Another Season, Another Blood Drive

After a long week I left the house this morning with some trepidation. Our son still hasn’t completely recovered and his schedule has been off lately. And with him still on the mend, I knew that I wouldn’t have my family with me in Ardmore as I had been expecting when I originally organized the event. As I woke up early this morning, I knew that it was going to be a long day but I was also looking forward to reconnecting with a few of the brothers as we all converged upon the lodge for our spring Blood Drive.

Arriving at the lodge a few minutes later than expected (thanks to abnormal Saturday traffic), I didn’t waste any time in coordinating with the Red Cross drivers parked next to the building and immediately opened the doors, turned on the lights, and adjusted the heat. With these minor preparations out of the way, I finally turned around and assessed the space only to find that nothing was ready for the event. So the work continued and even though we had to spend an additional twenty or thirty minutes in setting up the space, everything was ready to go by the time our first appointment arrived at 10:00am.

As usual, the bulk of the appointments were at opposite ends of the day with morning schedules and late afternoon schedules proving to be the most flexible. By the time lunch came around, the steady flow of people had slowed to a trickle and we found ourselves falling well short of our goal for the day. In actuality, while not great our attendance was pretty good but we ran into a number of hiccups along the way as there was an unusually high number of people disqualified from donating (new travel restrictions in particular where not helping).  

The afternoon brought a welcomed flurry of activity both in donations and other brothers joining us for a couple of hours. In the end, while we only received 12 out of a possible 21 donations, it also provided many of us the opportunity to meet brothers whom we had not seen in some time, brothers from other lodges, and also members of the community and from the extended masonic family. It would have been nice to have held a successful blood drive but there was at least some good that came out of the event in the way of fellowship, sure up plans for other events, and gaining greater understanding of what we need to do next time around to far exceed the number of donations that we have received the last two events.

Not The Numbers We Were Expecting

When I pulled into the parking lot next to the lodge this morning it was difficult to find a spot. The unusually warm December day had everyone out early trying to take advantage of the weather while they finished up their holiday shopping. While there were plenty of people walking up and down the streets and the roads were packed with cars, I knew it would be difficult drawing foot traffic into the lodge of our year end blood drive. Of course, this is also why we had originally planned on holding the drive in October.

When I walked through the doors it was a bit odd as the temperature outside was warmer than the main hall where the tables were being set up. That was a separate issue which we resolved as the day went on. Even though we got a slightly later start in setting up than we expected, by the time the first donor walked through the door everything was in place and there was no delay in getting things going.

The first hour or so was busy. We had a good flow of people coming through the door and I was excited to see so many people taking the time during this busy season to give something of themselves to help others. Before I knew it, I was the next person laying on the table with a long tube dangling from my arm. While I have given blood many times before, this was the first time that I was doing the double red donation. Turns out that they really like my blood type and everything seemed to check out beforehand so why not. In the end, it really didn’t feel any different from a regular donation just a slightly longer time relaxing on the table.

By the time lunch rolled around the steady flow was down to a sputtering trickle and the total numbers for the day were not looking very good especially when factoring in the three or four people that were deemed ineligible to donate. When all was said and done and the tables were being broken down and hauled back out to the truck I was disappointed to say the least. It turns out that we had every possible scenario work against us from weather and holidays to ineligibility and other unavoidable occurrences preventing people from donating. However, while the numbers were not what we wanted, I know that we made a small difference and help those in need and that is really what matters at the end of the day.

Lodge Work At The Office

Believe it or not it is that time of year again with our annual blood drive just a month away. Actually, it is exactly a month away. While we had originally planned on having it earlier in the fall, due to some staffing issues, we pushed things back to about the same time that we had our drive last year. While the weather might be a bit colder than we had hoped, we should still maintain our regular level of participation given the turn out last year as well as the experience we had in April when we donated the space at the last minute.

Over the past year and a half, I had been working with a particular organizer at the Red Cross… we got along rather well and things always got done. About a month or two ago, I got a note saying that things were changing and that we would be working with someone else from here on out. With time at a premium at the moment, I was wondering how we were going to be able to get together and properly get this relationship moving forward. Thankfully, she took the time and we met this past Tuesday at my office. I actually think that this is the only time that I could manage to squeeze out of my day.

The meeting went rather well and, like the woman we previously worked with, I easily got along with our new organizer. In addition to collecting all of the details that she needed and sharing with me the new forms and processes that are now in place, it was a time to also introduce her to who we are and what we do as masons… at least the broad strokes. It was also a meeting to coordinate an additional blood drive for the spring so also set aside some time in April if you are interested in donating.

Of course, now the work really begins to make sure that things run smoothly. While I may not have blocks of time available, there are moments and minutes here and there to make the phone calls, write the emails, and updating the schedule. This is really what it is all about on my end to make sure that this drive is as successful as the first two that I have been involved with. And, of course, I have to make sure to have all the blank forms available on the day of the drive for the Masonic Blood Club.

So, hopefully some of you will be able to make it to the lodge on Saturday, December 12th. If you are able to make it please stop by and say hello… if I am not at the reception area I will be laying on a table. Either way, I will make sure to shake your hand.

Shifting And Adjusting

The past week has been rather interesting regarding the phone calls that I have received. It began last week with a call from a trustee regarding one of the utility bills that we recently paid. It was just a matter of double checking that everything was taken care of and, honestly, I appreciate the personal interest that this brother, and many others like him, take in the lodge. They just want to see the lodge continue to grow and return to prominence… they have been and continue to be the gate keepers.

After a brief conversation I told him that I would double check and give the service provider a call just to make sure that everything was good to go. As soon as I hung up I immediately scrolled through my email, found the representative’s number, and gave her a call. As expected, everything was good so I thanked her for her time and got back to my usual work.

About 20 or 30 minutes later I got a call from an unfamiliar yet familiar number. I answered in my usual way and was surprised to hear the same voice on the other end of the line that I had just heard a half hour ago. I guess she really appreciated the call as it turns out that she did a little crunching of the numbers and was calling me back to offer a 40% reduction in our rate. Same exact service from the same company for 40% less… that was a no brainer. I like these kinds of calls.

The other phone call I received was on Monday morning as I was on my way to work (a little later than usual). With our Red Cross blood drive scheduled for October I was wondering when I would be receiving the materials. This call put a little kink in that planning as they are currently experiencing a ‘good problem’ in that there are more people wanting drives that weekend then they have staff. The call was simply to ask us if we could move our drive. I can’t answer that one on the spot so I had to agree to call her back… in the end, the drive is moving from October to December.

Not ideal but sometimes doing the right thing isn’t the most convenient. Actually, for me it works out well in that I will be able to support one of my fellow brothers on the day that the drive was originally scheduled… I was wondering how I could accomplish both that day. So, sometimes things work out for the best even if they aren’t exactly what you were planning to happen. Hopefully, this is the end of the interesting phone calls for a while… actually, never mind, I hope I get more calls about reducing rates. Those are easy calls.

Technically, I Didn’t Miss Lodge

Just some random Masonic art found on the internet. 

I was originally planning on heading over to the lodge after work yesterday but, as has become common place, those plans were changed. Fortunately, it was not my doing this time around. With another event taking place within the district, the usual fellowship meeting was replaced and the brothers that are usually at the lodge for additional training, education, and fellowship headed over to Conshohocken for a meeting.

It really would have been nice to attend with them but I can’t commit the extra hours in the evening at this point especially with my wife and son not feeling 100 percent. I was at least able to spend some time in Ardmore this weekend (at the blood drive) so my absence wasn’t as long as it could have been. However, it will be nice once we are able to arrange our schedules and get everything back on track… I miss the weekly evenings with the brethren.

Of course, there are still plenty of things that need to get done and I am slowly sifting through each of them trying not to let one or another fall too far behind the rest. There are items that need to get picked up (I should really ask my assistant for his help on that one), things that need to get ordered, checks that need to be signed, calls that need to be placed, requests that need to be made, and a notice that needs to be drafted, printed, and mailed. Oddly enough, this list is only slightly longer than my usual monthly routine.

All of these tasks are simply to prepare for the next stated meeting. And now, after a few phone and email conversations, there are a number of other things that I have to make sure get done. While not an issue in the past I seem to be struggling a bit lately and even the smallest additions are delaying other, more pressing, priorities. I guess, when you look at it, it might be a good thing that I wasn’t at the lodge last night… or it could be a really bad thing. I’m not going to know until next month.

So, right now, the plan is to be back at the lodge next week. Hopefully, there will be a few things that I can tie up in person. After that I hope to be in Ardmore a few times in May but I am not going to finalize that for now… it will all come down to how things play out the rest of this month. I guess we will just have to see what happens.

Last Time, First Time

I headed into this weekend knowing that it was going to be a long one. Earlier in the week I had to make the decision regarding where I would be going and what I would be able to get done. In the end, there were a couple of things that required my attention and so my long Saturday began with me staggering out of bed around 6:30.

The first stop of the morning was at the lodge where I had to ensure that the Red Cross had enough time to set up for the Blood Drive which was scheduled to begin at 10. For those of you unfamiliar with the logistics, they usually begin unloading the truck between 8 and 830 in the morning. Thankfully the traffic was light so my slightly late departure had me arrive just as the truck was pulling up alongside the building.

I stayed at the lodge through most of the set up and left for my second commitment about an hour before donors were supposed to begin showing up. It was time to backtrack a bit and take care of some final things at my mother-in-law’s house. My wife and I arrived at about the same time and double checked what had to be moved out. Once my brother-in-law pulled up, the moving went quickly (the 4 larger items were much lighter than expected) and we were soon headed back to our house to unload everything.

Fortunately, the only items that my wife decided to take from the house are ones that have a practical use and that we were going to pick up at some point in the future anyway. Because of this, we had plenty of room and knew exactly where everything had to go. After offering a little compensation to my brother-in-law for his help, my wife and I took a few minutes to relax and plan the rest of the afternoon.

My wife and I agreed that she would join me in Ardmore giving me a bit of a head start so that he could take care of our son before leaving and so they didn’t have to spend too much time at the event. With our plans in place, I got back in the car and headed off to the lodge for the remainder of the blood drive. After a quick retrieval of the mail, I walked back through the doors and checked on the donor progress… the turnout wasn’t bad for a last minute arrangement and it soon got a little better as a brother walked into the hall and signed up.

While we were catching up on things, my wife arrived and seeing others laying on the tables decided, for the first time, to donate. Of course we had to double check first but given that she was well beyond the 6 week waiting period, she walked up and registered to donate. As it turns out, she was perfectly fine and somewhat surprised at how easy the whole process was from beginning to end.

So it was an interesting and busy day that came to an end with the lodge once again having been cleared out and my wife and I enjoying the weather by taking our son for a walk along Lancaster Avenue. And after a quick dinner with my parents at a local restaurant, we headed back home a little tired but having gotten a fair amount accomplished during the day. We all slept quite well last night and looked forward to a mostly open schedule for the rest of the weekend

From One To Many

There is always a time each year when a variety of events seem to converge during a single month at the lodge. Sometimes it can even come down to a single day. It is hard enough when there are a variety of Masonic commitments converging, having family projects that need to be addressed at the same time just adds to the difficulty.

While it would be nice to be able to go to everything and not lose out on the time at home, it isn’t a realistic scenario. Anyone who is or has been an officer knows this routine all too well. And while I have recently significantly cut back on the time I have been spending at the lodge, I am uncertain as to whether I can avoid the pull of my office much longer.

Things have to get done this month and there are certain commitments that I have to make. This is nothing new but the number of things that have to get done before the next meeting, an official visitation, has become overwhelming at times. I can’t even find the time to coordinate the transitioning of tasks to my assistant.

However, when I step back and take a look at the problem it really doesn’t seem that bad. There have been times in life when I had to look for something to do and now I am looking at a variety of options. While it would be nice to be able to pick just one, I still have the options and people who want me to be present at each. It is a really good feeling and on that is too often overlooked.

This is a message that I do my best to relay to the new brothers that come into the lodge… we want you to be here. We are all integral to the success of the lodge and the fraternity as a whole. You never have to look for a place to be or somewhere that you can go… there is always a place for you, sometimes a chair for you, at the lodge. It is a powerful thing to think about especially during this time when the digital barriers as so ever-present. We want you here, as an equal, as our brother.

Even though Michael Keaton warned us of the pitfalls, it looks like I may have no other option than to be present at two or more events… I am pretty sure that the simple one will be showing up to one of them calling everyone Steve. The trick is trying to figure out how to accomplish this seemingly impossible task. It is just nice to know that wherever I find myself I am going to be welcomed and I will be among family.

Donate Space, Donate Blood

On an almost daily basis lately, there seems to be one thing or another that I need to address when it comes to keeping things running as smoothly as possible at the lodge. Sometimes I can help while other times I am not sure that there is anyone that can offer assistance. A midst all of the phone calls and emails this week revolving around a variety of lodge matters, there was one particular call that I didn’t expect. A call that allowed me to take action on behalf of the lodge and make something happen to help someone else.

As you may recall, the lodge conducted a blood drive in December and for the event we had a pretty good turnout especially given the fact that this was the first time that many of us were in charge of coordinating and the fact that we were late in scheduling the day and time with the Red Cross. Well, afterward everyone left happy with a respectable turnout and a lot of donations made. It wasn’t the easiest thing to pull off but the results motivate us to ensure that we make this an annual occurrence.

We had come up with a preferred date toward the beginning of the year and while I had been meaning to call the coordinator I simply haven’t gotten around to tracking her down. Yesterday I didn’t have to call her, all I had to do was pick up the phone. As it turns out, the Red Cross needed our help. The venue that they were scheduled to use on April 18^th was now unavailable and so the scheduled blood drive had everything but a location.

After making a few calls and making sure many of the brothers were on board I was able to call her back and offer her, on behalf of all the brothers, the use of the lodge for that particular day. While it was by no means an expected task during a busy week, it was gratifying to know that we were able to help in some small way. Of course, while I had her on the phone I also booked our blood drive for the fall on Saturday, October 3^rd, from 10am to 3pm.

I guess it is a simple lesson that while it is good to seek out ways to help the community sometimes you just have to keep yourself open and pick up the phone when it rings. You never know, you could make a difference just by answering. So, whether you are free in April or October (or both), take some time out of your day, give something to those in need, and donate blood.

For The First Time In Years…

Even though I have little recollection of the past couple of months, somehow we were able to pull together a ‘successful’ Red Cross Blood Drive at the lodge yesterday. When I first got involved in the project things went rather smoothly but as the days and weeks passed it was one thing after another pulling me away from making sure everything came together. By the time I woke up yesterday, we had 18 people signed up for the drive with a few expected to walk in the door sometime during the day.

I got to the lodge about 90 minutes before the official start time and attempted to organize things at the sign in table and get the signs out in front of the building to sway in the windy rain. It wasn’t the best day for foot traffic but it was nice being inside and greeting the people as they walked through the door. With everyone in place I began having people sign in and for the first time in years, we had a blood drive happening at the lodge.

We started the morning with 18 people signed up for the drive and by the time the tables were being folded, we had 23 names on our list. I had wanted to see 20 pints donated in our first year and we would have reached that number had everyone been able to donate. However, for various reasons (living abroad, illness, and high pulse rate) there were 7 people who were unable to give.

That would have put us at 16 but there were also two brothers who really dedicated the time to donate and signed up for a double red blood cell donation. The donation time is twice as long as and much more complex than a regular donation. Since they each count as 2 pints, we just fell short of our goal with a total donation of 18 pints. This included a final draining at the end of the day when I was laying on the table for the first time in over a decade.

Could we have done better? Definitely but this is a good start to what we would like to see as an annual event. We were all learning as we went along this year and now that we have at least a little experience, things should only improve from here. I think next year (mark your calendar for the first weekend in October) we should set a minimum of 30 pints. I know I am going to try and do my part by doubling my donation!

Intergenerational Connectivity In Freemasonry

It has been both a long and fast year at the lodge. Last night was the final preparation for those degrees to be conferred in 2014 and it was, again, a great mix of both eager and experienced brothers. It was the kind of night that makes me look forward to the coming year and all the things that we plan on accomplishing.

As the Worshipful Master and I were discussing all that we still had to pull together in this final month, we had two candidates arrive early to learn everything that they needed for their next degree. Soon after, one of our long standing brothers walked through the door and after a few moments of fellowship headed off with one of the candidates to prepare him and impart his masonic wisdom. Given that he has been a mason nearly 50 years and served as Worshipful Master on seven different occasions, there is a lot of wisdom to impart.

While the fellowship and training was happening, I first ducked out to make a few calls and tie up a few things for both the upcoming meeting and the fast approaching blood drive this Saturday (spots are still available). Once I took care of all that I could over the phone (which wasn’t much given that it was after 8:00pm at that point), I headed back into the hall and went back and forth between the two training sessions. Not surprisingly, I found myself stopping and listening to our Masonic veteran as he talked about his experiences in the fraternity and how it has influenced his life beyond the lodge.

For those of us that are still new to the fraternity, this is an invaluable resource and really does accentuate the importance of Freemasonry in our lives. It also demonstrates all that can be accomplished in the fraternity and makes us create our own personal masonic goals. Maybe one of these days we can look back with the same sense of pride at our masonic careers and know that we have continued the tradition and work that our brothers before us worked hard to preserve and accomplish.

After all, we are a part of the history of this fraternity. The work that we do now, no matter how insignificant it may seem at the moment, will carry on through the generations of Masons. We all have similar and slightly different experiences at lodge and in freemasonry in general and we apply those perspectives to help, aid, and assist our fellow brothers no matter if they are still working through the degrees or if they have been a mason for 50+ years. That generational interconnectivity is part of what will continue to strengthen current and future masonic experiences… this is part of what makes good men better.

The Ebb And Flow Of Fellowship Nights

With Thanksgiving only a couple days away, attendance was pretty light at the lodge last night. That combined with a little bit of illness and some travel mixed in and the turnout wasn’t what it was last week. However, this is to be expected throughout the year especially during the holiday season. It is the natural ebb and flow of the fraternity.

And sometimes we need night like the one last night when a few of us can get other work done and coordinate our efforts for upcoming events (have you signed up for our blood drive yet?). At the same time, it also forces some of us to take on roles during these evenings that we are not part of our usual routine. This is especially true when you consider that there were a couple candidates that made it out and all the usual instructors were unable to attend last night.

I was surprised at just how much I have been able to retain over the past year and a half. Many of the phrases and much of the ritual is immediately brought to the forefront of my mind with very little prompting. It is by no means second nature and I still have a long way to go but I am making progress and I am confident that my future goals in Freemasonry may not be as daunting as I once thought.

These are the moments that I am not used to experiencing and the conversations that I am too seldom able to have with brothers during their first few months as a Mason. Having spoken with and assisted in relaying the information needed for their next degree last night, I am impressed with these new brothers and I look forward to having them as members of my lodge. Heck, they are picking things up much faster than I did when I first became a Mason (I know that is not saying much).

It is amazing to think about the difference from last year… that is what really struck me last night. On an evening when our attendance was down it was still many more brothers than we would have seen this same time last year at the lodge. While I wasn’t able to accomplish all that I had set out to do last night (I got some things done in the place of others), I was happy to have been a part of the training and conversations at the lodge and I am looking forward to seeing the many more faces during our Tuesday night fellowship. Sometimes it is the best possible way to end a long day.

Making Improvements

There was a different atmosphere at the lodge last night as the crowd continues to slowly grow during these times of fellowship. No meeting, no degrees, just time to spend with our fellow brothers, prepare those in the process of getting their degrees, and continue planning for the end of the year and the long year ahead of us. It is also a time to talk about all the things that we would like to see done to the building as we discuss changes and improvements to our space.

While we have the brothers now showing up and getting more involved, we would like to make the space more appealing and entice more of the lodge to join us during these nights. This is all part of the resurgence that I have written about previously. We have the motivation and the participation, now we are working on the other things that will accelerate that change. The actual lodge building is only a part of that effort.

Over the past year we have slowly been increasing our presence in the community through open houses, Alex’s Lemonade Stand fundraisers, the CHIP event during National Night Out, and soon we will be having a community blood drive. Each of these things you have read about at one point or another and while they are great events to open up to the community they have also been a great way for the brethren to get involved and have their family join in the efforts. Being able to include brothers, family members, candidates, and potential candidates has been a great way to reinforce the fact that we are all part of the same fraternal family working together to help and support our community.

There seems to be a growing sense of pride among the brethren as well. We are proud to be members of this fraternity and we want to get to the point when we can have that same sense of pride in the building itself. During the many open events and meetings over the past year we have been happy to bring family and friends to take part in the occasions but, at times, there were always those lingering moments when we would have to explain at one point or another that the building itself is still a work in progress. I look forward to the day when no explanation is needed.  

In one way or another, these are issues that all lodges are facing right now. Some may be further along in certain aspects but the general goals remain the same. We want our lodge and the fraternity as a whole to grow, our lodges be places where people look forward to meeting, and our communities to know the good work that is being done both within and outside the walls of our buildings. Our goal has always been to make good men better but we also need to look beyond that principle by making our community better and our families stronger. These are pillars of our fraternity and they remain essential to our future success.

Is This The Beginning Of A Masonic Renaissance?

Time seems to be back on our side!

Things seem to be getting out of hand a little bit at the lodge lately. Our extra meetings are going longer, there are more entries that need to be written in the ledger, a lot of campaigns and projects that are running or being organized, and more brothers that are attending meetings. While it is a little more work than in previous years, all of these things are great for the lodge.

Last night was a perfect example of all of these things converging on a single evening as I found myself running around the lodge for about 5 hours trying to keep up with everything that needed to be done. It was a long degree night with three scheduled and completed. The blood drive signup sheet got a few more names listed. And the ledger was filled in a little more than most nights.

I enjoy the nights when we are doing degree work as I am able to partake in the fellowship that eludes me during the stated meetings. Last night was a mix between the two as I was well prepared for the evening but all the other things that we have going on carried from one conversation to another. Some nights, some months, there is just too much that needs to be done to sit down and eat. I remember the meals when I had not yet received my degrees and while enjoyable, I prefer my current hectic routine. Everything has to be on the go right now because I don’t want to be the one to hold things up even for a little bit.

As this was happening I caught a glimpse of a new petitioner helping with the meal and conversing with his future brethren. It is because of this quality of candidates that we are slowly turning things around and growing the lodge not just in the basic membership numbers but with regard to the participation of the brethren. However, thinking about that time in my masonic life, it seems as though that was the start of this new trend and the growth that we are currently experiencing.

While I am certainly not the reason for this shift (far from it in fact), I am proud to play a small roll in welcoming new brethren to the fraternity and welcoming back brothers to the lodge. There are many masons that I have seen come in and I am excited by the quality of character and desire to learn that each one of them has demonstrated. This is why we are pushing forward and working hard because if we can keep things moving forward this could potentially be the beginning of a Masonic Renaissance.

And The List Gets Longer…

With a variety of projects and tasks that are currently being worked on, I did my best to get to the lodge a little earlier than usual last night. Not an easy task with so much going on at the office at the same time. After cursing at a few “drivers” on my way to Ardmore and making a couple of calls along the way, I was finally able to make my way to the old building only a little bit later than expected and I wasn’t surprised to find that I was the third one there.

The leak in my basement office seems to have been fixed but the lovely aroma leaves a lot to be desired and the subsequent shifting of items around has set the organization thereof back at least a few weeks. I guess now is as good a time as any to sift through a few items before simply putting them back. But that is another project for another day.

I met with a couple of brothers to see about finding space for a new business venture. This is one that I am especially interested in making happen as it wouldn’t just bring new people into the lodge but there are a number of brothers (including myself) that would welcome the opportunity to participate. Other conversations later in the evening also revolved around the simple (not really) questions of what it is that we really do for a living. It’s funny, but if you take the time to ask the question, you might be surprised by how much your occupations overlap.

Those were just the ancillary items that we had to take care of. With a stated meeting only a couple days away and just over a month until our Red Cross Blood Drive (Saturday, December 6th for those in the area that are interested), there are still a lot of things that we need to prepare. It seems that most weeks, especially lately, I need at least an extra day or two just to keep things current. Thankfully, there are a lot of items ready to go and things should continue running smoothly through this week and the end of the year.

After our general meetings, unfortunately bills did not make up one of them, we all came together from the various corners of the lodge to both review what had been discussed and congratulate one of our brothers on his exemplification (that was happening concurrently with all the other tasks). Assignments were handed out and we all went our separate ways to reconvene tomorrow night when I hope to see both my brothers and a crowd of veterans honoring us with their presence. All in all, I guess you could say that it was just another Tuesday night at the lodge.

Getting The Blood Going

I rushed out of the office having received a call thirty minutes prior that the RedCross arrived at the lodge early for our six o’clock meeting. While I was hoping that the traffic would agree with me I was not surprised when it took me an hour to get to Ardmore. Thankfully, she had already gotten out the lawn signs and I could see them from the entrance of the parking lot leaning up against her car. It made it very easy to greet her as soon as I got out of the car.

Tonight’s meeting was merely a formality to show her the space that we had to offer, review the goals of the program, and arrange for all the ancillary marketing items to be printed and shipped to me. While we reviewed all of the details we also took a few moments to chat and learn a little more about each other and our respective organizations. It didn’t take long before we found ourselves discussing the importance that freemasonry has played in both of our families and the excitement that we each held for the beginning of this partnership between my lodge and the Red Cross.

With all the details arranged for our Saturday, December 6^th (please leave a comment or email me for additional details), blood drive and each of us having other business that needed to be taken care of, we parted ways as I walked across the street to pick up the mail. Within moments of unlocking the lodge again, the few brethren that I usually see on Tuesday nights began arriving. There is still a lot of work to be done for the next meeting, remaining events, and the rest of the year so it is good that we ended our meeting when we did.

The next couple of hours evaporated and soon after I found myself back in the apartment waiting for dinner to finish cooking in the oven. After catching my breath for a few moments and hearing about my wife’s day, it was finally time for her to head off to bed and for me to get some additional work done before the morning. That was the plan… the plan that briefly got put on hold as we first had to find out what happened to the hot water.

After a long day for both of us, we are now left without hot water until at least the morning (around here that translates to a couple of days). For those keeping track at home, this is the second time that the building has lost hot water in the last five or six months (the last time being not long after the hot water heater was replaced). Nothing like a cold shower to get the blood going but I’d rather get my blood pumping in December rather than last night before bed. Glad that we have such a relaxing place to rest our dirty heads.