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Sorry, but Gene Simmons does not live with me

I know. It’s disappointing and would probably be the only good excuse for the 6 month silence on the blog. I don’t even have a bad excuse to offer you. Or Gene Simmons.

(Okay, so why Gene Simmons? I wanted to blog, I couldn’t think of a title and the night I mentioned my dilemma online, I dreamt that Gene Simmons lived in my home. Based on my dream, I do not recommend him as a house guest…in case you were wondering.)

So, what have I been doing to fill the 6 month time frame since typing words in this space? Well, I have been knitting furiously. I’m learning that yes, I’m pretty darned good at it, (get the pun? Darn? Knit? I KILL me!) however, planning ahead for projects needs some work. No matter how far ahead I plan, I’m still never done on time. In other words, if any of you were hoping for a big honkin’ afghan for Christmas, you might want to pull an old blanket out of your closet. It ain’t happenin’ by December 2010. But Julie, you will get your baby gift before your unborn child is potty trained. I can promise that. (Probably)

And in the big news portion of my life, I have a job. Yes, after 10 years of licking my wounds from my last painful work experience, I’ve pulled myself up and gotten a job. The really interesting thing about it is it’s a paid training and community service opportunity more than anything. That’s a good thing for a 40-something broad who knows all of her previous years of training aren’t going to make her a happy camper. All that wasted time is largely what paralyzed me in moving forward with working again. Well, it’s what publicly paralyzed me. The private stuff is only for my therapist to know, god love him. I don’t know how he wills himself to come in on my appointment days. I am the Queen Jackwagon of Mamby Pamby Land.

At any rate, this job. Anyone heard of AmeriCorps? No? How about Peace Corps? Ah, now we’re talking. Yes, AmeriCorps is, for lack of wanting to write a 5 million word post, the domestic Peace Corps. Here, let’s quote their own web page, shall we?

AmeriCorps State and National provides funds to local and national organizations and agencies committed to using national service to address critical community needs in education, public safety, health and the environment.
Each of these organizations and agencies, in turn, uses their AmeriCorps funding to recruit, place, and supervise AmeriCorps members.
After successful completion of their term of service, AmeriCorps members earn a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award that can be used to pay for college or graduate school at Title IV schools, or to repay qualified student loans. Full-time AmeriCorps members also receive a modest living allowance, health care benefits, and child care assistance.

What does this all mean? Double rainbows!! No, no. No double rainbows. Put your Mary Wanna down. What it means is, The American Red Cross is one of these “agencies committed to using national service to address critical community needs in education, public safety, health and the environment,” and the day…I kid you not, THE day I showed up to work in my own county’s office for The American Red Cross, I was offered this opportunity.

I had worked a few blood drives for the Columbus area and found them to be, sadly, not particularly appealing. I did, however, like working for a non-profit like The American Red Cross and didn’t want to give up that end of it. So, late one night, I started digging around their website and low and behold, Pickaway County was in need of some volunteer clerical help. Bingo. Before long, I was in the office, numbering 558 ducks for their first annual Duck Drop fund raiser.

duck drop 2010

And away they go!!

Then, before I’d washed all the duck cooties off of me, it was time to get down and dirty with the Annual 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament.  I made phone calls to obtain sponsorships, knocked on a few business doors, kept records of teams and sponsors and even put together the program for the event.  No one checked my resume to see if I had experience in any of these things – they just trusted when I said, “I can handle that,” that I could.  And I did.

3 on 3 2010

And then we worked outside on the hottest day of the century

In the midst of fund raising, I’ve been taking classes and now, I’m teaching them. Need First Aid or CPR training? I’m your girl. Eventually, I’ll be doing presentations around the county, teaching care giving classes, babysitting, emergency preparedness, and doing all sorts of educational roles for The American Red Cross in Pickaway County.

I’ve learned more about this community in the past 5 months than I ever did living in it the past 10 years. I spent so many years with Lisa as my community, my cause, that I have quickly found that I’m not balanced and complete without one. Now, I can serve my community in a health and safety capacity, similar to, although not the same as, what I did with and for Lisa on a day to day basis. My service and devotion to her and her memory have lead me down this path and I intend to honor her in every thing I do.

The lady standing across from me in the above picture is my director, Bea, and she is one of the most amazing women I’ve ever met. I’ve also been given the pleasure of getting to know the gal who I’ll replace, Angela, and a great friendship is budding from the experience. We love to laugh together. A lot. Poor Bea had no idea what she’d gotten herself into.

Whatever Bea got herself into, I’m grateful. My official start date is September 13, but even without the paycheck giving it financial validity, I’ve been at the job since March. I love it. I love the people. I reluctantly admit, I even have come to love this crazy county. And, I love what The American Red Cross can do – blood services, disaster services, military family services – they change lives.

They’ve changed mine.

Although, if they ask that my next service project be housing Gene Simmons, we might have to have some serious discussions. There are limits to my devotion, you know.

By the way, thank you to Pam Blum, Red Cross volunteer extraordinaire, for the second picture posted. You’re a peach.

About that Knitting Thing

I sort of swept by this new little addition to my life in my last post and really, I have intended to mention it since I picked up that first skein of yarn about a month ago.

It all was an innocent whim. Last year, Abby’s boyfriend bought her arm warmers. Being the [...]

[Insert quirky, yet brilliant title here]

Yes, I’ve been putting off blogging this largely because I can’t think of a decent title. When I was writing fanfiction, I was that way, too – couldn’t start word ONE of a story without a title that made me smile. This could actually say more about me than I’m ready to say.

Which is [...]

Expectations

I’ve been hemming and hawing at a post for the end of 2009/beginning of 2010 since, well…the last week of 2009. 2009 sucked balls. 2008 sucked balls and if I have to totally honest with myself, the entire decade of aughts sucked balls. But, who wants to read a post about sucking balls? [...]

Pasticiotti

Reprinted from my Live Journal, as dated December 20, 2008. More thoughts at the end of the post.

Pasta what?

Pusties? Pasties? Do you mean pastries? What are you talking about?

This was my end of a conversation I had with Lisa 5+ years ago when I went to her home to help her do [...]

A Special Find

I do NOT have time to be posting this now, but I just have to.

While digging through the kids’ tree box to find all of Abby’s ornaments so she can hang them on her own tree at the apartment, I found something that took my breath away.

I means nothing to anyone else. In [...]

Out Like a Lamb

Well, whadya know? It’s November 30th. The last day of NaBloPoMo and I actually made it. There were some close calls, but I figure I overachieved a few times, too, so it all balances out in the wash. I hope you’ve enjoyed this journey with me. I know I’m grateful I [...]

Pause

With Halloween being hallowed a full month ago, and the regrets of stuffing ourselves full of…well, stuffing (and turkey and gravy and mashed potatoes and pie…and…and…) have come and gone, it seems the full steam of Christmas is upon us.

Only, I’m not ready just yet. I’d like a pause button. Or maybe [...]

September 26, 2008

The 10th in the series Letters to Lisa. I’ve been quite melancholy today, so I thought this particular letter would be a good one to share. It’s more on the humorous side and definitely a bit on the TMI side of things. But you know, she and I shared it all, so why [...]

I am educable

Sort of. Today, I learned:

Black Friday isn’t so “Black” when you head out mid-afternoon. The 5 am loonies are all back home napping off their morning rush and the “I’m still eating leftovers; we’ll go out tonight”-ers are still home licking gravy off of their plates.
However, when you’re out on Black Friday for the [...]