Giving Back or Staying Sane?

I have been thinking I need more in my life. Don't get me wrong, I love coming home from work and not having any cares beyond deciding if I should work out or what I should have for dinner, but I also feel like I need something more.

So, I had been considering committing to a volunteer opportunity or perhaps getting a part time job for 6-10 hours a week. One such option would be to volunteer less than 5 hours a week at a non-profit organization, and making it a regular thing so my work schedule would be consistent. It would still leave me plenty of time to bum around and do nothing or go out with my friends.

I thought about getting a part-time job, but decided the probably low pay wouldn't be worth the extra responsibility and time.

I settled on doing office work for OutFront MN instead for a few hours on Wednesday afternoons. OutFront is a LGBT advocacy organization officed in South Minneapolis. Last week I stuffed envelopes. I think I might be doing data entry tomorrow.

I hope it's more rewarding than not having anything to do. I do like sleeping and playing pokemon.

Volunteering Experience 2

Through Wells Fargo today, I volunteered for Second Harvest Heartland. The group of us, who were mostly strangers who just happen to work for the same company, helped repackage food from bulk to smaller packages for distribution to different food shelves and soup kitchens.

What was our food that we were repackaging?

Dove Chocolate.

We took it from 24lb boxes, and put them in 2lb bags, then sealed the bag with a label and put them back in the boxes. My job was to seal the bag. The whole time, that episode of I Love Lucy was in my head, the one where she and Ethel get a job in the chocolate factory and end up eating and hiding all of the chocolates. I restrained myself, and only had 2 of the leftovers.

Proud of me, Mom? Mom has amazing will power, and restricted everyone in the house to eating only 2 dove chocolates a day. So tempting, but I've never broken that rule. Even when I'm not at home, I only eat two.

This is what I wanted to do, though.

Volunteering

Well, finally! After missing the bus and ending up in Minneapolis somehow instead of St. Paul the first time, and getting the flu the second time, I finally volunteered this month. I helped the Minnesotans United for All Families call voters to talk to them about voting against the ban on marriage for gays and lesbians (and bisexuals in same-sex partnerships, but in typical mainstream lesbian and gay issues, bisexuals are never mentioned).

Out of 41 times I dialed the phone, I had 2 conversations. 9 other people stopped me and told me they didn't want to talk to me. It was fun anyway, though. I helped convince someone to vote no on the marriage amendment. Yay! I helped!

I'm going back next week (fingers crossed; my luck was not so good before). I'm also going to box food at Second Harvest Heartland later this week through work.

Volunteer resolution so far? Check!

As for the gym membership, I don't really like exercising. If I get the 12 month membership, I know I will go 3 times a week, even if I don't really want to. However, I've been going 4-5 times a week so far this month, and I've already noticed I'm more toned, and down a notch on my belt. My skin is clearer, too. I think I am getting healthier, so it might be worth the $17 after insurance. I thought about just doing exercise videos at home, but I know I wouldn't do it.

So the real question is: Is being in better shape worth $17 and 5 hours a week? I still have a couple weeks to decide, but I am just not sure. I was fine before. I wasn't overweight. I wasn't out of shape, but I wasn't in shape either. But if I don't start now, will I when I need to?

Progress on New Year Resolutions

So far my New Years resolutions are moving along nicely.

~I bought a month-long gym membership for $30 from Anytime Fitness through Group-on, just to test it out and see if I like it. I'm going there the first time on Monday.

~I just signed up to volunteer for an hour this week, and 3 hours next Wednesday, so there are my 4 minimum hours of volunteering for January. Plus I get to watch a movie in theaters for free, so it is saving me money, too.

~I went to the mall yesterday, and only used $2 beyond the gift cards I had from Christmas. That is pretty impressive to me, that I left with a bag full of kitchen swag, and only spent $2. Good job saving money!

So far, winning this year. I also had an awesome day at work, so that's pretty cool. It's an unofficial resolution is to do an exceedingly good job at work, but that isn't something new at all. I should always strive to exceed expectations at work.

A photo that I took in New Mexico, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.

Resolution

I normally don't make New Year's resolutions, but now that I'm not in school, I actually have some time and mind to prioritize my own betterment.

Anyway, so I have a couple general goals, with some ideas of how to achieve those.

1) Get more physically fit

~Exercise regularly, likely by joining a gym and going at least 3 times a week

~Get some upper arm strength

~Push myself, even when I'm tired and all I want to do is lay down.

2) Get out more

~Volunteer at least 4 hours a month

~Have a social event at least once a week.

~Keep my house clean so I don't feel embarrassed to invite friends over.

3) Be responsible

~Keep my little obligations, even my little obligations to myself

~Save money! Don't drink at bars, don't buy dessert, stay in and cook!

~Make doctor/dentist/vet appointments promptly, instead of procrastinating like I normally do.

Woofy woofs

Today, Mom brought me to the Wildlife Science Center in Forest Lake to volunteer for a sled dog event. The Wildlife Science Center was featured on two episodes of the "Growing Up" series on Animal Planet a few years ago. One episode was "Growing Up Bear" and the other was "Growing Up Wolf." They function as a wildlife reservation and education center. Ergo, they have a ton of wolves, bears, raptors, big cats like lynx and cougars, and raccoons and porcupines and the like.

Anyway, so we stood outside selling hotdogs, chips and sodas for 6 hours. It was cold. It was really hard to walk after a few hours. I was so cold that half an hour after we left, I still couldn't feel my fingers, toes and face. In fact, I cut my finger on something and I didn't really notice for a while, and we had to ask our waitress for a bandaid. Then my face turned pink and sunburned-looking. It went away finally, but I think I got some minor frostbite on my face, fingers and toes.

Also, foxes smell like ass. It's a little disappointing. Also, I want a hedgehog.

Concern for friends of the library

I know, I know. I just wrote my first post an hour ago. That post was boring, though. That post is so 60 minutes ago. That, and as an unemployed college student sitting in a coffee shop for 3 hours, I have run out of things to do.
I am waiting for the public library to open. They changed their hours. The hours are now usually 10-6, except Monday and Wednesday, when it is open 12-8. Not a big inconvenience for me, being unemployed, but they don't really benefit anyone else. And while unemployed people need to use the library, the new hours do not work for anyone besides them.
But the library needs to save money, and cutting hours saves money. What else can they do? It's not like they can sell their books, or fine people more for returning them late. That'll decrease the usefulness of the library and turn people off. They could have a large fund-raising event, but who gives money in this economy?
I think they need to increase usage. The more people use it, the more sponsors and donors will see that it is needed and continue or increase support. However, cutting hours to silly times when only unemployed kids and maybe families with a stay-at-home parent can use it is not the way to get more people to come to the library.
Of course, I am in no way an expert on how to run a library. Or how to get money on such a large scale. When I go there, I will ask if they need volunteers for anything.