The kids were on my case for not having written anything since September. It's funny but in person, they want nothing to do with me. When I try to talk to them face-to-face (or more accurately, face to back of head), they automatically go into ignore mode and press the mute button in their brains to tune me out. However, they seem to thrive on reading what I have written on my blog as long as it has nothing to do with them or as long as it has everything to do with how awful the other two kids are.
So, what have I been up to since September? Mostly I have been obsessing over getting things in order at work.
We will be having elections for our BOD for the first time in decades. It has been a major undertaking at work trying to update our membership roster. My co-worker, AS, and I have pretty much put in full time hours plus time at home trying to update our membership list of "da boys", "da boy's wahine" and "da kids of da boys.". I know it sounds like a simple task but it has been a battle trying to wade through records that haven't been updated since Bill Clinton was in the Oval Office and hunting for dues payments in newly discovered receipt books. In other words, it has been yet another daunting heavy duty clean up job.
It was a totally depressing undertaking (even though we FINISHED everything) as we separated the members who were alive from those who had passed away. It is one thing to see a list of 5 or so veterans who are no longer with us published in each issue of our newsletter but quite another thing to see that the living veterans barely filled up a small box of index cards while those who were deceased were packed into a huge yard-long box of index cards (which seems to be updated daily). It really hammered the sad reality home to me.
This is why I feel it is so important for me to go with them to Las Vegas. I know that reads totally insincere but that is truly how I feel. Each year, there are fewer and fewer of the veterans who are physically able to travel or mentally able to process leaving the comfort of their home. Just today, I found out that one of the veterans who is a close family friend went into the hospital for an unexpected surgical procedure and will not be attending. I know it is selfish of me to hope that he will be there on Sunday but it just will not be the same without him there. He's really Mr. Aloha from LA. His absence will leave a huge void in everything.
So, I should have been getting ready for this trip since September but haven't done anything. Haven't even packed yet.
We are going to go to see Jersey Boys and (hip hip hooray), the Popovich Dog Circus that I wanted to see the last time. It will be a heavy dog themed trip for me as I will also be attending the "No More Homeless Dogs" Conference sponsored by the Best Friends Rescue Organization (the people who are featured in the show Dogtown). I am bummed that I didn't sign up in time to visit the shelter in Utah but I think being away from home for a full 2 weeks and not just 8 days would be too much for those left behind (the human ones, not the doggy ones).
I am really looking forward to going to the Conference as there are a lot of topics that apply not only to my dog-crazed volunteer obsession but also to my job. I am most looking forward to the sessions on how to "market" pit bulls for adoption or fostering as well as how to use social networking for non-profit communication (led by Obama's PR team- totally cool). Hopefully, I will figure out how to Tweet on my phone so I can actually join the cult of Twitter there.
Plus, I am going to try to see Penn and Tellaer. Yes, by myself. How pitiful, huh?
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