A new fundraising method - weedwhacking

I had a new experience today. I weed-whacked - for cash. I have done that many hours in my teen years but this time, the cash was for camp and not my own pocket. One of our donors called up recently and said he knew we needed money. He said he needed some weed-whacking done. His proposition was that I send someone from camp down to do the necessary trimming and he'd send a check.

Well, summer is over and it's just me and Cheeks and Margaret on the hill now. So, the one to get the job was I. At first, I found it a strange deal. Then, as I thought about this idea of serving it didn't seem like a strange deal at all. Why should we not exchange resources. I have a young, able body and he has extra money. We need money, he needs a body to run around on a hillside with an engine spinning plastic string.

It's a little like the time recently when we paid a friend and counselor to paint our house. He needed cash, we needed some painting done and didn't have a week to take off and do it.

Tomorrow a bunch of us from church are going down to Woodstock to meet a bunch of people not from church to paint a woman's house. This woman's husband recently left her. He didn't only leave her, he left a bunch of unfinished house projects. And so when our church decided to explore a new form of outreach, Matt started talking about this friend of theirs who needs help. And this way of Jesus once again rose to the surface. This way of giving to and caring for those in need. As we do that, we find ourselves, our innocence and our Creator.

Hiking up and Skiing Down Mt. Washington

What a great day. Three of us hiked and skied for the entire day... in April! Gotta love the Northeast.

Tiger and Tuna go rope swinging

Dave Landis and I spent a little time on the Nitro Swing at camp today. We were roommates in college at EMU our freshman year.

Geico - Update

So, I am moving forward with the bike registration process. Get this - I'm driving in to town with my bike on the trailer. Just before the DMV I get pulled over for not having my trailer lights hooked up. Then, through a mess of disorganization I hand the cop last year's car and trailer registration. He calls me out, then I dig some more and find this year's reg. info (summer always leaves my personal stuff a bit disorganized). After sitting in his car for a few minutes the cop produces for me two warnings - he wants to see proof of inspection for the trailer and a current proof of insurance (speaking of Geico... they don't send me stuff in the mail... I have to print. I should stop trying to save them money). After apologizing I head on my way to the DMV. I arrive and have 8 minutes to complete my transaction before they close which is a problem because I left my check book at home!

I run to the Dunkin Doughnuts to get enough cash to pay the fees. What, car expired?! I have a flash back to a few weeks ago when I got a new debit card in the mail and at that point I wondered why they were sending it to me - light bulb goes on in my head. 4 minutes to go until DMV closes. I rush down the road to my bank to get out cash in person. They give me the cash after asking for ID and I head back to the DMV. They're closed, of course. They're never open except for Wednesdays when they stay open until 6pm... very generous of them.

The guy at the DMV comes out when I knock and hands me my paperwork back (I told him to hold it for me and start working on it because I planned to be back in time).

Then, I drop my bike off at the shop to get it inspected (without proof of insurance OR registration... he said I can give it to him when I pick it up). He tells me that he'll inspect it but I should technically have turn signals.

That night, having dinner with my neighbors, I tell them the story. Steve says - maybe you shouldn't ride that bike on the road. He quickly says he's kidding. But, after all that, I'm wondering the same. Is this Murphy's Law at work? Is there more to the story?

We'll find out.

B