31 for 31. The Brithday Project

Some time last year my friend Anne sent me a link to The Birthday Project.  It was such a cool idea - you spend your birthday doing good deeds for others; one deed per year you've been alive.  I decided then and there to spend my next birthday doing just that.

I took over a month to plan and get all strategic, and get things ready.  A few things were done the week of the big birthday because of convenience and timing.  And of course I took you all along for the ride.

How I spent my day last Friday:

1) Gave blood.  For the first time!  For most of my life I was hypoglycemic and was a bit underweight and therefore couldn't give blood.   Since I switched to a whole foods diet, the hypoglycemia has vanished.  What a great surprise!  I still hadn't give blood though, but my mind was changed two weeks ago when my momma was in the hospital.  Mom was given a blood transfusion, and that was a wake up call that some stranger's act helped my mom heal and get better.

Let's talk about this picture for a second.  If you ever decide to have your photo taken while giving blood, ask the female and NOT the male vampires to take the photo.  That dress is super cute in person, but this photo makes me look like I'm dressed in an end of days period costume.

2) Donated to KUOW (local NPR channel) after years of being a free-loader.

3) Wrote a thank you note to Jack's preschool teacher and the paraeducator for his room.

4) Sent thank you notes to two instructors I had in high school.

5) Left goodies for our trash and recycling people.

6) Left cookies for our librarians.

7) Left cookies for the woman who runs our post office.  We're a small town and no one has mail service.  Everyone has a post office box and this woman is a busy bee!

8) Left tennis balls at an off-leash dog park.

9) Went to my sister's work to wash her filthy windshield, and left her a note letting her know how much I love her.

10) Went down to an area of town where people park and commute to a large employer.  You'd be shocked at how many people wouldn't take a free cookie from me.  This guy however...

11) Dropped off cookies and a thank you note at our local police department.

12) Went to a local coffee stand where my sister-in-law gets her coffee every morning.  I had a plan to get her a coffee, but the little turd had already been through there that morning.  I left a note and a $5 bill for the next person to drive up to the stand.

13) Since the hosebeast that I call my sister-in-law spoiled the coffee surprise, I brought her some cookies too.

14) Took cookies to Troy's grandma's house.  She wasn't home.  She called me later to say they were the best cookies she's ever had (recipe here) and that she ate two of them.  That may sound silly, but she is allergic to everything under the sun.  We joke she survives on air.  So for her to eat them (and keep them down) AND enjoy them, was huge!

15) Went to Troy's other grandma's house to leave her cookies.  She wasn't wigged up and was in a housecoat, so no photos!

16) Left $1 bills in a parking garage with a note to use one if they were short on cash for parking.

17) Dropped off coffee for my amazing in-laws.

18) Went to Toys R Us and put quarters in some of the vending machine slots.

19) Went to the library with the intent on putting $1 bills in some of my favorite young reader books.  Then this book caught my eye and I knew I had to put one in there too!

20) Headed to Joann's and snagged a number at the cutting counter.  I hate waiting in line at Joann's for fabric to be cut; I swear they only ever have three employees staffed in the whole store during any given shift.

So, when my number was called (94), I asked who 95 was and handed her my ticket.  She was so excited that she let me take her picture!

21) Dropped off water bottles on a long hiking trail.

22) Taped microwave popcorn to the Redbox at an Albertson's store.

23) Returned carts at Costco.

Cleared these ones from the little unloading zone next to a handicap spots.  Tsk tsk rude people!

24) I helped some people unload their groceries at Costco.  No photos; my hands were busy!

Quick break to treat myself to a high-quality lunch.

25) Dropped off cookies and thank yous to the labor and delivery nurses where Jack and my nephew were born.

26 ) Left cookies and a thank you note for the lactation consultant who spent so much damn time with me in those first few weeks.  I remember her audibly gasping when she saw the carnage that my pirana child had caused.

27) Took some crayons and little crafty things to the ER.

28) Brought my mom dinner at the gimp hut.

29) Donated some crosswords to the gimp hut for the residents.

30) My mom always talks about how much she misses my sister and I being little enough to rock.  So for my 30th deed, I let the old broad rock me!

31) I had a "sleep party" with my kiddo.  He loves these so much and always asks me to have a sleep over.  This turned out to be a great gift to myself, because Jack slept until 8 am!!  Homeboy usually wakes up between 5:45 and 6:15 am on weekends.  This was bliss.

All in all, this was one of the best birthdays I've ever had.  I spent the day doing fun things and making other people smile; what could be better!