The Loop

Well Erika seems to be going backwards to fill us in on the precious details of firsts for Jackson and Gretchen has disappeared. Marisa seems to be trying and Melody was great and then slacked off. Adrienne's had lots to share and Mom is pretty good. So how are we doing so far.

My extracurricular activities are going into full blast. Last Saturday was the Los Angeles Area Council's Candidate's forum where we have candidates for National office come for a meet and greet. We have four district six candidates, so that is pretty cool. At the event they name a Council Woman of the Year--someone who has shown outstanding leadership and devotion to the council for the previous year. Well last year we had two contested elections at council and loads of infighting. Last year, some members inappropriately called judges for Council Woman of the Year to bad mouth one of the gals. The two gals most likely to be Council Woman of the Year last year absolute hate each other and I was often in the middle trying to get them to shut up. Me, I only go to Council meetings when I have to and the only office that I've had was programs one year and treasurer by default last year--the other one quit and the president did all the work, since I was only at two meetings for the year. (I'm treasurer again this year, because I was in Florida and they claim that they couldn't reach me for me to decline.) Last year the Council struggled with infighting over a proposal to disband and combine with another council in Orange County. So when they called for nominations, I was against it. But the President of my chapter is a gung ho type who feels that every "t" must be crossed and since I was the only one willing to go to the council meetings, I was the logical choice for a candidate from our chapter. (Councils are collections of chapters). When she made the announcement that I was named Council Woman of the Year, the chair pointed out that there were only two candidates for the honor and she even named the other person. I know her, but my resume was going to blow her out of the water. So this means that I either have to get a lot more involved with the Council (ugh), or it probably dies a slow death as fewer and fewer want to be involved in the ridiculous high drama. Now wasn't it nicer to be outside of the loop.

Then there is PTA. My good friend Julieann is the president for the second year in a row and I offered to take any job she wanted to give me, but I couldn't go to the meetings (since I already have two other meetings that same day for ABWA and Girls Scouts). She asked me to help, heeelllppp, with the distribution of the newsletter. It goes out six time for the year, really how hard can it be. So I go to the newsletter meeting (and I bring Megan, because of course this will be a short meeting). It's a freakin mountain of work six times during the year. How they've retained volunteers to do all this work is beyond me, but I've already said yes and I can't imagine that anyone else will ever say yes again. I have a very bad feeling this is going to be my job for four years.

And Girl Scouts. I'm no longer a leader or the service unit manager, but I got nostaigic and offered to train leaders to go camping. I so hope this doesn't ever get me obligated to go camping again.

And of course there's ABWA. In addition to the council, I'm the Co-Chair of the Sponsorship Committee for the 2006 National Convention which means a lot of fundraising this year so that we can all go to Grapevine Texas next fall to invite everyone to Anaheim in the fall of 2006. We're wearing purple suits--I've never had a purple suit. To be continued. We don't have anyone in our chapter who volunteered to be the chair of Ways and Means this year and since I'm the treasurer, I'm probably going to be Ways and Means Chair also. Then we have the picnic a week from Sunday that I'm pretty much chairing and I've agreed to be the co-chair for the fashion show and I got roped into sponsoring a fundraiser for Southern Living (if you guys like anything from that catalog, let me know, the chapter gets 15%) and no doubt we'll do Sees candy again. I have the big raffle for 2006 and we'll probably have another bowling night. Not to mention that I'm going to be giving a program on Estate Planning in a few months to the Santa Clarita chapter and I really have to go to more of their meetings since I'm a duel member.

And now I have these blogging duties as well. Nothing like a really long boring blog to cull out the lightweights.
P.S. I've really outdone myself on the bulletin for Kiwanis again this week. I think writing is becoming adictive. I'm in the middle of reading three really good books and four more just ok books, but I don't have time to get back to them.