My last days of AmeriCorps (term #1)

A lot has happened in the last two weeks, all of which I’ve had grand plans of blogging about. I guess what this really shows is that I should not have a career as a blogger.

I finished my hours with SPAWN two weeks early, but I hadn’t quite finished all my duties so I was working less than full-time, taking off early here and there and occasionally taking full days off. I worked until the last day anyway.

Let’s start with the Cubs. The Cubs came to play a three game series against the Giants in the middle of the week – their only time this season in the Bay Area. I was fortunate enough to attend two of the three. Both were really exciting games, which the Cubs won in either the 9^th or the 10^th inning. Each time I was the loudest of the bunch, essentially cheering for each new (cubbie) batter. I took full advantage of this on the second game, when our seats were 3 rows behind home plate.

I supplied Heidi with a pink Cubs hat for the game.

That Friday, Heidi and I were supposed to leave work early and drive to Monterey to visit Kristin (AmeriCorps at IFR). Originally we had planned to see Wilco in Berkeley but the show sold out really early. But, that day, Heidi’s friend emailed to tell her that he found tickets for them on craigslist. After obtaining the “ok- come a day later” from Kristin, I opted to check craigslist for my own ticket. Which I found, for free – with a catch.

The catch: I had to pick up the ticket owner from his hotel in Union Square (downtown SF – like picking someone up from Water Tower Place) and drive him to Berkeley and back (so technically I could have just “led” him – ie taken public transit or the like, but I have a car and I don’t live in the city).

After considering that this could possibly lead me into a dangerous situation with a psychopath, I decided I’d rather take the risk and see Wilco than stay home. The stranger was Canadian and actually pretty cool – we got along really well, which was especially sweet because the should-have-been-30 minute drive from Union Square to Berkeley took well over an hour due to rush hour.

I like to refer to him as "the stranger"

The next day Heidi and I left for Kristin’s in Monterey. The three of us went to the Aquarium (awesome), explored tide pools on the beach, and ate a Jewish food festival. I ate the best pastrami sandwich ever. Vegetarianism does not work for me.

There are more pictures on flickr.

I returned from Monterey to find that Mitch had extra tickets for the next day’s Giants game against the Rockies. Heidi and I took off work early for another baseball game, this time sitting in the owners section, 4 rows back between home plate and the Giants dugout. The Giants win in a very exciting and close game. Like I said, I bring the magic.

And yes, I have no problem bragging about the best seats I will ever have at a baseball game. They were amazing.

The next day (we’re on Tuesday now – it has been exactly one week since that first Cubs game), Paola threw Heidi and I a potluck dinner party as a goodbye prior to our last day of work. There is no story here, I just wanted to continue the week of Awesome.

On Wednesday evening, Kristin and Nate (AmeriCorps IFR) arrive late at my house since the four of us have to drive to Humboldt on Thursday for our WSP exit celebration and paperwork. A five hour drive (each way) for 5 hours of work (plus 70s party and sleeping). Even with the carpool, it didn’t really seem like a good use of fossil fuels considering we’re an environmentally conscious organization. Oh well, it was fun.

Southern Carpool ladies decked out in 1970s gear - my dress was
worn by Kristin's mother in 1972 at Kristin's aunt's rehearsal dinner.

There were a lot of 70s outfits. Many of them actually from the 70s.

Nate may be permanently grumpy due to sharing the car with
the 3 of us (though he usually doesn't look that upset). We're
in front of the bathroom sign because of all the bathroom stops
we have to make...

So now I’m done with AmeriCorps. I logged my last hours on Friday – a few hours of paperwork and 5 hours of driving. I spent my first unemployed weekend catering for two weddings and finally had my first actual day off today, Labor day, which I celebrated by tabling for the Barack Obama campaign.

The next four months (until AmeriTerm #2) will be interesting – right now I’m catering on the weekends and helping out Mitch and Julie at their office. I’m also searching for a room for rent in San Francisco, which is not going very well. Hopefully I will find something by October 1^st, but Mitch and Julie are not pressuring me at all and giving me ample time to figure out where I’m going. On Saturday they told me I could take the bed and desk that I’ve been using as well, so now I’ve even got furnishings!

More photos on Flickr!