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Post by celticsweetheart on Mar 6, 2012 2:39:57 GMT -5
- Well not much to do so I thought I'd work on more of the story...
Tuesday morning, alarm goes off at 8 a.m. I head straight to the bathroom, a hot shower is a definite requirement when living in Michigan during the middle of January. Not only will the hot water wake me up but it will get my body ready for the hard work ahead. I just hope its another slow day at work. At least when its slow at the theater I can relax a bit more than when its busy on the weekend.
After getting dressed I check the messages on my phone. Two new messages which is great since I usually don't have any on this phone. My home phone has only two primary uses; 1. as the contact number on my resume 2. family and friends 3. business purposes and 4. emergency situations. I've not submitted a resume lately and the only time family calls me is when they don't get an answer on my parents home phone so it had to be about the auction I was planning.
Message number 1: "Hi this is Katherine Spellman, I'm returning your call about a donation inquiry you can reach me at 313-884-4732. Please call me at your earliest convience if you are still interested in acquiring a donation from The Grosse Pointe Theatre." Wow, I definitely am gonna return that call. I want to get as many live performance theaters as possible. I want this to be an equal opportunity auction.
Message number 2: "Hi this is Dave Samuels, I'm the general manager at the AMC John R. I'm calling in reference to your meeting with Damian Lewis, Assistant Manager, on January 12th. We discussed your request and are happy to say that we will be making a donation for your auction. Please call me at your earliest convenience to discuss where and when the auction will be taking place. Thank you and have a nice day." Double wow, this was definitely my lucky day. That makes a total of 4 definite contributors to the auction on Feb 23rd.
I made sure not to delete those two messages because I would have to call both back on Wednesday when I had more time. It was just about time for me to leave when the phone rang. It definitely wasn't anyone I knew so I picked it up quickly. I said, "hello." The person on the other end said, "Hello this is Rhonda Whittaker, general manager at the AMC Great Lakes Crossing, we spoke Saturday about making a donation to your auction." I replied, "yes I remember speaking to you." "Well I've discussed it with the rest of the mangers and we all are unanimous in our decision to make a donation to your cause. Do you have a date when your auction will taking place." I replied, "I am planning for the auction to take place February 23rd which is the Saturday before the Oscars." "That a great date, so I will work on putting together a package that reflects the nominated films and I'll have it ready for pick-up. Just give me a call when you need it." I said, "thank you so much I will give you a call to let you know when I plan on picking it up." I'm sure glad I took that call I could have missed out on a great opportunity if I hadn't.
After hanging up the phone I headed for the door. I was gonna be in a rush to get to work but I'm pretty sure traffic isn't bad. I was right about the traffic there wasn't any at all. It's a good thing I was going south because most of the traffic was still going north on I-75. I got to work with 5 minutes to spare. Its a good thing there was no traffic but I'll be late getting home tonight. I was gonna visit the AMC Forum on Mound Road and the AMC Rochester Hills. That would leave only 6 more movie theaters to visit before the deadline I had yet to set.
I loved Tuesday and I think that would be a perfect saying for a bumper sticker. Tuesdays were generally slow which meant I'd have some down time to chat with Lisa who was usually stuck on a register at the concession stand. I told her about what happened after work yesterday and then told her about the two messages and the phone call I got before I left home.
She had got the email I sent and will call a couple theatres on the list tomorrow since she isn't working until 3:30 p.m. tomorrow. I always thought she worked the open shift in concessions every day but she said she switched with someone who needed to be off that night. I've been lucky I've only worked a few closing shifts so far. I didn't really like driving the expressway at night. Before I knew it the day was over and soon I'd be on my way home.
Instead of taking my normal route home I opted for the slower route that would take me from 15 mile & Van Dyke all the way to Mound Road & M-59. I had to visit the AMC Forum which was on Mound and M-59. I was hoping to get a donation without having to wait for a call from a general manager. Traffic was really slow but it was rush hour. I didn't waste any time once I got to my destination. I parked and went inside to ask to speak with a manager. I guess they weren't really busy because I didn't have to wait that long between the transmittal and the arrival.
After spilling my story to the manager making sure not to leave out any important detail. He asked for my contact information promising to get back to by tomorrow afternoon. I thanked [Alan Kingston, assistant manager, at AMC Forum. He was the first manager who gave me his business card. At least it didn't take me long to get a response from a manager. He may have not given a definitive answer but at least he said he would call.
Next was the AMC in Rochester Hills which really wasn't that far from my current location. I just had to get on west M-59 then get off at Rochester Road then turn right on E. Auburn Road and then left on to Barclay Circle which was my final destination before heading home. I was just hoping this would go as smoothly as the previous one had.
Again I don't waste anytime getting right to the point with the manger. I introduce myself and then I say, " I've come seeking a donation for an auction that will help an underprivileged Irish Dance student go to Ireland to compete in the World Irish Dance Championship." I think I was getting better at explaining myself with each new opportunity. The manager took a step back to ponder what I had just said. I don't blame him for doing that I think I would do the exact thing. I came for a donation and didn't want to leave empty handed.
After what seemed like forever the manager, Tony MacGuire, finally spoke and what he said blew me away. He said that I reminded him of someone, himself when he was my age. I don't know to be impressed or a little put off but I take it for what its worth; a compliment of sorts. He tells me he once did exactly what I was doing trying to get a donation out of a movie theater for a cause he believed in. He eventually said he would personally put a package together to donate to my auction. Wow two more donations I was definitely on a roll.
Now I was headed home knowing that I successfully gotten seven donations for my auction. Now all I needed to do was figure out what the deadline would be for receiving donations. I stopped at my favorite Chinese restaurant to get some take out before going home. I ordered a quart of General Tso's, an egg roll, and a dinner roll but I also got a pint of white rice for free.
Finally, I was home and I was starving. I slipped in the side door and up the stairs to my apartment. Another long day behind me; I really needed to relax and not think about anything that might stress me out. I decided to get a fork and park myself in front of the television to watch some must see TV. I ate my dinner in piece; I'd wait until tomorrow to look at the calender to figure out what the deadline would be for the Oscar/Tony auction.
I finished most of my dinner putting away the leftovers in refrigerator. I turned off all the lights and my computer before heading to bed. I really deserved to sleep in a little late tomorrow but with all I had to do I made sure my alarm was set for 8 a.m. With everything off I jumped into my warm bed that awaited me. I just hope I'd continue having peaceful sleep that was uninterrupted.
Wednesday morning and my alarm went off at exactly 8. I roll out of bed aware this is gonna be another long day even if I didn't have to go to work. I decided to put off showering for a little while.
I strolled into my living room turning on my computer. I grabbed the lists I'd been working with making sure to check off the theaters I visited last night. I only had seven more to visit but I might cut that number in half. I still had a list of performance theatres I needed to call. I also needed to set a deadline for receiving donations.
Now that my computer had finally sprang to life I signed into my email to see if I had any new messages. I had one message from Ms. Anne, she wanted to know if I'd decided on a deadline for the auction because she needed a week to get all the items photographed and then send them to the printer to be put in a catalog that would be available before the auction. She had acquired the services of a friend of her's that worked from Christie's Auction House. I sent her quick reply say that I'd chosen February 15th to be the deadline and that I had five donations that had been agreed to. I also said I would give her more details tonight before class. As for class she also said I would need to come in on Saturdays besides my regular Wednesday night class.
After I hit send I grabbed my lists, checking off the theaters I visited last night and adding the ones that gave me actual conformation of a donation toward my auction. I decided to make myself a light breakfast this morning. A bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee would do. I wouldn't be taking the dog for a walk this morning so I decided to stay in my night clothes for a little while. I checked my phone to see if I had any new messages. As it was I had four new messages.
Message 1: " Hi,this is Paul Castle, general manager at The Palladium in Birmingham returning your call about a donation request. I believer you spoke with David Richardson one of our assistant managers on Monday. I'm calling you to let you know that I will be making a donation to your auction please let me know at your earliest convenience the deadline for the donation. Thank you and have a nice day."
Message 2: "Hi, this is Dan Hessex at the Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak returning your call about the donation. I am pleased to tell you that we will have a donation ready for you at your earliest convenience but please let me know when the deadline for the auction is. Thank you and have a nice day."
Message 3: "Hi, this is Rita Penny, general manager at The Maple returning your call about a request for a donation for an auction. I am please to inform you that a package will be ready for pick up at your convenience but please let me know when the deadline for the auction is. Thank you and have a nice day."
Message 4: "Hi, this is Mark Stubin, general manager at the Birmingham 8 returning your about a donation request for an auction. I am very interested in making a donation but need to know when your deadline for the auction is. Please contact me at your earliest convenience. Thank you and have a nice day."
Wow four definitive answers, now my auction was really starting to take off. I needed to contact the other theaters now at least I needed to return Ms. Spellman's call from Monday.
-ok that's enough for now I promise more tomorrow and I will be getting to Ireland soon enough. i'm almost through with the first auction.
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Post by celticbear on Mar 6, 2012 23:40:28 GMT -5
Colleen! I'm so Happy so many theaters are coming on board with donations! This is going to be some Oscar/Tony auction! Hope you get everything by the 15th!
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Post by celticsweetheart on Mar 7, 2012 13:04:20 GMT -5
The week really flew by which was great because I knew the weekend would be a nightmare. I spent most of Wednesday calling the five live performance theatres that were the closest to where I lived. Of the five only one was becoming a thorn in my side. Every time I called the Meadowbrook Theatre the general manager had just stepped out. I left him numourous messages expecting to hear back from him by the end of the day. I called all the theaters that agreed to donate, I let them know that February 15th was the deadline for either dropping off or having me pick up packages. On Saturday I'd head to the west side to visit the Emagine in Canton and the AMC's in Livonia and Laurel Park. They were the last theaters I was going to actually visit. I was gonna give the Detroit Film Theatre a call since it was only one in downtown Detroit that was on my list.
It was 8 a.m. Saturday morning, I was awake but didn't want to leave my nice warm bed. I really dreaded getting up because I knew that there was a lot I needed to do. I had 3 movie theaters to visit and not a lot of time for doing anything else. Wednesday night I learned I'd be spending more time in the studio fine tuning my dance skills. Ms. Anne said she would record each session then email it to me so I could put it on CD. I guess if I wanna win I needed to go from good to amazing which meant I'd be dancing more than normal. More dancing meant less time to do anything on the weekends. My life was gonna be nothing more than eat, sleep, work, and dance but not in that order.
After eating a hearty breakfast I jumped in the shower, the hot water would definitely wake me up. I also wouldn't have much time for working on this auction. I just had to worry about the St. Patty's Day auction next which I was really stuck on. I learned that both events from Saturday raised about $2430 dollars which was more than enough for the plane tickets. The exchange rate was constantly changing so I'd probably need more money just based on the fluctuation of currency.
I left the house around 11 a.m. and I probably wouldn't be home until later that evening. I was kinda hoping I would be able to take a little nap before heading to the studio just in case I couldn't I took my gym bag with me. I didn't want to leave the house unprepared. My first stop was in Canton at the Emagine Theater. I'd already gotten the Emagine in Novi to make a donation I sure hope Canton would follow suit.
I'd never been to the theater in Canton but knew that it was not far from IKEA. I arrived at the theater at a good time, they weren't really busy which is a good thing especially on a Saturday morning. The box person quickly dispatched for a manager. While I waited I contemplated whether or not I should go to IKEA for lunch. I just love their hot dogs.
- will write more just didn't have much time this morning.
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Post by celticbear on Mar 7, 2012 22:48:17 GMT -5
Wow Colleen glad that both the bake event and the dinner event raised that much for you! I know between the two Auctions they could easily double or triple what the other two events brought in! Hope you win the battle with that Thorn in your side!
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Post by celticsweetheart on Mar 7, 2012 23:56:38 GMT -5
I know the outcome of the dance and well I did what I came to do but in the end the real prize will be the CT Lads.
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Post by celticsweetheart on Mar 8, 2012 1:22:07 GMT -5
I swear either my pitch was getting better or this manager had been contacted by the manager in Novi prior to my visit. Before I left I not only got a "yes" but I got a conformation on when the donation would be ready for pickup. Now I was on my to IKEA to have lunch and maybe do a little browsing of the various staged apartments.
After having two hot dogs and a glass of lingonberry soda I took to elevator up to the second floor for a little look at the various set ups. I didn't have much time to waste so I looked at a couple before heading back downstairs to my car. I had two more theaters to visit. They were both AMC theaters and were in close proximity to IKEA.
Now I was on I-275 headed toward AMC Laurel Park 10 theater. I just hope it wouldn't take long because I told Ms. Anne I'd be at the studio around 5 and it was about 1:30 when I pulled into the parking lot of the theater. It took five minutes before the manager showed up but I guess that meant they weren't that busy. I gave him my story making sure not to leave out any important details. I gave him my details and he gave me his business card. David Trudeau, assistant manager, said he would be in contact soon. He just needed to check with his general manger before agreeing to something. I thanked him and went on my merry way.
Now I was head to AMC Livonia 20 which was approximately 4 minutes away from the AMC Laurel Park. I was glad I Googled directions to both theaters from IKEA and was thankful that they were so close to each other. Four minutes later I was in the parking lot of AMC Livonia. I was hoping I'd be able to get an answer from this manger. I hated waiting for people to call me when I wanted to get this auction wrapped up as soon as possible.
Again I only waited five minutes for the manager to arrive. This time if I changed my approach maybe I'd come away with a donation instead of a business card. After 45 minutes, I was two for two with a score of a donation from the AMC Livonia 20 theater. Now all I needed to do was get my butt to the studio to practice. I can feel more weight melting off my body just knowing that I'll have to put in more practice time. I sure hope all this extra training and practice will be worth it.
I arrive at exactly 5 p.m. which is weird for me since I usually like to be a little early. Oh well I say I had a good excuse I was working on an important task, trying to secure donations for an auction to help me go to Ireland. As soon as I was inside I headed straight for the locker room to change. I really only had two different outfits I used for class a lavender one or a blue one. The lavender was still in my gym bag I guess I forgot to switch it out with the blue one which was clean.
Ms. Anne was waiting for me as I walked into the studio. She didn't grill me about my whereabouts instead she said I should warm up first, which I started doing. Your muscles need to be warm to do any sort of dance movement. After I got my muscled warmed up I was prepared for what lay ahead.
I saw a video camera set up on a tripod a good distance away. I guess that it was set there on purpose so when I practiced the camera would record all of me. It was important that I see how my feet needed to be place for each particular step. I learned that Ms. Anne was gonna go through the dance first while I watched. I guess there was a method to her madness that I would eventually understand.
After she was done it was my turn to do exactly what did. So that is what I did and when I was finished she critiqued what on what I needed to improve. Then we went over each step together until I understood what I needed in order to be spot on with each step. This went on for about an hour which was long enough in my opinion I was tired. She told me that she would download the session on to her computer then email me the file so I could transfer it to a CD so I'd have a reference of each dance on file to practice on my own time.
-will continue this post tomorrow its getting late.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2012 21:29:27 GMT -5
good update colleen. I hope she gets to Ireland soon.
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Post by celticbear on Mar 8, 2012 21:54:58 GMT -5
Wow! The donations for the Auction keep coming and coming! That was some brutal workout! But in the end all the extra practice is going to be worth it,Since the payoff is CT!
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Post by celticsweetheart on Mar 9, 2012 2:17:45 GMT -5
When I finally got home at 7, after having stopped to get take out from my favorite Chinese restaurant. I dragged my tired body up the stairs to my apartment. I dropped my gym bag and coat as soon as I came in the door. I then proceeded to the drawer where I kept the silverware to retrieve a fork. I also grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and headed straight for the couch to watch some tv while I scarfed down my dinner.
After I finished eating I put away the leftovers in the fridge and my fork in the sink. I then proceeded to get ready for bed. I was so tired I didn't feel like getting online. I'd have to check my email tomorrow and Facebook could wait. I was so tired I collapsed into bed. I was glad I didn't work tomorrow cause I was exhausted.
I didn't get up Sunday until 1 p.m. even though the alarm went off at 8 a.m. I couldn't believe how sore I was so instead of getting up I decided to spend the day in bed. I did get up to use the bathroom and retrieve my laptop. I had stuff I needed to do online but I didn't feel like getting up.
I plugged my laptop in to an outlet next to my bed. I crawled back into my warm bed after I turned on my laptop. My laptop sat on a rolling table that sits off to the right side of my bed. I opened up the bottle of water I brought back with me when I retrieved my laptop. I propped up on a couple pillows so I'd be more comfortable when using the computer.
Finally the computer comes to life; its understandable since it had been in a cold living room for about 9 hours. I quickly sign in to my email. Wow you miss one day of not checking your messages and your inbox is flooded. I had a couple messages from Lisa and a couple from Ms. Anne. The ones from Lisa were in regard to a couple theaters she'd contacted. The ones from Ms. Anne must have arrived sometime after I left the studio.
Lisa said she was having issues with The Hillberry and The Bonstelle. Apparently one won't go without the other which I can understand because they are apart of Wayne State University theatre program. The only difference is that one is for undergraduates and one is for graduates. I sent her a reply saying to tell them your open to doing a combined donation.
Ms. Anne's email was just wanting to know how the auction was coming along and did I have a deadline for receiving donations. She said it would probably be a few days before she was able to get the video transferred to her computer. I sent her a lengthy reply saying that I'd decided that February 15th would be the deadline for receiving donations but that I was pretty sure I'd have most of them before the deadline. As for the video I was in no hurry to get it but I just said, "take your time."
I had also logged onto Facebook while I was checking my email. My brother popped up in the chat; wanting to know if I was gonna get up anytime soon. I said I was up but had no real desire to leave my room. My plan was simple stay in bed as long as I could stand it. I was starting to get restless in bed which was not a good sign.
Finally I was up ready to face the world or at least my living room. I had a lot of things I needed to do some things I'd been putting off doing. I definitely needed to do laundry its a good thing our house had a dumb waiter cause I didn't feel like carrying my close down two flights of stairs. I'd just put the basket with my clothes in the waiter and send them down to the basement.
The clothes had been piling up in both hampers so I'd have to get my brother to help me out. I gathered up all the clothes, putting them by the door. I then called for my brother on the intercom. When he finally answered I asked him to help me with the dirty laundry I was sending down. I told him I had two baskets full and I couldn't fit both in the waiter at once.
So most of Sunday was spent sorting all my clothes to be washed. I just loved spending an entire day in the basement washing clothes. I'm glad my brother had a pool table downstairs it helped me from being bored. Sunday was pizza day in my house but today it was washing day. I'm pretty sure I should be washing the sheets on my bed but I didn't feel like going all the way back up the stairs to strip my bed.
I sent my laptop down with the second load of clothes just in case I needed some entertainment while I waited for my clothes to get done. It was still in the dumb waiter which was good. I turned it on and did a little surfing of the internet. I needed to check out the Discover Ireland website a little more. I needed to see how much it would cost for me to travel by train from Dublin to Galway. I needed to know how long it would take to get from point A to point B. I needed to find a place to stay when I returned to Dublin after the competition was over with.
I even decided to check out YouTube to see what types of travel videos about Ireland I could find. I was amazed at the number of travel videos available on the internet. Ireland was such a beautiful country and I was the lucky one who would get to see it in person. I saw videos about everything from food to music. I couldn't wait for June to come. I still needed to know when I had to be in Ireland. I guess Ms. Anne still hadn't got conformation on the date just yet.
I decided to send Ms. Anne an email about that one detail she hasn't mentioned to me. After I hit send I decided to check out what the weather was like during that time of the month. I wanted to be prepared for the worst but I was pretty sure they never got snow in June.
First load was done drying now it was time to fold them. Its a good we had a table that I could fold clothes on. Before I started folding them I put another load in the dryer. Folding clothes didn't take long which was great. I put them in the basket and then I proceeded to put another load in the washer.
After the clothes were washed, dried and folded I put everything in the dumb waiter. Actually I put one basket in the waiter then I asked my brother to send the other one up once I'd removed the first one. As I walked up the stairs I could smell pizza baking. It must have been around 6 or so because that's usually when we ate pizza. I just loved the smell of melting cheese and pepperoni. Once I'd removed the one basket of clean clothes my brother sent up the other one. The worst part of washing clothes is putting them away when they were clean.
Clothes were officially put away so now I was free to meander back down the stairs to get a couple slices of pizza and watch some television with my family. It seemed like it had been a week since I talked to mom but I was so busy with everything this week not to mention the days that I work at the theater. I didn't want her to think I was ignoring her all week but I really was tired.
"So how's things going with the auction thing you've been working on." Mom was really straight to the point pull no punches type of person. So I replied as best I could, "things are going really good I think I've got everyone on board with donations. The auction is going to be held the Saturday before the Oscars which is a perfect catalyst for movie theaters but since the Tony's won't be too far behind I decided to add the live theatres into the mix." It didn't take long for her to register my idea as a good one and one she would have never thought of.
After a few more slices of pizza and a bottle of water I decided to call it a night even though I really wasn't all that tired. I still had to go to work tomorrow and I needed to call back a couple theatres I couldn't get a hold of plus I needed to see if I had any new messages from the live performance theatres. I told everyone good night even giving Ming a good night kiss. I headed up the stairs with two slices of pizza in tow.
When I finally got back to my place I stashed the pizza in the refridge for tomorrow's lunch. I then proceeded to my answering machine. I had called The Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea, The Farmington Players in Farmington, The Stagecrafters at the Baldwin Theatre in Royal Oak and Meadowbrook Theatre on the campus of Oakland University. I'd even returned Ms. Spellman's call from earlier in the week.
I dialed the number to hear my messages. I had a total of 6 new messages. I'm pretty sure most of those messages were in reply to ones I'd left on Wednesday.
Message 1: "Hi, this is Jeffrey Robbins, manger of The Purple Rose theatre in Chelsea, returning your call about a possible donation for an auction you are having. It's important to keep the arts alive in today's society so we at the Purple Rose would be honored to be part of an auction to help an aspiring dancer. Please let me know where I can deliver the package to be placed in the auction. Thanks and have a nice day." Wow I can't believe it I got one theatre on board.
Message 2: "Hi, this is Amanda Stewart, manager of The Stagecrafters at the Baldwin Theatre in Royal Oak, returning your call about a possible donation to an auction happening the Saturday before the Oscars. I've discussed with all the members of the theater and we feel that by making a donation we are continuing out part in supporting the arts. Please contact me with information on where I can deliver the donation. Thank you very much, have a nice day."
Message 3: "Hi, this is Ryan Masterson, manager of The Farmington Players, returning your call about a possible donation for an auction. Please contact me at your earliest convenience so I can get a proper donation put together by the deadline. Thank you very much, have a nice day."
Message 4: "Hi, this is Katherine Spellman, manager of The Grosse Pointe Theatre. I am pleased to inform you that everyone at Grosse Pointe Theatre has agreed that by making a donation we are doing our part to keep the arts alive. Please contact me at your earliest convenience as to when you would like to pick up the package. Than you very much, have a nice day."
Message 5: "Hi, this is Daniel Scott, manager at the Meadowbrook Theatre. I'm sorry to say that we won't be able to make a donation to your auction. There just isn't enough money in our current budget to make such a donation. Have a nice day."
Message 6: "Hi, this is Brian Davis, general manager at the AMC Laurel Park theater. I'm calling to confirm that our theater will be making a donation to your auction. This was a group decision that involved everyone that works for us. We all feel that this is a positive way to keep the arts alive. Please let me know when would be a good time to pick up the donation. Thank you very much, have a nice day."
Holy crap I just got five donations four of which are coming from live performance theatres and one from the movie theater I visited on Saturday afternoon. I had a total of 13 movie theaters making a donation to my theater plus I had 4 live performance theaters to add to my list . I made sure to add everyone to the list of donations. I just had to call the Detroit Film Theater to see if they would be interested but that would have to wait until tomorrow.
It was getting late and I really needed to get into bed. I'd done a lot today even if I spent most of the morning laying in bed playing on the computer. I did four loads of laundry making sure to put all my clean clothes away. I was exhausted and desperately needed more sleep. I changed clothes and crawled into my warm bed. Tomorrow was another day and hopefully not as busy as it has been this past week.
-its late and I'm tired, will write more tomorrow.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2012 18:36:32 GMT -5
Good update colleen post something soon
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Post by celticbear on Mar 9, 2012 23:48:12 GMT -5
WOW Colleen That was one heck of a productive Sunday you had! Happy for all the confirmations you got! This is going to be one huge success of an auction! Hope the Irish Auction goes just as good as the Oscar/Tony one is going to be!
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Post by celticsweetheart on Mar 11, 2012 0:51:54 GMT -5
*Sorry its taken a few days to get back but been busy.
Monday morning was unlike any other Monday except I had to one more important phone call before heading to work. I had to place a call the The Village Players of Birmingham to see if they would be interested in making a donation to the auction I had been working on. Of course I didn't get the person I wanted to speak with instead I got their voice mail; so I gave a shortened version of my request leaving my name, number and a good time when I can be reached.
Work was the same except Lisa informed me about the theatres she got to donate to my cause. She said she would still have to call both the Hillberry and the Bonstelle on Wednesday to let them know that a combined donation was acceptable. Mondays went by pretty slow which never changed except during the summer and Christmas break. I was glad for the slow days because I was still exhausted from the weekends events.
Before I left I told my manager the date I needed have the donation by. He assured me it would be ready by the date. I left work that day with a smile on my face which was a great feeling because this auction was almost complete. Once I was completely finished with this auction I'd need to start on the one for St. Patty's Day which I was still having trouble with. I couldn't decide what types of business I should be asking for donations.
St. Patty's Day was a big deal especially at the Old Shillelagh in Corktown. The Irish were the largest ethnic group settling in Detroit most were from County Cork hence the name Corktown. The Old Shillelagh holds a the largest St. Patty's Day party on March 17th. Both the Irish American Club and the Gaelic League are located in Detroit. It might not be a bad idea for me to join the Irish American Club if only to have access to the Irish Americans living in the Metro Detroit area. Now that was probably the best idea I've come up with since I decided that I wanted to do a St. Patty's Day themed auction.
Now that I was finally home I could relax. I've been so busy that I've not had much time to sleep much less relax. I really needed to work on my online store at etsy.com It's been a while since I'd checked the site myself but all the things that I have posted are located in the home office on the main floor. My mom checks the site on a weekly basis and my brother mails any items purchased. I usually check it every couple days to promote what I'm selling because if I don't no one else will. My mom also checks out our merchandise we are currently selling on ebay.
It doesn't look like much has sold recently which means I need to do a little creative promoting. I don't work many hours at the theater so I use the money I make from my online shop to supplement my income. There are a couple places on the website where I can advertise what I'm selling which is great. After working on promoting my good I decided to finish up some earrings I had started but never finished. I would be able to post them to the site after I had them completed.
I decided to start a bracelet in honor of my trip to Ireland in June. I thought that a combination of green and silver beads would look lovely with a few clear beads thrown in for good measure. I also looked into Irish patterns for plastic canvas. I had started knitting baby socks and wanted to start a new pair. I had some knitted items in my store but not a lot mainly because I only had winter knitted gifts for sale.
I finished the earrings I was working on and decided to leave the bracelet for another day because I was getting hungry. I had plenty of left over Chinese food in my refridge and all I needed to do was heat up a frozen egg roll. If I wasn't hungry I was definitely tired but tonight I was hungry. There was nothing better than the smell of egg roll.
After I finish eating I decided to do a quick scan of my email and my Facebook account. I didn't see anything in my inbox that was really that important so I signed out. I updated my status on Facebook along with checking my status on Cafe World and Farmville. Once I'd finished using the computer I shut it down doing the same with my laptop which I was using earlier in the evening.
I then wandered into my bedroom to get ready for bed. I turned on my electric blanket then I wandered back into the bathroom to brush my teeth. Now my bed was warm enough to crawl into and go to sleep. Sleep was something that I needed most of all. I was working tomorrow just like I did the previous week.
Not much happened Tuesday which wasn't that unusual but that mean't I would have to concentrate on what I needed to do on Wednesday. I had to needed to contact the manager of The Village Players of Birmingham. He had left a message asking me to call him at my earliest convenience which was Wednesday morning.
After waking up at 8 a.m. on Wednesday morning I wandered into the living room to turn on my desk top computer as I headed toward the bathroom. I figured the computer would have warmed up by the time I came back out. I needed to see if Ms. Anne sent me the video of my first practice. Wow she just sent it today but then again she said it would be a few days before she downloaded it to her computer.
It was a good thing I had plenty of empty cdrw's to use for just such an occasion. I downloaded it to my computer first before I burned it to a Cd. I just hope that it doesn't take her that long next time. I still had my normal Wednesday night class which would reinforce the steps I'd need to work on. I was gonna get to class an hour early to work on the steps I learned on Friday.
It was a good thing I arrived an hour early because I really needed all the extra time to work on what I'd learned on Saturday. I'd have to find someplace to practice on the weekend because there was no wood flooring in my house. I decided to see if I could use dance studio at Oakland Community College. I asked Ms. Anne who went to OCC before going on to get her 4 year degree if the dance instructor at the college would allow me to practice in the studio when its not being used. She said she would give her a call to see if it was possible and then let me know by Friday. She also said that it wouldn't take as long to get the next lesson sent to me.
When I finally got home I didn't want to think about eating dinner, I just really wanted to go to bed. I looked in the fridge for something to eat; something that wouldn't keep me up, something that might help me go to sleep. I settled on a bowl of raisin with a mix of soymilk and regular milk. I didn't want to get online tonight but I did make sure to shut down my computer.
After my bowl was empty and I brushed my teeth I wandered into my bedroom. I then proceeded to crawl under the covers hoping to get at least 8 hours of sleep. I'd finally got a hold of the manager of The Village Players of Birmingham, he said he would be making a donation. I could pick it up sometime next week all I needed to do was call so that someone to get the items for me. Now it was time some good old REM sleep which I've not had in a few weeks.
Thursday was always a bit more busier at work since there was usually a midnight show for what ever movie opened on Friday morning. Today not only was there at midnight show but there was also a word of mouth screening. It was good for ushers because once the theater that the screening would be in was empty and cleaned we didn't have to worry about it for the rest of the shift.
The drive home wasn't that bad I think most people had gone to the bank to cash their paycheck. Not a lot of heavy traffic going home, I was thankful. It didn't take me that long to get home. Maybe I could get a little nap in before dinner. I hadn't eaten dinner with my family in week. Mom wanted me to make meatloaf for dinner or at least that's what her note said when I left for work this morning.
After I dropped my bags inside the door of my apartment I headed back down the stairs to start making my meatloaf. I made the best meatloaf according to my mom. It had been a while since I cooked anything. After putting the meatloaf in the oven and setting the time I decided to use the computer in the home office.
There was a note on the counter from mom saying that her and my dad were going to the store and would be back later. So while I waited for both the meatloaf to cook and them to come home I decided to check my email. Before leaving work I made sure to double check next week's schedule which was posted on Tuesday. I was not working tomorrow which was great; I even had Keith check it for me to make sure that I wasn't working Friday. I also had off Saturday and Sunday which was normal but I usually worked on Friday mornings so I needed a second pair of eyes to confirm I wasn't working.
When my email finally opened I also checked my schedule online which was something new that had recently started. There it was again on my computer screen, I was not scheduled Friday. I could have screamed "Hallelujah" but no one would have heard me and I'm pretty sure Ming would have thought I was a bit crazy. I also notice that Ms. Anne got a hold of dance instructor at the OCC campus in Auburn Hills. Racheal Scott was the instructor for all the dance classes taught at OCC's Auburn Hills Campus. She said I should give Racheal a call as soon as possible to set up a meeting with her about my using her classroom when its not in use. So I did just that, I picked up the phone and dialed Racheal Scott's office leaving her a detailed message and leaving a contact number where I could be reached.
Just as I hung the phone off the timer for the meatloaf went off. I needed to put some ketchup on top and cook it for just a minute more. As I was getting the ketchup for the fridge the backdoor flew open. My mom and dad were coming back from the store. My dad had a bag of potatoes in his hand that much have been what they needed from the store since there wasn't any here when I got home. I grabbed a couple big ones out of the bag to wash and peel. Meatloaf was not the same without mashed potatoes.
It usually didn't take long for potatoes to cook if you cut them right which I did because I really hungry. I will admit that I do make amazing meatloaf but it wouldn't be amazing if there were no mashed potatoes to accompany it on the plate. While the potatoes were cooking I went back into the office to shut down the computer.
After dinner with my family I went back up the stairs to my apartment where I proceeded to my bedroom. This day seemed long even though it really wasn't. I was just tired and wanted to go to bed early tonight. My eyelids could barely stay open and before I new it I was under the covers ready for a nice long sleep. Tomorrow was another day but I would face it after I had good nights sleep.
-enough for today/tonight I'm exhausted. ttyl
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Post by celticbear on Mar 11, 2012 1:20:30 GMT -5
Wow Colleen you had a busy past few days. Your Idea about joing that club is a sound one! I hope you get to use that studio you where talking about! And enjoy your time off!
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Post by celticsweetheart on Mar 12, 2012 1:16:40 GMT -5
Friday morning I got a call from Ms Scott. She asked if I could come to her office at OCC's Auburn Hills campus around noon. She told me to bring my dance stuff. I'd be there with my laptop and practice CD. I made sure to eat a hearty breakfast which meant eggs and toast. I made sure I filled up a water bottle and stuck it in the freezer. I put a clean outfit in my gym bag along with a clean pair of bobby socks.
I told my mom I'd probably be gone most of the afternoon but I'd be back in time for dinner. I didn't have to visit anymore theaters because all the ones that were making donations knew the deadline all I had to do was pick them up which is what I'd be doing Saturday morning.
Well about 11 a.m I headed toward the Auburn Hills campus in search of Ms. Scott. It didn't take long to find her office which was good because this was a big campus. We talked for a few minutes about why I needed to use her classroom. I said, "I have a once in a lifetime chance to participate in the World Irish Dance Championship in Galway, Ireland this coming June. There is no place at home for me to practice and Ms. Anne at the Ealaín Céime Irish Dance School said you might be able to assist me in my quest to practice as much as I possibly can."
After saying my peace I just sat back in the chair and waited for a response. She asked me to come with her, I had no idea where she was taking me. We left her office and headed to what looked like a classroom but I had no idea until I was inside that it was actually a dance studio. She said she wanted to see what I was working on. I agreed to show her but I had to change first. She showed me to the ladies locker room.
After changing into my practice clothes I walked back to the studio. I plugged in my laptop and popped in the CD of my practice from January 12th. I asked Ms. Scott, whose first name was Amanda, if she's never tried Irish step dancing. She said she tried it once but had a hard time catching on. I did my normal warm up and then started playing my CD.
I only watched the part of the CD with Ms. Anne. I went through her section without a mistake but I didn't think I was doing it as well as she had. I knew there was something I wasn't doing right but I'd have to wait until tomorrow to find out what it was I needed to work on. I did make a great impression on Ms. Scott who said I could use her classroom when she had office hours which was fine with me. Friday she was in her office noon until 3 p.m. and then 6-8 pm which worked well with my schedule. I found out before I left that she taught tap and jazz. She had considered offering Irish step dancing but didn't know if enough students would sign up so she never tried to add it to curriculum.
I left OCC around 2 or so which wasn't bad at least I wasn't gone all day like I thought I might. I figured I didn't need to go through the steps more than once since I'd probably end up doing the same tomorrow in my Saturday afternoon dance sessions. I needed to check out the Irish American Club online. I'd heard they were open to all which was cool.
Once I was home I turned on the computer and headed straight for the Irish American Club of Detroit. I found out that the Irish American Club was a social club open to all persons who are 18 years of age with good morals. I was over 18 and I had good morals so I guess I was in; all I had to do was fill out the membership application and either mail it in or return it to the bar person along with the $20 annual membership fee. Then listen to the radio hour on Sundays or read the newsletter for the many activities and events to which you can volunteer your time and talents to help accomplish the Aims and Objectives of the Gaelic League. I wouldn't be able to join the Gaelic League until I was able to find my proof of Irish ancestry.
On their website they had listed: Monday- Set Dancing 8-10 p.m., Friday-Ceili Dancing 8-10 p.m. plus a host of all other sorts of activities I might be interested in. At the moment I was only interested in dancing it was currently the driving force behind my going to Ireland in June without a chaperon. I printed up an application and filled it out. I decided to take it to the bar Saturday around noon. I would be very busy Saturday morning and it was a good thing I wasn't working; although I normally didn't work Saturdays but it didn't mean I couldn't it just meant they never scheduled me.
I checked my email to see if I had any messages from Lisa. Sure enough there was one message and it was a long one. All of the theatres she'd contacted had agreed to make a donation but that I would need to contact them to let them know when I would be able to pick up the packages. She gave me all the contact information for the 3 donations one of which was the combination from The Hillberry and The Bonstelle. Since I'd be in that area tomorrow I called those theatres to let them know I'd be in their area tomorrow if their donations were ready for pick-up. I also had to pick up packages from all the theaters in Macomb County as well as my theater. I was even gonna make at stop at the Grosse Pointe Theatre to pick up their package as well.
Dinner was Chinese take out with the family. Mom placed the order and I went to pick it up. I just loved Chinese food especially dinner roll they were the best. The only problem with eating Chinese food is that I almost always needed a nap afterwards but instead of a nap I just decided to turn in early. It had been a long day and I would need all the sleep I could get.
-its late and a im tired . will write more tomorrow.
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Post by celticsweetheart on Mar 12, 2012 11:27:03 GMT -5
**No more big updates, gonna make 3 small or 2 medium; I can't handle big ones anymore.
It was 8 a.m. Saturday morning and I was headed for the shower. I usually didn't get dressed until after breakfast but today I was gonna be super busy. I had told all the theaters I would be picking up their donations between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. I was also taking my membership application along with my $20 dollar fee to the barman at the Irish American Club in Detroit. Last night I also told my mom what my plan was for today just so she wouldn't worry about me.
I left the house at 10 and my first stop would be AMC John R which was right off I-75 and 14 Mile Road. Traffic was light going south which was great since there wasn't anymore huge holidays until Easter. As usual north bound traffic was a little busy especially around the area of Oakland Mall. I arrived at the theater about 11:20 a.m. ; I asked to speak with the manager. I didn't think the manager I'd dealt with would be working but it didn't hurt to ask. The girl at the box office called him letting him know who here to see him.
I probably waited a good 10 minutes before I finally saw the manager. He was pushing a cart that contained a cardboard box filled with stuff. As he got closer to me I was able to see some of what was in the box. It looked like there was a dvd, a baseball cap and a movie poster. When he presented me with the box he also gave me a gift card to include with the rest of the items. The card had $40 dollars on it. I thanked him for their donation; he waited for me to pull my car up to the door so it would be easier load the box into the trunk.
One down and 7 more to go. I just hoped I could get them all picked up in time after all I had given myself a pretty big window. I just didn't want to be late for my session with Ms. Anne at 5 p.m. My next stop would be the theater I worked at which wasn't that far from 14 Mile and John R. I called work before leaving home to see who were the managers working this morning. The manager who was getting me the donation was working which was great because no other managers knew who the donation was. I had asked that my name be kept a secret since I didn't want everyone in my business.
When I arrived at Marketplace theater I went right in and asked Erin to call Brandon. After speaking with him I went to pull my car in front of the building while he went to retrieve the package. I came back inside and there was my donation sitting in a cardboard box along with a movie poster as well. He also gave me a gift card which had a value $40 dollars to include with the box. I thanked him for the donation; he helped me load the box and poster into the trunk of my car. I was now on my way to my next destination, The Maple which was also on 15 Mile Road.
It didn't take long to get to the Maple and less time to get my donation which wasn't as big as the two previous ones. It was much easier to load in my car if I didn't have a large cardboard box to put in my trunk which I didn't. Instead all I had was a gift card with a $45 dollar value and a movie poster. I was glad each poster had a label on it that told what was in it but where it came from. I marked each box so I would know which one belonged to what theater.
Next on my list was the Main which was on Main Street in Royal Oak. The Main was more of an art theater showing limited and off the wall films that most major multiplexes and cinemas stayed away from. It was a small theater with only a limited number of auditoriums and the box office was right next to the concession stand not separate like the other theaters I was going to visit today. The manager brought me a small box along with a gift card that was good for only The Main. I thanked him for his donation, marking the side of the box with the name of the theater. There was no poster this time which was OK with me.
I loaded up my trunk and then it was on to The Palladium and the Birmingham 8 which were practically neighbors. After retrieving donations from both I loaded up the trunk and headed downtown. I wanted to pick up donation from all the theatres down there before heading back toward Rochester.
-enough for now I'll make another post later today.
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