Hunky Husband and I spent a busy week in Omaha NE in meetings with 63 of our fellow volunteers (49 of us are in the photo, below). Correction: Most (perhaps 75%) of the people in the photo are employees!!
We had been home from Omaha for only a couple of days when HH called me at the office to tell me that he was preparing to drive to Peoria IL where he spent about 10 days on assignment.
There hasn't been a day this week during which I didn't have a meeting of some kind or another. Today, it was the funeral of a guy whom we've known for nearly 60 years, who built two houses for us here in Derby. One of his daughters was dearest friend to Dudette during their high school years.
Tomorrow, I go help install smoke alarms in homes in the 67214 ZIP code. More deaths have occurred due to home fires in that ZIP code than in any other ZIP code in the state - 14 since 2008. There are approximately 8000 homes, of which we plan to hit about one-eighth. The troops will check existing smoke alarms if the residents are willing, provide and install new batteries or new smoke alarms if needed. The goal is to install at least 300 alarms.
You guys have certainly been busy. Good reminder on smoke alarm batteries. I never got around to changing mine out at the last time change, so I at least need to do a check. As long as the check goes ok, then I will change out batteries at the next time change.
Posted by: bogie | August 14, 2015 at 07:56 PM
Forgot to add that I am sorry to hear of the loss of your builder friend.
Posted by: bogie | August 14, 2015 at 07:57 PM
Notable assymetric ethnicity & gender distribution amongst the volunteers.
Any explanation?
Posted by: Ole Phat Stu | August 14, 2015 at 09:52 PM
I heard an ad on the radio for new smoke detectors with a Latium battery that lasts for several years. Those might help for the folks that never change them out.
Posted by: Ingineer66 | August 14, 2015 at 11:21 PM
Bogie--Most people do as you do by checking the batteries at the time changes. Terry (builder's daughter) remembered babysitting for you and Dudette. Dudette works with the builder's grandson (they are at same company) and Dudette deals with Terry who is employed by an insurance firm. We'll certainly miss Richard.
Stu--Firstly, I had meant to correct the first sentence in the posting to clarify that about 75% of the people in the photo are actually employees. Secondly, I think that the ethnic distribution of employees and volunteers fairly closely mirrors the ethnic distribution of the general populations in the states of Kansas, Nebraska, and Northwestern Iowa in which all but one or two of the people reside/work/volunteer. I (guessing on many) think that I can break the 49 people who are actually in the photo into 37 who would classify themselves as (non-Hispanic) White; 4 as Black/African-American; 1 or 2 as Asian; 5 as (Hispanic) White; and 2 American Indian/Alaska Native. Thirdly, at least in my experience, most employees of humanitarian organizations are female. There are 18 people whom I would guess to identify themselves as male in the photo. (Note that, for me to verify any of my guesses by using an internal database would be misuse of organizational resources.)
Ingineer--The type of detector used determines the inherent life-span of the smoke alarm. The ones we installed today have a 10-year life expectancy.
Posted by: Cop Car | August 15, 2015 at 05:21 PM
HUgsssss, Cop Car! I'm sorry that I haven't kept in touch. I can see that you've been busy as usual! The man who sold us this house chose to resolve the issue of needing smoke detectors replaced chose to buy the kind that plug into the wall. I'll have to check to see if they have battery backups. We've been in the house a year now, so I'm sure they need to be checked. I used to check ours on New Year's Eve. Checking/changing them when you change the clocks to/from Daylight Savings Time is a great idea.
Posted by: buffy | August 17, 2015 at 04:31 PM
Buffy--I feared that you and your DH had fallen off the edge of the Earth. Glad to see you out-and-about!
Posted by: Cop Car | August 17, 2015 at 06:36 PM
You have, indeed, been busy! Hopefully, it keeps you out of trouble. Sorry to hear of the loss of your builder friend. Such losses are what I find to be one of the more difficult aspects of aging.
Posted by: Joared | August 23, 2015 at 06:55 AM
JoAnne--It is really a bummer to have to stop to think whether a person is still living before deciding that one needs to chat with them! Richard was our go-to guy when we needed to find a competent and honest craftsperson to do maintenance on the house.
Posted by: Cop Car | August 23, 2015 at 09:41 AM