A New Week

It's a new week and we are now only a little over a week away from our Anniversary Celebration. So what does that mean? It means the anxiety level is right back where it was for the date auction, it's just focused on getting people to the anniversary event, which right now, is a huge problem.

However, let's get off that train of thought for a few minutes and get back to the date auction. Good news- the event raised approximately $9,000! I have added the numbers so many times and I still can't believe it is that much. I keep thinking that I made a mistake and I'm over by a few thousand. But I keep coming out at the same number. That is by far, the most money we've raised at an event. I know that compared to what other charities can raise at fundraisers, it's not a lot of money. But for us today, it is huge. In a few years from now, that will be a small fundraiser, but that day has not come yet. I am so glad that I made myself stop and really take in the event, because so much of that night is becoming a blur, but those few minutes where I really looked at everything are not a blur. That night will go down as one of the best nights of my life and I am so proud. It's difficult to explain why it means so much. 4 years ago this month, I was working on our first calendar and we were struggling for our very survival, with less than $2,000 in the bank. A date auction like this was only a distant dream. So when I looked out at the sea of people on Friday, I couldn't help but think of where we've come from and how incredibly beautiful things are when they are going so right. And I was also thinking how important it is to simply hold on and keep working- that those big, wild, slightly arrogant dreams really can come true, just the way you imagine them.

Anyways, I could go on about all that stuff forever. What else is happening? Today, I was working on finishing up date auction things. I spent a good part of Saturday calling silent auction and raffle winners and getting items out. Today, I drove the Air Tran tix up to their owner in Swampscott. Yes, I do realize there is such a thing as mail, but I didn't want them to get lost and I wanted to collect payment, so it was actually easier to drive them up there and get it done, particularly since it was $600. I'm still waiting for payment on other auction items, that is always a bit of a hassle. I've contacted everyone who participated and thanked them, filed receipts and other forms, have a few extra items to return to stores and more data from guests to be entered into Excel, but then we can close the book on the date auction until January. It's actually kind of funny not to have to think about the date auction anymore. It's been on my daily list pretty much every day since January. I don't really miss it, but it does feel a little strange.

Tomorrow, I'm back to work on anniversary event and a major push to get people to attend. It is an awesome event and really deserves a good turnout. Or, to put it bluntly- we need a lot of people to fill the room and raise a lot of money and sell many calendars. It is so difficult to get people to attend, it is very frustrating. Good news though- a really nice person has reached out and offered to help by letting us borrow his LCD projector for the event and also offered to help with his techie knowledge. I must have sounded quite pathetic in those blogs! So I am really happy about that because projectors cost a fortune to buy and are very expensive to rent as well. And, I also need someone there who can work the freakin thing at the event. Which reminds me, powerpoint experience #2 is coming up- Lisa sent me back the photo disks and I want to create a slideshow of the calendar photos to play at the event. Such creativity!

OK, it is now 1:06- was planning to have some yogurt, but think I will write my list (which is basically all about the anniv. event) and go to bed. I'm also trying to figure out why I have such a pain in my left hand and elbow- it just started tonight. I did feel pretty lousy all day, but not sick. I didn't even exercise this morning- must exercise tomorrow.

Enough rambling- I know I'm rambling when I start talking about exercise. The other thing that I forgot to mention when I was watching the date auction- I felt really lucky. Lucky that I get to have a job that I love and lucky that I get to enjoy these wonderful moments and when I saw my friends that came and my sister and her friends that helped, I felt lucky that I have people in my life that believe in what I do and really make an effort to be there. I had a scary experience a few weeks ago on a date and although I ended up being fine, it was a reminder of how quickly things can go horribly wrong and how easily it can end. In those moments, when I was so afraid that something was going to happen to me, I thought of my family and I thought of Project Smile and how there was so much more I needed to do. So, I do feel lucky when the good times are here. Until next time friends...