As promised, here's the post about yesterday's air show... fortunately, it's pretty darn boring. In fact, it was the least busy air show I've worked in all my time with CERT. That's a really good thing when my work equals being an EMT. While I did get some good hands on experience, we actually did not send anyone out by ambulance on my shift... that's definitely a first and the cooler weather played a big role in that.
The air show organizers did a pretty neat thing to commemorate 9/11... they asked the crowd to hold a moment of silence as a C-130 Hercules flew overhead and dropped 15,000 flowers. It was really pretty... like it was raining rose petals. It was a very moving moment at the show, followed by the jets flying in the "missing man" formation.
After a long day, I ended up with a migraine (I think this one was caused by the pressure change) since we had some hefty thunderstorms roll though last night. Poor Shadow was a mess... he sure doesn't like thunder and lightning!
Showing posts with label volunteer work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label volunteer work. Show all posts
Monday, September 12, 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Weekend Wrap Up
Holy cow, it's already Sunday and even holier cow, it's already May! I can't believe how fast this year is flying by!
On Saturday I headed out to work at the American River Parkway Half Marathon. It's an event that C.E.R.T. does every year and it's a really fun one. I like working the races because I get to help people that aren't feeling well, but I also get to cheer people on! This year I was assigned to ride my bike up and down the course. I must admit, since my bike accident back in 2006, I haven't been very keen to get back on. I can probably count on one hand the number of times that I have. This was a great event because I wasn't focused on "Oh $h!t, I'm going to crash" and actually had a lot of fun. Next up, climbing Alpe d'huez. Yeah, that's right, Mike's making me. :)
Mike and I went down to check our game camera (we don't really go alone any more... and now we're getting ready to take the pistol with us!) because we hadn't been in about two weeks. More success with the mountain lions! We ended up with two pictures of them and a couple really good deer pictures. The mountain lions seem to be sticking to passing our camera at night (which is when it uses infrared technology). I wish we could get one good one during the day - that way we would get way better detail and color pictures! Either way, these are some big cats. I think they're two different ones in these pics because one seems much bigger and muscular to me:
We also had a couple of pretty good deer pictures:
I definitely wouldn't be caught dead in those woods alone (pretty much at any time of the day), but I am gaining quite the fascination with these beautiful creatures. I'm sort of hoping that one walks past our deck one day (when Shadow, Mike and I are safely inside, of course) so that I can see it up close!
I spent the rest of today (ok, ALL of today) laying on the sofa and trying to actually relax. I have definitely been over booking myself lately and need to figure out a way to create some down time. My allergies are kicking my butt, which definitely helped keep me mellow today. We topped it off with 88 Giant Burger for dinner (after all, it is National Burger Month!) and are now headed back to the sofa for some Sunday night mellowness!
On Saturday I headed out to work at the American River Parkway Half Marathon. It's an event that C.E.R.T. does every year and it's a really fun one. I like working the races because I get to help people that aren't feeling well, but I also get to cheer people on! This year I was assigned to ride my bike up and down the course. I must admit, since my bike accident back in 2006, I haven't been very keen to get back on. I can probably count on one hand the number of times that I have. This was a great event because I wasn't focused on "Oh $h!t, I'm going to crash" and actually had a lot of fun. Next up, climbing Alpe d'huez. Yeah, that's right, Mike's making me. :)
Mike and I went down to check our game camera (we don't really go alone any more... and now we're getting ready to take the pistol with us!) because we hadn't been in about two weeks. More success with the mountain lions! We ended up with two pictures of them and a couple really good deer pictures. The mountain lions seem to be sticking to passing our camera at night (which is when it uses infrared technology). I wish we could get one good one during the day - that way we would get way better detail and color pictures! Either way, these are some big cats. I think they're two different ones in these pics because one seems much bigger and muscular to me:
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| Mountain Lion on 4/23/11 |
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| Mountain Lion on 4/27/11 |
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| Deer on 4/24/11 |
I spent the rest of today (ok, ALL of today) laying on the sofa and trying to actually relax. I have definitely been over booking myself lately and need to figure out a way to create some down time. My allergies are kicking my butt, which definitely helped keep me mellow today. We topped it off with 88 Giant Burger for dinner (after all, it is National Burger Month!) and are now headed back to the sofa for some Sunday night mellowness!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Animal Rescue Class
Today I took a really cool class through my C.E.R.T. team. The purpose of C.E.R.T. (Community Emergency Response Team) is to expand the footprint of the fire department during a disaster. Our team is also trained to do non-disaster work such as standby medical aid at events.
C.E.R.T. is near and dear to my heart and in my four years as a member, I've volunteered hundreds of hours (no joke!). Today we took it one step further and learned about how to handle animals in a disaster. It was a really great course that taught us all about how to "read" animal behavior in case we encountered them during a disaster situation (for example, while doing search and rescue). While learning about dogs and cats was interesting, I was really happy to learn more about how to handle the livestock (horses, cows, alpacas), sheep, goats and exotics.
I'm so proud to be a part of this program and so excited to see it continue to evolve (this is the first time this animal rescue class has been offered to us). If you're interested in joining a C.E.R.T. team (there are many in the greater Sacramento area), let me know and I'll get you in touch with the right people!
C.E.R.T. is near and dear to my heart and in my four years as a member, I've volunteered hundreds of hours (no joke!). Today we took it one step further and learned about how to handle animals in a disaster. It was a really great course that taught us all about how to "read" animal behavior in case we encountered them during a disaster situation (for example, while doing search and rescue). While learning about dogs and cats was interesting, I was really happy to learn more about how to handle the livestock (horses, cows, alpacas), sheep, goats and exotics.
I'm so proud to be a part of this program and so excited to see it continue to evolve (this is the first time this animal rescue class has been offered to us). If you're interested in joining a C.E.R.T. team (there are many in the greater Sacramento area), let me know and I'll get you in touch with the right people!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Ronald McDonald House
I know I don't blog much about work (for very good reason - I think it can definitely get you into trouble), however, I work for a fantastic company, Intel. Besides making the best processors on the planet, Intel is also very conscientious about doing good in the community. At least once a quarter we all don our blue t-shirts and head out to do something to help others.
Today we went to the Sacramento Ronald McDonald House to volunteer. In case you're unfamiliar with what they do, let me enlighten you. Ronald McDonald houses provide a "home away from home" for families who's children are undergoing treatment for anything from cancer to traumatic injury in one of the five area hospitals. The families are given a private bedroom with shared kitchens, playrooms and living rooms to allow them to be close to their children during their difficult times.
My team was there today to complete two projects. The first was creating journals that are given to the children and families. They can draw pictures, write down their feelings and document their experiences. We used rubber stamps to decorate the pages and tied them all together with ribbons. The second project was to create greeting cards for the families to use while they stayed at the house. They could use them to send thank you notes to doctors and nurses or notes home to other family members.
While it was heartbreaking to hear some of the children's stories and even more heartbreaking to hear that there are so many families in need that the Ronald McDonald House actually has to turn them away, it felt good to be able to help out, even if it was in a small way!
Today we went to the Sacramento Ronald McDonald House to volunteer. In case you're unfamiliar with what they do, let me enlighten you. Ronald McDonald houses provide a "home away from home" for families who's children are undergoing treatment for anything from cancer to traumatic injury in one of the five area hospitals. The families are given a private bedroom with shared kitchens, playrooms and living rooms to allow them to be close to their children during their difficult times.
My team was there today to complete two projects. The first was creating journals that are given to the children and families. They can draw pictures, write down their feelings and document their experiences. We used rubber stamps to decorate the pages and tied them all together with ribbons. The second project was to create greeting cards for the families to use while they stayed at the house. They could use them to send thank you notes to doctors and nurses or notes home to other family members.
While it was heartbreaking to hear some of the children's stories and even more heartbreaking to hear that there are so many families in need that the Ronald McDonald House actually has to turn them away, it felt good to be able to help out, even if it was in a small way!
Friday, November 19, 2010
The Grace Foundation
One of my favorite things about working at Intel is that they really try to do good in the community. This week, my team is doing a volunteer work team builder. This means instead of spending money to go out and have drinks or a lunch or mini-golf, we go as a team and volunteer our time. I've been planning the one that we're doing this quarter and am so amazed by the organization that we're going to help.
I was told by one of my coworkers that there was a place near Folsom called The Grace Foundation. They rescue horses in the Northern California area that have been neglected or abused. The stories on their website are heartbreaking... I can't even imagine how people manage to be so horrible to animals.
But they don't stop there. The Grace Foundation realized that children and at-risk teens are often subjected to the same abuse and neglect that these beautiful animals are. So they've created programs to get children involved in the care and rehabilitation of the horses. They have all sorts of programs that teach children to ride, care for the horses, and about what it takes to be a veterinarian. They also offer equine therapy programs for people with special needs.
I am so incredibly excited to head over there on Thursday... I can't wait to do my little part in helping these horses out!
I was told by one of my coworkers that there was a place near Folsom called The Grace Foundation. They rescue horses in the Northern California area that have been neglected or abused. The stories on their website are heartbreaking... I can't even imagine how people manage to be so horrible to animals.
But they don't stop there. The Grace Foundation realized that children and at-risk teens are often subjected to the same abuse and neglect that these beautiful animals are. So they've created programs to get children involved in the care and rehabilitation of the horses. They have all sorts of programs that teach children to ride, care for the horses, and about what it takes to be a veterinarian. They also offer equine therapy programs for people with special needs.
I am so incredibly excited to head over there on Thursday... I can't wait to do my little part in helping these horses out!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
The Grace Foundation
One of my favorite things about working at Intel is that they really try to do good in the community. This week, my team is doing a volunteer work team builder. This means instead of spending money to go out and have drinks or a lunch or mini-golf, we go as a team and volunteer our time. I've been planning the one that we're doing this quarter and am so amazed by the organization that we're going to help.
I was told by one of my coworkers that there was a place near Folsom called The Grace Foundation. They rescue horses in the Northern California area that have been neglected or abused. The stories on their website are heartbreaking... I can't even imagine how people manage to be so horrible to animals.
But they don't stop there. The Grace Foundation realized that children and at-risk teens are often subjected to the same abuse and neglect that these beautiful animals are. So they've created programs to get children involved in the care and rehabilitation of the horses. They have all sorts of programs that teach children to ride, care for the horses, and about what it takes to be a veterinarian. They also offer equine therapy programs for people with special needs.
I am so incredibly excited to head over there on Thursday... I can't wait to do my little part in helping these horses out!
I was told by one of my coworkers that there was a place near Folsom called The Grace Foundation. They rescue horses in the Northern California area that have been neglected or abused. The stories on their website are heartbreaking... I can't even imagine how people manage to be so horrible to animals.
But they don't stop there. The Grace Foundation realized that children and at-risk teens are often subjected to the same abuse and neglect that these beautiful animals are. So they've created programs to get children involved in the care and rehabilitation of the horses. They have all sorts of programs that teach children to ride, care for the horses, and about what it takes to be a veterinarian. They also offer equine therapy programs for people with special needs.
I am so incredibly excited to head over there on Thursday... I can't wait to do my little part in helping these horses out!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Catch Up
Hi faithful blog followers (ok, well, there's like 2 of you and I don't know how faithful you are since I rarely blog regularly anymore)...
So sorry it's been so long... life has been super busy! I'm working on training in my new job, unpacking and settling in with Mike and getting the Mather house ready to rent out! They finally came to fix the floors, so now I'm working on getting rid of the extra furniture that we have (seriously, a lot since we've combined two households!) and getting the house ready... I think next week I have to go in and touch up on the paint and do some more clean up. It's all been pretty darned stressful! I am trying to sell the furniture on Craigslist, but am not having the best of luck... people keep saying that they will meet me but then they stand me up! It's so frustrating because it's not exactly like I have a ton of extra time right now!
Ok, back to work now... I just got the new Train album, so I'll do an album review soon!
So sorry it's been so long... life has been super busy! I'm working on training in my new job, unpacking and settling in with Mike and getting the Mather house ready to rent out! They finally came to fix the floors, so now I'm working on getting rid of the extra furniture that we have (seriously, a lot since we've combined two households!) and getting the house ready... I think next week I have to go in and touch up on the paint and do some more clean up. It's all been pretty darned stressful! I am trying to sell the furniture on Craigslist, but am not having the best of luck... people keep saying that they will meet me but then they stand me up! It's so frustrating because it's not exactly like I have a ton of extra time right now!
Ok, back to work now... I just got the new Train album, so I'll do an album review soon!
Monday, August 14, 2006
Backpacks, Boxing and Music!
What a day, what a day!
This morning I helped deliver 400 backpacks to a local school - the employees of my company filled them with the supplies. It was more backpacks than we had ever done before, and I was a little worried that it wouldn't all run very smoothly (I was heading up the project). Fortunately, everything worked out - the kids were so cute and incredibly appreciative. It was great to see their little smiling faces!
After work Julie and I took our little booties to kickboxing class. First things first - I neither kick, nor box. However, this class was really a lot of fun - Julie and I were both a little nervous that we wouldn't make it through an hour, but we did. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't exactly easy and was definitely a challenge. The most hilarious part was running around like we were on crack. Not sure how that fits into kickboxing, but we rolled with the flow. We're going back next week for sure!
Today I finally received the SCSO 2006-2007 performance schedule - mark your calendars!!! I'm really excited about this year's music - it's definitely going to be amazing!
This morning I helped deliver 400 backpacks to a local school - the employees of my company filled them with the supplies. It was more backpacks than we had ever done before, and I was a little worried that it wouldn't all run very smoothly (I was heading up the project). Fortunately, everything worked out - the kids were so cute and incredibly appreciative. It was great to see their little smiling faces!
After work Julie and I took our little booties to kickboxing class. First things first - I neither kick, nor box. However, this class was really a lot of fun - Julie and I were both a little nervous that we wouldn't make it through an hour, but we did. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't exactly easy and was definitely a challenge. The most hilarious part was running around like we were on crack. Not sure how that fits into kickboxing, but we rolled with the flow. We're going back next week for sure!
Today I finally received the SCSO 2006-2007 performance schedule - mark your calendars!!! I'm really excited about this year's music - it's definitely going to be amazing!
- October 21, 2006: Ralph Vaughn Williams' "Sea Symphony" - 8pm
- December 9, 2006: Home for the Holidays - 8pm (good starter concert for the classically challenged)
- December 10, 2006: Home for the Holidays - 4pm (good starter concert for the classically challenged)
- March 3, 2007: Verdi's "Requiem" - 8pm
- May 12, 2007: "A Broadway Suite" - 8pm
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