Friday, April 29, 2011

Caring 4 Kids



My friends and sister-in-law have been involved in a charity called Caring 4 Kids for quite some time.  I had been there a few times to help out but, this week, they needed it.  As you'll hear in the video, a local church donated 21,000 pounds of food.  (You may want to increase the volume on the video as it drops a little in the middle.)  It's amazing how much there was but more astounding is the work entailed to just organize the items.  Funny, as I had mentioned the charity the day before in a Facebook post.  I went with the wife to help sort for a few hours.  It's a bit of a blur but I also took a day off of work to help with the bagging and today helped hand out the food to the kids.

It isn't often that I'm able to help but I found myself wanting to get the word out a bit more about what they do.  So, here it is in a little video.  If you'd like to help them out by 'liking' their page on Facebook, you can do so here.  But, if you also happen to be in the Las Vegas/Henderson area and are looking for something positive to do for an hour or more on a Thursday around 6pm... call the people mentioned at the end of the video.  That's when they bag a lot of the items.  If you can imagine about 400+ bags being filled with 9 items or so and the assembly line that it takes to make it happen, you can understand why I mention it.  But, I can see myself spending more time helping them out.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Breaking Open Some Boxes For A Cause


Back a bit ago, I mentioned my wife's mission to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation through the 3-Day For The Cure event.  She's been doing great (although the moving did interfere with training a little but we are finding new routes.)  She has raised 17% of her goal so far (which she needs to accomplish by around August.  It also happens to be a big garage sale happening within our new community and... well, it just makes sense to use it to raise money towards her goal.  So, on Saturday Apr. 16th, you will find me behind a table maybe with a stereo going.  The location could be found here. 

Funny thing about moving is that we've been going through a lot of boxes recently and found that I still have an odd CD or two, some DVDs, lamps and other stuff gathering dust for the sale.  Here's the interesting part.  I know that not everyone has money to donate to a great cause like breast cancer research.  But it amazes me how we can all find junk we are close to throwing away (as we don't all have time to hold a garage sale... especially for just a few items.)  So, if you'd like to help me, help Kerry, help the Susan G. Komen Foundation by donating those items for the sale, we'd love to have them and would cherish your support.  Most of you have ways to get ahold of me (especially via Facebook) and if you'd like to drop something off (old plates, appliances... heck, this could be a long list) just drop me a line.  If you are in the area that day, feel free to stop by as well.  Kerry will also be selling some pink rubber-like wristbands (think LiveStrong meets boobies) and some bracelets specifically for the charity.

During the week, we heard from a member of our family that went through a breast cancer scare.  One of the hardest things about dealing with the disease is that it's hard to talk about when you are waiting just to find out how test results are.  Since starting this journey we've also found more and more family and friends that have fought this disease.  So, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you for contemplating or even reading any of this.

Thursday, April 07, 2011

Moving Can't Be Painless: Part 2

I have to say that after all that previous drama, it got kinda boring with the relocation.  We're starting to feel a bit at home.  Sure, you set one thing up and then break something else and now have to replace it... but that's the fun of organizing a new abode.  Put together a lot of shelves, ceiling fans, a television stand and set up the computers.  I'm sure that I'm forgetting something else.  We also started organizing the garage (which cleared out a lot of the boxes stacked taller than the wife... no, it wasn't intentional.)  The dogs are enjoying the new running room.  Our son is enjoying his new-found freedom to explore (it seems like his room isn't dangerous enough for him anymore.)  If his grades stay above water, he'll be picking up a new bike next week.  Kerry is back to reading (for enjoyment.)  And I'm getting closer and closer to starting a project that I expect to announce in July.

We still have a few home projects to finish (computer networking issues, a ceiling fan and a dishwasher) but there are less and less boxes stacked up and tools lying around (because at any moment... aha... needed that screwdriver.)  I think the only thing we really need right now is a bit of rest and a start on our new routine.  Probably going to start that by exploring the nearby restaurants and walking routes.