Spring State Meeting

Fingers poised over the keyboard not knowing what to type. Every thought that was in my head has decided it's time to play hide-and-go-seek. Funny, that.

I am, for sure, going to sorority's Spring State Meeting, which is being held here in Tacoma (because my chapter is sponsoring it). At first I wasn't going to go because registration is $45, and as I've discussed before, money is tight. Then I was told that my registration is "being taken care of" so I have no choice but to go. It takes place the 13th - 15th of March, in less than two weeks. There's nothing planned for Friday, unless you're in the executive board or are a past president, and I am neither. It's Saturday that will be a full day, with registration starting at 7:30 AM, and the first meeting at 9:00.

Our chapter is doing a pre-lunchtime "Desperate Housewives" stupid skit, and I have been recruited to be the Narrator, Mary Alice. My costume will be a noose (which DH will make for me), and a halo (which I will make). We've recruited one husband (not mine, though he would be great at it) to play several of the men. Oh, it's sure to be a laugh riot! [big sigh]

We are doing crafts in the afternoon; oh happy, oh joy! All I can say is that they better not be crappy crafts. If anything, I'm more of an artsy crafts person. Call me a snob in that regard. I don't want to put plastic beads on colored pipe cleaners to make Christmas ornaments, for Chrissakes! No offense, but that's good only for developing eye-hand coordination in pre-school or perhaps, Occupational Therapy. Then we have dinner on our own, and the evening hours are set up for a silent auction to benefit Easter Seals.

There will probably be some game playing after that, and the evening will go late. I was just going to go home, knowing I'd have to get back there by 8 AM. I am NOT a morning person. It takes me awhile to get ready, but I can't afford to pay for a room - and I feel just a little uncomfortable sharing now that I have the whole catheter stuff to deal with. So, imagine my surprise when I was told yesterday that someone has already paid for a room for me. She didn't offer to share her/or their room, she just paid. I'm pretty sure I know who this person is -- the other person in our chapter who is in the same boat as me, who has MS, and a catheter, and her own set of nighttime rituals; since she wants her own privacy, instead of sharing her room with me, she decided to pay for a room for me. For which I am grateful, because it will be necessary for me to sleep well. I am assuming it is her for those reasons, and because it seems to me that others would not know the extent of my needs, and wouldn't assume I would want to room alone, since we generally share rooms at these things. It's cheaper that way.

It turns out that 57 members have registered, which is a good thing. There has been much talk about how the organization has to recruit new members and start new Chapters to stay alive. Recruiting has never been my thing. I just don't know enough people, and family members have their own busy lives, they simply aren't interested in getting involved in something else. And it's not cheap - yearly dues are about $75. Then they nickel and dime you with all these smaller fund raisers (like the auction), and three (optional) meetings a year (hotel, meal, registration, gas). It add up. But the purpose is a good one: Bringing good people together for the threefold purpose of philanthropy, education, and friendship.

This year our chapter has raised thousands of dollars for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, and hundreds for Easter Seals, the MS Society, and a local outreach center for the homeless.

Good Night, TTYL, and Be Well