Logistics SNAFU

In case you don't know what SNAFU means - well I am sure if you Google it - you will know.

Speaking of which - you can pretty much find the answer to ANYTHING on the internet. I have seen these ads around town  - a BIG ORANGE background with this lettering on it "#smallenfreuden". What the heck does that mean???   Well I had two tech savvy teens in the car this morning and they found the answer. Do you know how to find the answer?????

I must get my head examined. Last year, I volunteered to help with the Goodlife 10 K run. I guess I did SUCH a great job volunteering for the marathon that they thought I would be an easy one to rope in. Well I got suckered in alright!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Here is the ad in the paper announcing this event which is HUGE.

You see that NUMBER - 27,000. That is the number of people who have registered for this event. Which is a charity event. OH MY GOD - what have I done???????????????

They needed people to "HELP" load the trucks so they would be ready to drive to the water stations. OK - I will "HELP". For some reason, I asked M and Berke to help out so I could be finished in time to go to yoga class at 12:30. I would buy them a yummy breakfast.


We arrive at Ontario Place at 9 AM and NO ONE else is there. A minute later, Adam drives up with ONE of the THREE trucks needed for the day. Ron arrives just as we were organizing ourselves to drive to Budget to pick up the other two trucks. Turns out it was JUST Ron and myself to load the trucks. So much for "HELPING". Thank goodness M and Berke came with me - they really saved the day.

Back at the PODS at Ontario Place around 10ish. We get the list of supplies needed to be loaded on each truck and I am thinking "we do NOT have enough supplies". Oh dear. We take a quick trip to drop off supplies at the finish line at Coronation Park which is just a couple of KM away.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO   - why do they already have supplies here????  You are kidding me  --- right???????????????????


It would appear that the SUPPLY TRUCK dropped everything at this location instead of the PODS back at Ontario Place. That means that we had to move FIVE skids of Gatorade, THOUSANDS of cups (in big boxes, but still), 60 tables (and I thought a few tables at Monday Motivators was a pain!!!!)

Fortunately there were about a dozen students at this location who were there to help set up the water station at the finish line. We grabbed them and they helped us load the two trucks. As I am driving back to Ontario Place with my 60 tables piled in the truck, I am expecting to hear a HUGE crash as I turn the corners, but they got packed well and NOTHING shifted. Oh it must have been my superb driving skills!!!!


Then we off loaded the supplies and restocked the trucks - drove more supplies to the finish line and AT LAST got all three trucks loaded with the necessary supplies. The time when we drove out of there??????   2 PM. - YEP - missed that yoga class. But the amount of weight I lifted - well that makes up for something I guess.

Here is what my truck looked like before we knew there was a problem. Nice and empty

Cones set up the finish line. 

M in the truck, as they load tables into my truck. 

Instead of offloading the tables - we backed the trucks back to back and look - that is M - hard at work helping transfer the tables from truck to truck. 

Oh - she looks so professional!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have to say that M and Berke worked VERY HARD and I am proud of both of them. They didn't complain despite the fact that they were both STARVING and I had told them it would only take a couple of hours.


While we were there - we saw several interesting sights...............

A BIG swan right beside our PODS

A rowing crew out practicing

Berke and Ron looking at the swan and the rowing crew

And in the parking lot beside us - there was a PORSCHE RALLY. Berke was drooling as we drove into the parking lot. His face was plastered against the window like a little kid. It was pretty funny. 

Not a lot of people at the test drive. We were tempted to go over and BEG for a ride (not even to drive), but thought we looked too grubby. Hell - we should have stopped.   They would have LOVED to give us a ride. NEXT TIME - I am stopping!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then I captured M on her way over to meet us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    And by this time - we were getting silly. Hard to see how full the truck is - but this is what I need to off load tomorrow morning.

Love those GLOVES!!!!!!!!

All happy because we are DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We get into the car and drive ONE MORE TIME to the finish line - help unload the truck and we are on our way to DENNY's for BREAKFAST. Of course - there was a lot of traffic and we had finally had our BREAKFAST at 3 PM.

And you know what? - I ATE THE ENTIRE THING!!!!!!!

Then I was exhausted as was M. We both got home and went to bed. Oh - yes - pretty energetic we are. You can never have too many naps!!!!!!!!!!!   I love napping.


Now I bet you are asking yourself - is she getting any quilting done?????   Well yes - I managed to get one more binding on a charity quilt.

How is that for calculations!!!!   I had JUST enough to make the join!!!!!!!!!!

And................

I got this quilt quilted (also for community projects in a different guild). I helped Elaine Sy design the quilt. It has car fabric on it and I quilted it with a car design

I also worked on finishing the piecing on YET ANOTHER community project quilt.


Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm - I just realized - EVERYTHING in this post is about doing stuff for others. I thought I was going to cut that out??????????    Well I know that being a volunteer is an important part of helping out the community. It just so happens that there are TWO race weekends and TWO quilt show weekends all in a row. After this - there is ONE more big event - the Ride to Conquer Cancer and I am just riding. I say JUST because I only have to spend a couple hours riding - I do NOT have to huff luggage, or boxes or pick up garbage. I will JUST be riding and I will be thankful for every KM. And thanking the volunteers - I volunteered at that event one year and it is HARD WORK. I also got to drive a truck that year. You see the trend - NO ONE wants to drive those trucks!!!


So while you are warm and snug in your PJs tomorrow morning, I will be up at 4:30 AM - so I can get to the truck by 5 and deliver the goods to the water station on Yonge Street and get 40,000 cups filled with water and Gatorade by 8 AM. Wish me luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    I am supposed to have 70 volunteers to help. Let's hope, because I really really really want to take pictures. This is going to an AMAZING sight.



Have a good day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!