Running on Empty

Did you ever have one of those days that went so fast you wonder what you did? At the beginning of the week, I wondered how I'd make it 5 days in a ROW at work after having so many shortened weeks due to the holidays and vacation.

But it did not drag. Today, for example, I would have liked to have stayed longer. I had some training that ate up too much time. But it was valuable and essential to my job. I knew I was behind when I didn't have my "10 o'clock banana" until noon (I'm a bit structured) and didn't get over to the fitness center until after 1 p.m.

That screwed me up and I had to share equipment with a gym class so I wasn't able to log miles on a bike or anything. Luckily, I got done and was leaving in time. And by "in time" I mean I was just walking out the locker room door when the fire alarm went off. Thankfully, I was fully clothed and on my way out! That would have been a bit nippy to stand around outside in a towel -- which I did remember today!

On the way home, I realized I had a tight schedule tonight with 2 meetings in town. So we stopped at the grocery store in Plover so I could whip together a Hornet's Nest Cake (for a work potluck tomorrow) and get it baked before heading to church for a 6:30 meeting. Jim went into town to pick up Carter and, when they got home, they finished up the baking (waiting for timer to go off) since I had to leave.

At this point, the rain was already starting to come down but since it was warm out, it didn't impact driving much. So I continued on.

The meeting at church was about the South Wood County Empty Bowls program that was founded here in 2012 when local potters, Joe Clark and Josh Fite (that's my pastor), committed to making bowls, and First English Lutheran Church (that's my church) committed to hosting the event in February 2013.

Empty Bowls is an international grassroots movement against hunger. The way it works is people pay 10 bucks for a pottery bowl filled with yummy soup -- then get to take the bowl home with them and the South Wood County Food Pantry gets the donation. The other way it works is lots of volunteer hours behind the scenes to bring it all together.

I joined the cause this evening after realizing they needed more man power and knowing I had the weekend of the event available. Much of the legwork has already been done (soliciting soup donations, making posters, etc) but I can still help with hanging posters and reaching out to some of my media contacts for some pre-event coverage. (You've been warned.) 

I also have Carter signed up to work at the actual event. The Assumption high schoolers are required to have 8 hours of service work per semester (which I admire) and this fits right in. 

If any of you "local" readers are available to help, there are plenty of things to do Feb. 8 (the evening before) and Feb. 9 (the morning and early afternoon of the 11 am-2 pm event). Let me know.

After that meeting, I skipped my second non-required meeting in town to head home. It was getting slick in spots where snow had turned to slush from the rain. I think we're in for an interesting drive to work in the morning. 

I should probably hit the sack since my energy meter is running on empty right now. Thankfully my bowl (filled with you never know) is not!