NCN over at No Credit Needed is asking people to write about their favorite charities for his charity spotlight series. What’s your favorite charity? Hop on over and let him know.
A charity that has been near and dear to my heart for many years is SOS Outreach (formerly known and beloved by me as Snowboard Outreach Society). Its mission is to take at risk youth all over the country and introduce them to the sport of snowboarding, giving them a taste of the mountains, the fresh air, and a life outside of what they normally deal with. It’s been shown that this can be a big paradigm shift for kids, and that for many of them, getting this exposure to another part of life can have tremendous affects over the long term for these kids.
I have proudly and gladly donated gear and clothing to this organization, and were my schedule more allowing, I would love to have the opportunity to become a "Learn To Ride" coach for these kids. I am hoping in the coming years to be able to take the opportunity to do exactly that, and when I do, SOS Outreach will be the organization I do it with (they have an affiliate program up and running in the Lake Tahoe area where I regularly ride).
Anyone interested can see more about them at http://www.sosoutreach.org/
Friday, December 12, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
The Larsen Christmas Tradition
We've been at this for at least eight years now (I can check a little later to make sure), but since 2000, for certain, we have made the visit to "the Mall Santa" for an annual family portrait.
This all started a number of years ago with a frame that was given to us as a Christmas gift by our friends Robert and Robyn. We told them that we would make sure to put a different picture in it each year as a reminder of their friendship and what they mean to us. Every year, we get the picture shortly after the beginning of December, and we display it with the rest of our Christmas decorations until January 1st, when all Christmas decorations come doen and get put away until the folowing day after Thanksgiving, when the decorations come out and go up again. Each picture goes into a special memory book that Christina has maintained with reflections of the Christmas season that particular year.
One of these days, it will be a fun little project to scan them all into a gallery, but for now, Have a Merry lead up to Christmas 2008 with the Larsen Family and their old friend, Santa :).
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Madd Money: The Economics of Snowboarding
As we enter the middle of December, I have both feelings of anticipation and a sincere need to do a personal gut check… this is my favorite time of the year, the months between December and April. It’s snowboarding season in my area, or at least it is struggling mightily to become such (not much snow yet, but we are hopeful).
The act of snowboarding and the price of snowboarding have changed dramatically over the past decade and a half. Back in 1993, the classic “day trip” of the average Bay Area snowboarder was easily under $100.00. That would be a day trip of just myself, driving from the San Francisco Bay Area, paying for gas, packing my own food for the trek, purchasing a basic ticket, riding a full day, and then driving home at the end. Due to the nature of my home and my family, multi day trips are a rare occurrence in my reality. The average tank of gas cost somewhere around $23 (multiply that times two, realistically), and the average lift ticket ranged anywhere from $24 to $40 if you really wanted to splurge at a fancy place. this pricve of course expands when you factor in family members who also come along for the ride.
Today, even with the slide in gas prices of late, an average tank of gas costs about $35 (times two) and good luck finding a ticket that’s not bumping up around $40 even at the smaller ski and riding areas. Places like Squaw Valley and Heavenly Valley have become true luxury visits (and at almost $80 a lift ticket, I need a real good reason to go there now, like a truly spectacular event).
Still, my family enjoys snowboarding, and it’s a sport that I truly adore and love. So what’s a man to do when he digs riding but wants to maximize the ride while also maximizing the value? Is it possible?
The answer is yes, but it requires a little bit of creativity, flexibility, and shedding of attitudes in many cases. The first place to start is gear. Now I’ll be the first to admit, having been a competing racer and freestyle rider for several years, I have had my share of “gear snobbery”, and when you are racing or otherwise looking for a competitive edge, yes, there may well be value in nit picking over the minutiae of the gear that you use. However, for most everyday average riders, the difference between a mid-level board and a top-flight flagship board is not detectable. Paying $200 or $300 more for a professional grade competitive board may make you feel better, but mechanically, it’s not going to make a noticeable difference (the one place I differ on this philosophy is with boots; if you are going to splurge on any piece of gear, the difference of $50 to $100 when it comes to a pair of snowboard boots can make a world of difference. Still, a good boot fitter can make a pair of mid level boots every bit as fabulous as a top tier pair of pro endorsed boots for considerably less).
When it comes to clothing, you want to dress for the purpose, and OK, if you want to have a little fun and express yourself, go ahead. Still, with a little searching, you can get very good quality gear (jackets, pants, thermals, 2nd layer, gloves, hats, etc.) for reasonable prices, and sometimes, if you look during the off season, you can get tremendous deals on gear at the end of the season. Not such a great approach for growing kids, but for adults, that’s really the best time to buy. There are also a number of clearance places that deal with just overstock snowboard and skiing outer gear. One of my favorites is a place in Santa Clara called Wintersport Warehouse. You can get some great deals on gear especially towards the end of the season.
One of my favorite social exercises is the “gear swap”, where you go to an all day event at a place that sells gear, usually in their side yard or back parking lot. Bring your equipment and check it in along with a price you are willing to let the gear go for. You can also designate whether or not you would be open to trade. For kids equipment, this is probably the best place to go, because the equipment being offered for swap is often kids gear that has been outgrown. Check your local shop and see if they have any information on whether they will be offering a gear swap or if they know of another vendor or group that does (these don’t necessarily have to be stores that do this. It’s just as likely you may see a high school, community college or church do the same thing).
Lift tickets are priced at a premium to those who are the casual riders who go at the busiest times (Friday or Saturday). If you can make arrangements to ride midweek, you can often save as much as 50% off a weekend ticket. If you are a regular rider who is willing to commit to a single mountain, the season pass *can* be a good deal, but you have to weigh in the true cost of such an item. Most mountains require you to ride about eight total days for the cost of the pass to break even, though many mountains offer better deals if you are willing to purchase a pass earlier in the year. I’ve had experiences with season passes, and if I lived closer to the mountains, I’d definitely take advantage of them, but seeing as I live about three hours away, the benefit is less of a bargain. Many stores offer discount tickets, again a bigger discount the farther in advance you purchase them. It also works to your advantage if you go at no peak times of the year (read: holidays and extended weekends). This is fine with me, as I am not a fan of big crowds and big lines. Spending even more money to get less riding in, not a benefit.
Finally, depending on your flexibility, if you are a lone rider, you may find that leaving the driving to someone else may be the best option. There are often shuttle services where you can stow your gear, get on a bus, and let someone else handle the driving. The average seat on one of these deals is about $48.00. For a lone rider leaving San Francisco, that’s a pretty good deal, all things considered. The down side is that there are usually only a few resorts that they go to, and often the bigger, higher priced places. Still, with the savings on gas, you can often still pay for the higher priced ticket and come out ahead than going it solo (plus saving wear and tear on the car). More than two people going up, however, it makes more sense to drive up on your own and split the costs.
I plan to keep a close eye on the costs associated with this season as it ramps us. For me, the quality of the riding time matters more than all of the other costs, but lets face it, watching costs and keeping expenses low translates to more riding time for the money, and frankly, I can get behind that goal very easily :).
The act of snowboarding and the price of snowboarding have changed dramatically over the past decade and a half. Back in 1993, the classic “day trip” of the average Bay Area snowboarder was easily under $100.00. That would be a day trip of just myself, driving from the San Francisco Bay Area, paying for gas, packing my own food for the trek, purchasing a basic ticket, riding a full day, and then driving home at the end. Due to the nature of my home and my family, multi day trips are a rare occurrence in my reality. The average tank of gas cost somewhere around $23 (multiply that times two, realistically), and the average lift ticket ranged anywhere from $24 to $40 if you really wanted to splurge at a fancy place. this pricve of course expands when you factor in family members who also come along for the ride.
Today, even with the slide in gas prices of late, an average tank of gas costs about $35 (times two) and good luck finding a ticket that’s not bumping up around $40 even at the smaller ski and riding areas. Places like Squaw Valley and Heavenly Valley have become true luxury visits (and at almost $80 a lift ticket, I need a real good reason to go there now, like a truly spectacular event).
Still, my family enjoys snowboarding, and it’s a sport that I truly adore and love. So what’s a man to do when he digs riding but wants to maximize the ride while also maximizing the value? Is it possible?
The answer is yes, but it requires a little bit of creativity, flexibility, and shedding of attitudes in many cases. The first place to start is gear. Now I’ll be the first to admit, having been a competing racer and freestyle rider for several years, I have had my share of “gear snobbery”, and when you are racing or otherwise looking for a competitive edge, yes, there may well be value in nit picking over the minutiae of the gear that you use. However, for most everyday average riders, the difference between a mid-level board and a top-flight flagship board is not detectable. Paying $200 or $300 more for a professional grade competitive board may make you feel better, but mechanically, it’s not going to make a noticeable difference (the one place I differ on this philosophy is with boots; if you are going to splurge on any piece of gear, the difference of $50 to $100 when it comes to a pair of snowboard boots can make a world of difference. Still, a good boot fitter can make a pair of mid level boots every bit as fabulous as a top tier pair of pro endorsed boots for considerably less).
When it comes to clothing, you want to dress for the purpose, and OK, if you want to have a little fun and express yourself, go ahead. Still, with a little searching, you can get very good quality gear (jackets, pants, thermals, 2nd layer, gloves, hats, etc.) for reasonable prices, and sometimes, if you look during the off season, you can get tremendous deals on gear at the end of the season. Not such a great approach for growing kids, but for adults, that’s really the best time to buy. There are also a number of clearance places that deal with just overstock snowboard and skiing outer gear. One of my favorites is a place in Santa Clara called Wintersport Warehouse. You can get some great deals on gear especially towards the end of the season.
One of my favorite social exercises is the “gear swap”, where you go to an all day event at a place that sells gear, usually in their side yard or back parking lot. Bring your equipment and check it in along with a price you are willing to let the gear go for. You can also designate whether or not you would be open to trade. For kids equipment, this is probably the best place to go, because the equipment being offered for swap is often kids gear that has been outgrown. Check your local shop and see if they have any information on whether they will be offering a gear swap or if they know of another vendor or group that does (these don’t necessarily have to be stores that do this. It’s just as likely you may see a high school, community college or church do the same thing).
Lift tickets are priced at a premium to those who are the casual riders who go at the busiest times (Friday or Saturday). If you can make arrangements to ride midweek, you can often save as much as 50% off a weekend ticket. If you are a regular rider who is willing to commit to a single mountain, the season pass *can* be a good deal, but you have to weigh in the true cost of such an item. Most mountains require you to ride about eight total days for the cost of the pass to break even, though many mountains offer better deals if you are willing to purchase a pass earlier in the year. I’ve had experiences with season passes, and if I lived closer to the mountains, I’d definitely take advantage of them, but seeing as I live about three hours away, the benefit is less of a bargain. Many stores offer discount tickets, again a bigger discount the farther in advance you purchase them. It also works to your advantage if you go at no peak times of the year (read: holidays and extended weekends). This is fine with me, as I am not a fan of big crowds and big lines. Spending even more money to get less riding in, not a benefit.
Finally, depending on your flexibility, if you are a lone rider, you may find that leaving the driving to someone else may be the best option. There are often shuttle services where you can stow your gear, get on a bus, and let someone else handle the driving. The average seat on one of these deals is about $48.00. For a lone rider leaving San Francisco, that’s a pretty good deal, all things considered. The down side is that there are usually only a few resorts that they go to, and often the bigger, higher priced places. Still, with the savings on gas, you can often still pay for the higher priced ticket and come out ahead than going it solo (plus saving wear and tear on the car). More than two people going up, however, it makes more sense to drive up on your own and split the costs.
I plan to keep a close eye on the costs associated with this season as it ramps us. For me, the quality of the riding time matters more than all of the other costs, but lets face it, watching costs and keeping expenses low translates to more riding time for the money, and frankly, I can get behind that goal very easily :).
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Things That Dads Dream To Hear
This has been an interesting year for my older daughter, Karina. She is my big girl and I love her to death, but she has had her share of small challenges when it comes to school. One of the biggest issues (I hope she won’t feel embarrassed for me saying this) is that she deals with astigmatism as well as far sightedness. Because of that, she has had to wear glasses for several years and it’s been a challenge for her to do things that some kids take for granted. Reading is not an easy thing for her, and sometimes she has to go over sections a number of times to make sure that she gets everything.
This past year, Christina has really given a lot of up front time and attention to Karina to help her get more comfortable with reading, and especially more challenging passages. I am happy to say that that effort looks to have paid off! Yesterday was Karina’s and Amber’s Parent/Teacher conferences, and both of them were very positive and complementary. Added to that, though, were some things that were said about Karina that made me a very proud daddy indeed.
We were very excited when we saw that she had earned all A’s and one B, and had secured a spot on the Honor Roll at school. Yep, that would be a moment to make a parent proud, but that’s not the one that I’m writing about today… the one that really made me feel great was to hear her teacher say (somewhat paraphrased and second hand, mind you :) )…
“we are really happy that Karina was elected by her class to serve as the class representative to the Student Council, because she is such a wonderful role model to the other students. She is always very polite, very supportive of others, and she is kind and considerate to everyone. She doesn’t have any attitude, and I am so happy that she seems to be above and beyond all the “girl drama” that’s so common at this age.”
Really, seriously, that’s a fabulous report, but even if the top Honor Roll part hadn’t happened, hearing the second part of the conference would have made my day just as well. Often, we hope that we are teaching our children to be good citizens and good friends to those around them, and hoping that things like morality, ethics and integrity shine through at key moments. I’ve been so happy to see the many times that they do, and it gives me hope that my Heavenly Father may actually trust me with these very precious loans of three spirit children of his. It’s days like this, and comments like this, that make me feel like I and Christina might actually be doing something right! Trust me, we get ample opportunity at other times to feel exactly the opposite (LOL!), so for today, hey, I’ll take the other sentiment ;).
Monday, December 8, 2008
Taking on "Personal Management": Can Scouting's "Big Bear" Help Adults, Too?
As a Scoutmaster, I've found it interesting that there are three badges that tend to gum up the works for boys that want to progress from Life Scout to Eagle Scout, and routinely, it tends to be at least one of these three badges that cause the greatest amount of perceived hardship for scouts. These badges are:
Family Life
Personal Fitness
Personal Management
Having been a scout leader and a merit badge counselor for close to fifteen years now, I know why this is the case. Each one of these badges requires an up front commitment, a pretty significant one at that. In addition, each one requires that you commit to a lengthy follow-through, and then tracking that follow-through for three months. In almost all cases, it's this tracking for the long term that gets most boys down and frustrated. Still, for many boys, conquering these three badges makes a huge difference, not just in taking command of the Eagle Scout process, but in taking command of life in general.
As I was reviewing with my son the components of the Personal Management badge, I came to the stunning realization that many adults that I know do not have much knowledge of, nor do they actively understand, the concepts that are presented in this badge. As I was looking to see if there was some "Madd Money" topics I could talk about and discuss, I realized the whole merit badge pamphlet, while not ideal in every aspect to what *I* would personally teach or espouse (but pretty darn close overall), it's a terrific primer and fodder for conceivably many posts.
Thus in the course of the next few months, I will be going through each one of these topics, not as a way to rewrite, revise or critique the book, but to give my own take on the topics as presented, and perhaps ways where I might differ in approach. Most likely, though, I'll probably share my own experiences working with this badge and what opportunities for growth can be found within its pages. Moree to the point, I'm hoping to spur on some discussions with my son, as he needs to complete this one, too, hopefully in the same time period (as well as Personal Fitness; Family Life we have covered ;) ). So look for the Personal Management topic to appear under a Madd Money entry in the future. What's more, I'd like your feedback on this particular topic and your own approach to it.
Friday, December 5, 2008
It Was 16 Years Ago Today
It's funny, there's so much I could say about this day, but I'm just going to point out that today is the 16th anniversary of yours truly and his beloved tying the knot, making two into one, cleaving unto one another and no other, you pick the sentiment. The point is, today is the day that, sixteen years ago, the most gorgeous woman on Earth (well, to me; understand I'm not exactly unbiased in this particular opinion) said "I do" and "I will" and I'm ever so glad "she did" :).
So instead of waxing rhapsodic about "the way we were" and who were were back then, why not just show you who we were :)...
A few weeks before our wedding at the wedding shower, and yes, I was there (I'm all liberated like that, and stuff (LOL!) ).
At our Bachelor/Bachelorette Party (yep, we decided to be unconventional and hold them together because, well, we're just raging geeks like that :) )". Don't you just love the early 90's garb (LOL!)?
The Bride and Groom the Night of the Celebrated Day.
The two of us out and about a couple of months later on a typical San Francisco afternoon in the Sunset District.
Another early shot of the newlyweds (sometime in 1993).
And now fast forward to us today (a lot has changed)...
Well for some of us, not so much... Christina has hardly changed at all!!!
I certainly can't say the same for me (LOL!).
But you know what? She still digs me, and I definitely still dig her, and frankly, when all is said and done, that's all that matters.
Happy Anniversary!!!
So instead of waxing rhapsodic about "the way we were" and who were were back then, why not just show you who we were :)...
A few weeks before our wedding at the wedding shower, and yes, I was there (I'm all liberated like that, and stuff (LOL!) ).
At our Bachelor/Bachelorette Party (yep, we decided to be unconventional and hold them together because, well, we're just raging geeks like that :) )". Don't you just love the early 90's garb (LOL!)?
The Bride and Groom the Night of the Celebrated Day.
The two of us out and about a couple of months later on a typical San Francisco afternoon in the Sunset District.
Another early shot of the newlyweds (sometime in 1993).
And now fast forward to us today (a lot has changed)...
Well for some of us, not so much... Christina has hardly changed at all!!!
I certainly can't say the same for me (LOL!).
But you know what? She still digs me, and I definitely still dig her, and frankly, when all is said and done, that's all that matters.
Happy Anniversary!!!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Much More than a "Quote of the Day"
Whether or not you are a Democrat, Independant, Libertarian, Republican or any other designation you choose to associate with your political ideology, I think we as a nation would all do well to consider this as a personal manifesto:
"I do not choose to be a common man.
It is my right to be uncommon—if I can.
I seek opportunity—not security.
I do not wish to be a kept citizen,
humbled and dulled by having the state look after me.
I want to take the calculated risk;
to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed.
I refuse to barter incentive for a dole.
I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence;
the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of utopia.
I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout.
I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat.
It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid;
to think and act for myself, enjoy the benefit of my creations,
and to face the world boldly and say, this I have done.
All this is what it means to be an American."
-- Dean Alfange
"I do not choose to be a common man.
It is my right to be uncommon—if I can.
I seek opportunity—not security.
I do not wish to be a kept citizen,
humbled and dulled by having the state look after me.
I want to take the calculated risk;
to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed.
I refuse to barter incentive for a dole.
I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence;
the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of utopia.
I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout.
I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat.
It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid;
to think and act for myself, enjoy the benefit of my creations,
and to face the world boldly and say, this I have done.
All this is what it means to be an American."
-- Dean Alfange
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Happy Birthday, Christina!!!
I'm sorry that I had a work deadline that prevented me from actually spending much quality time with you on your birthday, but it looks like your Mom made up for it in spades. Don't forget, we have our own celebration tonight... and I say yes, let's go to Blowfish!!!
To those who are *not* Christina, let me start by saying that life is wonderful, and life is also unfair. This is the face of a 40 year old woman...:
We've long joked that there must be a portrait* hidden somewhere up in the attic that I nor anyone else knows about... come to think of it, Christina does get awful anxious each time I climb up to inspect the upper rafters... maybe she is hiding something up there (LOL!)
Anyway, here's a Happy Birthday wish to the most beautiful woman on Earth, at least as regarded by yours truly :).
* Note: "portait hidden somewhere up in the attic" is a reference to "The Picture of Dorian Gray", a novel written by Oscar Wilde. I'm sure most of you out there already know that, but for those that don't, well, now when you hear me say it, you'll know what I'm talking about (LOL!).
To those who are *not* Christina, let me start by saying that life is wonderful, and life is also unfair. This is the face of a 40 year old woman...:
We've long joked that there must be a portrait* hidden somewhere up in the attic that I nor anyone else knows about... come to think of it, Christina does get awful anxious each time I climb up to inspect the upper rafters... maybe she is hiding something up there (LOL!)
Anyway, here's a Happy Birthday wish to the most beautiful woman on Earth, at least as regarded by yours truly :).
* Note: "portait hidden somewhere up in the attic" is a reference to "The Picture of Dorian Gray", a novel written by Oscar Wilde. I'm sure most of you out there already know that, but for those that don't, well, now when you hear me say it, you'll know what I'm talking about (LOL!).
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Scoutmaster Mike: Nick's Eagle Project Proposal
As both a Scoutmaster and a Father, I have the pleasure and the challenge of looking over and discussing the process of developing an Eagle project with my son. The biggest challenge with his age (he's 12) is that there is a limit to the types of projects he can actually take on. When we went to contact a number of places regarding capital improvements or to do repair and restoration projects, as soon as they heard his age, we got a number of answers that ultimately sum up as "oh, he's too young for us to allow that. Our liability insurance wouldn't cover that".
So what does one do when the spirit is willing, but the flesh it to young to be pressed into service? Well, one looks at other options, of course, but more to the point, one looks to areas where they can do something outside of the boundaries of the organization that he wants to work with, yet still have a way to make a meaningful contribution.
For the last year or so, Nick has expressed interest in doing a project for the Peninsula Humane Society as his first choice. Our dog, Rikku, attends a small dog socialization class there on many weekends, so we as a family often go to the PHC facilities over near Coyote Point. I think it has been this continued involvement with the PHC that helped him decide that this is where he wanted to apply his efforts. What also helped was that, instead of just being a random scout making a call, he was able to say "hi, you remember me, I'm there with my dog on many of the Saturdays. I'd like to do a project to help the shelter". So tip number 1, make sure you can be seen as a known identity; it makes people a lot more willing to work with you :).
Even with the willingness and knowing who he is, there's still that age issue. the Peninsula Humane Society has a rule that actual volunteers that do work on the premises or in the shelters must be sixteen years or older, especially if any of the work is construction or repair related. However, there are many other needs that the shelter has for the animals that don't require any involvement with the premises at all. While looking through their web site, we saw that they had a Wish List of items that would be beneficial to the animals. These items were things like towels, blankets, heating pads, toys for various animals, and some interesting items like clean feather dusters for use with helpoing to rehabilitate young wild birds.
With this, we talked a bit and helped formulate a game plan. The Eagle Project that we will present tomorrow to the Peninsula Humane Society (and later to the Pacific Skyline Council for approval) will consist of Nick organizing, leading and soliciting for items on that Wish List, and conducting a Pet Toy and Pet Needs drive. We will generate flyers and distribute them through schools, churches, and communities with a designated day (TBD) where we will come by with the other scouts in the Troop, pick up, sort, organize and ultimately deliver any and all items received to the Peninsula Humane Society.
Nick is learning how it feels to be inthe hot seat regarding this project. While I am happy to help him organize his thoughts and ideas, I've had to make it very clear that he is the one that must make the calls, make the arrangements, work with the individuals that will help out, and be the point of contact. He's discovering that even a project of this nature takes a lot of preparation and planning, and it needs to be communicated with a lot of different people. So far, I think he's doing a pretty good job with it, though I do find I have to be a bit of a nag and say "hey, did you do this today?" It's OK, I expect it at this age (LOL!).
This is the big hurdle when it comes from getting boys from Life to Eagle, so in a way I am happy that he is looking to do this now, and I'm also happy that he is seeing that, even though he is on the young side, with a little bit of creativity and planning, he can make a contribution as meaningful as many older boys make, even if it means the nature of his project will be a bit different than those the older boys would be able to do. Inthe end, what matters is that he undertakes it, leads it, and brings it to a succesful conclusion. While much of that will remain to be seen, I can say with pride he's off to a good start :).
So what does one do when the spirit is willing, but the flesh it to young to be pressed into service? Well, one looks at other options, of course, but more to the point, one looks to areas where they can do something outside of the boundaries of the organization that he wants to work with, yet still have a way to make a meaningful contribution.
For the last year or so, Nick has expressed interest in doing a project for the Peninsula Humane Society as his first choice. Our dog, Rikku, attends a small dog socialization class there on many weekends, so we as a family often go to the PHC facilities over near Coyote Point. I think it has been this continued involvement with the PHC that helped him decide that this is where he wanted to apply his efforts. What also helped was that, instead of just being a random scout making a call, he was able to say "hi, you remember me, I'm there with my dog on many of the Saturdays. I'd like to do a project to help the shelter". So tip number 1, make sure you can be seen as a known identity; it makes people a lot more willing to work with you :).
Even with the willingness and knowing who he is, there's still that age issue. the Peninsula Humane Society has a rule that actual volunteers that do work on the premises or in the shelters must be sixteen years or older, especially if any of the work is construction or repair related. However, there are many other needs that the shelter has for the animals that don't require any involvement with the premises at all. While looking through their web site, we saw that they had a Wish List of items that would be beneficial to the animals. These items were things like towels, blankets, heating pads, toys for various animals, and some interesting items like clean feather dusters for use with helpoing to rehabilitate young wild birds.
With this, we talked a bit and helped formulate a game plan. The Eagle Project that we will present tomorrow to the Peninsula Humane Society (and later to the Pacific Skyline Council for approval) will consist of Nick organizing, leading and soliciting for items on that Wish List, and conducting a Pet Toy and Pet Needs drive. We will generate flyers and distribute them through schools, churches, and communities with a designated day (TBD) where we will come by with the other scouts in the Troop, pick up, sort, organize and ultimately deliver any and all items received to the Peninsula Humane Society.
Nick is learning how it feels to be inthe hot seat regarding this project. While I am happy to help him organize his thoughts and ideas, I've had to make it very clear that he is the one that must make the calls, make the arrangements, work with the individuals that will help out, and be the point of contact. He's discovering that even a project of this nature takes a lot of preparation and planning, and it needs to be communicated with a lot of different people. So far, I think he's doing a pretty good job with it, though I do find I have to be a bit of a nag and say "hey, did you do this today?" It's OK, I expect it at this age (LOL!).
This is the big hurdle when it comes from getting boys from Life to Eagle, so in a way I am happy that he is looking to do this now, and I'm also happy that he is seeing that, even though he is on the young side, with a little bit of creativity and planning, he can make a contribution as meaningful as many older boys make, even if it means the nature of his project will be a bit different than those the older boys would be able to do. Inthe end, what matters is that he undertakes it, leads it, and brings it to a succesful conclusion. While much of that will remain to be seen, I can say with pride he's off to a good start :).
Monday, December 1, 2008
Madd Money: Adventures In Appliance Land
I have found it to be very frustrating that, when we try to do the good thing, or we try to get an item that we want to make sure last for the long haul, we oftentimes realize that we bought something that, honestly, could have been had many other ways and could have been much less expensive for the outlay.
Let's do the time warp here. Back in 2001, I was working with a tech company at the time when tech skills were very highly in demand, and I was being paid very well to do what I do (don't get me wrong, I get paid well to do what I do now, but tech salaries were on the whole *way* high back in 2001). I picked this time to do a major kitchen remodel, converting a small galley style kitchen to a more functional U-shaped kitchen with new cabinets, new sink, new dishwasher, granite countertops, and a true conceit... a professional grade stainless steel six burner range. When we decided that we wanted to redo the kitchen, this was the one item I wanted more than anything. I made the assumption that a range that was used in professional kitchens would be an awesome addition to our house; if it's good enough to be used in a restaurant, it should be good enough for our house! Not to mention the fact that something this durable should definitely be a good investment over the long haul.
Neddless to say, one of the truisms of life is that if anything can go wrong, it will. And in this case, there has been a series of recurring problems with this range. More to the point, I have had several experiences now with appliance repair people, and their attitudes towards people that own these kinds of appliances. First and foremost, I've dealt with people that think that, if you own one of these ranges, you are obviously going to spend a lot of money to maintain it (think of this range as being the Mercedes-Benz of the range world... many people will spend more money to maintain that kind of car just because of the name). I used to believe that I had to do the same, until the parts that I had replaced and the work that I had done stopped working correctly in a short amount of time. Because of the last experience, I decided to audit a few different people and see what they said and what their recommendations were. In addition, I decided to do a little research on my model and see if we could find out a few things. What became very clear from the research whas that after-market items like burners and ignition switches were frequently rated as good if not better than the name brand parts that came at an extreme premium. Moe to the point, repair people who were qualified to service this range had varying rates of pay and attitudes about how much they were looking to charge to service this range.
The take home from this story is that, even when you make an effort to gtet the best and most durable gear on the market, it's possible to get a unit that's not totally perfect. What's more, if you find yourself in the unenviable position of having to fix such a core item, there are lots of options out there to make sure you can the device to work, and you need not feel like you are calling up someone to fix a Mercedes.
One other amusing anecdote on this front. About three months ago, I had a mishap in our kitchen where I physically broke the carafe for our blender. It's been one of those items where I've said "Oh no, how will we ever live without a blender?!" Still, since I didn't want to necessarily just jump out and go buy a blender, we decided to put some money aside and, when we felt that we needed to go and get it, we would do so with cash already saved. It's been three months, we have the money saved, but we came to an interesting realization... we really don't need a blender. Most of our cooking and things that we make do just fine without it. Thus, at least for right now, we've decided the best replacement for a blender is no blender at all (LOL!).
Let's do the time warp here. Back in 2001, I was working with a tech company at the time when tech skills were very highly in demand, and I was being paid very well to do what I do (don't get me wrong, I get paid well to do what I do now, but tech salaries were on the whole *way* high back in 2001). I picked this time to do a major kitchen remodel, converting a small galley style kitchen to a more functional U-shaped kitchen with new cabinets, new sink, new dishwasher, granite countertops, and a true conceit... a professional grade stainless steel six burner range. When we decided that we wanted to redo the kitchen, this was the one item I wanted more than anything. I made the assumption that a range that was used in professional kitchens would be an awesome addition to our house; if it's good enough to be used in a restaurant, it should be good enough for our house! Not to mention the fact that something this durable should definitely be a good investment over the long haul.
Neddless to say, one of the truisms of life is that if anything can go wrong, it will. And in this case, there has been a series of recurring problems with this range. More to the point, I have had several experiences now with appliance repair people, and their attitudes towards people that own these kinds of appliances. First and foremost, I've dealt with people that think that, if you own one of these ranges, you are obviously going to spend a lot of money to maintain it (think of this range as being the Mercedes-Benz of the range world... many people will spend more money to maintain that kind of car just because of the name). I used to believe that I had to do the same, until the parts that I had replaced and the work that I had done stopped working correctly in a short amount of time. Because of the last experience, I decided to audit a few different people and see what they said and what their recommendations were. In addition, I decided to do a little research on my model and see if we could find out a few things. What became very clear from the research whas that after-market items like burners and ignition switches were frequently rated as good if not better than the name brand parts that came at an extreme premium. Moe to the point, repair people who were qualified to service this range had varying rates of pay and attitudes about how much they were looking to charge to service this range.
The take home from this story is that, even when you make an effort to gtet the best and most durable gear on the market, it's possible to get a unit that's not totally perfect. What's more, if you find yourself in the unenviable position of having to fix such a core item, there are lots of options out there to make sure you can the device to work, and you need not feel like you are calling up someone to fix a Mercedes.
One other amusing anecdote on this front. About three months ago, I had a mishap in our kitchen where I physically broke the carafe for our blender. It's been one of those items where I've said "Oh no, how will we ever live without a blender?!" Still, since I didn't want to necessarily just jump out and go buy a blender, we decided to put some money aside and, when we felt that we needed to go and get it, we would do so with cash already saved. It's been three months, we have the money saved, but we came to an interesting realization... we really don't need a blender. Most of our cooking and things that we make do just fine without it. Thus, at least for right now, we've decided the best replacement for a blender is no blender at all (LOL!).
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