Yes, I spent $180 on homemade cinnamon rolls. But don’t worry, it was for a good cause.
February may be the shortest month of the year, however, it was packed full of activity. My company has a benefit which allows team members to volunteer at Christian non-profit organizations outside of work. This is 40 paid hours on top of paid time off (“Leave” for you military speaking folks). We call it Ministry Time. I happened to know of a non-profit that fit the bill (The Wilds) and spent an entire week at camp.
I could not have planned the trip to camp any better. God had little surprises in store throughout the week. Little surprises included one of my favorite fundraising events at church: The Sweets Auction. This is a youth group sponsored event which auctions off sweet treats (created by church members) in an effort to support the youth group’s budget for ministry and fun. There were a lot of great treats on display and others that were not. I never saw this treat on the table, but as soon as I heard “Bonnie’s. . . ” over the speaker, my hand was raised. I wasn’t going to miss out on whatever Bonnie made.
As it turns out, Bonnie made homemade cinnamon rolls. I was in the running starting no less than $30 (or was it $50?). Somebody decided they wanted in and rose the bid. We went back and forth until it was just over $100. When was my opponent going to stop? He had a wife who needed cinnamon rolls. I had tastebuds that weren’t messing around. I shouted, “$150!” This slowed our flow, but not for long. No matter what the opponent had to bid, I had a response. Raise the bid. It slowed once more until finally my opponent’s willpower had depleted. “Bonnie’s cinnamon rolls go to Jai at $180!” Winner, winner Bonnie’s cinnamon rolls for breakfast–or however it goes.
During my volunteering at camp, I had the opportunity to serve on the trails project, complete some grounds work, and assist in the kitchen. Again, I couldn’t have planned the week any better. Having worked outside every day, the weather was perfect. Brisk, cold mornings quickly turned to cool, sunny days every single day (except Friday). Who get’s to be outside working near waterfalls all day? Not many people, that’s for sure. Rick Stoner, Josh, and I put in work clearing the 1st Falls trail of trees and building steps into narrow sections of the trail. It was not easy work, but it was rewarding.
Other sweet opportunities included celebrating friends’ birthdays in Greenville, eating sushi at my favorite spot, seeing my brother, seeing all the camp family, catching up with my friend, Cal, and staying at my friends’ house all week. Such a blessing.
After returning from ministry time, I only had a couple days at work before another trip. One of those days was Mardi Gras day (Fat Tuesday). Having lived in New Orleans for several years, there are some traditions that carry on. At work we had king cake and legitimate beads shared from New Orleans. As quickly as the celebration began, it ended and I was headed to a Marine work trip.
The purpose of the Marine trip was to do planning for future training. As an added bonus, I got to meet with old friends, WOBC friends, and see my family. The trip ended with a dinner at Mike’s Farm before I was dropped off at the airport and on my way back to Tennessee.
We are ending the month with a bang at work. It’s Trivia Night! I’m not so sure we’ll win, but at least there will be an opportunity to hang out with cool people, eat food, and let loose.
I anticipate the months ahead will be fairly busy. Spring is coming up whether we like it or not, and I now get to do homeowner stuff like keep up with a yard. The little bit of yard type stuff I’ve already done had actually been enjoyable. Maybe that’s my new hobby–figuring out how to do yard stuff and building landscaping. Let me know if you have any tips and tricks for rerouting drainage and doing some basic landscaping.
Thank you to the ones who read these. Thank you for keeping up but also for thinking about me. For the praying kind, please pray that homeownership will not be burdensome in my first Spring and Summer seasons. Who knows what sort of things will grow in the yard (mostly weeds?), and who knows what kind of critters will want to hang out with me. I trust God does not waste experiences, so I am still excited for the discoveries yet to come. Until next time: Be strong. Love God. Love others.
rejoice.always
The Wild Ride 