Pi Girl

Free hugs for everyone!

For my 3rd challenge, I was going to donate blood. Especially since New York announced there’s a shortage of blood, and I think they need more of my blood.  I can never remember my blood type.

So, I made the appointment and went in today.  And …. my iron levels were too low.  So they sent me away and told me to eat more iron and Vitamin C.

This happens often.  When I go to give blood, I’m lucky if I ever make it past the testing table.  My iron’s too low, my temperature is too low or too high, blah blah blah. I tried to go regularly at one point, but I got so frustrated that I rarely actually gave any blood, I stopped going.  And with my new challenge, I thought I’d try again.  Grrr.  Guess I’ll have to try again next month.

Today, 10,000 activists are going to Capitol Hill to ask the members of Congress to support and increase funding for cancer rsearch programs. If you can’t get over to Washington, DC to join them, might I suggest visiting their website?

That’s what I did and while I was there, I emailed my Senators and House representative (good ol’ Chuck, Hillary and Randy) that these issues are important to me. How convenient that the CAN even has a form letter I can use or edit to add my own personal story and I don’t even have to know who my reps are because once I put in my address, it fills that info out for me?

It only takes 5 minutes and I know there a number of my loyal readers who have been personally affected by cancer. Here’s something you can do to help.

On Sunday, October 8 at 1 pm, I will be walking with the Rape Crisis of the Southern Tier in their first-ever walk, Walk a Peaceful Mile, to raise awareness of the program.

If you’d like to sponsor me, send me an email. If you’d like to walk with me, you can pick up a registration packet at any Planned Parenthood or Chemung Canal Trust Company locations in Chemung, Steuben or Schuyler Counties. Or you can ask me nicely to pick up a packet for you since I work across the street from a Chemung Canal location. And then we can walk together.

So Janice and I were chatting the other day and talking about getting old. She, at least, has a whole year to go, but for me, last Thursday marked the 6 months left before I turn the dreaded 3-0. And then I got to thinking that I’d really rather not spend the next 6 months avoiding the unavoidable, pretending it’s not about to happen. I want to do something that will make the birthday worth it.

So, I created a challenge.

In the last 6 months of my roaring 20’s, I’m going to perform 30 acts of community service. I’m calling it 30 ways to make a difference.

That’s a little over 1 per week, so I think it’s doable. And I’ve already gotten started. For my first act, I went to Target and bought several packages of underwear for the Children’s Clothing Closet. The Closet is run by the Episcopal churches of Chemung County; they give clothes to kids who can’t afford it or are in need. Kids and families have to be referred by a church, school or social worker, and they are allowed to pick out 2 weeks of clothes for themselves. The clothes are donated, but obviously, you can’t donate underwear. So, the Closet will give away new pairs with the clothes.

My clothes are a little too old and big for the kids, but I can buy them underwear. I will probably also try to work a shift there, but the St Matthew’s shift is mid-day and it’s hard to get out of work. That will be a challenge for a lot of the things I want to do. But I’ll work on it.

Gee, Erin, that sounds pretty cool. How can I help?
Well, there are a number of ways to help.

1 - Come with me. I don’t have a schedule or anything yet, but I’ll post stuff ahead of time when I can and would love the company.

2 - Give me ideas. Tell me about an organization or event I can help with. Tell me your charity so I can donate money (although, my lack of funds suggest I can’t always donate and would prefer things to do).

3 - Donate money. I’ve set up a page so that you can donate money to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. My goal is raise $314 by my birthday on March 14. I wanted the goal to be $314.15 but I guess they don’t take cents for donations and kept rounding my amount down.

In the next few days, I’m going to decorate the right rail and keep a tally of how I’m doing. And if it doesn’t snow, maybe I’ll throw a party or something when I reach my goal. I’m going to turn 30 in style, and hopefully I’ll be a better person for it too.

If I were ever to open my own business, I think I would sell myself as a fashion consultant. In the last 2 weeks, I have been shopping with 4 different people, helping them shop for their fashion emergencies.

And then, today, while helping my friend, a random woman asked us for help with the shirt she was trying to pick out. I asked her the obligatory questions: what would you wear this with? Are you more comfortable with this or that? Afterwards, she thanked me and said she would tell the girls at the counter they should hire me to stand by the fitting rooms to help people like her. An intriguing idea….

I do like to help people shop, though. It’s fun to find clothes and accessories that match your style and personality. And I probably wouldn’t want to work in one store because then my interest would be in selling one line. Sometimes, you really need to work the whole mall (or several malls for places bigger than Elmira) to get the right fit for someone.

At the very least, you should know that if you take me shopping with you, you will not be sorry because I’ll make you look like a rock star … or a tv journalist … or a working professional.

Stole this from Roller …. this ought to be interesting.

My soundtrack
- - - - - - - Your Life: The Soundtrack - - - - - - - -
So, here’s how it works:
Open your music player (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, etc).
Put it on shuffle.
Press play.
For every question type the song that’s playing.
When you go to a new question press the next button.
Some songs fit perfectly.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Opening Credits:
Power Play - The Little Boy

Waking Up:
Miss Saigon - This is the Hour

Falling in Love:
Tori Amos - Professional Widow

Fight scene:
Culture Club - Karma Chameleon (because I think Boy George when I think fight scene)

Breaking up:
Mormon Tabernacle Choir - O Holy Jesus (what kind of break up is this???)

Getting back together:
The Beatles - Till There was You

Secret Love:
Alanis Morissette - UR

Life’s Okay:
G TOM MAC - Half

Mental Breakdown:
Manheim Steamroller - Hallelujah (from The Messiah)

Driving Flashback:
The Monkees - The Girl I Left Behind Me

Partying:
Phish - Theme from the Bottom

Happy Dance:
Madonna - Hung Up

Regretting:
Tori Amos - Landslide

Long Night Alone:
Bill Cosby - The Dentist

Final Battle:
Elvis Presley - Don’t Be Cruel

Death Scene:
kelly Clarkson - Hear Me

End Credits:
The Monkees - Salesman