#66 - Build a fire.

Yes, I know building a fire isn't rocket science. But I've never done it. I've helped, but I've never built my own.

I was back in Ann Arbor for the Michigan v. Eastern Michigan football game. (A HUGE family rivalry. We talk about it all year old. It's crazy. You should come next time. Go Blue!) I told my dad that I was hoping to see Evelyn while I was back. I said told him she said that she and/or Brian could help me build a fire. The conversation proceeded like this:

"I can build a fire."

"Okay."

"I used to build them all the time in the backyard."

All the time? Debatable. "Okay, Dad. Well, I was just thinking of what Evelyn could help me do and she and Brian go camping and fishing and stuff, so I thought she could probably build a fire."

"I was an Eagle Scout."

"Dad, would you like to

help me build a fire on Sunday?"

"Yes."

On Sunday, Dad grabbed a hatchet and matches and we went into the yard. He told me to pick up some small sticks from a pile in a flower garden next to the driveway.

"You just keep a pile of small sticks? And this is where you keep them?"

"No."

We gathered dead leaves. Then he ripped some bark off of a log. There has always been a pile of logs in the backyard for indoor, fireplace fires. I have seen my dad build those many times. I still don't recall an outdoor fire. I hope he's too old to figure out how to actually read this blog because I'm sure I'll get a lecture about it later if he finds out. has

He moved some other log things to uncover lots of bugs, including this slug. I did my best to help the slug survive, but he kept crawling towards the spot where we were going to build the fire. I think he lived. F those earwigs though. I hate those things.

So I piled some dead leaves and then made a stick pyramid on top of the leaves. I guess my pyramid was too pyramidy because Dad stepped on it to squash it down. He

also chopped some wood shavings, with a box cutter though, not the hatchet. I guess the hatchet was

just for show.

The fire was a success. I can't wait to build a bigger one, with Chris and Chris' advice, which is just keep piling on bigger and bigger sticks and then logs until either it's as tall as me or until I can't lift anything heavier. Man, I miss the days of having 2 Chrises in the house.

Thanks, Dad! Success!

#92 - Change a tire or oil

Yes, I understand that neither of these things are exceedingly difficult. But I've never changed my oil. (Like, personally. Obviously I've had my oil changed.) I have done parts of changing my tire but someone always comes along and plays the hero and changes it for me.

So Sunday afternoon, my little brother and I each paid each other a favor. He taught me how to change a tire with no help. I helped him rotate his tires. Since there were 4

tires, I could do one and a half with coaching and then did one without coaching.

We even made sure I knew how to use the exact jack in my car so I'd be all

set if tragedy struck.

It was awesome once we got some tunes going and Karl got lost.

#33 - Tutor

This is an extension of Volunteer for a Cause. I wasn't sure I'd actually be able to tutor with 826 Chicago, but I managed to squeeze it in my schedule. I'm now doing every other Thursday 3:00pm - 5:30pm. That either means I squeeze those work hours onto another day or come back to work on those days. I'm hoping it'll be doable and I can continue tutoring because 826Chi wants a commitment of at least every other week on the same day for all of their tutors.

I did my first day last week. I had 2 3rd graders, Paola and Emma to work with. They were quite chatty but fun. I guess it was a crazy first week. Usually they have 20-30 tutors and 30 some kids. Last Thursday they had 67 kids. It didn't really phase me to work with 2 girls doing their homework since I have taught 10+ kids in a learn-to-swim class with criers and drowners.

The funniest part of the day was when all the tutors met after tutoring to pick a team name for the Thursday group. We all introduced ourselves, said how long we've been tutoring, and shared something "interesting" about ourselves. The first guy told us he had found out within the last year he had 3 kidneys. He didn't learn until one of them went bad and he was sick and then had to get it removed. And by went bad, he described it as being mush. Weird. So then some other people go and share some not as interesting things. Then another guy says it was weird the 1st guy shared something about a 3rd kidney because one of his kidneys,

in fact, was rotated 180 degrees, so backwards. He only learned when he had a scan for something completely unrelated. Apparently it's no big deal. So then some other people went. One guy shared how earlier that day he helped his son cut off his 8-year dreadlocks. They were still in his car. His son planned to make a wig of them. So then a couple more people go by and this girl shares that she, in fact, has one kidney that is twice the size it should be. Super kidney. How bizarre is it that about 25% of our group had some bizarre kidney condition, but all had working kidneys? So we decided our Thursday tutor name should involve kidneys in someway: The Kidneys are Alright. The New Kidneys on the Block. Hilarious.

I'm pretty excited to continue. It's just 2.5 hours every other week where I get to interact directly with kids. I love hearing kids tell stories. They're hilarious. And after tutoring, the tutors go to the Teacher's Lounge. Which is actually just the bar down the street. Delightful.

Thanks to Rachel Felson for introducing me to 826 Valencia, which led me to 826 Chi, and to Hassan Ali for encouraging me to join him in volunteering there even if I still haven't seen him since I started :)