Its been a while since I have updated here. Between feeling pretty crappy as of late and working more hours,I just haven't felt like writing much. But this is when I need to write the most,isn't it? Weird how when I go blank,that is when things go boom....
I just love the Dresden Dolls....especially this song,"Sing",which I am listening to while I am blogging. I have started to take 5 CDs with me each week in my car to listen to while I am making my rounds. Its been pretty cool so far,I have started to pick through the last few CDs I have yet listened to in my collection and given them a spin. Now while the Dresden Dolls haven't made it through the rotation yet....you can get a glimpse of why I love Amanda Palmer so much...
So where to start this out at?
I attended my first Toastmasters meeting last Wednesday night. It was held at a local Coney Island place here in my town. I was sort of confused at first because when I walked in,only 3 people were in the diner eating,I thought I had walked into the wrong place. Turns out they were in a small private room that the diner has for small parties.
I walked in and there were about 12 other people inside,10 Toastmaster members and 2 guests. They had a strict structure and always very respectful of each other. Different speakers got up and spoke,information was exchanged. The dues were a little more then I expected,around a 100 dollars a year. I can't afford that but I was told I was welcome as a guest for as long as I cared to be. I thought it was charming but with only 10 members in this group,I wonder how they do it. I couldn't attend tonight as I closed but I think next week is doable.
The other news was my first time to the food bank to get groceries. Now that was a surreal moment and after attending one time,I may have to re-think this move. While I am grateful for small items I got...handing someone a trash bag of broken,smashed frozen pizza does not warm the heart. That went from my car to the trash straightway once I got home.
The traffic was pretty stiff and there were tons o'people in line. The line went smoothly and it did take about 30 minutes to move through it. The volunteers were very active,alert and very fast in putting food in the cars.
Getting was also easy until we hit Michigan Ave. The traffic was very thick as folks were looking to get on I-275 to head home. I had to dance very gingerly to make my exit towards home.
Once I sorted what I could use from what I couldn't,it wasn't very much left. But I am not complaining,just telling you how it was. I put the supplies in the freezer and pantry and did some light housework.
Dinner is pretty much a crap shoot now in the house...I just didn't really pay attention to how Lori cooked other then when I grilled outside. Now I just try and eat somewhat healthy,I mix in veggies just like we always did but much more basic,like just a crisp garden salad.
Last weekend,I cat-sitted for my friend Cheryl and her husband,Jerry as they made their annual Labor Day trip to their cabin with the family. I volunteered to watch Autumn and feed the koi. So on Saturday,I made the trip down to the house to do just that. It was my first trip solo to do this as Lori and I had always went together (yep,even when we did mundane things like this,we did it together).
Now Autumn is a pretty shy cat and whenever we came over,we always looked for her to say "hello" which meant she stayed under her bed during the entire visit.
We decided after the last time to use a new tactic when we cat-sitted her,we would stay silent and leave her in peace. So when I walked in,I did just that. I wrote a note to Jerry and Cheryl,fed the fish outside and changed Autumn's food and water. I also left cat treats for her as well. I stayed about 25 minutes and as I was finishing up my note and was getting to leave,Autumn showed up. I talked real soft and showed her the treat bag,she walked over and head butted my hand and she let me pet her. I gave her treats and finished my note...when I done,she was too and walked back to her bedroom and I drove home.
Its 11:43 pm on 11 Sept.
Last Saturday was my 2nd volunteer project with my company. We headed over to the small city of Wayne to paint a playscape and pavilion for the Parks and Recs department. Originally,we had about 26 people sign up to help out but the computer program we use scheduled just about everyone so instead of a small army,we ended up with a squad of 7. We loaded up a truck of supplies at 5:30 am and headed towards the project. We divided into two teams,our ASM Colleen (aka Torrance Shipman) and young go-getter named Mark hit the playscape while I worked with Daryle and Justin in painting the pavilion. An hour later our store manger Howard showed up along with a crew from the city and we worked on painting the pavilion.
The park was extremely busy for a early Saturday and only got busier as the day went on.
Since the pavilion was so much bigger,all the manpower went there as we painted the whole building,Daryle,Justin and I used the rollers while Howard and the city crew did the detail work. It ended up looking very sharp and clean. Several residents said "thank you" as they were biking,walking or jogging. After we finished up.I went over and helped Colleen and Mark on the playground. While we were small in numbers,we worked very hard to get the project complete and at 12:30 pm,we were done. I headed on home and ended up talking a nap so I could get ready for the San Jose State-Stanford game that started at 11 pm EST.
Oh yeah,the college football season started. The SJSU Spartans are 1-1 after beating Sacramento State,24-0,in the first game while dropping a 34-13 game against the 5th ranked Cardinal of Stanford.
The Spartans have this weekend off before heading to Minnesota to battle the 2-0 Golden Gophers on ESPN/2. This is a must game for SJS as they get a short week before battling Utah State in the league opener on Friday,27 Sept.
Reflecting on 9/11......after 12 years,the men behind these attacks are still free,both here and in Saudi Arabia. Sad to think that those deaths are still unavenged and justice has been denied by the powers that be.
Nice to see folks recalling where they were,what they were doing and how it has touched their lives. I sort of look at the day as the death for liberty,freedom and any whispering hope for a honest government. 3,000 lives lost on that one day alone while thousands more have died since. We are no closer to political stability in Iraq or Afghanistan today then we were 12 years ago...money is still wasted at a enormous pace with no real evidence that we ever made a difference.
But such is our life in times like there.....
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