Who knew volunteering could be so fun that you'd pay for it?
The tail end of this week was pretty stressful at work. The state branch of Jewish Federations of North America is hosting a big event tonight, and I'm starting to realize that big Jewish events mean a lot of work for me. On Thursday I worked so late that I was almost late to Judaism 101 class (oh, the irony) and on Friday, I worked so late that I did miss most of the Shabbat service. I almost didn't go, but I'm so glad I did, because the temple happened to be giving away free CDs! I can never say no to free stuff, so I got two, one of Shabbat songs and one of High Holy Days songs. Then when I finally got home, guess what was waiting in my mailbox? An Alfie Boe CD! I finally bought the one where he covers my favorite hymn, and finally getting hear him sing it was so worth the wait. It was also just what I needed after a long stressful day.
One of my resolutions for 2014 (okay, my only resolution) was to start volunteering. This weekend, I finally did it! This morning, I went to a volunteer training session at the local Humane Society animal shelter. I was worried I wouldn't like it, but then I remembered that unlike human interaction, pretty much any interaction with animals is a win-win for me. The other volunteers were so nice, and once we learned the protocol, they let us take dogs outside their kennels to the dog-park. It was so much fun running around with them, throwing balls and frisbees, and just being around dogs again. I walked four dogs, petted a lot of cats in the cat-room (the same one where we found Mayim), and didn't want to leave. The dog who stuck out to me the most was a female German Shepherd named Dessa. She was so very shy and timid. She cowered when I tried to push a leash on her, and once in the dog-park, she was more relaxed, but still wasn't keen on me getting close to her -- which, combined with her dark color, doesn't look good to potential parents. It's a no-kill shelter, so she can stay there for as long as need be, but I want to go back next weekend and try to get her to come out of her shell a little.
One of my resolutions for 2014 (okay, my only resolution) was to start volunteering. This weekend, I finally did it! This morning, I went to a volunteer training session at the local Humane Society animal shelter. I was worried I wouldn't like it, but then I remembered that unlike human interaction, pretty much any interaction with animals is a win-win for me. The other volunteers were so nice, and once we learned the protocol, they let us take dogs outside their kennels to the dog-park. It was so much fun running around with them, throwing balls and frisbees, and just being around dogs again. I walked four dogs, petted a lot of cats in the cat-room (the same one where we found Mayim), and didn't want to leave. The dog who stuck out to me the most was a female German Shepherd named Dessa. She was so very shy and timid. She cowered when I tried to push a leash on her, and once in the dog-park, she was more relaxed, but still wasn't keen on me getting close to her -- which, combined with her dark color, doesn't look good to potential parents. It's a no-kill shelter, so she can stay there for as long as need be, but I want to go back next weekend and try to get her to come out of her shell a little.