The End

Now that we're back in Albuquerque, we have yet to work on our paper, poster, and oral presentation about our stay in Farmington. Looking back at the objectives we listed in our very first post, we did at least address everything written there. FET is well on its way to becoming more widely spread in schools throughout the state and the country, but of course, the first step is Farmington. There is little, if anything, in need of improvement in the FET program--except that the team of 2 is severely understaffed. If anyone reading this post, instructors especially, but also desk-job employees or full-time students, is interested in incorporating the Full Engagement Training--for a healthy body, mind, and spirit--please let us know. Either leave us a comment or send us an e-mail at missionfarmington@gmail.com.

Implementing new policies with Red Apple Transit is going to take some time and appears to be a project within itself. We're hoping to establish an additional transit route in the opposite direction of what is in place now. That way, instead of having to sit on a bus and wait an hour to get to a particular destination that's closer if you went the other way down the street, you can sit on a bus that travels the shorter path. What logic. 

Only after this major concern is addressed would the committee have any time to talk about discounts for women in WIC or families on food stamps. Again, e-mail us if you're interested in learning more.

The job/health fairs were successful because they happened. We organized these events with 13 vendors in the first, and 19 vendors in the second. They gave out tons of free information in the form of pamphlets, brochures, and oral word, along with freebies like coupons and small prizes. Our BA/MD group raffled off two first-aid kits and an adorable, squishy, stuffed monkey.  You would've loved that monkey if you attended the first job/health fair.

The most sincere Thank You to all the vendors, public attendees, and to everyone who helped us to organize and promote the job/health fairs.

Randomosity

Do you know how it feels to go 20 days without flossing?

I do. It's disgusting.

 When my parents came up to Farmington with me the day I moved into the hotel, my mother stuck my Ziploc bag of dental floss and cough medicine in a random drawer of a bedside chest I rarely use. I happened to look inside the drawer one day in search of the phonebook (which wasn't even there) and was overjoyed to finally find my floss. I swear my teeth felt more loose than usual as the bacteria clustered between them and ate away the enamel. Yum.

In other news, the movie "Cars 2" was not as great as the original, but still okay. As a group, we recommend waiting for the DVD release and renting it then.

In other, other news, "Blue Moon Diner" has an old-school feel of which I am very fond.

In yet other news, we're going to cook dinner for some important members of the community tomorrow night; it's our way of saying, "thank you." Wish us luck; none of us are skilled chefs.

How It All Went Down...

Yesterday's Job/Health Fair started off--and ended--much more smoothly than expected. Z, S, and I departed from our hotel together and met up with J at Sycamore Park Community Center about 9:40 AM to hang up signs at the front of the center, inside the gym, and along Murray. We had neglected to bring our own duct tape, so we borrowed a silver-gray roll from the community center to tape our poster to a telephone pole. It did not survive the duration of the Job/Health Fair. Duct tape stinks.

Close to 11 AM, Z and I were struck with the idea of going to the Copy Center near Big K-Mart and printing more mini-flyers to post on car windshields and hand to people in the streets of Downtown. Well, we ended up printing 240 copies, passing them out to people in the parking lot of Big K-Mart and posting it on random cars' windshields. We then targeted Safeway and did the same, and next Wal-Mart. At Wal-Mart, however, a security guard drove up in his Jeep to scold me for breaking a "Wal-Mart law": no flyer posting in the Wal-Mart parking lot. I was unable to escape before he drove up to me, as my Ninja skills are a little out-of-practice.

But lucky us: we had passed out most of the flyers by the time I was caught.

Z and I proceeded back to the community center, where J and S were holding down the fort. J told us that a spurt of adult customers had come and gone shortly before we arrived, which was good news. But alas, that was the only spurt we were going to get that day. Those who came in afterwards were elementary and middle school-aged kids who really had no interest in Medicaid/Medicare, the BA/MD Program, or gym memberships. Sigh. So many cool give-aways neglected. Ah, well.

We feel pretty badly looking back now, since throughout the event, we passed out water, Sun Chips, and trail mix granola bars to all of our nineteen vendors--except the EMT giving Ambulance Tours outside. OMG! In the burning hot sun he suffered, explaining the many intricacies of Ambulances' technological features and wearing long black pants the whole time...dehydrated.   :-(    We apologized profusely afterward, but he was in good spirits and had his own H2O.

Remember: Water = Life.  Drink Life.

Have it with you everywhere you go.

That's both practical and philosophical advice, mind you.

The Job/Health Fair ended early, in an effort to avoid wasting vendors' valuable time, but no one seemed all too disappointed. They knew we had worked hard to organize it, and apparently it's a HUGE challenge to encourage the public to attend a free and educational event, filled with spectacular prizes and full-of-potential opportunities for both health and employment.

The four of us had lunch at The Deli Factory, which was surprisingly tasty. The artwork on the walls was awesome. One painting in particular caught my eye. It speaks to me, stirs me:  The Accolade by Edmund Blair Leighton. 

You know you're tempted to look it up now. Do it.

Important Message

Keep in mind everyone:

Tomorrow, Monday, June 27th, is our Job/Health Fair at the Sycamore Park Community Center from 11 AM - 2 PM.

22 vendors from all over Farmington are expected to attend! Be sure you don't miss it! 

Continuing Friday

We talked to the Youth Conservation Corp at Rocinante High School about the BA/MD Program and college life in general. We were nervous to be approaching high school students, particularly those students who are "too cool" be attentive. Yeah, we remember those days. We know how high school students can be.

BUT NO. None of the students in the YCC were disrespectful. Not once did eyes glance away from us; the students were interactive, and they were tolerant of an obviously "winged" presentation. Several of them had already graduated and were preparing for college in the fall. We wish you all the best, and even if you are not interested in the BA/MD Program for yourself, we hope you pass on the information. Keep in mind our advice to not stress about college. It's honestly not that intimidating, and it is clear that you are all loyal to your studies. That's the key. Diligence. 

Next, we made 400 copies of mini-flyers for the next Job/Health Fair on Monday, June 27th--11 AM to 2 PM at Sycamore Park Community Center. They were posted in restaurants like Andrea Kristina's and Three Rivers Brewery & Pizzeria, in addition to the windshields of random cars lining the streets and parking lots of major department stores. We'll probably do it again tomorrow and Sunday. 

For now, my sandals are digging so deeply into my toes, I simply refuse to do it anymore. Plus, have you felt how HOT it is outside? Well, don't go through the trouble; I'll let you know that it's a tad bit uncomfortable. Stay indoors, if you can, in the peak hours of day (11 AM - 3 PM), but if you do travel, slather on plenty of sunscreen and wear a sombrero. 

Tonight, S will go out to a barbecue and volleyball game with a local Church group, while Z, J, and I go to dinner at J's home. J's mother is a fantabulous chef and is just as wonderful with her dessert concoctions. Then we'll all meet up at the Sandstone Theater to watch "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." 

Tomorrow: rock-wall climbing!

A Packed Day

We failed to mention in our last post that "Hulk," starring Eric Bana, was also an impressive superhero film. "The Incredible Hulk," with Edward Norton wasn't bad, but the one with Bana was darker and quite simply, better. 

We met with our teacher from UNM for the last time today, in regards to our homework and the community health project.  S and J decided they wanted coffee afterwards, and "Andrea Kristina's Bookstore & Kafe" was the next street over. I was instantly excited, as I had worked on homework there for nearly 4 hours last Wednesday afternoon. Seeing how it was already noon, we ended up buying lunch. J and Z got into some ridiculous, 30-minute debate about healthcare, philosophy, and ethics shortly afterward. I had heard enough after 5 minutes and ran away to explore the books and then the street outside.

We are off to visit a high school, but there is more to come....

Setting Sail and Puking Green

In other news, we did watch "The Green Lantern" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides."

Actually, we didn't all watch "Green Lantern" together; rather, after a night of shadowing in the ER and sleeping sporadically throughout the next day, I stole away all by my lonesome to watch it in a theater that was packed all the way to the very front seats. And yes, I do mean the seats that are so close to the screen that you get a neck-ache looking up at it.

The movie was great, though perhaps it fell a tad bit below my expectations. I felt as though the storyline was rushed. You had some, but not very much, attachment to the characters, and one of the villains in the film was defeated far too easily--his death wasn't even honorable. Seriously, have some respect for the guy and give him a defeat worth remembering. Don't make him forgettable.It seems all superhero movies nowadays are struggling to reach the level of the "Spider-Man" films, but only "The Dark Knight" has come close in quality.

My title suggests that "Green Lantern" was "puke-able," "vomit-able," "throw-uppable," "throwing chunks-able" (why do we have so many words for vomiting?!), but it was not. I just thought the title to the post was clever. "Green Lantern" worth my decision to see it at the theater, though a considerable number of people will walk out of the movies wishing they had waited for the DVD. 

I might as well take this moment to share a couple of my favorite villains of all time with you, some of which are Disney characters, including Randall from "Monsters, Inc." and Syndrome from "The Incredibles." I also liked the Australian dude with the lizard named Joanna from "Rescuers Down Under" and Ursula from "The Little Mermaid." Who is your favorite villain (Disney or otherwise)? Let us know in the comments or shoot us an e-mail at missionfarmington@gmail.com.

Now, "Pirates": not as good as the other films. As if it wasn't enough that Orlando and Keira were nowhere to be found (which we had all known about for some time now), the romances in the movie were completely irrelevant. At least Orlando and Keira made sense--it was complicated, and they weren't sure how they felt about admitting their feelings. Mushy talk. "Pirates" wasn't a foul attempt, but they need to stop here, before the series is looked upon as any other action-packed but story-empty series. The first movie was refreshing and dark, but neither originality nor darkness were anywhere to be found in the fourth movie. I have to admit that my enjoyment level had been decreasing with each additional film.

To soothe our sorrowful hearts after the Job/Health Fair today, we picked up lunch at "Hometown Hamburgers," where I was delighted to find a most delicious Garden Burger to suit my vegetarian needs. My groupmates--all of whom are carnivores--seemed to very much enjoy their own meals of hamburgers and 1/2-pound cheeseburgers. We dined under the awning of Civitan Park and frolicked on the swingsets, jungle gyms, and green hills afterwards. Each of us made videos and took pictures along the way, including videos of every single one of us recording each other. J found a slow-motion application on his phone, and S suggested I run in the fields (in heels!) so we could play around with the slow-mo option.  Result: I looked lanky and fragile to the point of comical.

Upon playing a make-believe game of croquet in the garden of our hotel, as well as allowing J to explore our abode (remember he lives at home while Z, S, and I are staying at an inn), Mr. and Mrs. Darnell treated us to a work-dinner at Outback Steakhouse. Outback was also good about finding an herbivore something to eat amongst all that steak. Lucky, lucky.