Saturday AM: City of Walnut Creek Community Service Day. Our Scout troop is detailed to go door-to-door passing out fliers of disaster relief and prep information from the http:Walnut Creek CERT organization. Always a cool thing to do. My team of three Scouts and I cruise our assigned territory, and are finished in an hour. I figure we're done. When we get back to the command post, they ask if they can do another area! Hey., if a dozen teenagers want to spend another hour on community service, I'll drive, you betcha! Felt good to see them step up.
Saturday PM: help a friend of the wife's move to a new apartment. Never own a big truck, you are automatically drafted when anyone you know moves. OK, not a biggie.
Problem 1: Friend and Mom have six cats.
Corollary to Problem 1: Thomas and I are both allergic to cats.
Second Corollary: I'm sorry, cat fanciers, but people who have more than one cat almost invariably have a high level of clutter and nasty all over the house. If you want me to move all your stuff, at least clear a path I can walk on with my hands full of your gear.
Problem 2: All the friend's other friends are somewhere else. We have a small pickup and a large pickup, and six people, to move all the boxes, furniture. etc.
Corollary to Problem 2: Kate can't help; it hurts her to walk, she can't do stairs, etc. All she can do it help pack and help direct.
Corollary 2 to Problem 2: Thomas is three weeks post-surgery, and after an hour of lifting boxes, is on the disabled list.
Well, suffice it to say we didn't get all the boxes moved, all the furniture torn down and reassembled, etc. etc. But it counts for positive karma, and I got us a Rocco's pizza for dinner.
Sunday AM: a four-hour REI 'Learn to Kayak' course on SF Bay. This was fun, I had the right gear for once, and learned a lot about the differences between kayaking and canoeing. Also, the instructors were hoping for a volunteer to fall out of his kayak so they could demonstrate rescues. Well, wotthehell, this is why I wore my wet suit, so I took the plunge and learned kayak rescue from the proper viewpoint. And any day when you can get a facefull of the Bay is still better than a day at work.
Sunday PM: Housecleaning. Kate and TJ have gone off to the coffee shop, leaving me to check up on the state of the Internet, and catch a nap. Moving onto that part now. TTFN.