Friday, December 23, 2005
cirque du soliel
about 2 weeks ago, i had the absolute pleasure of going to see Cirque du Soliel for the first time with my sister-in-law, mardie. (tony was out of town.) it was as wonderful and magical as i ever could have imagined. the show was called Corteo. it was so creatively artistic and diverse. it's amazing what the human body (and human mind) is capable of.
raw
over the past week or so, my heart has been as raw as my severely sprained ankle is raw, and i've been on a rollercoaster of emotion... i'm on the up-swing, for sure, but it's been a challenge, especially after 4.5 weeks on crutches. i'm tired and frustrated that i can't really get around. i can't wait to be able to bike, to go out, to go grocery shopping, to see music, to go on adventures, to travel, to build playgrounds, and to be free to do what i need to on my own... it's crazy what we -- the temporarily-abled -- take for granted, and it's even more crazy to see what other folks are really made of... as in, to see whether or not random people have any compassion, sensitivity, selflessness or heart in them to help a sister out in a time of need... would you believe that a co-worker, that you think you know & trust as a potential friend, would selfishly (and rather consciously) not choose to give you a ride to work when you really needed it?! (otherwise it would take you an hour and a half, over 2 bus rides, a train ride and a cab ride (each way), and cost you about $15 more than usual to commute to work.) man, that threw me off for a whole week. now, i can hardly look at her, let alone have to communicate and work with her... this holiday break couldn't have come at a better time. i need space and time to heal every dimension of my being... western north carolina, here i come.
Monday, November 28, 2005
the sound of music
written by my sister-in-law mardie:
We just had a fabulous time at a Sound of Music Sing-Along at the Castro Theatre in SF. I wore my mom's plaid dress with the pleated skirt, white collar and blue ribbon. Hope wore a white wig with a white boa, to be a Swiss Alp (or maybe a snowflake on an eyelash). Bryan wore a lederhosen (an old sock, suspenders and some ric-rac), and Tony was Robin from Batman and Robin - apparently Robin helped fight the Nazis. Richard wore a brown box tied up with string, and Jen wore my pink rose hat and pink coat, green pants with paper raindrops taped on. Much fun.
Surprisingly the movie really holds up – only a couple of lines seem outdated. Such great songs and it was fun to have the lyrics on the screen so we could sing extra loud.
We just had a fabulous time at a Sound of Music Sing-Along at the Castro Theatre in SF. I wore my mom's plaid dress with the pleated skirt, white collar and blue ribbon. Hope wore a white wig with a white boa, to be a Swiss Alp (or maybe a snowflake on an eyelash). Bryan wore a lederhosen (an old sock, suspenders and some ric-rac), and Tony was Robin from Batman and Robin - apparently Robin helped fight the Nazis. Richard wore a brown box tied up with string, and Jen wore my pink rose hat and pink coat, green pants with paper raindrops taped on. Much fun.
Surprisingly the movie really holds up – only a couple of lines seem outdated. Such great songs and it was fun to have the lyrics on the screen so we could sing extra loud.
my right ankle
I guess one excuse for my slack correspondence is that work has kept me rather busy. thank goodness for breaks like a holiday to give thanks. the days off gave me the moment to breathe, but my stillness is accidental… I sprained my right ankle on Tuesday while hiking down a steep slope from a natural hot spring in new mexico (n of albuquerque). i was alone, but someone had also just left the spring, so i called ahead to him. he helped me to my friend's car. i had to drive home with my left foot and my right ankle propped up on the glove compartment door, my backpack, a sweatershirt and eventually some ice. thank goodness it was automatic. during an hour and a half of driving, i had spoken with my insurance, work, family and my friend in albuquerque, while watching the sun set over a beautiful backdrop... so, i survived and doing well b/c I chilled at home (SF), hung with my brother and his wife, and went to see harry potter and then rent, the next day... unfortunately, I still have to go to Miami next week for work, but it’s really not all that bad b/c I’m just seconding for another project manager. hopefully, i'll be able to be still, learn to better delegate, and heal a bit.
mardie wrote to my folks:
"I hope you all have had a relaxing weekend. We have had several wonderful meals at home – including a yummy brisket from the best BBQ place in Texas. (www.saltlickbbq.com) Bryan and Hope are both in town. She is being very patient with her ankle - much more so than I would be. It is no easy thing to get around on crutches. Many stairs to hop in this town. And her ankle is a dozen shades of blue. Keep sending her healing love!!!"
mardie wrote to my folks:
"I hope you all have had a relaxing weekend. We have had several wonderful meals at home – including a yummy brisket from the best BBQ place in Texas. (www.saltlickbbq.com) Bryan and Hope are both in town. She is being very patient with her ankle - much more so than I would be. It is no easy thing to get around on crutches. Many stairs to hop in this town. And her ankle is a dozen shades of blue. Keep sending her healing love!!!"
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
on the go
i just finished 2 very challenging playground builds of my own: in Detroit on 10/20 and in Dallas on 10/27. then, i flew back to SF just in time to give a workshop on "Engaging Youth in your Community-build Playspace project" at the KaBOOM! University of Play conference on 10/28. then, i seconded for the U Play! playground build in Oakland on 10/29... finally, i flew to austin (where I am now) to second for Tabitha's last project (a field refurbishment) before she leaves KaBOOM!.
amidst all this travel, i managed...
-to go to LA for their Burning Man Decompression Party on 10/15;
-to host a pre-halloween accessories party with my roommates on 10/22;
-to visit with my cousins John and Louise (and their spouses) while in Dallas;
-to see MOS DEF & TALIB KWELI (!) in concert at the Mezzanine on 10/30;
-to go out on 6th street in Austin with my co-workers for halloween.
whew! will i ever give it a rest? maybe, but i won't even have time to think about it until veteran's day weekend and/or thanksgiving.
but first i go to tucson, az, for a design day meeting next wednesday, and after that, i head to NM to second for another project manager's playground build.
amidst all this travel, i managed...
-to go to LA for their Burning Man Decompression Party on 10/15;
-to host a pre-halloween accessories party with my roommates on 10/22;
-to visit with my cousins John and Louise (and their spouses) while in Dallas;
-to see MOS DEF & TALIB KWELI (!) in concert at the Mezzanine on 10/30;
-to go out on 6th street in Austin with my co-workers for halloween.
whew! will i ever give it a rest? maybe, but i won't even have time to think about it until veteran's day weekend and/or thanksgiving.
but first i go to tucson, az, for a design day meeting next wednesday, and after that, i head to NM to second for another project manager's playground build.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
SF decom & will smith movie
SF decom was fun. it was great to go in costume, to run into good folks, to dance and to explore the pseudo-Playa... oh, i already can't wait until next year's BM. nothing beats the real thing.
so, yesterday, my brother and his wife had some people over for a dinner gathering over-looking the filming of the Will Smith movie at 24th & York. it was cool to see all the hype and to watch everyone get so excited about the entire production. it was also cool to see Will run up and down the street... finally, everyone called it a night, so I decided to head home. on the way, i noticed Will signing autographs while on his way off the set. i walked ahead and then turned to ask him for a hug. he said, "sure thing, girl," and gave me a nice big hug... there's nothing like a nice firm hug from a tall, dark and handsome famous man... that was my first and only brush with fame, and i have to admit, it got me all gitty inside.
so, yesterday, my brother and his wife had some people over for a dinner gathering over-looking the filming of the Will Smith movie at 24th & York. it was cool to see all the hype and to watch everyone get so excited about the entire production. it was also cool to see Will run up and down the street... finally, everyone called it a night, so I decided to head home. on the way, i noticed Will signing autographs while on his way off the set. i walked ahead and then turned to ask him for a hug. he said, "sure thing, girl," and gave me a nice big hug... there's nothing like a nice firm hug from a tall, dark and handsome famous man... that was my first and only brush with fame, and i have to admit, it got me all gitty inside.
Sunday, October 09, 2005
been a while
... since i've had time and stillness to write 'bout myself online. it's not that i'm too busy; it's just that i'm usually too distracted. there's so much happening for me to stop and tell about it all. (not that i have to, but) i want to describe everything i've seen, done and heard, but i also want to be relatively quick about it. so, just to save the time, i'll attempt a somewhat brief list of everything since i last wrote something of substance... plus, i want to catch up so i can start keeping better track of all my random and wonderful life experiences.
okay, let's see...
-after a little stop in western NC to see my fam & friends for july 4th, i lead a playground build project in buffalo, ny. this build was the first time i TRUEly felt really awesome about the work i do for community groups. it was a real, grass-roots build done without the support of any umbrella organization. our community partner was a struggling neighborhood association that merely recognized how desperately they needed a safe playground for their kids. it was very challenging yet rewarding project... also, while up there, my second and i got to visit niagara falls for the first time ever! july 5-9
jen and i at niagara falls, canada
-i helped (or seconded) another project manager's playground build in minneapolis. july 11-14
-i stayed over a day in minneapolis to lead a design day meeting for a new project there (to be built in 2 months time). july 15
-i got handed off another project, and i traveled to lead a design day meeting for a build (to happen take place 2 months later) in chicago. july 18-19
-i lead a playground build in wasilla, ALASKA!, and my second & I had an incredible time sightseeing, fishing & flying in south-central Alaska. july 22-31
wet on build day in wasilla
whitney & i on a glacier lake
watch out, whitney's flyin'
the glacier lake we landed on
fishin' in AK
caught
-i finally took a day off to run errands and enjoyed some of downtown san francisco (like the ferry building, City Car Share, Museum of Modern Art, shopping). august 2
-i lead another design day meeting for a new playground project (to be built 2 months later) in detroit. august 15-16
[recap: i had 3 projects on my plate, and i just finished 2 of my own projects.]
-mardie oakes and my brother, tony deifell, (aka MoTo) got married at the Headlands Center for the Arts in Marin County, CA. the wedding camp weekend* was extraordinary in so many ways, including a house concert with The Weepies, a taco truck for the rehearsal dinner, kite flying, massage, a beautiful wedding ceremony, vintage wear, home-style dinner, an interactive reception, a really cute photographer that they hired, a Polaroid guest book, a make-your-own-cupcake wedding cake, a surprize roller-disco party with black-lights and booze, and a pristine location with so many amazing family and friends. august 18-21
*this special event and time with family is the first of a series of recent random fun moments that have reminded me how much i love living in SF.
mother and son
mom & dad dancing, as always
on the way to the surprise wedding roller-disco
-i traveled to miami to second for another project manager's attempted* playground build in miami. august 22-24
*this build was cancelled due to threats of hurricane katrina, which grazed fort lauderdale the night before the day we would have lead the build.
-i flew back to SF (& to where my sister heather had been hanging out on her own after our brother's wedding the weekend before)... and immediately started packing for Burning Man. august 25-28
-i planned, organized and managed a community of 21 burners in camp wdydwyd?. august 29-september 5
*our event: to take portraits of folks answering the question, why do you do what you do?, and a 4x8 live-painting project, open to any passers-by
*our location this year: ego x 7:20
*our members' origins: san francisco, los angeles, asheville, durham, atlanta, new york -> all of which made for a really awesome intentional community of people
*my highlights: all the diversity of EXTREME and AMAZING art there, an INCREDIBLE time with my sister heather, the freedom, my borrowed beach cruiser, the expanse of black rock city this year, and our portrait project... among SO much else.
siblings
siblings & the man
the last crew to leave our plot of BRC land
[recap: i've just returned from a whirlwind of wedding events, work travel, and a week of Burning Man paradise... but i still have those same 3 projects on my plate... yet, i love it all and i especially love living in SF.]
-i just got handed off another playground project, and i went to lead a design day meeting for a build (to be done in 2 months time) in dallas. while there, i stayed with my cousin louise and her husband justin. september 7-8
-i helped pack our office to move up to san mateo from redwood city, ca... and later, that next weekend, i go to the Power to the Peaceful festival (w/ Michael Franti) in golden gate park with my friend kirsten. september 10
-i lead my build (and closed the project) in south chicago. september 12-16
chicago kick-off
-i returned to our new office space and enjoyed it (& being home in SF) for a whole week. my boss (the director of project management) and our administrative assistant (Laura) fly out from DC to help settle us in, and thanks to their help, it looks great! well, laura had never spent any time in SF, so i showed her around town, we had sushi at Central Station (mission x 17-18), we ended up in north beach, and we drove to work the next morning together. september 19-21
-i got all dressed up in my brown-n-black zebra, fly-girl outfit, and i went down to the SF civic center plaza to dance, people-watch and enjoy the 2nd annual Love Parade (originating in Berlin after the wall fell.) i love SF. september 24
photo shoot after love parade (w/ borrowed tina turner wig)
-i lead my own playground build (and closed the project) in minneapolis. september 25-29
wet on build day
-i came back to a weekend full of bluegrass in golden gate park with my friends, whitney (from work) and kirsten (from corey). we heard gillian welch, tony rice & peter rowan, dolly parton, doc watson, earl scruggs, steve earle, the be good tanyas, emmylou harris, stiff dead cat, and guy clark. september 30-october 1
-finally, i'm home for a bit... AND i lead my own design day for a new playground project (to be built 2 months later) HERE -- in san francisco! october 6
design day meeting in SF
-today, mardie & i went over to their friend jim's place to watch the blue angel's fleet-week show over the bay. (it was such a beautiful and perfect san francisco day, too.) then, we went out to dinner with mardie's friends richard and jen to betelnut (on union st). finally, after tony finally got home from a 9-day business trip, i left MoTo to very randomly (and independently) stop by an art opening event at the Galeria de la Raza. i admired the art, had a couple drinks and went on my way back home again... ah, i love san francisco.
now, coming soon:
-Burning Man decompression parties in SF (tomorrow) and LA (next weekend)
-filming dinner party at MoTo's on monday.(there's a film with will smith (The Pursuit of Happiness) being filmed right outside mardie & tony's, oct 9-13.)
-my playground build in detroit (oct. 17-21)
-my playground build (with eye-candy as my second for the week) in dallas (oct. 24-28)
-halloween and day of the dead in san francisco
-seconding for another project manager's playground build in southern new mexico (Nov. 14-18)
-home (nc? or ct?) for thanksgiving
...
okay, let's see...
-after a little stop in western NC to see my fam & friends for july 4th, i lead a playground build project in buffalo, ny. this build was the first time i TRUEly felt really awesome about the work i do for community groups. it was a real, grass-roots build done without the support of any umbrella organization. our community partner was a struggling neighborhood association that merely recognized how desperately they needed a safe playground for their kids. it was very challenging yet rewarding project... also, while up there, my second and i got to visit niagara falls for the first time ever! july 5-9
jen and i at niagara falls, canada
-i helped (or seconded) another project manager's playground build in minneapolis. july 11-14
-i stayed over a day in minneapolis to lead a design day meeting for a new project there (to be built in 2 months time). july 15
-i got handed off another project, and i traveled to lead a design day meeting for a build (to happen take place 2 months later) in chicago. july 18-19
-i lead a playground build in wasilla, ALASKA!, and my second & I had an incredible time sightseeing, fishing & flying in south-central Alaska. july 22-31
wet on build day in wasilla
whitney & i on a glacier lake
watch out, whitney's flyin'
the glacier lake we landed on
fishin' in AK
caught
-i finally took a day off to run errands and enjoyed some of downtown san francisco (like the ferry building, City Car Share, Museum of Modern Art, shopping). august 2
-i lead another design day meeting for a new playground project (to be built 2 months later) in detroit. august 15-16
[recap: i had 3 projects on my plate, and i just finished 2 of my own projects.]
-mardie oakes and my brother, tony deifell, (aka MoTo) got married at the Headlands Center for the Arts in Marin County, CA. the wedding camp weekend* was extraordinary in so many ways, including a house concert with The Weepies, a taco truck for the rehearsal dinner, kite flying, massage, a beautiful wedding ceremony, vintage wear, home-style dinner, an interactive reception, a really cute photographer that they hired, a Polaroid guest book, a make-your-own-cupcake wedding cake, a surprize roller-disco party with black-lights and booze, and a pristine location with so many amazing family and friends. august 18-21
*this special event and time with family is the first of a series of recent random fun moments that have reminded me how much i love living in SF.
mother and son
mom & dad dancing, as always
on the way to the surprise wedding roller-disco
-i traveled to miami to second for another project manager's attempted* playground build in miami. august 22-24
*this build was cancelled due to threats of hurricane katrina, which grazed fort lauderdale the night before the day we would have lead the build.
-i flew back to SF (& to where my sister heather had been hanging out on her own after our brother's wedding the weekend before)... and immediately started packing for Burning Man. august 25-28
-i planned, organized and managed a community of 21 burners in camp wdydwyd?. august 29-september 5
*our event: to take portraits of folks answering the question, why do you do what you do?, and a 4x8 live-painting project, open to any passers-by
*our location this year: ego x 7:20
*our members' origins: san francisco, los angeles, asheville, durham, atlanta, new york -> all of which made for a really awesome intentional community of people
*my highlights: all the diversity of EXTREME and AMAZING art there, an INCREDIBLE time with my sister heather, the freedom, my borrowed beach cruiser, the expanse of black rock city this year, and our portrait project... among SO much else.
siblings
siblings & the man
the last crew to leave our plot of BRC land
[recap: i've just returned from a whirlwind of wedding events, work travel, and a week of Burning Man paradise... but i still have those same 3 projects on my plate... yet, i love it all and i especially love living in SF.]
-i just got handed off another playground project, and i went to lead a design day meeting for a build (to be done in 2 months time) in dallas. while there, i stayed with my cousin louise and her husband justin. september 7-8
-i helped pack our office to move up to san mateo from redwood city, ca... and later, that next weekend, i go to the Power to the Peaceful festival (w/ Michael Franti) in golden gate park with my friend kirsten. september 10
-i lead my build (and closed the project) in south chicago. september 12-16
chicago kick-off
-i returned to our new office space and enjoyed it (& being home in SF) for a whole week. my boss (the director of project management) and our administrative assistant (Laura) fly out from DC to help settle us in, and thanks to their help, it looks great! well, laura had never spent any time in SF, so i showed her around town, we had sushi at Central Station (mission x 17-18), we ended up in north beach, and we drove to work the next morning together. september 19-21
-i got all dressed up in my brown-n-black zebra, fly-girl outfit, and i went down to the SF civic center plaza to dance, people-watch and enjoy the 2nd annual Love Parade (originating in Berlin after the wall fell.) i love SF. september 24
photo shoot after love parade (w/ borrowed tina turner wig)
-i lead my own playground build (and closed the project) in minneapolis. september 25-29
wet on build day
-i came back to a weekend full of bluegrass in golden gate park with my friends, whitney (from work) and kirsten (from corey). we heard gillian welch, tony rice & peter rowan, dolly parton, doc watson, earl scruggs, steve earle, the be good tanyas, emmylou harris, stiff dead cat, and guy clark. september 30-october 1
-finally, i'm home for a bit... AND i lead my own design day for a new playground project (to be built 2 months later) HERE -- in san francisco! october 6
design day meeting in SF
-today, mardie & i went over to their friend jim's place to watch the blue angel's fleet-week show over the bay. (it was such a beautiful and perfect san francisco day, too.) then, we went out to dinner with mardie's friends richard and jen to betelnut (on union st). finally, after tony finally got home from a 9-day business trip, i left MoTo to very randomly (and independently) stop by an art opening event at the Galeria de la Raza. i admired the art, had a couple drinks and went on my way back home again... ah, i love san francisco.
now, coming soon:
-Burning Man decompression parties in SF (tomorrow) and LA (next weekend)
-filming dinner party at MoTo's on monday.(there's a film with will smith (The Pursuit of Happiness) being filmed right outside mardie & tony's, oct 9-13.)
-my playground build in detroit (oct. 17-21)
-my playground build (with eye-candy as my second for the week) in dallas (oct. 24-28)
-halloween and day of the dead in san francisco
-seconding for another project manager's playground build in southern new mexico (Nov. 14-18)
-home (nc? or ct?) for thanksgiving
...
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
playground build in ALASKA!
i have been SO busy lately... getting ready for Burning Man, for my brother Tony's wedding and for several other upcoming playground builds (in Minneapolis, Chicago and Detroit)... i'm also (somehow) managing to enjoy SF, sign up for the City Carshare program, organize our camp for BM, and maintain my sanity.
below is the Build Day summary from a couple of weeks ago where I built a playground just north of Anchorage, Alaska! my second and I had the best time up there. we went fishing (& caught some!), driving, hiking, flying (in a little 4-seater over a glacier and landing on a glacier lake), site-seeing, and canoeing. the trip was fantastic, the mountains were spectacular and the culture was so unique! i loved it.
end of build day
Build Day summary, written by me:
Last week in beautiful Wasilla, Alaska, home of the Iditarod Dog Sled Race headquarters, Hope led a fantastic playground build with 135 volunteers from The Home Depot (along with AARP) and Iditarod Elementary School. Whitney rocked the Build as Hope’s Second, and PSI’s Chad Willow jumped into gear as a great installer. Overall, the Build was a relatively normal playground build – the only HUGE difference was the so-called “mulch pile” that came in the form of over 20 pallets of 45 bags of mulch each. Yep, that’s right! It was shipped up from the “lower 48” and unloaded from two containers on Prep Day 1 by a forklift and pallet-jack. Also, on Prep Day, volunteers outlined the US Map. In fact, Whitney’s highlight was finally outlining the Alaska that’s to scale with the rest of the US (have you ever looked at it?? It’s huge!!)!!! Unfortunately, they didn’t get the chance to paint it (or the Hopscotch and 4-square games) on Build Day due to the rain.
The cold and wet Alaskan weather, however, didn’t stop Build Day volunteers from building an awesome outdoor classroom with a “community” bulletin board (modified to host a removable dry-erase board), 2 planter benches, 5 planter boxes, an incredible impromptu butterfly garden, a playhouse, and a great playground. This new playground was particularly bright amidst the surrounding pea gravel, and it added some awesome play value to their existing playspace with a Tire Swing, Monorail, Babble-on and Spiral Slide. To keep the excited youth at bay, volunteers led some well-organized games and craft activities, including stepping stones, paint-by-number murals, and decorating painted fish cut-outs (from Masonite board). At lunch, the mayor of Wasilla herself helped make sure everyone got fed. Everything finished up for an on-time Board-cutting, accompanied by three songs from the youth.
Media:
-ABC
-Anchorage Daily News (paper)
-The Frontiersman
-Q99.7 (provided music and PSAs)
VIPs:
-Mayor Dianna Keller (of Wasilla)
-Bob Doyle, Chief School Administrator
-Stephanie Martin, Community Affairs Manager, The Home Depot
-Homer D. Poe
-John Klapperich, President of Q99.7
Side Projects:
-outdoor classroom
-“community” bulletin board (modified to host a removable dry-erase board)
-2 planter benches
-5 planter boxes
-a butterfly garden
-a playhouse
Highlights:
-Whitney’s highlights include Alaska on the US Map, the “Iditarod Song” performance by the kids, & the first time that the community bulletin board team sunk the board in the holes, only to find out that it was 5’ tall!!
-Hope’s highlight was when, at the closing, the mayor made a point to say that The Home Depot’s motto is “Improve Everything we touch,” and if everyone lived by this motto, the world would be a better place.
below is the Build Day summary from a couple of weeks ago where I built a playground just north of Anchorage, Alaska! my second and I had the best time up there. we went fishing (& caught some!), driving, hiking, flying (in a little 4-seater over a glacier and landing on a glacier lake), site-seeing, and canoeing. the trip was fantastic, the mountains were spectacular and the culture was so unique! i loved it.
end of build day
Build Day summary, written by me:
Last week in beautiful Wasilla, Alaska, home of the Iditarod Dog Sled Race headquarters, Hope led a fantastic playground build with 135 volunteers from The Home Depot (along with AARP) and Iditarod Elementary School. Whitney rocked the Build as Hope’s Second, and PSI’s Chad Willow jumped into gear as a great installer. Overall, the Build was a relatively normal playground build – the only HUGE difference was the so-called “mulch pile” that came in the form of over 20 pallets of 45 bags of mulch each. Yep, that’s right! It was shipped up from the “lower 48” and unloaded from two containers on Prep Day 1 by a forklift and pallet-jack. Also, on Prep Day, volunteers outlined the US Map. In fact, Whitney’s highlight was finally outlining the Alaska that’s to scale with the rest of the US (have you ever looked at it?? It’s huge!!)!!! Unfortunately, they didn’t get the chance to paint it (or the Hopscotch and 4-square games) on Build Day due to the rain.
The cold and wet Alaskan weather, however, didn’t stop Build Day volunteers from building an awesome outdoor classroom with a “community” bulletin board (modified to host a removable dry-erase board), 2 planter benches, 5 planter boxes, an incredible impromptu butterfly garden, a playhouse, and a great playground. This new playground was particularly bright amidst the surrounding pea gravel, and it added some awesome play value to their existing playspace with a Tire Swing, Monorail, Babble-on and Spiral Slide. To keep the excited youth at bay, volunteers led some well-organized games and craft activities, including stepping stones, paint-by-number murals, and decorating painted fish cut-outs (from Masonite board). At lunch, the mayor of Wasilla herself helped make sure everyone got fed. Everything finished up for an on-time Board-cutting, accompanied by three songs from the youth.
Media:
-ABC
-Anchorage Daily News (paper)
-The Frontiersman
-Q99.7 (provided music and PSAs)
VIPs:
-Mayor Dianna Keller (of Wasilla)
-Bob Doyle, Chief School Administrator
-Stephanie Martin, Community Affairs Manager, The Home Depot
-Homer D. Poe
-John Klapperich, President of Q99.7
Side Projects:
-outdoor classroom
-“community” bulletin board (modified to host a removable dry-erase board)
-2 planter benches
-5 planter boxes
-a butterfly garden
-a playhouse
Highlights:
-Whitney’s highlights include Alaska on the US Map, the “Iditarod Song” performance by the kids, & the first time that the community bulletin board team sunk the board in the holes, only to find out that it was 5’ tall!!
-Hope’s highlight was when, at the closing, the mayor made a point to say that The Home Depot’s motto is “Improve Everything we touch,” and if everyone lived by this motto, the world would be a better place.
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
build in Buffalo
Last Friday (July 8), Hope led an amazing, much-needed and transformative playground build in a very low income Buffalo neighborhood called the Fruit Belt--named after its fruit-basket of street names. Jen De Melo was her Superstar Second, Bob Woodson her smiley PSI Rep, and Bob Hedden her incredible installer. The Home Depot and the Fruit Belt United, Inc--a small neighborhood association that operates to benefit the community and for the promotion of social welfare--joined forces with neighbors, parents and a few other local groups (191 volunteers in all) to transform a small, empty lot into an extraordinary playspace. Despite some communication challenges throughout the planning, like no (direct) online access, and after digging through foundation on both Prep Days with 2 (unplanned) two-man augers and a jack-hammer, they were finally ready for the big day. After a slow start on Build Day, the momentum grew as the music got going and people starting coming out of the wood-work to help out. After lunch, kids put their final touches on the side projects while volunteers mixed concrete, moved the remaining mulch (110 CY in all), and cleaned up for an on-time Board-cutting at 3:30. As everyone gathered for the ceremony, a small parade of youth eagerly lined up, cautiously peered inside the playspace, and then intermingled with the volunteers to celebrate their new playground. Everyone was so excited and awestruck by the playground that the party didn't stop after the heart-felt Board-cutting ceremony. The DJ threw on some more tunes as volunteers finished cleaning up and celebrating in style.
Side Projects:
2 planter benches
2 picnic tables (one w/ a checker board top)
3 vine trellises
3 plywood benches w/ large cut tubing as the legs (designed by the kids)
Stepping Stones
Crushed-stone pathway
Garden
Painted iron fence
Installed chain-link fence
Installed mural on surrounding chain-link fence (in 1'x1' panels done by neighborhood kids, previous to this project)
Kid's Workshops
Painted flowers on sheets of masonite (to cut out and mount around the playground later)
Media:
ABC
The Buffalo News (paper)
VIPs:
George Holt, County Legislator
Don Allan, Sr., Commissioner of Community Service
Sister Philip Marie
John Tobia, DM
Brian Spence, SM
Mike King, SM
Tim Burgett, SM
on the road again...
we're about to hit the peak season at work, and i'll probably only be home for about 5 days this month. check it out:
dc - june 27-july 1
western nc - july 1-5
buffalo, ny (and niagara falls, for the first time!) - july 5-9
home (san francisco) - july 9-11
minneapolis, mn - july 11-15
home (SF) - july 15-18
chicago - july 18-19
home - july 19-23
wasilla, ak - july 23-31
...
crazy, huh? well, it sure keeps me busy, but i'm missing the opportunity to hang out with friends and to spend quality time in SF... :( oh well.
dc - june 27-july 1
western nc - july 1-5
buffalo, ny (and niagara falls, for the first time!) - july 5-9
home (san francisco) - july 9-11
minneapolis, mn - july 11-15
home (SF) - july 15-18
chicago - july 18-19
home - july 19-23
wasilla, ak - july 23-31
...
crazy, huh? well, it sure keeps me busy, but i'm missing the opportunity to hang out with friends and to spend quality time in SF... :( oh well.
Saturday, June 25, 2005
build in Winnipeg
Hope led another fantastic Build last Thursday with Suzie as her stellar Second and Ron Sweetman as her incredible Installer. The Home Depot Canada, the Elmwood Community Resource Centre, the United Way and the City of Winnipeg joined forces (201 in all) to build a fabulous playspace. After a rough (& very wet) start on prep day 1, they got everything ready over a full (& sunny) prep day 2 – digging all the holes and priming several areas to paint. (Hope’s shoes are now officially retired after tasting “Manitoba Gumbo,” or black clay & mud.) Their beautiful Build Day morning kicked off at 8:30 with a great pep talk by Annette Verschuren, the President of The Home Depot Canada, and with a warm-up led by the City of Winnipeg’s recreational director (accompanied by Homer D. Poe, the City of Winnipeg’s mascot, and the Centre’s mascot). The morning took off so much excitement that by lunchtime most of the side projects were complete and several volunteers were eating watermelon and slurping on slushies. (Winnipeg is apparently the slushie capital of Canada.) The day ended with an on-time Board-cutting at 3:45 and a big Thank You from volunteers’ kids.
All the volunteers were amazing! They moved 150 cubic yards of PEA GRAVEL!, mixed cement (w/ sand & gravel) by hand, did loads of side projects, and never complained once! The project really transformed the space – opening it up, sprucing it up and bringing life back into the place. Hope’s favorite part was seeing all the passers-by, neighbors and kids come out and watch in amazement.
Side Projects:
Painted the Centre’s facia, an outdoor stage, 10 park benches, 6 waste baskets, a hopscotch and 2 4-squares
Completed a 10’ x 100’ mural that read “Neighbours helping neighbours” and was tagged with 50’ of volunteers’ & kids’ hand prints
Built 4 planter benches, 6 picnic table tops (w/ metal frames) and (nearly) 2 BBQ pits
Refurbished their garden and weeded the surrounding area
Moved sand into an old sandbox
Created a small, limestone pathway
VIPs:
Annette Verschuren, President of The Home Depot Canada
Jeff Kinnaird, Regional VP of Operations, The Home Depot Canada
Randy Kelly, DM
Brent Ballantyne, Store Manager
3 other Store Managers
Kelly McNamara, PR Manager, The Home Depot Canada
Ingrid Zacharias, Exec. Director, Elmwood Community Resource Centre
Lillian Thomas, City Councillor
Terry Welling-Skorodenski, President of the City of Winnipeg’s Retirees’ Charitable Fund
Kathi Neal, Director of Marketing and Communications, United Way
Media:
The A Channel
CKY – CTV (one of Canada’s national networks)
The Herald
The Winnipeg Sun
The Free Press
All the volunteers were amazing! They moved 150 cubic yards of PEA GRAVEL!, mixed cement (w/ sand & gravel) by hand, did loads of side projects, and never complained once! The project really transformed the space – opening it up, sprucing it up and bringing life back into the place. Hope’s favorite part was seeing all the passers-by, neighbors and kids come out and watch in amazement.
Side Projects:
Painted the Centre’s facia, an outdoor stage, 10 park benches, 6 waste baskets, a hopscotch and 2 4-squares
Completed a 10’ x 100’ mural that read “Neighbours helping neighbours” and was tagged with 50’ of volunteers’ & kids’ hand prints
Built 4 planter benches, 6 picnic table tops (w/ metal frames) and (nearly) 2 BBQ pits
Refurbished their garden and weeded the surrounding area
Moved sand into an old sandbox
Created a small, limestone pathway
VIPs:
Annette Verschuren, President of The Home Depot Canada
Jeff Kinnaird, Regional VP of Operations, The Home Depot Canada
Randy Kelly, DM
Brent Ballantyne, Store Manager
3 other Store Managers
Kelly McNamara, PR Manager, The Home Depot Canada
Ingrid Zacharias, Exec. Director, Elmwood Community Resource Centre
Lillian Thomas, City Councillor
Terry Welling-Skorodenski, President of the City of Winnipeg’s Retirees’ Charitable Fund
Kathi Neal, Director of Marketing and Communications, United Way
Media:
The A Channel
CKY – CTV (one of Canada’s national networks)
The Herald
The Winnipeg Sun
The Free Press
time flies
man. i can't believe a whole month has gone by. so much's happened (as it always does) and i can't keep up... so here are the highlights.
i've been really busy at work. the summer time is our peak season, but that's beside the point. i just have way too much to do, all the time. long hours. no comp time. too much travel. a little bureaucracy. it's exhausting... but (mostly) all worth the experience of working with communities, building playgrounds, going places i'd never be able to go to otherwise, meeting new people all over, learning a lot, and getting better at everything i do. i'm thankful for it, but it's a struggle.
i'm about to get on the road again... in the past month, i went to Winnipeg, MB, for a playground build (see next post) and to Houston, TX, (for less than 8 hours!) for a design day meeting (to begin a new project for another project manager). in the coming month, get this, i'm going...
-to DC for a week-long project management (PM) retreat,
-to Asheville, NC (home!) for the 4th of july,
-to Buffalo, NY, for my playground build,
-back to SF for 36 hours,
-to Minneapolis, MN, for another PM's playground build & for my design day meeting,
-back home to SF for a week, and
-finally to Wasilla (near Anchorage), AK, for my playground build.
ah. the life of a KaBOOM! PM...
now, you ask, what about life in SF? well, after my mom came to visit, everything's been on the up and up. meeting some new folks, out with friends, beautiful weather, biking through the city, confidence, seein' Digable Planets in concert (reunion tour), home-made sushi, home-made margaritas, spontaneous good times, and unusual encounters (e.g., with a random acquaintance that i met in Alaska). he had a lay-over in Oakland, and we ended up hanging out for about 24 hours... i'm all about meeting new people, but that was the first time i took the risk of trusting a complete stranger and hosting him while getting to know him. crazy, huh?... well, it all worked out, and now i have a new friend in Alaska that's going to hook me up with a fishing trip and a plane ride around Mt. McKinley at the end of july. :)
so before i jet set out of SF for about 3 weeks solid, i'm going down to the mission flea market, to Japantown for some sushi, into Downtown for the (Gay) Pride parade and festivities tomorrow, and to the Elbo Room for Dub night in the Mission tomorrow night... i guess i've got to live it up in the city, when i have the chance to.
i've been really busy at work. the summer time is our peak season, but that's beside the point. i just have way too much to do, all the time. long hours. no comp time. too much travel. a little bureaucracy. it's exhausting... but (mostly) all worth the experience of working with communities, building playgrounds, going places i'd never be able to go to otherwise, meeting new people all over, learning a lot, and getting better at everything i do. i'm thankful for it, but it's a struggle.
i'm about to get on the road again... in the past month, i went to Winnipeg, MB, for a playground build (see next post) and to Houston, TX, (for less than 8 hours!) for a design day meeting (to begin a new project for another project manager). in the coming month, get this, i'm going...
-to DC for a week-long project management (PM) retreat,
-to Asheville, NC (home!) for the 4th of july,
-to Buffalo, NY, for my playground build,
-back to SF for 36 hours,
-to Minneapolis, MN, for another PM's playground build & for my design day meeting,
-back home to SF for a week, and
-finally to Wasilla (near Anchorage), AK, for my playground build.
ah. the life of a KaBOOM! PM...
now, you ask, what about life in SF? well, after my mom came to visit, everything's been on the up and up. meeting some new folks, out with friends, beautiful weather, biking through the city, confidence, seein' Digable Planets in concert (reunion tour), home-made sushi, home-made margaritas, spontaneous good times, and unusual encounters (e.g., with a random acquaintance that i met in Alaska). he had a lay-over in Oakland, and we ended up hanging out for about 24 hours... i'm all about meeting new people, but that was the first time i took the risk of trusting a complete stranger and hosting him while getting to know him. crazy, huh?... well, it all worked out, and now i have a new friend in Alaska that's going to hook me up with a fishing trip and a plane ride around Mt. McKinley at the end of july. :)
so before i jet set out of SF for about 3 weeks solid, i'm going down to the mission flea market, to Japantown for some sushi, into Downtown for the (Gay) Pride parade and festivities tomorrow, and to the Elbo Room for Dub night in the Mission tomorrow night... i guess i've got to live it up in the city, when i have the chance to.
Monday, May 30, 2005
on the rise
at the turning point
out of the valley, manure, emptiness and nothingness
on the rise
seeking the light
familial visits
familar calls
familarizing places
finding my place again
spirts of production and daydreaming
imagining the world around and within me
how everything fits together
or how it may pass to be
connecting
reconnecting
continuing on
in life
from the past and
the not yet to come
--------------------------------------
mom's visit for the weekend
walking around under the sun and against the wind
getting to know my neighbors and hood during carnaval
kiff gallagher (and maktub) at the independent
east bay taco trucks
dessert with rhea, joel, tony, mardie and mom
art opening at the co-op near my place
brunch with rhea, jen, whitney, tony, mardie, mom, tom, mason and robin
the parade and festival of people, colors and music
grace cathedral evening service
martini's with joel and rhea
elbo room for dub and new acquaintances
breakfast at st. francis
the airport
now a coffee shop
on to... who knows where
out of the valley, manure, emptiness and nothingness
on the rise
seeking the light
familial visits
familar calls
familarizing places
finding my place again
spirts of production and daydreaming
imagining the world around and within me
how everything fits together
or how it may pass to be
connecting
reconnecting
continuing on
in life
from the past and
the not yet to come
--------------------------------------
mom's visit for the weekend
walking around under the sun and against the wind
getting to know my neighbors and hood during carnaval
kiff gallagher (and maktub) at the independent
east bay taco trucks
dessert with rhea, joel, tony, mardie and mom
art opening at the co-op near my place
brunch with rhea, jen, whitney, tony, mardie, mom, tom, mason and robin
the parade and festival of people, colors and music
grace cathedral evening service
martini's with joel and rhea
elbo room for dub and new acquaintances
breakfast at st. francis
the airport
now a coffee shop
on to... who knows where
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Friday, May 27, 2005
lil' northern exposure
Just got back from a short business trip to Anchorage and Wasilla, Alaska, and... Wow. The mountains there are spectacular, huge and magnificent, and the culture is so rich and awe-some, yet unusual. First, the native influence is striking. Second, the people's survival (and adventures) through their brutal winters is amazing. Third, the isolation, vastness and hidden sprawl of humanity is surprising. And, lastly, their short "American" history/infestation has produced an odd mix of opinions... Just as the U.S. "bought" the Louisiana Purchase from the French, we also "bought" Alaska from Russia (in 1917, I believe). So there's that bitter taste of stolen, yet borrowed, and re-sold land that natives are left to deal with (especially when our current president seeks to rape the land of its natural riches). Meanwhile, signs of urban modernity are submerging -- youthful goth, growing gang activity, corporate expansion, and over-populated tourist populations... I guess there's good and bad in everything. Hey, if it weren't for corporate expansion, I wouldn't have had the chance to go up there and build a playground with their money and (re)invested interest in the community... Either way, it's tricky to balance the diverging interests between the public and the private sectors, especially in an environment like this.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
wdydwyd?
my brother, Tony, wrote:
Finally got around to getting all those portraits we did at Burning Man online. We still have about 20 images to add... Special thanks to Hope for helping scan most of them, to Jeremy for helping me out on some technical glitches on the web site, and to many of you who helped with the fun process of setting up a table and shooting the portraits on the playa. Maybe well do a roaming portrait studio a few times again this year?
And here's my portrait.
Finally got around to getting all those portraits we did at Burning Man online. We still have about 20 images to add... Special thanks to Hope for helping scan most of them, to Jeremy for helping me out on some technical glitches on the web site, and to many of you who helped with the fun process of setting up a table and shooting the portraits on the playa. Maybe well do a roaming portrait studio a few times again this year?
And here's my portrait.
Sunday, May 15, 2005
only in SF
today 70,000-80,000 people joined the oldest consecutively run footrace in the world, and of course, when in San Francisco, anything goes... mobile Tiki Huts, male genitalia trains, pirate ships and "beeramids" carrying kegs, a port-a-party with a bar, and so many more colorful eclectic traditions represented.
tony, mardie, aida (a brazilian friend visiting from chapel hill) and i went down to the park to people-watch and walk with the mass of drunken participants. we had only one drink but were still amused by the madness around us.
"Today Bay to Breakers is one of the oldest and most beloved civic festivals in the world. Although runners come from across the country and all points of the globe, the race is still quintessential San Francisco and a true reflection of life between the breakers and the Bay."
tony, mardie, aida (a brazilian friend visiting from chapel hill) and i went down to the park to people-watch and walk with the mass of drunken participants. we had only one drink but were still amused by the madness around us.
"Today Bay to Breakers is one of the oldest and most beloved civic festivals in the world. Although runners come from across the country and all points of the globe, the race is still quintessential San Francisco and a true reflection of life between the breakers and the Bay."
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
solid ground
the last couple weeks have been okay. i helped another project manager build a playground in ogden, utah, and we had a lot of fun gettin to know the area (around salt lake city). then, last week i built in redding, ca, with the help of my superviser, and we had fun with the volunteers and playground installers... our site in redding was super rocky, and we had several technical/construction issues come up. it was really challenging, but i survived... our volunteers were great and, surprisingly, they didn't complain about anything (a bit rare in this job). overall, it was a good build, but i was super hard on myself about things. unfortunately, i sometimes let the littlest things get in the way of my well-being, and then i feel like i have no solid ground beneath me.
over the last couple of days, i've started to feel the earth again, but my heart is still unpleasantly distracting me. here's the thing: i'm officially on my own again, and i'm trying hard to recenter my inner love and embrace my independence. it's especially hard because he was so cool and i felt such a strong connection between us. oh well. i guess timing IS everything.
Monday, May 02, 2005
howwierd
today was the How Weird Street Fair (a pun on the street named Howard). similar to the the Burning Man Decompression party, there were 4 stages of djs and live music, performances and costumes, but not any playa art. check it. it was only $5 to get in with a costume, so it was fun and it fit my budget.
Saturday, April 23, 2005
reflection
this week was beautiful here in SF, and smoothe sailing on my biking commute to work. right now, i'm sitting at the Atlas Cafe (near my house in the Mission), and the sky is threatening to release it's moisture over the plastic canopy of this patio. yesterday, my boss, co-worker and i went to happy hour for margaritas, and later i met up with a former co-worker for a lil' dancin at Milk (in the Haight). the day before, i met up with two former co-workers at the Zeitgeist for some beers and tamales. (it was my first time there.) wednesday, i went to a much-needed yoga session, which helped me recenter my emotionally-distracted heart. it was a good challenge to have Noah accompany me to the class, because i'm realizing that my relationships can sometimes throw me off track and get my emotions all tied up into knots. i recognize that i need to focus on my own path, amid others' wayward journeys through life. to cope, here are my current mantras:
(1) timing can feel like our worst enemy but really it's our saving grace.
(2) we must honor ourselves and respect others always.
(3) at the end of the day, we are all we've got in life.
this is not to say that i don't love everyone (b/c i do especially if they let me in) but it is a type of defense mechanism for life... i guess that's the cancer in me... or maybe it's the self-reflective, self-protective, honest, over-observant, heart-filled, introverted and independent part of me that needs a good booty-shakin on the dance floor or another surreal, out-of-body experience in a House of God and/or out on the Playa to get me back on board.
(1) timing can feel like our worst enemy but really it's our saving grace.
(2) we must honor ourselves and respect others always.
(3) at the end of the day, we are all we've got in life.
this is not to say that i don't love everyone (b/c i do especially if they let me in) but it is a type of defense mechanism for life... i guess that's the cancer in me... or maybe it's the self-reflective, self-protective, honest, over-observant, heart-filled, introverted and independent part of me that needs a good booty-shakin on the dance floor or another surreal, out-of-body experience in a House of God and/or out on the Playa to get me back on board.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
blasé... but in NC!
i'm on the up and up, again, but feeling overworked. two weeks ago, i flew to Winnipeg, Manitoba, for a 4-hour Design Day meeting. last week, i led a playground build with the City of Santa Ana, California. this week, i'm assisting another project manager on her playground project in Charlotte, North Carolina. (yes, i'm in NC again!) next week, i should be home (SF), but after that, i'll be on the road again (to Ogden, UT, Redding, CA, and eventually Sparks, NV)... ah, the life of a KaBOOM! project manager. what's more is that when i am in town, i still bike and take the train everyday to work (SF>Redwood City).
somehow, through all that, i still manage to have a bit of a personal life too.
i spent easter with my brother, his fiance, and their friends, and i also joined them for Food Club (a fancy potluck gathering). (the theme this time was colorful foods, and i made lettuce wraps.)... noah and i saw a very intriguing independent film called "dot the i" (Gael Garcia Bernal), and we went to this art opening/event in SF that had a cabaret, marching band and hip hop DJs... i met up with a very old best friend (from elementary school) when i went down to Santa Ana/Huntington Beach last week... among many other things.
now, i'm in NC for work, but i'm able to visit family and friends while i'm here! i went up to Asheville last weekend, and i'm going up to Boone this weekend. yay! i'm so excited to finally meet my new niece! and to see my brother and sister-in-law, too!... somehow, i've got to finish my taxes before friday, too. yikes.
somehow, through all that, i still manage to have a bit of a personal life too.
i spent easter with my brother, his fiance, and their friends, and i also joined them for Food Club (a fancy potluck gathering). (the theme this time was colorful foods, and i made lettuce wraps.)... noah and i saw a very intriguing independent film called "dot the i" (Gael Garcia Bernal), and we went to this art opening/event in SF that had a cabaret, marching band and hip hop DJs... i met up with a very old best friend (from elementary school) when i went down to Santa Ana/Huntington Beach last week... among many other things.
now, i'm in NC for work, but i'm able to visit family and friends while i'm here! i went up to Asheville last weekend, and i'm going up to Boone this weekend. yay! i'm so excited to finally meet my new niece! and to see my brother and sister-in-law, too!... somehow, i've got to finish my taxes before friday, too. yikes.
Friday, April 01, 2005
grrrr
i'm on the down slope of a natural high.
i haven't done any yoga in a long time. i've let the stress of work consume me. my body, soul and mind are aching from causes (cycles and people) out of my control. the love that rejuvenated me last month is on reserve and fading. and, in some cases, i'm holding myself back from being my full, true, beautiful self.
where is the hope?
still in me somewhere, i guess.
i haven't done any yoga in a long time. i've let the stress of work consume me. my body, soul and mind are aching from causes (cycles and people) out of my control. the love that rejuvenated me last month is on reserve and fading. and, in some cases, i'm holding myself back from being my full, true, beautiful self.
where is the hope?
still in me somewhere, i guess.
Friday, March 25, 2005
birthday
last weekend, i built a playground for The Salvation Army of Pahrump, NV, on my 26th birthday. my supervisor (and Second out for the Build) bought me a cake and a lit-up "Birthday Princess" pin that she made me wear all day. the kids there sang me "Happy Birthday" at the end of the day and totally made my day... that night, i flew back home to SF (mostly b/c i didn't want to celebrate in Vegas) and went out with a few friends for a drink. it was a lot of fun, and it was really great to feel the love... Whitney and a friend, Noah and a friend, and Tony (my brother) and Mardie (his finance)... that night, i felt particularly special.
sunday night, i had several people (14) over to my house for a mini-potluck party/gathering. i love bringing people that i love together, and even more so, i love it when people i love meet each other for the first time. (one person thought that people were "weirded out" b/c he was a complete stranger to them... i told him not to worry b/c we're all strangers to each other at some point.)... i just really enjoy bringing good people together. i only wish is that someday i could somehow bring everyone i love together! THAT would be the most incredible party ever!
sunday night, i had several people (14) over to my house for a mini-potluck party/gathering. i love bringing people that i love together, and even more so, i love it when people i love meet each other for the first time. (one person thought that people were "weirded out" b/c he was a complete stranger to them... i told him not to worry b/c we're all strangers to each other at some point.)... i just really enjoy bringing good people together. i only wish is that someday i could somehow bring everyone i love together! THAT would be the most incredible party ever!
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
my Pahrump playground build
From: Melanie Barnes (my supervisor)
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2005 2:45 PM
This post build report was written by the fabulous Hope Deifell:
Last Saturday, Hope led a great playground build with Melanie as her awesome Second and with Jonathon Mouer and Jason Meler out from Dave Bang for the installation. Prep Day 1 was relatively smooth, and on Prep Day 2 Hope debuted on "The Andy and Bernie Show" (a Pahrump TV talk show) with Charlie Desiderio, the Salvation Army marketing manager, at her side. Build Day was cold and overcast, but the 5-minute Jazzercise morning warm-up got everyone's blood flowing fast.
Her 12 Build Captains were awesome leaders for the 120 other volunteers on site. About thirty of those adult volunteers and an additional 27 volunteers (under 18) helped in areas other than the playground construction, including kids' games and carnival activities (i.e. face painting, Jolly Jumper, red rover and putt putt, among others). The big day ended with a big raffle for the kids, then an on-time ribbon cutting, and finally a birthday cake and celebration for Hope and another volunteer.
Play Enhancement Projects:
200-foot stone pathway with edging
3 planter benches
VIPs:
Major William Raihl, Clark County Coordinator, The Salvation Army
Charles Desiderio, Director of Development and Marketing, The Salvation Army
Thomas Kriese, Manager, The Omidyar Network
(Local) Media:
Channel 30 and 62, KPVT-LP and KHMP-LP
Channel 41, KPVM-TV
Highlights: all the youth on site, the incredible installers, the Christian rock music (not as much a highlight as a big difference from most other builds), and the light up "Birthday Princess" pin and a birthday cake that Melanie got for Hope.
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2005 2:45 PM
This post build report was written by the fabulous Hope Deifell:
Last Saturday, Hope led a great playground build with Melanie as her awesome Second and with Jonathon Mouer and Jason Meler out from Dave Bang for the installation. Prep Day 1 was relatively smooth, and on Prep Day 2 Hope debuted on "The Andy and Bernie Show" (a Pahrump TV talk show) with Charlie Desiderio, the Salvation Army marketing manager, at her side. Build Day was cold and overcast, but the 5-minute Jazzercise morning warm-up got everyone's blood flowing fast.
Her 12 Build Captains were awesome leaders for the 120 other volunteers on site. About thirty of those adult volunteers and an additional 27 volunteers (under 18) helped in areas other than the playground construction, including kids' games and carnival activities (i.e. face painting, Jolly Jumper, red rover and putt putt, among others). The big day ended with a big raffle for the kids, then an on-time ribbon cutting, and finally a birthday cake and celebration for Hope and another volunteer.
Play Enhancement Projects:
200-foot stone pathway with edging
3 planter benches
VIPs:
Major William Raihl, Clark County Coordinator, The Salvation Army
Charles Desiderio, Director of Development and Marketing, The Salvation Army
Thomas Kriese, Manager, The Omidyar Network
(Local) Media:
Channel 30 and 62, KPVT-LP and KHMP-LP
Channel 41, KPVM-TV
Highlights: all the youth on site, the incredible installers, the Christian rock music (not as much a highlight as a big difference from most other builds), and the light up "Birthday Princess" pin and a birthday cake that Melanie got for Hope.
momentum coaching
two weekends ago i participated in an amazing training called the Momentum Coaching program. this workshop gave me the opportunity to build a foundation of coaching skills that have already greatly impacted the way i interact with my collagues and with my community groups (throughout our playground planning process).
the program successfully taught me a wide range of powerful coaching skills, some of which include:
-focused and intuitive listening;
-powerful, open-ended inquiry to foster reflective learning;
-fueling learning and imagination through curiosity;
-blending "challenge" and "support" to stretch thoughtful risk-taking and innovation;
-illuminating underlying perspectives, assumptions and beliefs; and
-catalyzing shifts toward those that inspire productive action... (the metaphor that i chose to describe the person "i am becoming" was an impressionist painting -- full of color and intricate detail that impresses, inspires and requires a step back to see the big picture.)
not only was this an incredible learning experience, but it was so refreshing to be instantly open and authentic with 20 other complete strangers. in just two days, we laughed, we listened, we learned, we shared our troubles, we coached, and we received coaching.
the bottom line is: it was great to (re)discover a better way to treat everyone, including myself, like the beautiful star they are. literally. there are five points to this coaching model: to assess what's Actual (vs what's assumed), to set Aspirations, to seek Alternatives, to take Action, and to be Accountable for those action steps. they are all very important, concrete steps to take toward believing in, empowering and guiding my own life and the lives of all my community partners. i am so glad to have participated in this training, because now i feel like a new, more compassionate, more attentive and more effective leader.
the program successfully taught me a wide range of powerful coaching skills, some of which include:
-focused and intuitive listening;
-powerful, open-ended inquiry to foster reflective learning;
-fueling learning and imagination through curiosity;
-blending "challenge" and "support" to stretch thoughtful risk-taking and innovation;
-illuminating underlying perspectives, assumptions and beliefs; and
-catalyzing shifts toward those that inspire productive action... (the metaphor that i chose to describe the person "i am becoming" was an impressionist painting -- full of color and intricate detail that impresses, inspires and requires a step back to see the big picture.)
not only was this an incredible learning experience, but it was so refreshing to be instantly open and authentic with 20 other complete strangers. in just two days, we laughed, we listened, we learned, we shared our troubles, we coached, and we received coaching.
the bottom line is: it was great to (re)discover a better way to treat everyone, including myself, like the beautiful star they are. literally. there are five points to this coaching model: to assess what's Actual (vs what's assumed), to set Aspirations, to seek Alternatives, to take Action, and to be Accountable for those action steps. they are all very important, concrete steps to take toward believing in, empowering and guiding my own life and the lives of all my community partners. i am so glad to have participated in this training, because now i feel like a new, more compassionate, more attentive and more effective leader.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
my build in Modesto
what my supervisor wrote:
Hope and her Superstar Second, Suzie Lovercheck led an AWESOME build March 10 in Modesto, CA. KaBOOM! partnered with The Home Depot and Summit Academy to build a playground. The weather was beautiful and despite two man auger issues on site prep day 1 the build day was a huge success. The volunteers were led by awesome, responsible and responsive Build Captains: 5 from THD, 8 parents/family. The community partner was incredible, organized, helpful, very appreciative of THD, understood the partnership and empowering of the students. The volunteers were great and not only built the playground, completed side projects, but moved 270 CY of engineered wood fiber. The BOOMbox had a great point person assigned to it and was very effective and organized. The Modesto Home Depot donated items to enhance the raffle (microwave, toaster oven, electric grill/hotplate, blender, coffee maker, skil saw, drill, and a gas-powered outdoor grill)
Side Projects:
2 planter benches
2 picnic tables
75+ beautiful ceramic tiles (from fundraiser) mounted,
6’ x 40’ kids mural
16 stepping stones
250 THD Kids’ workshop kits
Media:
No media was present on build day (Aspire CEO, Don Shalvey is writing a letter to the editor)
VIPs:
Don Shalvey (CEO Aspire Schools)
Dave Waters (THD District Manager)
Sherry Caraway (Community Affairs Supervisor, HD Western Division)
Tom Hal (Modesto Store Manager)
Leslie Longeria (Modesto HRM)
3 other Store Managers
Highlights: students participation throughout Build Day – entire student body (350+) present at Kick-off and at Board-cutting, Middle School Dance group led morning stretch, School Choir sang “Rainbow Connection” at closing ceremony, a few students did documentary project throughout the day, K-5 worked on mural and/or Kids’ Workshops (in class shifts), 6-7 made stepping stones around the flag pole (one for each teacher’s name)
Friday, March 11, 2005
Thursday, March 10, 2005
My 5th Build
picture this: 300+ elementary and middle school students line up by class for their morning announcements, and 120 volunteers from the community and The Home Depot surround them for our opening ceremony. the energy was incredible... the middle school dance group led us all in a morning stretch/warm-up. then, throughout the day, all the students participated in "play enhancement projects" (or side projects), like a beautiful mural, a stepping stones project, kids' workshop projects from The Home Depot (i.e. bird houses, etc.), and a photodocumentary project of the day's events... our (adult) volunteers helped with the kids, mounted tiles from a fundraiser, did landscaping, built 2 picnic tables and 2 planter benches, moved 290 cubic yards of engineered wood fiber into a 100 x 50 area, and built an INCREDIBLE playground in just 6 hours!!... at the end of the day, all those same 300+ students came out for our closing Board-cutting ceremony, and they were just bursting with excitement. it was so powerful to have them come out at the end, especially for volunteers to see what and who they'd been working so hard for all day... lastly, the school's choir sang "Rainbow Connection," and the school's principal cut the board amid Silly String, noise makers, kazoos, streamers, clapping, and The Home Depot cheer.
it was such an awesome build that it will be next to impossible to match/beat. i loved the school, the planning committee chairs, my Build Captains (volunteer team leaders), my installer, my Second, and most everyone else. everything ran very smoothly, and if it didn't, my volunteers made up for it... not to mention it was such a beautiful day with perfect weather... it sure will be tough not to compare all other builds to this one.
well, i am beyond tired right now, and i must go to bed... good night.
it was such an awesome build that it will be next to impossible to match/beat. i loved the school, the planning committee chairs, my Build Captains (volunteer team leaders), my installer, my Second, and most everyone else. everything ran very smoothly, and if it didn't, my volunteers made up for it... not to mention it was such a beautiful day with perfect weather... it sure will be tough not to compare all other builds to this one.
well, i am beyond tired right now, and i must go to bed... good night.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
dinner and a movie
ate some tasty lettuce wraps, pan fried noddles w/ prawn and curried chicken at Le Cheval (an awesome French-Vietnamese restaurant in Downtown Oakland) last night with Noah. the food was delish, the company tambien... then we met up with two friends to see Million Dollar Baby... i have to say, i enjoyed the film but i expected a little more for some reason. i guess that's hollywood for ya.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
frantic to focused
all week i haven't felt myself... but then again i have also felt some old habits come to the surface. so, really, is this just another part of myself.
from the very first moment of my work week until now, i was swamped with phone calls, paperwork, admin stuff, financial b.s. for work, emails, organization for upcoming builds and God knows what else. there's been little time for me, so i'm finally taking the time this evening to unwind, have a glass of wine and spill my thoughts on to this virtual scroll for all (or none) to read.
early in the week, i was on the verge of tears with the amount of work that piled up. then, despite my exhausted state of mind and body, i made myself go to yoga. again, just like on valentines, it was exactly what i needed to regain a clear, mindful focus on work, life and my "innate goodness."
it's amazing how just 2.5 hours of breathing, stretching, holding poses and being still, yet engaged, can transform your state of mind and your capabilities... i still struggled to get everything done that i needed to get done before the end of the week, but i felt more productive and clear-headed at the same time... the body and mind can do wonders if they work together fully.
speaking of which, thanks to this new clarity and self-healing, love is in the air... nothing to write about yet, but definitely there.
from the very first moment of my work week until now, i was swamped with phone calls, paperwork, admin stuff, financial b.s. for work, emails, organization for upcoming builds and God knows what else. there's been little time for me, so i'm finally taking the time this evening to unwind, have a glass of wine and spill my thoughts on to this virtual scroll for all (or none) to read.
early in the week, i was on the verge of tears with the amount of work that piled up. then, despite my exhausted state of mind and body, i made myself go to yoga. again, just like on valentines, it was exactly what i needed to regain a clear, mindful focus on work, life and my "innate goodness."
it's amazing how just 2.5 hours of breathing, stretching, holding poses and being still, yet engaged, can transform your state of mind and your capabilities... i still struggled to get everything done that i needed to get done before the end of the week, but i felt more productive and clear-headed at the same time... the body and mind can do wonders if they work together fully.
speaking of which, thanks to this new clarity and self-healing, love is in the air... nothing to write about yet, but definitely there.
Monday, February 28, 2005
santa cruz
i finally got out of town for a trip (other than for work). i went with my new friend, Noah, to visit his friends in Santa Cruz. we drove down Highway 1 and visited his old stomping grounds (undergrad). we also visited Cafe Brasil, the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse (an old little surfer's museum), the cliffs and park nearby, UC-Santa Cruz, and a fun climbing tree on campus there... i had a great time. i only wish i could hold onto that good feeling forever.
Saturday, February 26, 2005
challenging week
it's funny. when you're feeling really good about life, you'll be thrown some crazy curve balls. i had an incredible week last week, but this week was really difficult. i had major car problems with Tony's car and had to deal with that (on top of a very busy week at work). then i was asked to fly to Fresno, CA, on thursday for a playground build on friday. this news wasn't easy to take, especially because it was unexpected and so last minute, but for some reason i was completely okay with it... first, i was still feeling so great from the week before -- from all the yoga i'd been doing and all the love that i'd been feeling in my life right now... second, i had to fill in for another Project Manager because her grandfather had died the night before, so i felt obligated to be selfless about the whole situation... third, everything worked out in my favor -- from finding plane ticket to Fresno to catching a ride to the airport from an awesome friend. everything went smoothly until... mid afternoon on friday. we had major structural issues at the build and ended up not leaving the site until 7:30! (only to drive back to SF that night.) it was a very long day, but somehow i survived.
Sunday, February 20, 2005
Love and live music
this week was incredible. it started off with a surprisingly wonderful valentine's gift to myself -- a 2.5-hour hatha flow yoga session with Dina Amsterdam. i go to her class when i can, but on monday, she had an extra special line-up for us. it was the best thing i could have done for myself, especially on a day like valentine's. she read poems, prayers, quotes and unique definitions of love. her session focused on opening the chest, restoring the heart and calling upon the love within ourselves... the bottom line is that we must fully love ourselves before we can love others. imagine, if everyone really practiced this kind of true love, then the world would virtually heal itself. i guess it's good that we have a holiday devoted to love; it's just too bad that the commercialism gets in the way of that sometimes. here is her sweet valentine email that she sent out to us:
"To all my Yogi and Yogini Valentines ~
For me today is a very special day... releasing all the commercialized mumbo jumbo and underneath all the hooha. Today is a beautiful day. It is a day to honor the spirit. And to celebrate love. To bring love to the forefront of our minds and hearts... and to trust in the truth that the deepest love we will ever know is the love that is our essence. In addition to how we love and honor and acknowledge others in our life, may this be a day that we love and celebrate and cultivate our own light ~ the wellspring from which all our love flows.
As the Buddha offers ~ May you rest in the innate goodness of your heart.
Thank you for being a part of my world and my heart... for bringing such sweetness and meaning to my life.
All love,
Dina"
______________________________
so, then, on wednesday night, i went to go see blackalicious and mos def at the berkeley community theatre. the show was incredible. the venue was a little big for blackalicious, but mos def took the stage by storm. his rhymes, his song, his moves and his talent were to die for. it was so good i was trippin'.
lastly, i went to the thievery corporation show last night. i had a good time and sweated my tail off dancing. it was fun and their music was fly, but i wasn't all that impressed with their stage performance. other than their light show, there was very little "show" to be seen... nevertheless, i was very glad to have gone... it's too bad the social life is so expensive here.
"To all my Yogi and Yogini Valentines ~
For me today is a very special day... releasing all the commercialized mumbo jumbo and underneath all the hooha. Today is a beautiful day. It is a day to honor the spirit. And to celebrate love. To bring love to the forefront of our minds and hearts... and to trust in the truth that the deepest love we will ever know is the love that is our essence. In addition to how we love and honor and acknowledge others in our life, may this be a day that we love and celebrate and cultivate our own light ~ the wellspring from which all our love flows.
As the Buddha offers ~ May you rest in the innate goodness of your heart.
Thank you for being a part of my world and my heart... for bringing such sweetness and meaning to my life.
All love,
Dina"
______________________________
so, then, on wednesday night, i went to go see blackalicious and mos def at the berkeley community theatre. the show was incredible. the venue was a little big for blackalicious, but mos def took the stage by storm. his rhymes, his song, his moves and his talent were to die for. it was so good i was trippin'.
lastly, i went to the thievery corporation show last night. i had a good time and sweated my tail off dancing. it was fun and their music was fly, but i wasn't all that impressed with their stage performance. other than their light show, there was very little "show" to be seen... nevertheless, i was very glad to have gone... it's too bad the social life is so expensive here.
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Installation by day, City Walk by night
as it turns out, the Playground Contractor's Association training was mostly boring and only partially interesting. nevertheless, i have to admit that i learned a thing or two about how to hold our installers accountable and how to work better with them. (note: we always have a qualified playground installer out at all of our builds in order to make sure that everything goes up right... as project managers, we need an installer to concentrate on the structure while we run the day, overall.)
also, yesterday, after we all went out to build a small playground together, i realized how good we are (as a non-profit) at organizing and conducting community-built playgrounds! not to put anyone else down, but i recognized how good we are at having fun, at organizing volunteers and at enhancing the overall playspace during our builds. with all of that in mind, i learned to greater appreciate how we do what we do.
then, last night, Tabitha, Jenna (2 fellow project managers) and I went out with 5 others from the training. (by the way, out of 40 participants in the training, only 4 of us were female... go figure. women rock.) we all went out to the City Walk at Universial Studios... mostly b/c there wasn't anything else to do, but also b/c it was right across the street from out hotel. the venue was bright and a little too "for show"... kind of like Las Vegas... i guess that's Orlando for ya. we ate at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, drank loads of margaritas, went to a few clubs (incl. the Groove, the Latin Quarter, Pat O'Brian's and Decades), and got back to the hotel by 1:30. it was fun to be out with the guys that lead the playground build that day, but i think i pushed myself a little too much... i only had 2.5 hours of sleep before having to head to the airport for a 6:15 flight! yikes! i slept as much as i could along the way, but i'm still very exhausted. thank god i'm finally home.
also, yesterday, after we all went out to build a small playground together, i realized how good we are (as a non-profit) at organizing and conducting community-built playgrounds! not to put anyone else down, but i recognized how good we are at having fun, at organizing volunteers and at enhancing the overall playspace during our builds. with all of that in mind, i learned to greater appreciate how we do what we do.
then, last night, Tabitha, Jenna (2 fellow project managers) and I went out with 5 others from the training. (by the way, out of 40 participants in the training, only 4 of us were female... go figure. women rock.) we all went out to the City Walk at Universial Studios... mostly b/c there wasn't anything else to do, but also b/c it was right across the street from out hotel. the venue was bright and a little too "for show"... kind of like Las Vegas... i guess that's Orlando for ya. we ate at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, drank loads of margaritas, went to a few clubs (incl. the Groove, the Latin Quarter, Pat O'Brian's and Decades), and got back to the hotel by 1:30. it was fun to be out with the guys that lead the playground build that day, but i think i pushed myself a little too much... i only had 2.5 hours of sleep before having to head to the airport for a 6:15 flight! yikes! i slept as much as i could along the way, but i'm still very exhausted. thank god i'm finally home.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
trainings and retreats
A few weeks ago, I participated in the National Playground Safety Institute in Columbia, MD. After this 2-day course, I took a 2-hour test to become a Certified Playground Safety Inspector... The bottom line is that I'll be a better playground project manager with this certification, but the curse is that I will never be able to look at a playground the same way again. :)
The week following this training, I joined my entire staff (38 people from D.C., Chicago, Atlanta and Redwood City, CA) for an all-staff retreat (and then a project management retreat for 14 of us afterward) at the Hershey Hotel in PA. It was really exciting to re-discover the incredible matrix of this non-profit and to learn all about how it will expand. I feel so honored to have the opportunity to be a part of this organization, but sometimes I ask myself, why me? How do I have this chance?... Enough with the doubt. I'm just excited about advocating for play, about empowering community groups to organize and create social change, and about building 188 playspaces (total) across North America over the next year! Yay for kids!
This week I'm in Orlando, FL, for the National Playground Contractor's Association. Project Management sent three of us to learn all the tricks of the trade in laying out and constructing playgrounds so we can train the other project managers... You may be asking yourself, How come she's doing this training? I thought she'd already been building playgrounds... Well, we've never learned the specifics about reading playground blueprints, laying out holes from a footing datum, using a laser level to transit holes, etc... Sound interesting?... Yeah, it will probably be loads of fun... Okay, maybe not fun, but probably educational and beneficial for work.
work... work... work... I've got to get my head out of work. Write and take me away if you please.
The week following this training, I joined my entire staff (38 people from D.C., Chicago, Atlanta and Redwood City, CA) for an all-staff retreat (and then a project management retreat for 14 of us afterward) at the Hershey Hotel in PA. It was really exciting to re-discover the incredible matrix of this non-profit and to learn all about how it will expand. I feel so honored to have the opportunity to be a part of this organization, but sometimes I ask myself, why me? How do I have this chance?... Enough with the doubt. I'm just excited about advocating for play, about empowering community groups to organize and create social change, and about building 188 playspaces (total) across North America over the next year! Yay for kids!
This week I'm in Orlando, FL, for the National Playground Contractor's Association. Project Management sent three of us to learn all the tricks of the trade in laying out and constructing playgrounds so we can train the other project managers... You may be asking yourself, How come she's doing this training? I thought she'd already been building playgrounds... Well, we've never learned the specifics about reading playground blueprints, laying out holes from a footing datum, using a laser level to transit holes, etc... Sound interesting?... Yeah, it will probably be loads of fun... Okay, maybe not fun, but probably educational and beneficial for work.
work... work... work... I've got to get my head out of work. Write and take me away if you please.
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Spirit Rock
today was beautiful. my-soon-to-be sister-in-law, Mardie, and i spent the entire day at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Marin County (N of SF) at a daylong meditation retreat called the Foundations of Vipassana Practice with Mark Coleman. basically it was all about being mindful. here's the class's description:
"The Buddha stated that the practice of mindfulness is a vehicle for liberation and freedom. In this day of silence of sitting and walking meditation we will explore the fundamental aspects of Vipassana (Insight) Meditation. There will be thorough meditation instructions, Dharma teachings and discussion that will help bring to light the practice of mindfulness - the most essential Buddhist meditation practice."
we did 20 and 30-minute meditations -- sitting, walking, standing, eating and sitting some more. it felt so good to be still, breathe and enjoy the present with a new developed appreciation for being human... so calm, refreshed and clear-headed -- it's amazing.
"The Buddha stated that the practice of mindfulness is a vehicle for liberation and freedom. In this day of silence of sitting and walking meditation we will explore the fundamental aspects of Vipassana (Insight) Meditation. There will be thorough meditation instructions, Dharma teachings and discussion that will help bring to light the practice of mindfulness - the most essential Buddhist meditation practice."
we did 20 and 30-minute meditations -- sitting, walking, standing, eating and sitting some more. it felt so good to be still, breathe and enjoy the present with a new developed appreciation for being human... so calm, refreshed and clear-headed -- it's amazing.
Friday, January 14, 2005
the Strip
out on the town. cruzin the Strip in Vegas last night after my design day meeting in Pahrump. i stayed at the Monte Carlo and visited the Bellagio and NYNY.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
playgroung PR
I just found this article about my build in Tulsa (11 Nov 05). Check me out... Also, check out this awesome little promo video about a recent KaBOOM! build in Boston.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
back to the grind
okay. (if anybody's out there) i may be little late on the uptake, but nearly 2 weeks into the new year, and i'm starting out just great. no really. things are going relatively well for me. (relatively as in relative to what life has offered me thus far... not relative to the rest of the world b/c i can't even imagine going there... it's unfathomable.)
i returned home to SF on the 3rd from my home in the mountains of north carolina. being with the fam was great, but a little hectic and a little stressful. with that many loved ones around, everyone wants to know everyone else's business, so there's very little privacy most of the time. regardless, it was nice to rest and be thankful for family, food and... new life. yes! there will soon be a new Deifell among us -- the first of the next generation! child of my brother David and his wife Elizabeth! it's so exciting!... and yet i'm so far away. :(
nevertheless, it was nice to return west and to call this place home too. i'm settling in again... but not for long b/c soon the travel for work will pick up again. i leave for a day trip to Pahrump, NV, (65 miles west of Las Vegas) tomorrow to begin another playground project there with the Salvation Army. next week i go to Columbia, MD, to take a course and a test in playground safety in order to become a certified playground installer. the following week we have our staff retreat in Hershey, PA... to know more about where i am and when, see my itinerary list to the right.
other trivia about the life of hope-alicious:
-"hope-alicious" replaced "hoperino" at Burning Man 2004
-bought my tix to BM 2005 (and i can't wait!)
-got a new jacket & pants for biking to work during the cold, rainy season here
-eating healthier: little to no sugar, more greens, more balance, etc.
-tried out an indoor rock-climbing gym near my house (as a guest of my roommate)
-skipped my yoga class tonight b/c i'm poor now (after the holidays and BM tix)
-attending Spirit Rock mediation center this saturday for an all day meditation retreat... more on that to come.
i returned home to SF on the 3rd from my home in the mountains of north carolina. being with the fam was great, but a little hectic and a little stressful. with that many loved ones around, everyone wants to know everyone else's business, so there's very little privacy most of the time. regardless, it was nice to rest and be thankful for family, food and... new life. yes! there will soon be a new Deifell among us -- the first of the next generation! child of my brother David and his wife Elizabeth! it's so exciting!... and yet i'm so far away. :(
nevertheless, it was nice to return west and to call this place home too. i'm settling in again... but not for long b/c soon the travel for work will pick up again. i leave for a day trip to Pahrump, NV, (65 miles west of Las Vegas) tomorrow to begin another playground project there with the Salvation Army. next week i go to Columbia, MD, to take a course and a test in playground safety in order to become a certified playground installer. the following week we have our staff retreat in Hershey, PA... to know more about where i am and when, see my itinerary list to the right.
other trivia about the life of hope-alicious:
-"hope-alicious" replaced "hoperino" at Burning Man 2004
-bought my tix to BM 2005 (and i can't wait!)
-got a new jacket & pants for biking to work during the cold, rainy season here
-eating healthier: little to no sugar, more greens, more balance, etc.
-tried out an indoor rock-climbing gym near my house (as a guest of my roommate)
-skipped my yoga class tonight b/c i'm poor now (after the holidays and BM tix)
-attending Spirit Rock mediation center this saturday for an all day meditation retreat... more on that to come.
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