon jugs. We are all smiles as we approach the table... and no one really looks at us. Bradley and I cast each other glances and I say something inane like "We brought the lemonade!" One guy at the end of the table says unsurely that "You can probably set up here," and clears us a little space on the table. I set up the cups and notice that no one else has given me the time of day yet. Bradley doesn't even have room to stand by me and is kind of awkwardly just pacing around the side of the table.
So I try to make people talk to me. "Um. So! I don't know how much to charge for the lemonade." The woman at my side (there were probably four people there, selling) just shrugged. The guy, still the only one even trying to be helpful, says "Well I'll give you $1 for a cup right now." I thank my stars that I have something to do with my hands for a minute and I pour him a cup; he accepts it and disappears.
There are probably five more minutes of awkward standing around while I try to think of something to say or do here. I tell the woman next to me that I made a dollar; is there a communal till where I can put it?
WOMAN: What would you like?
ME: I sold some lemonade. Just not sure what to do with the money.
WOMAN: Is there something I can box up for you?
ME: ...No. I made a dollar. I sold some lemonade.
WOMAN: Oh! I thought you brought the lemonade.
ME: *stares*
At this point I am completely confused and still no one is talking to me. I am not sure how to combat this. Suddenly I hear through the grapevine that we are being asked to leave; we don't have permission to sell here, and we have to relocate. I ask where we are going, and no one responds as they all pack up their stuff. In their defense maybe no one knew where we were going, but I felt so outcast by then that I was over it. I gave Bradley a look-- he was still lingering by himself on the sidewalk-- and he gave me what I took to be nonverbal permission to bail. I gathered up the 95% full gallons and headed to my car. We drove home.
Basically, I spent $14 and made $1 for Obama's campaign. I met no new people, I had a miserable time, and I have a bad taste in my mouth. Thank gawd I didn't bake my fabulous cookies.
Since then, the organizer woman (who I believe was not at the table at the time, though I wouldn't know because no one introduced themselves even when I tried to tell them my name), called me later. She did not know that I had been there and left a very sweet message apologizing and telling me what had happened (about it being canceled because they had to leave, and she thought she had permission but not from the right person, etc). I am fairly certain that if she had been there things would have been different... someone would have at least said hello to me when I walked up carrying gallons of liquid for pete's sake.
And the saddest part is that I was rarin' to go, to get a good bit of philanthropy under my belt for a cause I truly believe in. I'm sure there will be more events like this in the near future but I know I'll hesitate next time (especially when it involves waking up on a Saturday, haha).
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Donor roll?
That title was supposed to be a play on "honor roll" but it doesn't pronounce right. I'm like 1 for 3 right now.
Anyway, I know I'm being a little inconsistent with my blogging here, but I just noticed that Bradley and I are 2 weeks away from our next blood donation and I was wondering if anyone who reads this was also thinking about donating at that time. Like maybe you haven't in a couple of months, or maybe you haven't ever and you're just looking for someone to ask you to do it? I'm asking.
It's not much of a milestone but it will roughly mark the end of six months... half of a Year of Philanthropy. And if I am successful in my donation it'll be awesome because my brother Ryan challenged me to give as much blood as I can this year, and by donating every eight weeks I'm doing exactly that.
Can you believe it's been sixish months? Any takers on the bloooood challenge? No pressure, just thought I'd put it out there. :D
Anyway, I know I'm being a little inconsistent with my blogging here, but I just noticed that Bradley and I are 2 weeks away from our next blood donation and I was wondering if anyone who reads this was also thinking about donating at that time. Like maybe you haven't in a couple of months, or maybe you haven't ever and you're just looking for someone to ask you to do it? I'm asking.
It's not much of a milestone but it will roughly mark the end of six months... half of a Year of Philanthropy. And if I am successful in my donation it'll be awesome because my brother Ryan challenged me to give as much blood as I can this year, and by donating every eight weeks I'm doing exactly that.
Can you believe it's been sixish months? Any takers on the bloooood challenge? No pressure, just thought I'd put it out there. :D
Postlay
Alright, "Postlay" was supposed to be the counter to "Prelay," but it ended up sounding like something else altogether. ;) At any rate, I'm home and rested after a fun night at Relay for Life.
Bradley and I only ended up spending around 3 hours there, from about 11pm to 2am. I had hoped to stay longer but I was zonked, and needed to be awake enough for the 45-minute drive home. But in those 3 hours I had a great time talking with my friend Kate, her brother Nick, and of course my constant companion The Bradster.
We were disappointed to find that the event had been moved indoors-- if you've ever been to a Relay, you know that there's a very unique experience tied to being outdoors all night, having hundreds of people circle you on the track as you watch the stars or cut the heck out of your fingers in a forzen t-shirt contest.
When Kate called to say that the event would be moved to the Harrison High School Activity Center I was hoping that the same energy and unique experience would still be there, but I have to say it wasn't. All of the fun and games, instead of happening in the nucleus of an outdoor track, took place in some room out in the lobby. Instead of pitching tents all across the field, people slept on the hard floor on sleeping bags, or in camp chairs pulled into a remote corner. And most depressingly, by the time Bradley and I left at 2, there were only a handful of people still walking the track. There were still 10 hours to go! Last year was pretty miserable by noon but there were still probably 2 dozen people sticking it out. I don't know if there was anyone at the resolution today, but some part of me kind of doubts it. (In the end, it didn't even rain.)
But! We still had a great time and it was fantastic to meet up with Kate again (and meet her hermano). If I find out how much the event raised for cancer research I will let you know-- I'd bet they pulled in a lot of money, because there were some fantastic vendors there with all kinds of delicious foods and creative raffles. Not to mention the necessary Miss Relay contest...
And as if this post weren't scrolling quite long enough yet, here are two quick videos that I took during the walk. The first: Bradley on his third lap. The second: an impromptu dance to "Only the Good Die Young," which is an entirely inappropriate song to be playing at a cancer vigil.
Bradley and I only ended up spending around 3 hours there, from about 11pm to 2am. I had hoped to stay longer but I was zonked, and needed to be awake enough for the 45-minute drive home. But in those 3 hours I had a great time talking with my friend Kate, her brother Nick, and of course my constant companion The Bradster.We were disappointed to find that the event had been moved indoors-- if you've ever been to a Relay, you know that there's a very unique experience tied to being outdoors all night, having hundreds of people circle you on the track as you watch the stars or cut the heck out of your fingers in a forzen t-shirt contest.
When Kate called to say that the event would be moved to the Harrison High School Activity Center I was hoping that the same energy and unique experience would still be there, but I have to say it wasn't. All of the fun and games, instead of happening in the nucleus of an outdoor track, took place in some room out in the lobby. Instead of pitching tents all across the field, people slept on the hard floor on sleeping bags, or in camp chairs pulled into a remote corner. And most depressingly, by the time Bradley and I left at 2, there were only a handful of people still walking the track. There were still 10 hours to go! Last year was pretty miserable by noon but there were still probably 2 dozen people sticking it out. I don't know if there was anyone at the resolution today, but some part of me kind of doubts it. (In the end, it didn't even rain.)
But! We still had a great time and it was fantastic to meet up with Kate again (and meet her hermano). If I find out how much the event raised for cancer research I will let you know-- I'd bet they pulled in a lot of money, because there were some fantastic vendors there with all kinds of delicious foods and creative raffles. Not to mention the necessary Miss Relay contest...
And as if this post weren't scrolling quite long enough yet, here are two quick videos that I took during the walk. The first: Bradley on his third lap. The second: an impromptu dance to "Only the Good Die Young," which is an entirely inappropriate song to be playing at a cancer vigil.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Prelay
It's Friday, June 13th, which means it's pre-Relay for Life... or Prelay! *beam*
Relay for Life is a 16-hour vigil/walk to raise money for cancer research. I've done it for years now in various capacities: in college as an improviser (the events have tons of entertainment like bands, contests and magic shows), then afterwards as improv, as support, and eventually as ringleader for a company team.
This year I'm not wrangling coworkers, but my friend Kate is heading up a team so Bradley and I will be spending a few hours with her tonight. I'll give you more stories tomorrow, but for now enjoy these pictures from last year.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Donation!
I have been listening to WVXU (my local NPR member station) for about a year now. Before WVXU I often listened to nothing in the car.
Now, I'm not sure how I would survive without the station. That is where I get my news-- I do not watch news on television (no cable, and I am not watching local news if I can avoid it), and I do not read the news on the web (I get about 60 items per hour through my feed reader, so I don't need any more). As a direct result of WVXU I have become more political, more aware, more interested, more broadly horizon'd.
They're currently in pledge drive mode, and today was Two-Hour Tuesday. Apparently what this means is that they have two hours (8-10am) where if they make $x, they will stop fundraising for the entire day. Say whaaaaa?
But I'm broke, which has been my defense on this blog as to why I haven't made any philanthropic donations this year. Just as I was getting out of my car this morning, Maryanne Zeleznik said these words: "It doesn't matter if it's $25 or $250... every bit helps."
So I rushed into work, logged on, and spent two minutes and $25. That's what I can afford this time around... maybe during the next pledge drive I can contribute a little bit more.
*hugs her little piece of NPR*
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Dump
Lewis gave me a bit of a guilt trip about blogging here. ;) And though I don't expect you to take my word for it, I am not a lazy blogger-- the fact of the matter is, I've been having an unexpectedly hard time with this project and specifically blogging about it. Whenever I do some random act of kindness, I really feel like I would be canceling it out by posting it here. Isn't philanthropy about doing something good without the "hey, look at me" factor? It's something I didn't really consider before starting this project.
But I'm not quitting. I just won't be posting as much minutia as I would have predicted. And to get back on the right track, I finally got rid of my thrift store pile!
For months... and months... and months (well, since January 1st actually, so 4+ months) I have had a growing pile of items that I wanted to give to the Salvation Army. As time wore on the pile grew, and as the pile grew, my motivation to MOVE the pile dwindled. Imagine that. ;)
But my dad, who is one of the best examples of a caring and generous person that I could ever think of, mentioned off hand that he was headed to the Salvation Army to look for something. And dad has a truck. So I piled an entire hallway of stuff into the truck-- if you've ever seen an episode of Clean Sweep, it felt a little like that.
This is small potatoes, but anytime I can give up anything, it is a big deal to me. I am Queen Packrat of the Highest Order-- just ask anyone who knows me. In FACT, here's a bit of a conversation that happened this very morning, to help illustrate my point:
ME: (watching some kid's claymation show about a blue dragon)
DAD: Aw, he reminds me of this little stuffed dragon that you had when you were little.
ME: (running upstairs, returning with the dragon)
DAD: I cannot believe you still have that.
ME: Dad. It's me.
DAD: ...Good point. Not really surprising at all.
And what's interesting to note about this point isn't that I have junk from my pre-walking years, but that I know where all the stuff is. Things, and memories associated with those things, are incredible and tangibly important to me, but I am not the girl with boxes of photos that she has never really looked at. I am the girl with tons of boxes of photos who would notice if a photograph went missing.
Anyway, blah blah blah, enough about me. The point is, I worked really hard to get rid of Stuff. There are tons of clothes in that pile, some of which I still love but never wear. There are more toys from my childhood, knickknacks from around my room, blank journals (*pain*), etc etc etc. And they will make someone very happy. And the Salvation Army, who has supplied me with so many awesome artifacts that god knows I will lug around for the rest of my life (see Catfish Purse, below), will make some money with my Stuff and keep people employed and probably start some crusade against homosexuality that I will eventually have to acknowledge.
But I'm not quitting. I just won't be posting as much minutia as I would have predicted. And to get back on the right track, I finally got rid of my thrift store pile!
For months... and months... and months (well, since January 1st actually, so 4+ months) I have had a growing pile of items that I wanted to give to the Salvation Army. As time wore on the pile grew, and as the pile grew, my motivation to MOVE the pile dwindled. Imagine that. ;)But my dad, who is one of the best examples of a caring and generous person that I could ever think of, mentioned off hand that he was headed to the Salvation Army to look for something. And dad has a truck. So I piled an entire hallway of stuff into the truck-- if you've ever seen an episode of Clean Sweep, it felt a little like that.
This is small potatoes, but anytime I can give up anything, it is a big deal to me. I am Queen Packrat of the Highest Order-- just ask anyone who knows me. In FACT, here's a bit of a conversation that happened this very morning, to help illustrate my point:
ME: (watching some kid's claymation show about a blue dragon)
DAD: Aw, he reminds me of this little stuffed dragon that you had when you were little.
ME: (running upstairs, returning with the dragon)
DAD: I cannot believe you still have that.
ME: Dad. It's me.
DAD: ...Good point. Not really surprising at all.
And what's interesting to note about this point isn't that I have junk from my pre-walking years, but that I know where all the stuff is. Things, and memories associated with those things, are incredible and tangibly important to me, but I am not the girl with boxes of photos that she has never really looked at. I am the girl with tons of boxes of photos who would notice if a photograph went missing.
Anyway, blah blah blah, enough about me. The point is, I worked really hard to get rid of Stuff. There are tons of clothes in that pile, some of which I still love but never wear. There are more toys from my childhood, knickknacks from around my room, blank journals (*pain*), etc etc etc. And they will make someone very happy. And the Salvation Army, who has supplied me with so many awesome artifacts that god knows I will lug around for the rest of my life (see Catfish Purse, below), will make some money with my Stuff and keep people employed and probably start some crusade against homosexuality that I will eventually have to acknowledge.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
More blood from turnips
I know, I know. It's been a while. I have plenty to talk about but I've been out of time lately. Today, however: a mitzvah!
It has been eight weeks since I last donated blood, which means it's time again to bare the ol' arm. But this time I was not alone in my endeavor-- my brother Bradley has been old enough as of January, barely weighs enough, and has been excited to jump on the Year of Philanthropy train.
We've been prepping since yesterday... chugging water and taking iron and whatnot. On the drive to Hoxworth I gave Bradley the run-through of what to expect when we were there.
My appointment was a little earlier than his, so I went first... no problems in screening, even with iron. Yea! And when I got to The Chair, of course there were problems finding a vein. Of course there were. But they called in a woman nicknamed "Radar" who can supposedly always find a vein, and a few awkward squeezes and jabs later, I was all hooked up.
And here's where it gets funny: Bradley wasn't even hooked up until I was already in the middle of my donation, and still almost beat me to being finished. He has been taunting me all day with how he's a better blood donor than I am... but if you've been following this blog at all, you know I'm already the worst in the world anyway, so it pretty much rolled off my back.
So that is two successful blood donations today! And for myself, three this year! Next one should be at the end of June, but I'll make sure to post here before then. ;)
It has been eight weeks since I last donated blood, which means it's time again to bare the ol' arm. But this time I was not alone in my endeavor-- my brother Bradley has been old enough as of January, barely weighs enough, and has been excited to jump on the Year of Philanthropy train.
We've been prepping since yesterday... chugging water and taking iron and whatnot. On the drive to Hoxworth I gave Bradley the run-through of what to expect when we were there.
My appointment was a little earlier than his, so I went first... no problems in screening, even with iron. Yea! And when I got to The Chair, of course there were problems finding a vein. Of course there were. But they called in a woman nicknamed "Radar" who can supposedly always find a vein, and a few awkward squeezes and jabs later, I was all hooked up.
And here's where it gets funny: Bradley wasn't even hooked up until I was already in the middle of my donation, and still almost beat me to being finished. He has been taunting me all day with how he's a better blood donor than I am... but if you've been following this blog at all, you know I'm already the worst in the world anyway, so it pretty much rolled off my back.
So that is two successful blood donations today! And for myself, three this year! Next one should be at the end of June, but I'll make sure to post here before then. ;)
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Poll
I've been working really diligently on cleaning out my room. I am a major packrat and accumulate a lot of stuff, and now I have a sizable pile of great-quality, donate-able goods sitting outside my bedroom.
I figured that this weekend I would take it all to the Salvation Army, which I so frequently patronize. However, in the mail yesterday we received one of those "donate to the Vietnam vets" things. So, if anyone is reading this... where should my stuff go?
1. Salvation Army
2. Vietnam veterans
3. Divvy the stuff up
I figured that this weekend I would take it all to the Salvation Army, which I so frequently patronize. However, in the mail yesterday we received one of those "donate to the Vietnam vets" things. So, if anyone is reading this... where should my stuff go?
1. Salvation Army
2. Vietnam veterans
3. Divvy the stuff up
Monday, March 31, 2008
Earth Hour 2008 update
Thank you to everyone who supported Earth Hour 2008! (And, um, to a lesser extent... thanks to the people who sent me disparaging articles about how useless Earth Hour is. That's... awesome.)
I had planned on being at home on Saturday night, but I ended up driving to Columbus and spending time with friends. Those friends, however, were totally down the Earth Hour... they shut down all the computers in the house, all the lights and even their cell phones (we went a little nuts). We played Spades by candlelight for an hour and a half or so, before returning to our regularly scheduled energy-guzzling.
Thank you Jared, EricaB, Mark, Bradley and Bill (who was very confused when he came over around 8)... and to anyone who played along at home!
I had planned on being at home on Saturday night, but I ended up driving to Columbus and spending time with friends. Those friends, however, were totally down the Earth Hour... they shut down all the computers in the house, all the lights and even their cell phones (we went a little nuts). We played Spades by candlelight for an hour and a half or so, before returning to our regularly scheduled energy-guzzling.
Thank you Jared, EricaB, Mark, Bradley and Bill (who was very confused when he came over around 8)... and to anyone who played along at home!
Friday, March 28, 2008
Earth Hour 2008
I've been amiss with my posts lately, which is unlike me, and I apologize. Things are just a little hectic right now!
But I've been "supporting thrift stores" like crazy lately... which is to say, doing a lot of thrift store shopping. Salvation Army is still my fave, but I hit up Goodwill from time to time, too. And as much as I like the eclectic stuff I come home with, I really do think about the difference it makes to reuse things... these clothes aren't being trashed, they're finding a new home with me. I'm also supporting good causes through both S.A. and Goodwill.
This weekend won't see the giant post I was hoping for, but I do want to at least put the word out about Earth Hour 2008. The basic gist: everyone turns out their lights for one hour (8-9pm) as a statement about climate change. I was introduced to the project through my friend Krystan, and I gave her my word that when March 31st rolled around, I'd shut off my lights proudly.
I'll be out of town, so my friends have agreed to have a "candle party" with me... which is great, because it has suddenly gone from 2 people (me + my brother) to 5 or more people involved with Earth Hour.
Anyone else on board? It's a very simple endeavor...
But I've been "supporting thrift stores" like crazy lately... which is to say, doing a lot of thrift store shopping. Salvation Army is still my fave, but I hit up Goodwill from time to time, too. And as much as I like the eclectic stuff I come home with, I really do think about the difference it makes to reuse things... these clothes aren't being trashed, they're finding a new home with me. I'm also supporting good causes through both S.A. and Goodwill.
This weekend won't see the giant post I was hoping for, but I do want to at least put the word out about Earth Hour 2008. The basic gist: everyone turns out their lights for one hour (8-9pm) as a statement about climate change. I was introduced to the project through my friend Krystan, and I gave her my word that when March 31st rolled around, I'd shut off my lights proudly.
I'll be out of town, so my friends have agreed to have a "candle party" with me... which is great, because it has suddenly gone from 2 people (me + my brother) to 5 or more people involved with Earth Hour.
Anyone else on board? It's a very simple endeavor...
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Vote!
If you're in Ohio (or Texas... or Vermont or Rhode Island...), vote today!
It's not philanthropy so much as civil liberty/responsibility. But that's kind of a buzzkill, isn't it?
It's not philanthropy so much as civil liberty/responsibility. But that's kind of a buzzkill, isn't it?
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Another stab, continued
I DID IT!I'm on top of the world right now. The blow by blow (kinda graphic if you don't like needles):
--Last night, drank water like it was my job. It was getting ridiculous-- I was peeing every 15 minutes. Also took my iron, like I do every night at dinner.
--Today, starting the water thing all over again. Had a huge lunch. And more water.
--During the Hoxworth screening process, the thing that screens your blood (after the needle prick) beeped and I thought it was going to reject me. The nurse tried it again and it was fine... she even complimented my iron count. Hell yes!
--Then the real panic buttons start, because it's time for them to find a vein. The guy checks both arms and doesn't seem too confident... when he finally settles on my left arm, the vein works out immediately.
--15 minutes later he said I was done! That's it! No hematoma, no less-than-full donation, no collapsed vein. DONE! Full donation!
--Cut to Girl Scout cookies and orange juice.
I can't tell you how good this feels, especially after last run's partial failure. Yea, Year of Philanthropy!
Another stab
I'm on my way out the door to give blood. Can you believe it's been 8 weeks already since the last one?
I started chugging water yesterday, instead of waiting for this morning. (Last time that kept me from being able to give a full donation.) I drank so much water I wanted to yak, and I've kept it up since I woke up. I honestly can't see any difference in my arms... here's to hoping the nurses can find a vein this time.
I'm also up on my iron, so we should be good to go. Wish me luck.
I started chugging water yesterday, instead of waiting for this morning. (Last time that kept me from being able to give a full donation.) I drank so much water I wanted to yak, and I've kept it up since I woke up. I honestly can't see any difference in my arms... here's to hoping the nurses can find a vein this time.
I'm also up on my iron, so we should be good to go. Wish me luck.
Friday, February 22, 2008
What Goes Around
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about two Letters of Appreciation I sent out. One was answered by email that same night... the other I figured was ignored.
Until today, when we checked the mail and I had a form letter from Bic and a coupon for a free razor. This was an especially interesting turn of events because of this line from Bic's "Contact Us" form: Please note that BIC does not send out free samples or coupons.
Just a trick, I guess-- crap, am I letting a cat out of a bag?
And it's fortunate that it happened today, because I've been having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. (It wasn't THAT bad, but still.) It was such a mucky day by about noon that I specifically stopped into Murray Brothers and picked up some sugar-free candy for my diabetic grandmother. No reason, no holiday... just because it's the Year of Philanthropy, and I've been slacking lately.
I also picked up a Reese's Egg for my mom, because a) it's her favorite candy, and b) clearly, she taught me to show my love through sugar.
Until today, when we checked the mail and I had a form letter from Bic and a coupon for a free razor. This was an especially interesting turn of events because of this line from Bic's "Contact Us" form: Please note that BIC does not send out free samples or coupons.
Just a trick, I guess-- crap, am I letting a cat out of a bag?
And it's fortunate that it happened today, because I've been having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. (It wasn't THAT bad, but still.) It was such a mucky day by about noon that I specifically stopped into Murray Brothers and picked up some sugar-free candy for my diabetic grandmother. No reason, no holiday... just because it's the Year of Philanthropy, and I've been slacking lately.
I also picked up a Reese's Egg for my mom, because a) it's her favorite candy, and b) clearly, she taught me to show my love through sugar.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Recycling Updates
Thought I'd update because I'm on cloud eight (which is really close to nine).
Dad informed me that this week we didn't put the can out on trash night. Why? Because we didn't have enough garbage.
Yeah, you read that right. We had less than half a can, as opposed to the two full cans we were filling a couple of months ago.
Can I express how happy that makes me?!
Today we made another paper drop-off at church. We're recycling our own paper, and we've added paper from mom's house and now my grandmother's house.
Because of our overwhelming success with the cloth napkin/recycled paper endeavor, we're implementing a new Tupperware bin for plastic. Again, I'm trying not to be crazy about enforcing it, but if we just rinse out milk jugs and 2-liter bottles, that thing'll fill up every week and we can recycle it through church.
I know the actual benefits of recycling plastic are questionable, but let me tell you two big things that being more eco-friendly has done for my family already:
1. It has changed our habits. We don't reach for paper towels, we flip lights off, we conserve water, etc. It's becoming less and less conscious.
2. It has opened up dialogue. My dad comes home exhausted most nights, but if someone brings up something related to recycling, he gets really excited and together we start talking about what has changed in the house, how much less of x we've bought, how much lower x bill has been, new ideas we have, etc.
I'm incredibly fortunate to have a family that supports me and my ideas, a congregation who shares my values and guides them to new levels, and friends who get excited and back me.
Dad informed me that this week we didn't put the can out on trash night. Why? Because we didn't have enough garbage.
Yeah, you read that right. We had less than half a can, as opposed to the two full cans we were filling a couple of months ago.
Can I express how happy that makes me?!
Today we made another paper drop-off at church. We're recycling our own paper, and we've added paper from mom's house and now my grandmother's house.
Because of our overwhelming success with the cloth napkin/recycled paper endeavor, we're implementing a new Tupperware bin for plastic. Again, I'm trying not to be crazy about enforcing it, but if we just rinse out milk jugs and 2-liter bottles, that thing'll fill up every week and we can recycle it through church.
I know the actual benefits of recycling plastic are questionable, but let me tell you two big things that being more eco-friendly has done for my family already:
1. It has changed our habits. We don't reach for paper towels, we flip lights off, we conserve water, etc. It's becoming less and less conscious.
2. It has opened up dialogue. My dad comes home exhausted most nights, but if someone brings up something related to recycling, he gets really excited and together we start talking about what has changed in the house, how much less of x we've bought, how much lower x bill has been, new ideas we have, etc.
I'm incredibly fortunate to have a family that supports me and my ideas, a congregation who shares my values and guides them to new levels, and friends who get excited and back me.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Response to Letter of Appreciation
Already received a response to the letter I wrote in last night's post:
Dear Erica,
I want to thank you for the kind comments and appreciate you
taking valuable time out of your day to let us know how we are doing are jobs. I
want you to know I have been the store manager of this location for the last 8
months and I could not have asked for a better group of people to work with.
Here at bigg's we believe our biggest advantage over our competition is service.
I also want to let you know I am going to post this comment for our employees at
the Eastgate location to read.
If there is any way we can be assistance in the future, please do
not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely, Tommy Brink
Drops in the Bucket
When you're tuned in to philanthropic opportunities, you can be overwhelmed pretty quickly. I typically glaze over at cash registers, for instance, what with all the "would you like to give a dollar to x foundation?" questions I've been pummeled with.
But today I tried to tune back in, and was granted two small opportunities. The first was at Starbucks-- apparently my local branch is collecting donations of coffee for local firemen, police officers, etc. Kind of hard to say no to, really. Anyway, I gave 1/4 lb., for a grand total of $2.73.
Then I had the delight of visiting the BMV for new license plates. The woman who helped me ("Tanya," based on my receipt) was really nice and incredibly efficient, and when she asked if I wanted to donate a dollar to Save Our Sight, I said yes. Last night I'd explored the possibility of getting license plates that benefit something like organ donation, but they're too expensive-- $1 is really more up my alley.
(Aside: If you live in Ohio, this unofficial DMV site is really quite helpful, if ad-crazy. Much more navigable than the official site.)
Such small drops in the bucket, I know, but I'm hoping it's like voting... my part is small, but vital?
Friday, February 8, 2008
Letters of Appreciation
I'm getting frustrated because a) I feel too broke to make a difference, and b) I've been working long enough hours that I come straight home and go to sleep, and I go days without even thinking about my beloved project.
So tonight I decided to make a small stand. Two companies that I appreciate tonight are Bigg's (local grocery store) and Bic (in this instance, they make razors). So instead of letting that love go unknown, I wrote each of them letters of appreciation. That's philanthropy, isn't it? I'm posting the letters, just to have something of content on this blog, geez:
And the Bic letter:
You know what's sad? Besides, maybe, my desire to write letters like this? Corporate sites rarely have a "sing our praises" section. One typically has to go through the questions/concerns/complaints form in order to compliment a company. I know it might seem tacky, but still... have some confidence.
So tonight I decided to make a small stand. Two companies that I appreciate tonight are Bigg's (local grocery store) and Bic (in this instance, they make razors). So instead of letting that love go unknown, I wrote each of them letters of appreciation. That's philanthropy, isn't it? I'm posting the letters, just to have something of content on this blog, geez:
I always shop at Biggs, even though Meijer, Kroger, Walmart, Sam's Club and Aldi are usually closer to me. Last night, because I was at an attached Borders, I stopped into Kroger around 11-- everyone basically ignored me, and it was a very cold experience. Tonight, as just about midnight, I stopped in to Bigg's to pick up a few things. A dozen people were stocking the shelves, and three times I was stopped with offers of help. Once, a male employee offered me the cart he'd been using. Another man climbed down from his ladder to see if I was finding everything. A female employee moved from her step-stool so I could see what I was looking for. These were all within about ten-fifteen minutes, total. This is the kind of thing that keeps me going to Biggs, at all hours of the night, at all times of the week. I want you to know that the employees at the Eastgate branch are friendly and helpful-- not just in this instance, but especially tonight. Thank you.
And the Bic letter:
Last week, Soleil was out of stock at my grocery store. Bummed, I picked up an equivalent disposable razor-- what's the difference? After using ONE of the razors ONE time, I drove out to another grocery store and found the Soleil. I will never take this product for granted again. Soleil is awesome, and if you care about your consumers at all, you will make sure that their local supermarkets are never, ever out of stock. Thank you. P.S. Thank you for the 2 bonus razors in this package. They didn't go unnoticed.
You know what's sad? Besides, maybe, my desire to write letters like this? Corporate sites rarely have a "sing our praises" section. One typically has to go through the questions/concerns/complaints form in order to compliment a company. I know it might seem tacky, but still... have some confidence.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Here, have some pants!
Alright, some stuff's going down.
First off, Bradley and I became members of our church on Sunday! Maybe that doesn't strike you as relevant, but it's part of this project. Now comes the donation of time, talent and treasure to my beloved Heritage UU Church.
And today, I gave away some pants! There's some back story, so bear with me.
In early February, there's a big advertising party and the theme is Party in Your Pants. (Yeah yeah yeah.) Most people from my agency are going, and crazy pants are required. This weekend I went to the Salvation Army to find my crazy pants (mission accomplished), and I found another pair of pants that were too crazy to be ignored, but they weren't even close to fitting me.
Well I bought them anyway, and today I found a coworker who I thought might be able to fit into the pants. (They were too small for me, so it wasn't insulting to her, haha...) She tried them on and voila, a match made in heaven. She's excited to have crazy pants (I'll take pictures at the party... for now I'll just say there are fish involved), I'm happy that the pants have a home. Score one for the YoP!
Also, just shopping at the Salvation Army counts, in my opinion. Patronizing thrift stores is something I already love to do, but I'm counting it as philanthropy also, what with it being a good cause and all. (Although lately I've been hearing bad things about the SA-- are they really anti-gay? Maybe I'll Goodwill it up next time.)
Oh! And! WVXU (my NPR member station) is having its fund drive right now. I'm way too strapped to donate much, but in exploring their site I found a form where they can contact me for volunteer opportunities (answering phones, data entry, etc) for their next pledge drive. That would be really fantastic... I hope I can work it into my schedule when it rolls around again! (And it feels like these things are every other week, sooooo...)
First off, Bradley and I became members of our church on Sunday! Maybe that doesn't strike you as relevant, but it's part of this project. Now comes the donation of time, talent and treasure to my beloved Heritage UU Church.
And today, I gave away some pants! There's some back story, so bear with me.
In early February, there's a big advertising party and the theme is Party in Your Pants. (Yeah yeah yeah.) Most people from my agency are going, and crazy pants are required. This weekend I went to the Salvation Army to find my crazy pants (mission accomplished), and I found another pair of pants that were too crazy to be ignored, but they weren't even close to fitting me.
Well I bought them anyway, and today I found a coworker who I thought might be able to fit into the pants. (They were too small for me, so it wasn't insulting to her, haha...) She tried them on and voila, a match made in heaven. She's excited to have crazy pants (I'll take pictures at the party... for now I'll just say there are fish involved), I'm happy that the pants have a home. Score one for the YoP!
Also, just shopping at the Salvation Army counts, in my opinion. Patronizing thrift stores is something I already love to do, but I'm counting it as philanthropy also, what with it being a good cause and all. (Although lately I've been hearing bad things about the SA-- are they really anti-gay? Maybe I'll Goodwill it up next time.)
Oh! And! WVXU (my NPR member station) is having its fund drive right now. I'm way too strapped to donate much, but in exploring their site I found a form where they can contact me for volunteer opportunities (answering phones, data entry, etc) for their next pledge drive. That would be really fantastic... I hope I can work it into my schedule when it rolls around again! (And it feels like these things are every other week, sooooo...)
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Shoutout
This is a quick shout-out to my little brother Ryan, who gave blood today! His donation didn't have anything to do with my project but he is still the Hero of the Day!
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Why shy?
A thought I wanted to share:
Sometimes philanthropy can be embarrassing, and I'm not really sure why. For example, earlier this week I bought some soup for a homeless man-- same guy as before. When I reached the place where he was sitting, there were some people headed my way, and I waited for them to pass before handing the soup to the guy.
Why? What sense does that make?
I guess I just wish my first reaction was "if people see me do this, maybe they'll be inspired to help, too." But that wasn't the case... it seemed almost shameful.
Has anyone else ever felt this way?
Sometimes philanthropy can be embarrassing, and I'm not really sure why. For example, earlier this week I bought some soup for a homeless man-- same guy as before. When I reached the place where he was sitting, there were some people headed my way, and I waited for them to pass before handing the soup to the guy.
Why? What sense does that make?
I guess I just wish my first reaction was "if people see me do this, maybe they'll be inspired to help, too." But that wasn't the case... it seemed almost shameful.
Has anyone else ever felt this way?
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Dry spell
I'm in a rut... already!
That's not really the case. I have a million ideas for things that I want to do during this year, but I lack the time and money to do many of them right now.
Again, not entirely true. I know that if I tried a little harder I could be making time for things like volunteering, and even going through my closet to find some items for the Salvation Army. But it's a very, very busy time at work... I typically get home, eat some dinner and hit the sack again. My weeks are very self-centered: how am I going to get all this work done? Am I spending enough time with project x versus project y? When is Erica time?
I tried a small gesture yesterday at work, but I feel like talking about it would cheapen it (and it was no big deal anyway). I definitely think about this project every single day, but I feel like at this point I only act on it when it's convenient.
I need a shakeup! Any ideas?
P.S. Tomorrow is Sunday, which means another huge box of paper to recycle at work. Dad says we don't even use a full roll of paper towels in a week now. We have a huge bag of cans to recycle, as soon as we find the facilities. At least something's getting done...
That's not really the case. I have a million ideas for things that I want to do during this year, but I lack the time and money to do many of them right now.
Again, not entirely true. I know that if I tried a little harder I could be making time for things like volunteering, and even going through my closet to find some items for the Salvation Army. But it's a very, very busy time at work... I typically get home, eat some dinner and hit the sack again. My weeks are very self-centered: how am I going to get all this work done? Am I spending enough time with project x versus project y? When is Erica time?
I tried a small gesture yesterday at work, but I feel like talking about it would cheapen it (and it was no big deal anyway). I definitely think about this project every single day, but I feel like at this point I only act on it when it's convenient.
I need a shakeup! Any ideas?
P.S. Tomorrow is Sunday, which means another huge box of paper to recycle at work. Dad says we don't even use a full roll of paper towels in a week now. We have a huge bag of cans to recycle, as soon as we find the facilities. At least something's getting done...
Friday, January 11, 2008
LIFTing spirits?
Oy, am I tired.
I need to do something big soon. I did bake more cookies, though-- I took them to work to spread my philanthropic reach. They were well received... as in, gone within the hour. :)
Oh, and kind of weird this morning... I was waiting for a particularly slow elevator, and when I finally snagged one I saw a woman walking on her way over. Figuring it'd be a good chance for a small deed, I held the elevator... she saw me and did that sheepish half-run half-walk into the 'vator. What was weird was that she started gushing as soon as she was inside... about how no one ever holds the elevator, and people even push the "close doors" button, and how nice it was for me to wait the five seconds it took for her to get there.
I smiled and said that of course it was no problem, and I meant it... these are the little things that we think go unnoticed, but in reality they can really shake up your morning (or someone else's).
So anyway, just some small things that are getting me through the days. I need to make something bigger happen soon. Any ideas (that don't cost a fortune)?
I need to do something big soon. I did bake more cookies, though-- I took them to work to spread my philanthropic reach. They were well received... as in, gone within the hour. :)
Oh, and kind of weird this morning... I was waiting for a particularly slow elevator, and when I finally snagged one I saw a woman walking on her way over. Figuring it'd be a good chance for a small deed, I held the elevator... she saw me and did that sheepish half-run half-walk into the 'vator. What was weird was that she started gushing as soon as she was inside... about how no one ever holds the elevator, and people even push the "close doors" button, and how nice it was for me to wait the five seconds it took for her to get there.
I smiled and said that of course it was no problem, and I meant it... these are the little things that we think go unnoticed, but in reality they can really shake up your morning (or someone else's).
So anyway, just some small things that are getting me through the days. I need to make something bigger happen soon. Any ideas (that don't cost a fortune)?
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Foodstuffs
It's been a couple of days because my place of employment sent me to New York. For business-- they weren't just sick of me. But I'm back now, and trying to get into the swing of things.
Small act of sweetness: I baked cookies. Now, I am a mess in the kitchen, but I can bake a mean cookie. Also, I use Splenda Blend for Baking and Splenda Brown Sugar Blend and they are absolutely fantastic. So, if Splenda wants to do its own philanthropy and send me some free product for this glowing review, that'd be awesome. ;)
I baked cookies specifically for two purposes: to thank my dad's friend Robert for helping me tow my car (currently out of commission), and to thank my mom for driving me to the airport for the aforementioned business trip. I also had a ton of extra cookies at home... had, because dad and Bradley have already polished them off. I'm counting that as accidental philanthropy. ;)
Today I was thinking about my recent lack-of-philanthropy on the way to work, and I noticed that The Homeless Guy was out. There aren't too many homeless people hanging around the area where I work, because it's not a very trafficked couple of blocks. But there is one guy that I've seen in the area for most of the 2.5 years I've been at the office.
I don't like to give money to homeless people. It's just one of my things. And yes, a lot of it stems from the "I don't know what you'll use it for" mentality. Is that bad? Anyway, I was on my way to pick up my lunch, so I intentionally ordered something that came with a side salad, and I offered it to him on my way back to the office. (I even remembered dressing and a fork.) He took it gratefully, but I still felt a little conflicted.
I'd love your opinion on this matter: is giving food to a homeless person a good idea, or should I have stuck to change? I feel like it might almost be demeaning, to give food... but I don't know. Any thoughts on this?
Small act of sweetness: I baked cookies. Now, I am a mess in the kitchen, but I can bake a mean cookie. Also, I use Splenda Blend for Baking and Splenda Brown Sugar Blend and they are absolutely fantastic. So, if Splenda wants to do its own philanthropy and send me some free product for this glowing review, that'd be awesome. ;)
I baked cookies specifically for two purposes: to thank my dad's friend Robert for helping me tow my car (currently out of commission), and to thank my mom for driving me to the airport for the aforementioned business trip. I also had a ton of extra cookies at home... had, because dad and Bradley have already polished them off. I'm counting that as accidental philanthropy. ;)
Today I was thinking about my recent lack-of-philanthropy on the way to work, and I noticed that The Homeless Guy was out. There aren't too many homeless people hanging around the area where I work, because it's not a very trafficked couple of blocks. But there is one guy that I've seen in the area for most of the 2.5 years I've been at the office.
I don't like to give money to homeless people. It's just one of my things. And yes, a lot of it stems from the "I don't know what you'll use it for" mentality. Is that bad? Anyway, I was on my way to pick up my lunch, so I intentionally ordered something that came with a side salad, and I offered it to him on my way back to the office. (I even remembered dressing and a fork.) He took it gratefully, but I still felt a little conflicted.
I'd love your opinion on this matter: is giving food to a homeless person a good idea, or should I have stuck to change? I feel like it might almost be demeaning, to give food... but I don't know. Any thoughts on this?
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Tannenbaum, bulb, bulk
I helped take down our church's giant Christmas tree today. Normally I would leave right after service, but I'm looking for small windows of opportunity.
Also, I asked a few members of the church's Green Team about fluorescent bulb disposal. If you haven't been keeping up with the YoP comments, Lewis asked how to properly dispose of a fluorescent bulb, because they have small amounts of mercury in them. I found a guy at church who has some information that he's going to bring next week, so tune in for that. He says there are a few facilities around here that are specifically designed to handle them, but they have very limited hours.
For now, check out:
* Relevant FAQs from General Electric
* Earth911.org, where you can search recycling facilities by zip code
* LampRecycle.org
So I hope that answers your question, and maybe next week I'll have a few more pearls of wisdom for ya. ;) I wonder if I can create a place at Heritage where members can drop off bulbs, and then drive batches of them to the facility myself? The things never die, so it's frustrating to drive one bulb out to some recycling center, but if we collect them at church and periodically drive a batch over... hmm...
Bradley and I also did another paper dump (ew) at church-- the paper dumpster (as in a dumpster for paper, not a dumpster made of paper) was almost full. Such a small, easy thing to do-- and it's great to see our efforts adding up like that. I'm still a little skeptical about recycling things like paper, but I've already noticed that we have less trash at home.
Oh! And I wanted to mention that my friend Alison gave me a belated Christmas present: she sewed me some canvas shopping bags! She knows I'm "off" plastic bags, and has even witnessed me trying to juggle things in my arms as I walk to my car. (I'm horrible about remembering my totes.) The bags are gorgeous (brown and sparkly!) and I love them to death. :D
Also, I asked a few members of the church's Green Team about fluorescent bulb disposal. If you haven't been keeping up with the YoP comments, Lewis asked how to properly dispose of a fluorescent bulb, because they have small amounts of mercury in them. I found a guy at church who has some information that he's going to bring next week, so tune in for that. He says there are a few facilities around here that are specifically designed to handle them, but they have very limited hours.
For now, check out:
* Relevant FAQs from General Electric
* Earth911.org, where you can search recycling facilities by zip code
* LampRecycle.org
So I hope that answers your question, and maybe next week I'll have a few more pearls of wisdom for ya. ;) I wonder if I can create a place at Heritage where members can drop off bulbs, and then drive batches of them to the facility myself? The things never die, so it's frustrating to drive one bulb out to some recycling center, but if we collect them at church and periodically drive a batch over... hmm...
Bradley and I also did another paper dump (ew) at church-- the paper dumpster (as in a dumpster for paper, not a dumpster made of paper) was almost full. Such a small, easy thing to do-- and it's great to see our efforts adding up like that. I'm still a little skeptical about recycling things like paper, but I've already noticed that we have less trash at home.
Oh! And I wanted to mention that my friend Alison gave me a belated Christmas present: she sewed me some canvas shopping bags! She knows I'm "off" plastic bags, and has even witnessed me trying to juggle things in my arms as I walk to my car. (I'm horrible about remembering my totes.) The bags are gorgeous (brown and sparkly!) and I love them to death. :D
Saturday, January 5, 2008
An almost-missed opportunity
I forgot to mention a bit of philanthropy this morning, so I'm posting it here to cheer myself up. I had to leave early to get to Hoxworth because I was out of gas and needed to stop on the way.
While I was pumping gas, an Indian man came up to me and asked me for help-- I was a little wary at first because I'm paranoid about being approached by people I don't know, but he continued to tell me in broken English that he needed to find Eastgate mall. I tried to talk him through the directions as visually as I could, but he left still looking confused.
It was really only then that I realized I was being horrible-- I mean, this is the YEAR of PHILANTHROPY and I'm shooing away a man literally asking me for help? So I ran after him and asked if he'd like to follow me. The mall wasn't on my way, but I'd left early to get gas so I didn't need to rush to get to Hoxworth, and I could afford to just take some backroads way that I'm familiar with.
The man broke into a smile and jumped into his van with his family. I drove him right up to the parking lot of the mall and he waved enthusiastically as I left.
To really live this year to its fullest, I'm going to need to break some bad habits I have.
While I was pumping gas, an Indian man came up to me and asked me for help-- I was a little wary at first because I'm paranoid about being approached by people I don't know, but he continued to tell me in broken English that he needed to find Eastgate mall. I tried to talk him through the directions as visually as I could, but he left still looking confused.
It was really only then that I realized I was being horrible-- I mean, this is the YEAR of PHILANTHROPY and I'm shooing away a man literally asking me for help? So I ran after him and asked if he'd like to follow me. The mall wasn't on my way, but I'd left early to get gas so I didn't need to rush to get to Hoxworth, and I could afford to just take some backroads way that I'm familiar with.
The man broke into a smile and jumped into his van with his family. I drove him right up to the parking lot of the mall and he waved enthusiastically as I left.
To really live this year to its fullest, I'm going to need to break some bad habits I have.
Blood from a turnip
Today wasn't a complete success. Hoxworth beat the crap out of me.
Let's back up. I am a terrible blood donator (what's the word? Blogger keeps telling me "donator," "donater," and "donee" are wrong). Last time, my iron was too low. Before that, they couldn't find a vein (two occasions). Once, I passed out afterwards. For all my attempts, I've only successfully given blood twice, and one of those times ended up with me on the floor.
I'm not mentioning this for sympathy-- I'm bringing it up because maybe I'm not supposed to give blood?! Maybe I ought to leave it to stronger people?!
Today I ate a HUGE meal today (as in, considered changing to looser pants). Chugged water like there's no tomorrow. Went to Hoxworth and signed in... went through the whole finger-pricking ordeal (does not bother me in the least)... nurse couldn't find a vein in my left arm. (There are still bruises there from last time, but no luck.) But! She found one in the right arm. Hallelujah!
So, problem solved, right? Of course not. A few minutes in-- despite my squeezing and will power-- the nurse tells me she's not getting enough. I'm not sure how that works, honestly, but she wasn't getting enough blood from my arm. I squeeze more. I mentally force the blood into my arm. Nothing.
They bring scales over, and audibly count down as I'm drained. At this point the nurse is holding the needle in my arm in some strange position (I can't look) that hurts like hell. Finally they have to "call it" and take the needle out. They don't have enough for a transfusion, though they assure me that my blood will be put to good use for testing and stuff.
But I wanted to save liiiiiiives.
Yeah yeah, I'm sure testing stuff on my blood will indirectly save lives. Still, it felt like they were just trying to cheer me up, which I'm sure they were.
I've never left Hoxworth in gauze before. They gave me an ice pack and wrapped my arm really tight-- I peeked at home, and I have a bruise about the size of a quarter. Sexy.
Every time I "fail" I get mildly depressed about it. I recommit myself to be ready next time-- to drink MORE water... keep taking my iron... not travel to Africa? ;)
Let's back up. I am a terrible blood donator (what's the word? Blogger keeps telling me "donator," "donater," and "donee" are wrong). Last time, my iron was too low. Before that, they couldn't find a vein (two occasions). Once, I passed out afterwards. For all my attempts, I've only successfully given blood twice, and one of those times ended up with me on the floor.
I'm not mentioning this for sympathy-- I'm bringing it up because maybe I'm not supposed to give blood?! Maybe I ought to leave it to stronger people?!
Today I ate a HUGE meal today (as in, considered changing to looser pants). Chugged water like there's no tomorrow. Went to Hoxworth and signed in... went through the whole finger-pricking ordeal (does not bother me in the least)... nurse couldn't find a vein in my left arm. (There are still bruises there from last time, but no luck.) But! She found one in the right arm. Hallelujah!
So, problem solved, right? Of course not. A few minutes in-- despite my squeezing and will power-- the nurse tells me she's not getting enough. I'm not sure how that works, honestly, but she wasn't getting enough blood from my arm. I squeeze more. I mentally force the blood into my arm. Nothing.
They bring scales over, and audibly count down as I'm drained. At this point the nurse is holding the needle in my arm in some strange position (I can't look) that hurts like hell. Finally they have to "call it" and take the needle out. They don't have enough for a transfusion, though they assure me that my blood will be put to good use for testing and stuff.
But I wanted to save liiiiiiives.
Yeah yeah, I'm sure testing stuff on my blood will indirectly save lives. Still, it felt like they were just trying to cheer me up, which I'm sure they were.
I've never left Hoxworth in gauze before. They gave me an ice pack and wrapped my arm really tight-- I peeked at home, and I have a bruise about the size of a quarter. Sexy.
Every time I "fail" I get mildly depressed about it. I recommit myself to be ready next time-- to drink MORE water... keep taking my iron... not travel to Africa? ;)
Friday, January 4, 2008
What do you want from me, blood?
I took a major step today!
My cell phone rang while I was at work. I checked the ID: Hoxworth. A chill ran up my spine. Whyyy? Because they call me three times a week! Argh!! Each time I get a message about how they are in critical need of 0-, which I believe... but still. Three times a week.
Well I almost ignored it before remembering that it's 2008. What is more philanthropic than giving blood? Seriously, that's a question that I want you to answer for me.
I answered and (after talking to a machine) told them that I was sorry-- I am way too busy at work to take the 1-2 hours it requires for me to get to the donation center, fill out the paperwork, give blood, recouperate, and walk back to work. I used to do it during my lunch period, but I hardly even have time to eat lately, let alone share my sweet sweet platelets.
I asked the lady if the donation center in Anderson-- far from work, but closer to home-- has any evening hours. Not only are they open until 7pm on many nights, but they also have Saturday times. Sooooo now I'm signed up to give blood... tomorrow.
Yeah, I don't mess around. ;) Reasons this is awesome:
1. My brother Ryan challenged me to give as much blood as I legally could during the year. I had already wanted to donate blood more... but that's stepping it up. And I think January 5th is a pretty good start.
2. Since it's on a Saturday, I'll have time to eat a gigantic meal beforehand-- I've skimped because I was busy at work before, and paid for it.
3. Since I'm doing this so early in the month, by the time I'm ready for my next donation, Bradley (other brother) will have turned 17 and he can go with me. Maybe I can even bring him when I go tomorrow so he can see what goes down at Hoxworth.
4. I've been taking iron supplements every night for a month or so, because last time I tried to donate my iron count was too low.
Two roadblocks:
1. Man I hate needles. I really really really hate needles. Let's just get this done already.
2. Once I couldn't donate because they couldn't find a vein. Must... chug... water!
Wish me luck! My appointment is at 4pm tomorrow.
My cell phone rang while I was at work. I checked the ID: Hoxworth. A chill ran up my spine. Whyyy? Because they call me three times a week! Argh!! Each time I get a message about how they are in critical need of 0-, which I believe... but still. Three times a week.
Well I almost ignored it before remembering that it's 2008. What is more philanthropic than giving blood? Seriously, that's a question that I want you to answer for me.
I answered and (after talking to a machine) told them that I was sorry-- I am way too busy at work to take the 1-2 hours it requires for me to get to the donation center, fill out the paperwork, give blood, recouperate, and walk back to work. I used to do it during my lunch period, but I hardly even have time to eat lately, let alone share my sweet sweet platelets.
I asked the lady if the donation center in Anderson-- far from work, but closer to home-- has any evening hours. Not only are they open until 7pm on many nights, but they also have Saturday times. Sooooo now I'm signed up to give blood... tomorrow.
Yeah, I don't mess around. ;) Reasons this is awesome:
1. My brother Ryan challenged me to give as much blood as I legally could during the year. I had already wanted to donate blood more... but that's stepping it up. And I think January 5th is a pretty good start.
2. Since it's on a Saturday, I'll have time to eat a gigantic meal beforehand-- I've skimped because I was busy at work before, and paid for it.
3. Since I'm doing this so early in the month, by the time I'm ready for my next donation, Bradley (other brother) will have turned 17 and he can go with me. Maybe I can even bring him when I go tomorrow so he can see what goes down at Hoxworth.
4. I've been taking iron supplements every night for a month or so, because last time I tried to donate my iron count was too low.
Two roadblocks:
1. Man I hate needles. I really really really hate needles. Let's just get this done already.
2. Once I couldn't donate because they couldn't find a vein. Must... chug... water!
Wish me luck! My appointment is at 4pm tomorrow.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Drivin' me crazy
I rode the bus to work today. Not a good start to the day/year. Thanks to the charming White Death we had this morning, I took the 7:10 bus and arrived at work at 10:30. Eek! A quick list of today's bus highlights:
Pro: Did not have to drive in the snow.
Con: Bus did not have heat.
Con: Didn't have a book with me.
Pro: Had my iPod, with fun transitions between "Holy Diver" and Iron & Wine.
Pro: I have a friend on the bus.
Con: We didn't know we were both on the bus until we got off.
Con: Almost bit it getting off of the bus.
Pro: Did not bite it.
Pro: Work is only six-ish blocks away from the bus stop.
Con: Entire six blocks were against the wind.
Con: Temperatures were near zero (with wind chill).
Con: Could not feel feet by the time I got to work.
Con: Seriously. It hurt.
Okay, enough whining. :) Despite it all, I still love the bus. I wish I could take it every day, but alas, I cannot. For this year, I am considering buying a bus pass for at least one of the months... but it's a major commitment because it's $95! I'd have to ride the bus both ways 19 days of the month to make that pan out. Does that seem fair to you? So I'll probably... er... not do that any time soon.
Driving the bus isn't a major act of philanthropy, I know. But it was one of my goals... so far so good...
Pro: Did not have to drive in the snow.
Con: Bus did not have heat.
Con: Didn't have a book with me.
Pro: Had my iPod, with fun transitions between "Holy Diver" and Iron & Wine.
Pro: I have a friend on the bus.
Con: We didn't know we were both on the bus until we got off.
Con: Almost bit it getting off of the bus.
Pro: Did not bite it.
Pro: Work is only six-ish blocks away from the bus stop.
Con: Entire six blocks were against the wind.
Con: Temperatures were near zero (with wind chill).
Con: Could not feel feet by the time I got to work.
Con: Seriously. It hurt.
Okay, enough whining. :) Despite it all, I still love the bus. I wish I could take it every day, but alas, I cannot. For this year, I am considering buying a bus pass for at least one of the months... but it's a major commitment because it's $95! I'd have to ride the bus both ways 19 days of the month to make that pan out. Does that seem fair to you? So I'll probably... er... not do that any time soon.
Driving the bus isn't a major act of philanthropy, I know. But it was one of my goals... so far so good...
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