Post-Event Hospitality Crew For Climate Cycle

Location: Francis Parker School

Date: Sunday, August 18, 2013; 11:00 am-3:30 pm

Indeed!

The Chicago ‘Air & Water Show’ was being held today and so the entire city had descended on the waterfront.  This also meant that the traffic was being rerouted, and so it took me some time to get to the location.  I arrived to see Wilson, the One Brick leader for the event, was already there and soon other volunteers arrived – Michelle, Laura, John, Dana and Gary.  This weekend was the ‘Ride to Recharge: Dunes to Downtown’ ride, which is a 62 or a 125 mile bike expedition, the proceeds from which were going towards ‘Climate Cycle’s’ commitment towards sustainable living.  According to the description on the One Brick website, “Climate Cycle's mission is to inspire students to green our world.  We do this primarily through an annual bike ride where people from all walks of life come together to raise money and ride their bike so that schools can get solar panels and fund environmental projects.  For the past four years, 1,200 riders raised $500,000 for the cause.  We have awarded solar panels to 11 schools and funded over 20 innovative, environmental projects.”  The school stop was the conclusion of the ride, and our job was to help with the event setup and cleanup, as well as serving lunch and desserts to the riders.  We were also going to be managing the gear table, monitoring the waste station, and assisting riders with parking their bikes and handing out “Thank You” gifts.  In short, we would be doing everything.

The main staging area was the school basketball court and so we proceeded there to see some tables being arranged.  The bikes would be brought into the gymnasium and in order to protect the floor, they wanted us to lay down some blankets against the far left wall, on top of which the bikes would be parked.  Laura and I took up that task and we were being directed by one of the organizers, who was totally unsure on how she wanted this to be done.  This led to us doing it four times, first with blankets completely open, then with padded mats underneath, then with mats separate and blankets folded, then with doorways free etc etc. Wilson came over and suggested something at which I sent him over to discuss with the organizer, and she overruled him while second-guessing herself.  I truly feel sorry for whoever has to wait on her at a restaurant!

Final iteration of the blankets

In any case, we got the mats and blankets down and beat a hasty retreat - lest she were to change her mind again.  The riders would be coming in through the back side, and since the gymnasium was at an elevated level, the organizers wanted us to carry the bikes up the flight of stairs in order to show support to the riders after their long trek.  It sounded like a great gesture, but I questioned the wisdom of having the check-in at this level when we could save ourselves a lot of trouble by moving downstairs and avoiding this bike carrying.  Plus, this would render the blankets layout a moot point and make everyone happy.  But the organizers claimed that the bikes were as much a part of the rider’s triumph of completing the course and thus should be on display for all to see.  Well, it looked like we would be carrying the bikes up the stairs after all.  Once the bikes were checked-in, there was a ticketing system where one stub would be given to the rider while the other would be taped to the bike.  Then the bike would be carried and placed on the blanket.  With all of this information we were ready to begin, though there was nobody to welcome yet.

Wilson, Dana and I went down to the gates to hang a banner welcoming the riders.  We were using tie-wraps and as is usually the case, Wilson wanted to chime in with some trivia.  He said that to control a mob of protesters, police often use tie-wraps since handcuffs are at a premium.  He then went on to say that if either of us ever wanted to go on a protest, we should secretly carry nail clippers with us so as to cut through the tie-wraps.  Aah, today’s lesson on how to escape when in police custody!  The riders were running late – no doubt due to the traffic diversions – and that gave us all an opportunity to have lunch.  There were some rocks on the lawn and we all sat on them in a circle, very much resembling something akin to ‘Stonehenge people’.  After lunch we went upstairs where Laura and I would be at the bike check-in table.  I noticed that there were a lot of banners hanging from the roof of the gymnasium and mentioned that the school seemed to have a good sporting pedigree.  Wilson said that this was in fact a private school with fees running into five figures and so the kids here were probably focusing more on studies than sports.  Maybe the banners were due to the kids from this school beating other nerds!

Some of the families of the riders were already here and I saw a little girl running all over the gym floor as she waited for her dad to get in.  The rest of our crew was in position, with Michelle at the food station, Gary doing gear check, Dana greeting the riders and giving directions, while John had the unenviable task of carrying the bikes up the flight of stairs.  I would be responsible for handing the riders their check-in ticket stub, taping the other part to the bike and then carrying it to be parked on the blanket.  Laura would be handing the riders their t-shirts, though this was another head scratching thing.  We were told that the riders would be wearing one of two types of bibs – either with 3 digits or with 4 digits.  The 3-digit bib signified that the rider had participated in the 62-mile ride whereas the 4 digits meant that they were doing the full course of 125 miles.  This made sense to me, but what was strange was that the riders with 3 digits would be the only ones who were eligible for a t-shirt.  In other words, if you did a shorter course, you got a shirt.  I am sure there was logic to this, but both Laura and I failed to understand decided to just follow the instructions. 

The Cup

Also on our table were some magnetic pins to put on the bikes and two cups that were going to be presented to some special riders.  The pins were proving to be popular, especially with a girl who came in and started collecting all different types for her shirt.  She was a chatterbox and we engaged in some banter as we waited.  I also found a ball and challenged folks to sink the ball into either of the two cups from the doorway and if they were to do it, I would give them a pin.  It was all in good fun and kept us entertained.  Finally, the riders started arriving and I was busy with the ticketing and carrying the bikes to be parked.  Most of the bikes did not have stands, meaning I was stacking two at a time with one against the wall and the other leaning on it.  This did lead to an interesting situation when one guy came to collect his bike and as I was extracting it, the other bike fell with a loud sound that alerted everyone in the room.  As I sheepishly put it back, I thanked my stars that this had not created a domino effect, which would have been extremely embarrassing for me.

The parked bikes

Soon all the riders were checked in and so the festivities could begin. Almost all of them knew each other and so there was a loud ruckus around the lunch table.  First up was a video presentation on what this was all about, where we learned more about ‘Climate Cycle’ and what they do. Then the two cups were presented, including one to a leading fundraiser, who it seems participates every year and has been on the forefront of promoting the organization.  He gave a speech with a toddler in his hands and said that he was doing this so that the little guy can someday inherit a world without pollution.  On this rousing note the event was at an end and while I was ready to check out the rider’s, it wasn’t required since all of them just went over to their bikes and collected them - with or without the stubs.  To me it defeated the entire exercise and I mentioned as much to Wilson.  He agreed with me as far as this event was concerned, but said that they were putting a system in place when there would be 300 bikes instead of the 30 odd that we had today.  He had a point, though I doubt the organizers were thinking that far ahead.  However, they are a good group of people and while there were a few things that could have been done differently, their hearts are in the right place.  As I left that day the one thing that struck me was that while all the riders were promoting a world where everyone conserves fuel to restrict pollution, a few miles away invaluable jet fuel was being burnt in the name of entertainment.  Life, as usual, is not without irony.

Youth In Services

Location: Senior Breakfast Club At Lidia Pucinska Senior Apartments

Date: Saturday, August 17, 2013; 9:00 am-12:00 pm

I had enjoyed my previous experience with Chicago Cares’ ‘Youth In Services’ program and so when an opportunity presented itself for shadowing, I was all over it.  I was running late and so had to hastily find a cab, arriving just in the nick of time.  Well, I got to the building alright, but there was some repaving that was going on, meaning that I had to find an alternate entryway from last time. By the time I reached the dining area, the kids had already arrived.  I apologized to Stacey, the Volunteer Leader that I would be shadowing, and was introduced to the 5 youth over there.  I started chatting with them and after some time realized that one of the youth was actually their chaperon who was in college.  Well, so much for making a good start!

We would be serving breakfast this morning and there was a lot of cooking to be done.  However, everyone looked enthusiastic, so we washed up and Stacey allocated us our duties.  One of the guys Marco, was on eggs; a girl Alisha was on bacon, and the chaperon Cara would be doing the biscuits as well as scooping jam and butter into individual bowls for the tables.  Two other girls, Kate and Debbie were nominated to decorate the room with streamers – it was in fact important to get Debbie out of the kitchen since she is allergic to eggs.  Stacey was going to be making coffee and pouring juice, while I was assigned the unenviable task of chopping bananas.  I was not looking forward to this owing to the slimy texture of the thing, but Stacey told me to leave the skin on and chop into 4 pieces.  This would help accomplish two things – ease of cutting and also the skin would prevent browning.  Well, looks like I had learned something new, which may be useful…if only I liked bananas. 

Kate and Debbie had done a decent job of decorating with the limited supplies that we had and were now serving coffee and juice to the seniors who had started coming in.  The first batch of biscuits was slightly burnt, though Cara expertly cut the base off and they were as good as new.  Stacey was impressed and said that Cara could well be a surgeon with those skills.  I said either that or a chef, though she would make a lot more money through one of the routes!  If she was good, Marco was just plain brilliant.  He was exhibiting multi-tasking skills that would have made Wilson proud, cooking scrambled eggs by one hand while whisking the next batch with another.  With such commitment we were soon done and were ready to serve.  Cara and I started plating, with me putting a scoop of eggs and two pieces of bacon on the plate while she put a biscuit and two pieces of banana.  The rest of the group was serving and our efficiency meant that very soon all the seniors had their breakfast. 

Table decorations

The youth we had today were a part of ‘BOC (Bread Of Christ) Youth Group’; a club based volunteer organization, formed by youth church members to serve the Chicago community.  So far they were doing an exemplary job, though I was surprised that there were only 4 of them.  But that was explained soon enough when another group of 5 kids arrived and they were clearly late.  I looked at one kid Ron, who seemed to be their leader, and said that they were just in time for cleaning duties.  Considering that the rest had done a lot of hard work in preparing for the breakfast, it was the least Ron and his crew could do to make up for being late.  Even though he did a mock protest, Ron was on board and prepared to do whatever we assigned.  The breakfast was at an end and it was time for Bingo.  I asked the new kids to arrange the prizes and also hand out the cards as well as the beans, which were going to be used in place of the counters.  While this was happening, one of the girls cleaned the dirty dishes and in no time our kitchen duties were done.  All the kids spread out throughout the room and we were ready to play.

One of the youth was removing the Bingo ball while another was reading.  Then some of the others would echo that number, making sure everyone in the room heard clearly.  They were doing this with a lot of enthusiasm, and nowhere was it more evident than when someone got a Bingo.  This led to a ritual where Cara would lead the kids into a rousing rendition of the ‘Bingo Song’ – “B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, and Bingo was his name”.  The song concluded with either Debbie or Marco doing a swirl on the piano.  I have been to several Bingo game’s but nowhere...nowhere, have I ever seen such participation by the volunteers and these kids were showing the rest of us how it to be done.  We were all, including the residents, completely enthralled and were actually looking forward to the next Bingo call so that the kids could do the song all over again.  It was the best Bingo experience that I have had so far. 

 

One of the Bingo prizes

I chatted with Stacey and learned that she has been a volunteer for 10 years, with 7 in ‘Youth In Services’ program.  Talk about experience!  I also learned that she knew my ‘Wish Mentor’ from Make-A-Wish, and we talked about that for a bit.  The kids were doing well, including Ron who was handing out the prizes.  I went over to him and as the prizes started dwindling, we started guessing what the next winner would choose.  Soon all the prizes were distributed, and for each of them the group had sung their song and played the piano.  The residents had enjoyed themselves and as they left one of the ladies said, “God bless you all”. The kids had definitely earned it.

The last activity was reflection and Stacey and I gathered them all around the table.  We asked them what they had enjoyed about today and all said that it was the interaction; and they were looking forward to coming back again.  I asked for feedback on what could be done to improve this, and Cara said that all of them were musically inclined and would love to bring instruments to play the next time.  They are all members of their church’s music group and Ron is in fact the lead musician – no wonder everyone seemed to follow him.  Seeing their skill with the piano as well as the singing, I had no doubt that they would do a great job entertaining the residents. Stacey said that she would make the recommendation to Chicago Cares and I hope it happens.  I had been won over by Marco’s smile, Kate’s enthusiasm, Alisha’s spunk and even Ron’s sheepish mischievousness.  These projects are designed so that people like Stacey and I can mentor the next generation of volunteers and leaders.  But today had been about them teaching us a few valuable lessons - on how a simple Bingo game can be elevated to a special occasion for the seniors.

*All the client's names have been changed in order to respect their privacy

American Cancer Society Making Strides Steering Committee: Chicago Kick-Off Breakfast

Location: Macy’s – State Street
Date: Thursday, August 15, 2013; 6:30-8:30 am

Due to scheduling conflicts, I had not been able to attend several of the ACS steering committee meetings, though I tried to stay involved by following the email chains and meeting notes.  Every August, ACS kicks-off the count-down to the walk by hosting a breakfast where the top fundraisers and some of the past survivors are invited.  Today was that day and being a committee member, not only was I going to be in attendance, but would also be volunteering.  This meant a reporting time of 6:30 am…hey, at least it wasn’t 4:30 like the Avon Walk!

The room was spectacular

The event was to be held in Macy’s on State Street and I arrived to find that we were to be let in through a small service door on the side.  I checked in and was told to take the elevator to the 7th floor where the event was being conducted.  It was a strange feeling as I walked through the empty store, amongst the various merchandise areas, many of which were still in dark.  I arrived upstairs and followed someone who looked like a caterer, hoping that he would lead me to the right place.  What I found was a fantastic room which had a fountain in the middle and had been decorated for the occasion with pink balloons and other pink paraphernalia.  It truly looked magnificent and I thought if the occasion lived up to the room’s decor, we were in for a splendid morning.  

Every table had a reminder of why we were here

I saw Janae from ACS and asked her if people who were attending the event had paid to do so. She said no, it was by invitation only, and ACS still needed to pay for the food.  I told her how Macy’s supports Make-A-Wish Foundation and perhaps we should ask if they can help out next year through subsidizing the breakfast. She said that Macy’s has a lot of charities to support, so while we could try, it was unlikely they could do something.  I guess she was right, but doesn't hurt to make a case.  The guests would be arriving soon and the breakfast would be starting in an hour.  The first task for volunteers was to guide them to the right place.  We were given signs with arrows and dispatched to stand on the streets pointing the people towards Macy’s entrance.  When asked how we would know who was attending, we were told that people would probably notice the pink sign and stop to ask for directions. Well, that sounded right. 

"In case of an emergency, please follow the arrow"

A few of the volunteers went on the streets and started scouting for the appropriate location to station ourselves.  I went and stood across the street from Macy’s but soon realized that it did not make any sense since I figured people at least knew where the store was, even if they did not know the right entrance.  I sometimes think that these things are done more for promotional reasons and there’s nothing wrong with that. So I went down State Street and found a spot near a sleeping homeless man who was under a comfortable looking blanket.  I held up my arrow and very soon a guy in a suit walked up to me and asked for directions to the entrance.  A bit later another gentleman walked up and asked for general directions towards Monroe Street – in Spanish!  I pointed him in the right way, as I did some other women who asked me if they were headed south.  Hey, if I was going to be standing there, might as well make myself useful.  

Everyone was energized

There really wasn’t much to do but see the city come to life in these early hours, and the most exciting part for me was watching a woman try to parallel park in reverse.  The pillar of the ‘L’ was throwing her off and I tried my best to help her adjust, but despite our combined efforts she gave up and moved on.  A few minutes later another car did manage to accomplish the feat cleanly.  I guess if you are motivated enough to find a parking spot in Chicago, you have to put in the effort.  I was beginning to think that they had forgotten about us, but at 8 am someone came to gather the volunteers and we went upstairs to join the festivities.  I grabbed some breakfast with another volunteer and we sat down to listen to the various speeches, which were to be the signature agenda items this morning.  It started with the recognition of the “Pace Setters” or people who had raised over $2,500 and continued with many survivor stories from family members or the actual survivors, including ABC News’ traffic reporter who gave a rousing speech that drew the biggest applause.  I looked around the room and everyone seemed energized by this morning, not least a guy who was dressed like ‘The Tick’ and was robustly cheering everything.  I asked someone if he was a mascot and no one seemed to know.  Whatever he was, he had the right attitude and as I left for work this morning, I knew that we were on the right track to host a terrific event come October 26th.

What's The Word

Location: Lakeview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Date: Wednesday, August 14, 2013; 6:30-8 pm

I'd sit alone and watch your light

My only friend through teenage nights

And everything I had to know

I heard it on my radio

Most of my memories of my teenage years are associated with music and almost all of it had something to do with radio.  It wasn’t just the music itself, it was also the shows, the hosts, the commercials…everything.  It’s strange how certain things drift away from your mind for years, but one trigger is all it takes to bring back those memories, and not just a trickle, but an entire wave.  I had not scheduled a project for this evening, but seeing an opening, decided to sign up for this in the afternoon.  If I had not, I would missed out on remembering something long forgotten, something that I needed to remember.

I arrived to find that Jack, Jim, Larry and Mary were already assembled.  Also present was my new buddy Elmer.  He had told me that he wanted to be involved in all of the projects at the center and looks like he was sticking to his word.  Besides Gwyn, there were 3 other volunteers, including Fran, who had been present during our previous Elmer experience.  He did look a bit subdued today, though there were enough strong personalities to keep this interesting.  We would be working on the September/October issue of ‘As We See It’ this evening, the same issue with which I had started my career with Chicago Cares last year.  It had been Jack’s 89^th birthday recently and as usual, Gwyn had baked him his favorite ‘Oatmeal Raisin’ cookies, using dried cranberries instead of raisins.  Whatever was in there, it was a delicious way to begin.

Gwyn paired me with another volunteer Andrea, and we would be working on the computer to do specific research. Fran and another volunteer Rebecca would be working with Jack on ‘Chase Book Of Events’, whereas Gwyn, Jim, Larry and Mary would be discussing the book and restaurant reviews.  Andrea looked like a fun person to work with and I told her that we had been relegated to computer duties because we were either too smart, or too dumb to contribute towards books and restaurant review discussions!  Actually, our task did have something to do with books since we were asked to find something on October being ‘National Book Reading Month’.  Using Google as our ally we set off, but try as we may, were unable to find any history of why, when and where October had been nominated for this honor.  We did find what people could do to celebrate it through book clubs and schools.  This was a bit strange until we found an article that said that ‘National Book Foundation’ had dropped the ‘National Book Month’.  What?  We were mystified at this wondering what poor October – my favorite month of the year - had done to deserve this ignominy.  We could not find any supporting material, but it was enough of a curious thing to include it in the issue.

The Lone Ranger

We had more luck on our next task, which was to research the TV show ‘The Lone Ranger’, which made its debut in September 1949.  I must admit that I had never seen or read anything associated with this show till I went to see the semi-decent movie this summer.  However, according to what I saw on the Wikipedia page, it had been a phenomenon, with almost 3000 radio episodes dating back to 1933!  Elmer, who always likes to contribute, knew most of the actors from the show and started listing them, along with some of the other Western’s from the era.  Gwyn then said that we should find an audio clipping of the show and it did not take Andrea and me long to locate one of the shows online.  Then all of us abandoned what we had been doing and for the next few minutes listed to the radio broadcast.  I was lost in my own memories and I got a sense that everyone else was as well - not least the residents who have lived through the days when a family gathering around the radio was the only entertainment.  It’s a shame that today’s generation, each with their personal mobile device connected to YouTube, will never know what a wonderful experience that was.

We took down some notes on ‘The Lone Ranger’, hoping that Gwyn would be able to decipher my handwriting.  She and the others were passionately discussing some restaurant serving chicken and a thriller book – something that the residents love.  They were also debating which of the staff members to pick for the interview segment and I suggested picking the next person who walked into the room.  It was funny since one of the resident assistants walked in and all of turned to look at him!  For the ‘Time Out’ section, which deals with sports, I said that we should put down our SuperBowl picks on the eve of the football season.  Since we still had some time left, Gwyn asked me to find out some fun facts about ‘Labor Day’ and the couple that we found were that it was when the very first ‘Waffle House’ opened and that there is something known as ‘Moustache Festival’ in California.

Radio Gaga

On that note it was time to leave and Elmer asked about the next Crafts project, even though he claimed that I had “Worked him like a rented mule” the previous time.  As I took the train back, I couldn't help but go back all those years ago, listening to the radio. I remembered how on Sunday afternoons, my Mom and me used to listen to upcoming previews of movies, some of which ran as long as 15 minutes, followed by discussing excitedly how the film would be.  There were times when I visited my grandparents and they had a giant radio perched on top of a cabinet and which could only be tuned by standing on top of a stool.  I remembered many an evening spent at their place listening to the radio shows, as well as some of the sporting events.  Speaking of sports, I remembered how I used to stay glued to the radio, with my hands clenched as my team or favorite player would be playing.  I remembered as a kid going on long drives with my parents in the front and me with a portable radio in back seat and I remembered evenings during my college days, listening to the popular DJs taking calls from lovesick teenagers.  Even recently, in grad school, my roommates and me used to have a radio on as we did our assignments or drove through the night on interstates, trying to avoid rush hour traffic. Radio has been an integral part of my growing up, and as much as I may want to change some things in the past, almost every memory with a radio had been a good one; including that one night as I saw a text message on the phone mounted on my car’s dashboard and I reached out to switch off the radio in order to have a quite moment. Last year, I had gone to see a radio production of ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ and it had been one of the highlights of my holiday season.  The way the performers had recreated the era of radio broadcasting, combining it with this beloved story, had made me realize that one does not need a $300 million budget to create magical entertainment.  As we all had concluded ‘The Lone Ranger’ broadcast this evening I had mentioned as much, and though they did not say it back, I could see in the residents eyes that they had agreed.

Let's hope you never leave old friend

Like all good things on you we depend

So stick around cause we might miss you

When we grow tired of all this visual

You had your time, you had the power

You've yet to have your finest hour

- lyrics by Roger Taylor

*All the client's names have been changed in order to respect their privacy

Get Into Character! Record Children's Book With Jumpstart!

Location: Jumpstart Offices

Date: Monday, August 12, 2013; 6:00-8:00 pm

“Goodnight blueberry patch,” Little Bear said while eating a few more berries on his way to the den.

The beautiful location where I found my book

In a gift shop in one of the most remote parts of the world that I have visited, on top of Mount Alyeska in Girdwood Alaska, I found a book called ‘Goodnight Alaska – Goodnight Little Bear’ by Bernd and Susan Richter.  The breathtaking view, something the likes of which I had never seen before, demanded that I get something to memorialize my visit.  As I looked through the most charming gift shop, perched above the mountain, I came across this book.  Knowing that in a few days I was going to be part of the most unique volunteer project in my time with One Brick, I bought it for the project.  After a journey of thousands of miles, the book made its way to Jumpstart offices.

The description of the project on One Brick website said, “Jumpstart is a national early education organization that addresses the crisis in early education and is a research-based, cost-effective supplemental program in preschools serving low-income families that encourages literacy and socio-emotional development.  Since many of our preschools have experienced budget cuts and staff shortages, meaning that resources are stretched thin and children do not have enough time with books being read aloud to them, One Brick volunteers will be helping Jumpstart by creating audio recordings of children's books.  This will help provide preschools with audiobooks of children's stories that children can listen to on their own to facilitate reading or the teacher can play in addition to reading aloud to the class, giving children greater opportunities to build comprehension and vocabulary.  This event is looking for volunteers to record themselves expressively and creatively reading children's storybooks to create a CD that we can provide to our preschools.  So let's get into character and come help low-income preschools!  Volunteers are encouraged to bring at least one children's book that they would like to record. Feel free to bring your favorite book from when you were young! This book will then be donated directly to a low-income preschool-aged child in the Jumpstart program.”  It went on to say that, “Since 1993, they have impacted over 50,000 preschoolers nationwide, and in Chicago have 250 corps members and serve over 650 children each year”.  I will be the first to admit that my voice is terrible and I have no business recording anything, let alone audio books.  But I was fascinated by it and was sold on the description.  So it was with a mixture of trepidation and excitement, that I arrived to find Wilson and Laura, who were the Event leaders. 

The offices were in Gold Coast and with its high loft style ceiling design and open spaces; it looked like a creative place.  Indeed, there were many other businesses in the building, which dealt with art and media.  Amy, the Jumpstart site rep told us a bit more about the organization, especially how they assist low income schools who do not have staff to read to the kids.  She said that a child from a low-income family is usually 3-4 million words behind a similar child from an affluent family by age of 4.  That was a staggering statistics and made our work here that much more important.  The books that we would be recording today would be handed to various schools and used by the kids there as audio books.  We were to be divided into 3 groups of 4 each and while one group would record on an iPhone, the other would be doing so on a video recorder and a third on a Mac.  I was paired with Danielle, Hannah and Julia – who is a professional voice artist.  We were given an iPhone and located in an open office.  Unfortunately for us, the phone in the office kept ringing and eventually Amy had to come and unplug it.  This did not prevent the other external noises as well as the chatter of the people outside.  But we decided to plough through it all.

My book

The first book that we selected was indeed my ‘Goodnight Alaska’.  We decided that rather than one person reading it, we would have one narrator and others playing characters.  For this one I was playing the narrator whereas Danielle was the Little Bear, Julia the Momma Bear and Hannah was some of the other animal characters in the story.  We did a dry run and made some tweaks such as all of us saying “Goodnight” in unison when during the final pages all animals wish the Little Bear.  We then recorded on the phone and once we were done, played back to realize that we had done a fantastic job.  Next, we selected Julia’s book, ‘On The Night You Were Born’.  This one had a lot of potential for enhancements such as sound effects.  We decided to incorporate them and this meant I was whistling as a bird and someone else was quacking as a duck and the third was honking like geese.  Julia said “The End” one page before it was due and so we had to erase and record again.  But we had so much fun doing it the first time around, that nobody was complaining.

Next came Danielle’s book, ‘Bernstein Bears And Too Much Junk Food’.  I was playing Papa Bear, Julia was Mama Bear, Danielle played the Brother and Sister Bears and Hannah was the Doctor.  The book was about Momma Bear teaching the rest of the family the virtues of dieting and was once again we were totally engaged in our characters.  After that was ‘Franklin In The Dark’ where I played the Tiger and tried to do my best deep voice impersonation.  Following this was ‘Jamberry’ and this is where our creativity moved up a notch thanks to Hannah.  The book was rich with lot of visuals and she decided to make it more interactive for the kids.  Along with the audio files that we were recording, the kids were also going to given a copy of the actual book to follow.  Hannah suggested that after reading a page, we ask the kids a question on each page, such as finding an object.  This meant that we add a pause at the end of each page to give them the opportunity to answer.  This was a great idea and we took full advantage of it. 

All the books that we recorded

Finally, we did “Teeny Tiny Mouse”, which is a book about colors.  A tiny mouse is trying to identify colors of various objects in the room.  We recorded the book and then I said that we should do it again, this time with me as the narrator, asking the kids to identify some other objects of similar color on the page and after a pause, pointing one out.  This worked really well and I thought that this was our finest job and we had saved the best for the end.  The other groups came out of their session looking similarly pleased and it seems that every single volunteer had enjoyed themselves.  Amy thanked us and we continued debating which group had done the best job over some spiked milkshakes at ’25 Degrees’.  I told Laura and Wilson that this had been my favorite One Brick project to date and I was definitely looking forward to returning again.

I consider myself extremely fortunate because even after all these years, I remember my parents reading to me as a kid.  My dad used to not only buy, but also read comic books to me animatedly and there were even occasions where my grandma got all of the cousins and me together for an afternoon of reading.  Years later I was in high school and while I was a voracious reader, I did not enjoy reading anything in my native language.  My mom insisted that I read this book and since it was not in English, I made her read it to me, and I remember nights after dinner where we sat down laughing at some of the things in that book.  One of the sweetest sights I used to see frequently was in Pittsburgh where I used to visit my married friends weekly for a movie night and often find one reading a book loudly while the other cooked.  Books are one of the greatest treasures known to man and while I completely understand people’s preference of reading a book at their own pace, having one read to you is a special feeling.  Over the past several years I have listened to a lot of books on tape, preferring to combine that with either long drives or walks.  During my commute from Massachusetts to Connecticut every week, I used to devour audio books borrowed from the public library and often associate certain books with locations I was at when I heard them for the first time.  Later, I used to look forward to my long riverfront walks on Sundays in Pittsburgh, as I walked listening to books, and in fact read the entire series of my favorite authors during those years. For the past 2 years I have done similar walks in Chicago while listening to books, and look forward to my annual ritual of listening to my favorite book ‘The Shadow Of The Wind’ by Carlos Ruiz Zafon every August, trying to visit similar places where I was at when I heard certain passages for the first time.  The point is that audio books, or having something read to you, can be a memorable experience.  I will never forget any of these moments from my life and having had an opportunity to help create something that may lead to similar memories for a kid was a privilege.  Without a question, this had most certainly been my favorite One Brick project to date. 

“Goodnight Mom,” Little Bear said while snuggling into his favorite corner.  “Goodnight and sweet dreams my little one”, Mama Bear replied before both fell into a deep sleep that would last for many months.

Get Crafty!

Location: Lakeview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Date: Sunday, August 04, 2013; 2:30-4:00 pm

‘Pulchritudinous’; Adjective; “Characterized by or having great physical beauty and appeal”

This has always been a favorite of mine and one of the projects that I sign up for well in advance.  Wilson picked me up and we arrived at Lakeview Nursing to see that Alisa required help carrying all the supplies inside.  Today we were going to be painting and decorating wine and other glasses and Alisa had picked up a lot of them.  Besides us, we had 6 other volunteers including Fran.  While Wilson and I put newspaper over the various tables to protect from spillage, Alisa arranged all of the supplies and there were plenty.  We could paint the glass, apply glue and then sprinkle glitter, followed by application of something called Mod Podge.  I had never used the stuff before and had no idea what it looked like.  However, it seemed like the thing to have since it apparently dries clear and helps glitter stick.  Well, as is usually the case, I was learning something new again.

Latasha's glass

Before we began, Alisa taped up the top of the glasses where the lips would touch since we did not want to get any of the paint there.  Mary, who is a regular for many of the other events was very excited at the project and said that she knew exactly what she was going to be doing with her set of the glasses.  Well, that made one of us!  I went over to one of the ladies and asked if she wanted to decorate anything.  She said that she indeed would and asked for a big wine glass, since bigger meant it could hold more wine!  I certainly could not argue against that and sat down to observe her.  She said that her name was Latasha and said that she wanted to put pink glitter on her glass.  She said that pink was her favorite color, not surprising considering she was wearing a lot of it.  Well at least if it got on her it would not be visible.  She referred to me as a “Dynamic young man”, though I really wasn’t of much help besides getting her the supplies.  We put some glue on the glass and then sprinkled the glitter, which as was to be expected, went everywhere.  Alisa came over to check and said that we should put some of the Mod Podge on top, though Latasha was not so sure of that and considering I had never used the stuff before, I had to go by her judgment. 

And Faye's

Mary was making excellent progress on her glass and also had time to show some of the volunteers around her pictures of the facility from 2011.  I could recognize some of the residents, along with some of the volunteers.  Seeing that Latasha was fairly independent, I went and joined Faye, who was clearly struggling to work by herself.  She was trying to put some dots on her glass, though her lack of coherent speech made it difficult of me to understand her.  She had a stencil with a flower and I said that we should paint over that using bright colors.  I got yellow for the petals and orange for the center and Faye put those over the stencil.  We then flipped the colors, using orange for petals and a yellow center for another flower on the glass.  Faye was very quite, though I could discern purple as being one of her favorite colors.  I looked for purple paint and had to trade with another table to get her some!  Faye was happy to have it and proceeded to make more dots.

In the meanwhile, Latasha had been joined by a gentleman who was painting using a stencil and she was holding up the glass for him.  I told her that I would take over and what followed was one of my most entertaining sessions at this place.  Since it was a Pilsner glass, I said it would be great for him to drink beer out of it when finished.  He responded that it would be a long time before he could “Blow this joint” so as to enjoy beer.  He introduced himself was Elmer and was chatting non-stop.  Now, there have been many others who have proven to be talkative, but there was something about him that was different.  For one, he seemed well read and was coherent, with a cutting edge sarcasm.  Furthermore, it was clear that he appreciated the company of ladies and even referred to one of our volunteer’s golden hair as something on a fairy-tale princess.  I was urging him to paint between the stencil openings and he called me “Productive”.  I asked if I should introduce myself that way and he said yes.  Once the stencil pattern had been pained, Alisa came and asked if he was done and he said “According to the other in the know how, yes”, referring to me.  I said “Not on my watch” and got him another stencil.  Grumbling, he started with that and I made sure he was coloring well.  He said that he wasn’t “Van Gough coloring within the lines” and then proceeded to call me “Precise”. 

I worked Elmer "like a rented mule" for this

At this stage Latasha was laughing and I said that now I was “Productive, Precise and not to forget, Dynamic”.  Elmer said that I should put it on my business card and add to my LinkedIn profile as well.  I was having loads of fun and not wanting to give an inch, got him another stencil and different color to paint with, at which he promptly referred to me as “Thoughtful”!  I saw some hot sauce and spice powder in front of him and asked him about it, at which he responded that it “Always helps to be prepared”.  I wanted to extract the maximum from him and so got him yet another stencil.  Now he referred to me as “Creative” and that I was “Working him like a rented mule”.  I mean come on!

Seeing his penchant for words, I asked if he was a teacher.  He said yes, a graduate assistant in a business school.  He was originally from New York and started questioning another volunteer who had just moved her as to why anyone would want to do that.  By this time everyone was paying attention and Fran was in splits.  I asked Elmer if he knew Wilson and he responded, “Like the volleyball in Castaway?”  I said yes, and he immediately started seeking Wilson.  I pointed him out and mentioned that Elmer may be the only person who doesn't know Wilson, at which point he said that perhaps he should work with Wilson.  He then proceeded to needle Wilson with his non-stop chatter.  I asked him if he had any other adjectives and that’s when he said, “Pulchritudinous”.  What?  Really, what?  I asked him to spell it and he said it meant “Characterized by beauty” and didn't quite apply to me, as much as the ladies who were there.  Now I really shouldn't argue against that, but I wanted to have the last word and said that it wasn’t fair since I could have beauty at which he shook his head.  Well, I tried!

Priceless, all of them!

The project was at an end and Alisa told everyone not to wash the glasses for 10 days since we were not baking them.  Mary had done a fantastic job with her glasses and everyone had a great time, not least me.  Elmer said that he had better start coming for these things since he gets to be surrounded by such lovely ladies.  I said not to forget “Productive, precise, thoughtful, dynamic and creative men.”  He laughed and took his sauces with him, saying he would see me at dinner time.  As we cleaned up, Alisa said that she was pleased with the project and had been nervous how they would handle working with glasses.  But everyone had been involved, including Faye who had struggled quite a bit but managed to make something as well.  Plus, we had been thoroughly entertained by Elmer and I had even learned a new word!  We left the glasses to dry and while none of them would probably sell at a gift shop, because of who had made them, to me each of them were pulchritudinous. 

“Art, art of any kind, shows that folks are trying.” Walter Kirn

*All the client's names have been changed in order to respect their privacy

Finish And Post-Event Party: The CitySolve Urban Race

Location: Mickeys Bar & Patio

Date: Saturday, August 03, 2013; 12:00-4:30 pm

When I saw this on the One Brick calendar, my first thought was to participate in the race itself.  I have seen Scavenger/Treasure Hunt shows on TV and many many moons ago had participated in one myself - and it had been fantastic.  I remember one of the clues was something related to Sherlock Holmes address and there was a ‘Sherlock’ pub nearby.  As me and my partner traversed the street up and down, we were totally immersed in the experience.  Years later I wanted to do it again, but was unable to find a companion as much as I tried.  So here I was, signing up to volunteer instead and the only question was whether I wanted to do the first or the second shift, or even both!  The first one was when the contestants set off and the second was to welcome them back.  I thought that I would sleep in a bit and so showed up on location at noon. 

I arrived to see that the morning crew was almost done and were now enjoying themselves.  Well, everyone but Wilson, who was the manager for morning shift, but was now directing volunteer traffic; and Rich, who was continuing for 2^nd shift.  The organizers called us all to attention and said that as a first task they needed 3 volunteers to staff a check point, which was at least a mile away.  Once those folks had departed they required 2 outside to check-in the returning teams and clock them, two to do Facebook raffle and surveys and two to verify the clues.  I had no idea what “verifying the clues” meant, but it sounded more interesting than anything else, so I hopped aboard that.  Matt was going to be joining me on this task and so we were directed to a booth at the end of the room and Jason, the organizer came over to give us instructions. 

We were given the same clue sheet that the contestants had, along with the answers.  There were 9 clues which they had to solve in order to discover the locations that they had to visit; and as a proof, they had to take a picture of themselves over there.  Plus, they could skip one of the locations, while 3 were mandatory and some had tasks which they would have to perform.  Also, there were two other bonus questions that they had to attempt for which they would get a time credit.  Matt and I had to look at their smart phone or camera pictures and verify that they had complied.  If they missed anything, then there would be a time penalty to what they had checked-in with.  The first clue pointed towards a yogurt truck in Wrigleville and was mandatory.  Next was the pub ‘Halsted Harp’ followed by another mandatory one at a comic shop on Belmont.  Now, this was where the One Brick volunteers were staffed, and they were to assist the teams in selling One Brick glasses to passer’s by.  If they were unable to sell, they could either buy them from us or risk taking a penalty.  Seemed like a nice way to raise money for One Brick.  The other clues pointed towards ‘Treasure Island’, ‘Red Orchid’ theater, ‘Camelot’ store and ‘Halsted Florist’, which was the final mandatory stop and had a task for them. 

This would be interesting

One of more interesting tasks was for the participants to get three ‘Cubs’ fans to pose making the ‘SOX’ sign.  Now, having been here for 2 years, I know the kind of rivalry the two teams have, not so much on the field as off it.  This continues with the fans, who both claim certain sections of the city as their own and we were certainly located on the ‘Cubs’ side of the city.  So to get those fans to pose making ‘Sox’ letters would be a monumental achievement and if I was doing the race, I may have seriously considered skipping on this one.  The final clue was a Bullseye ring with 4 rings and the participants could choose one of the rings and complete the tasks on it.  For example, the outermost ring had them taking their pictures with a ‘Red Hybrid’, ‘Chopsticks’, ‘Sunflower’ and ‘American Flag’ whereas the innermost ring had a single task, that was to take a picture with a dog in a bag.  Once again, I couldn't even imagine how they were going to find someone carrying a little dog when in a pinch.  The two bonus questions had contestants taking pictures with some words like “Fun” or “Volunteer” or “Friends” or “Sun” etc.  The teams could be of 2, 3 or 4 and they could do solve the clues in any order that they pleased, as long as they took public transport or were on foot - no cabs or bicycles.  The only caveat was that all the team members needed to be in the pictures. 

We were ready to begin and soon a team of two guys came in and they looked like they had been working hard at the race.  We checked their pictures and with no penalty points, they were by far the leaders.  Then came a team of two girls, followed by a family of three.  The dad said that he, along with the daughter had finished third last year, whereas he and his wife had been first the previous year.  This time they had decided to participate together and unofficially were in 3^rd place.  Soon there was a flurry of activity and Matt and I were busy checking the pictures and marking compliance.  Many competitors had not managed to sell the glasses and while some purchased them, many were returned back to us.  We were to ask them what the task was; else they had to forfeit their point, though everyone knew what the glasses were for.  In terms of penalties, missing a mandatory clue was 60 minutes, whereas missing a typical clue was 30 minute penalty.  On the other hand, solving the bonus clue deducted 10 minutes from the time.  Surprisingly, almost everyone had managed to solve the clues and there were very few penalties.  Plus people had managed to come up with some creative ways of complying with the pictures, especially with the bonus questions.  Also, many had managed to find someone with a dog in a bag and more surprisingly had convinced many ‘Cubs’ fans to pose as ‘Sox’ – including three girls dressed in ‘Cardinals’ shirts, which according to me would have been a double whammy.  Imagine having someone dressed in the uniform of your hated rival asking you to pose as your other rival! For accomplishing that these ladies deserved double points.

There were many in costumes, including one covered in bug swatters – named SWAT – toga, wigs, Mardi Gras etc.  Most had checked in by 3pm and Jason announced the winners, who were in the order that we had checked them in.  There were also prizes for best costume, won by SWAT, and best tweet.  Soon thereafter people dispersed and we were left to clean.  During that, we had a scary moment when one of the contestants fainted and we had to call 911 – where is Wilson when you need him.  Thankfully she was just dehydrated, having also run a half marathon in the morning.  Wilson did arrive and we all retired to the patio to relax and chat.  Jason joined us to discuss the race and he was off to Denver next, just one of the 23 stops for the race!  He said that the turnout this year was lower than expected, with only 50 teams that were participating – Lollapalooza having something to do with it.  However there had been some serious competitors, one team even getting instructions from their friends via Bluetooth.  So while the friends were remotely searching the internet for answers to the clues, these guys spent all their time just running from one destination to another.  Well competitive or not, it definitely felt like all of them had loads of fun and so had we.  Maybe next year I will participate…and get Wilson to help out on the Bluetooth!

Game Night At Wesley Place

Location: Wesley Place

Date: Thursday, August 01, 2013; 7:00-8:00 pm

I had been away and so it seemed like I had not volunteered with Chicago Cares in ages.  I had enjoyed ‘Game Night’ projects at Pomeroy and so had no hesitation in signing up for this one.  It was a relatively new program and hence Chicago Cares had been unable to find a regular leader for it. Thus upon arrival, I found Amy from Chicago Cares there along with 3 other volunteers.  The first thing that impressed me was the facility itself. I looked quite classy and I mentioned that to Amy.  She said that unlike Pomeroy, the residents over here were more elderly and needed help during the game.  More than anything, they wanted the company.  Well, that’s what we were here for.

We went upstairs and I saw several residents assembled around some tables in the activity room, which itself was quite bright and welcoming.  Amy asked us to select games from a box and I took ‘Uno’ cards, which was the only game that I knew how to play.  I went over to a lady who said that she couldn't play because she wasn’t strong enough.  Typically I would not have been averse to staying with her to chat for the duration of the evening, but she seemed distracted and it would have been difficult to engage her.  So I took my deck of cards and went over to another table, this one having 4 ladies, and asked if they wanted to play with me.  One of them refused for the same reason as the earlier one, but two others said yes and the third said she wanted to learn.  I was in business!

Uno again

The lady who wanted to learn was named Fran and as I taught her how to play, she turned out to be a good student.  I asked where she was from and she said Detroit, though has been here for a long time and likes it.  Soon we were ready to go and I dealt for 4 people.  But it was apparent that one of the ladies next to me required help in even holding up the cards, and so I requested one of the other volunteers to come over and help her out.  Back at Pomeroy when I had played ‘Uno’, it had been a full-fledged competitive game with folks enforcing the rules diligently.  Over here it was quite the opposite.  In fact, we could see each other’s cards and it was more about getting the residents involved.  The lady who was being helped by the other volunteer was called Maggie and she was quite jovial.  She said that while she understood the colors on the cards, she needed some help with the numbers.  I asked what her favorite color was and she said “Green”.  I said that it was mine as well, though I like all colors.  She then said she also liked Red, it being her favorite winter color, with Green being her summer color.  Now, I had never heard of anyone specifying favorite colors by seasons, though it made some sense to me.  I asked about Spring and she said “Yellow”, leaving Blue for Fall I guess!

Besides Fran and Maggie, the third lady who was playing was Georgia and of everyone, she was the one into the game and concentrating hard.  I was coming close to winning and was thinking that I may soon have to start cheating so as not to, but fortunately Fran won.  She was ecstatic, especially since she had just learnt the game, and was now totally interested.  The following round Georgia won, leaving Maggie as the only non-winner at the table.  I looked at the bracelets Maggie was wearing and told her that those were nice.  She said that she had won them in Bingo and that she was quite an accomplished player.  Now, Bingo is not a game of skill, but one thing I have learned after spending time with seniors is that being an accomplished player means being more attentive than others.  Considering her competition in this room, it would not have been too difficult, though I hope they have volunteers who help out.  Maggie told me that every Thursday a van comes to pick them up and take everyone to downtown.  It is a nice way for all of them to get out of the nursing home and see the outdoors.  I asked if she liked seeing the lake and she replied that it was the buildings that she enjoyed more.  I liked Maggie and made it my mission to help her out.  Through some careful manipulation of my cards and colors, I was able to get her a win and she loved that.  Now, everyone on the table could have the bragging rights! 

Over on the next table a cards game was in progress and one of the volunteers said that if this was poker, she would have a “Full House”.  I said if they were playing poker, all of us – Fran, Maggie and Georgia – would be at the next table.  We were enjoying ourselves, but now there was time for just one additional game, which Maggie won again.  I said that it had been a brilliant comeback and was time for us to leave.  It had been an hour, which I felt was a short time, but it meant a lot to them.  Fran, Maggie and Georgia thanked us and Maggie added, “Thank you for spending an evening with us”.  With those words ringing in my ears I left with tears in my eyes.  There’s nothing more to for me to say…really. 

*All the client's names have been changed in order to respect their privacy

Make-A-Wish Open House

Location: Make-A-Wish Offices

Date: Wednesday, July 24, 2013; 6:00-7:00 pm

I had been a weekly visitor to MAW offices during last year’s ‘Believe’ campaign.  Then, when I came for my ‘Wish Granter’ training, I found that they had moved across the hallway to a slightly bigger office.  At that time they were still renovating and so many rooms had been blocked off.  But now they were ready to unveil for all to see and hence had sent out invitations for an Open House. I decided to attend and invited my friend Augusta, whom I had met during the ‘Avon Walk’ in June and while we had stayed in touch, had not been able to meet since.  We arrived at the offices to find that the party was well and truly on with people walking about with drinks in their hands.  I saw Jeanne at the front desk and she immediately told everyone that I had been one of the most committed volunteers for the ‘Believe’ campaign, even going as far as calling me “Superstar Santa”.  Well, looks like the prodigal son had returned! 

When you wish upon a star

We got a map of the space, not that it was a treasure hunt, and started in a room which had several pictures on the wall.  Closer inspection revealed that these were photographs of the ‘Wish Ball’ and while I could see some from the skit that I was a part of, there wasn’t one of my almost award winning performance as ‘Security Guard #1’.  I did however recognize photos of the kids who had been the ‘Wish Ambassadors’, having chatted with one during the party.  We moved on to other rooms and all over the offices there were pictures and posters of kids and their wishes, a conscious effort on the part of designers to make this office space a celebration of what MAW does.  One of the posters was of a 3-year old girl and it said, “I wish to go to the beach”.  Now, on surface it appears to be a straightforward wish…I mean it’s going to the beach.  But the picture showed a bunch of ‘Sesame Street’ characters behind her and a carnival type ambiance, meaning that the ‘Wish Granters’ had gone above and beyond in designing the experience.  Remember, it’s our responsibility to enhance the simplest of wish into a memorable and unique occasion.

We were walking about the room looking at the posters, when an announcement was made that the program was about to commence.  It started with a speech by the CEO of MAW-Illinois, thanking the people who had ‘donated’ many of the rooms in the new office space.  As she went through the list, I learned that the rooms had been donated in "memory" or "honor" of someone, most likely a former ‘Wish Child’.  There were a lot of parents and ‘Wish Children’ present and many were recognized by the speaker.  Besides private donors, there were organizations such as ‘Best Buy’ who had also contributed.  After the speeches, there was going to be an unveiling of plaques around the office space, which would have names of the folks who had donated that particular room or section. 

Wish poster

After the speeches were done, I chatted with Dan, who has helped coordinate some of the events I have participated in and we talked about the ‘Wish Ball’ and how I was angling to get the ‘Wish Ambassador’ role for next year.  There was another poster with a wish, “I wish to have a service dog”.  I found that a very unique wish and something about it was poignant.  Of all the things the child could have wished for, he had chosen to ask for a service dog.  I mentioned that to one of the staff members and she agreed.  In the meanwhile, the next phase of activities was about to commence, which was a singing performance by a young man, who was introduced as a former ‘Wish Child’, and who was now in college.  Looking at his boyishly charming face, I was totally unprepared for what followed - an excellent rendition of a song from ‘The West Side Story’ and ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon.  He also did another song dedicated to MAW and received thunderous applause after he was done.  I went and congratulated him and wished him luck for the future. 

The party was almost done and as we headed out I once again met Jeanne, who introduced me to Dana, who will be running the ‘Believe’ program this year.  I told Dana that I was looking forward to the opportunity to participate.  She asked me which store I would like to do and this was an interesting question.  The store on State Street would certainly be more convenient, being located right near my office.  However I have a special fondness for the Water Tower Place, due to all the memories from last year and I told her likewise.  At the door we collected a cookie as well as a ‘Wish Token’, which was good for one wish.  It had been a good visit and seeing the families during the ceremony was a nice reminder of what it is all about.  The ‘Wish Token’ is now mounted on my office wall.  Someday I will use it for my wish… but it’s not time yet. 

Bingo Fun At Britton Budd

Location: Britton/Budd Apartments

Date: Monday, July 22, 2013; 6:15 -7:30 pm

It had been a few months, but I finally returned back to one of my favorite Bingo locations.  I came over to find that I was the only volunteer there.  Elvina, with whom I had played in the past, waved me over to come join her.  I sat down and complemented her on a lovely pink embroidered bag that she was holding on to.  I enjoy my time with Elvina due to her quick wit and today was no exception.  When I mentioned that it was a nice day outside, her response was that at her age every day was a nice day!  Our volunteers were still missing, so it gave an opportunity to chat some more and I learned that Elvina has a Pomeranian dog named Magic.  He is 5 years old and she has had him for 3 years, having rescued him from anti-cruelty society.  Elvina told me that she had actually gone to get another, smaller dog, but had come back with Magic.  She said that Magic had been meek when younger, but now was quite mischievous.  As a pup he loved getting under the couch, but now that he is bigger, he has to make himself “as flat as a rug” to get under there – not that it prevents him from trying.  She said that her daughter was going to try and raise the couch so that it becomes more comfortable for him to slide under!  Elvina said that despite her advancing age, she took care of Magic, including walking him.  Only because she has been sick, her daughter has been helping out with Magic, but Elvina would return to walking him now that she was getting stronger.  She went on to say that her family has always had dogs and while she often doesn't remember people, she still remembers a dog she had while growing up.  She was a Collie-Irish Setter named Queenie, who was as high maintenance as her name suggested.  Apparently she enjoyed baths and did not like being petted after one; she even bit Elvina once when she went over to her after a bath.  Elvina mentioned that her daughter has cats, one of whom once climbed on the ledge of a 9^th floor in a high-rise, causing quite a ruckus.  I said that I liked both, cats and dogs, and she responded that all living things are nice! 

The new Bingo cards

As can be deduced from our long conversation, we were running late for our Bingo.  Finally - after I thought that the project had been cancelled for the evening - a volunteer arrived and from the looks of things, she was a regular.  Soon thereafter our Volunteer leader Greg came with the prizes and hastily set up the table.  Elvina took her own sweet time selecting the Bingo cards, wanting to ensure that all of her favorite and lucky numbers made it on the board – such as No. 8.  We were joined at our table by two other residents Jackie and Meredith, as well as the other volunteer, whose name was Tracy.  Jackie was quite spunky and had a dry sense of humor.  She kept complaining that every time she had remembered to come down for Bingo, she had lost.  I said that today may be different since luck was on our side.  Meredith was wearing a ‘Looney Toons’ cap and when I pointed it out, she said that her other cap had Mickey on it.  Looks like a lady after my own heart!

In the meanwhile, the game was progressing and I won.  I pushed the card towards Elvina and asked her to call out; following which she went and picked out hand soap.  Elvina was doing well by herself and was close, just missing the number 42 – which I pointed out to her was the meaning of life!  But she was not to be denied and won on her board, at which she picked up an appointment book.  She told me it would help her keep track of her Doctor’s appointments, though I did point out that we were more than halfway through 2013.  Meredith was not having any luck and complained that Greg, who was calling the numbers, was not turning the wheel effectively.  Hence the same numbers kept coming up and the same people won.  There is of course a flaw to this logic, but before I could point that out, she yelled out aloud.  We all thought that she had a Bingo, but realized that she was being sarcastic since one of her numbers had finally been called.  I told her that I liked her style and was with her if she wanted to start celebrating individual numbers!  But Meredith and I did agree on one thing, while the new Bingo boards looked stylish, they were a bit difficult to see when the number windows were closed, especially since she has cataract in her eyes.  She had no problem in seeing when she finally got Bingo and after shouting triumphantly; she went over and picked out a crosswords puzzle book.

Poor Jackie wasn’t having any luck, but that did not deter her from making sharp and witty comments.  First she announced that no one would be allowed to leave unless she wins at least one round.  I asked if she wanted to change her Bingo cards – like some of the other residents were doing – and she said that she had faith.  I said that she should at least flip the two cards that she had and exchange their positions so as to change her luck.  She said that she wasn’t superstitious and that she would stick with what she had through thick and thin – mostly thin, she added.  The lady was on a roll and I was having a great time.  But her optimism finally paid off and she won, picking a toothbrush from the table.  Finally, we were down to one last prize, which was toothpaste and I told Jackie that it would make a nice companion to her toothbrush, at which she instantly replied, “That’s what dentist’s samples are for.” Brilliant! 

The game was over and as usual people had been extremely nice, not just to us, but each other as well.  Meredith had come down with something that looked like bottom of a French Press and she said that she usually needs one glass of caffeine to make it through Bingo.  Talk about sharp people!  Elvina thanked us for coming, though it was really my pleasure.  It always is over here.  I mean, there are places where residents have to reluctantly give away their prizes to others in case they win more than once.  Over here, they happily give away the prize from their first win.

*All the client's names have been changed in order to respect their privacy