Volunteering In Poland

When thinking about my mostly annual winter travels this year, I put a lot of effort into finding something, a reason to go somewhere, rather than just bumming around as is my wont. After much casting about, I landed on volunteering in Poland with a group called All Hands and Hearts, fixing up shelters in advance of the expected influx of Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war (and weather) in their country.

All Hands and Hearts normally focuses on natural disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.), rebuilding schools in the impacted areas. The Ukraine project was a first for them, so I can't say that I have a good feel what for a more normal project might feel like with them, though I heard stories. Many of the volunteers there had done many stints with them before.

In my 10 days on project*, I got to see 3 sites. The biggest was an old middle school in Boratyn where AHAH had weathered in an attic space (insulation, vapor barrier, dry wall, electricity, etc. etc.) to be available for refugee space. There was Space Parts in Przemyśl*, an old auto dealership(?) office space, that has refugees currently living in it, where AHAH was adding bathroom capacity (and maybe other stuff as well). And there was an old office building in Przemyśl where we helped the organization mainly responsible for getting it ready for refugees by painting, building shelves, assembling bunk beds, and otherwise doing little tasks.

The volunteers and staff were based in a gorgeous log home set on a sheep and deer farm. There were 30-35 people which made the living space tight but not too uncomfortable. We got simple local catered dinners (though always delicious!) and even simpler grocery store breakfasts and lunches. Work days went 7-4. Evenings occasionally had organized events (world cup watching, trivia night, etc.) but mostly people went to bed early.

In addition to building, I had one or two opportunities to interact with some refugees (both involving juggling, of course). During an English lesson some volunteers were facilitating at base, the kids lost interest very quickly. I showed them my juggling and rope trips and they were very amused. Many wanted to learn them themselves so it was a great way to sneak some English teaching in ("slower", "higher", "good!", etc.) while having a genuine connection. Secondly, at Spare Parts, I was chipping ice off the entry stairs when some men who came out to smoke helped out. In very broken english, we exchanged the basics (name, where we're from, jobs). When they found out I worked in circus, they were very amused. I showed them some tricks with whatever was at hand (face balancing a broom and some snow ball juggling)

The whole experience, for me, was mixed. On the plus side, I learned a lot, mostly about myself, esp. being reminded that volunteering/helping people is really important to me and I need to find more ways to make it a part of my life. On the down side, due to a confluence of circumstances, my time on this project wasn't great. The type of work to be done while I was there didn't feel impactful, the volunteer coordinator was just starting in that position so there wasn't good facilitation, there was a sickness that spread through base that took some key staff out that might have provided more effective leadership on site, the project was receiving more money and volunteers than it could find work for leaving us doing busy work more than I'd like, and the weather provided some significant setbacks on some projects (like paint not drying, etc.) And while I mostly realize that had the timing been different, many of my qualms might have been allayed, there was an underlying lack of organization and lack of focus on efficiency that might have made even an ideally timed project hard for me. That said, I imagine I might give AHAH another try, because I believe in the mission and I am in great need of, well, what I hope experiences like this can provide.

On the whole, though, I'm considering the experience a win. While I wasn't able to feel like I actually helped, I did something (which is super important for me) and I learned so that next year I can manifest something more fitting for me. Plus, having this as an anchor to build further travels around was good. Oh, and I met some super interesting people too, so that's a plus!

(If you care to read my daily journal from my time there (including all sorts of fun stuff like what we ate, how much I hate painting, and other momentary feelings), you can read about it here (Day 3-11))
Sunday December 18 2022File under: work, poland

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Europe 2022 Travelogue

Personally, chronological, laundry-list style travelogues never super appealed to me as a reader. Maybe its just because I like doing better than reading about others doing. So I've always tried to make my travel blog posts over the years a little more varied with topic specific observations, photo-heavy descriptions off a place, or a particular anecdote that I could see telling someone when asked "how was your trip".

I diverged severely from this format last year for my time on the Camino, with a straight travel journal of what I ate, where I was, what I spent, etc. Surprisingly to me, it was very well received, though perhaps more because of the uniqueness and import of the adventure than because of its style. But perhaps more importantly than how well it was received was how valuable writing it was to me. Not having someone to share the adventure with left me lots to say and no outlet. Closing down my evening with capturing thoughts and feelings as well as facts and figures became a favorite part of my day.

With that in mind, I've decided to chronicle this year's Europe trip (starting with volunteering in Poland, then onto a Christmas cruise down the Danube, then hopefully further European adventures) in a similar manner. While I anticipate less chronicle-worthy daily activities than the Camino (volunteering on a construction site might be a lot of "I painted all day again" posts), creating and having a record of my time and sharing that with whomever cares feels right.


Thursday December 8 2022File under: travel, europe

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Hosting Trivia at the Longhorn

Some 14 years ago, I made a throw away post about attending a little trivia night out at the Longhorn Saloon in Edison. Then, some 6 year later, I made a post about guest hosting said trivia night. Less than a year later in 2015, I took over as regular host and haven't looked back. More than 12,000 questions later, Wednesday night trivia at the Longhorn continues to account for a big part of my time, my income, and my happiness, and I figure we're long overdue for a post celebrating that.

In the 14 years Longhorn trivia has been going, the format hasn't changed: 2 themed rounds, 1 general knowledge round, 1 picture round, and 1 music round. The prizes have stayed rather static as well ($25 gift certificate, 1 pound of chicken wings, an onion (or roll of toilet paper)). I still accept bribes for category selection (though no longer guarantee a question for each bribe as there were far too many really bad bribes). We average maybe 12 teams per week, almost all long-time attendees.

For some sample of how it goes, here are a few picture rounds.

Often the highlight of the night for me is my music round. For the past 5 or so years, I've been crafting the round around an artist theme with the stated goal of making the round easier for the teams (though, in reality, I find a little direction when creating a music round very helpful). Examples of music themes range from straight forward (bands with colors in their name*, numbers in their name*, all starting with a J*, alliterative names*) to more obscure themes(bands with names having to do with golf*, most popular last names in the US*, first letters of band names spell out "MUSIC ROUND"*, synonyms for penis*). Sometimes I wonder if I haven't exhausted all possible themes after 200+ themed music rounds, but ideas just keep coming. They are not always good ideas, as many trivia teams might tell you, but they are music theme ideas all the same.

As is the case with so many things, when you spent a ton of time doing something, you tend to get a little particular about it*. So my hundreds of hours of writing trivia questions have left me with a strong sense of trivia I like and trivia that I don't which sometimes does make it hard to attend a random trivia night. But as is also the case with so many hobbies that I've turned into jobs, practicing the hobby portion of it can start to feel like a job. So it goes. In regards to trivia, I wouldn't have it any other way.

If you're ever in the area and looking for a good time, I highly encourage you to come check out Longhorn trivia. Chances are, unless I'm meandering about the globe, I'll be on the mic and I'll be stoked to see you!
Monday December 5 2022File under: work, trivia

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Halloween Circus Act 2022 - Space Pirates

Halloween time means Halloween circus show at the Bellingham Circus Guild. This year's show was, by all accounts, a hit. With new VIP tables, some new fun stage decorations*, and tons of the same magic that makes all Cirque Guild shows wonderful, 7 out of 7 shows sold out to smiling goblins, howling hot dogs, enthusiastic cowboys, and even some cheering regular people.

Behind the scenes always presents a little differently and this show was no different. It was a really hard show for me to be in for a number of reason that I don't need to go into. By the end of the run, though, I mostly worked through them, but probably not before my-feelings-worn-on-my-sleeve left a few people regretting putting me in the show. So it goes, I suppose. I don't know if the rollercoaster of emotions I went though will preclude me from wanting to be a part of the BCG Halloween show in the future. I suppose you'll have to check back in next year to find out.

A few items of note regarding this year's act:
  • I started writing the act with a buddy who had to opt out with < 3 weeks until showtime due to time availability and medical issues. I was lucky to find a replacement who helped me get the act to a completed state, but with much less rehearsal time than I would have hoped.
  • In the act, I dance. And nobody forced me to do it. It was my choice (though you can tell here that I wasn't stoked). I couldn't help but think about Della and how thrilled she would have been to get me to do any dance in an act.
  • Though the theme of the act was space alien night club, I pitched a pirate based act since I have a closet full of very professional pirate costumes and it allowed for juggling knives which was fun.


Whenever Della's parents came to a Circus Guild show, we would
always do a cast photo with them. I like that we still do.


As I mentioned, it was a 7-show run. Some nights there were fewer drops than others. This run had a super-solid non-glow portion but with more drops than I like in the glow portion. Whatever the case, I think it'll give you the idea of the act. Hopefully you enjoy!


(As a side note: I just recently posted a post-dated post of 2021's Halloween act, since I left for Spain directly from the last show. That, with this, makes 5 BCG Halloween acts posted here, including perhaps the best act of all time, 2019's Ghostbuster's Act.)
Friday November 25 2022File under: circus, juggling

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Minor Media Mentions - Summer 2022


South Whidbey Record
July 30, 2022
This summer has been a whirlwind of juggling gigs for me such that I've barely had a chance to catch my breath, much less make a blog post. But now that things have started to slow down, I can play catch up, starting with archiving of these Minor Media Mentions.

I love seeing photos of myself in the newspaper. It aligns nicely with my "external validation" approach to happiness. This summer was a great one for that, with photos appearing in 4 of the local rags. In a future post, I'll include the actual photos, but for now, here are some low quality snaps to show context:

Anacortes American
July 13, 2022

Skagit Valley Herald
August 14, 2022

Port Townsend Leader
August 17, 2022

In addition to newspapers, I came across photos a few other places that bear capturing:

Sedro Woolley Chamber of
Commerce Membership Directory

Corporate party invite


A-town Is Our Town pamphlet

Yes, it was a super busy juggling season for me, one that had high points and lows. Getting back out there alone was not easy. I take these Minor Media Mentions as a symbol of success, albeit a small one, but sometimes that means a lot. Stay tuned for my seasonal photo wrap up, which should be a really fun one.
Thursday September 29 2022File under: media, juggling

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Sleeping Around 2021-2022

Another year, another blog post recapping where I've been sleeping, or, as I look at it, a snapshot of my life. This year's data completes my 14th year of knowing where I slept every night, all of which can be seen at any time by clicking "Sleeping Around" in the header. (If you want access to just this year's data, it can be found here.)

Initial impressions: it's about what I expected. I'm somewhat surprised by the low prevalence of housesitting. And, of course, I always like having that "At Home" percentage lower (which, in my mind, equates to out doing more fun stuff.) I really like seeing the full 15% in the International Travel slice. But overall, very little in the way of surprises. Let's take a closer look.

# of housesitting houses4One new client
# of states (other than WA)8OR, IL, ME, MA, NY, CT, CA, CO*
# of countries (other than US)3Spain, Senegal, The Gambia
Longest stretch away from home56
# in car (/airplane/train)6Only 4 nights in a car (all the cruze), with the other 2 on planes
# on boat1I really like this category and hope to see it higher next year
# in hotel/hostel57Includes 2 nights at Bates, but since I had to pay to sleep in the dorms, it counts.

Also to note, about half were in dormitories (i.e. non-private rooms)

I say it every year, but doing this data recap helps me understand my year that was. Armed with that better understanding, I'm currently thinking about what the next year might hold. I've got hopes, ideas, and goals. If any of them come to fruition, I'm sure you'll hear about them here.
Sunday August 7 2022File under: data

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Bates 20 Year Reunion

Whenever it comes up (which is more often than you might think), I always encourage people to go to their school reunions. The idea is usually met with resistance or downright contempt. The reasons offered up are not invalid, but, in my opinion, outweighed by the positives (memories, networking, self-reflection, good food, and more.) In the end, however, I relent, knowing that we all gotta follow our hearts. When my college reunion rolled around, though, you better believe I was going to attend.

Bates College in Lewiston, Maine is not exactly on the way to many places I go, so it's been 10 years since I've been back to campus. I sometimes forget how beautiful it is, with so much brick, ivy, history, and, of course, memories. Just walking around campus was worth the trip out east itself. "Hey, I used to live there", "The meal hall cereal bar!!!", and "This was where the frisbee golf course teed off from!" were bubbling through my head. I enjoyed the simple walk down memory lane almost more than anything else the whole weekend.

Of course the college went all out, from a lobster dinner to steel pan bands on the quad to beer gardens, mimosa brunches, and winery dinners*. There were banners everywhere, plenty of photo ops with the Bates Bobcat, and golf cart shuttles to take you anywhere on campus you wanted to go*. And, as luck would have it, we had absolutely perfect weather. I hope Bates came away feeling like it was a successful weekend because they did a great job.

Obviously the other part of a reunion is reconnecting with classmates. Despite my encouragement, none of my core group of friends choose to make the trip (even though, in all cases except Horge, the distance and effort was considerably less). That left me mingling with people I knew in passing 20 years ago with the occasional shared memory, but no genuine excitement to reconnect. That said, however, even with less than close connections both back then and in between, everyone was super nice, engaging, and inclusive. They let me tell my "yes, I juggle for my job" and "just north of Seattle" stories and took them with a smile. And hearing about their lives, my peers from so long ago, was genuinely interesting as well—lots of professionals with families and kids*. Unfortunately, it turns out my former classmates haven't lost any of their enthusiasm for heavy drinking, so I turned in early rather than being able to enjoy more connecting and socialization, but so goes the life of a teetotaler, I guess.

Just below the surface, in almost all elements of my life still, are thoughts of Della. The last time I visited Bates was with her on our first big adventure as partners. And talking about the last 10 (or 20) years of my life is simply impossible without her being a part of every story. My friends that knew of the situation via facebook surprised me with unpromptedly sharing such genuine condolences and making me feel really supported, which meant more than I could even express. Having these thoughts of Della so close to the surface all weekend seemed to fit with the theme of reliving memories and I was happy to embrace that (albeit with sometimes less than dry eyes).

Another, and perhaps equally important for my desire to attend the reunion, was non-Bates Maine. I looked for jobs here after graduation because it is a place that very much agrees with me. I had time before and after my campus visit to soak up some Down East vibes from a ferry ride to Peaks Island to the requisite lobster roll from a roadside stand. I was lucky to have good friends host and guide me and the vacation bit of the trip was a total success.

It's not everyday that a 20-year college reunion comes around. Not that there was much of a chance that I would have skipped it, and in hindsight, I'm really happy I didn't. Memories, perspective, new experiences, scratching that lobster itch—it was a successful weekend for sure. Perhaps keep that thought in mind next time a reunion opportunity presents itself to you.
Sunday June 12 2022File under: travel, Maine

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The Chase

(SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't watched the episode and want to be surprised, I encourage you to go watch before reading this post. It's available on Hulu (Season 3, episode 3).)

In what is becoming a bit of a habit, I was recently a contestant on a TV game show, this time one called The Chase. The show is in its 3rd season on ABC primetime (after a 4 season run on Game Show Network). Following the model of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire (which, of course, I was also on), the original version was British and there have been over a dozen international versions. If you haven't seen the show, it is worth checking out (and not only because yours truly makes more than a brief appearance.) But I digress...

We taped the show in LA in March. They flew me down, put me up (in a nice hotel!), and facilitated all transportation while I was there (I was even picked up by a fancy chauffeur complete with sign and everything!) Taping was a veritable rollercoaster, with excitement, doubt, frustration, amazement, nervousness, and more...and that was even before I got on set! While my contract precludes me from saying too much about taping, I can say that it was 1) really impressive (such an amazing set, so much going on, and very professional environment) 2) really fun (I had a super supportive and fun team, the host was amazing*, and it really felt like a success just being there), and 3) crazy nerve-racking (if you've watched, you know the half of it. I'll have to tell you the other half in person.) Overall, it was a super fun experience.

The other really fun part, of course, was when the episode aired. We had a nice little watch party at my house where I got to tell behind the scenes stuff, answer questions, and relive the excitement. And since I was seeing it for the first time along with everyone else, there was all sorts of fun in that. There were parts I barely remembered from the taping, since I was so nervous. And I'm extremely pleased with how the editors made me look somewhat normal and fun. I was really worried that I might come across either crazy or overly-nervous. Yes, there was a cringe-worthy moment or two and definitely some questions that I probably should have gotten right, but again, overall, I'm really pleased with how the edit turned out. How the ending turned out, well that's a different story.

Besides watching the episode with friends, it was really neat to hear about others watching it. I loved how people sent pictures and tagged me on instagram to include me in their experiences. Then there were strangers commenting on twitter (for the most part, surprisingly positive!) I'm realizing that this element of the experience was equally enjoyable as the taping—something about connecting with my larger community and feeling support from them as they cheer me on.

A few random things:
  • I love that they included my juggling (albeit in a small way). It's a pretty dang good promo pic to have!
  • For the taping, I wore my special socks from Della (which read "pretty decent boyfriend") under my dress socks to have her there with me. She was very much a part of my other two game show appearances and I so wished she was there by my side.
  • I lucked out by being featured in the ad for the season premiere! A couple friends saw it air in the wild* and it even showed up on my instagram feed*!
  • The Chase contacted me to apply which felt pretty special. I was walking the Camino at the time so did my interviews and zooms from albergues in the evening after walking 20 miles!
  • An image of me was also featured in the promotional tweet for the episode, which was really neat!

This being my third TV game show appearance, it was interesting to have the points of comparison. While all three experiences were fun, I would perhaps place this the most fun, which is odd being that it was the least lucrative. Maybe it was because I was more relaxed or because I had managed my expectations better. Maybe the perspective of the previous two helped. Who knows? And while of course I wanted to win, I'm surprisingly okay with the somewhat devastating ending. I got another entry in my TV/Film resume, a really fun experience, and another great story to tell. Thank you to The Chase for allowing me to be a part, Scott and Jill for being awesome teammates, and you, dear readers.

Now for a few more screenshots!


Friday May 20 2022File under:

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One-Gallon Blood Donation Pin

Do you donate blood? No judgement either way. I know there are lots of reasons people choose not to give blood. It's not for everyone, for sure. For me, however, it feels like an easy way to be helpful in a meaningful way and get some free cookies to boot. This past week, I achieved something many years in the making: my 1 gallon donation pin!

For years, I couldn't give blood because of my frequent travels to malaria infected areas. Back then, you had to wait a full year after traveling to many places before you could donate. Since I was traveling almost every year, I was rarely eligible. That on top of it not being at the top of my mind even when I was eligible, there were only a few times when I happened by a blood bus event that I donated.

When Della was killed, I was struggling for things to do to keep myself sane. A helpful suggestion of finding a way to help people was made and I somehow latched on to this very tangible form of helping. Starting on Valentine's Day (I thought it fittingly appropriate for two reason), I gave whenever I could. And every time I give, I think of Della. Upon my return from Senegal/The Gambia, I had to wait 3 months (malaria rules now having been updated) until I was finally able to get in for my 8th pint, or in other words, completing my gallon!

I know America's blood donation system has its flaws. And, like I said, it's not for everybody. But I encourage you, if you're interested, to schedule an appointment and make it a part of your routine. For me, it's not just the free cookies and 1-gallon donation pin that make a worthwhile habit.
Friday April 29 2022File under: misc

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ACPT 2022

After a two year hiatus, I was pleased to return to the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament this past weekend in Stamford Connecticut. I was surprised to learn that this year is my 7th ACPT. Time flies.

First, a review of my performance: although I scored a higher place than ever before (I am the 166th best crossworder in the world!), I wasn't overly pleased with my puzzling. I had a silly error in Puzzle 2 and Puzzle 5 got me, as per usual (though I guess maybe I did better than lots of folks?).

Note: An uncaught error in Puzzle 7 on what I consider a Natick of SIMONY (Buying of church indulgences) and LINA (Actress Esco) would have dropped me to 192nd place. I've had similar scoring errors on Puzzle 7 in the past which makes me think grading of Puzzle 7 is quite a bit more lax for those people who are far out of contention for any prize. So because I imagine similar errors were overlooked equally across the board, I'm logging 166th place as the official outcome.

Now, a review of the event: while it felt good to be back among people and to see the few friends I've made over the years there, something about this year's event felt flat. The program for Saturday night was less than entertaining (notably lacking Matt Ginsberg's always enjoyable presentation on Dr. Fill's take on the puzzles). There were many notable absences of editors and "celebrities", one of the main reasons I attend. I wasn't able to gladhand any new editors in my pursuit of extending my crossword resume. A bright spot was the preview of a student musical about crosswords, though the poor teching left half of it unintelligible.

Am I glad I went? Yeah, I suppose so. Doing something almost always equates to a win for me these days. Plus I got some good NYC time in with buddies and to see a thing or two. I always want the weekend to be better for me—meeting more people, exposure to more crossword stuff, perhaps winning trophy(!?). But in the end, I'm doing quality puzzles in a room of interesting people and getting a decent story out of it, so all in all, I shouldn't complain.
Thursday April 7 2022File under: crossword

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