The Money Mustache Community
General Discussion => Throw Down the Gauntlet => Topic started by: Poundwise on January 18, 2022, 11:32:21 AM
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Fresh for 2022! Here's the link to last year's challenge:
https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/one-(small)-good-deed-a-day-in-2018/100/
In the words of @MaybeBabyMustache,
I've been trying to look for small opportunities to do good deeds every day. I'm not talking about saving a drowning child (although, you should definitely do that too!), but the really small stuff.
Some small things I did this year:
- gave blood
- donated good clothes to refugees
- thanked a hassled sounding administrator for the good job she is doing
Inspire us with ideas for the little things that can put a bit of unexpected sweetness into another person's life. Get and give some well deserved pats on the back!
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Love it! Glad to see this thread again in 2022.
A few things from my side:
-Helped a neighbor get set up on Nextdoor (per her request), so she could list a few things to give away/sell
-Gave a kid a ride home from a soccer game. He wanted to bike, but it was quite dark, and he lives nearby.
-Donated to a school fundraiser
-Returned some carts at the grocery store, which freed up a couple of extra parking spots.
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I'm in :-)
Nice job giving blood, there is a blood shortage where I live but I don't think I'm allowed to donate (plus I have apparently got the world's worst veins).
I'm not sure I have a lot to report from this year so far, we're just getting over the peak Omicron surge and I've mostly been isolating at home since I have an immune deficiency. I just got my booster (long after most folks, due to the way immune deficient people got their shots spaced out in the US) so hopefully will be out and about more with other humans soon. :-)
I did send another immune-deficient friend a little care package with some extra home COVID test kits and some other stuff he said he could use, he's having multiple surgeries this winter and also has a kid in school so it's a pretty rough time. It was a worrying experience since about a third of the people in the post office weren't bothering to wear masks...
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Glad to see this thread again :)
A care package is a wonderful idea @Dollar Slice
I tried to offer helpful advice to visitors. I live somewhere that you frequently see tourists who are confused or lost..it’s easy enough to ignore/not see it as they will find their way eventually so I try to gauge the situation. Are they in exploration mode or do they look stressed? Sometimes it’s good to figure things out on your own but other times a point in the right direction can be a friendly gesture.
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@Serendip - I love the idea of helping folks who look lost/need help. We skied this weekend, and helped out quite a few people who had crashed. I'm a moderate skier, and you definitely see "yard sales" on those type of runs. Always an opportunity to help someone get their gear back, or just make sure they are okay. I leave the more challenging gear retrieval to my teens, who are infinitely better skiers. :-)
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@MaybeBabyMustache —ah yes, the yard sale is a very familiar term to me :)
It’s always nice to offer help on the mountain. One time my partner skied past a guy splayed out in a ditch/stream area and asked if he needed help—the man said no.
Then I came along and said “are you sure you’re ok?” And he admitted he wasn’t, but I think sometimes ego (or shock) prevents us from allowing someone to help in those situations.
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Sent another COVID care package to another sick friend (COVID home tests, thermometer since she didn't have one, N95, a nice card).
Am sending out the nicest greeting card I could find and a gift card (for fancy food she likes) for a friend who just lost her husband, who was a close friend of mine. They live in Europe so I don't feel like I can go to the funeral, as much as I'd like to :-( He just died in the hospital with Omicron and I don't think he would have wanted me to take any risks to go (I'm immune deficient and he was always encouraging me to be careful). It feels entirely insufficient as a gesture, but I guess it's better than nothing when you're on another continent...
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@Dollar Slice I'm sure your friend knows that you would be there if you could. I'm really sorry for your loss. It's tragic to have survived the past two years then to catch Omicron at the last moment.
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Condolences @Dollar Slice —I think during grief, these gestures mean a lot. There’s never much that we can do but I think the effort, care and support we do offer are vital.
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Helped push a minivan that was stuck in the middle of a hill blocking traffic. A wet snowstorm really took some people by surprise..I was thankfully walking.
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@Serendip That was a good deed that probably prevented many drivers from getting blocked, frustrated, angry!
On the subject of reducing the ripple effects of traffic frustration and wasted time, I contacted Garmin a few weeks ago because their most recent map updates did not have the correct numbers for the Massachusetts interstate exit numbers and New York Hutchinson Parkway, which were renumbered many months ago. I just got an email saying that the next update would have corrected MA exits and the Hutch would be on the next update after that. I do busybody things like that in the hope that it helps.
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Gave away lemons from our tree to the neighbors, and our gardener too (twice)
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Oh, @Dollar Slice - I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. How terrible.
@Serendip - that's an awesome way to help.
Can I count the fact that someone pulled out in front of me (across my lane), requiring me to come to a sudden & complete stop. So much that my entire car shook, & my brakes squealed? I really, really wanted to honk (and/or gesture with one of my fingers), but reminded myself that we've all had careless days.
Recently:
-Still mentoring an Afghani refugee, who was recently relocated to a university, instead of the military base.
-Helping with a project at work, for someone who is swamped with something else
-Gave soccer players a ride home on a dark night (they bike, otherwise)
-Offered to help a neighbor with childcare
-Passed on some stuff via Buy Nothing & fulfilled a wish
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Gave away lemons from our tree to the nieghbors, and our gardner too (twice)
Ooh, what a treat to be able to grow lemons * (says the person who is about the drive into a snowstorm!)
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@MaybeBabyMustache —it can definitely be an act of Kindness to NOT do something too. I commend your ability to contain the urge :)
Attended a crash on the mountain recently and stayed with the person until all the details had been sorted and ski patrol was attending to them (likely a concussion, thankfully they had a helmet on).
So on that note, yesterday I saw a beginner who was skiing without their helmet strap done up so I stopped to let her know that she’d forgotten that detail.
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Gave away lemons from our tree to the nieghbors, and our gardner too (twice)
Ooh, what a treat to be able to grow lemons * (says the person who is about the drive into a snowstorm!)
Thanks, we had way more than we could possible eat/drink without them going bad, and as a maximizer I hate to waste food :(
Good luck with the snow :(
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Great thread! A couple things lately:
- Attempted to give blood (I failed because my iron level was too low, but I'll give myself credit anyway)
- Gave away oranges and kumquats from my trees
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Every morning I collect 2 or 3 dogs whose owners are unable to walk them, and 3 or 4 people who have their own dogs or want to walk other people's dogs, and 1 or 2 people who can't walk by themselves, and we all go walking. We loop around and return the limited people, then go for a longer walk. We start every morning at 7:30 and by 8:30 we are done. At night I pick up 2 dogs and my own 1, and walk about 15 minutes. I've been doing this for over 2 years. At first they tried to pay me but I don't let them. If I got paid it would seem like work.
And I seem to take someone to a doctor visit 2 or 3 times a month.
Every Christmas season I decorate our courtyard of 12 apartments with lots of lights.
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Nice job to everyone above!
- Attempted to give blood (I failed because my iron level was too low, but I'll give myself credit anyway)
Thank you for trying! There is a critical blood shortage where I live, I think because of COVID a lot of the type of civic-minded people who typically give blood are doing their civic best to stay home and away from other people and therefore are not going out to give blood. I unfortunately don't think I can give blood at this point. I looked into it last year after I got vaccinated.
My contribution this week: my recently-widowed friend asked if I could help her come up with a charity to donate to in lieu of flowers since she knows I'm charity-minded and knew her husband well and could hopefully think of something he would have liked. So I researched/vetted a bunch and narrowed it down to a couple of causes I thought would be important to him. I'm sure she knew him better than anyone but she's just in a complete fog right now :-( We settled on the Equal Justice Initiative (https://eji.org/). He did a short stint in a very harsh prison in Arizona decades ago, and he since fully cleaned himself up and changed himself for the better in a really admirable way, but having seen it first hand he was always really concerned with criminal justice reform.
More minor: I offered to print out some information and give it to a friend who doesn't have internet access, since we're planning to hang out on Sunday. (My first friend visit since before Omicron blew up. Exciting)!
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Well done, @Dollar Slice . I've researched charities for a work cause, & was also really impressed with the Equal Justice Initiative. It also sounds like it's a good fit for what he would have wanted.
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I picked about 65 oranges to give away on my Buy Nothing group. It's amazing how many oranges a single mature tree can produce - I think we must have started with close to 1000.
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Nice to read all these updates :)
I saw someone waiting for a bus so went over to let them know that the transit drivers are striking so he needed to hitch-hike, walk or cab it..
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@nessness - fresh fruit is probably the most popular thing on my local BN, and I live in a part of California where there are plenty of citrus trees! It's so fun to see people sharing the bounty.
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-Very small gesture but picked up a sandwich board for a business after the wind knocked it over :)
-reached out to someone who is having a hard time--we are on differing sides of many things i.e :vaccinations, politics, religion, etc but it felt good to connect and make plans to do something neutral together like a mellow snowshoe outing.
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@nessness - fresh fruit is probably the most popular thing on my local BN, and I live in a part of California where there are plenty of citrus trees! It's so fun to see people sharing the bounty.
This reminds me, I went to our neighbors to give them some of our lemons and I came back home with grapefruit lol!
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A great thread.
I actually thought today about random acts of kindness ( like someone in my local FB community group mentioned paying for next person at McDonalds). To be honest , I don't know if I would be happy if someone paid for me or annoyed . Why annoyed? Because I would think that I am perfectly capable paying for myself and that person's money would better go to someone in need so it was " wasted" on me.
Last week I bought lunch for a homeless person. I was sitting eating my lunch and he approached us and asked for money and I said I didn't have cash and then he asked if I can buy him something to eat. At the bakery he also wanted a drink :) So once sales lady realised what I was doing she gave the food to him and asked him to leave .. she then looked at me with PITY and said " I am so so sorry" . Apparently this guy asks every day but I was like, no problem it's only $9. As a human being how can I say no , when another human being is hungry???
But I think my best good deed is replying to a complete stranger on Facebook that we could look after his dog while he was studying and settling in our city ( mature student). We looked after his dog for 8 months , walked every day , loved and cared for him , and only 2 days ago he went back to the owner .. and I am very sad :(
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A great thread.
I actually thought today about random acts of kindness ( like someone in my local FB community group mentioned paying for next person at McDonalds). To be honest , I don't know if I would be happy if someone paid for me or annoyed . Why annoyed? Because I would think that I am perfectly capable paying for myself and that person's money would better go to someone in need so it was " wasted" on me.
Last week I bought lunch for a homeless person. I was sitting eating my lunch and he approached us and asked for money and I said I didn't have cash and then he asked if I can buy him something to eat. At the bakery he also wanted a drink :) So once sales lady realised what I was doing she gave the food to him and asked him to leave .. she then looked at me with PITY and said " I am so so sorry" . Apparently this guy asks every day but I was like, no problem it's only $9. As a human being how can I say no , when another human being is hungry???
But I think my best good deed is replying to a complete stranger on Facebook that we could look after his dog while he was studying and settling in our city ( mature student). We looked after his dog for 8 months , walked every day , loved and cared for him , and only 2 days ago he went back to the owner .. and I am very sad :(
Your first point reminded me of my FIL. He always looked unkempt and people frequently paid for his groceries. He passed out at a transit station (medical issue - he wasn't a drinker) and had to be transported by ambulance. Somehow, he dropped his wallet. Someone found it, tracked down my husband and returned it, cash intact. Of course my FIL was a Millionaire Next Door.
I love this thread. I typically read through it, thinking I don't have anything to add. Then I get to certain posts and think, "I do (or did) that." Thank you for the reminder to be vigilant in seeking opportunities and the reminder to occasionally give myself a little credit. In Catholic school, the nuns insisted if it wasn't difficult or didn't hurt, it didn't count. Um, no. So many things can be done with minimal effort. The fact that it's easy for me does not prevent it from being important or beneficial for someone else. Good begets good, and everything becomes easier with practice.
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In Catholic school, the nuns insisted if it wasn't difficult or didn't hurt, it didn't count. Um, no. So many things can be with minimal effort. The fact that it's easy for me does not prevent it from being important or beneficial for someone else. Good begets good, and everything becomes easier with practice.
I love this.^^^
Thank you for feeding the homeless person, @life_travel! Of course he asks to eat every day, he needs food daily!
Today I didn't do anything especially good, except that I did keep my temper and was nice to my elderly mother, even when she was being annoying. And as a result, she was happy and we had a good day. And being patient with her is very hard for me, so that was actually more work than other good deeds.
Here's a potential good deed that I'm excited about. I've been so sick of things in this world getting worse, that I looked around and decided to see if I could fix something in the town. There's a railroad bridge in the center of town which keeps getting trucks stuck under it, which is stupid, causes traffic, damages the trucks, causes delivery delays, lost tempers, etc etc. I looked it up and a few trucks have been getting stuck there monthly for DECADES.
The bridge is rusty and an eyesore. I thought, could we get it repainted or get a hanging sign put in before the bridge so the trucks stop getting stuck? So I shot off some emails to our municipal government the other day, got referred to the MTA, got bounced back to the County. I also asked that it go onto the Traffic Commission agenda. This is a low priority item, but I'm determined to persist on it because it's a one-off, "ripple effect" type of deed that could take a bit of random negative out of people's lives. And heaven knows we all need that!
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Today I didn't do anything especially good, except that I did keep my temper and was nice to my elderly mother, even when she was being annoying. And as a result, she was happy and we had a good day. And being patient with her is very hard for me, so that was actually more work than other good deeds.
I was a little cranky with my mom this weekend, so I appreciate this one...!
I used to commute to work through a railroad crossing, and occasionally the railroad crossing thingies (the little bars that come down to block the street with flashing lights) would get stuck in the down position and cause a MASSIVE traffic pileup because it was rush hour and one of the main streets of the town. The fix would end up being something like getting a tall traffic cop with a long stick to manually hold it up out of the way while people went through, until someone could fix it for real. Sounds like a similar "low priority" issue that causes a similar amount of pain to your bridge! Such a potentially simple thing to fix that causes so much trouble for so many people.
My extremely minor kind deed: I waited around an extra 20 minutes until my friends' access-a-ride turned up after the event we went to tonight. (Access-a-ride is sort of like a taxi service provided by the NYC public transit authority, for disabled people who can't take the subway. It's like an airport shuttle, you arrange a ride in advance, you share a big van with a bunch of other people, it takes forever, and it's always late.) I'm always worried if I leave them somewhere that their ride won't turn up and everyone will leave and they'll be there alone. I guess they would just take a taxi if it didn't show, but it would make me feel bad if they were waiting a long time out in the cold. Anyway, I really like them so it was nice having extra time to talk :-)
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My aforementioned friend without internet access finally got his booster shot (hooray!) on the last day that the city was offering a $100 incentive to get it. I told him if it would help, he could use my email address to sign up for it and I would deal with the whole incentive thing and cash it out for him. I guess there is a way to do it through the mail, but most people do it digitally since it takes two days instead of a month. Anyway, my good deed is that I ended up spending way too much time figuring out this program and cashing it in, and then buying him something online that he asked me to get - as long as I was online with a hundred of his dollars - and now I just have to give him his $17 change. Anything to get my friends vaxed, really... :-) And I think he saved $20 buying online instead of locally so I feel good about that.
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@Dollar Slice --that's a heap of effort to help a friend!
-went to an event to support a friend (ended up having a lovely time)
-made plans to connect with some folks who reached out. As an introvert, this counts as a good deed right?! ha
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@Dollar Slice --that's a heap of effort to help a friend!
Before I had a chance to pay him his $17, we found out about a Ukraine benefit concert with some avant garde musicians and composers he really likes, so he asked me to just use the rest of it to buy him a ticket and he'll give me cash for the rest. The rare credit-card-less, internet-less technophobe who loves Philip Glass... the rainbow of humanity truly contains infinite shades of color. :-)
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When I think about it.. even staying calm with someone cranky/difficult ( especially if it's a family or friend) is already a good deed and can be done daily!
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Not done by me, but my next door neighbor: she has been helping an elderly woman in our neighborhood who was widowed last year. Neighbor puts the widows trash cans out on the curb on trash day and returns them after pickup. Also does small things like replacing the batteries in her beeping smoke alarm.
I'm admiring of her helping out but mostly her doing it as a matter-of-fact thing. Seems so many would only do these things resentfully or even ask to be paid.
A little help goes a long way not only for the recipient but in strengthening the whole community.
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@Dollar Slice --that's a heap of effort to help a friend!🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈
Before I had a chance to pay him his $17, we found out about a Ukraine benefit concert with some avant garde musicians and composers he really likes, so he asked me to just use the rest of it to buy him a ticket and he'll give me cash for the rest. The rare credit-card-less, internet-less technophobe who loves Philip Glass... the rainbow of humanity truly contains infinite shades of color. :-)
❤ ❤ ❤
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I don't know if I have posted before, but I have been following along.
Today I donated some hats that were my late husband's to a rehab facility.
I also contacted the Senior Citizen's Society to see if they needed help with tax preparers. They do this for free for low income people. Since I just retired from a career in accounting, I figured I could help out.
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Last week I was talking with an elderly friend who has been trying to wear N95s (she spent a month in the hospital with COVID in 2020) but was complaining that she can't find any that are comfortable because they dig into the thinner skin under her eyes and make her ears ache after a while. I saw her this weekend and brought her a mask which I thought would solve those problems (3M Aura 9205) and she said it was much more comfortable for her :-)
I also contacted the Senior Citizen's Society to see if they needed help with tax preparers. They do this for free for low income people. Since I just retired from a career in accounting, I figured I could help out.
What a great way to use your knowledge!
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I don't know if I have posted before, but I have been following along.
Today I donated some hats that were my late husband's to a rehab facility.
I also contacted the Senior Citizen's Society to see if they needed help with tax preparers. They do this for free for low income people. Since I just retired from a career in accounting, I figured I could help out.
Welcome!
It's very hard to let go of a loved one's clothing, so thank you for having the strength to do this!
And also volunteering to do tax help is so important... for seniors, especially those who are beginning to have dementia, doing taxes can be such a source of anxiety! My mother has been obsessing about it for months (we have hired an accountant for her, but it's still her main focus now.)
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-Made a donation to an organization helping in the Ukraine and supported a local fundraising initiative at the same time
-reached out to a struggling friend
-remained neutral and friendly when interacting with a coworker who has had falling outs with other coworkers/friends
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Thanks everyone for contributing to this thread, I find it uplifting to read about the little things we can all do
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When I think about it.. even staying calm with someone cranky/difficult ( especially if it's a family or friend) is already a good deed and can be done daily!
Right?! It’s such a good practice!
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Love reading this thread as well! I need these mini wins right now:
-Made a donation to a Ukraine relief thread
-Picked up a friend's kid & drove him to soccer on a busy day
-Ran a carpool for a tennis match, & the kids had to skip lunch at school. Treated them to Subway. They were all so polite, offering to pay for their own meals. What a collection of nice kids.
-Treating my sister & BFF to a girls weekend with a bonus I unexpectedly earned a few weeks ago.
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I attended a fundraising luncheon at a fancy country club to benefit our regional symphony. These things typically have Silent Auctions, which I rarely bid on, because I give via a Donor Advised Fund, and it gets complicated if you receive anything of monetary value. I usually do the Fund-A-Need type giving. They were asking for money for a program that teaches kids to play the strings at a school where the kids are very low income and English is not their primary language. There were about ten little kids. There was an older sister/younger sister combo there with their mom. The mom got up and spoke about how much it had helped her oldest and how happy the (much) younger one was to join the same group. The mom was extremely nervous, but did a great job. After that, the kids played "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". Then they played it again, asking everyone to sing along, which was done very enthusiastically and was hilarious. I was gobsmacked at how much behind the scenes work it had taken to get these kids to this place just so they could play TTLS twice. When the paddle-raising started, I gave $1500 to the program. For context, my niece plays the viola and graduated from a fancy conservatory college program. Her parents have provided everything for her, including international travel and study. The disparity was not lost on me, hence the size of the gift.
Still more fun was that I have a 91-year-old friend who just moved into this same gated community. She downsized from her fabulous mountaintop home when her husband passed away last year. I hadn't seen her since his memorial, so it was nice to be able to visit her in her new home after the luncheon. We became friends when she agreed to host a library fundraiser for me at her home. I knew her slightly from an Arts group and I needed a place to host said event. She willingly agreed and a lovely friendship was born. Oh, and they designed and built the fabulous estate home themselves, on a shoestring. Turns out, they were mustachians before Pete's parents were born.
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Small one yesterday - while walking into the grocery store, I saw an elderly woman in the handicapped parking space about to start walking her cart to the cart return. I offered to bring it into the store for her, and she happily accepted. A nice little interaction :)
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I purchased an old jewelry box on FB Marketplace today with the intention of painting it and giving it a makeover. Anyway, when I got home and looked it over there were some necklaces in the drawers. I contacted to lady to see if she wanted them back. She came right over to get them and was very thankful.
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Helped an acquaintance with her resume, and spent ~30 minutes on the phone helping her prep for an interview (at the company I work for)
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Doing some graphic design work for my friend's event so he can have some cool-looking posts to put on social media to promote it. It's looking like he's going to lose money on it so I'm hoping to help out a little.
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-Helped a somewhat-frazzled, new coworker figure out the invoicing system at our place of work. She was insistent that the employer had messed things up but it turned out that she had missed an email from accounting.
1) I was glad to help her 2) I was glad to save our already busy manager from an unnecessary task
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@Dicey —the power of music! What a great cause to donate to..
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Two days ago my neighbor who had surgery a few months ago stopped by for some lemons. She's using a cane to walk now so I walked back with her to her house with a bag full of lemons and oranges from our trees.
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I witnessed what I can only call a freak jazz accident tonight and my good deed was offering up a tube of high-alcohol-content hand sanitizer from my bag to help clean the surprising amount of blood off the piano so the next band could play without too much delay. Someone found a rag, someone else had some 'Wet Ones' wipes, and between all of those they managed to sanitize everything pretty well. Then the next pianist came on and she was like: well, this seems clean but it's absolutely soaking wet and my eyes are watering from the extreme amount of rubbing alcohol, but I guess the show must go on?? At which point I pulled out a nearly full travel pack of Kleenex and offered them up to dry off the piano. She also used the dregs of my hand sanitizer to clean her hands just in case. We're all prepared for airborne and surfaceborne pathogens these days but not so much bloodborne! :-S
I also received a good deed tonight, which is such a nice feeling. I was at this fundraising benefit concert, and it was kind of a marathon thing where a zillion jazz musicians performed in ensembles one after the other after the other, rapid fire with no intermissions for over five hours. Anyway, I was kind of flirting with a migraine on and off and I moved seats a couple of times because the lights were making my headache worse. Apparently word got around that I was struggling a bit, and at some point someone delivered a bottle of ice cold water to my seat out of the blue. Some person I barely know had gone across the street for a drinks run and since they'd heard I was feeling unwell they thought it might help if I cooled off and hydrated :-)
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I love your concert stories, @Dollar Slice ! It feels good to be prepared.
And also nice to be on the receiving end, showing that some of the community that we strive to build exists.
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Returned two lost wallets while on vacation. I don't think I've previously ever found any, so two in a day was wild. Both were successfully returned (I was at a hotel, & they tracked down the owners) & I was really happy to save them the worry about their ID &/or other things. I didn't poke around, so don't know if they had cash.
Helped an elderly neighbor with a tech problem, and opening some items that are difficult for her.
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Returned two lost wallets while on vacation. I don't think I've previously ever found any, so two in a day was wild.
Two in one day! Wow, that's crazy!
My dad had his wallet stolen when he was visiting Poland, and it was found (emptied of money) and returned and mailed back to him in the US. He'd canceled his credit cards and replaced his ID, but it still saved him a lot of time and hassle since he didn't have to replace all the other things - health insurance card, library card, grocery card discount club, etc. And he ended up with a duplicate of his driver's license which is kind of handy to have. So, even if someone else had already cleaned them out - hopefully not! - you were doing them a big favor by returning them :-)
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Returned two lost wallets while on vacation. I don't think I've previously ever found any, so two in a day was wild.
Two in one day! Wow, that's crazy!
My dad had his wallet stolen when he was visiting Poland, and it was found (emptied of money) and returned and mailed back to him in the US. He'd canceled his credit cards and replaced his ID, but it still saved him a lot of time and hassle since he didn't have to replace all the other things - health insurance card, library card, grocery card discount club, etc. And he ended up with a duplicate of his driver's license which is kind of handy to have. So, even if someone else had already cleaned them out - hopefully not! - you were doing them a big favor by returning them :-)
I was in a large hotel/casino in Las Vegas, so maybe that type of place tends to get you to put your wallet down? And/or people are drinking more than usual? :-) One was for an employee, and their wallet had a clip that had clearly broken off. The front desk guy (I'd turned in a wallet to him the day before) saw me again & let me know how grateful the employee with the lost wallet was. She was over the moon excited that she didn't have to replace all of her stuff! I turned the other wallet into a security guard on the casino floor, so not sure what happened there.
It's actually really interesting that someone went through the work of mailing the wallet back to your dad. I suppose maybe it wasn't the same person who took the money. Otherwise, I have questions on why they opted to do one kind deed, but not the other!
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It's actually really interesting that someone went through the work of mailing the wallet back to your dad. I suppose maybe it wasn't the same person who took the money. Otherwise, I have questions on why they opted to do one kind deed, but not the other!
I think someone pickpocketed him, took the money out and tossed the wallet on the ground, and then some nice person found it. I can't remember the whole story (it was a while ago) but I think the person who found it turned it in at a police station or the US Embassy in their city, and then it was mailed back to him. Luckily he had his passport stored separately and my mom was with him (with her wallet, credit cards, etc.) so it wasn't a real emergency while they were traveling.
I can't remember exactly what it was now, but maybe 10-15 years ago I found something like a checkbook - maybe someone's check register? Maybe an empty checkbook? Some kind of banking thing, anyway, in a little faux leather booklet, laying on the sidewalk. I did mail it back to them since their address was on it, and I called their bank, too, in case someone had stolen their info and tossed it and might be writing forged checks or otherwise trying to steal their money. They wrote me a thank you note :-)
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Last Friday I went to the Food Bank and picked up a food hamper for a disabled person with no transportation and delivered it to her home. This was quite an eye opener, and a sobering reminder of how blessed I am. I would like to find more opportunities to do this kind of service work. The lady was incredibly grateful.
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Last Friday I went to the Food Bank and picked up a food hamper for a disabled person with no transportation and delivered it to her home. This was quite an eye opener, and a sobering reminder of how blessed I am. I would like to find more opportunities to do this kind of service work. The lady was incredibly grateful.
I love this! I need reminders too of how good I have got it.
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-I won a prize pack from a local business (that was doing a fundraising campaign for Ukraine) and was happy to be able to pass on a bunch of gift certificate prizes to people who could use them more than I could.
-connected a co-worker with a friend in order to help her secure housing--it's very hard to find homes in my town except through word of mouth.
-helped out with a photo shoot for someone who needed assistance
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@Serendip You double dipped with the prize pack, nice!
And helping somebody find housing is a big deal. I've been trying to help a neighbor who's facing eviction to find affordable housing, but it is incredibly hard.
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I kinda owed a neighbor because she was tremendous help last year and I got her a coffee but it turned out she prefers tea so I still gave it to her cause I only drink decaf nowadays, pfft!
Really thought she liked coffee cause she saw me carrying a cup once and asked jokingly why I didn't bring her one.
Oh well I tried
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@Serendip You double dipped with the prize pack, nice!
And helping somebody find housing is a big deal. I've been trying to help a neighbor who's facing eviction to find affordable housing, but it is incredibly hard.
Housing is such an issue--Hope your neighbour finds something!
@Lunasol --a nice gesture, even if she couldn't enjoy it :)
I tried to help a friend by recommending a book they might enjoy (based on some issues they are having in a relationship) and moved some worms off the concrete into the direction they were heading (ridiculous I know, but seeing them try to 'cross the road' triggered something in me..ha)
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@Serendip , I've done that with worms before too :)
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I am a major early bird, but a friend sent out a frantic SOS for help with a soccer pickup, so I'm doing the 9 pm pickup with four sweaty teens. I normally will do almost anything to avoid the late pickup (must.be.in.bed), but I know how it is when you are juggling & have conflicts. She was so appreciative.
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This makes me feel good reading. Joining to follow and give me ideas/motivation to do some small deeds as well.
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This makes me feel good reading. Joining to follow and give me ideas/motivation to do some small deeds as well.
Yay! That is the purpose of this thread.
Yesterday I received, and planted in pots, 5 nuts from the local chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation (http://"https://acf.org"/). I don't have room for more than 1 or 2 chestnut trees, but I am giving 3 to a friend. A long time ago there were many beautiful chestnut trees in the Northeast, but they were almost all killed by Chestnut blight, a fungus. The ACF has been gathering nuts from isolated survivors and is distributing the seeds to volunteers in the hopes that we can preserve genetic diversity, that they can use to cross with new blight-resistant strains that have been bred and engineered, once permission is gained to plant those.
A local mom is collecting Easter baskets for Ukrainian refugee children who are now in Poland, so I just found three pretty little baskets in my attic. My children and I will fill them and drop them off at her house. I generally think these collections of things are useless and burdensome when sent overseas, but she's Ukrainian and may know whom to send them to. Hopefully they arrive in time for Orthodox Easter.
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I'm heading to our local community center this morning to drop off 3 grocery bags of non-perishable food and some hygiene items for the food pantry.
It's small but well-run and includes a walk-in refrigerator and freezer for perishables which they get from 3 local supermarkets. Distribution is twice a week.
I had been buying and keeping extra non-perishable food during the pandemic but I'm feeling good about letting some of that go to those in need.
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Love reading everyone's updates!
In the continuing spirit of helping out my fellow parenting community, one of my 15 y.o.'s friends phone died on Saturday night. He didn't know his parents phone number! I got out of bed & gave him a ride, because he didn't have an alternate way home.
I also got up early the next day (6 am, on a Sunday :-(( ) to help another friend set up the goals and prep a soccer field for a tournament. Our kids play for a competitive club, but it's run exclusively by volunteers, so there are quite a few moments where they need help. Usually not so early.
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Someone on the street asked me if I had an extra face mask, which I did, so I gave him one. I always used to carry foam earplugs in my bags for concerts, plus a small pharmacy of meds for minor emergencies, now I've added extra face masks and hand sanitizer during the pandemic.
I (once again) went early and held a spot in line for some disabled/elderly friends so they could go sit down around the corner instead of standing in line. It was sold out but we got front row center thanks to me. I hope someone does that for me when I'm 75 ;-)
I ordered and shipped some items for a friend in Australia to save him some money on shipping - I was going to ship him a little gift and because of the way shipping costs are from the US, it saves a lot of money to consolidate two packages into one. So I asked if there was anything he wanted from this indie music shop in NYC that I know he always goes to when he's in town, so he put in an order there and I was able to ship it all in one box. Plus the shop is owned by a good friend of mine, so I was able to steer some business his way instead of my friend getting it for a couple of bucks cheaper via Amazon. Win-win!
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-A friend said she was in a dinner rut so I sent her a bunch of easy but tasty recipes that kids might like too.
-drove down to a nearby town to go for a walk with a friend who is way more social than I am (but hasn't been able to see as many of her friends as she would like--she said it was the highlight of her week, which was really nice!)
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My friend who doesn't have internet is, as per usual, in need of internet favors - he used my email to order something and when the package wasn't delivered on time I looked up the tracking number for him (since I had the confirmation email) and found that it had a delivery exception due to someone leaving off part of his address and badly misspelling both his first and last names (geez...) when he ordered over the phone. I was able to log into the UPS website and fix the address and add his phone number. Hopefully that's enough to get it delivered!
I also looked up and printed out some info he needed for this weekend and got us a pair of free tickets to a show he wanted to see.
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My friend who doesn't have internet is, as per usual, in need of internet favors - he used my email to order something and when the package wasn't delivered on time I looked up the tracking number for him (since I had the confirmation email) and found that it had a delivery exception due to someone leaving off part of his address and badly misspelling both his first and last names (geez...) when he ordered over the phone. I was able to log into the UPS website and fix the address and add his phone number. Hopefully that's enough to get it delivered!
I also looked up and printed out some info he needed for this weekend and got us a pair of free tickets to a show he wanted to see.
Did your friend receive their package?
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Did your friend receive their package?
NO! Ugh, UPS is such a mess. They sat on it for a week without delivering it with the website saying the address change was in progress, I finally sat down and contacted them again to try and sort it out (four days ago). Still not delivered. It's been in NYC for 12 days. It finally says "on the way / preparing for delivery" which sounds promising...
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Keep up the good work!!
I gave away my hoard of vegetable and herb seeds through Buy Nothing. Hopefully this will encourage more local food growing. If more people grow their food locally, there will be so many good results in terms of less driving, less demand for food at the store and thus lower prices for the poor, etc.
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I am giving away my old deep freeze to a person in need of one that can't afford it.
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Did your friend receive their package?
Update: The Eagle has landed! :-) Finally got there.
I suspect my next good deed will be helping him set up his new toy and get an e-mail address and an online library account and all that. His package was an inexpensive smartphone!
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Hooray!!
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Great to hear @Dollar Slice !
I showed a friend a new trail that I discovered..a very satisfying 'secret' trail which will be a great option this summer (I live in a busy tourist area, so it's always nice to have quieter options)
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Found some dollar bills on the ground while hiking at a nature preserve. It was at the end of the hike, and I was near the ranger station. Dropped it of, as I assume someone dropped it paying for parking. They can either return to owner (unlikely), or take it as a donation.
Through work, I signed up to participate in a tech mentorship program for young girls. My current age group is 12, and they are so very lovely & enthusiastic. I'm volunteering, but definitely the "winner", given how much I'm enjoying it.
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A friend of mine who doesn't have health insurance remembered me as being 'that person' who was always sharing info about COVID stuff on Facebook, so when he got sick this week he messaged me to see if I knew where he could get a free PCR test without insurance. I was able to give him the info for a free public clinic that does same-day-result PCR tests that's within walking distance. I also gave him the number for the phone hotline where he can get a free telehealth appointment for people who test positive for COVID - they set it up to prescribe treatments for people without a primary care doctor, and they will deliver the medicines to your front door so you don't have to leave isolation.
I suspect my next good deed will be helping him set up his new toy and get an e-mail address and an online library account and all that. His package was an inexpensive smartphone!
Friend smartphone update: we haven't quite gotten to this advanced level yet, but I did help him with a few things like giving him some pointers on how to use the touchscreen keyboard. I'm learning some stuff about it myself in the process, he's trying to find features I never knew anyone would want because he's so used to the numeric keypad on the flip phone.
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A lady posted on a FB group I belong to that helps people in need that she needed children's Advil because her child was suffering and she couldn't get out to get it. Child and suffering in one sentence is something that gets me in the feels every time, so I went to Walmart and bought it and delivered it to her. Also got the little guy a Paw Patrol lollipop treat, because who doesn't need a lollipop when they are sick? Mom was super grateful.
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It occurred to me this morning that some friends of mine might have forgotten to fill out a form that we all needed to turn in by today, no exceptions - so I sent a friendly reminder. Turns out they did forget, and were able to get it done with a few hours to spare after I mentioned it. Phew!
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@Prairie Gal - love this.
A roundup of a few things, all of which are loosely connected:
-Picked up another kid when there was an emergency (two hour unexpected drive, as another friend's child had to be hospitalized during a sporting event)
-Brought treats to my son's injured friend (above), and stopped by to keep him company, after surgery.
-When we went to buy the treats above, there were maybe 30 carts in the parking lot of our small grocery store, and pretty much no available parking spots. Most of the shoppers are elderly in our neighborhood, & all of the handicapped spots were covered with carts. The kids & I gathered all of carts & returned them to the corrals.
-Saw an ask for school supplies on my local Buy Nothing, and packaged up a bunch of stuff. There is a summer camp being run for low income students, so good to know the supplies will be useful.
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@Dollar Slice nice catch!
@MaybeBabyMustache Very well done indeed! Especially the carts... small things like that do much to decrease the amount of random frustration floating around the world.
I haven't done a whole lot of random good recently, though some weeks ago I participated in a community cleanup and brought some friends with me (and they won a raffle prize!) I've been doing my usual thing being a pillar of church and school, hosting coffee hours, volunteering for the youth group fundraiser and field day. These aren't all that altruistic since they directly help my own family, but still I'm probably putting in a bit more than I take out.
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@Poundwise - contributing to the community around you is completely valuable & important, and not enough people do it. Don't discount that work, because it's what makes everything else "work" for others.
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@MaybeBabyMustache great job on corralling the supermarket carts. It irks me when people don't put their carts away and makes everyone's life more difficult.
A few things I can think of off hand:
- Gave extra garden produce to 2 different coworkers
- Brought extra tomato seedlings to work for people to grow their own
- Donated to a gofundme for a young man in a car accident who does not have insurance
I need to make a effort to do more for others this year. I'm a work in progress.
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Volunteered to walk my friend's boyfriend's elderly aunt to her bus stop since everyone else had a bunch of audio and video equipment to carry. She was afraid to walk alone so late at night and she refuses to take taxis "on principle" (elderly New Yorkers are an eccentric bunch...). She was a complete stranger to me, but after about five minutes of politely listening to three young people desperately try to figure out a way to get her there safely, I finally said "where exactly are you trying to go?" and convinced her that even though my subway stop was at the end of the block, I really needed to take a good long walk and it's a beautiful night and I would love to escort her there. "Oh well, then, if you need to take a walk, then I don't have to feel guilty! Good, now I can get to know you!" We had a nice time, she told me all about her osteoporosis, the protest she went to this afternoon, and showed me all her favorite houses along the way :-)
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Ah..nice reminder to see this thread pop up--I love reading all of your efforts :)
-A friend had to work on her birthday so we planned a walk for the following day and I baked earl-grey cookies and made a bottle of lavender lemonade to have a surprise picnic. She was chuffed.
-went to a reading event last night as an acquaintance was participating
-picked up some trash on a walk
-made an effort to go say goodbye to a young co-worker who has decided to go back to school. I don't know why but I often shy away from these things and can be reluctant to engage..(I'm a sneak-quietly-out-the-back-door sort). She was so warm and happy to chat about her upcoming plans :)
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@Poundwise - contributing to the community around you is completely valuable & important, and not enough people do it. Don't discount that work, because it's what makes everything else "work" for others.
I think of these things as "hold the community together." Not unimportant, in other words!
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Thanks for the encouragement, @jeninco and @MaybeBabyMustache! It's true, somebody has to do all this stuff. Likewise, I am thankful for the people who volunteer for the charities that I don't do, such as people who care for seniors and take care of stray animals, because I think they're important but I just don't have the bandwidth.
@Serendip Your little kindnesses spread happiness!
@GardenBaker Promoting vegetable gardens can be an important way to reduce carbon emissions and bring security to people, leading to more generosity.
@Dollar Slice Being kind to and listening to the elderly is one of the hardest tasks, and makes such a difference to their days.
I'm still chugging along. Another thing that I'm trying to do is be more consistent, on time, and have prompt communication with planning. Nowadays it feels like people are frequently canceling and flaking out on things, and this just has a domino effect that churns our lives around and stresses people out (to mix metaphors). I''m habitually overbooked, so it requires a special effort for me to be more reliable.
I recently volunteered to table at an event for a local organization that is new to me. I don't really want to go; it's a pain; but they're good people and I support their mission to bridge ethnic divides so I will do this.
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Called to check in on a friend under the weather yesterday. It was a quick chat, but I was glad to lift her spirits.
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Without going into the slightly TMI details... I came across some info about a somewhat awkward (read: sex-related) medical thing that I thought could help a friend, and I managed to sort of casually drop it into conversation. He's now thinking about going to the clinic to do something proactive about it.
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I'm heading cross-country for 3 weeks so I just lent a friend my electric bike so she could try one out before purchasing one. She was reluctant but then was so excited when I assured her that I REALLY wanted her to borrow it :)
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Called to check in on a friend under the weather yesterday. It was a quick chat, but I was glad to lift her spirits.
That's a really important thing to do!
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I'm completing a course that will then allow me to serve in an advisory role for a public university. I'm considering it a good deed, because it's unpaid. :-) In fact, I'm paying for 1/3 of the course (my employer will cover the other 2/3). So, I'm paying to volunteer, but am really liking the content, & am excited to try out this advisory role. The course is maybe 80 hours of time, so it's not a small commitment, and I'm chugging along, picking off modules one by one.
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I'm a bit behind on posting:
6/30 Volunteered to sit in our receptionist's job for the afternoon so she could get out of the office to prepare for her only child's wedding on the weekend. I'm in a management role, so this isn't my typical job, but I didn't have plans for the July 4th weekend and was staying at the office until we closed anyway. She was grateful for the extra time off.
7/9 Brought extra peppers from my garden to share with co-workers.
7/10 Took a watermelon to my parents to share with their friends on vacation this week.
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@GardenBaker - the 6/30 one - well done! I'm sure your receptionist greatly appreciated the time to prep for her child's wedding. How awesome you were able to help her in this way.
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I'm completing a course that will then allow me to serve in an advisory role for a public university. I'm considering it a good deed, because it's unpaid. :-) In fact, I'm paying for 1/3 of the course (my employer will cover the other 2/3). So, I'm paying to volunteer, but am really liking the content, & am excited to try out this advisory role. The course is maybe 80 hours of time, so it's not a small commitment, and I'm chugging along, picking off modules one by one.
That sounds interesting.
I've been thinking about "paying to volunteer" lately also. I've been considering Meals on Wheels, but you have to use your own vehicle and pay your own expenses. They do give you a donation receipt at the end of the year, but I'm not sure it would be all that helpful in my situation. Not sure how I feel about this, but it doesn't seem like it should cost me money to volunteer.
Thoughts?
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I'm completing a course that will then allow me to serve in an advisory role for a public university. I'm considering it a good deed, because it's unpaid. :-) In fact, I'm paying for 1/3 of the course (my employer will cover the other 2/3). So, I'm paying to volunteer, but am really liking the content, & am excited to try out this advisory role. The course is maybe 80 hours of time, so it's not a small commitment, and I'm chugging along, picking off modules one by one.
That sounds interesting.
I've been thinking about "paying to volunteer" lately also. I've been considering Meals on Wheels, but you have to use your own vehicle and pay your own expenses. They do give you a donation receipt at the end of the year, but I'm not sure it would be all that helpful in my situation. Not sure how I feel about this, but it doesn't seem like it should cost me money to volunteer.
Thoughts?
My $.02 - the content is highly related to my core job (class is about leadership) & I've gotten so much out of it so far. In my case, had I known how useful the content was, I would have paid without the volunteer option at the end. And in all of the normal caveats that we can financially afford it, professional development is a useful venture for me, etc.
I think paying to volunteer is fine. Most volunteer jobs require you to give up something (time), resources, your personal network, commuting costs/time (driving to/from), so I don't have an objection. If you fundamentally believe in the cause, you are keeping operating costs low, so that the as much money as possible can go to the folks who need it. But, that assumes you can afford it, of course.
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I've been thinking about "paying to volunteer" lately also. I've been considering Meals on Wheels, but you have to use your own vehicle and pay your own expenses. They do give you a donation receipt at the end of the year, but I'm not sure it would be all that helpful in my situation. Not sure how I feel about this, but it doesn't seem like it should cost me money to volunteer.
Thoughts?
It wouldn't really bother me - it's essentially just donating money and time simultaneously. But with the car market being kind of crazy these days, I can understand not wanting to wear yours out.
If you only wanted to donate time, I'm sure you could volunteer in other ways - for example Meals on Wheels is also looking for people to make phone calls to seniors to have a friendly chat with them or do wellness checks. Or you could look for other similar charities that might have different roles to fill - some of my friends volunteer for God's Love We Deliver, which also delivers meals to homebound people, and none of their volunteer roles would cost you money (you work out of their delivery vans, plus they have kitchen prep and meal packing volunteer positions). I think that's local, but I'm sure there are charities like that all over the place.
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SGDOTD: I went to an event tonight and the ladies' room beforehand was pretty busy... and, annoyingly, two of the three sinks had no soap in the dispenser. This caused quite a backup. There was also a hand sanitizer dispenser on the wall for people who didn't want to wash their hands with water (I guess?). Anyway, after I waited my turn for the only working soap and washed up, I noticed a lady with a broken foot who clearly didn't want to deal with the whole waiting-in-line-for-soap-in-a-crowded-bathroom situation, and was trying to use the sanitizer instead since it was off to the other side. She'd already had to come down to the basement to use the restroom on her broken foot, super annoying. And now? Sanitizer is also empty! She gave up and left in a huff without being able to clean her hands. I wasn't far behind her so I caught up to her and offered her the sanitizer I keep in my bag, which she seemed really thankful for. :-)
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A woman left her watch on the dock after swimming, so I yelled after her to let her know (she had a bicycle).
-a small thing but stands out since I'm generally not a yeller and she was happy to not lose her watch :)
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-I helped a lost hiker at the nature preserve (I was on a run, and she was going in circles).
-I picked up my first Too Good to Go order, and there was so much bread! More than we could ever eat. We kept one loaf (which was, triple the size of a normal loaf), & I dropped another loaf off at a friend's house, and gave another away on Buy Nothing. Very glad to keep food from waste, and for being realistic enough to know that we wouldn't get through it all quickly.
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We ordered pizza tonight, and the pizza place pit the wrong toppings on our pizza, so they remade it and gave us both. My mom lives pretty close to the pizza place, so I called her and offered to drop off the extra pizza to her. She wasn't feeling well, so she was happy to not have to worry about dinner.
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I have been traveling, and I encountered a nonfunctional charging station and a train locker with a broken lock. I used a bit of a receipt (did not have paper the first time) and a post-it note to mark each one BROKEN to prevent the frustration that I went through, and hopefully alert workers that they need fixing.
Nice work to everyone for the random bits of kindness you've been sharing! The world hits us with so much random badness so it's lovely to see the opposite happening.
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Went to a quiet, somewhat secretive spot to read/set up a hammock and shortly after arriving a young couple came. I got the impression that it was an first date or something of the sort. So I decided to set up my hammock elsewhere and left them to enjoy the swimming spot :)
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I'm in :-)
Nice job giving blood, there is a blood shortage where I live but I don't think I'm allowed to donate (plus I have apparently got the world's worst veins).
I'm not sure I have a lot to report from this year so far, we're just getting over the peak Omicron surge and I've mostly been isolating at home since I have an immune deficiency. I just got my booster (long after most folks, due to the way immune deficient people got their shots spaced out in the US) so hopefully will be out and about more with other humans soon. :-)
I did send another immune-deficient friend a little care package with some extra home COVID test kits and some other stuff he said he could use, he's having multiple surgeries this winter and also has a kid in school so it's a pretty rough time. It was a worrying experience since about a third of the people in the post office weren't bothering to wear masks...
lole kara
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
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Helped assemble soccer goals, and then disassemble them at the end of the day. I would have done it anyway, but it does count toward my volunteer hours of our soccer club. Setting them up is quite an effort, and there are weighted sandbags that need to be carried quite a distance. I traded jobs with someone who was struggling with more of the manual labor portion.
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Met someone new yesterday who turned out to be another passionate gardener. She obviously enjoyed the garden tour and I gave her a rare bi-colored tropical plant that she hadn't encountered before and fell in love with and a handful of seeds for a Moringa tree.
She also had a client that wanted a climbing vine that can take the Florida sun up on a rooftop gazebo and I was able to help with that as well.
(Red passionflower, easy, prolific and a butterfly magnet and host without destroying the plant.)
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A really small one:
I spotted a football behind my shed and put it on top of the wall adjoining my neighbor's yard so her kids can retrieve it. They probably thought it was lost so I'm glad to let them see it and take it back.
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Ordered curbside grocery pick up Friday evening and a sudden, hard rain shower started during my pick up time. The lady next to me and I both got out to help our delivery person put the groceries in our cars faster. None of the delivery people had rain gear as it was not expected that day. I noticed several other customers did not assist with their own groceries and it broke my heart a little for humanity.
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-helped with some invasive plant removal from our local trails
-checked in on a friend who is going through a rough time
-sent a recipe to friends who had requested them (herbed salsa verde--yum!)
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https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/02/well/family/random-acts-of-kindness.html?campaign_id=18&emc=edit_hh_20220908&instance_id=71411&nl=well®i_id=94642761&segment_id=105764&te=1&user_id=445628d7bc8521fc3194b496ed28efc8
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Nice article, thanks for sharing :-)
I've been short on good deeds lately since I haven't got much bandwidth right now, but someone did one for me yesterday: they reached out and asked if they could help out with some rides (since I don't have a car) for me or my parents after my mom's surgery. That was very thoughtful!
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@Dollar Slice —it’s also so nice to be on the receiving end from a kind deed :)
-Yesterday I saw that someone had left a bag of garbage outside of the shed and animals had torn it apart and spread the food waste everywhere. I managed to find some gloves and clean it up.
-heard about someone having a very hard time with covid-anxiety and popped them a note just to connect and check in
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Yesterday, I worked a shift at the Farmer's Market on behalf of a Community Board I'm on. I noticed the caricature artist was pretty slow, despite excellent overall traffic. However, as we were packing up to leave, I noticed he had a client.
Today, I was walking with my walking partner in the same area. We were on the other side of the street and noticed an odd-looking pile. On closer inspection, I recognized it as the artist's gear. His folding chair, easel, sketchbook, pastels, paints and other paraphernalia were strewn about. Some of it was in the gutter, which had a small amount of moisture in it, which, alas, sketchbook had soaked up. There was even a bag of food. I recognized it, because a few vendors had been passing out their leftovers among the other vendors at the end. I picked up the open chalk container and gathered all the strewn chalks into it. Then I picked up everything else and put it to rights as best I could. My friend called the people who operate the market, so hopefully, his things will be returned to him, assuming he's okay, which is not at all certain at this point. I hope he didn't get mugged. There's safety in numbers* and he was definitely not packing up when everyone else did.
*After a busy day, it's pretty obvious that a lot of vendors have piles of cash on them.
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Oh no, I hope he's OK :-( Give us an update if you find out!
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Shared the bounty of our Avocado tree with two of our neighbors.
Mr. R. harvested too and took a big brown paper grocery bag of Avocadoes to work to share. (always well received):)
Made my special (homemade - German) pancakes, with extra homemade whipping cream and cherries in Brandy for a friend who has too much to do and no time to cook. She's been stressing out a bit.
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@Rosy —a bag of avocados..what a dream!
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@Dicey - any updates on the artist? Fingers crossed everything was okay.
It was really rainy today (which, we desperately need, & I'm grateful for!), & I helped an elderly woman to the car with her groceries. It was a few trips, to and from the store covered area, and she was really appreciative.
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@Dicey - any updates on the artist? Fingers crossed everything was okay.
It was really rainy today (which, we desperately need, & I'm grateful for!), & I helped an elderly woman to the car with her groceries. It was a few trips, to and from the store covered area, and she was really appreciative.
Oh, boy. He's okay. Apparently he is "on the spectrum"* and simply walked away from his stuff. The Farmer's Market staff is required to clean up everything before they leave, so they dismantled his stuff and piled it on the sidewalk. I'm guessing passers-by messed with it a bit. By the end of the day when I saw it, everything was gone. I'm going to guess that the city sent someone out to clean it up, because piling it on a corner does not satisfy their requirement that the Farmer's Market staff leave nothing behind. IMO, the FM crew dropped the ball, but apparently they're having trouble finding staff these days... To clarify, a couple of blocks of city streets are closed off for the market, hence the requirement for full clean-up.
I have to guess he's done similar before and that his things can be relatively easily replaced. I just hoped he was okay and hated to see the waste of his materials and food ruined.
*Not my words. That's an actual quote.
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I gave up my seat on transit to a street person (or very close to a street person) who was holding her little dog and trying to manage a very large shopping bag. Way easier for me to stand than someone with a dog.
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Saw some folks on bikes who were confused at a trail intersection so I stopped to offer directions as one of them was biking off in the wrong direction from their intended destination :)
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We went on a river hike on this lovely fall day. I picked up trash on the way back (though I really wish people wouldn't litter in the first place).
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There was no one helping at the welcome table at church, so I volunteered.
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I was at a small event at my friend's art gallery... my friend was busy in the back office with a group of people, and I saw an older woman come in the front door using crutches. There were no seats left, and she just leaned on a windowsill rather than trying to ask someone for help. I went over to ask if she would like me to look for a chair for her, and she said that would be great. So I went back to the storage area and found one, carried it out and got it set up where she wanted to sit. (Backup plan was my friend who offered to give up his chair - but I was pretty sure there were more in the back.)
I also agreed to send out text message updates to all my mom's friends and selected favorite extended family members to let them know how she's doing post-op so they don't have to sit around wondering if she's OK or if it's too soon to text her/bother her in the hospital.
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I have to guess he's done similar before and that his things can be relatively easily replaced. I just hoped he was okay and hated to see the waste of his materials and food ruined.
*Not my words. That's an actual quote.
Ouch! I hope so, too.
@Serendip, thank you for sharing the article! That's just what we on this thread feel too-- sometimes there are little things we can do that can make a big difference to somebody else's life.
@pachnik and @Dollar Slice, thank you for offering a seat to those who needed it-- sometimes that can add a "spoon" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon_theory) back to a person who is low on reserves. @MaybeBabyMustache, same!
@Freedomin5 It's been so hard to find volunteers in the past year, so I'm sure that your help was well appreciated!
@elderflower100 in your honor, I'm going to remember to bring a bag to collect litter when I walk my daughter home from school today.
Hmm, for me... I've been helping a friend who has been taking an organic chemistry class for her nursing degree. She has been working hard, but sometimes the online software used for homework submission is cranky, so she needs a little reassurance and another head to help her figure out whether the problem is the software or her answers. I've seen her work her way up from a HS equivalency degree to this point, and I'm very proud of her!
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Oh, @Poundwise - love the way you are helping! Not mine, but I'm loving it. My husband speaks a moderately unusual language, and has helped our school district translate last minute communication for a family who recently moved to the area. My two sons speak very little of the same language, but have been able to help a school mate in class. They are taking an art class together, and while the student knows a lot of English, art terms are more complicated. My husband made them a list of terms they might be able to use together, and they are helping him about with instructions & projects. Teamwork!
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Managed to not cancel a previous commitment to help out at an event my friend was organizing tonight. Mom's surgery was yesterday and it was kind of up in the air whether I would have to cancel last minute. But the only helpers he had were elderly/infirm (they were doing things like selling tickets and merch), so he would have been doing 100% of the lifting and carrying and physical stuff himself if I didn't come. I managed to be there at the end for the cleaning up and getting everything broken down and put away by a curfew, which is probably the toughest part of the evening.
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My friend’s sister has cancer and has just undergone her third surgery in 3 years to remove the tumor. I told my friend about the book entitled Anti-Cancer, and she borrowed it from her library.
Teachers from DD’s wealthy international school were throwing away tons of imported English books because they were old and they had newer books — we’re talking about Scholastic and other well-known educational leveled books. I asked if I could take them all. My sister works for a school for orphans in Cambodia, so she and I spent about 3 hours on a video call sorting through the books. Good thing we did that, because one of the books was about refugees and included a photo of an orphan child from the Khmer Rouge period which would have been extremely triggering for the kids as some of those kids lost their parents in that conflict.
This past week, I mailed two big boxes of books to Cambodia. Cost ~USD$250, but honestly, the shipping costs are less than what it would cost to purchase the books new from the US. Plus, we saved 32kg of books from the landfill.
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Noticed a black purse in a shopping cart at the grocery store parking lot. No one else around. I took the purse back inside to the customer service desk and they thanked me. I hope it got reunited with its owner.
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Helping my neighbor who runs a cat sanctuary this weekend. She'd planned on selling her passion fruit jam at a free to her, local event, to spread the word and benefit her charity but it never happened because of hurricane Ian.
She was talking about setting up a table streetside. We are in a high-traffic area so it should do well.
I volunteered to help with the setup, get some colorful balloons, and convinced her to add her glass bottle wind chimes she made for another event.
Plus I offered to add some baby plants for sale and donate the proceeds.
If we still have Avocadoes from our tree this Saturday I can add a big bowl of them into the mix.
Fingers crossed it will go well.
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Love reading these updates!
-Helped an elderly neighbor repair her mop.
-Gave many rides to kids, to save parents time.
-Noticed folks looking for Halloween costumes on Buy Nothing, so went through all of ours, checked with the teens, and donated all of them. Double benefit of keeping things out of the trash. On a similar note, it's homecoming season here, so went through & found an old dressy clutch. Gave that away as well.
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Shared my Lindt chocolate with a coworker who was having a tough day.
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Spent the last week visiting my parents and doing some heavy firewood chopping/moving
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Some updates:
Yesterday I received, and planted in pots, 5 nuts from the local chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation (http://"https://acf.org"/). I don't have room for more than 1 or 2 chestnut trees, but I am giving 3 to a friend.
Unfortunately the squirrels ate all of my chestnut seedlings, and my friends' seedlings too! We'll try again next spring, this time with wire cages around the pots.
Speaking of unintended good deeds to squirrels and deer, I got a bunch of pawpaw fruits this week and shared them with several other people in a native plants group I joined. Hopefully we'll see lots of pawpaw trees growing around town: locally grown food!
A local mom is collecting Easter baskets for Ukrainian refugee children who are now in Poland, so I just found three pretty little baskets in my attic. My children and I will fill them and drop them off at her house. I generally think these collections of things are useless and burdensome when sent overseas, but she's Ukrainian and may know whom to send them to. Hopefully they arrive in time for Orthodox Easter.
Although I wasn't doing this for the feels, I did receive some amazing photos of the kids with the baskets! Unfortunately it looked like big kids were getting baskets with babyish toys and vice versa; if I have occasion to do something like this again I will label them with suggested ages.
Today I'm going to Costco to pick up supplies for the Midnight Run (https://midnightrun.org/) that my church is sponsoring soon. According to friends in Manhattan, the number of homeless is tremendous right now due to certain governors' irresponsible actions.
My goal this fall is to recruit volunteers. In every group I'm in, volunteering and donations are very down and need is up. I feel that in order to get through these rough times, we need more people coming together to contribute and build the pie, not people hunkering down and protecting their own slice.
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Noticed my neighbor's sprinkler system was leaking, while she was out of town. The teens & I headed over to her yard, sorted it out, & contacted her. (We help her out a lot, as she's elderly & on her own.)
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Helped someone get where they were going on the bus, she asked me a question about it and seemed extremely unfamiliar with the route so I made sure to point out the right stop when we got there.
I've been keeping an eye on vaccine news because I know two people who are allergic to mRNA vaccines who were hoping to get the Novavax booster when it was approved. It was approved today so I sent them notes as soon as it was announced. One of them wrote back immediately that they think they've found a place to get it tomorrow and are very relieved since they are going on a long flight in two weeks. (PSA in case anyone here knows someone in the same boat: Novavax is made in the same tried-and-true way as the previous generation of vaccines like shingles, hepatitis and HPV. So if someone reacted to mRNA vaccines or has a specific allergy to an ingredient in the Pfizer/Moderna vax, but has never reacted to a vaccine before - they can check with their doctor about getting Novavax instead.)
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Picked up some garbage on a walk and made an effort to ask a coworker about a housing situation..I am an introvert but am working on social engagement.
Also tried to helped my SO with a project right when he asked about it rather than put it off.
Here is a commencement speak advocating for kindness..I think that it’s a good fit for this thread
https://archive.nytimes.com/6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/31/george-saunderss-advice-to-graduates/
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I delivered a few groceries to a disabled person in need. With the cost of food skyrocketing, the number of people on disability that need a little help (especially toward the end of the month) is rising too.
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Gifted kale from the garden (and a mint plant) to folks that I work with.
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I was on a 2/3-full subway coming home from the doctor/errands today and when I saw a woman get on with a big armful of oversized flower arrangements and vases, I moved my bags off the seat next to me and offered her the extra space (two seats instead of just one) to put her things down. I figured she needed to put her flowers down more than my bags.
On the downside, she said something to me that I didn't catch 100% because of the train noise, but I heard something about "a celebration" so I gave her a big cheerful grin, and then my ears and brain caught up to each other and I realized she had told me she had just been to a celebration of life service and now she probably thinks I'm a psychopath. Whoops. I had a mask on, so maybe for the first time in my life I benefited from someone not seeing me smiling at them?
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I was on a 2/3-full subway coming home from the doctor/errands today and when I saw a woman get on with a big armful of oversized flower arrangements and vases, I moved my bags off the seat next to me and offered her the extra space (two seats instead of just one) to put her things down. I figured she needed to put her flowers down more than my bags.
On the downside, she said something to me that I didn't catch 100% because of the train noise, but I heard something about "a celebration" so I gave her a big cheerful grin, and then my ears and brain caught up to each other and I realized she had told me she had just been to a celebration of life service and now she probably thinks I'm a psychopath. Whoops. I had a mask on, so maybe for the first time in my life I benefited from someone not seeing me smiling at them?
Ha, that type of thing happens to us all! Still it was nice to do, and maybe she was distracted enough that she didn't notice the inappropriate grin.
Small thing I did: brownie mix and pasta were on sale so I picked up extra and dropped off to food drive.
Small thing I tried to do: I've been trying to help an acquaintance, a single mother facing eviction; I reached out to someone I know who works for the Assemblyman of the district where the acquaintance needing help lives. So we got somebody to call her, and hopefully help her find housing and maybe a job. But problems of that magnitude are not so easy to solve; she has personality issues which make it hard to stay housed and employed.
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Gave a bag of persimmons from my tree to a woman from my church. She loves persimmons and was thrilled.
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I randomly ran into a friend tonight who was saying that due to supply chain issues, she hadn't been able to get a very specific small toiletry item in time for her trip out of town next week. She'd been looking everywhere. I happened to have bought a big pack of them a few weeks ago and was carrying some in my bag, unopened. So I gave it to her to take on her trip. :-)
Small thing I tried to do: I've been trying to help an acquaintance, a single mother facing eviction; I reached out to someone I know who works for the Assemblyman of the district where the acquaintance needing help lives. So we got somebody to call her, and hopefully help her find housing and maybe a job. But problems of that magnitude are not so easy to solve; she has personality issues which make it hard to stay housed and employed.
That's a tough nut to crack. I had an acquaintance in a similar situation - she was sort of childlike (emotionally) and could be difficult to deal with, but she was a good person at heart. I can't imagine her ever managing to hold down a job. But they make it so tough to get qualified as "disabled" for something like that.
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Nice to read these updates, all attempts count 💚
Made a little care package for a distant relative who I heard was having some serious anxiety. There isn’t much I can do but figured it’s nice to be cared for, even from a distance.
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On my Buy Nothing group, someone was looking for an old phone for a food pantry. Dug out an option, and volunteered for the food pantry, because I've serendipitously been looking for one who needs consistent volunteers.
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Spent hours volunteering with the local conservation commission chopping down and removing invasive Phragmites, at a large brackish water pond. Three high school environmental science classes volunteered also. It was nice to see kids helping to keep the community lovely and learning why it was important to protect the ecosystem where they live. When science teachers give extra credit to motivate kids, it makes the community stronger. To top it off, a local environmental lawyer offered money to kids who stayed the longest, which kept 8 of them there till the invasive plants were eliminated.
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I love reading these.
Here is mine. We went to check on my parents during a power outage to see if they needed help with anything.
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Offered to help with directions today when I saw a woman and her elderly mother glancing around trying to figure out where they were. They actually were just out wandering and not completely lost but it felt nice to offer anyhow.
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Offered to help with directions today when I saw a woman and her elderly mother glancing around trying to figure out where they were. They actually were just out wandering and not completely lost but it felt nice to offer anyhow.
It's the thought that counts :-) People often don't like to ask for directions so it's nice to offer.
I offered to move my seat on the subway tonight so that some parents could sit with their kids - they needed five seats together, which is often hard to do.
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After I went to the farmer's market today, I went for a little walk around the neighborhood and happened to see an older woman by herself, looking around like she might be lost. I walked toward her to check and she asked me for directions. Her English wasn't great, but she said she was trying to get to the hospital to visit someone. There's this unfortunate thing where it looks really easy to cut through a park in my neighborhood to get to the hospital if you look at it on a map, but in reality you have to climb eight flights of rough stone stairs, and it's not obvious how to get across when you arrive at the park because it's kind of hidden in the trees. And we got all this rain last night and everything is covered in wet leaves, so I definitely didn't want to send an older woman up a million outdoor stairs. Anyway, I warned her about that and told her that she could also walk about 4-5 minutes south and catch a bus that would drop her one block from the hospital instead. So she did that. :-)
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Nice example from your preceding post, @Dollar Slice!
I spent the morning helping my daughter finish up gifts to deliver to veterans. Then we delivered a few of them today, though she got a bit tired of it. I restrained myself from getting cross when she started to get sulky, since after all she had completed and delivered way more than her fair share. She and another girl ended up doing all the deliveries for the entire troop since nobody else was available this weekend.
The one veteran who was home today seemed pleased. Hopefully the gifts brightened the day of a few vets when they got home.
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My friend and I are running a free parenting course through our church.
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Helped my 16 y.o. get signed up to volunteer at a food pantry, which he did for 3 hours yesterday. Teaching teens how to manage core activities for the first time is a life skill. Hopefully he'll manage on his own next time. I also signed up for a four hour shift on Friday.
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Nice job helping your kids do some volunteer work! I wish I'd had that sort of example as a kid. Although both of my parents had jobs that were "for the public good" type careers, it would have been good to see some kind of actual charitable works in my household.
I updated a flier in InDesign for a friend's non-profit project tonight.
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@Dollar Slice - I grew up helping at a homeless shelter. Once a month, my parents (and a couple of friends) would buy groceries for a meal, prep & serve the meal + clean up at the shelter. We did it for 10 or so years when I was around, and they continued on for another 10 years. The homeless shelter no longer allows the process, due to liability, but it was such a worthwhile experience. My parents both worked in public schools, and it was unusual for us to go when one of them didn't see a student from their school. My mom worked in an elementary school, and the kids were generally excited to see her. My dad worked in a high school, and that was much more difficult for everyone.
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Yesterday I went to spend the night in a nearby town with a friend who has a baby. Her partner left town for a week so she was hoping for company.
On the way back, as I was waiting for the bus a young man asked to borrow my phone..wifi wasn't working in the cafe & he had a phone from a different country so couldn't call his sister to come pick him up. Thankfully he finished his call just as my bus arrived :)
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Yesterday I went to spend the night in a nearby town with a friend who has a baby. Her partner left town for a week so she was hoping for company.
On the way back, as I was waiting for the bus a young man asked to borrow my phone..wifi wasn't working in the cafe & he had a phone from a different country so couldn't call his sister to come pick him up. Thankfully he finished his call just as my bus arrived :)
I'd be wary of handing my phone to a stranger. There's been reports of people who are hacker-types who manage to access your personal info including bank info. Hasn't happened to me or anyone I know but if someone were to ask, I'd tell them to let me make the call and then stand there while they talk to them.
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Dropped off a donation at the local resale shop that provides low cost vouchers to spay & neuter pets.
Purchased a calendar from a dog rescue organization.
Donated money to Big Dog Rescue which has been focused on helping homeless pets left at the border from migrants getting on buses and abandoning them. I didn't even realize that was a problem until I saw it on the news.
So in a nutshell all of my good deeds lately have been to benefit animals.
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I'd be wary of handing my phone to a stranger. There's been reports of people who are hacker-types who manage to access your personal info including bank info. Hasn't happened to me or anyone I know but if someone were to ask, I'd tell them to let me make the call and then stand there while they talk to them.
Oh interesting--yes I'm naturally wary, even when friendly. I dialed the number and just handed it to him for the conversation. Good to know about the scams out there, I'm sure there are many!
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We went to turn on the baseboards at our neighbours place. Temperatures have dropped and they aren't here to make sure pipes don't freeze.
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I'm dropping off a new heavy-duty XL sweatshirt to the Kiwanis donation box. They sponsor a clothing and gift card drive every year for older teens in foster care.
Many charities are running toy drive for little kids but teens are often at the bottom of the gift list so I'm glad to help out at least one of them.
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My 73-year-old mother called tonight and left a message saying she had some questions about buying things on eBay. Uh oh... haha. Turns out my brother did his usual Hanukkah "wish list" thing, which is that he gives out a list of things he's been unable to source for the last 12 months in the hopes someone else will be able to find them, and then my mom comes to me and is like "I can't find this anywhere!" Except in this case she was able to find it on eBay, but she didn't really know how eBay works.
Anyway, tldr, I just spent an hour hunting down a rare/sold-out-everywhere pair of blue Doc Martens in his size that can be here by next week at a reasonable price, and bought them with my mom's credit card and had them shipped to her house, and now she's finished her holiday shopping. They tell me it's for emergencies, like if they get in a car accident and I need to pay their bills or something, but in reality, my brother's Hanukkah list is why I am an authorized user on my parents' credit card.
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Was visiting my 98-year old friend yesterday for our usual Sunday-NYT-Crossword-on-Monday date. Over our usual grilled cheese sandwich and popcorn lunch, she said she wanted to show me something.
It seems she received a credit card in the mail that she thought was a scam. Turns out it's a "CA Middle Class Rebate" and apparently legit, but she wanted a paper check, not a booby-trapped debit card. A Google search led to an article which said it could be converted to a paper check I called the number on the paperwork multiple times, but no option lead to a human voice. She got the idea to call our State Assemblyperson. I did and a nice person actually picked up the phone. She verified my friend's info, then emailed us a form to be filled out and returned. We went upstairs (!) to my friend's desktop to complete the forms and noticed her lovely white Apple keyboard was grimy with smudges. I unplugged it, took it downstairs and cleaned it until it looked brand-new.
I don't know if our efforts will result in the desired check, but I'm counting the keyboard clean-up as a good deed.
Afterwards, we both climbed into her garage attic (yes, she's 98!) and brought down her Christmas tree and a box of decorations. We moved her dining room table together to make room for the tree. I noticed the legs were wobbly, so I crawled under the table. As she lifted each corner, I tightened the wing nuts. From that vantage point, I could see a burned out bulb in the DR light fixture. She knew exactly where in the garage she had another, so she got it and I replaced it.
Finally, we completed our puzzles.
I felt really useful today.
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@Dicey I can only hope to be that spry and “with it” at 98!
My friend’s son is in the same class as DD. Both my friend and his son were deemed close contacts and put in 5 days mandatory home quarantine (even though their NATs are negative). Son was very very sad to miss the class Christmas party. My DD was also deemed a close contact and forced to stay home. I stopped by her school and picked up a goodie bag for DD and friend’s son, then biked over to their place to drop it off to give the poor kid a bit of joy this holiday season.
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I donated some multipack toothpastes and a detergent to a church’s food bank box.
I got new addresses for 2 folks who moved away this year so we can exchange Christmas cards. Old fashioned, I know. :)
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I got new addresses for 2 folks who moved away this year so we can exchange Christmas cards. Old fashioned, I know. :)
Not too old-fashioned! :-) I wasn't going to bother this year because I've been having health issues this month and am just exhausted... but I had already bought some cards and scrounged up a few ounces of energy to send to just a few people who I thought could use a pick-me-up: two semi-recent widows; a friend who just started chemo after they discovered cancer while he was undergoing unrelated surgery; a friend who had major surgery recently after many months of serious pain; and a friend struggling with serious mental health issues. A card isn't much, but it's something, and it always brightens your day to get something pretty and handwritten in the mail.
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I agree. Getting cards in the mail is a bit of a pick me up. This year I seem to have sent a few more than usual
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I'm doing twelve days of Christmas gifts for my 98 year old friend. Except for a few edibles, everything has been sourced very economically because. I look for things all year long and stash them away. She doesn't mind if the treasures are thrifted. I drop a wrapped package at her doorstep every day and dash off so she can find it later. I'm having a blast doing it.
It occurs to me some background is in order here. Every year I make her a giant, shrink wrapped gift basket, which she waits until Christmas to open. This year her family did Christmas very early, so I decided to switch it up. She still has the empty basket, so I asked her to put it under the tree and fill it up as she open her gifts (Holiday-themed gifts are given first, so she can enjoy them now.) This meant I had to wrap everything individually, but I have plenty of supplies on hand.
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I donated a new toy to a little six year old girl whose mother recently passed away and she is being raised by her Aunt. I don't know for sure, but it almost sounded like the family of an indigenous woman that was murdered in our city recently. Anyway, I hope it brightens the little girl's Christmas a tiny bit.
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This morning I walked a handicapped neighbor's dog, later I helped another neighbor find her phone. In the afternoon I put together a different neighbor's new heater that she had just about given up on. Now it's time to walk that dog again.
A few days ago I got a call from yet another neighbor that she had fallen and gone to emergency and they were letting her go home but no taxi would come for her. So I picked her up.
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This morning I walked a handicapped neighbor's dog, later I helped another neighbor find her phone. In the afternoon I put together a different neighbor's new heater that she had just about given up on. Now it's time to walk that dog again.
A few days ago I got a call from yet another neighbor that she had fallen and gone to emergency and they were letting her go home but no taxi would come for her. So I picked her up.
❤️
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My 73-year-old mother called tonight and left a message saying she had some questions about buying things on eBay. Uh oh... haha. Turns out my brother did his usual Hanukkah "wish list" thing, which is that he gives out a list of things he's been unable to source for the last 12 months in the hopes someone else will be able to find them, and then my mom comes to me and is like "I can't find this anywhere!" Except in this case she was able to find it on eBay, but she didn't really know how eBay works.
Anyway, tldr, I just spent an hour hunting down a rare/sold-out-everywhere pair of blue Doc Martens in his size that can be here by next week at a reasonable price, and bought them with my mom's credit card and had them shipped to her house, and now she's finished her holiday shopping. They tell me it's for emergencies, like if they get in a car accident and I need to pay their bills or something, but in reality, my brother's Hanukkah list is why I am an authorized user on my parents' credit card.
This really made me lauch. And, Doc Martens are really having a resurgence! I should have kept my green ones, from my college in Seattle phase. ;-)
I attended a meeting for the advisory board I serve on, and helped out with some food bank admin work. Also gave rides to a far away school soccer game, saving other parents time.
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Helped someone learn how to carry their skis properly.
I live in a ski town so often see people who look likely to hurt themselves or others. Normally I let people do what they choose but occasionally it seems like a helping hand (and micro-lesson) might be appreciated.
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Dropped off 2 large containers of laundry pods to the animal rescue organization. They seemed so happy and said everything helps. I can't adopt a pet, but hopefully, this helped their cause a bit.
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I helped an elderly neighbor on the ice today. She had taken her recycling bin down to the end of her driveway but couldn't make it back up. Because of the ice and the slight incline her cane was slipping. Recipe for disaster. Anyway, I just happened to be taking my bin out at the same time, so I called to her to wait and I would help her. The street is glare ice, but I managed to cross it and help her up her driveway to where it was clear of ice.
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@Prairie Gal --that could've been a hip-saver! Falls on ice can be so dangerous for elderly folks.
Tried to make friendly chat with a fellow who was (perhaps inadvertently) showing bad-form by breaking line protocols at the ski hill. He was a visitor and it can be easy to get annoyed but I took a few breaths and worked on being relaxed about it.
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I picked up a fallen receipt from the floor of a public hallway.
Giving my gatos 🐱 some catnip for their enjoyment. We’ve gone treatfree due to bellies that wobble to and fro.
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Held the door for multiple people multiple times while waiting at the post office. Baby strollers, people with walkers, it was a great good-deed gig while it lasted :)
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I encouraged my formerly-internetless, now has-a-smartphone-but-still-isn't-good-at-the-internet friend to go to the library and get a new card with a PIN number on it - he had an account from a million years ago with no e-mail address or PIN associated with it, which meant he couldn't sign up for any of their online services, which give you a ton of great freebies in NYC. He did that this week and I was able to get him signed up for the online Culture Pass and get him a free ticket to a play he's been really excited to see (I'm not really into theater, but apparently it won a Pulitzer and is a pretty hot ticket). The cheapest of the cheap seats are $70, so he was thrilled to get it for free. :-)
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@Dicey, you must bring so much light to the life of your 98 year old friend!!
@oldladystache, you are the MVP of your neighborhood!
Too many updates to recognize all individually, but thank you to everyone here for weaving the fabric of a more loving, giving, society!
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I helped a friend with a novel shopping idea!
My friend invited me out for dinner before she is traveling overseas this week. She’s had a terrible lingering cough since Christmas and has visited every CVS in town for a certain OTC drug to take on this trip. I suggested she try the Walgreens down the street after dinner and lo and behold, success! In our town CVS has a stronghold but Walgreens came through!
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I've been trying to do more frequent small calls and check-ins. Asked if my nephew (he is 5yrs) was able to FaceTime and he was delighted with the chance for an impromptu 'play'.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/02/well/phone-call-happiness-challenge.html
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I've been trying to do more frequent small calls and check-ins. Asked if my nephew (he is 5yrs) was able to FaceTime and he was delighted with the chance for an impromptu 'play'.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/02/well/phone-call-happiness-challenge.html
Love this! Thanks for the link.
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Found an item obviously forgotten by it's owner in a bit of distraction - made sure it got to the appropriate lost & found location where they'd be most likely to check.
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Got some great coupons in the mail for Dunkin Donuts, somehow they gave us two - so I saved them for my busy young friend who loves their coffee.
Gave a friend a brand new top that I'd ordered online but did not fit me. Looked great on her and she was thrilled with it.
Made sure to meet the deadline for a local donation so the funds would be doubled by a generous donor.
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Dropped off some groceries to a single Mom with three little kids. It was all extra stuff I had on hand from a visit from DS and his family, so I was happy it could go to use.
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Tomorrow I'll be gifting a lamp I don't need to a younger person getting their first apartment. Last weekend I volunteered with a hiking organization where sighted people like me help blind people go hiking by talking them through any upcoming obstacles or changes in elevation.
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Two online friends recently lost their spouse. I find it always a little awkward to know the proper etiquette, as I don't have their addresses, and we've never met iRL. But, tracked down addresses & sent sympathy cards & a small gift for a meal.
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I noticed my 98 year old friend didn't have a lot of fresh vege in her fridge. Sam's Club sells small-ish* bagged salad kits s for under $2.50. I bought three different kinds and dropped them off to her yesterday. She eats like a bird, so she will be eating two salads a day for the next week.
*They're still generously sized, just small compared to the Costco behemoths, which she could never consume before it spoiled.
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That's lovely, @Dicey
Yesterday, I was able to fulfill two "In Search Of - ISO" asks on Buy Nothing. For just a few minutes of my time, searching around for things we had but hadn't used in a while, I was able to save some folks some money. I give away a lot on BN, but being able to fulfill an ISO is my favorite. Two in a day is a big win!
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That's lovely, @Dicey
Yesterday, I was able to fulfill two "In Search Of - ISO" asks on Buy Nothing. For just a few minutes of my time, searching around for things we had but hadn't used in a while, I was able to save some folks some money. I give away a lot on BN, but being able to fulfill an ISO is my favorite. Two in a day is a big win!
Do you follow @Tami1982's journal? Her BN giveaways are inspirational. Kindred spirits...
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Love reading these thoughtful gestures.
Nothing big happening here
-helped some folks find their destination (they were glancing around in obvious confusion)
-hit the door-opening button at the library for a mom with her arms full of children
&
-reached out to a friend with a knee injury to try to arrange something outdoors which won't require walking
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Great work everyone!
I saw an elderly friend last night at a concert who is always in a hurry to get home, but likes having someone to go home with (walk to the subway/ride on the train) and we live on the same train line. I ran into another friend leaving the show and stopped to say a quick hello - and she left without me. So my good deed was speed-walking as fast as I could to catch up to her (she is quite slow due to her hip pain). And I really thought I had done it - I saw her on the other side of the street, passed her, crossed the street ahead of her to wait for her to catch up - and then she was gone?? I waited and she never came. I thought maybe she decided to take a different train, so I gave up and went to our usual subway. And then two minutes later she showed up and said "How did you get here before me??" Not exactly sure what happened! But we were able to ride most of the way home together and had a nice talk. I have to take a different train in order to ride with her instead of the one that is most convenient for me, but it's not that far of a walk so I don't mind when the weather is nice.
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My pet peeve is when people leave grocery carts strewn around the lot, particularly when they are blocking spots. I managed to return two today, including one that was blocking not one, but two parking spots. It's the little things. :-)
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I helped a lady navigate the DIY parking kiosk in a DC suburb this morning in the rain.
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My pet peeve is when people leave grocery carts strewn around the lot, particularly when they are blocking spots. I managed to return two today, including one that was blocking not one, but two parking spots. It's the little things. :-)
That’s annoying when people do that. A few years ago I did a landscaping job in the parking lot islands around the parking lot of a grocery store and I’d be working on a two-parking-space sized island wheelbarrowing in and out material, planting shrubs and installing irrigation and literally while I was working in that space people would walk over and push their empty cart right into the middle of the landscaping I’m redoing and leave it there right in my way instead of walking it 10 more steps to return it to the cart area. Nearly lost the last shreds of hope I have for humanity doing that job.
Anyway, came here to post that the other day I found a company credit card in a store parking lot, looked up the name of the guy on the card and found the business he owned was a few min away so I drove it over to him
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@JAYSLOL - that is super disappointing that people would do that. But, I see it all the time. I remember my mom sighing under her breath when I was little, and muttering about people thinking they are better than other folks, when not returning their carts. It's stuck with me, and I likewise make sure the kids know to not only return our carts, but offer to take others, or pick up an extra stray on their way to the cart return.
That is awesome that you tracked down the missing credit card owner. I'm sure they were relieved.
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I was at a big grocery store yesterday, and it was one of these urban stores that has most of the store in the basement for real estate reasons... the down escalator was working but after you did all your shopping and had a full basket of food it turned out that both the elevator and up escalator were broken. Which is maddening for a lot of reasons (can't you reverse the down escalator?). Several of us less-abled folks were gathered by the elevator waiting when someone came by to tell us it wasn't working, and instead of offering to help schlep groceries up the double-floor-height escalator, they left us to our own devices. So I flagged down an employee to at least help the elderly lady with a cane who was trying to haul her groceries up by herself. I also wrote a note to the store with some suggestions as to handle this situation better next time, e.g., try stationing someone at the bottom offering to help instead of having a small group of 20-something-year-old employees standing at the bottom watching while little old ladies struggle, which is what they were doing >:-[
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A friend of mine has been trying to fill a container to send to refugees in Idlib, Syria. I drove a car full of old medical equipment (like walkers, wheelchair, blood pressure monitors, etc.) to her and also corralled a bunch of Girl Scouts to help her pack toiletry bags. There are 2.8 million refugees there, so it's a drop in the bucket, but it's not nothing. Plus, the Scouts learned something and they had a great discussion about refugees afterwards.
Yesterday, I was recycling my old toner and ink cartridges when I overheard an older lady in Staples was horrified at the cost of ink cartridges. I offered her my recycling reward, but alas, I didn't realize that there was a wait so I didn't have a reward to give. However, she hadn't heard of this program so she thought she would recycle a bunch of her old cartridges and get the rewards later.
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@Poundwise wow—2.8 million refugees in Syria? The mind boggles.. wonderful that you are helping with any amount.
Picked up some plastic while walking home—I’m always concerned that wild animals will try to eat wrappers/etc..
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Sent a donation equal to one month's expenses to help Syrian earthquake victims. Granted, our expenses aren't really that high here in China, so it's not as impressive as if I were a spendypants non-Mustachian.
Also will be dropping off a bag of clothing and medical supplies for earthquake victims in Turkey. Our compound has started a collection.
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Still impressively generous, @Freedomin5 !!
@Serendip yes, I had to check up on the 2.8 million refugee figure but that seems to be the number in Idlib alone (https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2021/05/13/the-coming-crisis-in-idlib/), not just Syria.
My good deeds for the week...
-Day before yesterday, I told social media friends that I was collecting supplies for earthquake victims (10 minutes, small and easy)
- Yesterday, I answered the door whilst friends dropped off new socks, diapers, feminine products, etc. that they had bought (easier yet for me, the friends are the ones who did the good deeds)
- Today, I picked up a sack of blankets and sleeping bags that someone else collected (5 minutes on my part) and went to a decluttering forum I belong to, and posted info about collections happening in several states (10 minutes of my time, and I feel very pleased with myself for this brainwave)
Tomorrow is the hard part: I'm driving a van full of supplies up to the Boston area to a collection point for Syrian refugees, since my usual contact has Covid and can't drive it herself. I'm beginning to feel anxious... what if the dropoff point is not open? I guess I had better make sure before I drive 3 hours.
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Wow. I'm inspired by these efforts @Poundwise & @Freedomin5 and will find somewhere to make a donation--I heard about the White Helmets but need to read up on that organization.
Recent, if totally facile good deed compared to the earthquake/refugee crisis, was to take a visitor up into the mountains. It can be a bit overwhelming when people are new to the area so I took an aquaintance for a ski day in a blustery storm and he was over-the-moon to get some local knowledge of the area.
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@Serendip don't belittle your good deed! It was a kind and unlooked-for deed that made another person very happy.
To be honest, my driving the stuff up to the dropoff point took me only about a half hour or so out of my way, which is why I volunteered to do it. I had to drive up to Boston anyway with a big empty van to pick up stuff, so I thought I may as well take a load up with me and be efficient. So for about an hour of effort on my part (not counting all the effort by my friends to collect and buy stuff), I was able to bring supplies to people who really need them. Or at least hopefully they will arrive a month sooner than they would have if they waited for my friend to get better and bring them up.
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I agree - @Serendip, you did great! Also, I had an extra-self-serving good deed this weekend of buying homemade cupcakes to support my local community association. They are trying to build up their financial reserves after so long of getting no community hall booking fees during the height of the pandemic, and were hosting a Valentine's Day cupcake fundraiser. I was happy to help with that one!
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Nice job everyone!
This week I helped a friend research something for a trip he's taking - he asked me since he thought I might have some access to info that he didn't due to my social circle/social media reach.
I also stuck around for a few extra minutes waiting with an elderly friend who was going to take the city bus home, just to keep him company and make sure the bus came in a reasonable amount of time and didn't leave him standing on the street for half an hour. We got to catch up a little. I found out his wife and I are having the exact same set of MRIs done this month, two weeks apart - what are the odds. I just had mine done so I gave some advice in case she's anxious about them like I was.
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Wow. I'm inspired by these efforts @Poundwise & @Freedomin5 and will find somewhere to make a donation--I heard about the White Helmets but need to read up on that organization.
I have two great links from people I trust: One says,
"As a starting place, I would encourage donors to look at groups that are not working with the Syrian government. It isn't that anyone would wish Syrians trapped in Assad-controlled areas (most of the country) to be without aid. Rather, it is the unfortunate reality that your donation may not (likely will not) reach the intended vulnerable people. There are articles and reports dating back more than a decade documenting Assad's theft of foreign aid. Also, the earthquake struck near Idlib, which holds 3 million Syrian refugees who are not under Assad's control. Aid organizations are already in this area and the money donated to them can be deployed and monitored with greater transparency. The American Coalition for Syria has circulated a list of 15 organizations they recommend for these reasons: "
https://www.sacouncil.com/how_to_help_earthquake_victims
Here's another list of trusted orgs and individuals that have worked around the barriers to aid in northern Syria for years and know how to navigate them now:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MzBlziy7Ejy5Lp_WJ55MdTSpY_q2qMuFww4FBHma9Wk/htmlview
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thanks for that @Poundwise --I read through it and made a donation :)
Someone gave me two caramel apples (individually wrapped) from a fancy chocolate place so I took one to work and left it in the staff-room with a note saying anyone who was in need of a Valentines Day treat could help themselves -- it was gone by the end of my shift so hoping it gave a little boost to someone.
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Someone did an unexpected good deed for me today :)
I was skiing, riding the chairlift with some young guys--they were heading down early for work and asked me if I wanted their food vouchers. They each had one for $17, so $34 altogether.
I never eat on the mountain. So I went and had coffee & a chocolate croissant and picked up a bag of gummy bears for my touring bag and then found out I could save the other voucher for another day.
An unexpected treat and good mountain karma to those kids!
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Someone on the ski-hill had a doozy of a crash (lost a ski and both poles) and was sliding downhill head-first. I was coming from the uphill direction so I managed to fetch all the belongings and ski them down to him. Thankfully no injuries ("only his pride" he said) but it would've been really difficult for him to get back up the slope to get his things.
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I was at a big midtown Manhattan grocery store today with a very elaborate line system at the cashiers (I think it was designed by someone who got fired from the DMV - there are like ten lines and you have to wait to get called up by numbers flashing on monitors over the line you're in, and go to the cashier corresponding to that number). There was a couple near me who were clearly confused about how it worked - they went to a cashier and had to return to the line because they had gone to the wrong place. So I kept an eye on them and when they got called up I noticed that they were just standing there not moving and hadn't seen their number coming up, so I flagged them down and pointed them at the correct cashier. Successful grocery check-out for them, and their (long) line didn't get delayed by them missing a cycle.
I also went to a museum exhibit with a friend that, for whatever reason, was very crowded with an exceptionally high average age... tons of canes and wheelchairs and generally way too many people. So I did my absolute best to be very considerate of where any people with disability were, letting people using wheelchairs in front so they had a better viewing angle, making sure we weren't getting in the way of anyone with a mobility aid, and making sure my somewhat-hard-of-seeing companion wasn't about to bump into anyone, since he has very bad peripheral vision. A little exhausting, I was happy when we finished that exhibit and went into one that wasn't so crowded. Sometimes I think there are too many people in this city :-P
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I picked up some formula for a single Mom of a newborn and delivered it to her. Something more to that story, I think, as she said she had begged her Mom to help, but she was too busy, and now wasn't answering her phone. Whatever. Not my circus, not my monkeys. At least the baby has formula for a few days.
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brought my neighbor's trash and recycling cans in today. It's supposed to be a *small* act of kindness, right?
Also riding along to a doctor's appointment with a good friend today. She has a lot going on and is overwhelmed, so just using the time in the car to lend a supportive ear.
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Went out skiing with someone who is learning. She asked for tips and it was a bit slow-going but otherwise kindof fun :)
I only learned myself within the last decade (was a snowboarder before)--so it feels good to pass on the help that others generously gave me.
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-Found a debit card under a car in the parking lot. I got down on the ground & pulled it out. Dropped it off at the lost & found
-I continue my practice of returning my own cart, and whenever possible, another cart nearby, at the grocery store
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Coming home tonight on the subway, I noticed the guy sitting across from me had a very grumpy face on - not your usual "don't talk to me, I'm a New Yorker" thing, but like "WHOA, look out! Major grump incoming!" Then he started blowing on the back of his hand and I saw he was bleeding pretty good from what looked like a gouged knuckle. His hand was kind of red, I guess he'd fallen or had some kind of accident and whacked it on something.
I always have half a pharmacy in my bag - lots of OTC meds, masks, sanitizer, and of course band-aids. He had noise-canceling headphones on, so I didn't try to talk to him, but just leaned over and wordlessly offered a band-aid to him. He accepted and thanked me and put it on (and it stopped bleeding everywhere). I actually saw a little smile on his face afterwards. Glad I could make his night a little easier :-)
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@Dollar Slice THAT was a great small good deed! That man needed to know that there is kindness in the world!
I've been home sick for a couple of weeks and not interacting much with people, so not much chance to do anything. Well, yesterday I was walking home from dropping off my daughter at school, when I saw a loose grocery bag blowing around. I didn't want to touch anything dirty and was going to let it blow, but then I changed my mind, walked back for it, and picked up some loose litter. Then washed my hands.
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@Dollar Slice - what a lovely & small moment, that likely brightened his day a bit. Love it!
Offered to bring home the lost & found gym clothes, wash them & give them away on BN, vs letting them get tossed (after 12 months in the lost & found). The people picking up the random workout clothes (now clean, of course), are thrilled. There were some nice items. I'm happy perfectly good clothes didn't get tossed out.
I also offer a lot of carpool rides, particularly on Fridays, when my schedule is most flexible. I know how hard it is to be a parent, and juggle kid activities & pickups, so whenever I already have to be at the school early (a tennis match, today), I sign up to pick up additional kids.
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Today I gave a tourist in my town directions to where they needed to go. It felt good to help!
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I was on a bus route today that seemed to be populated by about 60% older ladies, and I noticed that for some reason the disability/elderly seating on one side was in the 'up' position (usually only done when there is a wheelchair passenger there, but in this case there was just some middle-aged guy standing there holding some bags). I didn't know if a wheelchair passenger had just gotten off, and this guy was standing in the way and people were too polite to tell him to move - or if the seat was stuck - or what... but it was stressing me out more and more as one after the other all these tottering elderly folks were getting on the bus and all the available seating was taken up at the front of the bus. Finally the bag-holding guy left and there was not a single seat available in the front third of the bus, and the bus stopped and this wobbly elderly woman was getting on the bus and I thought "I have to at least try, I can't believe all these people are just sitting here watching."
So I dashed up to the front and yanked on the lever - of course it was stuck. Figures - everyone else wasn't being a jerk after all. But after a few seconds of wrestling with it, I got it to work and got the seats folded down in time for the nice lady to sit down. Hilariously and unexpectedly, several people cheered - I guess they, like me, had been sitting there silently stressing about it the whole time, too. "Yay, you got it!!" "How did you get it to work??" etc. I think someone else must have tried before I got on and couldn't get it to work, so the bus passengers had given up as a collective.
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@draco44 --it's an easy and satisfying thing to do. And everyone can use directions from time to time :)
@Dollar Slice You probably inspired that entire bus to try to be helpful in the future! Or in this case..try harder!
I saw some young guys discussing what to do about a broken binding (on a snowboard) and they were obviously choose to ignore it since I ended up going up the lift with them. But the one pulled a gigantic screw out of his pocket (which has come from the binding) so it was obviously very unstable. He mentioned a repair place that might help him fix it so I interjected and told them about a place which was significantly closer. They were very appreciative.
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I went to a jazz club tonight with some friends, and the three of us were at the front of the line to get in when doors opened. I noticed that the fourth person in line was a young woman who I don't know, but I had sat next to her at a concert earlier this week, so I recognized her (we hadn't talked but did the "is this seat next to you available?" thing).
When the doors opened and we all went inside I realized that she had disappeared somehow and wasn't in the room - there's a glass wall next to the door where you pay to get in, and when I looked over I could see she was sitting on a bench outside, reading a book. Weird. I went back out and asked her if everything was OK, and it turned out that she had wanted to pay with cash and they didn't have change for her fifty dollar bill, so they were going to make her wait outside until some other customer happened to come along and pay with the exact bills they needed to give her in return (which was not guaranteed, tickets are $20 and everyone just pays with a $20). I happened to have some small bills in my wallet, so I made the change necessary and got her into the club without her having to sit outside and wait. She got a front row seat next to me instead of losing her spot in line :-) It turns out she's a music fan visiting from almost 10,000 miles away, so I'm glad I could avoid her having a bad experience at a NYC jazz club! She won't have many chances to be here.
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Awww, Slicey, you're killing it! Love these stories.
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Awww, Slicey, you're killing it! Love these stories.
Update: saw jazz club traveler again tonight, introduced her to my friends, linked on social media, told her to let me know next time she visits New York. 👍
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Gave a potted plant of tulips and a birthday card to a widowed neighbor who turned 80. We don't usually interact much but she gave me a big hug.
It's a milestone birthday and I'm glad I was able to help her make it more fun.
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Awww, Slicey, you're killing it! Love these stories.
Update: saw jazz club traveler again tonight, introduced her to my friends, linked on social media, told her to let me know next time she visits New York. 👍
Such a great connection—I bet you made her trip!
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@LaineyAZ —it’s so nice to feel celebrated and seen. I bet she really appreciated the gesture!
Last week I was speaking with a somewhat anxious coworker and told her some of the things I do to make paying taxes less stressful (how I have my banking setup to make it seamless & easy to do instalments throughout the year, etc..also sub accounts and other things for saving).
Today she told me she has already switched hers over to do the same & was also telling others about it. Some said they would love to start a financial club (similar to a bookclub) since they feel overwhelmed. It was nice to start the conversation since they are all young women trying to set themselves up for success in a HCOL area on modest incomes.
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That's great, Serendip. I've often wished I could do some friend-level financial advising/discussions but it can be really difficult to get into that with people. I see people I know making really bad choices sometimes, and it hurts! I make helpful comments when it feels appropriate, but there's only so much you can do unless they really want help and are motivated to change.
Today's good deed: there was a young man (looked about 16 but I hope he wasn't that young!) carrying a really heavy box, like a microwave or something, down the subway escalator. It seemed really precarious and unsafe, like he was barely managing it. He rested it on the handrail and it lurched a couple of times. He had some paperwork that was taped to it - I wasn't sure if he was supposed to be delivering it somewhere or if he'd just purchased it (it was in midtown Manhattan and it was in kind of an underground complex where there's both shops and a subway station right below a big shopping mall).
In the process of resting it on the handrail, the taped paperwork somehow transferred itself into being taped to the moving handrail on the escalator... which I noticed just in time, and managed to grab about 15 inches before it got sucked under the escalator mechanism. I was carrying groceries but managed to get it with my other hand and catch up to him (not hard, he was really huffing and puffing with that heavy box) to give it back. Not sure if it was important or not, but if nothing else, at least it didn't jam up the escalator.
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@Serendip I DREAM of being able to give financial advice that is actually taken! Good work and I hope that the women go through with setting up the club!
@Dollar Slice, I love your subway deeds! Sometimes I feel that peak misanthropy happens on public transit so anything we can do to bring kindness there is good.
This week I participated in an invasive weeds cleanup, led another Girl Scouts meeting, and gave some nice furniture and housewares (high end, and with sentimental value, so that it slightly hurt to give it away) to a family whose home had burned. I also gave cookies and hot dogs to my slow-learning-disability friend, who stopped by.
I've been feeling very blah and unproductive, but now that I look at what I did in a week, I don't feel so bad!
I had a fail in trying to bring an Easter basket and plate of Easter dinner to a single (very low income) mom and her son. I tried to get in contact with them in the morning but no answer, and by the time she responded on Tuesday it was too late for the food and she also didn't want us to bring the candy because of her son's ADHD. I guess I'll try to bring her some dinner this weekend, since it was also her birthday this week.
I don't think it's a pride thing, but she's a very hard person to help. I don't know her very well, but she lives in a single rented room with her 12 year old son, subsisting on less than $1000/month that her son's father sends her (the dad is also very low income.) Her landlord has been trying to evict her for over a year. I tried to put her in contact with social services but she somehow cannot avail herself of them; she seems to have mental illness that prevents her from holding down a job or effectively advocating for herself. This is not an easy fix. I feel bad because I know several people who all have trouble taking care of themselves, but caring for them would take substantial money and time, like adopting a special needs child. So sometimes I give them cookies or food, because that's all I can commit to.
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I'm sure those people appreciate your efforts, Poundwise, even if you aren't totally fixing their problems 100%. (I don't think anyone would really expect that of you!) It's often the case that people who struggle the most are struggling for very good reasons, their life is messed up because they are a mess (mentally and/or physically) and it's hard to help them because they are hard people to help.
My good deed this week: my parents got a new refrigerator which they mostly really like, but it is very modern with a brightly lit touch screen with a little too much information and excitement every time you get a glass of water out of the water filter - including playing a cheery little song. So I figured out how to turn off the jaunty digital musical accompaniment every time you pour yourself some water. Peace reigns again in the Senior Slicey house.
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@Dollar Slice, that is a huge service!!! I hate the noise pollution of the musical tones from microwaves, washing machines, dishwasher, cell phones.....you name it. Those jingles drive me nuts.
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I volunteered at an Earth Day event today teaching kids about stream monitoring and macroinvertebrate sampling. They liked learning about bugs.
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@Dollar Slice, that is a huge service!!! I hate the noise pollution of the musical tones from microwaves, washing machines, dishwasher, cell phones.....you name it. Those jingles drive me nuts.
Lol, me, too! Also on my list is keyboard clatter. Why do they have to be noisy?
ETA: Hmmm, I'd better add a good deed to stay on topic: At the thrift shop where I volunteer, someone periodically makes a meal for everyone to enjoy. I ate the last of it, so returned the clean* dishes to their house on my way home.
* I fully intended to clean them myself, but when I went to the kitchen to do so, someone else was just finishing it up. Nice.
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@Dollar Slice, that is a huge service!!! I hate the noise pollution of the musical tones from microwaves, washing machines, dishwasher, cell phones.....you name it. Those jingles drive me nuts.
Lol, me, too! Also on my list is keyboard clatter. Why do they have to be noisy?
ETA: Hmmm, I'd better add a good deed to stay on topic: At the thrift shop where I volunteer, someone periodically makes a meal for everyone to enjoy. I ate the last of it, so returned the clean* dishes to their house on my way home.
* I fully intended to clean them myself, but when I went to the kitchen to do so, someone else was just finishing it up. Nice.
@Dicey and Slicey (LOL), when my son was about 13months old, my father came to stay with him so I could attend a conference. When I returned home, he filled me in on their adventures and let me know he fixed all of his toys. I asked what he meant and he told me that he put batteries in all of them. I almost cried. I had deliberately left them out so he would use his imagination and not have annoying jingles and "fake" truck sounds! My dad was so proud of himself for taking such good care of his grandson!
Anyway, on topic:
Had a phone conversation with a friend of a friend regarding an upcoming medical procedure with which I unfortunately have personal and professional experience. Spent about an hour offering personalized advice for recovery, etc. Hopefully made a new friend.
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I was standing in line at a busy Subway and a mom with two toddlers was in front of me. The kids were bouncing off the walls literally, grabbing cups, etc. They ran off toward the bathroom out mom's sight and she yells toward them don't make me lose my place in line. I told her go ahead and go find them, I'll save your spot. I could tell she appeared to be a stay at home mom and I was on my lunch break, but I told her go ahead I'll hold your spot. Poor woman was ordering food for the kids, herself and her husband, but she thanked me profusely for being kind and I could tell she was just worn out. It's the little things that can make a difference in someone's day. Although, I will say I'm thankful we're DINK....I don't think I could handle toddlers of my own.
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...I don't think I could handle toddlers of my own.
Same! Sometimes standing back and letting the toddler people sweep through is the best thing you can do. ;-)
Today I wrote a really heartfelt note of thanks to an organization that helped me out this year when I was feeling really low. I hope it makes them realize how much their work is appreciated.
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Picked up some litter while walking home, including a nail that was in the middle of a road.
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I saw a woman with a big suitcase and two kids under 5 y.o. in the train concourse standing and sort of turning in a circle looking around like she couldn't figure out where she was supposed to go. (Poor signage strikes again.) So I stopped and asked if she needed help. She was looking for a specific elevator, something I'm a subject-matter expert in after I had foot surgery a few years ago, so it was no problem giving her directions.
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I was able to help my (elderly) neighbor with some tech challenges. Loaned her a new mouse, and sent her a recommendation for a replacement. I've also been trying to make more time for casual chats with her, as I know she really appreciates it. I'm often busy, but slowing down and taking a few minutes is also good for me. Connections & community are valuable, and sometimes I have to work to remember that.
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I went to a free concert tonight, and it's at a place that has a complicated system where you can sign up in advance for "fast pass" entry... it's still free, but you get to be in the priority line and it guarantees that you'll get in.
So I had two fast-pass entries and my friend decided not to go (we did something another night this week instead). Instead of just going in without him, I went to the end of the regular non-fast-pass line and found a woman who was also attending alone, and asked if she wanted to go in with me on the fast-pass line. She was very pleased to skip 30 minutes of line waiting and get a better seat and everything :-)
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I found the cutest little lost Shih Tzu dog and worked hard to get her returned to her owner. It took a visit to a vet to scan for a microchip (there wasn't one), but someone working at the vet recognized the pup and called the owner. I was glad to help a little pup in need; we have had over 100 degree days so outside and lost as no place for the little girl.
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I found the cutest little lost Shih Tzu dog and worked hard to get her returned to her owner. It took a visit to a vet to scan for a microchip (there wasn't one), but someone working at the vet recognized the pup and called the owner. I was glad to help a little pup in need; we have had over 100 degree days so outside and lost as no place for the little girl.
Well done GardenBaker! Especially with the heat, that was a dangerous situation for the dog.
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Helped a fellow bus passenger, who had asked our bus driver which stop to get off at. I gathered that last time Passenger went waaaaaaay past their stop and ended up on the other side of town.
Passenger had limited English, but knew their apartment building's address. Helping someone just by mapping an address on my phone feels like cheating, so I guess I was just in the right spot at the right time to be "the one". Surely another passenger would have helped if I wasn't there.
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...I guess I was just in the right spot at the right time to be "the one". Surely another passenger would have helped if I wasn't there.
You never know! My easy and obvious good deed opportunity today was fully ignored by everyone else nearby.
Our road is closed on summer weekends from 12-10PM with big metal barriers, which are supposed to be placed so emergency vehicles can get through, but they weren't. As I was walking past, I could see an ambulance coming up the next block and stop at a set of barriers - the EMT had to get out and move them. There was a second set of barriers on our block that needed to be moved as well, and there was literally a big buff dude who looked like he spent every day lifting at the gym LEANING ON THE BARRIERS, and he just stood there looking at his phone the entire time. Plus a bunch of other people around. No one did anything. So I walked over and dragged a barrier out of the way for them to go through. (With, it's worth mentioning, one functioning arm, as I have a major shoulder problem right now.) Pointedly staring at Mr. Muscles as I did so. I had to move the barrier he wasn't leaning on, LOL.
Anyway, good job oneday, 'cause you never know when you're the only one around who isn't totally useless!
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Thanks, Slicey! You aren't totally useless either! ❤️😆 Surely you made a difference in the speed of emergency response today.
Does putting clothes back on the proper rack after trying them on in the store count? Because I mostly did that (only 3 pieces out of dozens left for the attendant to put away). I do it because the stores I shop in are discount emporiums and surely the staff are underpaid and overworked.
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Thanks, Slicey! You aren't totally useless either! ❤️😆
That's the nicest thing anyone's said to me all day... 😉
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Thanks, Slicey! You aren't totally useless either! ❤️😆
That's the nicest thing anyone's said to me all day... 😉
I was wondering where your story was going to go. You moved a barrier? You moved a barrier!!! You're a peach, Slicey.
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I love how everyone here is doing the thoughtful little things that make the world kinder!
This week, I got up at 5am on Tuesday so I could give my elderly, disabled neighbor a ride to the primary polls. She makes a small amount of money as an election worker. Then I left a meeting early so I would have time to pick her up at 9pm. She's petite and obese, so it's somewhat difficult to hoist her into the car, which is too high for her; also I had to put her wheelchair in the car. It's a long hard day for her and her legs were grossly swollen, so I was worried about her. But she made it through okay.
Yesterday I bought N95 masks for my learning disabled friend and dropped them off to him, so that he could make it through the smoky days here in NY.
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Wow!!! Somebody did ME a random good deed today!
I was in the grocery store... was wearing my ragged, stained work clothes with holes in them... had a pretty full cart as the whole family is home and we're going to cook out for July 4... the total was over $212. To my embarrassment, my credit card was in my small purse at home, so I tried my ATM cards, which supposedly could be used as debit cards though I had never done so before. But one after the other failed. The man behind me in line kindly offered to pay because "it's not a large amount" but I found my checkbook so I tried to pay that way. For some reason THAT was not accepted, so I was prepared to go home for my card and come back. But the guy behind in line again insisted to pay, so I sheepishly accepted his offer, vowing to make a donation to the food bank.
I asked for his number so I could pay him back but he was reluctant, nor would he take my check, so I foolishly gave him my number because I didn't know what to do. I think if I had been less flustered I would have been better able to manage. But I've been a little off recently what with dizziness from sinus infection from smoke, and also lost my glasses so was wearing an old prescription. So I wasn't been able to think well and don't even remember if I thanked him!
It felt weird to have a random kind thing like that done for me. But it saved me an hour and having to drive another trip when I haven't been feeling well. I made a $250 donation to the food bank. Anonymous nice guy, thank you!!
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That's pretty amazing, Poundwise :-)
I did a few little kindnesses on public transit this weekend... I gave up my seat for an older person (I have chronic pain/disability but I was almost at my destination). I also narrowly stopped someone from sitting in - well, it was sticky and had chocolate chips in it? Probably something that cost $6 from Starbucks. She had white shorts on, so that was a good save.
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oh wow @Poundwise --that's a great story even if you felt a bit flustered about it.
I was recently reading a story about forest monks and so the concept of 'giving someone the opportunity to be generous' pops into my head when I read this.
Hopefully the person who helped you felt the positive repercussions of helping someone out!
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Talked to an elderly person today who mentioned that they got a 23 & me kit, mainly for the medical stuff, and they asked me about it because they were having trouble getting it set up (couldn't get the e-mail to go through, etc.). I happen to know that they have some complicated family history (relatives they never met for potentially upsetting reasons/circumstances) and I cautiously asked if they knew that 23 & me could potentially put long-lost relatives in touch with them through DNA matching. They'd had no idea that was a part of it, and definitely didn't want any part of that. So I suggested they make sure they can opt out of that part, and knew how to do it, before they sent it in.
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Was at a small jazz club tonight and saw a woman with a full beer get collided with by some guy who wasn't looking where he was going, and got beer sloshed all over her hand and arm (luckily not her dress). I had my purse-pack of Kleenex so I offered her some to wipe up, which she accepted, and I also wiped up the little splash on the floor because it was in a place where people walked a lot and I didn't want anyone to slip on the hardwood floor. There was only one employee there and they were really slammed.
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DH found a Hong Kong ID card on the ground in the departure lounge at the airport. Losing your HKID card is on par with losing your passport while you are overseas. It is your ID for EVERYTHING in HK and in China. DH turned it in to the airport police. Hopefully, the owner will get his card back soon, once he returns to Hong Kong from his trip.
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Another grocery store line save at the big midtown Manhattan store I go to sometimes... it was almost closing time and all the lines were closed except two. But instead of roping off the lines, they had little video screens at the ceiling saying "line closed." An older lady got in the closed line next to me and was patiently waiting for a number that would never get called. I told her what was wrong and let her get in line in front of me so she wouldn't have to walk around to the back.
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It was my dad's birthday today, and he mentioned several times that he hadn't heard from his son or grandson (my brother & nephew) and was bummed out about it. After hearing this several times I decided to surreptitiously text my brother at 9:30PM, who claimed he hadn't forgotten and was totally going to call, which he did about 5 minutes later - and then my nephew called a little while later as well. I think it made my parents happy :-) And got my brother out of the doghouse slightly.
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Nice Bday save @Dollar Slice !
-I picked up a sharp object that was in someone's driveway
-did some problem-solving with a coworker who was having friend-issues
-did wordsmithing with another co-worker who is having roommate hygiene concerns
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This is tiny, but I'd like to stay motivated, so I'll post it. I was hanging banners around town to promote an upcoming community event. A fence we'd been given permission to use was covered with an expensive scrim. We found a temporary section of fence without scrim and hung our banner there. Then I used zip ties to replace some that were missing on the rest of the fence, so everything looks better than before i got there. Did the same thing at a couple of schools. If the existing banners were flapping, I added new zip ties.
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I’m not really a kid person but I had a FBM buyer and her daughter in my living room and successfully introduced the daughter to my very friendly and very soft cat, George! It was adorable 🥰.
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-volunteered to deliver the church flowers to some homebound elderly members, took me only 5 minutes out of my way and the bouquets would have been discarded otherwise
-cooked extra dinner and dropped off some to the poor friend whom I couldn't help before
-another friend just had a kidney transplant; I drove her and her sister to another state for treatment (this wasn't a small deed actually, it took all day)
-dropped off the unsold Girl Scout cookies to food pantry, so glad to have my laundry room back!
-gave away our old bunk bed on craigslist, and also offloaded a child's bike and some other toys to the nice family that picked up
- dispensed personal finance advice to some young people who seemed ready to hear it
OK, that's a wrap for the last couple of weeks! I was happy that my young daughter dropped one of her own dollars in a collection for Maui, a good sign that she is developing compassion.
Good work everyone!! I found @Dicey's good deed with the banners especially satisfying, BTW! And I enjoy @Dollar Slice's good deeds because I also get to live vicariously in Manhattan through her anecdotes!
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bringing dinner to a dear friend's mother today who just had surgery - soup and homemade soft bread because she has sutures on her lip and wanted it to be easy to eat.
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There's a mosque near me that participates in a government food distribution program. Once a month, they give away bags of food, no questions asked. I bring them bags to pack the food in, which I get from another volunteer gig.
We have a friend who built and stocks a little free food pantry in front of her house. On distribution days, 4 or 5 of us collect a bag at the mosque and give it to her to help keep the pantry stocked.
Somehow, the mosque is connected to Door Dash. I believe the DD drivers deliver to people without transportation. The DD drivers typically pick up ten orders at a time. Today, there was only one person handling the operation and seven DD drivers, so my friend and I started filling the driver's trunks so the person in charge could pull the next order. It made it easier for him and cut down the waits for the other drivers. Then we each got our bag and passed them on to our pantry friend. Helping out made the wait time pass more quickly.
One of the DD drivers had a new 33# bag of premium dog food in his trunk that he did not need. He gave it to me as I helped him load his trunk, and I passed it on to my food pantry friend. Some dog owner is going to get really lucky.
Best if all, we learned that they do a similar distribution of food from a different source every Friday. We will all start doing the same thing on Fridays.
Of course, I will keep providing bags.
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Had one of those "only in New York" good deed opportunities tonight - long story short, I went to a concert tonight and I was talking to a musician who has done really big name sideman work (has played with a lot of Grammy winners etc.) and has a substantial solo career. And he was asking me about a certain type of smaller venue in NYC because he has a hard time finding venues to play solo acoustic jazz shows for his indie career. Acoustic shows are tough because not a lot of places have a quiet enough vibe (unless you're playing fancy-pants upscale venues, which he's not). So I told him about my good friend's art gallery where she also books a couple of dozen jazz and classical concerts a year, it's just what he's looking for - no bar, fantastic location on a fairly quiet street in central Manhattan, a built-in audience that she's maintained over a number of years. He even has friends who have played there (who I could name off the top of my head, because I'm an obsessive music fan). And it's about the right size for him to sell out. He was really interested in doing a gig there. My friend is PSYCHED. Potentially a big win for both of them. :-)
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It's been cold and windy the last couple of days (sub-freezing wind chills) and tonight I was out waiting for the bus when I looked at my phone and discovered that the "every ten minutes" bus wasn't coming for 25 minutes. Ugh. An elderly woman using a cane walked up just as I was deciding whether I would do my errand a different day or just walk there. I started chatting with her to make sure she wasn't about to spend 25 minutes waiting in the cold for the same bus as me - she was. :-(
I asked where she was going, and looked at my bus route app, and it turned out there was a more efficient route that she could take - one bus instead of two, if she didn't mind walking two extra blocks when she got there. And it was coming in 10 minutes instead of 25, so she wouldn't have to wait outside as long. I walked her around the corner to the other bus stop to make sure she found it, since it was dark out and she wasn't familiar with the neighborhood. Hopefully everything went smoothly for her on the rest of her trip!
I ended up waiting for my bus since talking to her and taking a short walk proved to be a pretty effective time-killer - my bus was only 8 minutes away when I got back to my stop...
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DD’s school throws out boxes and boxes and boxes of imported English books every year when new teachers decide they don’t want certain books or they change reading programs. I know the teachers and reading coaches at the school and always ask if I can have the books that they are tossing. These last few weekends, I’ve been mailing boxes of books to Cambodia, where my sister works at a school in an impoverished area of town. I saved two giant ikea bags of books from the dumpster, and the Cambodian school has basically a small library of books now, all selected by well-trained and knowledgeable educators at a top international school.
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@Freedomin5 - is there a service that accepts text books for these schools? I have a few books from my son's high school classes that are not being used any more and would like to contribute them.
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@Freedomin5 - is there a service that accepts text books for these schools? I have a few books from my son's high school classes that are not being used any more and would like to contribute them.
Thanks for asking! That's so kind and generous of you! I'm sure they exist, but I'm not personally aware of organizations that take high school books. The level of the students at the school my sister works at is so low that they're more interested in kindergarten to middle elementary books at this time.
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@Freedomin5 - No problem...I did a little research and found this:
https://www.booksforafrica.org/donate/donate-books.html
you can mail text books here and they will distribute them to students in Africa. Seems like a good idea.
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@Freedomin5 - No problem...I did a little research and found this:
https://www.booksforafrica.org/donate/donate-books.html
you can mail text books here and they will distribute them to students in Africa. Seems like a good idea.
Looks like an amazing organization. I love how simple they keep the whole process.
Hmm…I wonder if they have something similar in Canada. I’ll be living in a college town (literally in the middle of a neighborhood populated with student housing, in fact the previous owner of our house is a college student who graduated). Come April, when students are moving out, I wonder how many gently used textbooks will be trashed. I’d happily walk around on move out day to pick up textbooks. Something to explore when I retire in a couple years.
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I posted about LasagnaLove on our neighborhood page on NextDoor.com. I got thanked from people who weren't aware of it but wanted to do something from their home to help the hungry.
https:/lasagnalove.org
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@Freedomin5 - it looks like you can reach out to the organization and get a drop box. It may make sense for you if your are living around a bunch of students. Here in the US, it seems like more and more classes are using online subscriptions for textbooks--get to charge slightly less, but only get the license to use it for a year. While I am in favor of less waste, I think this is a profit driven approach from the book manufacturers. And there will be fewer books to ship to charities in underserved regions.
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@Freedomin5 - it looks like you can reach out to the organization and get a drop box. It may make sense for you if your are living around a bunch of students. Here in the US, it seems like more and more classes are using online subscriptions for textbooks--get to charge slightly less, but only get the license to use it for a year. While I am in favor of less waste, I think this is a profit driven approach from the book manufacturers. And there will be fewer books to ship to charities in underserved regions.
That reminds me, DD’s school has already started sending their old iPads to needy schools. Some of the textbook publishers offer free subscription services to needy schools who can’t afford the subscription fee. One of my neighbors is an academic coordinator for DD’s school and she was telling me about it. The iPads are preloaded with a program with lots of downloaded books, encyclopedias, and other info, so they don’t need stable internet, just intermittent internet so they can update the system and add more material. She recently brought a bunch to a school in the middle of the jungle in the Philippines and spent a few days down there training teachers on how to use the program. This is for elementary school though. High school would still have the same problem, but I wonder if textbook publishers might offer free subscriptions.
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A friend of mine asked me for help setting up an Amazon wishlist for her support group of low income people living with mental illness. So I did, and am trying to whip up my set of high income friends to donate things. If we can make this happen, my friend will feel so empowered!
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We did it! At first, nobody donated even though I primed the pump by buying some items. Later, since nobody was buying the $25 bulk packs, I divided them up into less cost effective but overall cheaper $7 items and then people bought a lot, and even ended up buying the bulk packs so we ended up with twice as much! We put together the gift packages yesterday, took photos, and I'll send thanks to the donors soon. I hope my friend, who suffers from depression herself, feels good about what we accomplished.
Other good deeds: gave a Christmas wreath to a disabled senior who lives nearby; took a refugee grocery shopping. But it's always fun to take refugees around because it's so easy to help them. The woman I took out on Tuesday was concerned because the packaged herbs were so wilted but she was very chuffed when I went into the florist section and found the potted herbs for her! Made me feel like a genius.
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I visited my traveling friend’s cats for some food/water/litter scooping. My friend has had a challenging time lately with her job and family and I wanted to do something helpful for her household while she was away. So I took out a bunch of cardboard boxes and plastic bottle recycling to help her out. The cats hid the entire time me. Free and saved my friend a pet sitting fee?
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Picked up some garbage on my walk and then organized the recycling shed a bit (moved a few armloads of cardboard and around 10 pizza boxes to the cardboard location).
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It's been awhile! In no particular order:
-Made a donation, when I looked over our list of good deeds & came up with nothing for the week. (I include this in my blog, and I love the forcing function of writing it down, because it often inspires me to be more creative, or look for those small moments.)
-Offered to help coordinate a project for the school soccer team. This is impressive almost entirely because I loathe things like this. But, someone has to do it, so why not me sometimes?
-I returned shopping carts at the grocery store. I try to make it a point to collect a few, when I return my own.
-Was able to fulfill a bunch of asks on BN, especially for ski clothes. Which, are expensive, and we have teens who outgrown things regularly, so it's awesome to help out & pass things along.
-Swept my neighbor's leaves, when I was doing my own.
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- Helped a friend get disability accommodations
- Helped a friend save $55 on something he wanted to buy
- A friend wanted to go to a late-night music festival but felt bad leaving his partner home alone before a big work trip where they would be alone again, so I invited his partner to have a girls' night out with me that night. Triple win since I think all three of us had a good time and I got us $10 concert tickets so it was very frugal :-)
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Someone else left a baggie of dog poop at a trailhead I visited today. I threw it away properly before starting my walk.
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- Helped a friend get disability accommodations
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Holy heck, that's a big good deed, not a small one - good for you!
I've read that there are so many services available to people but they just don't know how to access them or that they even exist. I hope that friend can continue the chain and help someone else.
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- Helped a friend get disability accommodations
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Holy heck, that's a big good deed, not a small one - good for you!
It was just for a one-time event. But they were not answering their emails and didn't provide a phone number, so it was a bit of a Thing. You would be horrified at how poorly so many places respond to minor accommodation requests.
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Tried to help a couple of friends who are having major anxiety issues with some of their life admin stuff. Both are planning trips and one is looking for a therapist, so there was a lot of online searching I could do and just helping whittle down options, helping with decision-making, etc. One of them I think I really helped (he got his hotel and plane all booked). The other is still working on stuff but I think she at least feels like someone's got her back? And I said I was available for more help if she was feeling indecisive/overwhelmed.
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Slicey, you are a good egg.
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Was hiking with my dog in a remote area. There is an older man who lives in his van, he doesn't talk or acknowledge me much but I've given small waves in the past few weeks. Today we walked by on a road and chatted a bit. When he saw me returning he asked if I would jump start his van. I had to drive to a sketchy, icy area to access it and was a bit concerned I'd get stuck but it worked out fine (even though it seems his van is quickly on the way out of commission)
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Snippet from earlier post:
-Offered to help coordinate a project for the school soccer team. This is impressive almost entirely because I loathe things like this. But, someone has to do it, so why not me sometimes?
Well, apparently, this is normally a job for a committee. We are in a super weird position this year, as the junior parents plan and run this event, but there are 17 seniors, and only 4 juniors. One of the junior parents is totally MIA, hasn't replied to emails and I've never seen them at a game. The other parent begrudgingly agreed to my requests that he pick up one of the tasks (take photos, as he's a photographer & has an awesome camera). The last parent is hosting the end of the year banquet & is the team manager, so she's helped be a person I can bounce ideas off of, but I've done 90% of the work myself & feel she's contributing plenty on her own projects. I've probably invested 20+ hours so far, and we're not even close to done yet. I keep telling myself that I'm making up for lost time, because this isn't something I typically lead. Making up for lost time :-)
I'm really excited to wrap this project - I'll be done by end of February!
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Cleared the snow-ice-water mess from a bus stop bench today after the storm ended, so that it would dry off for future people to sit there.
Still helping my friend try to find a therapist. She's contacted two people I found for her that supposedly take her insurance which is a really big step. She's been struggling for months to get over that hump. Hopefully one of them will work out.
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Snippet from earlier post:
-Offered to help coordinate a project for the school soccer team. This is impressive almost entirely because I loathe things like this. But, someone has to do it, so why not me sometimes?
Well, apparently, this is normally a job for a committee. We are in a super weird position this year, as the junior parents plan and run this event, but there are 17 seniors, and only 4 juniors. One of the junior parents is totally MIA, hasn't replied to emails and I've never seen them at a game. The other parent begrudgingly agreed to my requests that he pick up one of the tasks (take photos, as he's a photographer & has an awesome camera). The last parent is hosting the end of the year banquet & is the team manager, so she's helped be a person I can bounce ideas off of, but I've done 90% of the work myself & feel she's contributing plenty on her own projects. I've probably invested 20+ hours so far, and we're not even close to done yet. I keep telling myself that I'm making up for lost time, because this isn't something I typically lead. Making up for lost time :-)
I'm really excited to wrap this project - I'll be done by end of February!
-Hosted & finished this very time intensive project. Grateful it's done, it went well. Was at least 50+ hours, so lesson learned.
-Made several donations
-Embarking on a very large & ongoing project with my sister, to take over tasks from my parents to support my mentally disabled aunt. This is a lot, and I haven't figured out exactly how I'm going to manage this effectively, but my parents absolutely have to tap out.
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Snippet from earlier post:
-Offered to help coordinate a project for the school soccer team. This is impressive almost entirely because I loathe things like this. But, someone has to do it, so why not me sometimes?
Well, apparently, this is normally a job for a committee. We are in a super weird position this year, as the junior parents plan and run this event, but there are 17 seniors, and only 4 juniors. One of the junior parents is totally MIA, hasn't replied to emails and I've never seen them at a game. The other parent begrudgingly agreed to my requests that he pick up one of the tasks (take photos, as he's a photographer & has an awesome camera). The last parent is hosting the end of the year banquet & is the team manager, so she's helped be a person I can bounce ideas off of, but I've done 90% of the work myself & feel she's contributing plenty on her own projects. I've probably invested 20+ hours so far, and we're not even close to done yet. I keep telling myself that I'm making up for lost time, because this isn't something I typically lead. Making up for lost time :-)
I'm really excited to wrap this project - I'll be done by end of February!
-Hosted & finished this very time intensive project. Grateful it's done, it went well. Was at least 50+ hours, so lesson learned.
-Made several donations
-Embarking on a very large & ongoing project with my sister, to take over tasks from my parents to support my mentally disabled aunt. This is a lot, and I haven't figured out exactly how I'm going to manage this effectively, but my parents absolutely have to tap out.
As another soccer parent, thank you for taking this on and making it happen! I wound up managing teams for a number of years, because I felt the options were me (who is reasonable) or some parent who was kinda insane (there are a lot of those around here). But I really, really appreciated it when people would take on separable tasks, and I'm not sure I really thanked them enough -- so let me do so now! (And if it was a senior-night-type thing, extra thanks, because that is a real PITA -- but the seniors and their parents generally really enjoy it!)
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@jeninco - it was senior night! And, bonus, after a not great season, we tied a team that's rated in the top ten in California, in a complete shocker game. :) Thanks for all of your volunteering! Our club team is volunteer led, so we're supposed to do 4 hours/season per kid, and many of the positions cover full cost for your kid to play, which I like, because it broadens the opportunities.
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I've been helping a widowed neighbor who is under hospice care. She has daytime help but in the evening or night she needs a few minutes assistance to transfer from sofa to wheelchair or from wheelchair to bed.
My good deeds are typically donations to food drives or volunteering with an association but this is the first time I've helped with physical assistance. I'm glad to help but it's a sobering experience. Memento mori.
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An acquaintance commented on an artwork I shared on social media.
I said I could send her a small print of it if I had her address and she was very appreciative..only a few days later did I see that she is struggling with a mental health crisis. Small act but I have to hope that it transmits some care.
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I sincerely love reading these updates by everyone!
I've invested a bunch of time in helping my aunt lately, and so far have saved her about $70/month off of her bills. I've also found that she's eligible for reduced utilities, and my dad is going go to help her with that (needs to be in person). And, she's authorizing me to deal with her insurance, so I'm going to tackle that, hopefully tomorrow. Her income is under $1k/month, so these change will be really meaningful to her.
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I sincerely love reading these updates by everyone!
I've invested a bunch of time in helping my aunt lately, and so far have saved her about $70/month off of her bills. I've also found that she's eligible for reduced utilities, and my dad is going go to help her with that (needs to be in person). And, she's authorizing me to deal with her insurance, so I'm going to tackle that, hopefully tomorrow. Her income is under $1k/month, so these change will be really meaningful to her.
That's very kind of you, she's lucky to have such caring relatives. Have you looked at the www.benefits.gov? It's a great source to start researching and you can filter it by location.
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Lovely work, everyone! with a special shoutout to @LaineyAZ. The endgame for the elderly in this country is very rough and it's scary to be dependent on others in our last days. Just having the peace of mind that she'll be able to get into her bed at night is such a gift to your neighbor.
Hrm, I can't say that I've been particularly good to man or beast lately. I've continued on my usual volunteer work but this month it's been mainly planning meetings, postponing them, and sending emails saying that the meetings were postponed. I did initiate a craft circle at a building of low income seniors... have secured funding promises, made the flyers and am collecting yarn etc., and I'm hoping that bringing the seniors together will become a regular thing that they can sustain themselves, to reduce isolation in this community. It's scheduled for next month and I'm looking forward to it. It's kind of a maverick event that I threw together out of frustration with everything else that I'm having to do by committee.
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Lovely work, everyone! with a special shoutout to @LaineyAZ. The endgame for the elderly in this country is very rough and it's scary to be dependent on others in our last days. Just having the peace of mind that she'll be able to get into her bed at night is such a gift to your neighbor.
Hrm, I can't say that I've been particularly good to man or beast lately. I've continued on my usual volunteer work but this month it's been mainly planning meetings, postponing them, and sending emails saying that the meetings were postponed. I did initiate a craft circle at a building of low income seniors... have secured funding promises, made the flyers and am collecting yarn etc., and I'm hoping that bringing the seniors together will become a regular thing that they can sustain themselves, to reduce isolation in this community. It's scheduled for next month and I'm looking forward to it. It's kind of a maverick event that I threw together out of frustration with everything else that I'm having to do by committee.
Good on you! I've recently learned that there's a group of ladies who meet in the community room at our library. The first part of the meeting is kind of a materials swap. Then they settle in for another couple of hours of needlework of all types, and conversation. It was delightful to see.
Dicey: "Ooh, we had a lot of knitting books donated before the last book sale. There were more than we had room for, so we kept some of them for the next book sale. They're in my garage, would you like them?"
Group: "We donated them."
Later, at the Thrift Shop, a conversation with a fellow thrift shop/library volunteer: "Dicey, the shop is low on cookbooks and craft books. Do you have anything?" And that's how my groaning bookshelves have fewer cookbooks and the crate of knitting books is out of my garage, yay!
To stay sort of on topic, we were at the library multiple times so DH could do extensive repairs on the storage shed where The Friends accumulate used books. It's the former trash enclosure, in the alley behind the library. It has no power, so we have to mooch it from the community room. Bonus: DH scavenged most of the materials. In the course of scavenging, someone had some unused, brand-new windows along with the materials we were picking up, so we took them and dropped them off at ReStore. The Friends had the money to buy new materials, but that's not how Mr. Dicey rolls. Now The Friends have extra money to spend on library needs. In the Spring, he will repaint the building with material he's already sourced. Free, of course.
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I came across this post this morning and it inspired me to do a good deed. When I went out to shovel snow this morning I noticed my neighbor's sidewalk hadn't been shoveled and shes usually the first one to do it, so I decided to shovel it for her. Not sure if shes sick or had errands to run, but either way hopefully made her day a touch easier.
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I came across this post this morning and it inspired me to do a good deed. When I went out to shovel snow this morning I noticed my neighbor's sidewalk hadn't been shoveled and shes usually the first one to do it, so I decided to shovel it for her. Not sure if shes sick or had errands to run, but either way hopefully made her day a touch easier.
This makes me really happy. That's why we have this thread. Thank you for making the world a little better, @dangbe!
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I've updated the year on this. Wish it could become one of those really long threads, hopefully corresponding to an increase in good deeds in the world!
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I've updated the year on this. Wish it could become one of those really long threads, hopefully corresponding to an increase in good deeds in the world!
Thank you. I love this thread!
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Oh my, how have I not seen this thread before? I love this idea (akin to the movie Pay it Forward) and will look for future opportunities to give kindness.
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My friend said he wanted to go see a museum exhibit before it closes on March 3rd at the one museum I have a membership to, so I'm bringing him as my +1. Free admission and skip the lines. Plus there's another big exhibit in previews right now that we can get exclusive member access to during the same visit.
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Today is the Friends of the Library's book sale day. The pre-sale last night was huge. I spent an hour this morning moving all the books up off the bottom shelves. More books will be sold and hundreds of knees and scores of backs will be saved. I'm counting it as a win.
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Just found this thread. Thanks for the reboot!
Today we got things done at home, so we weren't out doing favors for others. Previously this week:
- Lent my folding table to a Buy Nothing neighbor.
- Lent my patch kit to someone with a punctured bike tire. (He had the levers, pump, and know-how, so I handed it off with contact info and went on my slightly-late way.)
- Reported a scary pothole I spotted on the freeway the one day last week I drove. It was big enough to do some damage and to prompt drivers to swerve. They say they'll take care of it. Who knows when, but at least they know it's there.
- Picked up a couple pieces of plastic trash that I found blowing around when I walked and biked.
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As always, this thread makes me happy.
We were skiing during the week, so outside of our normal routine. A few things:
-We helped reunite two lost kids with parents & ski patrol. One kid was five, and very, very lost, so we were happy to help him out. The second kid was seven, and only briefly separated, but we helped get him back up on his skis, and were able to get him reunited quickly.
-We treated DS16's BFF to some arcade & ice cream time, in advance of his birthday the next day. The boys are die hard ski buddies, and his birthday happens to regularly fall during ski week.
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On our way home from taking down the Friend's Book Sale (free leftover books!), just before we turned down the last road to home, a friend called and asked if I could pick up three things from the grocery store just down the road. Instead of turning for home, we grabbed the groceries. Once home, we put them in a cooler and set out on our planned afternoon activities. We were near their house when we finished, so we dropped them off then. I also added a lovely jar of jam from my pantry. One more thing out of the pantry, hooray! These friends are recovering from injuries and surgeries, so I am happy to help. I just couldn't believe how easy it was to help them as we went about our day. Happy.
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This evening I'm putting together a summer vegetable and herb seed "care package" for a neighbor who also gardens, with a selection of seeds I've saved and seeds I bought for this year's garden but don't need a whole packet. Mr. Neighbor was laid off late last year and, last I checked, hadn't found his new thing yet.
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Oh my, how have I not seen this thread before? I love this idea (akin to the movie Pay it Forward) and will look for future opportunities to give kindness.
I think this was @MaybeBabyMustache's idea, I just updated the thread title for this year. Thank you for helping those lost children!
@crocheted_stache, that's a cool good deed! I bet your neighbor will enjoy starting seeds and they will provide comfort during the soul crushing process of job searching.
@Dicey Nice work as always on the book sale/grocery run! Love it when errands fit together so smoothly too... that's the ideal small good deed, something that requires only minor sacrifice but is a big help to someone else.
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I volunteered to help a friend set up for the team soccer banquet on Thursday. She's done a lot to help the team, and I booked out my work schedule & can make it happen.
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Gave a young man in a wheelchair directions to a horribly convoluted detour (you wouldn't believe how bad) due to an elevator being under construction in the subway. There was no sign posted (!), just a boarded up elevator, but I had heard an audio announcement about it so I knew where to go.
Unfortunately I later received a good deed demerit for confusing a Latino man by answering "C" when he asked me a question about the trains - he thought I said yes in Spanish, but I meant it was the C train :-/ By the time we realized what happened, the train doors had closed!
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Treated my team to Starbucks and chocolate. It was one of those days when everyone just needed a bit of kindness and a pick-me-up.
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Gave a young man in a wheelchair directions to a horribly convoluted detour (you wouldn't believe how bad) due to an elevator being under construction in the subway. There was no sign posted (!), just a boarded up elevator, but I had heard an audio announcement about it so I knew where to go.
Unfortunately I later received a good deed demerit for confusing a Latino man by answering "C" when he asked me a question about the trains - he thought I said yes in Spanish, but I meant it was the C train :-/ By the time we realized what happened, the train doors had closed!
I move to assign the demerit to the transit company for operating a system that's difficult to navigate.
One of my favorite litmus tests for transportation system ease of use is this generalized but not at all hypothetical scenario: you have just gotten off a plane from (whatever other country). English is your second or third language, and it's enough for routine stuff in restaurants and airports. Your phone is out of juice/not yet connected to service here. Can you easily find the correct train or bus and pay the fare?
If you'd like to actually do something about the first problem, figure out where to complain, and tell someone in charge what happened when they boarded up an elevator with no sign for the detour.
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This evening I'm putting together a summer vegetable and herb seed "care package" for a neighbor who also gardens, with a selection of seeds I've saved and seeds I bought for this year's garden but don't need a whole packet. Mr. Neighbor was laid off late last year and, last I checked, hadn't found his new thing yet.
@crocheted_stache, that's a cool good deed! I bet your neighbor will enjoy starting seeds and they will provide comfort during the soul crushing process of job searching.
Update: I delivered the seed selection and the neighbors were home, so I got to say hi.
I'm happy to report that Mr. Neighbor's job search was successful. Yay for them!
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Babysat for a friend so she could go to choir practice in peace.
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Removed a sharp object from the bike lane.
Requested repairs for a rough patch of roadway.
Requested repairs for a damaged bike rack on the bus.
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I spoke before the City Council last night. There is bond money available and one elite group Iis trying to hog all of it. I reminded the CC that we library folk had campaigned hard to pass the bond and that it was designed to enhance the entire community. I only had to wait 3.5 hours for my turn to speak. Oh, and it was my birthday. That's how important our libraries are to me.
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I spoke before the City Council last night. There is bond money available and one elite group Iis trying to hog all of it. I reminded the CC that we library folk had campaigned hard to pass thet bond and that it was designed to enhance the entire community. I only had to wait 3.5 hours for my turn to speak. Oh, and it was my birthday. That's how important our libraries are to me.
Wow, that's a big good deed! I have an older friend whose mother started the library district in their Mountain west town many decades ago. But her mother did something genius: she got it set up so there was a separate tax line for the library district. (not sure of the exact tax verbiage but that's the gist of it).
Point is that the local legislators could not change the library budget on a whim because it had a dedicated tax stream.
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Love the commitment to libraries, @Dicey !
I ran a half marathon this weekend, and took the time to thank all of the volunteers (they were out in the rain, early on a Sunday, so props to them), & helped a special needs teen out along the way. He was a sweetie & super excited for his first half. So excited, he got separated from his family, & his hands were shaking enough he couldn't get his phone into his running belt. We hung with him for a bit, and sorted his equipment, until he was calm & found his group.
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Another day, another sharp object removed from the bike lane.
A few days back, I reported the six shopping carts I could see in a local waterway. I pick up small litter that I can easily reach and carry, but shopping carts in the water are going to need someone better qualified and equipped. Someone from the water district followed up and said they found at least 14 large items, including the shopping carts. They're not gone yet, but there's a maintenance ticket.
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I sent a package of craft supplies to a lady that recently lost a loved one and is hurting and doesn't have extra money. She wants to make a faith/remembrance journal.
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I went to the store & noticed someone had super helpfully left a cart blocking not one, but two of the parking sports. This is a small lot to begin with. Parked my car a bit of a jaunt away, and returned the cart, freeing up the spots for folks.
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I took my 99-year-old friend to the grocery store earlier this week. There were several things on her list that I had in my pantry, so I had her skip those things. Yesterday, I packed them up and delivered them. A couple of things were expired, but she cares even less about expiration dates than I do.
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My mom's favorite singer is in town this weekend, and somehow tickets sold out before we even knew about it. I follow him on social media but for some reason they didn't post about it until tickets were already sold out (WTF?). They decided to play at a small intimate venue of 350 instead of the usual multi-thousand-seat venue, and it probably sold out really quick. They also sold out a couple of small venues in the suburbs.
Anyway... I've been checking several websites twice a day. Every day. For weeks. Waitlists. Stubhub. Last minute ticket releases. There are ways... you never know.
And guess who just scored tickets to Monday's show at the intimate 350-capacity venue for her mother? :-)
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@Dollar Slice - woot!
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Someone in my Buy Nothing group asked for a particular book, which is about a niche topic and a little older. I don't have it, and apparently, neither does the local library, but the Internet Archive does, so I suggested that.
I also heard back from the city. I reported an automatic soap dispenser that was squirting soap onto the floor of a park restroom, and they've fixed it.
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I also heard back from the city. I reported an automatic soap dispenser that was squirting soap onto the floor of a park restroom, and they've fixed it.
The world needs more heroes like you!
Lately I've been helping out a bipolar friend who was in a depressive state. We've been spending a lot of time talking and I was able to inspire him to make an app. Ever since he started on it he's been asking me for help and his mood has really turned around.
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A coworker was laid off at the same time as me. I've been sending him lots of open job listings. I'm not particularly looking, but a lot have come my way anyway, & he definitely needs to have a job (five kids in college!)
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I also heard back from the city. I reported an automatic soap dispenser that was squirting soap onto the floor of a park restroom, and they've fixed it.
The world needs more heroes like you!
Lately I've been helping out a bipolar friend who was in a depressive state. We've been spending a lot of time talking and I was able to inspire him to make an app. Ever since he started on it he's been asking me for help and his mood has really turned around.
Ongoing emotional support for a friend is not such a small good deed! Even helping your friend find something to do besides spiral further into their depression is emotional support, and it may save a life or restore quality of life to someone who is suffering.
Reporting things that I find out of order in public places is partly self-serving. While some of the things I spot are merely unsightly or annoying, others are outright hazardous. Cracked pavement can trap a bike wheel, and uneven sidewalks are a tripping hazard. I once noticed a cover missing from a foot-deep (30cm) utility box in a sidewalk where people were walking. For that one, I went back to check and poked again when I found nothing had happened the first time. It got fixed soon after my second try prompted an escalation, with half a dozen city staff on the email chain. The cities around are usually pretty responsive, especially when it comes to obvious hazards, so I suspect they just missed the first report in that case.
I often walk or bike, which means I see more of our streets and sidewalks close up than most of my neighbors probably do, and I can safely and easily stop to take a photo of the problem. I've reported stuff before, so I know where to report to get the city's attention. It's nice to see potholes filled, leaks stopped, drains opened, and street lights working again. It's a small investment on my part for sometimes big results.
Anyone can do this kind of thing. Find out how to report things where you live (often an email address, app, or web form) and then keep your eyes open when you're out and about. Pro tip: potholes don't look like much, so try to frame your photo to include some of the surroundings, such as a building nearby, to help crews locate the problem when they arrive.
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A coworker was laid off at the same time as me. I've been sending him lots of open job listings. I'm not particularly looking, but a lot have come my way anyway, & he definitely needs to have a job (five kids in college!)
I've done this, and also put people who are looking in touch with recruiters who contact me. I am trying to remember if I ever got a job by sending an application based on a listing I found, though. I've gotten a few interviews that way, but every job or nearly every job I've ever gotten was because I knew someone, however roundabout the connection.
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I saw an electrician company service van with a dangerously low rear tire. I called the number on the van to let them know. Unfortunately I didn’t get the license plate or van ID number, but the lady on the phone thought she could figure it out based on location.
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I saw an electrician company service van with a dangerously low rear tire. I called the number on the van to let them know. Unfortunately I didn’t get the license plate or van ID number, but the lady on the phone thought she could figure it out based on location.
Bravo! You might have saved a life or at least spared them some expensive damage to the van.
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Picked up trash at the park during DS17's soccer game. Bonus, there was a dime sitting near the trash.
This one is more for DH, but our elderly neighbor got her car wedged against her garage door. It damaged one of the side panels, and she couldn't get the car out. DH spent some time maneuvering the car back & forth to avoid further damage, while I helped from the back. He somehow managed it. He then spent a few hours yesterday buffing out the paint transfer from the garage door, and it looks fantastic. Definitely saved her a bunch of money on body work. Yesterday, i provided no assistance other than keeping his company while I drank a glass of wine & cheered him on.
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Picked up trash at the park during DS17's soccer game. Bonus, there was a dime sitting near the trash.
I wish those who frequent our neighborhood athletic field would clean up a bit better. Thanks for taking the initiative with yours.
Today's good deed: lent my spare "beater" bike (with lights, lock, and helmet) to someone who is without other transportation. Helping him get back on his feet otherwise will take more than one small good deed, however.
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Because I'm a glutton for punishment, I've signed up to run senior night for our soccer club (I also ran it for our high school). I will get volunteer hours (I get credit for 3 that goes against our billing), but this project is easily 5x that as a commitment. I also know that a friend does a lot of the heavy lifting if no one else volunteers, and we worked together successfully on the high school senior night, so I'm considering it a good turn for her as well.
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Removed a few pieces of loose plastic trash near a local waterway.
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-Picked up trash at two HS tennis matches
-Started working on my volunteer soccer project
-Returned carts at the grocery store, particularly when they were blocking spots
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Reported a bike-wheel-sized crack that's growing in the asphalt in a bike lane along my route and some graffiti.
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I had a surprise delivery of fresh flowers from a friend this week.
I tipped the delivery driver generously because I remember when a family member had a similar delivery job and tips were very welcome and a big part of their income. I know we all get crabby with the aggressive tipping culture but the driver was surprised and grateful.
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-Picked up trash at two HS tennis matches
-Started working on my volunteer soccer project
-Returned carts at the grocery store, particularly when they were blocking spots
I really think this (from the "boring busy-work" thread) counts here, too:
-Got all of special needs aunt's bills set up for auto pay, & called her insurance agent & sorted out a bunch of stuff to save her money
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I had a surprise delivery of fresh flowers from a friend this week.
I tipped the delivery driver generously because I remember when a family member had a similar delivery job and tips were very welcome and a big part of their income. I know we all get crabby with the aggressive tipping culture but the driver was surprised and grateful.
I squirm when the payment terminal tablet asks me for a tip, especially somewhere I don't expect. I do not like the lingering cultural implication of keeping the servant class subservient and dependent upon humoring the whims of the moneyed. I do not at all miss the imperative of tipping when I visit any of the civilized countries that did away with tipping or never had it, and where appropriate pay is simply built into the price of the meal or other service.
That said, tipping a little extra is an effortless and inexpensive way to make someone's day.
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@crocheted_stache - thank you! It's ultimately for my aunt, but really to help my parents offload some of the burden of taking care of her. I know it's been weighing on them as they age as well.
And, I went to another HS tennis match & picked up trash today. It was windy & while the school is actually pretty clean, there was definitely plenty to pick up.
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This thread reassures my faith in humanity.
Today I spent an hour showing a friend how to learn a specific software application for free and set him up and walked him through it. He's been out of work for a while now (his industry never recovered after covid) and this will make him upskill to qualify for a job, if he persists with this.
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Asked friend if there was anything to add to today's grocery run. Got the thing. Well, DH got the thing. I just made sure it was on the list.
We are planning to have lost the receipt if the friend tries to pay us back. (Friend is low-income and has had a heck of a week. We expect the excuse to make the favor easier to accept. We "accidentally" bought an extra of something we knew the friend needed once before.)
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Was picking up takeout tonight* and the people in front of me were struggling with the ordering terminal, so I showed them the one thing they were literally throwing their hands up and going "what number? WHAT NUMBER!??!" about.
I bought a 10-pack of eclipse viewing glasses and I've been giving them away to all of my friends and family who didn't really know how or where to get them. We're in the 90% partial eclipse zone and the weather forecast is great so far, so it should be fun for everyone. I've given five of them away so far. If I end up with some extras I'll just go to the park and see if any people want to use them.
* Not Mustachian, but I'm on day four of a migraine and sometimes you just give up.
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Was picking up takeout tonight* .......
* Not Mustachian, but I'm on day four of a migraine and sometimes you just give up.
Money well spent!! this is what we save for, right? to use when in situatiosn like this.
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Was picking up takeout tonight* .......
* Not Mustachian, but I'm on day four of a migraine and sometimes you just give up.
Money well spent!! this is what we save for, right? to use when in situatiosn like this.
+1 and why we need a "like" button.
@DollarSlice, you are one of the most prolific doers of good deeds on this thread. I'm so sorry your have had a multiday migraine. I hope some takeout at least lightened your load.
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I bought a 10-pack of eclipse viewing glasses ... I've given five of them away so far. If I end up with some extras I'll just go to the park and see if any people want to use them.
I had fun with this and ended up wishing I bought more. I gave two to my parents, three to friends, two to people in the lobby of my building (staff members) and then as I stepped outside there were three school children (teens) griping about how no one had given them any glasses, so I handed them one and asked if they could share it (one girl immediately put them on and exclaimed "this is literally so cool") and then my last spare pair was snagged by a woman who saw me giving one to the kids and asked if I had two more (I assume for her kids). I only had one left for her but they can share!
Imagine being a teenager and being with your friends on the sidewalk and complaining that none of the adults in your life had seen fit to provide you with (Thing) and at that moment a stranger steps out of a door and just hands you one. 😂
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I love that, @Dollar Slice ! I'm sure they were thrilled. Well done.
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A multi-day project in the works, but my 85-year old neighbor is writing a memoir about his life, mostly for his family to have a written history in the future. He had it mostly written, and it's very entertaining, but he's got some vision issues so there were numerous minor punctuation, grammatical, formatting, etc. items that needed correcting in the manuscript. I offered to read and edit, which I have been doing for the past month, and now his work will be free of those issues so his family can enjoy without those distractions.
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A multi-day project in the works, but my 85-year old neighbor is writing a memoir about his life, mostly for his family to have a written history in the future. He had it mostly written, and it's very entertaining, but he's got some vision issues so there were numerous minor punctuation, grammatical, formatting, etc. items that needed correcting in the manuscript. I offered to read and edit, which I have been doing for the past month, and now his work will be free of those issues so his family can enjoy without those distractions.
Badass!
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I was working in our yard today, and a guy approached & wanted to ask questions about our neighborhood. He's making an offer on a house a block or so away. We chatted for about 15 minutes, and I answered all of his questions. He also has kids who will be attending the high school my teens attend, so I was also able to help him with info about the school.
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Imagine being a teenager and being with your friends on the sidewalk and complaining that none of the adults in your life had seen fit to provide you with (Thing) and at that moment a stranger steps out of a door and just hands you one. 😂
Well done indeed!! You spread happiness, Dollar Slice!
I sent an email thanking our school superintendent and principals for having the foresight to provide eclipse glasses to ALL the students! This meant that kids whose parents were working or whose parents hadn't heard of the eclipse were able to enjoy the eclipse. We have a lot of low income families who don't seem to get much news outside of what their kids tell them; the mom of one of my scouts didn't know about the eclipse.
There's often a lot of complaining so I figure that the school administration should get some appreciation when they do things right. I don't spend enough time complimenting people for doing things well so this is a change I'm trying to make in myself.
On other fronts, I have been showing up to traffic meetings with requests and it sounds like we'll be getting some safer walking routes for the students, as well as some other traffic improvements that should have positive ripple effects.
crocheted_stache-- love your good deed... so easy for you but saves your friend time.
Newday, I hope your friend gets a job! That would be a big big deal.
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I found someone’s phone and a bunch of credit/debit cards on a bench in a shopping mall. I took into the closest store for the shop clerk to do whatever they do inthat situation.
Then, a few minutes later as I was leaving the washroom I saw a young dad checking thru his baby’s stroller. He was also patting his pockets so I figured that was his phone I found.
I said “Excuse me, sir, are you missing your phone?” He said yes so I took home to the store where I had left it. The guy was very happy.
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I opened the door for someone exiting the coffee shop holding their order in one hand and a dog on a leash in the other hand. Twice in two weeks! Different people and different dogs.
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Not today, but a while ago… DD and I were on the beach photographing the sunset when we found a phone on the wet sand. It hadn’t been washed over yet, and it worked fine (but was locked) when we picked it up. We looked for someone who might have lost a cell phone, but there were no likely candidates, and it was time to go home. We took it home (we live 20 minutes or so) from the beach, washed it in fresh water, put it on the charger, and we waited. Eventually, it rang. “Lost iPhone,” I answered. Needless to say, they were delighted!
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In waiting for the elevator from the ground floor parking garage, I noticed a package on the floor in the corner of the waiting area (huge risk of theft). It was for a different apartment in my building. The building is locked and the delivery people are supposed to check in at the leasing office to gain access, but I guess this driver didn't have the time or something. Picked up the package and delivered it to the doorway of the correct apartment. Should be at much less risk of theft now.
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I made a care package for someone going through a really rough time right now.
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People on our plane waited in their seats while a couple of people from the back of the plane dashed out to make a tight connection.
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Started work on my volunteer project for our soccer club (senior night) & bought my friend a coffee when we met to discuss. She's helping me with a lot of it.
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Started work on my volunteer project for our soccer club (senior night) & bought my friend a coffee when we met to discuss. She's helping me with a lot of it.
It's awesome of you to take this on! Thank you, from all the parents of senior players!
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Thanks, @jeninco ! I'm apparently a pro, after running the high school version this year. ;-)
For my good deeds of the day:
1) Worked with my sister on some cash flow stuff for special needs aunt, and once that was resolved, paid her property taxes. We've been in charge of her finances for about two months. She's gone from cash flow negative to having a balance of about $1k. We've done a bunch to optimize, including signing her up for low income discounts, negotiating services, canceling things she wasn't using, etc. It's nice to see things finally paying off a bit. Before, she could have never paid her property taxes from her checking account, and would have needed to pull from her very small savings. But, this year we made it work!
2) DS17 bought a gift for someone online, and signed up for "free" shipping via the purchase flow. The "free" shipping site (free shipping.com - avoid, as it's a total scam) then went on to charge him $19/month for months & months before I happened to notice the charge. He has his own debit card where he can spend some of his job earnings. I helped him get a hold of the site, cancel the "subscription", get a refund for the one month they would allow, and we talked through how to avoid this in the future, including checking your charges at least weekly, to stay on top of any potential problems.
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Thanks, @jeninco ! I'm apparently a pro, after running the high school version this year. ;-)
For my good deeds of the day:
1) Worked with my sister on some cash flow stuff for special needs aunt, and once that was resolved, paid her property taxes. We've been in charge of her finances for about two months. She's gone from cash flow negative to having a balance of about $1k. We've done a bunch to optimize, including signing her up for low income discounts, negotiating services, canceling things she wasn't using, etc. It's nice to see things finally paying off a bit. Before, she could have never paid her property taxes from her checking account, and would have needed to pull from her very small savings. But, this year we made it work!
2) DS17 bought a gift for someone online, and signed up for "free" shipping via the purchase flow. The "free" shipping site (free shipping.com - avoid, as it's a total scam) then went on to charge him $19/month for months & months before I happened to notice the charge. He has his own debit card where he can spend some of his job earnings. I helped him get a hold of the site, cancel the "subscription", get a refund for the one month they would allow, and we talked through how to avoid this in the future, including checking your charges at least weekly, to stay on top of any potential problems.
That's fascinating -- I just ordered checks, and "Free shipping.com" offered me a free! $10 for using Free Shopping.com! Fortunately, it rang my scam-meter pretty quickly, and I noted out of that webpage before entering any information. (Side note: I'd looked at the checks a few days ago, and decided the total $ was too high. Logged into my email this morning, and -- hey, lookie there, they're half off. Don't mind if I do!) (Side-side note: I know, most things can be paid via the inter webs, but I'm old, and we have a system that works. I just bought several years worth of getting to continue using our existing system, and having the ability to write occasional checks to older people who prefer that.)
Great job helping out your aunt!
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A very small good deed: Gave a pen to a petition signature-gatherer because hers was running out of ink.
Gathering signatures on petitions to get on the ballot is a job that doesn't pay much so most of those people are pretty cash-strapped. I hope that replacing her pen meant she was able to continue working and making a few more dollars.
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@jeninco - I looked on their website, and they are actually connected with some decent retailers, which is sad. Those retailers are contributing to the problem, because they are a total scam. I'm glad you were able to notice they were scammy. DS17 is still learning all of those things!
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My friend needed to get some community feedback for her arts-related senior thesis and put out a call to get some people to submit some comments on her work, so I spent some time with the work and wrote up a few lines that she could submit to her teacher. Not sure how many she needs, but that's one down :-)
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Today I took one of my local elected officials and some volunteers out bike riding on a street that's slated for improvements. I don't think the official has done much bicycling. We all hope his having this firsthand experience and hearing the direct feedback from volunteers will inform his decisions regarding the improvements.
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@crocheted_stache - that is a fantastic idea! Well done.
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I started a FIRE club at work. Hopefully, this can help inspire a few more people towards good personal finance and FIRE.
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Pushed to organize three couples (so far) from the immediate neighborhood to rotate Porch happy hours on Friday evenings. We hosted the first one, and the second one was this evening (I know it's not Friday, but this week's hosts wisely checked the weather forecast, and this was the nicest evening: it's supposed to be mixed rain and snow the rest of the week). Everyone (including us) has been delighted with the activity: it's a lovely social hour and a half or so -- so far food has also been present, in quantities that mean we really don't need to eat dinner after. (This is partly on me: I have a thing about cooking yummy food, so I try to make sure no one is going hungry.)
I'm pleased it's working so well, and everyone else seems pretty tickeled with the plan, too! As the weather gets nicer, we'll probably expand to include more neighbors, and I fully intend to have one or two (maybe in July and August) be full-on neighborhood versions.
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@jeninco That's a great idea. I miss hosting people. Maybe outdoors is the solution to lingering pandemic fears and lingering pandemic messy house.
Today:
Attempted to help a coworker to do another coworker's job while she's on vacation. My role in this was a long call that was equal parts technical troubleshooting and moral support.
Sent a few bucks to an online friend's GoFundMe and sent him a Linkedin invitation. He's determined to get a job again after some health issues. His field is related to mine, but he doesn't live near me. I'll offer to connect him to people, but the greater service may be in the form of encouragement to carry on job-hunting and a little help with the rent in the meantime.
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I have been checking about five times a day for a month to get cheapo tickets for an expensive concert series for a friend of mine on disability - they usually release the discount tix with no warning in small numbers - and I finally managed to snag some today. He loves music and it's a beautiful venue walking distance to where he lives. He's thrilled :-)
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I had a very frustrating situation with United, but got a fantastic phone agent, who spent nearly an hour with me untangling a complicated credit issue. I tracked down how to send her kudos, and then got a follow up from her supervisor. I sent additional details & gave the supervisor permission to share my feedback, so she can be properly credited.
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Put away a cart for another shopper, on my way into the store. Sometimes I feel like the tiny things make me feel the best.
Also, continued to work on club soccer night (volunteer project).
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I had a very frustrating situation with United, but got a fantastic phone agent, who spent nearly an hour with me untangling a complicated credit issue. I tracked down how to send her kudos, and then got a follow up from her supervisor. I sent additional details & gave the supervisor permission to share my feedback, so she can be properly credited.
This is awesome. I feel like too many companies are set up for people to beat up on their phone agents, even if the agent is the only one who can make a broken process work. With few exceptions, I want to tell companies their phone rep was amazing but for crying out loud fix the broken website/process that made me have to call.
For me this week:
-Tried a tiny local restaurant and left a larger-than-necessary tip. (I still need to leave a glowing review.)
-Talked a sometimes high-drama friend through the latest situation, or tried to.
-Reviewed and commented on a draft bicycle plan for my area.
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I saw a grumpy looking man with a glowing pocket. After a moment of thought, I told him his phone flashlight was on so his battery wouldn't run out. He was grateful.
I reached out to two friends last week and met one at a park and the other for lunch. They were both very happy as each has been going through various personal issues and needed to get away.
Edited an essay for a neighbor who is seeking to upgrade her job. She'll be great in the job if she gets it, even if she's not a very good writer!
Also a big nonprofit event I've been organizing for almost a year finally happened and everyone looked happy afterward. Motion was made on some other initiatives.
I joined a municipal committee that will attempt to solve a very controversial local topic. Let's hope I can help and that the wrangling doesn't take me down. I'm a bit anxious about this, and it shouldn't be considered to be a Small good deed.
Picked up some litter while walking with my kids. I hope they subliminally get the message that other people's messes are everybody's problem to solve, for better or worse.
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-Put away three carts for the grocery store
-Gave an extra large tip at a service (I got a pedicure, as one of my nails is falling off post a lot of running)
-Worked on senior night volunteer project. Only two more weeks until this is done!
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I love reading through this thread. So many great updates!
I have helped some groups of tourists with directions and recommendations for walking trails & restaurants.
Am going to take a friend out for a nice dinner who really deserves it...she helps so many people with various things and it seems that people neglect to thank her or offer compensation. She's been a massive help for me with my rescue dog for the last six months so I wanted to offer her something and she refused money but was pleased about the idea of a 'date night'
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Someone in the neighborhood had his bike stolen (sigh). I suggested a couple different places that should be in walking distance from him that fix donated bikes and sell them at moderate prices. I also suggested that he sign up for the electronic bike lockers to help prevent a repeat.
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Last night was a charity fundraiser. When a fellow board member couldn't make it, he gave me his sponsor tickets to pass on. I gave them to someone who had donated aomething nice for the Silent Auction. Another generous Silent Auction donor had purchased a ticket for the cocktail party. I was able to get them upgraded to the dinner portion as well. Finally, I invited some neighbors to buy tickets for the cocktail party at the last minute, with the understanding that I might be able to upgrade them as well. Al five of them reciprocated by having a blast and donating the value of their tickets/upgrades to the cause. Yay!
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Removed a couple of pieces of plastic from beside the local creek. Now that they've caught up with storm cleanup, the water district appears to have retrieved some of the shopping carts and other larger items that I previously reported in the creek bed.
Photographed the current crop of cracks and potholes on one of the streets where I bike. I'll turn in reports for them when I have the ones in the other direction.
Signed us up for this year's library fundraiser gathering.
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This is going to be a multi-day effort. I'm attempting to mend more than one of my brother's too-well-loved jackets. He's probably not up to the job, either in terms of experience or coordination, or I'd try to teach him to do it for himself. I'll be making this up as I go. Various pockets aren't holding stuff too well after his phone and other gadgets wore through either the seams or the material. Fortunately, most of the repairs are on the inside, so replacement fabric and other repairs don't have to match exactly. Also, the outsides are in good enough shape that repairing the jackets is worthwhile. Unfortunately, to do the repairs with a sewing machine would mean taking stuff apart completely, so I guess I have something for my hands to do while I listen to podcasts and stuff.
I'm not sure if it's a good thing or not that there's no deadline. On the one hand, I can poke at it when I feel like it and set it down any time. On the other hand, there's no great urgency to pick it up again if I get discouraged, bored, or busy, which I probably will.
Progress so far: evaluate the damage, confirm brother is okay with proposed replacement fabric (yep), remove and return various objects that were still stored in pockets (and in one case, down in the liner), check if the jacket manufacturer can offer any support (nope), unpick the first pocket enough to get the damaged part out, and cut a piece of replacement fabric.
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Photographed the current crop of cracks and potholes on one of the streets where I bike. I'll turn in reports for them when I have the ones in the other direction.
Reported a whole bundle of potholes. I hope the worst spots get some better repairs.
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Potatoes were on sale for $2 for a 10 pound bag.
Ten pounds is too much for my one-person household but the price was so good that I bought a bag and donated it to the Senior Center free table.
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My city has a lot of Open Space. They have planted and nurtured native flowering plants on a hillside near a main entrance. This year, due to all the rain, it is spectacular. It was a madhouse when DH and I went over the weekend. It was much quieter during the week, so I took my 99-year-old friend to see it. It was even more delightful without the crowds and she loved it.
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I always love these updates!
-Returned shopping carts 2x today at the store
-Helped a woman figure out how to use her store app/digital coupons & saved $2 on berries
-Helped my mom with her phone & figuring out how to dismiss notifications
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Photographed the current crop of cracks and potholes on one of the streets where I bike. I'll turn in reports for them when I have the ones in the other direction.
Reported a whole bundle of potholes. I hope the worst spots get some better repairs.
I sent my reports after hours on Thursday and they were patched by midday Friday. When the city is easily able to fix something, they're sometimes really prompt about it. It should be a slightly smoother bike ride next time.
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My small good deed for the day:
I got three big boxes of diapers that I didn't order left on my doorstep. They were supposed to go to an address in my neighborhood,
but with digits transposed (think, mailed to 1231 Oak Street, delivered to 1321 Oak Street). It was only a block away, so I carried them over and left them at the correct house.
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My small good deed for the day:
I got three big boxes of diapers that I didn't order left on my doorstep. They were supposed to go to an address in my neighborhood,
but with digits transposed (think, mailed to 1231 Oak Street, delivered to 1321 Oak Street). It was only a block away, so I carried them over and left them at the correct house.
I'm sure a very grateful mama lives lives there!
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Great efforts, everyone!
I had another week-o-migraines so I haven't been getting much done, but I did manage to report a company for insurance fraud to the state of New York. If you ever see "Upward Health" on your caller ID, don't even pick up the phone. I have a jillion doctors so I usually answer anything that seems medical, but they are a scam.
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Great efforts, everyone!
I had another week-o-migraines so I haven't been getting much done, but I did manage to report a company for insurance fraud to the state of New York. If you ever see "Upward Health" on your caller ID, don't even pick up the phone. I have a jillion doctors so I usually answer anything that seems medical, but they are a scam.
This 100% counts. It's only a matter of time before they reach someone who's not so savvy and sends money, shares personal info, and whatever else.
Also, I really hope the migraines abate soon or at least give you a good, long break. Sending good vibes, for lack of anything more helpful to do.
Today: I carefully removed a loose object from a roadway. I hope I prevented anyone from swerving to avoid it and hitting someone or something else. Reported the problem to the city whose object it was for further attention.
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This 100% counts. It's only a matter of time before they reach someone who's not so savvy and sends money, shares personal info, and whatever else.
Also, I really hope the migraines abate soon or at least give you a good, long break. Sending good vibes, for lack of anything more helpful to do.
Thanks. I've had chronic migraines for a long time :-( I have tried a lot of meds but nothing works very well.
I never even gave this company my info, they called me on the phone out of the blue. The first time it happened was a couple of years ago, I was mystified as to how they billed my insurance without me having given them my insurance info or anything but shrugged it off (my insurance denied it - I wrote to them and said they should investigate it because it was fraud). They kept calling and calling and I blocked all their numbers. I accidentally picked up again - in the fog of an awful migraine earlier this year - realized it was them, chewed them out for half a minute about how they are committing fraud, told them to stop calling and hung up. THEY BILLED MY INSURANCE FOR THAT CALL under "unspecified medical services". I got the claim this week and that was when I decided I needed to file it with the state. I am livid that anyone would have the gall to do that.
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This 100% counts. It's only a matter of time before they reach someone who's not so savvy and sends money, shares personal info, and whatever else.
Also, I really hope the migraines abate soon or at least give you a good, long break. Sending good vibes, for lack of anything more helpful to do.
Thanks. I've had chronic migraines for a long time :-( I have tried a lot of meds but nothing works very well.
I never even gave this company my info, they called me on the phone out of the blue. The first time it happened was a couple of years ago, I was mystified as to how they billed my insurance without me having given them my insurance info or anything but shrugged it off (my insurance denied it - I wrote to them and said they should investigate it because it was fraud). They kept calling and calling and I blocked all their numbers. I accidentally picked up again - in the fog of an awful migraine earlier this year - realized it was them, chewed them out for half a minute about how they are committing fraud, told them to stop calling and hung up. THEY BILLED MY INSURANCE FOR THAT CALL under "unspecified medical services". I got the claim this week and that was when I decided I needed to file it with the state. I am livid that anyone would have the gall to do that.
$*!&! I hope the DA or insurance commissioner or somebody takes your report seriously and puts those jerks out of business. I was imagining something more like the "calling to fix your computer" scam, which has also separated too many people from their money, but at least avoiding it is as simple as hanging up.
Anyway, thanks for finding the energy and presence of mind to follow up.
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$*!&! I hope the DA or insurance commissioner or somebody takes your report seriously and puts those jerks out of business. I was imagining something more like the "calling to fix your computer" scam, which has also separated too many people from their money, but at least avoiding it is as simple as hanging up.
It's a real company in New York State, with a social media presence and (according to the internet) eight figures of venture capital startup fundraising. The doctor that they claimed had treated me with unspecified medical services is listed on their website as the Chief Medical Officer of the company. Crazy. I don't have a lot of confidence in any white collar crime actually getting prosecuted, though. I hope they will at least stop calling me! I haven't heard from them in five months.
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Picked up a couple of larger plastic bags that were blowing around.
Asked a local transit agency to fix the fare machines that didn't work when I tried them, and also urged them to look into why their fare machines malfunction so often.
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I've been looking for a specific volunteer opportunity for a long time. I want to help kids who don't have access to college counselors, or likely even able or willing parents to help them navigate the college application process. As someone who just dealt with this with DS18, it's absolutely mind boggling to think how a 17 year old could handle this on their own, and there's a ton of inequity in the process. I'm also gearing up to help DS17, and while i"m most certainly no pro, I've learned a lot along the way. I found an opportunity that looks perfect, and I was accepted to be a mentor! I start my training this week. I'm super excited & will be matched with three kids throughout the summer & the first half of their senior year, as they navigate the college application process. Woohoo!
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That's awesome. My parents both went to college and I still didn't feel like they were a ton of help and neither was my guidance counselor (he was a bigot). Someone with recent experience would be so much more helpful than someone who applied 30 years ago like my parents had...
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I adopted a 17 year old cat on Wednesday. She's old, she's too thin, she's not grooming herself... poor baby just needs a safe home with someone who knows how to take care of her. I can do that. Working on helping her clean up a bit and getting her to start to trust me.
I also found out that the video the shelter posted of her apparently was very popular, and might qualify as going viral.
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That's awesome. My parents both went to college and I still didn't feel like they were a ton of help and neither was my guidance counselor (he was a bigot). Someone with recent experience would be so much more helpful than someone who applied 30 years ago like my parents had...
My husband didn't go to school in the US, and even though my info is dated, I'm way more up to speed than he is, but absolutely having the time to dedicate to helping your kid build trackers & milestones, chase deadlines, do research, make hard decisions, evaluate offers, pros & cons... it's a ton of time & not all parents have time for that (and, many wealthy parents hire professionals anyway). The equity gap is really staggering.
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Mowed the soccer fields on Wednesday after an extended wet spell. Mowed them again tonight because it’s that time of year around here. It’s amazing how much grass can grow in 2 days.
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Today is the annual food donation day where postal carriers collect non-perishable food items. They provide a plastic bag and you fill it and put it by your mailbox. They collect it during normal mail hours. I've got 2 bags ready to go.
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That's awesome. My parents both went to college and I still didn't feel like they were a ton of help and neither was my guidance counselor (he was a bigot). Someone with recent experience would be so much more helpful than someone who applied 30 years ago like my parents had...
I'm trying to remember anything about our school guidance counselors. I think there were one or two for the whole school, but if I ever saw them, it was a routine thing to make sure my schedule wasn't missing any required classes, stuff like that. Maybe "problem" students or kids who seemed to be struggling academically got sent there more often. I feel like my mom and a couple of my English teachers were more help applying to college.
I have no formal volunteer role as such, but I've helped various people tune up the writing for their college essays and resumes. I even helped one former coworker who had never written a resume before getting laid off in 2008. He'd been hired straight out of vocational school by knowing someone who worked there, then advanced through the same company over about 20 years. He had no idea where to begin, so we started meeting after hours. He loved to tell stories, so I basically got him started and let him talk. "Tell me what it was like to work there back then."
He was amazed to conclude such a story and have another line or two in his resume. I'd ask him to review it for accuracy, of course, but basically, I was just rewriting his stories in resume format. "Well, I used to work with this guy Joe in the shop and they wouldn't even have drawings for the XYZ things they'd bring us..." became, "Custom-fit XYZ assemblies according to engineering requirements."
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I'm trying to remember anything about our school guidance counselors. I think there were one or two for the whole school, but if I ever saw them, it was a routine thing to make sure my schedule wasn't missing any required classes, stuff like that. Maybe "problem" students or kids who seemed to be struggling academically got sent there more often. I feel like my mom and a couple of my English teachers were more help applying to college.
Yeah, that's basically it. Everyone at my school got a little college (or other future plans) chat. Unfortunately he was kind of an ass and totally useless. I had picked two Ivies, my dad's alma mater and a safety (which was still a good school but I thought I was a shoo in with my grades and scores). His one suggestion was somewhere I wouldn't be caught dead attending (a fairly conservative religious school) because he thought I was aiming too high. I got one wait-list and two acceptances including one full tuition merit scholarship, so he can suck it. Yes I'm still a little mad. :-)
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A week ago I got a gift card as a thank you for participating in a volunteer activity. I might use it eventually, but I happened to still be carrying it when someone I know who is not so well off announced they were headed for the store that the card was for. "Hey, if you're going, take this and use it so it doesn't sit in my drawer forever."
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That makes me smile!
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I've been volunteering for our soccer club's senior night, and the day has finally come. Can't wait to wrap this up!
I'm also 80% of the way done with my training for my other volunteer role (college counselor), which I'm excited about.
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Found and reported two spots where illegal dumping has occurred alongside a local waterway, before the stuff ends up in the waterway and harder to retrieve than it already is. One person/team and a pickup truck should be able to handle it, with no wading or heavy equipment required.
I think I may have persuaded the city to paint a few feet of curb red where there are always parked cars crowding a crosswalk and a curb ramp. It made me nervous crossing there even before someone was killed crossing there. The lack of sight lines to oncoming traffic was supposedly not a factor in that fatality, but that is no reason to wait to make what should be a simple improvement to safety.
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Finished my volunteering project for our soccer club's senior night. Hurrah! Grateful that's over. Made some additional donations, worked the concession stand, etc.
I only have one more unit left in my training for my college counselor volunteer role, so I'm close to being able to help out with that.
I also continued my regular task of returning shopping carts to the corral when I'm shopping. I try not to be frustrated at people who leave them all over, blocking the lot & in one case, in the driving lane, so cars had to drive around it, creating a hazard. It makes me irritated that people are selfish & lazy, but I do my part, and return a cart every time I shop.
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Today I arranged for next weekend's group bike ride to visit a small, local business, and I went and let the owner of that small business know the group will be there. If all goes to plan, the bike group discovers a good place to get lunch and snacks and the business gets a bunch of new customers. Owner was smiling brightly by the time I got done talking, and while I stressed that nobody's demanding anything, I won't be surprised if the bike group is greeted with some complimentary cookies or drinks.
While I was out, I found a pair of KitchenAid scissor blades, minus the plastic handles, in the roadway. I removed them before they end up damaging a foot or tire. I picked up and disposed of several other loose pieces of plastic trash, too.
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I brought a container of cut-up watermelon to my neighbor who is in hospice home care. Her son was visiting and both were happy to get it.
I think I'll do this once a week with different snacks.
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Shared my dinner with a friend who lives alone and sometimes struggles (both financially and functionally) to cook for herself. Also sent her home with an unopened, surplus package of something that's been floating around my kitchen for awhile. I'd use it eventually, but I'm glad to gently take a little load off for her, and I can get more when I run low.
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Sometimes small really is small. Yesterday I picked up and removed a couple of pieces of shattered particle board about the size of a deck of cards, after running over them in the bike lane. All clear for the next person, even if that was probably DH or myself the next day.
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@crocheted_stache - small is good!
-I went & got finger printed for my volunteer role, filled out a profile & did the last of the training modules.
-I also put some carts back at the grocery store, because not only is that my pet peeve, but it also wastes parking spots & risks car damage.
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I was walking home from dropping my son off at school when I saw a package balanced on top of a mailbox. It was a quiet residential street corner, no one was nearby.
I went over and looked at the package. It was an international delivery with customs info, sent from Japan. It was still sealed, and it was addressed to a house less than a block away.
No idea how it got there. Mail carrier set it down absent-mindedly and walked off without it? Left at the wrong address, and someone thought they did their duty by leaving it on the mailbox for someone else to take care of? A mystery for the ages.
Whatever happened, I assume the recipient would've been disappointed if they'd paid for something to be shipped all the way across the world, only for it to wind up lost this close to its destination. I took it over and left it on their doorstep.
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@FireLane , weird. I've occasionally returned misdelivered stuff (usually things meant for 115 come to me at 155, made up example numbers). Once I found a package for us when I went to look at what had been delivered to a house across the street that was vacant at the time. I've never found one loose like that, though.
Today, I swapped seats on the train so a family with a little kid could sit together, and I put together the report for one of the volunteer groups where I'm serving as a liaison to another group.
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Visiting FIL, who's now a widower living alone in an empty nest house. Partly in self-defense, I surface-cleaned the kitchen and I'm now taking a break from working on the bathroom while the toilet gel does some work without me. I don't know if it's possible to get a housekeeper here or if FIL would sit still for that. SIL, who lives close, is clearly taking on a lot of the caretaking, including shuttling FIL to a doctor appointment this afternoon. I'm going to nudge (DH has agreed) about whether there's anything we can do to make SIL's part easier.
Otherwise, I've caught up with a couple friends from way back who live closer to here than to home. We even managed to pay one of the restaurant tabs before they did, although that one was the usual good-natured "grab the tab" race rather than any concern for the friend's financial well-being.
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Gave sunscreen to my cousin while we attended her daughter's graduation. She did not get burned!
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Attended a high school sports banquet last night, and there is no parent manager. It's our only team without one, and..it showed. Helped the coach get everything set up, tracked down missing supplies (plates, silverware, etc - you know, really unnecessary stuff when people are eating. ;-) Also stayed to clean up, and got DS17 to corral all of the teens into cleaning, so the coach or janitorial staff wouldn't be stuck with a mess.
I'm also taking child abuse prevention training for my volunteer role. That's some seriously dark stuff. I need to finish it today. I understand why it's required, but... oof.
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Attended a high school sports banquet last night, and there is no parent manager. It's our only team without one, and..it showed. Helped the coach get everything set up, tracked down missing supplies (plates, silverware, etc - you know, really unnecessary stuff when people are eating. ;-) Also stayed to clean up, and got DS17 to corral all of the teens into cleaning, so the coach or janitorial staff wouldn't be stuck with a mess.
I'm also taking child abuse prevention training for my volunteer role. That's some seriously dark stuff. I need to finish it today. I understand why it's required, but... oof.
@MaybeBabyMustache hang in there. Dark stuff persists in the absence of people willing to see or talk about it. You could save a life or change one for the better.
Today's small thing: occupied myself while waiting for a bus by removing some graffiti from the bus shelter. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer on a napkin removes permanent marker from nonporous surfaces. (I carry a pocket-sized bottle and refill it from a larger one.)
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Attended a high school sports banquet last night, and there is no parent manager. It's our only team without one, and..it showed. Helped the coach get everything set up, tracked down missing supplies (plates, silverware, etc - you know, really unnecessary stuff when people are eating. ;-) Also stayed to clean up, and got DS17 to corral all of the teens into cleaning, so the coach or janitorial staff wouldn't be stuck with a mess.
I'm also taking child abuse prevention training for my volunteer role. That's some seriously dark stuff. I need to finish it today. I understand why it's required, but... oof.
@MaybeBabyMustache hang in there. Dark stuff persists in the absence of people willing to see or talk about it. You could save a life or change one for the better.
Today's small thing: occupied myself while waiting for a bus by removing some graffiti from the bus shelter. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer on a napkin removes permanent marker from nonporous surfaces. (I carry a pocket-sized bottle and refill it from a larger one.)
That is a badass way to use up hand sanitizer, which we all have loads of!
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Today's small thing: occupied myself while waiting for a bus by removing some graffiti from the bus shelter. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer on a napkin removes permanent marker from nonporous surfaces. (I carry a pocket-sized bottle and refill it from a larger one.)
That is a badass way to use up hand sanitizer, which we all have loads of!
And paper napkins that I don't use as fast as they accumulate from restaurants and takeout.
I also use hand sanitizer for my hands, but I prefer soap and water when they're available, so I don't use hand sanitizer very quickly.
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Volunteered to be a guest speaker to train employees at a few non-profit organizations that are doing really good and highly necessary work in their communities.
Also signed up to speak to college students. I only signed up for one session, but past experience tells me that once people hear me speak, I am sometimes invited back for more speaking engagements. So I’ve mentally prepared to speak 3-4 times in the next 12 months. This is also a volunteer position.
What I’m thinking of doing with this group is to train the leaders. A lot of the college speaking stuff is simply sharing research that is already out there and putting it into a simple-to-digest PPT, and adding a few discussion questions and activities so the students can interact with the material. It’s pretty simple, but I suspect the leaders don’t know where to find the research. If I can train the leaders and serve as a consultant providing them with materials on whatever topics are salient for the group, it can be a lot more effective because then they depend less on the expats. And it’s something that I can continue doing from Canada.
But first I have to build a relationship with the group. Hence the speaking engagement.
I spent 5 years and USD$100k getting a doctorate and a professional license, then racked up 10+ years of professional and supervisory experience in my field, all while charging $300-400/hr for my services. But what makes me happiest is giving it away to eager folks who want to learn, who would otherwise never be able to access this knowledge/training.
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Shared my table at the coffee shop with a stranger so they could access the outlet & charge their phone. They might have been housing-insecure.
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Thanks, @crocheted_stache
Finally finished my training, and I'm all set up to be matched for my volunteer role (college counselor for rising seniors who don't have parents who can help). The timing is perfect, as I'm also helping DS17 with this (last year we paid a million dollars for a counselor, & I ended up doing most of the work myself), so my brain is in the right space to be helping someone else out, while I work through the process with DS17.
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@Freedomin5 yours is awesome, too.
Another arrangement I know of where a train-the-trainers model is working is the Master Gardeners. At least in California, the university agricultural extension agents, who are set up to help farmers, got tired of fielding questions from home gardeners. Master Gardener volunteers get some in-depth training in science-based best practices, and I think a little about doing good research and distinguishing what is science-based from what is baloney or merely untested. In exchange, they volunteer to teach and assist the public for a certain amount of time. It may have to wait until post-RE so I have time during weekdays for the classes and the volunteering, but it's on my "someday" list.
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Thanks, @crocheted_stache
Finally finished my training, and I'm all set up to be matched for my volunteer role (college counselor for rising seniors who don't have parents who can help). The timing is perfect, as I'm also helping DS17 with this (last year we paid a million dollars for a counselor, & I ended up doing most of the work myself), so my brain is in the right space to be helping someone else out, while I work through the process with DS17.
A million dollars! I'm in the wrong profession!
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Thanks, @crocheted_stache
Finally finished my training, and I'm all set up to be matched for my volunteer role (college counselor for rising seniors who don't have parents who can help). The timing is perfect, as I'm also helping DS17 with this (last year we paid a million dollars for a counselor, & I ended up doing most of the work myself), so my brain is in the right space to be helping someone else out, while I work through the process with DS17.
A million dollars! I'm in the wrong profession!
Ha, it was not quite that much, but it felt like a ridiculous sum all of the same. She was actually also DS18's executive functioning tutor + college counselor. Her personal style was very, very abrasive & she did not benefit DS18, because...teens aren't prone to working hard for someone they don't like. I made much faster progress with DS18 & knew how to work with him to get results. I think she may have actually been good at portions of her job, but style...nope.
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I inquired about someone’s health today who I normally can’t stand talking to about work stuff. It will either make him avoid me more often or …be positive in some other way?
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I removed a few stray plastic wrappers from the roadside and removed a sharp screw from a bike path.
While visiting, I've also been trying to keep a young niece and nephew (both under 3) safely amused for long enough at a time for Mom and Dad to get a few things done with both hands at once, and trying to help out with dishes and other small stuff while Mom and Dad wrangle the kiddos.
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Visited a different niece and nephew yesterday. These ones are a little older and both welcomed us with handmade kid art greeting cards.
We were out in public when 6yo nephew got a splinter. I happened to have tweezers and the ever-present hand sanitizer (which I suggested for cleaning the tweezers). Mom got the splinter out while nephew held it together about as well as could be expected under the circumstances. Tweezers saved the day.
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This week I contacted my city council member, state assembly rep, state senator, D.C. senators, and governor about a political issue involving public transit and a cleaner local environment (anyone following NY news probably knows what's up...I'm *incandescent* levels of pissed off).
I also made sure some elderly folks got a seat on the bus when some (I'll be charitable) probably ignorant young tourists were sitting in the front seats that are supposed to be reserved for the disabled/elderly and the other side had been left in the upright position where a wheelchair had been.
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This week I contacted my city council member, state assembly rep, state senator, D.C. senators, and governor about a political issue involving public transit and a cleaner local environment (anyone following NY news probably knows what's up...I'm *incandescent* levels of pissed off).
Congestion pricing? I'm mad about that too. I also wrote to my state reps, for all the good it did.
Just an abysmal failure of leadership. Politicians won't take a step toward saving the planet because they're afraid of riling up car-commuting white suburbanites.
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This week I contacted my city council member, state assembly rep, state senator, D.C. senators, and governor about a political issue involving public transit and a cleaner local environment (anyone following NY news probably knows what's up...I'm *incandescent* levels of pissed off).
Congestion pricing? I'm mad about that too. I also wrote to my state reps, for all the good it did.
Just an abysmal failure of leadership. Politicians won't take a step toward saving the planet because they're afraid of riling up car-commuting white suburbanites.
I'm on the wrong coast for this to have any direct impact, but I do transportation advocacy here, and this decision is likely to hold up similar efforts everywhere else, so thank you for taking action. Efforts to shift the balance away from all cars everywhere often meet with a vocal backlash from drivers, and it's vitalt that elected officials also hear from supporters.
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Handed about USD$60 to a surprised friend who's visiting Ecuador soon. Friend is from a country that uses euros.
I'm sure he can exchange money somewhere before he leaves, but I was there with a little US currency that wasn't doing much for me while I was in Europe, so I gave it to him for good luck. I told a story about my own visit to South America, where about USD$40 saved the day and got myself and two friends out of a town a little too small and too remote/undeveloped to have an ATM.
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Gave a couple amps to a friend of a friend who’s kid is getting more serious about guitar. This way they can jam together, and I have two less large heavy possessions to care for. Win win :)
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This week I contacted my city council member, state assembly rep, state senator, D.C. senators, and governor about a political issue involving public transit and a cleaner local environment (anyone following NY news probably knows what's up...I'm *incandescent* levels of pissed off).
Congestion pricing? I'm mad about that too. I also wrote to my state reps, for all the good it did.
Just an abysmal failure of leadership.
What really kills me is that they waited so long that everyone had pretty much accepted that it was happening AND we had spent all the money on implementation - half a billion dollars on cameras, signs, etc. all bought, built, posted up in the city... years of lawsuits and environmental studies done. All flushed down the toilet. It's absolute lunacy. Stuff like this really makes me feel like I'm wasting my time in my day to day conservation efforts. I could go my whole life and not offset this one blunder in terms of sheer fiscal and environmental waste.
Anyway, sorry to derail, this is the wrong thread for this.
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This week I contacted my city council member, state assembly rep, state senator, D.C. senators, and governor about a political issue involving public transit and a cleaner local environment (anyone following NY news probably knows what's up...I'm *incandescent* levels of pissed off).
Congestion pricing? I'm mad about that too. I also wrote to my state reps, for all the good it did.
Just an abysmal failure of leadership.
What really kills me is that they waited so long that everyone had pretty much accepted that it was happening AND we had spent all the money on implementation - half a billion dollars on cameras, signs, etc. all bought, built, posted up in the city... years of lawsuits and environmental studies done. All flushed down the toilet. It's absolute lunacy. Stuff like this really makes me feel like I'm wasting my time in my day to day conservation efforts. I could go my whole life and not offset this one blunder in terms of sheer fiscal and environmental waste.
Anyway, sorry to derail, this is the wrong thread for this.
Wait, and NY is threatening to cut library funding too? No, keep right on making a big-ass stink. Please. That's a good deed, too.
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Mine for today: toughed out the jet lag and made it to my volunteer gig. Might have even said something useful in the process.
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I didn't go out today, so here's one from the archive.
I was at a volunteer workshop, the kind where everyone stands or sits in a circle and you all go around and introduce yourselves and say what kinds of things you are interested in relating to the topic of the workshop. I noticed a woman across the room participating while clutching her collar the whole time. Her top didn't hang quite right on her, and had she let go, the neckline would have opened wider and lower than she wanted.
I carry a few safety pins in my purse, so I fished one out and offered it to her as soon as we were between things. Wardrobe malfunction averted.
(Edit: typo.)
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I've been staying home while I get over a bit of a cold, which is itself a good deed, if you ask me, if not very interesting to report.
I'm starting to feel better these past few days, so I delivered the last couple small Buy Nothing items by bicycle and on foot. Besides stuff not still cluttering my house, I get exercise and save everybody a bunch of short car trips.
I also made a campaign contribution to a friend who's running for local office, and I may have a bit of a volunteer job writing some upcoming blog posts for her campaign. It's not my usual thing, so we shall see how that goes.
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Thanks for keeping the thread going, crocheted_stache.
I have been in the throes of a truly bad migraine again, so not doing a lot for other folks. But I found and forwarded some coupons to a friend who asked if I could help find some discounts for him (he knows how I am, LOL). And I remembered my brother's birthday and got him some chocolates and whiskey even though he hasn't gotten me a birthday present in years.
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Whoops, I didn't even think about campaign contributions...wrote two checks this week and will be doing one more next week. We also volunteered to manage the large campaign signs for three candidates and two took us up on it. Our yard will be sporting small signs for all three.
BTW, having managed campaigns before, I know every online donation gets dinged by fees, so I go old school and bring an actual paper check to the kickoff event.
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These days, basically all the donation forms have a tick box "☑️ Add an extra $x to cover transaction fees?"
I have been known to show up with a paper check, though. Maybe I'll do that when the kick off party comes around.
@Dicey I'm now 15 forum pages into back-reading your journal and increasingly amazed with all you do. I may ask to pick your brain about supporting this candidate's campaign.
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These days, basically all the donation forms have a tick box "☑️ Add an extra $x to cover transaction fees?"
I have been known to show up with a paper check, though. Maybe I'll do that when the kick off party comes around.
@Dicey I'm now 15 forum pages into back-reading your journal and increasingly amazed with all you do. I may ask to pick your brain about supporting this candidate's campaign.
1. Haven't seen that, but I'd rather not pay 'em.
2. Happy to!
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This week I contacted my city council member, state assembly rep, state senator, D.C. senators, and governor about a political issue involving public transit and a cleaner local environment (anyone following NY news probably knows what's up...I'm *incandescent* levels of pissed off).
Congestion pricing? I'm mad about that too. I also wrote to my state reps, for all the good it did.
Just an abysmal failure of leadership.
What really kills me is that they waited so long that everyone had pretty much accepted that it was happening AND we had spent all the money on implementation - half a billion dollars on cameras, signs, etc. all bought, built, posted up in the city... years of lawsuits and environmental studies done. All flushed down the toilet. It's absolute lunacy. Stuff like this really makes me feel like I'm wasting my time in my day to day conservation efforts. I could go my whole life and not offset this one blunder in terms of sheer fiscal and environmental waste.
Anyway, sorry to derail, this is the wrong thread for this.
Hmm. I live in one of the bridge and tunnel communities that one could presume is against congestion pricing. Maybe I can get some sort of call the Governor in support of congestion pricing thing going, if you think it's not too late.
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Been some time since I was here. Great work to everyone!!
My volunteer work is largely wrapped up for the summer, so I collapsed. A couple of random small things:
I've been walking down to the water a few times and on my way out, I pick up a handful of broken glass from the tiny, muddy beach.
One of my low income friends asked if I could help her find cookware suitable to make a pot roast (her teen son has never had it, and she only has aluminum pots). I found her a small, used InstantPot and some classic rock CDs (her government issued internet runs out near the end of the month). She really loved both. She has already cooked three things with the InstantPot!
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Been some time since I was here. Great work to everyone!!
My volunteer work is largely wrapped up for the summer, so I collapsed. A couple of random small things:
I've been walking down to the water a few times and on my way out, I pick up a handful of broken glass from the tiny, muddy beach.
One of my low income friends asked if I could help her find cookware suitable to make a pot roast (her teen son has never had it, and she only has aluminum pots). I found her a small, used InstantPot and some classic rock CDs (her government issued internet runs out near the end of the month). She really loved both. She has already cooked three things with the InstantPot!
Badass!
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Hmm. I live in one of the bridge and tunnel communities that one could presume is against congestion pricing. Maybe I can get some sort of call the Governor in support of congestion pricing thing going, if you think it's not too late.
It's too late to get it implemented on time (the original date was tomorrow). But there is still a lot of push and pull going on, and there will be lawsuits, and pressuring the governor can only help. Lawsuits are just another waste of taxpayer money that is totally unnecessary and could be stopped if they went ahead with the original plan. She claims it's a "pause" so she could unpause it any time.
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Hmm. I live in one of the bridge and tunnel communities that one could presume is against congestion pricing. Maybe I can get some sort of call the Governor in support of congestion pricing thing going, if you think it's not too late.
It's too late to get it implemented on time (the original date was tomorrow). But there is still a lot of push and pull going on, and there will be lawsuits, and pressuring the governor can only help. Lawsuits are just another waste of taxpayer money that is totally unnecessary and could be stopped if they went ahead with the original plan. She claims it's a "pause" so she could unpause it any time.
Then I'll look into it! Maybe there's already a petition or calling day planned that I can join and tell my community about.
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Hmm. I live in one of the bridge and tunnel communities that one could presume is against congestion pricing. Maybe I can get some sort of call the Governor in support of congestion pricing thing going, if you think it's not too late.
It's too late to get it implemented on time (the original date was tomorrow). But there is still a lot of push and pull going on, and there will be lawsuits, and pressuring the governor can only help. Lawsuits are just another waste of taxpayer money that is totally unnecessary and could be stopped if they went ahead with the original plan. She claims it's a "pause" so she could unpause it any time.
Then I'll look into it! Maybe there's already a petition or calling day planned that I can join and tell my community about.
Streetsblog has had good coverage, plus a couple of Twitter posters that do a lot of transit coverage might be good places to start. (Basically the only reason I'm on Twitter is local news coverage/activism...)
https://nyc.streetsblog.org/category/issues-campaigns/congestion-pricing
https://x.com/TransAlt
https://x.com/BrooklynSpoke
https://x.com/DaveCoIon
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Gave a friend cash for their visa gift card debit card so they could use the money for a flight. I guess the gift card is overly restrictive on which merchants accept it. It shouldn’t be too much trouble for me to use it on gas and groceries, and even if it was, the amount to my life is negligible.
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Was finally feeling up for going out and seeing people at an event at my friend's art gallery, and managed to do a little good deed... I ran into some mutual friends (an older married couple) that I haven't seen in ages. It turned out the wife half of the couple had been in the hospital for a while :-( and she was still feeling pretty frail. They were waiting for a ride after the event so I hung around to make sure it showed up, and it started to rain so I stood and held my umbrella for her until their ride showed up, since they didn't have one.
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Was finally feeling up for going out and seeing people at an event at my friend's art gallery, and managed to do a little good deed... I ran into some mutual friends (an older married couple) that I haven't seen in ages. It turned out the wife half of the couple had been in the hospital for a while :-( and she was still feeling pretty frail. They were waiting for a ride after the event so I hung around to make sure it showed up, and it started to rain so I stood and held my umbrella for her until their ride showed up, since they didn't have one.
So glad you're getting a bit of a reprieve from the not-feeling well!
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On my 14-hour flight, I translated for an elderly man who didn’t speak any English. The flight attendants didn’t speak any Cantonese.
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On my 14-hour flight, I translated for an elderly man who didn’t speak any English. The flight attendants didn’t speak any Cantonese.
This is not so small! Good for you! I've been without some common language relatively rarely, but it ranges from frustrating (did you want chicken or pasta?) to terrifying (the flight is now leaving from gate 14 instead of gate 18) not to be able to communicate.
My thing today was small. I dropped off a pocket-sized Buy Nothing item for a neighbor a few blocks over and got at least a few steps in, in the process.
I suppose yesterday's thing was a little more significant: listening while my upset friend unloaded about the latest maddening drama in her life and started to sort through what to do next about it. (Very short, simplified version: people who are supposed to be helping her with stuff like housing insecurity and disability accommodations are not believing or even listening to her, are acting unprofessionally, and are doing more harm than good.)
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Made some suggestions about organizing and color coordinating the parade unit "my" local candidate is putting together for the 4th.
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Reported another few maintenance issues for my city to address.
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Appeared in the parade alongside the candidate I'm supporting, found and suggested another event for her to attend in the coming months, and collected an election sign for the yard, although it's not time to display it yet.
I also made a couple new connections today, and got to see a few folks I know.
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A bunch of teenagers were acting like assholes (4th of July shenanigans - shooting fireworks into a crowd of people on the sidewalk at rush hour) and a bunch of people ran screaming. Someone dropped one of those little scooters in the middle of the crosswalk where it would probably get run over by a car. Not an electric one, just a little one like kids use. I picked it up and left it over on the sidewalk before it could get damaged. (No guarantees that it didn't get stolen or etc. but I did run home pretty much instantly at that point... you don't need to shoot fireworks at me more than once to get the point, thanks)
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Packed a picnic lunch for three and went with DH to visit a friend who's in town (or at least in easy visiting distance) after this friend spent many years away. It sounded like he's been having a pretty long and lonely detour as far as life and career are concerned. We were all happy to get back together, and the friend was impressed and grateful for the home-cooked meal, even though that meal was a taco salad kit that was pretty easy to assemble and plop in a cooler.
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A bunch of teenagers were acting like assholes (4th of July shenanigans - shooting fireworks into a crowd of people on the sidewalk at rush hour) and a bunch of people ran screaming. Someone dropped one of those little scooters in the middle of the crosswalk where it would probably get run over by a car. Not an electric one, just a little one like kids use. I picked it up and left it over on the sidewalk before it could get damaged. (No guarantees that it didn't get stolen or etc. but I did run home pretty much instantly at that point... you don't need to shoot fireworks at me more than once to get the point, thanks)
I hope the dumbass kids ran out of fireworks before anyone got hurt. We always have way too many illegal, amateur fireworks in California for how dry it is here in July. Years ago, July 4 must have been the Monday of the holiday weekend, and we ended up driving several hours home that night after visiting family and friends in a far-flung part of the state. We saw three different grass fires and a fire hydrant geyser along the way. It was long enough ago that to report one of the fires, we pulled off the freeway and used a pay phone in a restaurant. We were told ours was not the first report.
There's enough metal in a basic kick scooter to do some damage to a car if it bends or bounces the wrong way, and of course the scooter is destroyed regardless. Besides, anything in a car lane could prompt drivers to swerve suddenly and hit someone or something.
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Saw a cell phone in the middle of the road. Didn’t run over it. Stopped and picked it up and turned it in at a local public non-profit who put it in their lost and found, or at least their “lost and we’ll wait to see who calls it”.
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"Saw a cell phone in the middle of the road. Didn’t run over it. Stopped and picked it up and turned it in ..."
Not directly related, but I happened to watch a true crime show this week where someone saw a handgun in the road, stopped to retrieve it and turn it into the police. It had been run over and some pieces were missing but the barrel and serial numbers were intact.
And yes, it turned out to be the crucial evidence in a murder investigation and the gun owner/murderer was convicted.
So, even a small good deed can become a life-changing one!
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Picking up stuff from the middle of the road before it gets smashed/damages a car/causes an accident is important!
In general, it's good to save things and get them into the hands of those who need them. In a cross-genre victory, I decluttered my son's old bicycle (a nice one that could be ridden by a short adult) and donated it to a local charity that fixes up bikes for donation. I also signed up to help fix broken items at a "repair café"... have been doing this for a few years now.
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Several years ago, I found a pretty nice diamond engagement ring in the road. It had been run over, but I collected the pieces. I turned them in to the police station. Then I sent email to someone I knew in the neighborhood association where I found it, describing the location and the ring, minus identifying features. I'd almost forgotten about it months later when somebody replied to the email to let me know they recovered it. I'm sure a jeweler restored the band and reset the stone.
Being a mustachian helped in at least two ways. I wouldn't have seen it if I'd driven that day instead of bicycling. And I didn't and still don't have any particular interest in a diamond ring or the money I might have gotten selling it.
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Agreed to go to a medical appointment with my mom. It's one of those light-anesthesia ones that you need someone to sign you out afterwards. The hospital is out in the suburbs but right next to a train station, conveniently, since I don't have a car.
Helped a not-very-tech-savvy friend troubleshoot some e-mail stuff on his phone.
Chatted with a neighbor for 20 minutes about some medical issues they've been having that sounds exactly like a thing I've had (same diagnosis and exact same extremely specific not-in-the-medical-textbook symptoms); I mentioned something my doctor gave me which helped a ton.
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Sometimes, just being there is the most important thing.
DH and I stayed home to recharge today. He didn't sleep well last night, so I came up with our two real meals and did most of the preparation and cleanup, along with some maintenance housekeeping.
I also promoted "my" local candidate online a little.
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I'm still doing my volunteer work with the college counseling, which has ended up being quite fun. One of my students is interested in pre-med, and wanted to know more about a few colleges, one of which is OSU (DS18 is attending in the fall). I happened to be cleaning out all of our OSU info after our call, and found a bunch of info on pre-med pathways.) I took a picture & sent it to volunteer student & she was thrilled to have a leg up on her research. It was perfect timing.
I've also been spending a lot of time with DS18's GF. Their parents are.... really something. I try to make our house an inviting place, free of judgement, supportive, allowing them to talk about concerns, open questions, and despite my MANY feelings on it, I don't weigh in on the parents "requirements" of needing them to go to church every Sunday in college (supervised by their grandfather, who is a pastor, which is why they are requiring GF to attend a specific school). GF has gotten much more open & friendly, & I hope feels like our house is a place they can be themselves, when they can't do the same at their own house.
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Put in the next handful of reports to the city for maintenance. This time, I found a traffic light that's not lighting, some illegal dumping, and an overgrown sidewalk.
I won't be surprised to see the traffic light fixed by the end of the day. It's one green light out among two or three signals facing that way, so it's unlikely to be a hazard. Still, any traffic signal that's not 100% working tends to start pretty high on the list.
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Put in the next handful of reports to the city for maintenance. This time, I found a traffic light that's not lighting, some illegal dumping, and an overgrown sidewalk.
I won't be surprised to see the traffic light fixed by the end of the day. It's one green light out among two or three signals facing that way, so it's unlikely to be a hazard. Still, any traffic signal that's not 100% working tends to start pretty high on the list.
That report about the traffic light is definitely a good deed, but I'm a little surprised that there's no automatic signal sent to a computer somewhere in the area's traffic control room that says it's broken; otherwise, all malfunctions are called in by whoever happens to be there in person to notice it?
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Put in the next handful of reports to the city for maintenance. This time, I found a traffic light that's not lighting, some illegal dumping, and an overgrown sidewalk.
I won't be surprised to see the traffic light fixed by the end of the day. It's one green light out among two or three signals facing that way, so it's unlikely to be a hazard. Still, any traffic signal that's not 100% working tends to start pretty high on the list.
That report about the traffic light is definitely a good deed, but I'm a little surprised that there's no automatic signal sent to a computer somewhere in the area's traffic control room that says it's broken; otherwise, all malfunctions are called in by whoever happens to be there in person to notice it?
Perhaps there is now technology to monitor such stuff, but if it can be automated, they haven't rolled it out everywhere yet. I've found a decent number of them over the years, and it's certainly an option in the categories for the reporting tool.
Today I removed a couple more sharp, metal objects from the bike lane and roadway.
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Collected an autograph of someone local and noteworthy enough to have a Wikipedia article, for a (not at all local) friend who's an admirer.
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Didn't think of this as a good deed, because I do it all the time: I picked up a bolt and washer from the road on my morning walk. The washer was holding the bolt up in the perfect position to puncture a tire.
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Contributed a few hours to a community bicycle repair effort, which should help save some parts from the bin and get more secondhand bikes back into circulation, with less cost.
I took the opportunity while there to promote "my" local candidate to another attendee. This candidate is really easy to support, but it's a down-ballot race of the kind not well covered or publicized, so just getting the name out there is important.
@Dicey , having dealt with a wood screw in one of my car tires earlier this year and the usual assortment of punctures on my bikes over many years of riding, I absolutely think removing sharp objects from the roadway "counts."
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A friend who is intensely interested in the local live music scene couldn't make it to a concert with our friend group at a new club, so I sent her a thorough review of the space for her future reference with all the relevant details, so she can make an informed decision before coming to another show next month. (Relevant details: this nightclub is literally metal chairs inside a parking garage and they've booked a world renowned classical string quartet next month)
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Last week I joined my local BuyNothing group (which nowadays has a snazzy app, fun!) and today I gifted an old but still in great working condition iPhone to someone who can put it to good use.
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Stopped in the middle of the (rural) highway to remove some boards that had spilled from an earlier vehicle.
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Last week I joined my local BuyNothing group (which nowadays has a snazzy app, fun!) and today I gifted an old but still in great working condition iPhone to someone who can put it to good use.
I'm a little jealous. My local BN group is still operating on Facebook, which isn't ideal for the purpose and isn't where I most like to spend my time. I wonder if they'd consider migrating.
Edit to add: my BN group showed no interest in my retired Android phones, but other similar groups have a wider reach, and I found people who can use them.
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Edit to add: my BN group showed no interest in my retired Android phones, but other similar groups have a wider reach, and I found people who can use them.
Yes, my BN can be quite picky but people who cruise the Craigslist free section will pick up *anything* and definitely represent a much poorer demographic than our BN. For that reason, I often give away nice (sellable) stuff on Craigslist. Recently, I made two young women very happy... one took our posh mattress as she was sleeping on the floor, and the other took our posh four poster queen bed so that she could put curtains on to make her studio apartment more private.
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Good suggestion… I’ve got some nice used shoes on BN that nobody has shown any interest in. I’ll try cross posting to Craigslist free section.
@crocheted_stache For all I know, my local BN group could mostly be on Facebook too, but there’s still a decent number of people active on the app in my local area (maybe all of them are like me and have no idea if there’s a Facebook group since we aren’t on there). Have you tried posting anything on the app to see if there are some local people on there already?
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@BECABECA I haven't tried. I should probably ask what anyone knows about that in the group.
Yesterday's thing: removed yet another sharp object from the bike lane.
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Re-lent the $100 that has recently been repaid from previous loans in my Kiva account. A couple of the loans I chose this time were in Ecuador, in honor of a friend's recent trip there. It's as good a reason as any for what's basically an arbitrary choice.
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Helped a friend in her 70s get set up on Credit Karma (she had set up an account years ago but had typo’d her email address for the username), reviewed all her open accounts, identified what changes to make to boost her credit score, and helped her close a bunch of accounts that were unnecessarily complicating her life.
Picked up trash and sharp metal objects from the walkway (including a razor blade!). I don’t know where this stuff keeps coming from, I picked up everything I saw on the same route yesterday and the day before, etc. I imagine it’s someone on a walk after me who posts on a forum to a “One (small) bad deed a day”thread ;)
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I imagine it’s someone on a walk after me who posts on a forum to a “One (small) bad deed a day”thread ;)
Haha.
I really wonder what happened to the anti-littering campaigns of my youth. There's a terrible littering problem where I live and there are no signs or PSAs or anything that looks like an effort to address it. I see people ALL THE TIME throw trash on the ground here where there is LITERALLY a garbage can at every corner. And you'll never hear anyone say anything, like a group of people will be walking together and one will throw trash on the ground and the others just ignore it. I would be appalled if one of my friends did that, but apparently it's socially acceptable for a lot of people? It's so bizarre to me.
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I imagine it’s someone on a walk after me who posts on a forum to a “One (small) bad deed a day”thread ;)
Haha.
I really wonder what happened to the anti-littering campaigns of my youth. There's a terrible littering problem where I live and there are no signs or PSAs or anything that looks like an effort to address it. I see people ALL THE TIME throw trash on the ground here where there is LITERALLY a garbage can at every corner. And you'll never hear anyone say anything, like a group of people will be walking together and one will throw trash on the ground and the others just ignore it. I would be appalled if one of my friends did that, but apparently it's socially acceptable for a lot of people? It's so bizarre to me.
Yes, I think we are assuming that schools and parents are still teaching their kids this stuff but it's not happening. I feel this is where just a few elementary school parents who are big in the PTA could make a difference in their town or even in their state.
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Yes, I think we are assuming that schools and parents are still teaching their kids this stuff but it's not happening. I feel this is where just a few elementary school parents who are big in the PTA could make a difference in their town or even in their state.
Yeah - I don't have kids so I don't know what goes on in schools, but I certainly see no signs of it anywhere else.
The last time (years ago) I picked up a piece of trash someone had dropped they called me a nasty slur, so... I just... don't do that any more. I don't know why people would be so hostile about that, but I don't need that kind of aggression from strange men on the street.
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On my urban walk yesterday, someone had smashed a bottle of Absolute Vodka on the sidewalk. I used the side of my shoe to move it off the sidewalk, over to the edge of the building. Best I could do under the circumstances.
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Some young hooligans are renting the townhouse next door...they woke us up at 3am last night and I had to go ask them to turn the music off. Today, I saw more friends arriving and they didn't know where they could park their car (it's very restricted around here). I offered them our second parking spot so hopefully they won't wake us up again tonight or I'll have to go tell them that I'm towing them :)
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Another day, another bike ride, another sharp object removed from the bike lane and roadway. Today's was a good-sized nail. The one Thursday was one of those storage hooks with a rubber-coated hook and a pointy thread on the end that screws into the wall. I'd love to run out of this stuff to find.
I also got a photo of a train station building for someone I know who likes that sort of thing.
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Yes, I think we are assuming that schools and parents are still teaching their kids this stuff but it's not happening. I feel this is where just a few elementary school parents who are big in the PTA could make a difference in their town or even in their state.
Yeah - I don't have kids so I don't know what goes on in schools, but I certainly see no signs of it anywhere else.
The last time (years ago) I picked up a piece of trash someone had dropped they called me a nasty slur, so... I just... don't do that any more. I don't know why people would be so hostile about that, but I don't need that kind of aggression from strange men on the street.
Oh, that's terrible!!
When I'm not so busy, I'll try to reach out to the environmental committee of my kids' school and ask if they know what the deal is on teaching no littering. Our town has a couple of community cleanups every year, and when I went last year, we managed to embarrass a few of the guys who drink in a local park to clean up after themselves. I'm not sure if they continued to clean up afterward but at least one of them began to scold his buddies and pick up a few bottles, when he saw us walking around with our trash bags.
I don't usually like to be a showoff, but I do feel that small acts of virtue like picking up litter benefit by being seen, because they spread.
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I imagine it’s someone on a walk after me who posts on a forum to a “One (small) bad deed a day”thread ;)
Haha.
I really wonder what happened to the anti-littering campaigns of my youth. There's a terrible littering problem where I live and there are no signs or PSAs or anything that looks like an effort to address it. I see people ALL THE TIME throw trash on the ground here where there is LITERALLY a garbage can at every corner. And you'll never hear anyone say anything, like a group of people will be walking together and one will throw trash on the ground and the others just ignore it. I would be appalled if one of my friends did that, but apparently it's socially acceptable for a lot of people? It's so bizarre to me.
The people who read "do not litter" signs are not the same people those signs most need to reach.
Someone who's more forward than me once saw someone drop a piece of trash on the trail in a nature area. He picked it up, caught up with the offender, and gave it back, cheerfully advising, "you dropped something back there," exactly as though the "something" were a glove or lens cap that fell out of their pocket by mistake. It was brilliant, and I don't think I have the demeanor or charisma it would take to carry it off like that.
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The people who read "do not litter" signs are not the same people those signs most need to reach.
Yes, that's why it's probably better to teach kids to not litter and to pick up litter that they see... it's too late for most adults. What frustrates me are the people with immaculate cars who drop trash out of their windows!
On my one (small) bad deed a day 2024 roster, I had to change a meeting time this week. I hate doing that, because I feel that there are negative ripple effects when you force people to shuffle their schedules around. Cancelling unnecessary meetings, however, I would consider a good deed!
As for good deeds, I collected art supplies for my friend's club for the mentally ill, sewing supplies for a senior craft circle, and also gave a ride to a distant grocery store to her and her friend with schizophrenia. They were so tremendously grateful that I felt a little guilty.
@Serendip, I hope your kindness was met with reciprocation! @Dollar Slice, I'm sorry some random evildoer took objection to you picking up their litter! Sheesh.
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it's too late for most adults. What frustrates me are the people with immaculate cars who drop trash out of their windows!
Don’t worry, those people likely make up for it by complaining about how society is going downhill!
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It's occurred to me to make or get a shirt or safety vest that says VOLUNTEER, so nobody thinks I'm being paid to pick up their trash, or worse yet, sentenced to community service. To judge by the number of "I don't work here" stories circulating in which people look nothing like employees, it probably wouldn't register for some people, anyway.
Today's good deed: plugged "my" candidate to at least one more area voter. Hopefully a lot more people also see the signs I display.
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It's occurred to me to make or get a shirt or safety vest that says VOLUNTEER, so nobody thinks I'm being paid to pick up their trash, or worse yet, sentenced to community service. To judge by the number of "I don't work here" stories circulating in which people look nothing like employees, it probably wouldn't register for some people, anyway.
Today's good deed: plugged "my" candidate to at least one more area voter. Hopefully a lot more people also see the signs I display.
I co-chair an event centered around "Community Service." Pre-pandemic, we provided t-shirts. We always chose one of our three logo colors for the T-shirts. Yeah, we only did orange shirts once. The next time it was orange's turn, we went with a tie-dyed golden orange instead. Now we don't do t-shirts, but encourage participants to wear shirts from years past. It's fun to see a rainbow of colors.
Ha! I turned a friend from an awful candidate to a well-qualified one. We're also in charge of large campaign signs for several candidates, which is like real-life Monopoly. Our high-visibility front yard will be sprouting small signs for all three candidates and we'll be door-knocking for all three. We also publicly endorsed all three, so it's on their websites and in their literature. Funny, I just think of all that as things we do, not good deeds.
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@Dicey, yeah, a lot of the things I do to save money and to reduce my environmental impact are also just things that I do. I mention them in threads like this partly in hopes of inspiring others to try them if they don't already. Supporting a candidate is mostly a new thing for me, though. I've displayed the occasional lawn sign and sent the occasional smallish check.
"My" candidate is pretty well qualified, although she's definitely learning as she goes and will no doubt continue to do so as she (hopefully) takes office in the coming year. Getting the word out is the challenge. She's new on the candidate roster for any office, and it's a down-ballot race for a position that's not super familiar to most people.
Today's thing: went through and recommended grants from my DAF to handful of the organizations I routinely support. Before the December rush this time!
I don't know if Fidelity Charitable is reading the survey comments or doing anything about them, but I left one. Last year, I gave to XYZ org, and got back a letter thanking me for my donation and asking that any future donations be sent to their So-and-so Street address. I can't tell if I sent it there last year and that part is just the form letter, or what. This year, I looked in my DAF list, and searching for XYZ org yields three entries with two addresses pointed at the same tax ID number. (It's a unique name and doesn't have a bunch of branches or chapters afaik.) I'd really like to have a way to flag entries for cleanup that are likely duplicates or that otherwise appear to need attention. It's potentially a huge task, but at least the users with an interest in a given organization could ask that that organization's entry in the directory be reviewed, and the result would help other future donors.
I figure, if I ask, possibly nothing will happen, but if I don't ask, definitely nothing will happen.
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I actually enjoy litter clean up. I find it quite meditative. I filled maybe a half dozen trash bags last winter. I owed something to the universe over the weekend so I decided to do a clean up around the lake near our house but it wasn’t five minutes before I saw a pygmy rattlesnake and was reminded of why I don’t clean up litter so much in summer.
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My parents had driven up to visit some friends in the Berkshires this weekend and were driving home today, so yesterday evening I texted my mom to make sure they were aware of the weather forecast (very heavy storms/flooding from tropical storm remnants) to make sure they planned to get home before the bad weather got here.
Today I saw two large freshly smashed LCD screens in my local subway platform, with glass all over the floor, so I reported it to the MTA and had a response within ten minutes that they had forwarded it to the relevant team. (Really a bummer since those must cost a lot of taxpayer dollars to replace, and the glass was a hazard... why are there so many destructive jerks in the world? I guess that was another post for the "one bad deed a day" thread on that other forum we haven't found.)
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Today I stopped and offered the use of my bike tools to someone who was walking his bike with a flat tire. He assured me he didn't have that much further to walk and declined, but I did offer.
I removed a possibly hazardous object from the roadway.
And I reported to Caltrans about the condition of one of their bridges that I went over while biking the other day. I saw missing concrete, exposed rebar, and sidewalks crunched up and sagging where the soil has eroded or collapsed out from underneath. They have someone skilled at assessing such things. I don't know how serious this deterioration is, but I'm sure it shouldn't look like that. I hope they didn't hear it from me first. Their characteristically terse reply at least tells me a human saw my report. ("Situation Acknowledged. Will be addressed." They also say they're sending the request to maintenance.)
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We had torrential rain tonight (localized flooding and etc.) and my 80 y.o. friend who is 110lb and has a bad hip had made the decision earlier that she would bring her heavy book to read on the train and leave her umbrella at home because she can't carry too much weight with her... sigh. I tried to give her my umbrella and just get wet myself: nope. I walked with her and tried to cover her with my umbrella, but she's tiny and I had my smallest umbrella and the imbalance in height wasn't working great for either of us. She ducked under an awning and suggested we wait it out. OK. Our other friends abandoned us. We ended up spending a good fifteen minutes out there getting lashed with rain with just my little umbrella and some leaky awnings :-( I tried to make her take my umbrella home with her but she wouldn't do that, either. I did carry some of her things buried down in my bag, since it has a cover with a buckle so her medicine wouldn't get wet. And I guess she got a little less wet under my umbrella. But we both got pretty soaked.
I also asked around my friend group for something a friend was looking for and a friend of a friend had one they weren't using, so he got hooked up within 24 hours.
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It's a shame we can't steer some of that excess rainfall to places with droughts and wildfires when Vermont and New York have had too much.
I biked a different way than usual and found and reported a traffic signal that wasn't entirely working. No immediate hazard, fortunately.
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It's a shame we can't steer some of that excess rainfall to places with droughts and wildfires when Vermont and New York have had too much.
We got more rain tonight, but this time I let my friend know in advance that she might need an umbrella :-)
I'm surprised I didn't hear from my parents about how much rain they got in their homemade rain gauge, but the news said we got about 2.5" in that deluge. Probably would have been 2.6" if I hadn't soaked up so much in my Hokas and specially wicking athletic socks.
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I've been at this for nine long days straight. I volunteer at a thrift shop. Another volunteer, "K" had a next door neighbor "F" who developed dementia. F's brother is her conservator. He has moved F into a care facility near his home um, not close to here. He was tasked with cleaning out the house and two storage units. K needed help, so she asked some of her fellow volunteers.
I ended up spearheading the effort aka "driving the bus," along with four other carefully chosen volunteers, along with Mr. Dicey. For endless hours, we doggedly cleaned out the house, separating wheat from chaff and seeking buried treasures. When we finished with the house, we had one day to clean out the massive storage unit (10' x 25"?) and consolidate what was good but we didn't have room for into F's smaller storage unit, which saves them about $750 per month.
There is so much stuff that the store is overwhelmed. Most of us have taken things to store in our garages temporarily, and our vehicles, including Mr. Dicey's truck, are all full.
We've given things to other thrift stores, an animal adoption facility (towels!), Post Office, Library and more.
Our goal was to keep as much as possible out of the landfill, and we sure as heck did. I am pooped.
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Dicey,
That's a herculean effort, kudos to all of you. And that definitely counts as more than a "small" good deed!
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Good work on avoiding all that going into the trash, Dicey!
Today I was able to source a free set of Epi-pens for a friend with severe allergies who mentioned that she hadn't been carrying them because the cost is too high with her current insurance plan. :-( I was so bummed out to hear that but I'm glad I could help.
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My parents were executors for a family friend who passed. The friend was not a miser, and cleaning up the house was a huge effort. I can’t imagine the work you had to put in. Great job, Dicey!
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Good work, Dicey! I always feel aghast at the amount that gets thrown out when people move out/are moved out. There are probably a lot of people who will be excited about their thrift store finds too.
Dollar Slice, at least you tried to keep your friend from getting wet! And providing your friend with epipens is major.
@crocheted_stache, you may have prevented some accidents with your preventive actions!
I don't feel like I've done much for humanity lately... been focusing on family and extended family. Well, I went to a wedding and did see a cousin in person for the first time in many years. He had a very bad home life as a kid and has been very ill, so in recent years he seemed depressed and standoffish in phone calls or texts. I kind of led the extended family to love bomb him. We went out of our way to engage him in conversation so he wasn't ever awkward and alone, take silly selfies with him, talked about old times, and so on. He's not healthy enough to dance so we hung out with him and took turns to dance. He got SO happy, and was talking excitedly about having family reunions on a regular basis. We seriously will do it and will arrange to meet in a location convenient to him.
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Stopped on my ride home and helped another bicyclist who had a flat. She'd replaced the tube already but was struggling to get the back wheel in place so the gear cluster, derailleur, and chain all worked together.
I got her rolling again, but not by walking her through how to do it herself so she'd be independent if it happened again. She was frustrated, it was getting dark, and it seemed more important to get her bike put back together than to teach her how. I suggested a local organization that offers free classes on the subject, and I hope she'll take them up on the offer.
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Crocheted_stache,
Thank you for your kindness in helping the bicyclist. It reminded me of an episode years ago when our car battery died on a bright sunny morning on an urban street in rush hour.
At the time my then-husband and I carpooled to work. We were only a few miles from his office so he called a co-worker who agreed to come pick us up. Unfortunately when she arrived she griped the whole time about how inconvenient it was for her to take a few minutes to do this.
My point is I think a good deed is quickly undone if resentment and complaining comes with it.
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I was at my sister's house for a few days without her, and offered to do some decluttering, listing on FB marketplace/BN & get things listed on eBay. She was thrilled, & gave me clear parameters to work within. I made great progress & her spaces look really good. It felt nice to be able to help, as she works wayyyyy too much at the moment.
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I ended up getting COVID the day I got the epi-pens for my friend and haven't been able to get them to her yet. Timing :-/ Hopefully I'll meet up with her soon now that I'm testing negative again.
Today I went to grab lunch after a doctor's appointment as a little treat (I was barely eating anything when I was sick) and the person next to me in line asked me a couple of odd questions like "Excuse me, is this really better than McDonald's? I only ever go to McDonald's" (heavily accented from a foreign country, acted a little weird) and then they asked if they could watch me order - eventually I ended up walking them through the ordering system step by step because they didn't know how any of it worked. We ended up having lunch together and we found quite a bit to talk about and I really got her laughing a couple of times. I hope that was all an improvement over McDonald's :-)
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I've certainly been on both sides of giving or and receiving needed assistance for navigating an unfamiliar transit system. I don't remember being the guide in a restaurant. Mostly, I've gotten advice from the staff, and I try to be a good listener and a little extra generous with the tip when someone is especially helpful and I'm especially lost.
Glad you're feeling better again, @Dollar Slice . I hope you suffer no lingering effects!
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I've certainly been on both sides of giving or and receiving needed assistance for navigating an unfamiliar transit system. I don't remember being the guide in a restaurant. Mostly, I've gotten advice from the staff, and I try to be a good listener and a little extra generous with the tip when someone is especially helpful and I'm especially lost.
Glad you're feeling better again, @Dollar Slice . I hope you suffer no lingering effects!
Midtown Manhattan in the lunch rush can be a little intimidating because there is always a big line of people behind you and they're all in a hurry - I have seen some pretty funny things with tourists who can't cope in surprising ways. This place had you ordering completely through a touchscreen computer with no staff nearby, probably a situation she wasn't familiar with. It isn't something I find difficult but... my dad would have been baffled, too, I'm sure.
Thanks for the well wishes.
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I attended my partner’s annual physical appointment with a new GP. When the GP wasn’t going to write a referral for a colonoscopy because they weren’t 50 yrs old yet, I chimed in that the recommended starting age is now 45 (and that gets even lower not just from having a family history of colon cancer but even just family having had colon polyps snipped). A little back and forth ended in the GP pulling up Up-To-Date and learning that the standard recommended age has indeed been moved up to 45.
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I attended my partner’s annual physical appointment with a new GP. When the GP wasn’t going to write a referral for a colonoscopy because they weren’t 50 yrs old yet, I chimed in that the recommended starting age is now 45 (and that gets even lower not just from having a family history of colon cancer but even just family having had colon polyps snipped). A little back and forth ended in the GP pulling up Up-To-Date and learning that the standard recommended age has indeed been moved up to 45.
That is badass!
I was at my sister's house for a few days without her, and offered to do some decluttering, listing on FB marketplace/BN & get things listed on eBay. She was thrilled, & gave me clear parameters to work within. I made great progress & her spaces look really good. It felt nice to be able to help, as she works wayyyyy too much at the moment.
Any time you need another sister, I'm available.
@Dollar Slice, sorry about Covid catching you. Glad you've outrun it.
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Another day, another bike ride, in what is for me a familiar but less frequent direction.
Removed a sharp screw from the roadway. I don't know where they all come from, but maybe I prevented it from ending up in anyone's tire.
Reported a minor maintenance issue to the city before it becomes a major maintenance issue.
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Removed a sharp screw from the roadway. I don't know where they all come from, but maybe I prevented it from ending up in anyone's tire.
I was inspired by you the other day! I was walking in a condo parking lot and my friend noticed two cars with very flat tires. Later, I noticed a couple of sharp screws in that lot and I picked them up.
Today I heard about a job offer and I passed it on to the son of a friend. He's a nice young man who has been living at home while working part time on his advanced degree at a local college. Unfortunately it seems like he's been working slower and slower, staying up late, getting demotivated and depressed...
Though this job is not permanent, it will be easy for him, will put a little money in his pocket, and will get him out of the house. It will also look good on his resume. I hope he takes it!
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@Dicey , you can always be my sister! :-) All of my listings paid off, even after I was gone. It felt so good to help out my sister, who is in an insanely busy period of life.
-We bought a car for my special needs aunt. We will be getting reimbursed, but the research, test driving, and purchase process is a lot. I can't take credit, but my awesome DH also replaced the brakes for her this weekend. Now we just need to figure out how to get it to her, which will be an adventure.
-I also passed on a coworkers name for a job that I wasn't as interested in, but I know would be a great fit for him, and he's looking for something just in this space.
-Signed up to mentor another student through the college application process. I've learned so much with my two kiddos, and it feels really good to be able to help other teens who don't have any at home help.
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Picked up a bunch of trash on my walk today which was pretty easy because most of it was about one block from a garbage can at the public park, so I didn’t need to carry it very long. I’ll bring a bag with me tomorrow so I’ll be more likely to pick up the less conveniently located trash.
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I took the weekend off from doing much besides catching up on sleep and laundry, so here's one from the archive.
A coworker's key fob remote for her (older) car wasn't working when we carpooled to have lunch somewhere near the office. I asked her if she'd tried replacing the battery. She had no idea it had a battery, so I found a screwdriver and popped it open. It turned out to have an "N" size battery. One or both of us visited a battery store that was nearby, got the replacement, and swapped it in. It worked again after that.
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After 6 days of Paxlovid rebound and nearly over my bronchitis... :-) I'm back on the good deeds market!
A friend shared his new music album digitally on social media and didn't realize that it was linking to a broken link. After a couple of hours of basically no response to the link on his page, I saw it and messaged him to let him know the link was dead and that's why no one was responding/probably the social network was suppressing it.
Taking my mom out to see her favorite singer (again) tonight. It is thankfully close to where I live and we should have great seats so it will hopefully be an easy night. Got my cough medicine and cough drops lined up and ready to go.
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Glad you are feeling better, @Dollar Slice
Provided more mentoring support to the two high school seniors I'm helping through the college selection & application process. I'm doing the same for my HS senior, and the timing is so fun. As I learn & help him, I'm able to share all of that with two people who don't have anyone in their lives who has access to that information or the time to help.
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Removed a medium large object from a lane of traffic yesterday while out on my bike. The object itself was basically flat and not much of a hazard. I watched a couple cars run over it with no particular effect. The hazard would have been if drivers saw it and decided to swerve or otherwise panic.
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I stopped at the pharmacy after a doctor's appointment and while I was paying for my medicine I noticed a woman's wallet had fallen out of her backpack as she walked away. I picked it up off the floor and caught up with her to give it back.
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Yesterday, I kept a friend company via FaceTime during prep for their first colonoscopy. Since I had just done mine last month, I was happy to be their guide, commiserate, and be a distraction as needed.
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Keeping a friend company during colonoscopy prep is hardcore, haha! You're a good friend!
I have three big discount coupons to use at a concert venue over the next 9 months. I was kind of hoarding them and waiting till the best of the best came along, but I decided to use one of them on a friend this week because he mentioned in passing how badly he wanted to go to a show that he found out about too late, but all the cheap seats sold out and everything left was too expensive. I checked and there were a handful of good seats left, so I nabbed him one at a steep discount and surprised him with it. He was so happy and raving about how good the show was :-)
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That sounds like the perfect use of that discount coupon!
Picked up an extra poop while cleaning up after the dog I was walking yesterday. Luckily there’s not usually any extras to be found, as the local park provides bags but I guess this dog was extra stealthy and snuck it out really fast right when their owner turned their head ;)
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I went to the hospital's basement lab to have a quick test run. There were more people than usual for a mid-day Saturday. A small child was fussing, just out of my line of sight. The mom was trying mightily to soothe her, to no avail. I heard the mama say they'd been waiting for 30 minutes. A guy on the other side of me was making tsk-tsk noises, so I was trying to figure out how I could help.
Just them, the mama stood up with the baby and walked into the vestibule. I followed, and told her if she wanted to take the baby out where she could run in the hallway, I'd listen for her number and let her know when it was called. I said I appreciated how hard she was trying and that she was a good mama. She looked visibly relieved, thanked me, gave me her number, and took her squirmy toddler down the hall.
A few minutes later, I went out into the hallway, where the adorable little girl was happily running up and down a long, empty corridor. I knew my number was going to be called first (they have 2 different numbering systems), so I let her know that DH would be listening, in case I was called before her. I repeated that she was a good mama. She told me the child had boundless energy. She thanked me again and offered that her own mother said neither she or her brother were like that. I told her about our wild child granddaughter and suggested the key was to wear them out with activity. Her demeanor totally brightened as we talked, which made me feel great that I had decided to try and do something.
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Several years ago, when a loved one was in and out of the hospital, I noticed a kid being restless in one of the waiting rooms. I may have tried to help entertain him at the time. I also noticed that, other than the pediatric waiting rooms, the waiting rooms had exactly nothing in them for children to do. I mentioned this to the person in charge of our Friends of the Library at the time, and she connected that hospital to loads of children's books to distribute to waiting rooms. I think she even got a rubber stamp to let people know they were for the hospital, from the library. I think the books eventually numbered in the thousands. I wonder if they're still doing that. Hmm.
I was thinking I don't have much for this thread this week, because I've been so busy, but I've been busy giving volunteer evaluations and suggestions for a range of public projects.
I heard from one of DH's co-workers at the place that's shutting down at the end of the year. I made sure her resume got into the hands of the right people inside my company, and got to the front of the line, at least for being seen.
I also picked up a few bits of litter and reported some potholes. This week's pothole reports went both to the crew in charge of filling holes in our streets (which they did on Friday after my Thursday reports!) and to a city engineer who has a part in deciding which streets get repaved in a given year. The engineer seemed suitably alarmed upon seeing photos of the damage spreading, so I'm hopeful that that street will get higher priority or at least a closer look in the coming years.
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Several years ago, when a loved one was in and out of the hospital, I noticed a kid being restless in one of the waiting rooms. I may have tried to help entertain him at the time. I also noticed that, other than the pediatric waiting rooms, the waiting rooms had exactly nothing in them for children to do. I mentioned this to the person in charge of our Friends of the Library at the time, and she connected that hospital to loads of children's books to distribute to waiting rooms. I think she even got a rubber stamp to let people know they were for the hospital, from the library. I think the books eventually numbered in the thousands. I wonder if they're still doing that. Hmm.
I was thinking I don't have much for this thread this week, because I've been so busy, but I've been busy giving volunteer evaluations and suggestions for a range of public projects.
I heard from one of DH's co-workers at the place that's shutting down at the end of the year. I made sure her resume got into the hands of the right people inside my company, and got to the front of the line, at least for being seen.
I also picked up a few bits of litter and reported some potholes. This week's pothole reports went both to the crew in charge of filling holes in our streets (which they did on Friday after my Thursday reports!) and to a city engineer who has a part in deciding which streets get repaved in a given year. The engineer seemed suitably alarmed upon seeing photos of the damage spreading, so I'm hopeful that that street will get higher priority or at least a closer look in the coming years.
That would be right up my alley, as I'm president of our library Friends group. However, post-Covid, Kaiser has removed everything from their waiting areas. No magazines and no toys of any kind. It surely would have helped in this situation. Which reminds me, after our booksales, I cherry pick the remainders and pass them off to the thrift shop. Not exactly a good deed, but it does keep them viable longer than if we sent them to the recycler.
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Love reading all of these!
We're taking DS18 to college on Tuesday, coming from out of state. I posted on the parents group to see if anyone had anything they would like to send in our car, as we had some extra space. I'm overwhelmed with people who would like help! Ironically, the first two people to reply have sons with the same name as DS18. It's not a super common name (although, not completely unusual), so I was so surprised.
To make things even better, other folks said they were inspired by my post, and now there are people helping each other out from several other states!
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@MaybeBabyMustache , congrats on DS leaving the nest! Keep track of which local classmates are also headed to that school, and they can become carpools when it's time to come home for Thanksgiving.
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Bought a rather overpriced jar of unpopped popcorn from a neighbor's kid who's selling it as a scout fundraiser. It seemed like the better deal and less packaging and artificial junk than the smallish bags of pre-popped, flavored stuff I hope most of the money actually goes to the troop and the local organization, as they claim.
Kid was also the first girl Cub Scout I have met.
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These were all small good deeds that have snowballed into a very large good deed:
By being very open about my colonoscopy process, showed a friend that it wasn’t something to be feared, helped him find a good local gastroenterologist and empowered him with the information so that his insurance would cover it even though he’s only 41, and kept him company during the prep process (I already claimed credit for this one upthread). Well, they ended up finding and snipping 3 large polyps and now we got the pathology results back that one was cancerous. He has to have another colonoscopy in a couple months to confirm they got it all, but at this stage it’s looking like these little good deeds just saved him from colon cancer.
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These were all small good deeds that have snowballed into a very large good deed:
By being very open about my colonoscopy process, showed a friend that it wasn’t something to be feared, helped him find a good local gastroenterologist and empowered him with the information so that his insurance would cover it even though he’s only 41, and kept him company during the prep process (I already claimed credit for this one upthread). Well, they ended up finding and snipping 3 large polyps and now we got the pathology results back that one was cancerous. He has to have another colonoscopy in a couple months to confirm they got it all, but at this stage it’s looking like these little good deeds just saved him from colon cancer.
Yay for your encouragement, boo for the results, yay because they caught it early??
If anyone is planning a colonoscopy, a friend and I have compiled a list that gives you many helpful hints your practioner should, but typically doesn't. Send me a PM if you're interested.
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Wow, @BECABECA - that turned into quite a big good deed. So glad they caught it early!
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@Dicey, it's hard to overstate how big a good deed you did for that mom with the high-energy kid. I've been in that position, and at least once the person telling me I was doing a good job actually made me cry. I work hard to help out parents in similar situations now!
Which kinda leads to my small good deed: DH and I are going on a 2-day longish hike this coming weekend, so we've been doing training hikes the last few weeks. This past weekend the weather was changing, so we went for a local hike, aiming for 15 miles and a whole bunch of elevation gain (and loss), and wound up walking through a very, very popular local mountain park at a very, very popular time (oops!). We mostly sped up and kept walking, but as we were climbing a family of 4 came down, with kids that were perhaps 3 and 5 (or 4 and 6?) who looked like they were getting tired and whiney. I asked the parents for permission, then passed out some of the treats I was carrying (chocolate-chocolate chip cookies with as many hazelnuts as I could cram in, if you're wondering). Good treats are like a magic trick for hiking with small (and medium-sized, and large) kids, and I'm happy to be the trail-treat godmother on this occasion!
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Wow, @BECABECA - that turned into quite a big good deed. So glad they caught it early!
I know, we’re all very happy about that! And we got to learn that apparently there’s such thing as Stage 0 cancer.
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Wow, @BECABECA - that turned into quite a big good deed. So glad they caught it early!
I know, we’re all very happy about that! And we got to learn that apparently there’s such thing as Stage 0 cancer.
This is wonderful.
If any of my good deeds ever saved a life, it might have been in the form of getting some piece of junk out of the roadway before it took down a bicyclist or launched through someone's windshield, or reporting a missing utility box cover before some unsuspecting soul discovered the resulting hole the wrong way in the dark.
Today's good deeds, if I can call them that:
- Urged the architects of a large project planned nearby to design their proposed glass roof so as to avoid turning the space underneath into an oven.
- Attempted to drum up community support for my city's next bike lane.
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Love reading all of these!
We're taking DS18 to college on Tuesday, coming from out of state. I posted on the parents group to see if anyone had anything they would like to send in our car, as we had some extra space. I'm overwhelmed with people who would like help! Ironically, the first two people to reply have sons with the same name as DS18. It's not a super common name (although, not completely unusual), so I was so surprised.
To make things even better, other folks said they were inspired by my post, and now there are people helping each other out from several other states!
This is so cool -- what a thoughtful idea!
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These were all small good deeds that have snowballed into a very large good deed:
By being very open about my colonoscopy process, showed a friend that it wasn’t something to be feared, helped him find a good local gastroenterologist and empowered him with the information so that his insurance would cover it even though he’s only 41, and kept him company during the prep process (I already claimed credit for this one upthread). Well, they ended up finding and snipping 3 large polyps and now we got the pathology results back that one was cancerous. He has to have another colonoscopy in a couple months to confirm they got it all, but at this stage it’s looking like these little good deeds just saved him from colon cancer.
Fantastic! I had my first colonoscopy earlier this year. After putting it off since before Covid, I found it to be pretty anticlimactic. If any of you out there are procrastinating, you really don’t need to. The prep isn’t a picnic, but it’s better than the results of eating too many barbecued oysters. The procedure itself happens while you’re asleep. And I was able to go back to normal eating (and normal everything else) immediately after. Something I’ll definitely repeat next time is the two cans of chicken broth on prep day — helps keep the blood sugar levels more even than clear sugary drinks! And with that tip, there’s my good deed for the day…
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Yeah, the prep is definitely the hard part. The procedure is easy, the drugs are good and you shouldn't remember any of it. I second the recommendation for chicken broth - I got a rotisserie chicken a few days before and tossed the carcass in the Instant Pot to have a batch of homemade chicken stock for my prep. So good and so satisfying to drink hot flavorful homemade broth when you can't have real food all day and everything they recommend is sugary (Jello, juice, Sprite, etc.). I had a ton of it. Just make sure you really filter out all the little bits if you do it homemade.
Tried to help a couple of friends who are having major anxiety issues with some of their life admin stuff. Both are planning trips and one is looking for a therapist
Nine months later, my friend who was looking for a therapist has finally got an appointment with... not a therapist. But a nurse in the mental health department at the hospital. Who will refer her to a therapist. And get her a prescription for anti-anxiety meds. She has had such a hard year and I'm so proud of her! Me and another friend have been doing gentle hand-holding and encouragement along the way. She has panic attacks and severe anxiety. I hope they can help her.
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Nine months later, my friend who was looking for a therapist has finally got an appointment with... not a therapist. But a nurse in the mental health department at the hospital. Who will refer her to a therapist. And get her a prescription for anti-anxiety meds. She has had such a hard year and I'm so proud of her! Me and another friend have been doing gentle hand-holding and encouragement along the way. She has panic attacks and severe anxiety. I hope they can help her.
Woo! Congrats on the seed you planted 9 months ago finally growing into getting her into the door! In my experience that’s the biggest hurdle, after that then progress starts to snowball fast. Hope it unfolds like that!
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Today's good deeds, if I can call them that:
- Urged the architects of a large project planned nearby to design their proposed glass roof so as to avoid turning the space underneath into an oven.
- Attempted to drum up community support for my city's next bike lane.
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Bike lane approved! A few other bicyclists even endured the meeting to speak in favor at nearly 11pm. This one didn't meet with a lot of opposition, but I have the feeling the next one will be.
Yesterday, I removed a glass bottle from an existing bike lane while it was still in one piece, and I even got it all the way to a recycling bin.
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Bike lane approved!
Woohoo! Good job, advocates!
When I was on the way to the doctor I heard a clattering noise on the subway platform - a fruit vendor's phone had slid off where it was sitting on her purse and landed on the pavement in front of her table. I walked over and picked it up for her since it had landed on the opposite side of the table where she couldn't really see it.
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I opted to walk to my local shopping center for some early dinner last night and saw a man slumped over on his side on the grass by the curb. He was big, early 50s, wearing a polo and windbreaker and murmuring to himself. We made eye contact and I hollered out in a strong confident tone, “Are you all right?” He sat up immediately and said very politely”Yes man I’m fine how are you?” I smiled and gave a thumbs up and continued on my way. So many people out here in need!
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I thought I was doing a small good deed... a homeless person called out as I was walking past and asked me to call them an ambulance, so I stopped to talk to them, call an ambulance, ask what was wrong, stood with them while we waited for the ambulance to come.
It unfortunately turned into a large good deed :-( Four young teens walked by and through some tl;dr craziness (mentally ill homeless person yelling stupid stuff vs. toxic masculinity teens yelling mean things) they were inches from beating him up and the homeless guy (~70 y.o. with a broken wrist) was 100% sure he would win the fight, so he was eager to get into it. I had to intervene in a pretty major way to prevent that from happening - they didn't go away for almost fifteen minutes until the ambulance showed up. I stayed the whole time getting in the way and just being a witness and pulling out my phone and telling them I would get it on film and show it to the police, telling them there were security cameras (true), finally bumping one of them in the shoulder and telling them he was an idiot for trying to beat up a half-naked homeless man and I would punch him in the face myself if he didn't leave (but with some f-bombs). (Context: I am an overweight disabled 47 y.o. woman.) It was horrible and scary but somehow it worked and they never touched him.
They ran away when the ambulance showed up. The cops showed up about two minutes later (not sure who called them - maybe my building super, he walked out when they showed up - if it was him I'm pretty pissed if he saw this happening and didn't come outside).
What a night.
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I removed a bigger hazard than usual from the roadway tonight. A shopping cart had escaped the store parking lot and was on its side alongside and almost in 40mph (~60km/h) car traffic. It had definitely been hit. I got it out of the roadway and alerted a store employee, who did the next step, even though I think the cart didn't belong to that store. It can hang out in the far corner of a parking lot to wait for whatever is its ultimate fate.
Littler thing: used my time in line at Costco to arrange the groceries in the cart in a single layer, barcode up. It saves time and effort for the person scanning, and it always seems to come as a pleasant surprise that they get to take a little break from handling all the products.
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What a night.
Wow. @Dollar Slice , I tip my hat to you! You may have saved that homeless man's life. You were also very brave.
I've been helping my friend, who is being evicted for the second time in three years. I don't know if it's the whole story, but she says that this time it's because she was complaining too much about noise (she rents a room in a house, and she and her 14 year old son share mattresses on the floor)... but then her son was taking too long in the bathroom, so for months she's been banging on the door to get him out. Landlady got sick of it and told them to leave.
I'm trying to help them find more stable housing (it's very hard, they live on $650/month that the boy's father gives them. The father tries hard, but is an undocumented manual laborer) but in the meantime I bought a folding screen so the poor boy has a little privacy from his mother. I also bought them earplugs and a reading light for the person who will be separated from the window by the screen.
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Helped with a bigger thing: a friend had water damage from the HOA pipes that broke and leaked into her condo. The insurance company was supposed to "deal with it", but we went over to bring her dinner (she's also broken her hip lately) and the place wouldn't pass inspection, especially due to the incomplete electrical work. And the fact that they put regular drywall up in the shower stall and therefore didn't tile over it. And ...
Anyhow, we gently tried to push her to start a claim with her insurance company (who apparently hired these jokers and then ... approved the work? OR something?) Another mutual friend (the one who put us onto this) is also nudging. We'll see?
Smaller things:
Went to a PhD trombone performance last night (our kid was playing in the back-up group for one piece). It was fun to get to hear, and our presence increased the audience size measurably, so we were glad we went.
Today as I was riding home on the bike path I came across a woman walking and looking at her phone. When I stopped to ask if she needed help she told me she was looking for an auto body place. We established that she was going in the wrong direction, and she mentioned she's not great with directions, so I hopped off and walked her over (about 3/4 mile). Somehow the idea of saying "take that underpass on the mixed-use path, then go left, around and left again, and then cross the canal on the bridge that's actually sort of a head gate" didn't seem like it'd go very well!
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Littler thing: used my time in line at Costco to arrange the groceries in the cart in a single layer, barcode up. It saves time and effort for the person scanning, and it always seems to come as a pleasant surprise that they get to take a little break from handling all the products.
Most people do this at my current Costco; which is where I picked up the practice (I pay attention to bar code positioning when shopping for more efficiency). Saves everyone having to load/unload the cart an extra time, probably less wear on the clerks wrists over time, too.
But I got scolded for doing this one time! I guess the manager had been coming down on the practice. Not sure what the objection was.
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@oneday - I find that some cashiers really like & some absolutely do not. Not sure if it's a location thing, or individual preference.
I picked up all of the soccer game equipment, and returned it to the shed. We were the first game, but also the last, as it's 100 degrees here & the refs cancel at that heat. I did not enjoy returning all of the equipment, but felt a little guilty, since my 17 year old played the entire game & that was just a *little* more exercise than what I did. ;-)
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@oneday , I've gotten scolded about it on rare occasions, too. Maybe someone has found that it's more likely to lead to mistakes, or is worried that it's easier to hide or miss something underneath, even inadvertently.
I'd signed up to volunteer at an event today. It was cancelled because of the heat. I stayed in, reading and napping. I should make my donation to the organization whose fundraiser the event was.
I did drive someone around a bit yesterday, in an ultimately fruitless (so far) quest to find a tool they needed to complete a repair. This is was much a moral support effort as an errand. The person is struggling with this repair and very frustrated, and it's beyond my capacity to help perform the task.
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Paid back a friend who brought a bag of surplus bagels, which we proceeded to eat most of, in her absence. I deliberately paid a bit too much and "didn't have change." She can always use a little extra cash, and she resists my attempts to provide any for its own sake.
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Picked up a couple of pieces of plastic-based litter. I'm about to report the too-full public trash can near there.
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Yesterday we went to visit our former neighbor and help him with his ballot. He's perfectly sharp, knows exactly what he wants, but has a severe hand tremor that makes paperwork difficult. We helped him fill it out and dropped it in the mail for him. I used to do this for him when we were neighbors, and he doesn't have any family in the area to help, so I reached out a few weeks ago to see if he needed us this year.
He also got to meet the baby, which seemed to make his day even more than voting. He almost forgot why we'd come over!
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My granddaughters had outgrown their car seats. As you may know, you can't re-sell these (although sometimes Target will take them in return for store credit) and you can't donate them, so I decided to put them on the curb.
I put a Free sign on them with a note that they'd not been in any accidents (which is the reason they can never be resold according to gov't regulations.) They were picked up 10 minutes later by a guy in an old truck.
I'm glad to see someone can re-use them, and also glad my house location is so convenient and reliable for discards.
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I have a friend who is quite shy so she has only two friends, and I'm one of them. I persuaded her to come to a volunteer event with me, and also arranged for her to catch a ride with another volunteer who is super nice. They hit it off, and now she may have three friends!
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Recommended grants out of my DAF for a couple of the orgs I support, including the one whose main fundraising event was recently cancelled due to the heat. The same org is down a couple staff members and in the process of moving across town.
Suggested that a person who is visiting California from abroad for work should maybe see the place while he's here, and offered to suggest places to see. This may or may not turn into showing him around one of these weekends, which wouldn't be the first time I've played tour guide for a visitor.
Offered to evaluate and edit someone's book draft on a subject I care about, and even started on the process a little. Let's see if I can continue to make progress for him.
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Lol, @crocheted_stache, are we twins?
I ran a huge food drive last weekend. The cash donations were a tad anemic, so yesterday I ordered $1k from our DAF. Once it hits the virtual food drive scoreboard, I hope it will spur more giving.
Donations are still straggling in, so we loaded up DH's old truck with about 25 more bags of food and delivered them to the food bank.
Two days ago, on my regular thrift shop shift, someone donated "Fruitominoes". It's a cute bag of dominoes with fruit instead of dots. I grabbed them for $3 and gave them to my contact when we delivered.
The FB is doing their first Gala-type fundraiser. I'm noodling on an idea for that event. I ordered a couple of rolls of fruit stickers, but they were way too small. When I tried to return them for not being as advertised, Amazon issued full credit and didn't want them back. Those went to the FB, too and they were tickled with them.
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Right after the event described above, I hosted a board meeting for a related group. We raise funds, then offer grants to local non-profits. This was our annual meeting to sift through and rank the applications. We granted a total of $25k to 12 local NP's. It's fun giving away money to good causes!
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@Dicey not quite. I'm holding off on a couple of the larger donations until the December donation drives, when they're trying to make some goal for a matching grant. December is grant matching season through my employer, too. I fully approve of seeding the tip jar, though!
I don't usually get involved in event planning. I'm happy to show up and set out/pack up chairs or sign people in, but I'm not who anybody wants booking the room or ordering the food.
If I did half as much of the organizing and orchestrating as you do, I might see about making the acquaintance of any of the local printing/sign-and-trophy shops, and ask if they'd offer an in-kind donation or at least a friends-and-neighbors/volume discount for printing any posters, banners, oversize checks, etc. They'd get a gracious acknowledgement in the program, of course, and perhaps a ticket to the event. You and the organization get a day off from assembling themed decorations, and you just might get an extra supporter in the community, in the process.
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Today, I met a young fellow working retail. He did his best to help me and partly managed. (The other part, nothing they had was fitting me quite right. It wasn't for lack of trying. I don't think they do commissions there, anyway.) I found out the retail thing is just a job to pay the bills while he studies engineering at a university nearby. I left him my contact information, and hope he takes me up on getting his internship application to the right people inside the place where I currently work.
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I'm not planning on getting involved in their event in any big way. This idea is a riff on an something I've done before. It's hand made and somewhat tedious, so not easily outsourced. However: I like the creative process. I also look for small lap projects I can do while we're driving in the RV and this fits the bill.
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We're camping in the Redwoods, with very little signal. This happened yesterday, but I'm counting it. DH and I were walking along the highway from our campground to the Visitor's Canter. Just before we got there, I looked down and saw one of those neat little packages people make with baby diapers. I guess this person figured that would make it magically disappear, so they tossed it out their window, in a damn National Park! I carefully picked it up by one corner and toted it to a trash can at the Visitor's Center. Why the fuck do people do this?
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My mom's birthday is this week and it was shaping up extra-shitty - my brother decided not to visit because he is a self-centered twit, and her favorite sister canceled her visit because their not-so-favorite sister dropped dead on Friday and she went to go deal with that :-(
So I went ahead and visited (as I always was going to) but I put some extra effort into it - got a little extra gift for her, brought a little something nice for my dad, too. Brought a bottle of Veuve Cliquot (not for today but for whenever she feels like it). And I carved them a jack-o-lantern. She wanted "something political" which I have to say is not that easy with a paring knife and no art skills. What I would give for a candidate with a nice 3 or 4 letter name! But I figured something out and Mom was happy with it :-) In 2020 I did something similar and they had people taking pictures of it all night, so I think she wanted that good energy again.
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Good work everyone in making days brighter! I hope the ripples spread!
After some weeks of inaction, I did pretty well this weekend. Made 15 nice bags of food for Midnight Run and donated several packs of socks, and also offloaded a bunch of sleeping bags, umbrellas, and backpacks that decluttering friends had offered (they get small good deed credits too!) The big win of the night was laundry pods... we packaged 3-4 each in ziplock bags. The homeless love them, because laundry soap is so expensive in laundromats. It seems silly to keep offering new clothes when many people just want to be able to wash the clothes they like and that fit them.
I got teen volunteers lined up for the senior knitting circle that I run.
Ran a table for my child's Scout group at a Halloween parade. Donated the leftover candy and decorations to my friend's club for the mentally ill (per her request), and also dropped off a pair of dress pants for her son, pots and pans and flatware, and ingredients for a pot roast to her.
I got a new printer cartridge, so I can print out photos of another friend who always comes to us on his birthday for a cake and a present. He asked if we could put some photos of him with those of our family; he says his mom threw him away because he has a slow learning disability.
Sometimes I worry because I'm not strong enough to support so many people in the way they need. What they really need is to belong to large, functional families of their own. But I can at least put a bit of good luck in their otherwise unlucky lives.
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Put in a good word for a long-ago former coworker who's now interviewing at my current employer. I hope it makes the hiring manager's decision easier and gets the person the job, if he wants it.
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Played pickle ball with DH at the local court. Someone left beer cans on the chairs. Brought them out the entire 10 feet to the recycling container on our way out. Not sure why the original owner didn't do that, but it's cleaned up for the next folks.
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Today was my day with beer cleanup. I went to DS17's soccer game, and someone left four glass beer bottles (empty) right next to the field. They were inevitably going to break, getting glass in the turf, and potentially hurting someone. I cleaned them up. No recycling, but i figured the trash was a lot better than glass in a poor kid's leg.
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I'm trying to hook up a friend who has been out of work for a while with a small freelance job that is very specifically tailored to his unique skills. He is too nice and immediately offered to do it for free even though I said several times "I don't want you to do it for free, I want you to get paid something, they can definitely afford to pay you." I don't quite know how to handle it without being too pushy. Advice welcome from good deeders!
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The seed of this good deed was planted a long time ago, and it is bearing fruit I never imagined. I've had a longstanding correspondence with a friend from an international community online. I eventually met him in his country in 2009 and in the US a couple years later. The rest has been pen pals.
All that chatting leveled up his English and my Spanish. I can get myself through an airport or restaurant if I can persuade the person to talk a little slower. He ended up getting the high score on some English exam and it got the attention of his school. He's teaching now, in a place where having a real job is a game-changer and not at all a given.
He's been busy. I've been busy. I'm ashamed to say I hadn't kept in touch enough to know he'd had a third child. His wife was pregnant with the first in 2009, and she didn't accompany him on the US visit.
We chatted a bit yesterday and today and I tried to sign off with, "Say hi to everyone for me, even if the kids have no idea who I am."
He said, "Oh, they know who you are. Every night, I read them the books you gave us."
Books, especially in English, are hard to come by in his country, so I sent a package (back when there was such a thing as surface mail) and loaded my suitcase with books to give both times I saw him in person. I guess I knew there were kids in the picture and included some kid books, but I no longer recall which.
If I can figure out how to send some more, I'm going to. For sure, the oldest has outgrown Dr.Seuss by now.
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I'm trying to hook up a friend who has been out of work for a while with a small freelance job that is very specifically tailored to his unique skills. He is too nice and immediately offered to do it for free even though I said several times "I don't want you to do it for free, I want you to get paid something, they can definitely afford to pay you." I don't quite know how to handle it without being too pushy. Advice welcome from good deeders!
If you know the freelance employer, ask them to insist on paying. They can blame their policies or insurance or "it's not fair to our other employees" or whatever.
Is it possible your friend is some kind of money-avoidant? (I don't deserve it/nobody deserves money/money is dangerous or dirty, etc.)
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If you know the freelance employer, ask them to insist on paying. They can blame their policies or insurance or "it's not fair to our other employees" or whatever.
Is it possible your friend is some kind of money-avoidant? (I don't deserve it/nobody deserves money/money is dangerous or dirty, etc.)
It's for a family member of mine (who is very well off). Just kind of a hobbyist thing that they needed to outsource a very niche skill. And a wild coincidence that a good friend of mine is an expert.
I don't think he's money avoidant... he honestly seems to be one of my wiser friends with money. He really is just super nice - the friend who always tries to pick up the check, who always gives you a ride home, etc. He offered to drive my mom to the hospital when she had cancer even though he lives in the next state over. So it's not a shock that he would say "oh, I'm happy to do this as a favor since it's your family..." But it's a little different to give a friend a ride home as a favor vs. doing literally a day of your office job for free.
Although I guess I'm a hypocrite since I've definitely done many hours of my office job for free for my friends, haha. Proofreading, graphic design and page layouts. Oh well.
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A woman in a nearby neighborhood accidentally left her wallet behind at my garage sale yesterday. It contained her license, credit card and cash.
I checked the address on her license and drove over to her house to return it. She had been out looking for it and pulled into her driveway just after I'd arrived. She was thrilled to get it back and I was happy to help.
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@LaineyAZ - I'm sure that's such a huge relief!
As for me, DS17 & his friends trick or treated as a huge group, and he ended up with an enormous bag of candy that is supposed to be divided up. Except, now no one wants it (they are all teens, but also reasonably healthy athletes & have discerned that maybe they don't need absolutely insane amounts of candy). I'm dropping it off with a woman who collects it for a homeless shelter. They use it to add to holiday treat bags & put out a request for leftover Halloween candy, so it was perfect timing.
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@Dollar Slice any chance this gig leads to a job or a contract for your friend, or at least more freelancing? Or contacts being made that lead to a job? Could you persuade the family member to tip, in spite of the friend's protests?
I've basically never done anything but my day job for pay* since high school/early college. Not editing and proofreading, not tutoring and homework help, not fixing bikes (and occasionally drawers, appliances, toilets...), not advocating for bike lanes, not helping a friend get packed and moved and the old place cleaned. That's mostly because I haven't needed to. Some of my volunteer activities, I absolutely could take pro, but I worry I wouldn't enjoy them as much with quotas or deadlines.
*I don't usually turn down T-shirts and tacos if they're part of a volunteer gig, but that's about as far as the "pay" tends to go for these activities.
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@Dollar Slice any chance this gig leads to a job or a contract for your friend, or at least more freelancing? Or contacts being made that lead to a job? Could you persuade the family member to tip, in spite of the friend's protests?
Unfortunately just a one-off thing, no chance of a long-term gig. He did tell me that he has a good lead on a job this week, though, so I'm hoping he will be working soon :-)
We could maybe just send something that comes across as more of a "thank you gift", especially since it will probably be December, and that's gift season. Things would just be a lot simpler if I could give them an invoice. ;-)
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Ran into a delivery person who had gotten lost in my building's extremely confusing elevators (he was on the wrong floor and had been on the wrong elevator) so I showed him which elevator he needed, how to call it, and where it would display the floor number. And I waited until it came to make sure he was headed in the right direction.
Whoever designed these elevators deserves some sort of reverse design award. Like a demerit for bad design.
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Ran into a delivery person who had gotten lost in my building's extremely confusing elevators (he was on the wrong floor and had been on the wrong elevator) so I showed him which elevator he needed, how to call it, and where it would display the floor number. And I waited until it came to make sure he was headed in the right direction.
Whoever designed these elevators deserves some sort of reverse design award. Like a demerit for bad design.
Donald Norman wrote The Design of Everyday Things about how design makes people get basic things wrong, like turning the wrong knob on a stove. A door with no clear indication of whether to push or pull is sometimes called a Norman door: https://99percentinvisible.org/article/norman-doors-dont-know-whether-push-pull-blame-design/
I don't know if your elevators are this kind of ambiguous design or something a little different, but if you have to name a bad design "award," this could be a candidate.
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Introduced two of my friends. One needs some guidance on a topic that another friend has expertise in, and offered to help out. Both are amazing, so I'm glad they are "meeting" (virtually).
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I don't know if your elevators are this kind of ambiguous design or something a little different, but if you have to name a bad design "award," this could be a candidate.
The elevators don't have buttons inside them to say which floor to go to (like every other elevator in the world), plus there are two elevators and only one takes you to the top half of the building. The other stops halfway up. It is incredibly non-intuitive.
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Ran into a delivery person who had gotten lost in my building's extremely confusing elevators (he was on the wrong floor and had been on the wrong elevator) so I showed him which elevator he needed, how to call it, and where it would display the floor number. And I waited until it came to make sure he was headed in the right direction.
Whoever designed these elevators deserves some sort of reverse design award. Like a demerit for bad design.
Donald Norman wrote The Design of Everyday Things about how design makes people get basic things wrong, like turning the wrong knob on a stove. A door with no clear indication of whether to push or pull is sometimes called a Norman door: https://99percentinvisible.org/article/norman-doors-dont-know-whether-push-pull-blame-design/
I don't know if your elevators are this kind of ambiguous design or something a little different, but if you have to name a bad design "award," this could be a candidate.
My biggest pet peeve. I recently had to go to a large government medical facility. I entered in by the back entrance, where most of the parking lot is, only to find myself in a hallway with no clear signage to get to the room I needed.
I eventually found my way to the elevators where the one and only building map was located which indicated the correct floor.
When I exited the elevator I was still looking around when a kind soul guided me to the actual department.
Sheesh - all that could be avoided with some clear, basic signs. Or, in the old school way, an actual Information Desk in the main lobby.
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I'd be tempted to install some guerilla/volunteer wayfinding in a facility I visited often and, if it worked, bring it to the attention of someone in charge to make permanent. One laminated paper sign (put there by someone else) lasted at least three years marking a non-obvious turn to take to continue on a local bike trail. Eventually, the trail was altered, not the signage.
I am actively involved as a volunteer in the design of bicycle and transit facilities-to-be and upgrades in my area, and I often push for wayfinding. I recently made the acquaintance of some volunteers who spend time near the train station we're expanding, and I encouraged them to attend the community meetings and share stories and insights about all the lost passengers who end up asking them for directions. They're happy to give directions, but they're there limited hours, and that's not why. Also, lost in our train station can mean a long wait if they miss a train or bus, and it's about to get even more complicated. At least one of the volunteers attended a meeting since then—yay!
For one proposed bike bridge, I also suggested naming the bridge, and the staff I said that to lit up. For bicyclists, it means the GPS says, "Turn right onto the So-and-so Bridge," rather than just, "Turn right." It should mean that the bridge has a sign. Some of the ramps don't look like much. For the designers and builders, it's a chance to give a little more heft to a project and possibly honor someone or something of local significance. Plus, a name and a sign are about the least expensive part.
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My biggest pet peeve. I recently had to go to a large government medical facility. I entered in by the back entrance, where most of the parking lot is, only to find myself in a hallway with no clear signage to get to the room I needed.
Oh gosh, signage in medical facilities is the worst! I have a ton of doctor appointments due to chronic illness issues and every time I exit the exam room, I have no idea how to get back out to the reception because there are three different emergency exit signs going in different directions. Why don't they have a sign saying "EXIT TO RECEPTION --->"?
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I'm very interested in doing more to help others, post-election. I'm less looking for political volunteering (although, will likely pick that up as we get closer to the next election), & am more looking for ways to help those most likely to be negatively impacted by policy changes. This group does a lot of awesome stuff, so thought you all might have recommendations.
I'll also continue to donate money to causes that align with ways I think people need the most support (Planned Parenthood, etc).
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@MaybeBabyMustache I'm pretty sure you're local to me. There's a program nearby for incoming refugees that tends to need household goods, volunteers, and very likely money. I don't know a ton more about that, but I do know whom to contact, so DM me if you would like me to put you in touch.
During Tr*mp 1.0 there was an ongoing thread in Off Topic dedicated to activism and counter-measures. I imagine that or its successor (which may not exist yet) would be the better place for your question and all the answers.
Honestly, carrying on being blatantly, loudly, and genuinely nice to people may be one of the best means of resistance we have.
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@MaybeBabyMustache
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During Tr*mp 1.0 there was an ongoing thread in Off Topic dedicated to activism and counter-measures. I imagine that or its successor (which may not exist yet) would be the better place for your question and all the answers.
Honestly, carrying on being blatantly, loudly, and genuinely nice to people may be one of the best means of resistance we have.
This is about where I'm at too - focus on our little part of the world and do everything we can.
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I biked a different way than usual, spotted a pothole, reported it, and it's been filled.
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I spent part of my evening picking up and dropping off a Paxlovid prescription for a friend who just tested positive for COVID. I really hope it works for her. She's vaccinated and current, so hopefully that will lessen the impact and duration for her, too.
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There was an elderly person asleep in the cold, sitting on a bench. They had a coat but no gloves... did not look safe. I happened to have an old quilt in the car so I put it over them. They stirred but didn't wake up. Then half an hour later I got worried, and I called the police non-emergency line to check on them, emphasizing that this was a senior asleep in the cold who might just be waiting for someone.
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Today, I met a young fellow working retail. He did his best to help me and partly managed. (The other part, nothing they had was fitting me quite right. It wasn't for lack of trying. I don't think they do commissions there, anyway.) I found out the retail thing is just a job to pay the bills while he studies engineering at a university nearby. I left him my contact information, and hope he takes me up on getting his internship application to the right people inside the place where I currently work.
Maybe midterms are over and he finally did laundry and found the scrap of paper, but he's in touch, yay! He even took my suggestion to remind me why I know him. I guess one of my things for today will be figuring out where to connect him about a prospective internship. I've helped out a few interns along the way, but I haven't had much to do with recruiting or selecting them. I know who to ask.
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This one is really small. I go to a 12 step meeting every Saturday morning. Someone from a previous gathering had left a half a cookie on the floor. I picked it up and threw it i the trash rather than let it get ground into the carpet.
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This one is really small. I go to a 12 step meeting every Saturday morning. Someone from a previous gathering had left a half a cookie on the floor. I picked it up and threw it i the trash rather than let it get ground into the carpet.
That totally counts.
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Someone's dog wandered over and did his potty business right under the sign saying "Please clean up after your dogs".
The guy saw it and turned and walked away. It was early in the morning so I didn't feel like engaging and just used the spare dog poo bag in my pocket to clean it up.
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I picked up some more litter from the park while on my walk.
I continue to be frustrated with efforts to help a friend; I invited her and her son to come to a youth group event. Dinner was paid for by a grant so I thought she and her son could get a free meal out of it too. However, she didn't seem to understand, so her son refused to eat all evening because he was afraid of the expense... even though I kept urging them both to order and said it was free, mom kept saying her son already ate and wasn't hungry. All the other kids (some of whom come from very privileged backgrounds) were eating and drinking well, but the one child with food insecurity went hungry! :~(
I guess the good thing is that he did have fun, and was smiling during the event, though during the downtime he was only looking at his phone and not interacting with the other kids.
I probably spent 80 hours last week working for my various volunteer groups, so hopefully I did some good deed to someone somewhere at some point. Though often I'm not sure.
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I'm trying to hook up a friend who has been out of work for a while with a small freelance job that is very specifically tailored to his unique skills. He is too nice and immediately offered to do it for free even though I said several times "I don't want you to do it for free, I want you to get paid something, they can definitely afford to pay you." I don't quite know how to handle it without being too pushy. Advice welcome from good deeders!
Two and a half weeks later, the job is done and persistence has moved the needle to where he might be willing to let me pay for the next round of drinks. I think I have to give up and will just try to pay it forward/look for an opportunity to do a favor.
If I'm being honest I would have done it for free, too, but here I am in the good deed thread trying to do nice things for people every day...
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I reported some piles of trash in the creek, which I'm hoping they can remove before the rain starts and rearranges it all. I also reported a hole in a fence that's supposed to keep people off the railroad tracks.
I continue to be frustrated with efforts to help a friend; I invited her and her son to come to a youth group event. Dinner was paid for by a grant so I thought she and her son could get a free meal out of it too. However, she didn't seem to understand, so her son refused to eat all evening because he was afraid of the expense... even though I kept urging them both to order and said it was free, mom kept saying her son already ate and wasn't hungry. All the other kids (some of whom come from very privileged backgrounds) were eating and drinking well, but the one child with food insecurity went hungry! :~(
I guess the good thing is that he did have fun, and was smiling during the event, though during the downtime he was only looking at his phone and not interacting with the other kids.
This sounds like the making of an eating disorder or at least unhealthy attitudes toward food for the kid. Probably money, too. I hope Mom gets help both with food/money and with whatever is making her so anxious about it. Thanks for trying, anyway.
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We were at a historical estate today and there was a short set of wooden stairs leading to a little bridge that had one very outsized wooden stair, which absolutely everyone in our party tripped on (even after I tripped on it first and then told everyone "watch that one stair, it's too tall" - they still ALL tripped on it one by one). When we were coming back I noticed there were some older ladies walking a little ways behind us, and one of them looked a little unsteady on her feet, so I held back a bit and made sure to warn them about that one stair in case they weren't aware of it. Coming down the stairs it seemed like a real fall hazard. My mom almost fell even with holding the rail tightly and, again, me reminding her about the one stair before going down.
I should probably write a note to the place.
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I live on the second floor of a two-story garden apartment. My downstairs neighbor and I share a common entrance, so we have the same address.
FedEx left a package on my stoop that was almost for my address, but with the wrong name and an incorrect digit. Imagine my address is 123 Oak Street and the package said 143 Oak Street.
The house it was supposed to go to was just down the block, so I took the package over. I figured it'd be my good deed for the day. And when I got to the right address, guess what was sitting on their stoop?
A package for my address, with my neighbor's name on it.
Clearly, the delivery guy had a brain fart and left each package at the address for the other. I left the misdelivered package at the correct address and brought my neighbor's package back to our place, so it was two good deeds for the price of one.
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Helped DS17 clean up all of the trash (water bottles, cups, uniform bags) after their first school soccer game. Collected two water flasks & gave them to the coach to be reunited with their owners.
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Very minor, but I was at my parents' house doing Thanksgiving prep/cooking and my mom almost cut herself on the Costco-size plastic wrap box because it didn't have the little cutter-slider attachment installed. I asked why it wasn't there, and she said she wasn't sure how to put it on (but I think probably they can't do it because my mom has a pretty bad tremor and dad has very poor vision, and you have to slide the blade into a very thin slot to install it). So I took the time to find the little thingummy and install it on the box, since it's safer and easier to use.
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Very minor, but I was at my parents' house doing Thanksgiving prep/cooking and my mom almost cut herself on the...
In further family-cutting-themselves news, I ended up fetching and applying band-aids to both my brother and my father while visiting for Thanksgiving when they cut their fingers on two different occasions. A fraught week for fingers!
Yesterday I stopped to help some ladies who were trying to find a particular store after dark on a cold night on a section of road where there was scaffolding making it hard to read signage unless you were right in front of it.
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I was biking home a little later than usual tonight and I realized that a thing I had just rolled by in the bike lane, in the dark, was a wallet. Yay for freshly charged bike lights!
I went back and picked it up. It seemed to have all its contents, including a driver's license with an address just a couple doors down. It must have escaped his pocket or bag between the car and front door. The lights were on inside. I knocked on the door. The guy who answered was in his pajamas. He was surprised to see what I had to give him, and he was certainly glad to have it back.
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Had to go get blood work done so I walked over to Quest... spotted a debit card on the ground about six feet from the door of a small shop. I took it in and gave it to the store in hopes it belonged to someone who had just been shopping there and might come looking for it.
I might have taken it home and called the bank (maybe I could return it to a branch or something?) but a couple of older men saw me pick it up and I didn't want to just pocket it and walk away like I was stealing it! But there are no other stores near that corner so I think they were probably a customer there anyway.
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I helped a relative get their apartment prepped for fogging.
There's an insect infestation in the building, so to eradicate them the residents had a strict checklist which included removing everything from the kitchen and bathrooms including inside all cabinets, and covering all contents with plastic or sheets.
The work was akin to a partial move-out, hard for us seniors, but we mostly got it done. Will be going back today to finish.
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I picked up a piece of glass from the walk way of a hotel we are staying at. It is beachfront so people are in sandals or barefoot.
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I feel like we've been raising the bar on "small" things lately. It's not a bad thing that we're doing amazing things, but this is a small things thread.
Today, I reported a couple of maintenance issues found on my bike ride to work.
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Inspired by Giving Tuesday, the dwindling time left in the year, and the fact that a lot of money sits in DAFs without getting distributed, I went through and made a bunch of my contributions for the year. I even sent along receipts to get couple of them counted towards matches. I hope, in the aggregate, some of it does some good.
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Picked up about half a blender’s worth of glass shards on my walk today, along with the blades on the base. Not sure where the other half ran off to, but at least it’s not on the walkway anymore.
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I attended an event this evening that started with everybody in a crowded lobby. A senior in attendance lost his balance and fell. He kind of leaned into me and slid down, which is actually how you're supposed to help someone who's falling,* except I was facing the wrong way to see it coming or do much about it. I can take a bit of credit for holding my ground, meaning I slowed his fall a little and managed not to topple anyone else around us in the process.
If there was a deliberate good deed, it was making sure he was okay (seemed so) and then weaving my way back through the crowd, collecting a roll of paper towels from someone in charge, and cleaning up all I could of the drink he spilled on the way down, before anyone else slipped in it.
*If someone is falling, rather than try to keep them upright, get them as safely as you can to the floor. Ideally, lean them against yourself and slide them down. It's a useful thing to know if you're taking care of someone who's old or ill enough to be unsteady: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6PRQ0CRn5w
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Picked up about half a blender’s worth of glass shards on my walk today, along with the blades on the base. Not sure where the other half ran off to, but at least it’s not on the walkway anymore.
I'd wonder who takes their blender for a walk, but I guess it's a weekend. Anyone with pneumatic tires, bare feet, or dogs, thanks you—or would if they knew.
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*If someone is falling, rather than try to keep them upright, get them as safely as you can to the floor. Ideally, lean them against yourself and slide them down. It's a useful thing to know if you're taking care of someone who's old or ill enough to be unsteady: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6PRQ0CRn5w
Now you've done a good deed by sharing that :-) I've been in that situation a couple of times with friends in a public place, and never knew quite what to do.
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*If someone is falling, rather than try to keep them upright, get them as safely as you can to the floor. Ideally, lean them against yourself and slide them down. It's a useful thing to know if you're taking care of someone who's old or ill enough to be unsteady: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6PRQ0CRn5w
Now you've done a good deed by sharing that :-) I've been in that situation a couple of times with friends in a public place, and never knew quite what to do.
Yep, that's why I shared it.
Once upon a time, I was taking care of a loved one who was ill. I wasn't right there when he started to seize, but he had the presence of mind to speak up just as it started, and I got there quickly enough. I did not know what I was doing, but I managed to keep him from hitting anything too hard on the way down, which was all that mattered. The paramedics took it from there. After that, it occurred to me to look up what I should have done, which fortunately turned out to be a more controlled version of what I did.
By the way, if someone is feeling dizzy or faint but is still at least partly in control, stand behind them with your hands near their hips, and help them to take a seat. The ground or floor is a safe place for them to wait while the next steps happen. That is, call emergency services and keep the person safe, unless you know otherwise. (You might know otherwise if you know from last time that the person is diabetic and just needs to drink some fruit juice and sit still for a while. Still call for help if you have any doubts, of course.)
There are also videos on various techniques for helping someone up safely from chairs, beds, and floors, so you don't injure yourself or them.
It's not exactly first aid, but it seems like this kind of thing should be more widely taught, especially given how many people at some point end up being the home caretaker for an aging or ill relative.
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It's not exactly first aid, but it seems like this kind of thing should be more widely taught, especially given how many people at some point end up being the home caretaker for an aging or ill relative.
Yes, that's a good point!
When it happened to me it wasn't something I expected - not at home taking care of someone who was sick or anything. One time was on the street and one time in an art gallery. One of them grabbed at me for help but the other just started toppling backwards like a tree going down (but I was right next to him and was able to give him enough support to recover his balance).
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I posted a bunch of my expiring Hyatt awards to my local Buy Nothing group. I've had them expire before, & I'd hate to have that happen. (They are intended to be gifted, so no rule violation there.) I've had so many people reach out with excitement! I love that. It's so fun to be able to get them in the hands of people that can use them & not let them expire. Even though it's technically not "waste", it always feels wasteful to see them expire in my app.
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I posted a bunch of my expiring Hyatt awards to my local Buy Nothing group. I've had them expire before, & I'd hate to have that happen. (They are intended to be gifted, so no rule violation there.) I've had so many people reach out with excitement! I love that. It's so fun to be able to get them in the hands of people that can use them & not let them expire. Even though it's technically not "waste", it always feels wasteful to see them expire in my app.
I did something sort of like that once. I had gotten a code for one lunch worth of credits for Doordash or one of those. It was for an event that would have happened at work if it hadn't been during quarantine, and I didn't want to create an account or waste the money, so I offered it on my BN group. To contain the stampede a little, I asked people requesting it to recommend their favorite restaurant within about five miles. Some excellent suggestions, and I should continue down the list, but we don't go out that often.
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Took a group photo for a group I passed on the way to an event. They were trading photographers and taking selfie-in-front-of-group shots before I offered to get everyone in the picture.
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Took a group photo for a group I passed on the way to an event. They were trading photographers and taking selfie-in-front-of-group shots before I offered to get everyone in the picture.
Nice!
I was part of a group taking a selfie, and as a member was about to take it, another member,who for DV reasons doesn’t do web photos, came out. He pressured her to be in the photo, and she declined, twice. Then I stepped over, grabbed his phone out of his hands, handed it to her, and told him to get in the photo. I apologized after; it felt pretty aggressive, but sheesh: if she has told you twice she isn’t going to be in the photo, maybe believe her? (He was fairly gracious about accepting my apology…)
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Tried to help a couple of friends who are having major anxiety issues with some of their life admin stuff. Both are planning trips and one is looking for a therapist
Nine months later, my friend who was looking for a therapist has finally got an appointment with... not a therapist. But a nurse in the mental health department at the hospital. Who will refer her to a therapist. And get her a prescription for anti-anxiety meds. She has had such a hard year and I'm so proud of her! Me and another friend have been doing gentle hand-holding and encouragement along the way. She has panic attacks and severe anxiety. I hope they can help her.
It's been almost a full year but my friend had her first appointment with a therapist today :-) I'm so proud of her. The nurse suggested two practices and one of them was the same practice I had thought would be a good fit for her after scouring through just about every listing in the state, so she ended up going there.
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We were on a college campus and helped a student load a tall dorm fridge into her car.
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I stopped on my bike ride today to carefully remove a fallen branch from the middle of the road.
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Reported a social media profile impersonating someone who's a local public figure and a senior who may not be too sophisticated about managing such things himself. Here's hoping the platform follows up in a way that makes sense to the person.
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Picked up a few pieces of trash along my walk, including the remaining half of a safety vest.
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Picked up a few pieces of trash along my walk, including the remaining half of a safety vest.
I also picked up some trash on my walk, a big paper shopping bag had blown into the middle of an intersection of a fairly busy street, so I went out and nabbed it when the light was red. Drivers have a hard enough time around here without any two-foot brown objects suddenly rolling across the lane at night.
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Another walk, another handful of trash removed from the streets. @Dollar Slice , the half a safety vest was in a pretty busy street, too. I figure my cautious retrieval of it might prevent someone from swerving and whatever mishap comes next.
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Helped out with a group bike ride. Someone was struggling to ride a borrowed bike that was the wrong size. I helped get the seat tightened so it stopped twisting and made sure she had a way to get home before I left.
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Today I biked on a street where the city is studying prospective bike lanes. It's a part of the city I don't often visit. I mainly concluded that it does, indeed, need bike lanes, and I sent suggestions and feedback about it.
I also reported an ugly pothole (is there any other kind?), some graffiti, and a hole in a publicly-maintained fence that should be keeping the public out of a hazardous area.
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Took a longer-than-usual walk today and picked up more litter than usual. I deposited some of it in public trash cans along the way, so I only carried home the last few things.
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I brought food to the family gathering today, and not gifts. No adult I know needs more stuff, but I can crank out homemade bread and a veggie side dish with a lot less effort and lost sleep than my mom can, and the result is better and more consistent, if I do say so.
We gave money in a card to the two children in attendance. It's not very imaginative, but I didn't have time to shop even if I'd known what they wanted, and nobody ends up rolling their eyes at Aunt crocheted's hopelessly bad taste in whatever. Just maybe, they get to try out this money stuff and learn something about it and about themselves.
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Yesterday I fed the feral cats at the community garden. Whoever normally does it had not done it by noon, so the kitties were very grateful.
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Picked up a couple pieces of trash along my walk, as usual. Also wiped some barbecue sauce or something off the touch screen of an ATM I visited. I refill my tiny bottle in my purse from a larger bottle at home, so using a little dab doesn't cost much. I'll put a couple of my surplus restaurant napkins back in my purse now, for the next time something needs to be cleaned.
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I nudged and advised the right people at a small, local organization I support to begin the process of setting up their donation tool to better accommodate donations through donor-advised funds. Some of the details may wait until folks are back from holidays, which is fine.
This activity is partly selfish on my part, in the sense that I'd like to send donations that way. Hopefully, getting the setup done will also open the door for others with DAFs who may not have such close contact with the people inside the organization. I feel like I'm still learning to operate this account, even though I've had it for a couple years now. It seems to put a couple layers of remove between me and the organization, and for organizations where I'm an active volunteer, that's not what I want.
(This was from a couple days ago. I found the draft still open in a tab and I guess I never hit 'post.')
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I donated a small amount to Wikipedia when their request popped up.
I only donate annually but compared to how much I use them for information, it's really nothing.
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Picked up some random bags of dog poop along the trail (I often carry a sealable bag for my own dog).
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I donated a small amount to Wikipedia when their request popped up.
I only donate annually but compared to how much I use them for information, it's really nothing.
Don't feel guilty about making only a small contribution. Their public fundraising has always been many small donations that add up to a lot. They also are pretty well endowed. Donations further the lofty additional goals.
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Picked up some random bags of dog poop along the trail (I often carry a sealable bag for my own dog).
I appreciate that you do that.
It drives me bonkers when people bag up their dog's shit then leave the bag of turds on the ground. You might as well not even do it if you aren't going to throw the bag in the trash.
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Someone got on public transit asking for hand sanitizer. The vehicle didn't have any onboard, but I carry it, so I offered some.
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Today I reported, among other things, a foot-sized pothole in the middle of a crosswalk. It's definitely a hazard for feet and smaller wheels.
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The hole in the crosswalk (previous post) has been patched. The next couple I reported are still in the queue. Maybe city staff are still on vacation. I've reported the next couple bits of graffiti, too.
Today I removed and recycled a good-sized, empty cardboard box and one of those little "buzzball" drink containers. I have the feeling that those can't be recycled, but the recyclers can sort that out. They have an aluminum soda-can-style lid on an otherwise plastic container. They're one of my pet peeves when picking up litter, both for that reason and because they seem to be a very common thing to litter. Not that there is good litter.
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Spotted and reported some graffiti. Sometimes small things are small.
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Fuzzy nightrobes were $10 at Costco so I picked one up for a low income friend.
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I removed a good-sized slab of packing foam from the roadside before it could blow anywhere less accessible or more harmful. I tossed it in the work dumpster on my way in.
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Took a long walk around the neighborhood in the quest of dropping off a Buy Nothing item today. On the way back, I picked up several pieces of trash and took pictures of a handful of things to report for city maintenance attention, including one hole in the sidewalk. They need to fix that one before anyone puts their foot or skateboard/scooter wheel in it and goes tail over teakettle.
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Thanks for keeping the thread going, crocheted. I have been very unwell for most of the last six weeks and was also prepping for my disability hearing, so I have been mostly focused on myself recently and also not leaving the house much.
I did: 1. bring a little food treat for someone who was working a 16-hour shift 2. buy something for my friend who doesn't have a credit card, and found him a 15% off coupon for it (he'll pay me back when I see him next weekend).
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Thanks for keeping the thread going, crocheted. I have been very unwell for most of the last six weeks and was also prepping for my disability hearing, so I have been mostly focused on myself recently and also not leaving the house much.
I did: 1. bring a little food treat for someone who was working a 16-hour shift 2. buy something for my friend who doesn't have a credit card, and found him a 15% off coupon for it (he'll pay me back when I see him next weekend).
Ugh, I hate that you're sick. Fingers crossed for actionable test results.
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I've mostly done the usual, where the usual is reporting various graffiti, illegal dumping, and a damaged fence (in a public place) I've found on my bike rides and walks.
I seldom report code violations, but one local business has persistently blocked nearby sidewalks with their signs. Those signs were back in their parking lot last time I went by, so I guess it worked for the moment. I'm okay with them thinking "the city" has no patience for such things, but this is the third time I've reported them for it. That's a busy stretch of sidewalk, and if ever someone needs to move a wheelchair or stroller along it, the least we can do is keep open the four or five feet they're supposed to have.
Also, I caught up with another bicyclist at a red light and suggested he pump up his very soft back tire. I hope he got home without getting a pinch flat.
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On my morning walk, I took a detour outside the gated community to grab a chair with only 2 legs that has been on the median strip for weeks. Maybe tomorrow I'll get the small bookcase that was its companion. It was too heavy to carry, but I will be prepared with my furniture dolly.
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2. buy something for my friend who doesn't have a credit card, and found him a 15% off coupon for it (he'll pay me back when I see him next weekend).
Wanted to shout-out my friend who made a special trip up to see me so he could pay me back early; he had picked up some tickets at the box office for a show we're attending soon (we both prefer having paper tickets to digital tickets) and he brought me a fancy organic dark chocolate bar as a thank you. Sometimes your small good deeds come back to you!
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On my morning walk, I took a detour outside the gated community to grab a chair with only 2 legs that has been on the median strip for weeks. Maybe tomorrow I'll get the small bookcase that was its companion. It was too heavy to carry, but I will be prepared with my furniture dolly.
If the abandoned furniture is on a public street, chances are there's an app for that. Trouble is, every city has their own. (A few other agencies do, too, like the water district and Caltrans, but cities are very good at redirecting you if something isn't theirs.) Search for something like "report maintenance [city in question]" and you should find an app, web form, or email address. From there, it's usually a question of attaching a photo and giving an accurate location. You'll also be ready to go the next time you find potholes, graffiti, water leaks, or whatever else.
Personally, I'll remove a littered coffee cup, but for furniture or major appliances, my taxes and yours are already paying for someone who can come out with a truck. Likewise anything that might be a safety issue to deal with, like if it's in heavy traffic or down an embankment.
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On my morning walk, I took a detour outside the gated community to grab a chair with only 2 legs that has been on the median strip for weeks. Maybe tomorrow I'll get the small bookcase that was its companion. It was too heavy to carry, but I will be prepared with my furniture dolly.
If the abandoned furniture is on a public street, chances are there's an app for that. Trouble is, every city has their own. (A few other agencies do, too, like the water district and Caltrans, but cities are very good at redirecting you if something isn't theirs.) Search for something like "report maintenance [city in question]" and you should find an app, web form, or email address. From there, it's usually a question of attaching a photo and giving an accurate location. You'll also be ready to go the next time you find potholes, graffiti, water leaks, or whatever else.
Personally, I'll remove a littered coffee cup, but for furniture or major appliances, my taxes and yours are already paying for someone who can come out with a truck. Likewise anything that might be a safety issue to deal with, like if it's in heavy traffic or down an embankment.
That's a good tip. I did use the city website to report a burnt out street light once. I'll see if it covers abandoned trash. But in any case, I think I'll still put the bookcase in our dumpsters this time. It's cheap & has been rained on, so is no good anymore. I am tired of seeing it.
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Another day, another walk, another few maintenance items spotted and reported.
I also got the repairs done on one of my brother's jackets I've been very slowly mending for him. It's not perfect, but it will let it ride again.
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Removed the largest intact pieces of a broken glass bottle from a bike lane adjacent to a bike trail, before they become smaller pieces. It's on my usual route, so I'll try to remember to look for smaller pieces I can safely remove the next time I go by.
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Picked up some items so that they wouldn't get eaten by dogs or wildlife (a random rib, grape, werther's caramel, McDonald's garbage)
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Donated a coat to a coat drive.
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Reported another hole in a fence that's supposed to be keeping the public away from the train tracks.
Encouraged a local official to include transit information and bicycle parking availability in announcements for upcoming events. (Their announcements so far have detailed information for where to park a car.)
Tried to connect someone on one of the free groups asking for a gaming chair to someone on a different one of the free groups offering a gaming chair.
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Tidied up the shopping carts in the far-from-the-store entrance cart corral, so that hopefully future shoppers will nest their carts better until the employee can retrieve them. It's a miserable wet day and that's got to be a slog of a job today.
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My city has little jars of orange flags to take with you when crossing the street in certain places. I crossed earlier today and noticed that there were six flags on the near side and none on the far side. So I rebalanced three of the flags back to the side where I was going.
I'm not convinced the flags make very much difference for safety, but they seem to help communicate "Hey driver, I'm crossing here. If you ever stop for us lowly pedestrians, now's the time."
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Bought a warm coat for the son of a low income friend. Originally was going to give him my son's too-small coat, but turns out my son likes that coat and new coats in the larger size are backordered till March. I looked for used coats but in the end I decided to get the poor kid a new coat of his own.
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I have a friend who is quite shy so she has only two friends, and I'm one of them. I persuaded her to come to a volunteer event with me, and also arranged for her to catch a ride with another volunteer who is super nice. They hit it off, and now she may have three friends!
This worked quite well... they are now getting together without me! This makes me feel very happy.
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Sent a gift card, a couple sandwiches, and a food product I had a surplus of home with the friend who's reluctant to accept help. If I just tried sending her home with some extra cash, she could use it, but she probably wouldn't accept. She will accept food I have plenty/too much of and a gift card that I got for volunteering for a thing and that I'm not getting around to using, for somewhere I know she shops. So we'll go with that.
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That's a good observation, crocheted_stache. I've learned over the years that we can meet people's needs in different ways but it's best to do so in the way that they can accept it.
Forcing charity or a good deed on someone may backfire when it causes the recipient to feel all kinds of ways.
Giving and receiving can be a tricky dance.
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Picked up a fast food wrapper ahead of the next round of storms, keeping at least one thing out of the storm drains. Also, I reported a traffic signal with a bulb out.
I tried to steer the next couple of Buy Nothing hand-offs to dry days. One thing is paper and the other fabric, so it doesn't make a ton of sense for them to sit on the porch in the rain. When it's dry, I can bike one of them to where is going and the person picking up the other doesn't have to drive in the rain. Californians don't drive better in the rain.
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Removed a few plastic items from where they'll get swept downstream if the creek rises in the rains predicted tomorrow.
Reported an access hole missing its cover in the middle of a busy road.
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It was my day at the thrift shop today. When I lugged our sign up the block to the busy corner this morning, I noticed an empty #10 tin can in the gutter. Of course it was wet, but I picked it up anyway. I took it back to the shop and chucked it in the recycle bin.
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Helped some tourists find a nice place for a cocktail when they were confused about where to go and asked me for suggestions.
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I don't usually count things at work, but today I was trying to get out to attend an extracurricular thing tonight, and a coworker caught up with me on my way out. We managed to troubleshoot the problem in about three minutes, and I wasn't late getting to my thing.
I suppose I can count another thing from a week or so ago. A staff member for an organization where I volunteer joined a few months ago and then got shuffled into my group when another staff member left. He emailed me a couple weeks ago to get my opinion of a project he'd been asked to evaluate. I sent back an email apologizing for not having time on the days he could have met and also detailing what I thought of the project. (Fortunately, I was already familiar with it.)
I must have gotten it right. When I met him tonight at the event, he said he hadn't tried again to schedule a meeting because he had enough to go on from my email.
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Helped some tourists find a nice place for a cocktail when they were confused about where to go and asked me for suggestions.
I've offered plenty of suggestions and directions to visitors and folks unfamiliar with transit or bike trails, but I'd be pretty useless if anyone asked me where to get cocktails. If ever a guest of mine wants the California wine tour, I'll have to turn them over to someone else who knows that part. That, or get a good list or guidebook and be the designated driver.
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Reported some graffiti and a water leak.
Introduced a friend to a local eatery and a small ethnic market. I think this one counts as a favor to both the friend and the respective businesses.
Sent the friend home with some surplus dry yeast and a bread making guide. We get the big bag of yeast from Costco for about the price of two of the little packets. We use a decent amount, but we still find it's best to give away half to a third of it for freshness. It's also an excuse to pass along a little glass jar that isn't a mason jar but that was being saved to "come in handy someday." I guess this was the day.
I have another couple such jars in the dishwasher, and I'll see if anyone in the Buy Nothing group needs yeast, too.
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Reported some graffiti and a water leak.
Introduced a friend to a local eatery and a small ethnic market. I think this one counts as a favor to both the friend and the respective businesses.
Sent the friend home with some surplus dry yeast and a bread making guide. We get the big bag of yeast from Costco for about the price of two of the little packets. We use a decent amount, but we still find it's best to give away half to a third of it for freshness. It's also an excuse to pass along a little glass jar that isn't a mason jar but that was being saved to "come in handy someday." I guess this was the day.
I have another couple such jars in the dishwasher, and I'll see if anyone in the Buy Nothing group needs yeast, too.
I just sent the friend my usual bread recipe, including my notes.
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Whenever I walk by the laundry room, if it's unoccupied & the light is on, I turn the light off. It's on a timer, but sometimes there's 20 minutes left on the timer!
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Whenever I walk by the laundry room, if it's unoccupied & the light is on, I turn the light off. It's on a timer, but sometimes there's 20 minutes left on the timer!
My initial reaction was to wonder why you didn't just set a shorter timer, but I guess it's a shared laundry room. In that case, maybe push management/maintenance for a motion sensor switch.
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Little things yesterday: I walked a mile in a direction I apparently haven't gone lately in daylight, collecting photos of graffiti, dumping, and one damaged road sign to report to the city for maintenance. I hope they got to most of it before the rain started.
Big thing yesterday: I met with the library staff about an initiative I've been trying to encourage. Emboldened by a well-funded DAF and inspired by some mustachian initiatives in the community, I asked the director of the Friends of the Library to help with getting everyone together. This initiative exists in a few tentative, disconnected pieces already. What I offered was essentially a mini-grant to get it started for real, bring the existing pieces together, add a core of new things to the mix, and promote the whole thing better. I did it this way because I knew it would need staff on board to make it go.
Yesterday I got to sit down with staff and receive the grant proposal for my mini-grant. One of the librarians clearly understood the assignment and seems thrilled to get to implement it. So I came home from the meeting and made the grant recommendation from my DAF.
If all goes well, the librarians and Friends should be able to show off how popular this initiative is and how it benefits the community, and hopefully get more donations and other grants to build on it.
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Whenever I walk by the laundry room, if it's unoccupied & the light is on, I turn the light off. It's on a timer, but sometimes there's 20 minutes left on the timer!
My initial reaction was to wonder why you didn't just set a shorter timer, but I guess it's a shared laundry room. In that case, maybe push management/maintenance for a motion sensor switch.
Yeah, it wasn't clear that it's a shared laundry room in an apartment building. When I leave the room, I endeavor to turn the light off, but sure I miss it every now and again. As do my neighbors :)
A motion sensing light is a great idea!
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I picked up trash on my morning walk. Alas, it wasn't enough to make a difference...
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I used the time I was on the bus this evening to send a note to the people in charge about how much I appreciated the bus driver's help taking care of my bike. I also filled in all the surveys about how crowded the transit was and so on.
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I didn't spend much time out today, but I went far enough to spot one traffic light not lighting, so I reported it. (It was one burnt-out bulb among multiples, not a whole intersection or anything, so no big deal if it waits a day.) I also righted a few neighbors' trash bins and closed several more, so they weren't blocking the sidewalk or collecting rain.
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For the friend who's not well off, I ordered a part she would have struggled to afford to get her bike up and running again.
I made a few connections this week. I referred a former colleague who's suddenly between jobs to a technical recruiter who's been pretty on target for DH and myself, helping us land a job and an interview, respectively. I introduced leaders in two local organizations I know to each other. I put a bike volunteer in contact with library staff about fixing bikes outside the library one weekend per month.
I have updates on a couple from recent weeks. The person I dropped off clothes for wrote back to say she was delighted with them and was keeping most of them, except some jeans she shared with her sister. I'm glad. Some of it felt like a shot in the dark when I packed it up.
And the transit company called me to assure me that they forwarded to the appropriate managers the praise I sent about the operator who helped me load and unload my bike in the dark and the rain. I suspect they field a lot of complaints for every compliment.
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Seeing this thread prompted me to remember to submit the pothole report. I'd taken a photo a few weeks ago, but always forget to submit the report once I'm home. It also took a few weeks to remember to take the photo in the first place, as I'm always either in a rush to get somewhere or tired when coming home & don't want to take the time to walk the block to where the pothole is. Finally submitted, yay!
There is some street work nearby; I know it probably doesn't work like this, but hoping they will just add this on to that work order.
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Seeing this thread prompted me to remember to submit the pothole report. I'd taken a photo a few weeks ago, but always forget to submit the report once I'm home. It also took a few weeks to remember to take the photo in the first place, as I'm always either in a rush to get somewhere or tired when coming home & don't want to take the time to walk the block to where the pothole is. Finally submitted, yay!
There is some street work nearby; I know it probably doesn't work like this, but hoping they will just add this on to that work order.
I'm definitely guilty of taking photos of things to report "later," and then forgetting that the photo exists, exactly where I took it, etc. I don't usually have the time or inclination to stand there on the sidewalk reporting things while I'm looking at them.
And you're right, it almost certainly doesn't work like that. Unless the hole is where they're about to dig/pave anyway, there will be a separate crew making the rounds with material designed for filling potholes. The good news is that that kind of work is routine and usually waits at most a few days until there are a group of things to do in a given area. They don't have to decide whose job it's supposed to be or free up a crew and a truck just for your thing on your street. They'll be adding your request to a work order, just not that work order.
I also turned in a pothole report today, but it wasn't to the usual city, so I'll be interested to see how and when it gets addressed.
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Picked up half a dozen cups and snack wrappers littered at the transit station I went through today.
Delivered a gift to someone I know who's recovering from surgery this week. The visit will have to wait.
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Reported a door to the building that is slamming closed. Maintenance fixed it right away! You're welcome, neighboring apartment dwellers :) But I did it for me! I don't like slamming doors.
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Reported a door to the building that is slamming closed. Maintenance fixed it right away! You're welcome, neighboring apartment dwellers :) But I did it for me! I don't like slamming doors.
Related to this, I had regular monthly visits to a medical office for several years. (nothing major) Their entrance door was also slamming closed and did so for over a year!
I don't know how the office staff didn't go nuts with that noise all day long, not to mention those of us in the waiting room who had to hear it, but honestly it made me rethink that if their medical practice wasn't paying attention to these things then what was the state of their medical care?
I know it's a stretch but c'mon, basic maintenance should be the bare minimum.
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Dropped off a card and candle for a neighbor going through a difficult time.
Dropped off avocados for another neighbor who doesn't drive.
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Picked up some garbage while out on a hike..might take a bag with me next time since there seemed to be more things left behind by campers which is emerging as snow melts
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Picked up assorted litter on my walk today and reported graffiti, potholes, and a bump in the sidewalk I found along the way.
Recommended a podcast to a friend who's definitely interested in that subject.
I have some fruits of previous activities to report, too.
I was mentioned in a (different) podcast I listen to. A few weeks ago, they asked for questions on an upcoming topic, and I sent one they liked well enough to answer.
And a several of the reports I sent in last week have resulted in repairs.
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Yesterday I heard buzzing in my kitchen and figured out that a wasp or bee was in the stove vent. With DH's help, mainly because he's much taller than me, we caught the critter in a plastic bowl, slid a card under the open side, and escorted it out of the house.
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Today I went for a bike ride. I dropped off an item I'm giving away, and because I was in no hurry and I visited streets I don't usually visit, I stopped and recorded a whole list of potholes along the way. I've now sent in reports about most of them. I also removed more than one sharp object from the bike lane.
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Went for a walk at lunchtime. I'm working from home today so I don't have to bike in the rain and so DH could ferry a friend whose car isn't working to a medical appointment. I dropped off a Buy Nothing thing.
On my way back, I found a pretty good-sized branch that had fallen in the wind from a neighbor's tree and into the street. I dragged it the half block home and got it chopped up and into our yard waste bin just before the rain started in earnest. We weren't getting more yard work done before the truck comes tomorrow, anyway, and maybe it frees up the neighbors and the city crews to take care of anything more serious.
This means I can add "branch manager" to my resume!
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Spent time talking to a coworker who is struggling.
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Am visiting family in the place I grew up, and went for a walk on trails with my brother and his dog yesterday. We walked up a trail along a creek for a mile or so, came out on a busy street and I bought us coffees (he was working as a federal contractor, so recently laid off) and then used my empty cup to collect pieces of broken glass on the way back down the trail.
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I took a long bike ride today and took my time. I stopped along the way to document a whole assortment of graffiti, potholes, and other issues, which I'm still in the process of reporting. I stopped to tell a couple of people waiting at bus stops that there were no buses today. I removed some branches from the bike lane and sidewalks and picked up a couple pieces of litter, including a nail. And I dropped off one Buy Nothing item, which was the thing that got me out the door.
I didn't go anywhere yesterday, but I did lend my fruit picker to a Buy Nothing neighbor.
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Mother of a friend had her gas stove turned off because of fears about her forgetfulness. I dropped off a portable set of burners that have automatic temperature shutoff, so she can continue to cook her food for a while. Praying that it helps.
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I took a long bike ride today and took my time. I stopped along the way to document a whole assortment of graffiti, potholes, and other issues, which I'm still in the process of reporting.
DH is otherwise happy to sign up for a long bike ride, but he was having a down day yesterday and stayed home to rest. It's just as well. He doesn't have quite as much interest in stopping every block to record pavement conditions. I put in a couple dozen reports yesterday. He says, "The city should pay you for what you're doing."
Some of the local cities did sidewalk surveys where they hired a contractor to go around with a pushcart full of instruments and look for missing sections and rough spots, measure slopes, and check which pedestrian buttons met current accessibility standards and so on. Maybe if I ever want a part-time retirement gig I'll see if any of those contractors are hiring surveyors.
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I took a long bike ride today and took my time. I stopped along the way to document a whole assortment of graffiti, potholes, and other issues, which I'm still in the process of reporting.
DH is otherwise happy to sign up for a long bike ride, but he was having a down day yesterday and stayed home to rest. It's just as well. He doesn't have quite as much interest in stopping every block to record pavement conditions. I put in a couple dozen reports yesterday. He says, "The city should pay you for what you're doing."
Some of the local cities did sidewalk surveys where they hired a contractor to go around with a pushcart full of instruments and look for missing sections and rough spots, measure slopes, and check which pedestrian buttons met current accessibility standards and so on. Maybe if I ever want a part-time retirement gig I'll see if any of those contractors are hiring surveyors.
I was thinking the same thing for you! You are doing a valuable public service. And maintenance (or lack of) is one of the most visible things that residents complain about when they feel their taxes aren't being used effectively.
Staying on top of this goes a long way in public satisfaction with their government.
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I took a long bike ride today and took my time. I stopped along the way to document a whole assortment of graffiti, potholes, and other issues, which I'm still in the process of reporting.
DH is otherwise happy to sign up for a long bike ride, but he was having a down day yesterday and stayed home to rest. It's just as well. He doesn't have quite as much interest in stopping every block to record pavement conditions. I put in a couple dozen reports yesterday. He says, "The city should pay you for what you're doing."
Some of the local cities did sidewalk surveys where they hired a contractor to go around with a pushcart full of instruments and look for missing sections and rough spots, measure slopes, and check which pedestrian buttons met current accessibility standards and so on. Maybe if I ever want a part-time retirement gig I'll see if any of those contractors are hiring surveyors.
I was thinking the same thing for you! You are doing a valuable public service. And maintenance (or lack of) is one of the most visible things that residents complain about when they feel their taxes aren't being used effectively.
Staying on top of this goes a long way in public satisfaction with their government.
Some of the apps and reporting sites are a little clunky, and every city and agency has their own, but I wish many more of the "They're wasting my taxes!!!" crowd would have the experience of stopping on the way to report some annoying pothole or whatever and seeing it fixed, sometimes as soon as the same day. Nobody needs to decide to approve replacing a bad light bulb or fixing a leak, and they can be incredibly efficient about it.
Of course, I also do a lot of this reporting in self-defense. Cracks in the pavement can be hazardous, moreso when biking or walking than driving, and especially if they're hard to see in low light. I bike and walk a lot, so it's important to me that streets and sidewalks be clear and safe, and it's also easier for me to see stuff, and to stop and snap a photo. I like to think that it especially helps anyone with reduced vision or mobility.
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Another bike ride, another couple pieces of litter removed, another couple of reports about graffiti and other minor problems along the way.
I'm feeling a little bit saturated on public meetings lately, but I've attended more than my share of those the past few weeks, to push for improvements that require larger decisions than to stop and send in a report of where the hole in the road is.
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I invited friends to spend the summer with us at our cottage.
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I made the acquaintance of someone else leaving the same event by bicycle. He's new to the area. I gave him a bike map, which also has links to local organizations and resources. I was headed that way anyway, so I rode with him to the train station, showing off a great but hidden bike route.
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Helped my brother’s fiancée move two truckloads of furniture into their new place this morning. Then I helped my mom euthanize her sweet old dog who took a turn for the worse last night. We managed to get a mobile vet to do a Saturday house call, I dug the grave out in the backyard, and we finished burying before the sun went down. I made us dinner, and we’ll have a hot fudge Sunday while we watch one of her favorite movies tonight. I’m glad I was in town this week.
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Usually when I pick up litter, report potholes, or whatever, it's on my way. I might make a point to go home the way I came so I don't arrive late with a handful of trash and hands I need to wash, but I rarely make a separate trip out for this stuff.
Well, yesterday I did that. On our way to and from biking an errand, I flung a small, fallen branch off the road and into the landscaping. I picked up a pointy screw in the roadway. I reported damaged pavement and a burnt-out lamp in a traffic light.
And after I got home, I went back out with an old broom and cleared a couple different patches of broken glass off a bike path the city doesn't usually sweep.
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Picked up a plastic wrapper on the building's shared stairs that was a tripping hazard.
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Drove my sister to and from surgery today, and tidied up around her house a bit afterwards.
Yesterday I did a bunch of yard work for my mom. And deep cleaned her bedroom the day before. Lots more to do at her house while I’m in town, it’s definitely a working holiday ;)
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The most recent outgoing message for our school voicemail has a very long pause before the options come up, which might confuse new parents. I left a message for the office advising them to re-record it.
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Today I caught a couple pieces of litter that were blowing in the breeze. I also reported a malfunctioning traffic light and a metal cover in the road that was so broken, it might as well not have been there. A different report yesterday resulted in a gate being once again closed today.
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walked the dog on the beach. picked up two plastic bags on the waterline and a deflated mylar balloon. Save the turtles.
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A few more pieces of litter picked up, a bunch more potholes reported to the city.
I stopped and offered to help a woman who was pushing a bike with a flat tire. She assured me she didn't have much farther to go.
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This was yesterday, but we went to the park and found some antisemitic phrases in sidewalk chalk on the playground. Found some chalk left behind and covered them up. Hopefully not too many kids saw it before we got there - it wasn't there when we left Saturday evening, and it was a fairly grey and chilly morning. Someone must have found it before us, though, and gone for a bucket, because when we came back after dinner those sections had been washed. Tag-team good deed!
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This was yesterday, but we went to the park and found some antisemitic phrases in sidewalk chalk on the playground. Found some chalk left behind and covered them up. Hopefully not too many kids saw it before we got there - it wasn't there when we left Saturday evening, and it was a fairly grey and chilly morning. Someone must have found it before us, though, and gone for a bucket, because when we came back after dinner those sections had been washed. Tag-team good deed!
I like it. You might enjoy this excerpt:
https://youtu.be/N0i3rtafXyA?si=5NCROXTYNkOW3Ywu
This weekend, I found and reported a traffic light with the sheet metal plate behind it hanging down and well on its way to falling off. It's been breezy, and the auto-reply says they don't check their messages over the weekend, so I hope it hangs on until someone can get to it.
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A few weeks ago I stopped at an intersection near our home and picked up a bolt lying in the road. Maybe I stopped someone else from getting a flat, and maybe I got some good karma.
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I caught up with someone before she left an event without her phone/wallet. She left the room but not the building.
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I'm dropping off a bag of condiments and new plastic-ware left over from fast food trips to a woman who volunteers at a homeless shelter.
A tiny good deed but made me wonder that since just about everyone has a drawer of condiment packs in their kitchen whether it would be worthwhile for foodbanks to periodically collect them to distribute in food boxes? Even a jar of mustard is so expensive these days.
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Invited son's best friend to come help son make lunches for the homeless. He's a nice young man who's a bit aimless and his parents were delighted to see that he will do some service.
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Reported a lamp out in a traffic signal, at least the third I've spotted this year. They're generally very fast to respond to those reports.
I also got responses to a few previous reports. One railing has been fixed, and various other things have been acknowledged and are somewhere in the process.
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Reported a fire pit which was moved from a campsite into a nearby forested area.
Or am trying to report it since I've had to contact a few different places.. I can't move it by myself but it's hard to figure out who's jurisdiction it is.
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Cut back a bunch of fresh herbs, and shared them with neighbors Via Buy Nothing.
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Moved a rock out of a pothole which might've been a problem from someone's tire if they didn't spot it.
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Helped reorganize the church attic, and my my does it look nice!
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"Adopted" one of DD's classmates. I found out they are from a single-parent family, and mom works long hours, so the kid has no adult supervision from the time school lets out until mom comes home late in the evening. They live down the street from us, so they're now hanging out with DD every day after school until their mom comes home. All of this is happening with mom's permission, of course.
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On my morning walk, I noticed a broken wine bottle on the side of the road, exactly where a car might park. My walking partner and I kicked all the pieces well into the gutter. Not as good as picking it up, but better than doing nothing.
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Moved a rock out of a pothole which might've been a problem from someone's tire if they didn't spot it.
At least where I live, there's an app for that. A search for 'maintenance request [your city/region]' should find you the right place to report the pothole.
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Today, I stopped a coworker from heading home with a totally flat tire on her car. She didn't know it was flat. She didn't seem to know not to drive on it while it was flat. (Yikes!)
The sharp piece of metal was still lodged in it, partially stopping the hole it made, and after determining she had no spare and making an unsuccessful attempt to get any air in with a bike pump*, another coworker came up with a battery operated pump. I needed to leave to get to a volunteer thing, so I kind of handed off the operation to him. The plan was to inflate the tire (which had apparently gotten her to work with the puncture) and drive to the nearest Costco.
Before I took off, I suggested that she make the trip on surface streets where she could safely pull off to the side if in case it didn't get her all the way there. It should have been all of 4 miles, but I had no idea how fast the leak might have been.
I'll check in with them both tomorrow to see how it went.
*Bike pumps for Schrader valves can work on car tires, but the communal bike pump in the bike storage area wasn't working.
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"Adopted" one of DD's classmates. I found out they are from a single-parent family, and mom works long hours, so the kid has no adult supervision from the time school lets out until mom comes home late in the evening. They live down the street from us, so they're now hanging out with DD every day after school until their mom comes home. All of this is happening with mom's permission, of course.
That's not a small good deed, that's a huge one!
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Today, I stopped a coworker from heading home with a totally flat tire on her car.
She and the car made it to Costco last night. The rest is just logistics to get back there and pick it up when the repair is done.
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Reported a fire pit which was moved from a campsite into a nearby forested area.
Or am trying to report it since I've had to contact a few different places.. I can't move it by myself but it's hard to figure out who's jurisdiction it is.
I've found that the wrong jurisdiction is usually happy to refer you to the right jurisdiction.
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Today I caught up with someone before she left without her purse, and yes, it was a different someone than I prevented from leaving behind her phone/wallet a few posts back.
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Not sure if this is a good deed, but I emailed the city's parks and recreation department to thank them for the remodel and refresh of the local playground.
But for some reason, they didn't re-install the benches! I'm hoping they're out being repainted but if not, there's nowhere for adults to sit while supervising the kids. I'm also hoping the bench removals are not to prevent homeless from sleeping on them - it's a terrible trend that means disabled and elderly and even someone who wants a minutes rest off their feet (!) will have no place to sit.
So I'm waiting to see if the City responds and re-installs them.
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Found a lost phone at the grocery store. Attempted to find the owner, but it was no one nearby. Waited in line at customer service to drop off the phone at the lost & found.
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I've been saving cardboard for a couple months now for natural weed control when I do my yearly mulching, which is for blueberries and provides my yearly family blueberry consumption. It really makes me happy to do this!
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DH found and turned in a credit card that had apparently fallen out of someone's pocket. Whether that physical card ever makes it back to the owner or is just safe until the owner orders a replacement, at least it's not out there getting misused.
I reported yet another hole in the road, and I sent photos and a lot of feedback to the city staff who are trying to improve both the feedback system and the city's response to it.
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Not sure if this is a good deed, but I emailed the city's parks and recreation department to thank them for the remodel and refresh of the local playground.
But for some reason, they didn't re-install the benches! I'm hoping they're out being repainted but if not, there's nowhere for adults to sit while supervising the kids. I'm also hoping the bench removals are not to prevent homeless from sleeping on them - it's a terrible trend that means disabled and elderly and even someone who wants a minutes rest off their feet (!) will have no place to sit.
So I'm waiting to see if the City responds and re-installs them.
This definitely "counts."
A little public feedback can go a long way. And having watched a loved one struggle with neuralgia in his feet that made prolonged standing very painful, public seating should absolutely be a standard accommodation, especially anywhere there's likely to be a lot of waiting. Here's hoping for some freshly-painted benches to return soon.
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Today I biked a direction I don't often go anymore. I stopped and reported a pretty good-sized open hole I found in the road. It's hard to tell, but I think the photo got the message across. It may have been dispatched by the time I got where I was going.
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I held a FIRE talk at work and taught a bunch of people ways to tariff-proof their finances.
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I held a FIRE talk at work and taught a bunch of people ways to tariff-proof their finances.
Very good!
And I am envious of wherever @crocheted_stache lives... it must be a smoother bicycle ride than most cities!
Yesterday I happened to be near a little park that I helped my friends reclaim from waste land. There was a lot of litter, so I spent 5 minutes picking up most of it and throwing it out in the trash and recycling cans that were only 20 feet away from the litter.
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And I am envious of wherever @crocheted_stache lives... it must be a smoother bicycle ride than most cities!
It isn't, but I will not give up trying.
My city is only getting a couple new pothole reports from me today. The next city over...dozens, if I can figure out where all the different photos were and get them entered. That's partly because my city is a lot smaller and a little more on top of its pavement maintenance (mostly), and partly because I spent more time today in the next city over. Both cities make for challenging bike rides in different ways, and I often end up riding in spite of conditions more than because of them.
Cliché though it may be, I also helped a woman in a wheelchair cross a big, busy street. She didn't ask, but I was going that way too, and being on a bike, I was a little more visible and able to stop the car traffic that was turning right across the crosswalk.
I do a fair amount of volunteering in an effort to get not just potholes filled, but also to get big, busy intersections redesigned so they're safer. There's an awful lot more work to do.
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I went to the supermarket, and when I got a cart from the cart corral, there was a purse in it.
I thought about opening it to look for something with a name or an address, but I didn't want anyone to think I was taking the money. Instead, I walked down the nearest row of parked cars. In one car, a woman was sitting in the driver's seat on her phone.
I tapped on the window and asked if she was missing her purse, and she realized she was. That's one purse reunited with its owner.
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I went to the supermarket, and when I got a cart from the cart corral, there was a purse in it.
I thought about opening it to look for something with a name or an address, but I didn't want anyone to think I was taking the money. Instead, I walked down the nearest row of parked cars. In one car, a woman was sitting in the driver's seat on her phone.
I tapped on the window and asked if she was missing her purse, and she realized she was. That's one purse reunited with its owner.
Wow, that's a huge good deed.
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Picked up two banana peels left beside a forest trail (in our wildlife-heavy zone, it's a big no-no)..
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I went to the supermarket, and when I got a cart from the cart corral, there was a purse in it.
I thought about opening it to look for something with a name or an address, but I didn't want anyone to think I was taking the money. Instead, I walked down the nearest row of parked cars. In one car, a woman was sitting in the driver's seat on her phone.
I tapped on the window and asked if she was missing her purse, and she realized she was. That's one purse reunited with its owner.
Wow, that's a huge good deed.
I lost my wallet at the supermarket a few years ago, and no one returned it even though my ID was in it. I know how it feels, I didn't want anyone else to have to go through that!
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I just did some coaching by email for a friend who's taking her job hunt to a career fair today. She's re-entering the labor market (or trying to) after dealing with kind of a lot of family and relationship drama.
Over the weekend I did a citizen survey of public facilities in my area, and yesterday I took the discouraging results to a public meeting of the agency that maintains them. It wasn't really on-topic for the meeting, so I asked a staff member afterwards, and I'm confident he will get it to the right place to make a difference.
They knew they were behind on upkeep, but I don't think they knew how badly. I had a nice if not very scenic bike ride.
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Some of my property faces a busy road. There I have a long, deep bed of leaves which I planted with spring bulbs. It looks gorgeous when in bloom. This is a living example to people that they don't have to bag or remove their autumn leaves. Today I did some upkeep there and planted coneflower seeds (perhaps a little late). Will also be moving a bunch of asters there so we can have 3 season interest.
Also having a pleasant place to stroll past may encourage more people to walk, who knows?
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Yesterday I noticed a lot of water in the street and suggested to the neighbor on the upstream end of it that he check his sprinklers.
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I ran an errand today. Along the way, I picked up one piece of litter and reported one pothole, one missing street sign, and one burnt-out traffic light.
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I exchanged my scout co-leader's vest to the correct size for her when I passed by the Girl Scout store.
I offered to pick up something for a friend at another store, and while we were chatting, she made a suggestion to go to a closer store to find an unusual item. It was in stock, a bit more expensive, but to me worth over two hours of my time. Yes, I know this is MMM but my time is valuable these days. :)
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I helped someone find and work the fare machine and get on the right train.
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I exchanged my scout co-leader's vest to the correct size for her when I passed by the Girl Scout store.
I offered to pick up something for a friend at another store, and while we were chatting, she made a suggestion to go to a closer store to find an unusual item. It was in stock, a bit more expensive, but to me worth over two hours of my time. Yes, I know this is MMM but my time is valuable these days. :)
MMM has never been about squeezing out every possible penny. It's about making conscious, informed decisions that lead to financial freedom in aggregate. No facepunches from me for the occasional F-it, when "it" is two hours out of your way for a marginally better price.
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Yesterday I reported an unauthorized sign. I try to be selective about reporting code violations. City code enforcement has no sense of humor. If it's blocking a sidewalk, or in this case, big, way out of place, and wildly irrelevant, I don't have much patience.
Yesterday I also washed out a little round plastic food container after I was done eating the contents and brought it to a coworker to put under a small plant pot on the windowsill to catch the drips when he waters it. He seemed pretty happy with how well it fit.
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I found a bank card on the ground and brought it to the bank so that they could return it to the rightful owner.
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Picked up an empty icecream container from the forest floor.
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A tiny local cafe had a car driver into the shop window back in February. I wanted to go there today and saw that it is still boarded up and the door was locked, but there were signs indicating it's still open and to call to get in. I did so, and the owner explained sadly that they're still waiting for insurance/repairs to come through. I asked if I could take some photos, so that I could post on social media to get her business, and she said yes.
I did post on social media along with some photos of the cafe during happier times. I hope that people will shop there more until she gets back on her feet!
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A tiny local cafe had a car driver into the shop window back in February. I wanted to go there today and saw that it is still boarded up and the door was locked, but there were signs indicating it's still open and to call to get in. I did so, and the owner explained sadly that they're still waiting for insurance/repairs to come through. I asked if I could take some photos, so that I could post on social media to get her business, and she said yes.
I did post on social media along with some photos of the cafe during happier times. I hope that people will shop there more until she gets back on her feet!
Car-versus-building crashes are disturbingly common. Sturdy bollards now surround one of our stores where an elderly driver hit the gas instead of the brakes or maybe didn't realize she wasn't in reverse. The people unfortunate enough to be in between that car and the store survived, fortunately, but it really shouldn't be down to luck.
I gather the octogenarian driver lost her license. I wish our transportation systems for those who don't drive were not such a penalty, and if the driver is lucky, she's now relying on responsible children to get her around, which unfortunately penalizes them for her age and inability and for our lack of better options.
It also, unfortunately, inspires lenience when it comes to rescinding licenses for the worst drivers.
It's no coincidence that Target, Costco, etc. all protect their walls and windows that face the street or the parking lot.
Sorry for the rant.
I'm glad no one was hurt. I hope your local cafe survives, and that the insurance company gets its act together very soon. There can't possibly be any doubt who was at fault. It's not like the cafe went flouncing out into the street all of a sudden.
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Picked up an empty icecream container from the forest floor.
What??? Is there a population that gets ice cream and then goes to the woods to eat it??? It sounds great, but I have so many questions.
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Picked up an empty icecream container from the forest floor.
What??? Is there a population that gets ice cream and then goes to the woods to eat it??? It sounds great, but I have so many questions.
I live in a mountain town so I think this was a case of someone walking home drunk from a party and dropping the container. Since there is lot of wildlife I try to pick up food-scented garbage when I can and a lot of the trails double as animal paths :)
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Today I let a team of volunteers work on a project in my yard. I didn't participate much in the project, but I served them lunch and helped a bit with the planning.
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A tiny local cafe had a car driver into the shop window back in February. I wanted to go there today and saw that it is still boarded up and the door was locked, but there were signs indicating it's still open and to call to get in. I did so, and the owner explained sadly that they're still waiting for insurance/repairs to come through. I asked if I could take some photos, so that I could post on social media to get her business, and she said yes.
I did post on social media along with some photos of the cafe during happier times. I hope that people will shop there more until she gets back on her feet!
Car-versus-building crashes are disturbingly common. Sturdy bollards now surround one of our stores where an elderly driver hit the gas instead of the brakes or maybe didn't realize she wasn't in reverse. The people unfortunate enough to be in between that car and the store survived, fortunately, but it really shouldn't be down to luck.
I gather the octogenarian driver lost her license. I wish our transportation systems for those who don't drive were not such a penalty, and if the driver is lucky, she's now relying on responsible children to get her around, which unfortunately penalizes them for her age and inability and for our lack of better options.
It also, unfortunately, inspires lenience when it comes to rescinding licenses for the worst drivers.
It's no coincidence that Target, Costco, etc. all protect their walls and windows that face the street or the parking lot.
Sorry for the rant.
I'm glad no one was hurt. I hope your local cafe survives, and that the insurance company gets its act together very soon. There can't possibly be any doubt who was at fault. It's not like the cafe went flouncing out into the street all of a sudden.
I think the driver was most likely uninsured. I'm not sure what the whole story is with the landlord.
I now have a secret fantasy that she will move to the empty storefront across from my house, although it wouldn't be a good location for her and I would balloon up even more than I am!
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This morning I was in the waiting room at the vet, waiting to drop off my cat for a dental procedure. I noticed another woman who seemed upset, and asked if she was ok. She told me her dog is in liver failure and may not make it. I got her to tell me about her dog, and before I left I offered her a hug.
Hope it helped a little.
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Yesterday, I encouraged somebody who was promoting a relatively new grant at an event to go introduce himself to another organization nearby, which would certainly qualify if anybody puts together a reasonable proposal.
Toward the end of the event, I was talking to another participant who complained of an upset stomach. After determining that he thought he needed more food, I gave him a granola bar I was carrying and encouraged him to take some of the leftover event food. I don't know him that well, but after watching for a while as he focused intensely in quick succession on several topics of interest to him without actually eating the granola bar or any of the leftover event food, I suspect some sort of attention differences. I hope he managed to eat something, but I didn't watch it happen.
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I stopped in the middle of the road and picked up a bolt so it wouldn’t end up in someone else’s tire.
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I think I talked someone out of including colored liquids in a school craft project meant for eight-year-olds. It prevents anything from leaking and getting on library books, and it opens up options to use materials like fabric and paper, which are easier to obtain and to work with.
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I supplied sunscreen to at least four of the ten people on my group bike ride today. My ulterior motive is to use up this bottle a little sooner. It's okay sunscreen, but the fragrance is too strong for me. DH and I are using it, but one bottle lasts us a long time.
I also took the group to a favorite local small business for lunch and made sure the owner introduced himself.
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Last week: Picked up a new duffle bag and a purse at the church tag sale for two members of the club for mentally ill. Called a friend and offered to pick up groceries for her while I was at the store. Tried to mediate a conflict between two people but it hasn't worked out, yet.
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More road debris removal - this time it was pieces of firewood. And we also picked up a friend’s roadside political campaign sign that was still sitting out after last week’s election.
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A waiter asked us about how to get cheap manga because my kids were reading some while waiting on food. I was able to point them to the library as a solid source of manga. It felt really good to recommend and brag on the library even though it took minimal effort to do so.
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When summer temperatures rise, our homeless population usually moves on to cooler climes.
Despite that, there are some who are still outside on street corners begging.
So during the year I buy some bucket-style hats for a few dollars at thrift stores and keep them in my car. Yesterday I gave a homeless guy $2 and one of the hats, made him happy and made me happy that he could have some protection from this harsh sun.
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A waiter asked us about how to get cheap manga because my kids were reading some while waiting on food. I was able to point them to the library as a solid source of manga. It felt really good to recommend and brag on the library even though it took minimal effort to do so.
Someone online was asking about information for navigating Medicare as he approaches that milestone birthday. He didn't like that so many of the "guides" he'd found were selling something.
My suggestion to try the public library seemed to connect. He was a bit embarrassed not to have thought of it himself. Librarians aren't selling anything beyond responsible library and information use, and if a particular book or article this out to be not very useful, it costs nothing to give it back and try the next one (or ten), or to check out a whole stack to take home and sift through at leisure.
I'm not at Medicare age yet, and goodness knows what that system might look like when I am, but I've definitely done a library raid to prepare for other major turning points, including buying my house. It was a library book, or a sequence of them, that started me on the path to financial literacy, too, when in my early 20s it occurred to me how little I knew about what banks really do and how money worked beyond the jar of change on the dresser.
We all need to be bragging on libraries right now.
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-Picked up a hitchhiker who was just trying to get to work on time (I guess that was the case because it was near an obscure spa)
-carried out some found trash while hiking
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I got a notification that a local trail is going to be closed for maintenance. I passed it along to some of the local bike people and groups, and somebody asked where the announcement was publicly posted. It's completely reasonable question, so I asked the staff from whence the announcement came. I'm afraid the chain of communication is pretty indirect from where I sit, but perhaps it will get where it's going in time to do some good.
Bike trails have this funny way of counting as transportation (as they should) when justifying building more of them, but when it comes time to close them, officials seem to assume they're recreational and that a closure merely rearranges someone's dog-walking route. That, and they don't quite understand how the trails work. They'll close some entrances and not others. One time, they managed to create sort of a jogger trap, a segment that was (needlessly) closed at both ends but open at a forgotten spot in the middle. Fortunately, there was no hazard, just confusion and inconvenience.
I'm going to keep trying.
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There's been a heat wave recently. I always feel for the store employees who have to wrangle the shopping carts, so when I put my cart in the corral, I arranged the carts that were already there to make them easier to wrangle by the employees later. Bonus: another shopper was about to put their cart in the corral as I was exiting, so I took their cart & saved them a few steps, too. It was nice to have a little human interaction (and a smile) for something I do a lot where nobody usually sees. I don't do it for the love, but the love was a nice bonus.
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There's been a heat wave recently. I always feel for the store employees who have to wrangle the shopping carts, so when I put my cart in the corral, I arranged the carts that were already there to make them easier to wrangle by the employees later. Bonus: another shopper was about to put their cart in the corral as I was exiting, so I took their cart & saved them a few steps, too. It was nice to have a little human interaction (and a smile) for something I do a lot where nobody usually sees. I don't do it for the love, but the love was a nice bonus.
I usually just take a shopping cart in with me that's not in a corral. Sometimes DH takes one too and one of us drops the extra at the entrance. Bonus if it started in the far corner or somewhere it shouldn't really be. Generally, we'll also leave it in a corral. At that point, I figure we're net-negative or at least net-zero on shopping cart entropy.
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@oneday, and @crocheted_stache, we are sisters in cart corraling!
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Stopped in the middle of the road and remove a fist-sized rock that was sitting mid-intersection. I’d hate to have it shoot out from under someone’s tire and hit someone.
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Last night and this morning, I did a flurry of baking and cooking. Throughout the afternoon today, we shared the resulting large batch of bread and a large batch of chili* at three different community potluck picnics. I am counting this as the good deed for two reasons. At the first two picnics, the food offerings were a little spotty, something I kind of expected based on the guest lists and the organizations. Our bread and chili turned out to be the main dishes.
Even though I only see him twice a year, I know that one of the folks who's a regular attendee at the third group is vegan and gluten free. So before I added the bulghur to the vegan chili for everyone else, I set some aside in a separate container, and I made sure he knew that portion was for him. Alongside a few selections from the fruit and veggie trays, it was just about the only thing I saw him eating.
*Dried beans + Instant Pot for the Mustachian potluck win!
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I usually just take a shopping cart in with me that's not in a corral. Sometimes DH takes one too and one of us drops the extra at the entrance. Bonus if it started in the far corner or somewhere it shouldn't really be. Generally, we'll also leave it in a corral. At that point, I figure we're net-negative or at least net-zero on shopping cart entropy.
I usually do this, too. For the same reason :)
@oneday, and @crocheted_stache, we are sisters in cart corraling!
Fist bump!
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Offered to keep on eye out for a delivery for a new neighbour and can put it into her place since she won't be back for a few days.
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Moved a construction sign over a little so it's more visible from the road whose users it's supposed to notify and less in the way of the bike lane.
Removed a sharp object from the roadway.
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I found a loose piece of paper in the parking lot at work. It was an invoice with a name and home address on it. I did a search of the employee directory for that name but found nothing. There are other companies sharing the parking lot, and the wind could have carried the paper some distance.
I suppose I could have mailed it to the address, but I expect the invoice can be re-sent, if it is not already in the person's email, so I tossed the paper copy in the shred bin.
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I hired the son of a church friend to wash my windows and paid him more money than he was asking. He was charging super cheap and did an okay but not great job; I am thinking how I could recommend him but manage people's expectations.
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One of our friends lost his job. He has a wife and a young child. They’re now moving cities to live with their parents because they can’t afford to live here with no job. Our Bible study group put our funds together to help them out a bit. Some of us also have connections in their new city who may be able to help them find a job.
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For a variety of reasons, the thrift shop where I volunteer allows us to "check out" items without paying for them. I draw a line down the middle of my card, front and back, and use it often. When the card gets filled, I clear it all at once. And then I round up. Today I had the manager ring me out, and then I added ~$45 so the total was a nice, round number. I appreciate that this system exists, and I'm happy to add a little extra to the cause.
I also thought of this thread when I was at Costco this week. Of course, I returned my cart and then straightened up the ones in front of it. Your inspiration is greatly appreciated. Hmmm, allow me to elaborate on this, if you will. I have always done stuff like this, but never thought of it as a good deed. I just thought I was a slightly OCD* weirdo. Thanks for helping me re-frame some ingrained behavior.
*My friend says it's actually "CDO" because the letters MUST be in alphabetical order. Makes sense to me.
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We went looking for a needed screw at the hardware store. I know a bit about machine screws and spent a minute putting some of the jumbled mess back in its correct little slots in the drawer. I could have met there all day, but instead, I determined the item we needed wasn't there, chose and alternative, and moved on.
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We went looking for a needed screw at the hardware store. I know a bit about machine screws and spent a minute putting some of the jumbled mess back in its correct little slots in the drawer. I could have met there all day, but instead, I determined the item we needed wasn't there, chose and alternative, and moved on.
Geez, this reminds me of going into a thrift store near me where it was obvious that several store workers hadn't shown up for their shifts in the last 2 days and the place was a mess. The senior cashier guy with the dyed purple beard was there, friendly as always, but seemed to be the lone worker. I was very tempted to go up and down the aisles and restore some order, but I restrained myself.
Are we just born this way??
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Sent DH over to our elderly neighbor's house with macaroni & potato salad. She doesn't cook anymore, and loves leftovers. We have so many people eating at our house, that it's rare for us, but we love to share when the opportunity presents itself. She also loves a chance to chat with DH.
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We went looking for a needed screw at the hardware store. I know a bit about machine screws and spent a minute putting some of the jumbled mess back in its correct little slots in the drawer. I could have met there all day, but instead, I determined the item we needed wasn't there, chose and alternative, and moved on.
Geez, this reminds me of going into a thrift store near me where it was obvious that several store workers hadn't shown up for their shifts in the last 2 days and the place was a mess. The senior cashier guy with the dyed purple beard was there, friendly as always, but seemed to be the lone worker. I was very tempted to go up and down the aisles and restore some order, but I restrained myself.
Are we just born this way??
Maybe we are.
According to r/I dont work here lady, the next step after putting back or tidying up something in a store is either another customer asking for help and blowing up when you tell them you cannot in fact go get something in back or ring them up, or (rarely) getting offered a job. I presume the times when they believe you, apologize, and wander off don't get to be posts there.
Years ago, I was in the screws and bolts section of a different hardware store, and I asked for a machine screw by name. The employee who tried to help me was maybe new or more familiar with other departments. "Whoa, you know more about this stuff than I do!" I ended up giving him a five-minute tutorial right there in the aisle about what the different numbers mean that describe a screw thread.
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I always try and do a little tidying at the thrift store - I joke that it improves your thrift karma.
My GD was driving a family member to do errands because I knew the area and the driving conditions were difficult.
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@LaineyAZ nature or nurture, the eternal question.
A couple days ago, dining out with out of town visitors. I noticed the person at the next table left, but there was a sweater still on the chair. Mentioned it, and the two other people at the table jumped up. One grabbed the sweater and the other ran after the departing diner. Sweater & owner were reunited. Teamwork!
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A friend recently got a new job as a community relations person for a New Thing going in, in my city. She's from a few cities over, so we got together for lunch, and I did a bit of a data dump, talked about who's who here, and sent her a long list of possibly-useful resources that I know from living here and being involved. I also introduced her to the library leadership, in hopes that some of the community relations money/effort for the New Thing can help out the library.
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Got an amazing score at the local big box store yesterday: 6 pair of new in-package men's briefs marked down to $1. Grabbed 2 packages. Also found new in-package men's 12 pair white ankle socks marked down to $3.
Today I delivered all 3 packages to a friend who can deliver them to her friend who helps the homeless in her area.
No middleman or agencies, just a people-helping-people direct aid.
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Got an amazing score at the local big box store yesterday: 6 pair of new in-package men's briefs marked down to $1. Grabbed 2 packages. Also found new in-package men's 12 pair white ankle socks marked down to $3.
Today I delivered all 3 packages to a friend who can deliver them to her friend who helps the homeless in her area.
No middleman or agencies, just a people-helping-people direct aid.
Love this!!
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Someone on a neighborhood forum was talking about volunteer litter cleanup but unsure how to deal with the trash they'd collect. I referred them to the city program that supports volunteer litter cleanup efforts. It's for the next city over, so I don't know all the details, but most cities around here are very happy to provide volunteers with bags and sticks and haul away the collected trash.
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Reported some graffiti and some places where gates along the train tracks are open/damaged. And also a stop light that's blinking red.
I also picked up the ones I could easily and safely reach of what I think were at least $80 in losing lottery tickets, loose in the street. It's so sad to me that somebody would spend that much in hopes of winning, instead of saving it towards becoming actually wealthy, or at least less desperate.