Help out at Glide one day

As part of first-year orientation for law school, we had the option of volunteering with different community services around the city. I chose Glide, obviously. We helped prepare 1200 bagged lunches for the residents of the Tenderloin in the bowels of Glide Memorial Church. After donning ever fashionable plastic aprons, gloves and hairnets, my team made smoked turkey sandwiches. I was a little disappointed that we didn't get to interact with the TL inhabitants more, save one lady who was having a full-blown conversation with her dog, but it was 9 to 10:30 am on a Saturday and most probably hadn't come to from their stupors yet. When leaving one did ask the girls what we were doing and when someone said "volunteering" he replied, "Well siiiign me up!" I certainly wouldn't mind doing this again.

In Progress: Go camping at least once a year

My oldest friend Marissa and I went camping in Hendy Woods with her friend. The weather was perfect, the drive sinuous and enjoyable. We got to the park a tad early, so we decided to stroll about Mendocino first, a quaint and charming town with a refined 1800's California feel to it. There are paths through the coastal flowers that meander along the bluffs overlooking the awesomeness of the Pacific Ocean. Blue sky met blue, blue sea and all was harmony.

After pizza at a joint where a frazzled mother of three all but accused us of stealing the $20 she almost immediately found in her own purse, we headed off to set up camp. Leave it to us (well I'll let the fault lie solely on Marissa here) to book a Disabled site. They let us keep it because it was after 5pm (but not after reselling it to us!) The people next to us would've been shoe-ins for first place at a trailer trash contest, flaccid, obese, stringy-haired members of an unbranched family tree and all. After taking pictures by our disabled sign and pitching tent, we hiked to and through the Ed Hendy Redwood Grove taking special pictures along the way. There is something almost sacred about tipping through throngs of ancient trees, humbled by the respect and grace they silently command.

Dinner consisted of S'mores and a sad attempt at a single can of vegetarian chili, spoons ripped and crackheadedly fashioned from a paper bag. We had to a remind a father, who was giving his poor offspring a haphazard ride on his shoulders whilst holding a cup of wine, not to traipse through our campsite--the paved path to the bathroom was for facilitating our wheelchair accessibility...

We awoke to the sound of a Mexican soap opera blaring from our neighbors who apparently can channel some barrio too. All they needed were some doo-rags, gold teeth and a rice cooker and all races could've been offended! Because my mind is oft my enemy, I forgot a sleeping pad and my own corpulence was apparently poor compensation. Next time! Post checking out we traveled down the road to Van Damme to trek their Fern Canyon and Pygmy Forest hikes. (The canyon had a Jurassic Park feel to it, the "pygmy" forest was a disappoint, as there were NOT any midget anythings to be found...) The ride back home was pleasant and the camping trip was a wonderful way to unwind before the madness that will be law school. I always forget how much I love camping, not showering, hiking, making fires, wondering through the wilderness, playing with sticks, wielding Swiss army knives, waking up happy. I am DEFINITELY looking forward to accomplishing this goal :)

In Progress: Contribute to all friends' charities

Marcus, a guy I play kickball with, is raising money for the the Lymphoma society in honor of his late mother, who was a two-time survivor of blood cancer. It goes without saying what an awesome cause this is. I couldn't make it to his Sports Basement fundraiser, but I donated online. http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/nikesf09/mronaldi I wish him the best on his noble endeaver :) I am grateful to have friends who care about the greater good and hope that piggybacking on their good karma will keep me afloat until I find the motivation to embrace a worthy cause myself!