Hello Folks!

Here are a couple of things that are going on this summer!

- American Cancer Society Bike Ride

- HERA Foundation - Climb4Life

- Women Against Abuse

American Cancer Society Bike Ride - Sunday, July 13th
You can ride, volunteer on the ground, make a donation or do any combination of the three! Please join me in supporting an organization that helps not only those with cancer, but gives support and resources to the friends and families of those with cancer.

I will be actually doing the full ride from Philadelphia to NJ, which is under 70 miles. You do not have to ride that entire way (although it is pretty cool to ride over the Ben Franklin bridge!). There are many start points, so you can pretty much ride any length that you would like. There are also buses that can pick you up, should you get to a point where you don't think that you can complete the ride (aka a pooped bus). This will be my third year doing the ride and I have to say that it's a great experience - you meet some cool people along the way, as well as push yourself physically and all for a great cause!

If riding a bike isn't your forte, you can join our on-the-ground volunteer team. So much preparation goes into making this ride a success, much of which is dependent on kick-ass volunteers. If handing out refreshments and cheering tired riders on sounds like a great gig, then please sign up as a volunteer!

Lastly, if you are able to, please support the Knitsters of Charity team with a cash donation. Every dollar helps and you can get a receipt to write it off for taxes.

If you would like to join the team, either as a rider or a volunteer, fill out the poll and clicky-click here to join the team.

Poll #1211058 KOC - Summer Edition
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

I would like to participate in the ACS Bike ride as either a volunteer or rider.

If you would like to make a donation, please clicky-click here.



HERA Foundation - Climb4Life, Sept. 18-21st, Salt Lake City, UT
One of our fantastic knitting friends, slockwoo will be making the trek back to Utah to participate in the Climb 4 Life, put on by the HERA Foundation, which serves to educate, as well as fund scientific research endeavors directed at finding a cure for ovarian cancer. HERA (Health, Empowerment, Research and Awareness) is an excellent organization, working very hard to get the early warning signs of ovarian cancer out there, many times through Miss slockwoo. Please, please, please support Sam, via donation (also a tax write-off).

Here's her donation page, as well as why Sam is doing this climb.


Women Against Abuse - Philadelphia, PA
Women Against Abuse (WAA), is the shelter that many of you know that I've done Planned Parenthood sessions for, and have become my pet shelter, in that they are the recipients of the the clothing collected at Naked Lady parties that I've hosted. Well, right now WAA needs your help. Due to a building situation, they have lost most of their previously donated items. They are in dire need right now. If you have any of the following items in clean, gently used condition (no holes, missing buttons, etc - ready to wear/use), please contact me and we'll coordinate a pick-up. Btw, I do not accept used underwear, okay? Okay. ;-P

Here's the link to WAA, if you want to know more.

- sheets (to fit a twin sized bed)*
- towels*
- washclothes*
- seasonal clothing for women (all sizes)
- seasonal clothing for children (all sizes/genders)
- flipflops and sandals
- swimwear for children
- laundry detergent
- cleaning products

I will probably add to this list.
* these items are needed the most and will be continually needed

Bronchitis!!! Yay!

And what do I win, you ask? A z-pack!!!!

I really, really, really hope that I'm better by the weekend. This is so old. Boo.

One the other hand, I feel like I've done a million crunches everyday for the past 6 or so days. That counts as exercise, right? ;-P

Secret Pal, I hope that you are coming to the reveal - I can't wait to meet you. Hopefully my cough-of-doom will be gone by then!

is there any way to block someone on LJ? So that they can't send you messages, in addition to them already not being your friend?

Why don't people understand that no means no?

ETA: I am successful!!! There's an admin console that you can completely ban someone from commenting and sending messages and friending you! Awesome! I win! No mas!

Being somewhat laid up two weekends in a row (bike accident last weekend, the flu this weekend), means that I get to watch a lot of PBS. I have to say that I really still enjoy Globe trekker, but what I'm really getting a kick out of are the shows that have to do with Pennsylvania cuisine and sites of interest. The show that I'm watching now went all over the state, covering a mushroom fair, a 50's style eatery in Erie, pretzels made in Litiz (I have a friend that lives there), John's water ice in South Philly, people eating scrapple out at Penn State (those folks are craaaazy - must be in the water), and many other places. It's really cool. It's called EAT Pennsylvania (and trust me, we know how to do that). I think that I caught some of it last weekend and they went to the Tastycake factory. Did you guys know that they are moving to the Naval Yard? They also covered Bassett's ice cream in Reading Terminal. Breyer's, sadly, didn't get any love, as they left town.

ooh, Hubby's back with an Easter care package from his family. Mmmm, all the fixin's without the drama!

Did you guys know that LJ has gotten rid of the "basic" option for creating a journal? Yeah, me neither. That's because they didn't put it into the paid users news and folks had to find out on the outside...

here's a link to a journal that has details on what has happened thus far. From what I understand there has been an apology, but the basic option has not been restored.

Everyone can do whatever they'd like; I may take the day to back-up all my journal entries, in case I may have to bag LJ.

http://beckyzoole.livejournal.com/tag/content+strike

I'm not usually into covers unless the person adds something and truly makes it their own. This is a cover that I stumbled upon...I apologize for the crappy video quality, but all you really need to do is listen...I think that he has a pretty good voice...Happy Humpday, kids!

Thanks to Slockwoo for the link...

http://www.dothetest.co.uk/


Now, here's the thing. In Philadelphia, especially West Philadelphia, there are bike lanes that are clearly marked. While not everyone does this, a significant amount of riders wear lights, in addition to having reflectors on their bikes, to improve visibility. I don't understand why people and cars can't seem to stay out of the bike lane. I don't understand why drivers don't take two seconds to look before opening their car doors.

People - drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists - we need to work together on this or else people will continue to be killed and hurt in ways that are completely preventable.

Cyclists - wear your freaking helmet, all the time. Obey traffic laws, stop blowing the light and weaving through the cars. It freaks out drivers and makes the rest of us cyclists look bad. When cars try to run me off the road, I have no doubt it's because a cyclist probably cut them off and nearly caused an accident previously.

Pedestrians - if you are going to jaywalk, then make sure that you pay attention to what's going on in the bike lane too, not just the main road. Do NOT stand in the middle of the bike lane (or the street for that matter). If someone tells you to move out of the way, pick a direction and move; we'll do the rest, thanks. Oh and don't push someone on a bike - we're balancing on 2 inches of rubber, if you push, we're going down. Oh and if you cause an accident, do the stand up thing and deal with the consequences.

Drivers - you have to share the road, it's the law. Just deal with it. I know that there are a lot of asshole cyclists (and pedestrians), but please don't take your anger out on every cyclist you see. You are surrounded by a ton a steel; the little bit of steel that I have, I can pick up with one hand. Drivers, we are LEGALLY allowed to take the lane and ride as a vehicle, especially if we need to make left turns (we can't make a left from the far right bike lane). Being a driver it is your duty and responsibility to know traffic law, including all the bike stuff you skimmed over in the back of the driver license manual. Just because you didn't think that it was important doesn't make it true. Learn it, know it, live it. You are saving lives by knowing what's what.

Everyone, be safe out there. Look out for one another. No more of us against them. We can do this.

First of all,

Thanks for all the finger-crossing and well-wishing. We all appreciate it.

Sir Dot is not doing well at all. We took him in to the vet on Friday and for blood work and exam, as he still wasn't eating and was obviously weak from it. He received fluids (which did help - he perked up), but it didn't stimulate his appetite. I spoke to the vet on Saturday about the blood work. Nothing really showed up. The only thing that was elevated was amylase, an enzyme found in the intestines and pancreas. Dot was slightly anemic and is currently has a sub normal thyroid (which is common after radioactive isotope therapy). The thyroid isn't an issue and didn't require any further medication and wouldn't have any dealings with the amylase issue. The doc was concerned (as I was) and wanted to give Dottie an ultrasound of his abdomen; we're worried that there might be a growth or something. I was to call the office on Monday to try to schedule the ultrasound.

This weekend was rough. Dot barely ate anything all weekend and it shows. He's so skinny.

We brought the rest of the animals home from my mom's, so Luna was able to snuggle him and he was too tired to even object.

I was so desperate for him to eat, that Tony and I (independently) both smeared a little food and water on his face, just so he would lick it off while cleaning himself. He really wasn't having it.

Last night, his breathing changed, as did his meow. This morning, Hubby felt that he was acting strange and wanted to bring him in (I had already gone in to work). Tony picks me up on the way to the vet. I can already see that Dot is having a really hard time. His breathing is shallow, his meow isn't the right tone and his face doesn't look right. He's tired - I mean, tired of all this.

Vet agrees with the breathing issues and discovers a heart murmur that wasn't there on Friday. He is also sounding slightly moist (so there's fluid somewhere). He agrees that Dot doesn't look the same as he did on Friday, yet he's alert and paying attention to everything going on. The doc looks at the correlation between hyperthyroid disease, elderly cats and heart problems. He comes back with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and says that we would need to see a cardiologist to confirm. He also tells us that if it is cardiomyopathy that the outcome isn't good and that a cardiologist would only be able to help for a little while. this condition would explain the anemia and him not eating.

As things are going now, it seems that (if it is cardiomyopathy) that Dottie will continue to not eat and that diuretics and iron shots will only make him slightly comfortable for a little while. He is crashing really fast and he fluid will probably build up relatively quickly, eventually making it hard for him to breathe. To address the eating issue, they would have to put in a feeding tube. And he would be on heart medicine too.


Well, as hard as this is, Tony and I are going to euthanize him tomorrow evening. I just couldn't do it right then in the vet's office. I need more time. And I wanted the rest of the pets to be able to see him once more. If things progress faster than we planned, then we'll have to act accordingly.

For those that know him and would like to visit him, you are most welcome to come by the house tonight. He is still alert and with it and seems to be soaking up as much love and petting as we can dole out. Just know that he is really skinny - it's a little startling. I'm hoping to be home for around 6pm. You can give a call right before you come over. And if you can't - no worries.


I'm so heart-broken. He's been with me almost as long as Tony and I have been together. He's been through so much with me. I hope that I'm making the right decision by him.

hey folks,

on march 15th (2pm at the bowl in Clark Park), there will be an alleycat race in West Philly and I'm actually thinking about doing it.

I haven't been riding consistently since my accident in the fall and I know that I need to get back in the saddle if I want to ride as I would to for the cancer ride in July.

It's only $7 for riders, $5 for non-riders (to get into the all-you-can-drink after party). The proceeds go to Tenderbridge, which is a West Philly organization that helps to connect youth with programs in the area, like Neighborhood bike works (who run the bike church).

They have some neat prizes (messenger bags, hip pouches, a frame, etc) and it just sounds fun in general. I've never done one before, but have wanted to. A scavenger hunt on a bike, that takes place only in West Philly?!? That's pretty cool. And the money goes to charity, so it's even better. With an all-you-can-drink after party, I'm hoping that people aren't going to be horribly competitive. If I make it to a few checkpoints and then come back for some drinks, that would be pretty neat...let me know if any of you would like to join me.

here's the link for the info....

http://wildwestrace.blogspot.com/

I don't know what to do. I took him in this morning to the vet because he been barely grazing his food for the past week and a few days. I finally figured out how to get him to stop puking multiple times a day, but he won't put any weight back on, and now with the barely eating routine, he's getting smaller.

I know that things don't look good. I'm bummed, I'm mad. I will be relieved if it isn't cancer, but I really, really think that it is. And I think that the doc has the same concerns that I do about the unexplained weight loss. I hope that getting him the radioactive isotope treatment for the hyperthyroid didn't make things worse for him or speed things up. When he received the treatment, he had a completely clean bill of health. Good blood work results, clean x-rays, great disposition. Now he is a shadow of his former self. He's so skinny. I know that he's getting up there in age, but I really thought that once we got the hyperthyroid situation dealt with, he'd be okay and around for a good long time - healthy.

I guess all I can do is wait. And call the vet back at 9:15am sharp, as he requested. And make my boy as comfortable as I can. I slept on the couch with him the other night because I couldn't bare the thought of waking him and moving him upstairs. Last night he actually ate double the amount he had been eating and asked for the chicken we were eating. The vet says we can give him as much chicken as he asks for. I don't know if last night was a fluke, but it would make me feel better if he ate. He didn't really eat this morning, so here's hoping for tonight.

Fingers crossed, folks. I just don't want my boy in pain, ultimately.

Thank you so much for my February package. I love it, for reals. No need for apologies or vacillation or make-ups. I know that you chose things without the aid of the questionnaire (which I've done too and gotten things wrong), but I have to say, it really worked out. Yes, it wasn't "exactly" what I wanted, but I was pleasantly surprised by what I received. I'm assuming that you've met me in person and you do have good "intelligent sources".

- the gauge check, is plain as you say, but it will be my third one. No, this is a good thing because it is the only one that isn't bent to shit. I can't seem to have one (and carry it around with me) without bending it out of shape. So this one stays in my house, hopefully remaining unbent for the duration. Thank you!

- the tape measure is pretty cute and awesomely compact, yet non-girly. And by hearing how you chose it, makes it even more special. My kitty also loves it; he loves the retracting tape measures and comes running when he hears the clicking.

- thanks so much for the yarn. I've already started looking for a pattern on ravelry. Yes, I probably wrote that I was avoiding blue, but the truth is that blue is one of my favorite colors, although it isn't the most flattering color on me. Boogie babe has convinced me that as long as the blue is vibrant, I can make it work. Anyway, the funny thing about the color that you chose is actually my favorite shade of blue. You can ask Anj, it's very close in color to what I chose for my wedding corset, which was taken from the color of sky that is West Philly to me. No lie. Ask my Hubby. I love it, seriously.

- lastly, the stitch markers. I don't know how much you know about me personally or what's been going on with me lately, but the message on the markers couldn't have come at a better time. They are beautiful (both the green set and Chinese character set) and I love, love, love them. I actually called Hubby to tell him about them, because he wasn't home when I opened the package. GROW, BELIEVE, INSPIRE, CREATE, and COMMIT. It's funny that stitch markers, of all things, can give you that kick in the pants to keep plugging away. I would say that if this really is your first time making markers, you knocked it out of the park. They came out more than just "okay" ;-)

If next month's gift, "...can only go up from here", I can't imagine what I'd get. I really enjoyed everything that I've received thus far and am sure that I will enjoy anything else you send. Look, this is supposed to be fun and I'm trying to take it in that spirit. I'm simply thrilled to get something in the mail that isn't a bill! To get all that you've sent, is super awesome. So, dearest Secret Pal, don't fret. you are doing a good job. Please try to have fun with it - your secret pal intuition isn't crap, so listen to it.

E.

Hello All,

it's Mother Posterior here, wishing you all well, hoping that everyone is out and enjoying the weather today. It's been a while since I've posted any projects - life has been crazy for me and I know for many of you here on lj. I hope things have calmed down and that as we welcome in Spring, everyone is ready for a little service.

As mentioned in one of the first Knitsters posts, I would like to proceed with the charities that I listed: Project Linus, The American Cancer Society bike ride, blankets (and supplies) for animal shelters and clothing and items to be collected and donated to Women Against Abuse.

After creating a walking team for the AIDS Walk last year, I think that I want to approach coordinating these projects a bit differently than last time. I will give information about each event/charity (probably in separate posts) and post a form (poll) to see who is interested in participation. Now, it's fine if you think that you might be interested, but I'd like to get more of a commitment from folks this time around. To that end, I will have an area where you can pledge your commitment to the charity of your choice. I know that a lot of us do better with deadlines and such, so this may work better for you. It will be completely up to you what you pledge (to make one blanket for project Linus or to donate $10 to one of the riders of the Cancer ride), but I think that it will make it easier for all involved to be able to contribute in a way that works and makes sense for them and works in their time frame.


Sound good?

Any suggestions are welcome. Also, would anyone be interested in getting together to pick new projects? So many of you have posted causes that are near and dear to you and I may link back to your posts, if you don't mind.

Anyway, please remember to check back here in the next couple weeks for more information about these causes.

Yours in Service,

Mother Posterior

An eclipse of the moon. Hey Philly folks, the cloud cover from earlier has cleared and you can actually see the moon or the shadow of it...it's reddish and pretty neat looking...and the weather is perfect...perfectly cold and crisp, slightly moist...refreshing. Take a walk around the hood or at least pop your head out the door for a gander...

So I was thinking and had posted about starting this year fresh, as 2007 had pretty much sucked the big one. Well, January has passed, it was pretty rough too. While somethings have improved, many things have backslid into bad habits again. So I decided that since today is the Chinese New Year, it's an opportunity for me (and all of us really) to have a fresh start of sorts.

So today, I will be optimistic and eat dumplings with my coworkers at lunch today and hope that some luck is given to me and mine. I will try hard to not think about death (bad luck in Chinese tradition today), which as Anj pointed out, is in stark contrast to Ash Wednesday today. I'm a recovering Catholic and the Chinese have better food (the body of Christ is reaaally bland ;-P). We have freakishly warm weather today, so there's no excuse to not open up windows and doors (to let in good luck). It's also a good chance to clean up and restart my altar, which has been nagging at me every time I walk by (both of) them. I need to center myself and be more of the person that I want to be - I feel like I complain and am negative all the time and I know that a good portion of it is coming from me not taking good care of myself, eating everything that makes my sick and knocking my system out of balance. I hope that giving myself this new start will give me the hope and momentum that I need to make sure that I stop emotional eating (my clothes don't fit) and that even if I don't sleep the entire time, that I at least have 7 hours designated for sleeping. I have to do better for myself.

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone. Let's do it better this time. It's the year of the Rat.

The Ultimate LiveJournal Obsession Test
Category	Your Score	Average LJer
Community Attachment	39.78% There's something special about you. Every once in awhile, one of your topics gets everyone chatting.	22.76%
MemeSheepage	17.54% Only trendy when it's sufficiently entertaining	27.78%
Original Content	64.52% Newsweek, People, and your journal	37.99%
Psychodrama Quotient	12.05% Had a comment taken out of context once or twice	16.69%
Attention Whoring	6.82% Low-key and lovin' it	20.67%
Take The Ultimate LiveJournal Obsession Test and see how you match up! (By The Ferrett)

In other news, I just really realized that my deadline is next Friday for Hopkins. I feel like I'm going to be sick. That is all.

So, kiddies....I'm working on my grad school applications, for serious now!

Realizing that Hopkins deadline for consideration for Fall 2008 is uh, Feb. 1st, lit a fire under my ass. See, this is what happens when you get super-distracted (in my case by the stoopid 2nd job drama) and the months fly by.

So far things aren't horrible; I'm trying not to psych myself out. I'm at the beginning stages for 4 schools, still working on filling out the personal info. I'd already finished that portion on the Hopkins and Drexel apps. I need to figure out a way to get all my recommendations done at one shot. I'm thinking that it's the easiest way to do things, especially considering the schedules of those I've asked to write about how wonderful I am (sarcasm).

I know this is nothing new, but doing this is hard. Not only do I have to sell myself, I have to sell myself on paper. You don't get an interview for a master's degree. I'm so used to only writing in two styles: scientific or what you see on the el-jay. For my personal statements, I feel like I need something between those two extremes. I need to be informative and succinct, but still be able to show my personality, commitment, and motivation. I'm feeling really unsure of my ability to do this. However, I know that I really have to give it my best shot, regardless of my nerves. Hopkins, in particular, asks for so many things in their statement and I have something to say about each item. I really wish that I could just have an interview, it would be faster (than reading the tome that I feel like I have to write).

Nerves aside, I'm excited at the idea of changing careers. I think public health aligns with my values in a deeper way than what I do now. I'm also excited at the prospect of being a student again. I'm such a dork. I keep looking at the class offerings at Hopkins and getting overwhelmed at the awesome choices.

So, this is me doing a woe is me dance...I expect me to get down right annoying with it by the end of the month. Hopefully (for you all), I will stay away from the interwebs...

Have a happy holiday, folks!

ETA: Secret Pal, I changed settings to accept anonymous posters. Sorry if you tried and it didn't work....

For those that are following, I had a meeting with 2nd boss, despite the fact that I quit that position on Monday. The audacity is amazing! He actually asked me to continue for two more weeks in the new year! He thought that it was a reasonable request, as it is a standard two weeks, which could be for notice. As my head exploded on the inside, I asked him what specifically he wanted me to do. He couldn't come up with anything specific - he actually said, "..keep doing whatever you are currently doing..." It's obvious that he hasn't a clue, which makes me scared for the Center. Anyway, without retelling all the ridiculous things that he said to me, I basically told him that I would have to think about it and discuss it with original boss, as I have a ton of work to do for her. I told him that whenever they get someone in to do the job, that I would pass along what I knew and in the meantime, if folks ask me questions, I would help them and answer as best I could, as my schedule allowed. But for the new year, he should really think about what specifically he wants me to do, as I'm not wasting another freaking minute thinking about this crap. I'm not the sort to say that, "...it isn't my job...", but they had it good with me and screwed me, so I can't be a part of this anymore. He'd better come correct.

Politics suck.

On a more positive note, I actually managed to have a lab lunch today - our first ever! It's no small feat, getting two fellows and my boss to the same room, at the same time and NOT have it be a meeting. We ordered out thai food and hung out for a good hour or so. It was really, really nice. I feel lucky to have such an awesome lab. They've been so supportive during the job split stuff and say that they are happy to have me back full-time, no more sharing.

Some of you may have noticed that this is a public post, which is quite unusual for me...I'm participating in the [Unknown LJ tag] Secret Pal exchange and I need to make sure that my secret pal can post and get to know me a little better. So, hello new secret pal!!! I can't wait to get started in the New year!

If we don't know each other well (and you aren't already friended on my lj), here are some fast random facts about me.

1. i have a tough exterior, but am a total creampuff on the inside.

2. I curse quite a bit, mostly recreationally. I tend to make up curse words or adopt ones from other people. (case-in-point: asshat (noun) or asshattery, as in my subject line).

3. I'm on ravelry.com

4. These days, I'm sporting a 60's style afro. I cut my back-length dread locs back in July down to about an inch or three. My hair has grown quite a bit since then and I've decided to rock a 'fro until I figure out what else to do with it.

5. I'm a tomboy of sorts. I'm pretty independent and will do most things for myself. My biggest challenge in recent years is to let my friends/family help me/do things for me. I'm getting better with it. My normal uniform is jeans and shirts. I've been trying to class it up a bit, but with what I do, it's hard to. The flip side of that is that I have a closet full of dresses and skirts and high heel shoes that I rarely wear. Which sucks, because I'd love to - I just don't have occasion to. I'm comfortable with both my "boyish" and "girly" sides and switch between them often. Oh, and to clarify, my "girly" side really isn't that girly - it's feminine and womanly, but not cutesy-girly, if you catch my drift.

6. I like all sorts of music and am happy to learn of new music. I've been feeling like I'm stagnating with my selections, so I'm always happy for new blood. The last few bands that I've been digging are Bloc Party and Noisettes on the pop front, Amon Amarth on the metal front, and I've been listening to the new Low Budgets album (local band - punk) non-stop.

7. Despite my economic status (low-ish) and my career choices (science), I am fascinated by fashion and fashion photography. And if I had another life to live as I wanted, I would be some sort of lady-that-lunches, going from trunk sale to trunk sale. Even with my crazy schedule this semester, I managed to watch most of Top Model. Not for the drama between the stupid girls, but the photo challenges. I've actually learned a lot from that show, for what it's worth. From time to time, I treat myself to a high fashion mag, primarily to look at the spreads and all the adverts (for the photography). I'm kind of fascinated with make-up, even though I really don't know how to wear it. okay, I know like one or two things that work on me, but that's about it. I would love to have someone show me how to do make-up for different occasions. That would be really neat.

8. I try hard to be community-minded. I'd like to do more, but currently I just volunteer as a community educator for Planned Parenthood. I'll talk to whoever will listen about puberty, sexuality, healthy relationships and family planning. I love, love, love it! It's a wonderful rush to see people start to think for themselves and realize that they can make sound decisions for themselves. I wish that I had more time to give to PP, but I do what I can for now.

9. Hmmm, I was trying to give you ten things, but I'm wearing myself out talking about myself. it's weird. Don't you think?

10. Okay, I'll talk about my pets. I have a boa constrictor, Bobo, a savannah monitor lizard, Jackson, two leopard geckos (trouble and chaos), a dog, Daisy, and three cats (Luna, Xiao, and Sir Dot). We lost a gecko, Paisley and betta fish (T-bone) this year. They were both pretty old, so we had a lot of time with them. Our mammals are getting up there in age; Daisy is 12 and Sir Dot is 13 (and recovering from treatment for a hyperactive thyroid). Luna is a few years behind Dot, and Xiao is a few years behind Luna. Daisy is Hubby's dog and has been with him longer than I have. Sir Dot is my kitty, who I found close to the beginning of my relationship with Hubby. I know that you aren't supposed to have favorites, but eh, what can I say. I do love all of our animals, but Hubby and I are particularly attached to Daisy and Dot, as they've been around the longest and we're dreading when it's their time to go.

If you've actually read through all that, Secret pal, I'm impressed. Anyway, welcome! Feel free to drop by, say hi, ask questions.

E.

Hello All,

For those that have expressed an interest, please remember to register youself for the AIDSWalk. It's really easy to do; you can do it online. Folks can sponsor you (make donations) online too and they have a tool to send out emails about the walk to friends and family. As of right now, there's only one person signed up! Don't let her walk alone! Don't let your fund raising time get away from you - sign up now! It only takes a few minutes. Here's the website...

http://www.aidswalkphilly.org/

Click the "register" button and don't forget to select the option to walk with a team. Our team name and number is Knitsters of Charity, #1977.

Again, if you would like to walk with us or have friends and family that would like to walk with us, feel free to register under our team and join us!

ETA: If you are interested in joining the Knitsters of Charity, but haven't filled out the initial poll, please go back and do so. This poll is the folks that I have already have contact info for. Here's the link. Thanks!

Hello Everyone!

I'd like to try to organize the KoC's first service project, the AIDS Walk. For those that don't know, here's a bit of information...

AIDS Fund, the producer of AIDS Walk Philly, supports HIV/AIDS education, prevention, and services in the Delaware Valley Region by raising dollars and increasing public awareness about the impact of HIV on our communities. Currently, 31 partner organizations are receiving funding as a result of AIDS Fund's activities to provide critical HIV prevention education and care services.*

AIDS Walk Philly is AIDS Fund's largest and most important fundraiser of the year. By walking, we raise awareness that HIV/AIDS is still a serious threat to our communities. The Walk raises funds for regional AIDS service providers in order to bridge the gaps in general operations and to fund projects that are not supported by other funding sources.*

Some of the partner organizations that benefit from the AIDS Walk are Action AIDS, YMCA Camp Ockanickon HIV Specialty Camp, Prevention Point Philadelphia, Pennsylvania School for the Deaf/Center for Community and Professional Services, Calcutta House, Congreso de Latinos Unidos, Inc., The Mazzoni Center, and Family Services of Montgomery County/ Project Hope. This is by no means a complete list.

Here's a link to AIDS Fund's website, if you are interested. Try not to view it using Mozilla Firefox; it totally wrecks the website. AIDS Fund website


Here are the details for the event. You can participate in a number of ways; you do the 12K walk (about 8.4 miles), you can do a 10K run, you can be a volunteer or a combo of volunteering and walking/running.

Day/Date/Time : Sunday, October 21st, 2007. The run/walk starts at 9am, but there are festivities beforehand (starting at 7:30am)

Where: Eakins Oval, in front of the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The route goes up Kelly Drive crosses Falls Bridge and back down Martin Luther King Drive (formerly West River Drive) to return back to Eakins Oval.


Here's where I need your input!
Poll #1055414 AIDS Walk Philly 2007
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: None

Would you like to participate in the AIDS Walk in some fashion?

For those that "would love to, but I'm not available on that day" ONLY, would you be interested in helping out with pre-walk preparations?

For the rest that have interest and/or availability, which options appeals to you best?

If you didn't already submit your name and email adress, please do so now. I'll be sending stuff your way! Thanks!

Once I get all of your input, then I will form teams as necessary - some of you that I know IRL have expressed interest in either a walking team or a volunteer team, so I'll put together both, if that's what the order wants.

Also, I'm still trying to figure out the best way to communicate KoC info to everyone. Not everyone that is interested in participating are LJ members, and personally, I'm not a fan of the Yahoo group format. I don't want to bombard folks with a lot of email, so I'm trying to find the best combination. Please be patient with us while we work this all out.

Thanks,

E. aka Mother Posterior

* - info taken from AIDS Walk Team Captain Handbook