Places We Have Called Home In 2019

Home Is Where We Park It:   UMOM New Day Centers, Phoenix 

Dec 5, 2019

Temperature 65 Degrees

Two Important Parts of the UMOM Program

Tis the Season to Give Gifts

Team Night Out

No big breakfast this morning.  Two teeth out and I couldn’t really eat much of anything.  Not to fear, I’ll make it up sometime later today.

Let me introduce you to our team.

In the very front we have Robin and Carry, fulltimers.  Back row, from left to right:  Barbara and myself, fulltimers; Steve and Jean;  Keith and Kris; Anton and Sandy, fulltimers; Mark and Debbie, fulltimers.  It’s a great group to be a part of.

I want to share with you two important parts of the UMOM program.  The whole theme of UMOM is breaking the cycle of homelessness.  One way they accomplish this is

 

through the Helpings Cafe.  The Cafe runs a program called Homegrown Training.

As a part of the Homegrown Training, students learn and follow the Starbuck’s Barista curriculum. Once they have completed their six-week training, they are certified Starbucks Baristas. This provides another hands-on track with the potential of job opportunities.

Graduates then move to the next part of the program which is the Employment Center.  The UMOM Workforce Development Team works with each Homegrown graduate to prepare a resume’, attend job fairs, incorporate job search strategies and provide interview training. With the added services of UMOM’s Employment Center, the Center is truly focusing on securing a successful source of income for clients –  thus breaking down one more barrier to ending their homelessness.

It’s a privilege to be volunteering for an organization that is actively working on so many levels to end the problem of homelessness in this area.

Our day began in the usual way.

Each morning we gather together for morning devotions and prayer.  Each of us is asked to lead a given morning if we feel comfortable doing so .  It might be a commentary on a passage of Scripture, a poem or other reading that is special to the person presenting that day, or a story about their own life that is special in some way.  This is followed by a time of prayer wherein we lift up the joys and concerns of the team as well as many others.

At the end of devotions and before we go to work we share what we have accomplished to date and receive assignments for the day ahead.

Today was all about toys.

This, I am told by those who have been here in the past, is just the tip of the iceberg.  For the next two weeks donated toys will continue to come in by the pallet load.  The way it works is thus:  each case worker is given a list of toys the children of their families would like receive at Christmas.  List in hand they come here to shop.

Our job is to sort through the toys that come in and put them in the proper place.  They are sorted by age, the type of toy, etc.  Barbara on the move.

  Debbie is working on arranging toys on one table.

Here’s a tub full of Hot Wheels, My Little Pony and all other kinds of toys.

Anton and Sandy going through the tub and sorting the toys.

Their work resulted in a box full of Hot Wheels cars.

Debbie and Kris working on sorting another table of toys.

It’s not just toys.  There are clothes of all shape and size.  Barbara working on one table sorting shirts by size.

Jean and Debbie working on another table.

Jean doing her version of the new break dance craze, Break That Bubble Wrap!

There are blankets that will be given to families in need.

Steve bringing in another pallet full of donated blankets.

That was our morning.  After lunch we returned to this.

Piles of wrapped presents prepared by case workers that will be given to their families on Christmas.

Our job was to take everything that was there and move it all to this room.  Once here we were to place each bundle under the name of the respective case worker.

That was day four, Period Sixteen.

This being Thursday, tradition said it was time to go out for supper as a team.

Not much to look at.  Yet the food is fantastic and the size of the portions is out of this world.  Everyone, almost without fail leaves with part of their supper in a box.

We are now at the end of our day on The Road of Retirement.  Once again we accomplished all that was assigned to us.  We then ended the day with some great fellowship around the dinner table.  Days like this are so precious and so fantastic.  We wouldn’t trade our life for any others.

Thanks again for coming along with us today.  We so appreciate your company and your comments.  Catch you tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before

See you on down the road!

Places We Have Called Home In 2019

Home Is Where We Park It:   UMOM New Day Centers, Phoenix 

Dec 4, 2019

Temperature 71 Degrees

Tis The Season to Continue to Decorate UMOM

Time To Go To The Dentist

We Have A Winner in the Great Recliner Install

Time to Rise and Shine!  A much warmer morning than normal but we were warned not to get used to it.  Temperatures will be going back down soon enough.

A quick breakfast, egg and sausage on an English muffin, a glass of orange juice, a couple cups of coffee and we were ready for the day.

Like yesterday and the day before we continue to decorate the campus.  When we get done with this location we have I believe two or three more satellite facilities to do as well.  I know, I know it’s beginning to look like pictures of apartments being painted.  One Christmas tree is beginning to look like another!  Well, we have a whole lot of Christmas trees to set up and decorate as well as putting out many other decorations.

This is the Christmas decoration room.  When it was opened on Monday it was full from front to back, and all the way up to the ceiling.  Even the aisle was packed with boxes of decorations.

More boxes coming out.  Robin is leading the charge with the big FedEx box.

Barbara is encouraging Anton as he wrestles yet another tree out of the room.

 

This is the Christmas tree and sled outside the activity center.

More decorations inside the Activity Center.

Debbie is definitely in the holiday spirit!  Wait until she turns around and see’s all the boxes she has to unpack, and all the decorations that have to be put up in the lobby.

Debbie discovered those boxes and got right with it.  She is trying to sort out the strings of lights in just one box.

Barbara, Debbie, Carrie, and Kris working on the first lobby Christmas tree.

Kris putting the final decorations on the first tree.

Another Christmas tree in the lobby.  Following, are some more pictures of the decorations that we put up today in the lobby.

And finally for today

How many NOMADS does it take to put garland on the office railing?  I guess it takes two, Robin and Anton hard at work.

That was it for day three, Period Sixteen.  At least for us.

I had a dentist appointment at lunch time we needed to get to.  I broke a tooth and there was another in about the same shape.  Well, today I had two teeth pulled.  With no insurance the cost for today’s work was bad enough.  The estimate for the rest of the work if done here in the states would definitely break the bank.  Time for plan B.  We have a couple here who have been going for years to a dentist in Mexico just south of Yuma and they have never had any issues.  Inasmuch as we will be in Yuma next month guess where we are going?  Yup, south of the border.

We have a recliner.  Well, one on order that will be delivered on Saturday.

This is a stock photo of it.  It is a La-Z-Boy swivel recliner.  We were able to get it for half-price with free delivery.  I think we really scored on this one.  I’ll have an actual picture of ours after it is delivered and in its new home.

That was our day on The Road of Retirement.  One more work day finished.  Emergency dental work completed.  A recliner picked out, on order, and a delivery date chosen.  We continue to travel along, hand in hand, singing our song.

Thanks again for coming along with us today.  We always appreciate your company and your comments.  Catch you tomorrow,

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before

See you on down the road!

 

 

 

 

Places We Have Called Home In 2019

Home Is Where We Park It:   UMOM New Day Centers, Phoenix 

Dec 3, 2019

Temperature 63 Degrees

Tis The Season to Decorate UMOM

Almost ready for a new recliner

It’s no longer shorts and T-shirts during the day.  OK, for some it is but not for me.  It’s not cold, at least not like in the Northeast but it’s not the 80’s which we had not so long ago.  Still, there is no snow so I’m OK with where we’re at.

A quick breakfast of pumpkin pancakes, fried spam, a glass of juice and a couple of cups of coffee and I was ready to go.

This week is the week to decorate the campus for Christmas.  So, here come the first few boxes of decorations.  There were carts and carts of more decorations to come as the day went on.

 This is one of several nativity sets that Barbara set up today.

Barbara and Sandy working on a tree in the cafeteria.

You’d be amazed at the places we found to put out Christmas decorations.

Robin hanging a wreath over the entrance door of the chapel.

Mark, standing on the outside of the door, and offering Robin some helpful suggestions on how to hang the wreath.

A Christmas tree in the chapel.

Joy to the World.

More chapel decorations.

One of many trees decorated in the courtyard outside.  Sadly, I’m told by those who have been here before most of these trees will be picked clean of decorations by Christmas day.

Chris, in the red shirt unpacking more of those Christmas decoration boxes.

Sandy, unpacking and laying out even more decorations on the table in front of her.

Time for everyone to get involved.  From left to right:  Sandy, Chris, Debbie, Jean, Mark and Keith.  Hey, this tree needed a lot of decorations!

Chris and Keith putting the finishing touches on the tree.

On the outside we continued prepping the picnic area for a concrete pour.

We – Anton, Robin and myself – finished by putting down the rebar and inserting the spacer blocks.  The rest is now up to the crew at UMOM.

Day two, Period Sixteen is now in the books.

Back on the home front.

Gertrude pleaded to be taken off the roof.  Inasmuch as she wasn’t working properly while up there I was more than happy to oblige.  She is now down, alongside the rig in the back, looking at the back wall and finally finding all the satellites on the western arch.  I can’t figure it out.  On the rood she had a clear, unobstructed view of the southern sky and she could only find two satellites.  Down on the ground facing the wall and she finds all three.  Go figure!

Regarding the couch.  Both arms are off and it is ready to out the door.  Just as soon as we get a recliner picked out and delivered, out the door it will go.  I now have to make a plate to cover the access hole in the floor in the back where the electrical wires for the slide come in from the bottom.  I believe I have a piece of metal that I can use.

That was our Tuesday on The Road of Retirement.  We’re as busy as can be all around the campus.  Hopefully, we’ll make a difference in someone’s life this Christmas season.  Things are going good on the home front as we continue to make progress turning Graybeard into truly the home we want him to be.  Yes, life is good.

Thanks for checking in with us.  We always appreciate your joining us on our journey.  Comments, as always are also appreciated.  Catch you tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before

See you on down the road!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Places We Have Called Home In 2019

Home Is Where We Park It:   UMOM New Day Centers, Phoenix 

Dec 2, 2019

Temperature 69 Degrees

We Made It – 36 Years and Still Traveling Along Hand in Hand

Christmas Trees and Concrete

The Couch is Free

The big news – today we celebrated 36 years together.  We’ve still traveling along, hand in hand singing our song.  Honestly, I’m so blessed to be enjoying this wonderful life with my best friend and the one I still and always will love.  How many more years?  Who knows but as long as there are laundromats I’m sure there will be plenty more wonderful years to come.  Think about it.

We’ve settled into a weather pattern.  Days are usually in the mid 60’s and nights are in the mid 40’s.  I like it like that.  Not too hot, not too cold but just right.

Period 16 projects started today.

There were Christmas trees to decorate in the courtyard.  Barbara and Sandra decorated this one.

There were Christmas trees in the Activity Center to put up and decorate.  Keith and Kris were in charge of this one.

There were Christmas wreathes to hang.  Keith is trying to figure out the perfect place to put this one in the gym.

There were outside projects as well.  This is the picnic pavilion which once was covered with beautiful decorative bricks.  The problem was the kids constantly lifted the bricks and used them for things that they should not have been used for.  Solution?  We’re going to put down a concrete pad.

Anton and myself began this project.  Neither one of us had any experience in building a form for a concrete pad, but really how hard could it be.

Later in the day Robin, who had worked in construction for over 20 years joined the project.  That’s when we learned that what we had done was all wrong.  Back to the drawing board .  In time we were able to correct our mistakes and move forward.

Work day over it was time to return to Graybeard to continue

the great couch removal.  What would I discover?  Would it cooperate and just slide right out?  Or would it fight me?

Sixteen bolts and four hold down brackets later it was loose and I was able to slide it out.   It was obvious, though, that it was not going to go through the door like this.

The first and easiest piece to remove was the back.  Four nuts and it was off.  Now, we’re getting somewhere.

Next to come off was the one side arm piece.  I’ll remove the other tomorrow.  With the back and both side arms removed it is obvious that what remains of the couch will go out the door without a problem.

I’m also going to have to do some cleanup.  For instance I need to remove the center track that the foot rest slid back and forth on.  I’ll have to rearrange the wires and clean up whatever that gray mess is against the wall.  I’ll also have to decide what to do with the seat belts.  I’ll probably remove them but put them aside in case the next owner wants to make use of them.

Later in the week we’ll go shopping for a swivel recliner and a computer desk.

That was our day on The Road of Retirement.  A day of celebration.  Time to go back to work.  Deconstruction at home moved right along.  All around a fantastic day.   Time now to catch some shut eye.

Thanks for joining us again.  As always we enjoy your company and look forward to your comments.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before

See you on down the road!