Word of the Day: Progress

It is hard to measure at times, and at other times it's near impossible to see, but in the pursuit of any act one must recognize progress. Whether that be an extra mile ran, one more donation to the fund, or just one glimpse of excitement, true progress can not be unrecognized. Pat yourself on the back, look onto the past, and see where you came from. It's all you can do sometimes.

Work this week was boring, no getting around that. As an intern their are periods of time (sometimes days long) where their really just isn't a lot for us to do. It seems that a lot of work at this point is either to sensitive for the interns to touch, or so boring and mundane (do I really need a degree to file alphabetically?) that the work seems unrewarding. What really doesn't help is that my fundraiser is this weekend. That is right, this weekend I will see if "Frolfing for a Reason" sinks or swims. It feels like the night before Christmas, the anxious feeling of dread and excitement making each tick of the clock echo all around me.

All I can say is that I am ready. I have put in a good degree of work getting at least 6 holes sponsored for a grand total of $525 already towards the fundraising (Cha-Ching!), I've collected over $600 of raffle prizes to give out (see below), and now I just have to see if people show up (Gulp).

RAFFLE PRIZES
Prize			QUANTITY		Value			TOTAL
RAIN TICKETS (CIVIC CENTER)			1		$60.00			$60.00
Funny Bone Tickets (admit two)			2		$30.00			$60.00
Scheels Certificate			1		$50.00			$50.00
Active Endeavors			1		$50.00			$50.00
Play-it-Again Sports Certificate			1		$25.00			$25.00
Gino's Gift Certificate			1		$40.00			$40.00
Rock Bottom Brewery			1		$40.00			$40.00
Splash Gift Card			1		$25.00			$25.00
Latin King Gift Certificate			1		$25.00			$25.00
Tonic Gift Certificate			1		$20.00			$20.00
Wellman's Gift Certificate			1		$25.00			$25.00
Quintons Gift Card			2		$15.00			$30.00
Fudruckers			2		$20.00			$40.00
Maid-Rite Bundle			1		$20.00			$20.00
Olympic Flame Gift Certificate			1		$10.00			$10.00
Tattoo Gift Certificate			1		$30.00			$30.00
Ray-Gun Gift Certificate			1		$20.14			$20.14
LB of Starbucks Coffee			1		$11.95			$11.95
ColdStone Creations			4		$5.00			$20.00
7 Day  Fitness Pass + T-shirt & Water bottle			2
TOTAL			27					$602.09
				A Steady Pace Wins the Race

Let's Check Out the Scoreboard

It's that time in the game where I gotta take a step back and check out the scoreboard. Over the past month, I have jumped in over my head and taken on some extra-curricular activity. I have been working an internship at the Department of Natural Resources during the day, and fundraising/training at night. I signed up for, and back my own money against, raising $1,000 for the American Cancer Society. In return they will sponsor me in the Des Moines Marathon October 16th. Why I did this exactly, I am still trying to figure out. For the majority of the fundraising, I am hosting my first Frisbee Golf Tournament, "Frolfing for a Reason." Let's take a look at the scoreboard Alex:

Things Accomplished:

It's always nice to start off by looking at the things already done:

-Reserved the Course
-Distributed Posters
-Collected (3) Corporate Sponsors
-Made it Facebook Official
-Got an ad in the Des Moines Register (although the date was wrong)
-Put down an 18 mile run
-Collected a ton of Raffle Prizes including:

(2) tickets to see RAIN (Beatles Tribute Band) at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines, dinner and drinks for two at Rock Bottom Brewery, (2) $20 gift certificate to Fudruckers, (2) $15 dollar gift certificates to Quintons (combine as one?), (1) $50 gift certificate to Scheels, (1) Gift Certificate to Lasting Images Tattoo Parlor, 14 free days and two water bottles to Anytime Fitness, (1) free shirt from Ray-Gun, and (1) $25 gift certificate to Splash, and (1) $10 gift certificate to Olympic Flame.

Things To Do

This list could go forever.

-Reach out to more media (C'mon ya'll it's for a good cause)
-Follow up with raffle donations locations:
  Wellmans, Century Theater, Spot-Less Car Wash, Fredrich's Coffee, Starbucks (as many as I can), The Funny-Bone, Active Endeavors, Coldstone Creamery, plus anywhere else in the Des Moines metropolitan area
-Course Maintenance (Signs and Scorecards)
-Get more corporate sponsored holes (I wish their was a website for this)
-Bust out the 20 miler this weekend
-GET THE WORD OUT!

It's hard to believe where I was a month ago in this endeavor. I had little to no contacts or anything put together, but thanks to a few friendly souls, the snowball has been created. Want to know if it will blow up in my face? You can come on down to Ewing Park October 2nd and find out. While you are there you might as well play a little Frisbee golf for a good cause.

If you want to help out in anyway, drop me a line, find me on Facebook, or blow a couple of smoke signals over that yonder hill; I always appreciate the communication.

Keeping it Easy,

Brad Lane

Going for the Long Run

"Ode to the Long Run"

Wow my feet are soar

Only three miles more

I can't wait to be done

this is no longer fun

Geez, that miles was tough

But I can coast from here

2 more and I've had enough

One step after another

Have no Fear

Last mile to go

on an 18 mile tour

my legs say no

remind me again

what did I do this for?

Finish Line in Sight

My body can begin to slow

and for a brief second I know

Everything is alright

GO DO SOMETHING FUN TODAY

New Poster, and Why Local Businesses Rock

THANKS FOR THE DONATION!

Read a Book or Two, or Twenty... Double Header

This go around we are featuring not one, but two great books. Flannery O'Connor's "Everything That Rises Must Converge," and Stuart Dybek's the coast of Chicago. Both books have their own taste, their own artist, but they share one common connection. They both are authors who graduated from the Iowa Writer's Workshop.

Flannery attended the workshop in the early years of the program and although she passed away at the young age of 39, she left behind a legacy of work that ranks in top of literary genius. Her gift of storytelling is rival to Mozart's gift of music. She paints a multitude of characters into her stories, all with such level of integrity and all integral to the unfolding plot. It's unbelievable to read about the worlds she creates and the characters that inhabit them. Each story left my mouth open due mostly to the astonishing last paragraphs that so well rounded off each story. Absolutely unbelievable, a must read for fans of fiction.

The second book to be featured is Stuart Dybek's "The Coast of Chicago." A definite contrast to the morbid worlds Flannery O'Connor created, Stuart Dybek poetically shares his love for a city. A city that under the pen of this author breathes with the life of missing love and late night piano recitals. Stuart does a fantastic job of using the English language as beautiful landscape to cast the image of his beloved hometown. Sentiments of the mid-west ring tried and trued through out his narrative, and for a moment I found myself lost down the back streets of Chicago, wandering through concrete neighborhoods leaving my tracks in the snow. A beautiful journey from a wonderful artist.

If you haven't found the time to read lately, to read anything that isn't directly connected to your day-job, what are you waiting for? Go pick any book, any book that sparks an interest or a passion and open the first page. And just like riding a bike, it will all come back from there.

Explore and Enjoy,

Brad Lane

If You Build It, They Will Come

It has now happening whether I work on it or not. The snowball is beginning to roll.

It has been an exciting week and metaphoric step off the plank. I am now at the point where I have not only invested enough time into this fundraising endeavor, but I have also told way too many people to reconsider my obligations.

I am trying not to worry about the final outcome at this point in the race (an endeavor I fall short on sometimes.) To re-quote one the greatest Iowa movies ever created, "If you build it, they will come"; I'm banking on it mysterious disc golfer in the shadows.

The wheels are turning though. I've collected one corporate sponsor already ($100) and a fair collection of raffle prizes (BECAUSE LOCAL BUSINESSES CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITY). I've handed out the first initial launch posters (above), and am diving further into the disc golf nation that resides in Iowa. I am currently searching for a new poster design if anyone feels they are a qualified graphic design bad-ass and want to contribute.

Time is a ticking though and their is a lot of work yet to be done. Not to mention the newest fundraiser on the horizon, one that will get a total update later on in the week, the Dash-N'-Dine.

Here is hoping to finish the long run,

Over and Out,

BDL

Day of Labor

It happened...


The signs are pretty clear. The way my sandals no longer suffice, an occasional leaf dropping from the tree, and of course, college football has started.

It just might be that time of year, it just might be Fall. Although by the calender, Fall doesn't truly take its position for almost another three weeks (September 23rd), come on' people lets face the facts and enjoy it.

I love the fall. It's chilly enough that it is easy to get warm, a different shade of scenery emerges on the trees, and the cool weather starts to slow everyone down a bit. Almost as if we are getting ready for some sort of hibernation...

Labor-day weekend marked the official end of summer for me. Time to put the boats up and unpack the long-sleeves. I was fortunate enough to spend a couple days at one of Iowa's premier Great Lakes (yes, Iowa has great lakes (and they are indeed great)), Lake Okoboji. A gorgeous way to bring in the new season. We ate, we drank, and we rested. Sometimes a nap is all you need.

On a side-note, Lake Okobji has a secret to it. Underneath the waters on the West Lake, lie buried treasures. More than a handful of boats and a Ford Truck stay hidden in the depths of Okoboji collecting moss and feeding fish. I wish I could say that I discovered this myself over the weekend but in fact it came from an article written in "Iowa Outdoors." Cool magazine that celebrates the conservation and recreational aspects of Iowa. Here is the link to the article:

"Exploring the Hidden Okoboji" - Iowa Outdoors Magazine

Adios Amigos,

BDL