Overwhelmingization - the feeling of being overwhelmed...excessively and unconditionally.
I'm sure that my delay in posting any entries lately will result in the loss of a few blog followers, but I'm hoping that I may be wrong. We actually were without internet for a week, and then factor in the overwhelmingization, and it all becomes ugly.
I know in a post about a month ago, I said I thought I had hit my first wall. I realize now, in hindsight, that wasn't a wall. Because now, I know, THIS is what a wall feels like.
Jeff and I are about 5 days away from our first deadline. We've had to accept the incredibly disappointing and unhappy reality that we won't make it. Luckily, we will be allowed to continue to the next deadline, but it is a really tough kick in the teeth to experience.
Anyone who has been around us for the last 5 weeks knows that we have been busting our behinds to make this deadline. Things outside of our control have made it very difficult to get things done, but we have kept pushing - and we have fallen short. It is such an upsetting feeling. Even though we will be continuing on, and we do have 5 more days to raise more (and in the ultimate optimists' theory, maybe make it), we feel an utter sense of failure.
And this setback is going to make the second deadline, which is technically a lesser amount than our first deadline (deadline one = $5000, deadline two = an additional $4000), we will more than likely have an even harder time making it.
We do have some great things planned - another bottle drive (or two), a Bachelor/Bachelorette auction, canvassing at the LCBO, and a bunch of ideas floating around since the students will be back in town before the next deadline. So, we have to be positive.
But gosh darnit, it is hard. I think it's this absolute disappointment, the overwhelmingization, and the difficulty to be positive that has had another negative, and embarassing, effect. I have to be true to my followers though, and admit - I have not been on a run for over a week.
So, now we are behind in the fundraising, and I am behind in my training. I just can't convince myself to get out and do it these days. I think about it, and I want to for all the people who HAVE supported us, but the negative feelings are so overbearing that I can't put my running shoes on. I hear that once I do, it will distract me and clear my head though.
On more "positive" notes, I do have to catch you up on the good developments. Since the last entry we have held four successful events (the overwhelmingization I've been alluding to).
Get Lei'd for Diabetes - Last Friday, we hosted a Fantasia Party at our very gracious friends' house, Bob and Andrea's. We had all sorts of Hawaiian themed candies, and Mai Tais to drink, while the Fantasia rep ran through massage oils, bath products, and more. We received 10% of the profits from the evening, and raffled off a few items. In total, we raised about $140, although this amount will only be confirmed once the cheque comes in from the Fantasia head office.
A Night for Diabetes - The very next day, I worked an 8 hour shift at the store and then raced to my hometown of Peterborough, where the Sapphire Room had kindly provided us with their space for 2 hours for a little cocktail party. I put this together as several friends from the area had complained about how they would love to come out and support us, but could not afford the trip to Guelph. An old friend did up the catering, and the Sapphire Room created a blueberry infused martini called 'Cure for the Blues', that we received $1 from each sale. Unfortunately, those friends who were upset that I was not in Peterborough did not show up - but we did have about 15 people come out including my best friend, my former supervisor, a recent donor from our Facebook group, and several friends of my parents'. In total we raised over $180 that night.
Ditty for Diabetes - On Wednesday, we joined with Jumpin' Johnny's karaoke at Fox & Fiddle in Guelph for a musical evening. Unfortunately, there were some miscommunications and the venue was not planning on running our event (despite never phoning us to let us know this fact). Jeff and I were very grateful to the Assistant Manager and the staff on Wednesday night as they tried their best to accomodate us as they could and the night went on with only a few changes. We raised $147 between donations and tickets that we pre-sold to friends for the night. And Jumpin' Johnny has invited us to join with him at The Albion in September once the students are back, which should be great!
Now, before I go on to the last event, I must point out how amazing Jeff has been these last few days, and how exhausting the week has been for both of us. So, Wednesday we were out until 12:30am and Jeff gets up for work every day at 6am. On Thursday, after I got home from work, Jeff's family came to help organize a few things for Saturday's event while Jeff was at Ultimate Frisbee. Once home, Jeff and I went out to deliver flyers for our upcoming Bottle Drive - that meant we were out until 11pm. Then Friday, Jeff stayed up until 10:30pm packing the van with Garage Sale goodies, while I stayed up until 11:30pm cleaning and pricing the items. We were both up at 5:45 on Saturday.
Thank goodness we have a day of rest today.
Garage Sale/Bake Sale - Our final event happened yesterday morning, and what a beautiful morning to do it. I guess it's August now, perhaps we will have summer at last. Either way, with donations from friends and co-workers we had 5 tables full, shelving units, and a tarp. It was a beautiful sight. And, between the delicious goodies (including Snickerdoodles made by Jeff's niece, cookies/muffins from my mom, cookies and a Hello Dolly from an old classmate, and squares/banana bread/and gorgeous cupcakes from our friend Erin) and the garage sale, we raised about $415! Our biggest 'take' yet! The great thing is also, that we did not sell all of our 'big sale' items - so we have boxed everything up in our apartment again and are planning another sale before the 2nd deadline.
So, all in all, in the past week, we managed to raise just a little less than $900. So, at least we know now, that if we had ran 4 events per week we might have made our first deadline.
Wowee.
Can I just say....4 events per week may bring us in a little under $900, but it is far too exhausting to realistically do.
But, thanks to all of that, we have broken $2500 (the halfway point for deadline one). In fact, we are sitting somewhere around the $2750 mark. And when you really sit down and think about it, that's pretty darn good. There are some Team Diabetes participants - singles - who are struggling to make their $2500. Jeff and I are, yes, a two-person team, so we are committed to raising twice as much, but truly, we are one person, raising the amount required for two. We do not run separate events, we do not have separate groups of friends. So, I try not to think of it so much as a failure because, we have passed the first deadline for one person.
Either way, I will still make my plea - the links to our pledge sites are in the top right corner of this page. Please, help us get closer to our first deadline, and to reach our second deadline of $9000 by September 18th.
And on that note......I'm going for a long awaited run.
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