Just flurries

First snowball fight of the year! For me, at least. There's just barely enough snow to scrape it off the railings outside and make snowballs. I hope it snows even more while we sleep, but Lesly is worried that it'll just turn icy. Either way, snow!

There were more service projects to do today. Emily (a few doors down) painted trees with a mixture of sand and paint to keep beavers (an invasive species) from chewing up the native cottonwood trees. Francine harvest vegetables at a 4H garden and brought some carrots back for everyone. I worked in a food bank filling orders for various non-profits. It was a lot like the warehouse side of UP Pet, so I had a (very) little bit of experience. At least I knew what the pallets were supposed to look like. I got pretty pro at wrapping them up, too. My partner Dave, and I also learned how to use the pallet-jack. It's sort of a mini manual forklift. The actual job was easy, but time-consuming, and of course many of the items were heavy. (50 pounds of onions, anyone?) The freezer was, er, freezing, especially because I left my jacket under a chair at the clinic yesterday (more later). Thank goodness they supplied everyone with gloves, or I'd be frostbitten. The refrigerator was bearable, though. I can't say the work was rewarding, but it was fun.

Yesterday was boot-issue and med-checks for the majority of the day. Getting our botts was uneventful. I'm a size 5 1/2, if anyone feels like buying me shoes in men's sizes. the boots are a lot more comfortable than I had been led to believe, though it's true they need thick socks.
The med checks were held at a near by urgent care facility. My vaccination records checked out, so I avoided the tetanus shot, but the TB test looked weird and made me a bit nauseous. The injected something just below the skin so it formed a little bubble. I could look at or think about it or I'd have to sit down.
I'm pretty sure I passed the drug test, but we'll see, yes?
Goodwill happened to be next to the clinic, so some of us window-shopped there while waiting for the rest of the team. Ok, I call it window-shopping, but I did actually buy some books and something for my salad. (I think it was originally a piece of one of those Ninja Blenders, but it's perfect to shake and store salad in.) It was all set out rummage-sale-style, and there was a lot of interesting stuff in the bins. I found a sake bottle that still had something fermented in it, a partially-used copy of Wreck This Journal (which I bought and intend to pass on at some point), a stringless banjo, a bra, a food processor, and some recordable VHS tapes, along with countless movies on VHS, some of which I would have loved to watch if I had a VCR.

 I have decided (well, I did a while ago) that I will fold one thousand paper cranes before I leave Americorps. Because I only hae so much origami paper, I'm making them out of every thing. My favorite materials so far are my checked-bags ticket, a paper bag, and a foil chocolate wrapper. Most of them are strung up and hanging in my window. As an added bonus no one cares when I fold, so I've been using origami to keep me awake during lectures. It's fun, aesthetically pleasing, AND useful. I'd better come up with a good wish.

Lesly's asleep, or I'd be video-chatting with Art. Instead, I'm off to a marathon jigsaw session!