Chugging Along

So what's the latest? Well, the last few days have been up and down. There haven't been any major dramas like the credit card debacle, but today was a little frustrating in dealing with certain people who I reached out to for auction item donations. Now, a lot of people are great- TV Diner is helping us again with donating a Diner for a Day certificate which is a huge auction item. The certificate provides for two people to have dinner at a restaurant, be filmed during the dinner and then head back to the studio where they are on the Billy Costa show talking about their dining experience- it is awesome! I've been working with one of the producers there for years and he is such a helpful and nice person. We've never met, but when I opened his email right after I opened an email from someone else who was rather unhelpful and I wished I could give the producer a hug right then.

One of the things that was really frustrating today was that I had reached out to a particular business that I've been bringing large groups into on a regular basis- I had booked my next group event with them and asked for a gift certificate donation for the charity event. I got an email this morning from my contact saying they wouldn't be able to donate. It was so disappointing. I understand that businesses can't donate to every charity that asks, but one would think that preference would be given to someone who brings in a large group of people during the week on a regular basis and only asks for a gift card donation once per year. It really surprised me that they wouldn't donate. It is making me rethink bringing anymore groups to that venue. I emailed someone else who works for the same company that owns this business, so hopefully they will be more responsive. I always support businesses that are supportive of Project Smile.

So what else is going on? Well, I'm happy to announce that I wrote my May newsletter! I wanted to give myself a round of applause for actually getting it done. I decided to write it yesterday, because honestly, I didn't want to keep staring at it on my daily to-do list. I've sent it to Lisa to format it, she should have it done soon and then it can head to our web host to send out. I really need to do it monthly- it is important to stay in touch with our sponsors. Maybe if I commit to writing it at the beginning of every month, I won't keep putting it off until the month is over.

I started what could barely qualify as grant work today- does it qualify as working on a grant when all you do is read the grant, print it out and fill out the contact info? I did think about the answers, but I don't think that any of that actually qualifies as grant work. Tomorrow, I will do some actual grant work. I'm also doing a donation to Wrentham PD tomorrow afternoon. It is a bit a while since we donated to that department.

Well, there is lots more to write about, but I'm heading to bed. I've been going to bed way too late for the last couple of nights- after 2am, so I need to get back on track. I was doing really well with getting to bed at a decent hour, but it is so easy to get off the wagon. I'm off to eat my pineapple and yogurt- or I might have one of the last two grapefruits in the fridge. Grapefruit season is pretty much over. Their price has gone up and they don't taste as good as they usually do. I've been saving my last remaining grapefruits. It is a little silly to save them since one can obviously buy them year round in the store- but I will be moving on to other fruit. Until tomorrow friends...