Yesterday we were with the San Antonio Parrot Heads for our quarterly volunteer time at the San Antonio Food Bank.   In three hours the team of volunteers portioned out over 10,000 pounds of pinto beans and rice.  We were fairly tired by the end of the three hours, but we all felt good about the work we did.   The San Antonio Food bank serves 16 counties in South Texas -- for the area that they serve, the overall poverty rate is 16.5% and the child poverty rate is 25%.  That makes for a lot of hungry people that wouldn't have enough to eat if it weren't for our food bank. 

I urge you to volunteer your time or donate food and/or money to a food bank near you.  If you don't know where the nearest one is, the  Feeding America website has a handy lookup tool located here: http://feedingamerica.org/foodbank-results.aspx.  I'm not sure about the statistics in other states, but in SA, even a small donation can make a huge difference. 

Today was highway clean up day with the San Antonio Parrot Head Club.  We had a solid turnout and we collected over 40 bags of garbage on Military Highway, north of 1604.  After the clean up, we went over to Freetail Brewery to enjoy some refreshment.  Oddly enough, we had so many folks turn out for the clean up, we were finished long before Freetail was due to open.  musicbyoscar made a quick phone call to the brewhouse, and they agreed to open up early.  Scott Metzger (the owner) even provided us some nachos as a thanks for cleaning up the highway that runs beside the brewhouse.  Those guys are the greatest.  And their beer is delish!  I'm loving the Danny Mijo. 

In pirate garb for the first time in a couple years.  Tonight's SAPHC happy hour is a pirate-themed one, and musicbyoscar and I are performing... together.  Everyone cross their fingers!!! 

Saturday was our Phins for Pins bowling night with the San Antonio Parrot Head chapter.  I had tons of fun, and my bowling is starting to improve.  Got a few strikes and spares the first game, and then everything went downhill from there as my arm got tired.  All in all though, I'm just happy to be able to bowl again.  I used to bowl in a league (some twenty-odd years ago) and loved it.  But when my muscle disorder robbed me of all my hand-strength and left me with arthritis-like symptoms, I gave away all of my bowling gear.

But, thanks to the internet, I discovered a retractable-handle bowling ball that I can bowl with.  It's taken me a few visits to the bowling alley to figure out how to use it, but it means that I'm finally able to go bowling with friends and do more than just keep score.  (Besides, most bowling alleys now have automated score-keepers.)  I haven't figured out how to put any spin on the ball -- but I am getting better at aiming it.  

If any of you have a loved one who was unable to bowl due to arthritis, you should let them know that there is an alternative.  They are available on several websites, and one company has even put out a YouTube video to promote them in hopes that some bowling alleys will actually buy some and make them available to their clientelle.

This morning was highway clean up with the San Antonio Parrot Heads -- we had a great turnout and were done by 10:30.
Now it's time to clean up and party!

On Saturday, musicbyoscar and I volunteered (along with several other San Antonio Parrot Heads) to sort and box food at the San Antonio Food Bank warehouse.  Our Saturday afternoon volunteer crew managed to sort over 7000 pounds of food, and packed 125 boxes of food (each box contains 55 pounds of assorted condiments, canned goods, cereal, and dry goods). 
This was our second time to volunteer at the Food Bank with the Parrot Heads -- and I guess I pushed myself much harder this time, because my entire body is still a little sore.  All in all though, it was worth it, and I'll gladly volunteer to go with the Parrot Heads again the next time.

Although this isn't exactly the experience I had (after all, it was over 100° on Saturday) - it's a great comic strip for saying a lot with very few words.

We have our tickets for the Third Annual Very Vodka -- which is one heck of a party, and a fabulous bargain at $25.  I vow to not make the same mistake this year that I did last year.  This year I will eat something before I go.  Last year I learned that it takes more than a few hors d’oeuvres to soak up ten Grey Goose martinis.   All in all, we had a blast in spite of how inebriated I became.  Good thing my husband is sturdy.

I'm wondering who we'll meet this year.  Last year we met a few of the local Parrotheads -- and wound up joining the San Antonio Parrothead chapter because they were so much fun to party with.  Speaking of the Parrotheads -- tonight is our monthly happy hour at Crabby Jacks - so tonight's drinking is merely a work out to get us in shape for the main event on Friday.