Goodbye July! How Did That Happen?!

As we get ready to say goodbye to July, one of our associates mentioned that it seemed like July had just begun.  Then she asked why does time fly these days?  Our only reply was it seems that way as one gets older.  She is 24...😲! 

This week certainly flew by.  Here's what we accomplished in four quick days!

It was back to bowling on Tuesday and the staff noticed that the gang seemed particularly joyful and enthusiastic.  Perhaps it was because they were bowling particularly well.  Whatever the reason, we had a great time.  Thanks again to the Hilkers for covering our pizza bill.  We appreciate that so much!

This week we decided to take a couple of group shots since it's hard to get action shots that are "flattering" when you can't really position the photographer in front of the bowlers...

Doesn't everyone look sharp in these matching shirts?!

This screen says, "Killer Shot" and it was one we saw several times when our bowlers picked up splits as they made spare after spare!  Cool!

It turns out we should have stuck with our first plan to go swimming at Sam's, but we had made the call back when the forecast for Tuesday called for warmer temperatures than it turned out to be.  What a gorgeous day it was, and we can only hope we will have another one soon when we reschedule our pool party with Sam.  As it was, we were delighted that several of our associates asked if we could go for a walk after bowling!!!!!  It has been weeks since we got to stretch our legs for a good long walk and we enjoyed it immensely!

Back at AFCC, we had a little time left in the day for Choice Time.  Here, Chloe enjoys watching Sam and Chris show off a few of their trick shots.

Kevin was the first to put together our new puzzle...can you tell who it features?

It's all 16 of our associates!

On Wednesday morning we were disappointed to get a call from Michael saying he was having trouble with his truck and wouldn't be able to get to us in time to give us a lesson before we had to leave for Eaton.  We tried doing some of the moves on our own, and then gave up and danced until time to hit the road.  It wasn't the same without our coach! We hope Michael has better luck next week.

Wednesday was also Soup's birthday and we wanted to let him know we haven't forgotten him (as if we could)!  So we sent him a text message and picture of our smiling faces.

He was on vacation in Florida, but he immediately wrote back to us and said we made his day! 😊  Then he sent us a picture of what he has been up to and it made our day!

Later on Wednesday we had another successful day working at Eaton.  We had between 5 and 7 stations set up throughout the day.  This is our 3rd week and it seems routine now.  What was great to see on this day was how our guys go back and forth among different jobs with ease (depending on the flow of parts from the Eaton production team to our team).  Multitasking at its finest!

It's easy to see their focus in these pictures.  They look so serious...isn't it great?

Kate was thrilled when she realized she could attach the screws on the PowerSlide doors by herself!  Kacie was very excited for her!

Chloe, Josie, and Xavier counted an entire barrel of parts by themselves, and kept the tally sheet accurately, much to Carol's delight.  Sam popped over to help them finish up once he had finished another job.  When told he could take a dance break instead, Sam said, "I'm here to work, not dance."  (Sam LOVES dancing...just not during work time, apparently!)

We were expecting visitors from the Impact 100 Grant selection team on Thursday, but they had to reschedule and now it will be August 15 before they make it out to AFCC for a site visit.  This is an exciting development as the Impact 100 Grant is huge.  There are dozens of applicants, and we have made it to the second level of judging. We feel quite positive that a site visit will convey the essence of our program, and we were ready for them to come Thursday.  So now we will just be even more ready for them to visit on August 15.

Nan's birthday is coming up on July 31 so we celebrated a little early with one of her favorite dishes, baked chicken burritos.  She loves guacamole, so she gave the gang a lesson on how to prepare it.  Tasty! 

Next, we got busy making our burritos.  We had a couple of burrito rollers step forward in Sam and Laura...

We added some beans and rice and fresh cut cucumbers, and our lunch was complete.  

We sang to Nan and ate a bit of birthday pie...

Then Carol surprised us by saying we had to inventory the Eaton parts that we have here at AFCC.  More counting!  We knocked it out very quickly though, since we are experts at this job.  Just look at the teamwork!

Josie added up a long list of numbers and didn't even ask for a calculator! 

On Friday, Carol and Nan took a group to do some more work at Eaton, while Lisa hung out with the rest of the gang at AFCC.  The Eaton group did inventory, assembly, and gasketing, much to the delight of the Eaton workers, who have come to count on us to help them get a leg up on their production.

These guys look like they are about to get busy...while the girls in the background seem incredibly focused!  Sam is probably telling them they came to "work!"

The girls are still laser-focused, but so is Chris as he assembles metal to plastic with the turn of a couple of screws.

Back at AFCC, we got our August calendar ready and worked on organizing some of our stuff.  Then, Mr. Howard surprised us by saying we could be the FIRST ones to try out the resurfaced gym floor!  It wasn't supposed to be open until Monday, but he said it was good to go and for us to have at it!  Then, he joined us in shooting hoops!

That's a wrap for the last week of July.  Here's what's on deck for the first week of August.

Lisa will be out next week for a little vacation.  Pam W., Sandy L., and Sue G. will be helping out in her absence.  THANKS, Ladies!!!

Tuesday:  Bowling and pizza for lunch!  Wear Arc shirts and make some killer shots!

Wednesday:  Pam W., one of our volunteers, will lead the gang in the creation of their own coloring books to celebrate National Coloring Book Day.  Pam is an artist and she's excited about this activity.  Thanks, Pam! It's also Tai Chi day so dress comfortably! Lunch on your own.

Thursday:  It's Watermelon Day so be prepared to learn a little about that juicy fruit.  Lunch on your own, but watermelon will be provided!  It's also the first Thursday of the month, so we'll travel to the Art Museums of CW to visit with Christina.  Sandy from the Arc office will meet the gang at the museum.  Thanks, Sandy!  Please wear Arc shirts!

Friday:  Sue, Patrick's mom, is helping out today and she's providing a lunch of hot dogs, chips, and baked beans!  It's also Coast Guard Day so Carol, whose son is a Coastie, will make a presentation that's sure to capture everyone's attention!

COMING UP!

Friday, August 4:  Jamestown Jams with the Deloreans (80s music!) at Jamestown Beach Park!  Admission is free and The Arc earns proceeds from beer sales.  The last Jams event was a ton of fun.  This one is sure to be, as well!

Friday and Saturday evenings, August 18 and 19:  We have been asked by our friends Patti and the Women of the Moose to help with their evening activities on the weekend of their golf tournament.  We enjoyed doing this last year and can't believe it's been a year already!  What we will do is help prepare and serve food, and help with raffle ticket sales.  We would like 3-4 volunteers for each night, from 5:45-8:30.  Lisa, Carol, and Nan will also be on hand.  This event takes place at the Moose Lodge on Richmond Road.  Please check your calendars and let Lisa know if your associate is able to help on either of the two nights.  Thanks in advance!

October 7:  Arc's 8th Annual 5K at Williamsburg Landing - Register soon...the price goes up August 1st!

 Arc of Greater Williamsburg

Next week is going to be great!  Thanks again, to all of our friends for helping out.  Lisa will plan to receive a few pictures throughout the week and will post a short blog update sometime next weekend to keep everyone in the loop.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Lisa, Carol, and Nan

Mixing It Up

Here we are in the middle of summer and it's hot but we're so cool!  We mixed it up this week with a lot of fun and a lot of work.  It's a combination that works very well for us.  Here's a glimpse of the action for the third week in July.

The first order of business on Tuesday was welcoming Sam back to the fold.  He had been on a very long road trip to Arizona, and we missed him.  Look at the happy faces when he walked back through the door!

After a little bit of dancing, we jumped in the vans and splashed down at Kevin's for our first pool party of the season.  It didn't take long for everyone to get in the water.  It was a very warm day, but just ahead of the latest heat wave and not too steamy.  We had cloud cover and a gentle breeze coming off of the James River for most of the day and it was perfect.

That's Laura doing a handstand!

The MacMasters, Kevin and Debbie, not only welcomed us to their lovely home and pool area, but then treated us to a delicious lunch of burgers and hot dogs.  Kacie's parents, Frank and Stacey,  also joined us and served as extra eyes around (and in) the pool.  We are appreciative of all of them for making this outing fun and safe!  Brace yourselves, here comes a whole lot of joy as captured in these photos!

Chris and Sam racing!

Hanging out with Wayne and Kevin's sister, Julia, while the burgers cook.

Here's the lunch buffet which, in addition to burgers and hot dogs, included pasta salad, chips, and a fresh fruit tray with a yummy homemade dip made by Stacey.  Thanks, Debbie...you are a great hostess!

Is Devin sky diving or pool diving?

We even have our own "miracle," aka, Kevin...did you know he can walk on water?!

THANKS again, Wayne and Debbie, Frank and Stacey, for giving us a day to remember!

On Wednesday, we squeezed in our Tai Chi class before hitting the road to Eaton for a good day's work.  Michael commented again on how well we are improving in the area of balance and he was also pleased to see us remembering how to do more challenging steps!

At Eaton, we were once again set up in a cool working area.  Some of us continued to count inventory, while others got right to assembly work.  Here, Meghan, Kate, and Kacie assemble PowerSlide Doors.

Chloe, Chris, and Laura also worked on PowerSlide doors.  We completed 84 doors on Wednesday!

Xavier was busy placing parts on two different counting mats to expedite the counting of extra inventory.

Kevin and Devin also worked on inventory by placing parts on two mats.  That makes a total of 10, which are then transferred to a box.  We keep going until there are 125 in a box. 

Over at this table, Patrick and Sam take inventory of yet another part.  They also keep track of their numbers and record them on a sheet.

At the end of the shift, we headed back to the van to return to AFCC.  You can't see it, but we have smiles on our faces after working hard to help our Eaton friends.

On Thursday, it was back to Eaton.  We went twice last week and this week, and will go twice again next week.  There is a ton of work and inventory that needs to be done by the end of July, so we are in high gear.  After July, we hope to continue working at Eaton on a regular basis, perhaps one day a week.

Patrick and Sam are a good team and on Thursday, they pulled the excess off of these larger plastic parts.

Kevin prefers working solo on assembly of photocell plates.

Here, Meghan (that's her lovely head of dark hair!), Josie, Kacie, and Chris work on a new job we just started.  They are attaching a small metal piece to a plastic part using screws.  

Laura switched from assembling PowerSlide doors to counting inventory on Thursday.  At one point, when Lisa stopped to take some pictures, Laura quickly admonished her to "get back to work" since Lisa was in charge of transferring her parts to the box so Laura could keep counting! 😁

It's not all work at Eaton.  Sometimes we takes breaks so we can dance and giggle.  Unfortunately, YouTube must be weary of uploading our dancing videos, because this week it is having so much difficulty "processing" our fun that we had to publish this update without them.  But you can just imagine...the tune was "Uptown Funk" and we were dancing in honor of our friend Drew, who was absent all week.  (See below.)

Anyway, after cutting a rug, Josie then cut lots of gaskets from the big roll so Nan could keep attaching them to plastic parts.  

Alexis is a great team player, doing what we needed without complaint.  Attaching these labels is difficult for a lot of our associates, but it comes easily for her (and a couple of others who were absent), so it's pretty much the only job she got to do...for two days.  Thanks, Alexis!  Also in this picture is Nancy (Meemaw), who volunteered to help on Thursday.

Jorie wasn't able to give us a plant tour this week due to some extenuating circumstances, so she brought us a slide show instead.  She explained how what we do helps them in the production of a number of different products.  She also told us that she took some things to be assembled to her workers on the line recently, and they said (kind of jokingly, but not really), "We don't do that anymore.  Arc does!"  There are only 45 employees in the whole facility... so it's kind of cool to think that our entire team (associates, staff, volunteers), adds a little more than 1/3 of that number in support team members!

Here's a slide showing where the PowerSlide doors are attached to a pedestal.

Thursday was another wonderful day of work for our associates.  If you ask any of them if they enjoy it, they will say that they do.  Our work there is genuinely appreciated and we receive just the right amount of validation to know that they need us and are grateful for our contributions.

We hung out at AFCC all day on Friday where the highlight of the day was celebrating Mr. Howard's birthday.  Soup's position remains unfilled, so Mr. Howard is taking good care of us!  He's not as extroverted as Soup, but we really like him for the quiet, unstated friend that he is.  The gang made cards for him and we prepared him a lunch of blueberry and apple grilled cheese sandwiches...which is one of our specialties!

This sandwich is sooo good!  We use whole-wheat bread and a combination of sharp cheddar and Havarti cheese, a drizzle of honey, a couple of thin slices of apple (we prefer Fuji), and several blueberries.  The hardest part is flipping it on the griddle without losing the blueberries... 🙄Try it and let us know what you think!  We added macaroni salad and watermelon for sides.  Yummy!

We made sure to put in as much activity as we could to help offset the cheese in the grilled cheese.  Here we play with the pool noodles and balloons.  (We understand the gym floor, which is being refinished, will reopen on July 31.  We'll have the whole month of August to make up for lost time using the gym, something we were looking so forward to during the hot summer months!)

We even incorporated music and, wait for it...dancing!!!!!...into our Bingo game.  When the music was on, dancing commenced.  When the music stopped, a Bingo picture was called.  (We played Summer Events Bingo...a pictorial version that calls for paying attention to detail as some of them are tricky!)  Again, you will have to imagine...YouTube is not our friend this week.

Prior to the game, Vanna White, aka, Kate, and her assistant, Chris, set up the prize table!

It was about 100 degrees outside on Friday afternoon, but we really kept our cool and wrapped up another fun week at AoA.  It seemed to go by very fast, too!  Here's what up for next week:

Tuesday:  Not sure if the heat wave will actually break, and knowing it's always warmer inland, we are going to postpone a trip to Sam's neighborhood pool and go bowling instead.  We're sure it will still be hot in August, but we'll hope for one of those few and far between days when it's "cooler" and less humid.  Teri and Sam have plans for a very nice day for us, and we look forward to it. 🏊  Please wear Arc shirts for bowling, and as always, we will have pizza for lunch.  Thank you to next week's sponsor - Josie, John, and Lisa Hilker!

Wednesday and Thursday:  We will travel to Eaton to finish up inventory and continue assembly work.  Please bring lunch on these days.  Arc shirts are optional, but they do look nice! (We also have Tai Chi on Wednesday morning.)  Thursday is National Refreshment Day and, while we won't have beer, as is indicated on the website, we will provide some refreshing beverage choices during our work day at Eaton!

Friday:  It's another birthday celebration!!  This time it's for Nan and we will prepare one of her favorites for lunch:  lean, mean chicken burritos!  We'll also have a lesson on preparing homemade guacamole.  And of course...a birthday treat.  

Upcoming dates:

July 28:  Arc Membership Dinner and Resource Seminar

August 4:  Jamestown Jams - The DeLoreans (80s music!) - Admission is free at Jamestown Beach Park and The Arc of GW gets all proceeds from the beer sales!

August 18-19:  The Women of the Moose Lodge's annual golf tournament; we hope to volunteer both Friday, Friday evening, and Saturday evening (different associates each time).  More info to come...

October 7:  8th Annual Williamsburg Landing 5K Run for The Arc!  Register online at The Arc of GW and let Pam know if you're interested in being a sponsor!!

On a sad note, please keep our friend and dedicated volunteer, Becky, in your thoughts.  Her beloved mother passed away on Friday.  Becky is in Ohio with her family.  

Before we sign off, we have one more picture that is sure to make you smile.  We have had several associates out again this week (or part of this week) due to traveling (Bo, Chloe, Patrick), and we miss them.  We also missed Drew all week as he had a rather gnarly reaction to a bug bite that caused one of his eyes to become quite swollen.  He's on the mend very nicely now, but his friends wanted to make him get well cards.  After work, some of us were able to stop by his house and deliver them.  Joy, joy, joy!  

Everyone have a great weekend...and do your best to stay cool!

Lisa, Carol, and Nan