Well now, that couldn't have been more differenter.

So here is where I spent Wednesday:


As before, this isn't literally where I was on Wednesday. This was taken at a Volunteer Fair in 2005 at some university somewhere else. But it was the same one that I was at yesterday (except we used laptops instead of CRT monitors).

As a purely academic exercise, flip back two posts ago--you remember, the one about psychic damage? Look at that photo, then look back here. Then back at the first post then BACK TO ME.

Er, whoops. Sorry. Slipped into an Old Spice commercial there.

*ahem* Anyway, there are a few instantly noticeable differences. No vortexes of black power suits and drool. Liberal use of color, smiles, and happiness. Heartfelt desire to use the time you have on this planet to make it a better place for everyone.

I got to slide into the volunteer fair because I recruit volunteers as well as interns, and my interns "count" since it's for a non-profit. And even thought it was at exactly the same location (to the building!) as the Career Hell I'd just attended, neither it, nor the recruiters, nor the attending students, bore any resemblance to each other. However, there weren't chair massages at this one, so it wasn't perfect.

Great gods, I felt like I'd come home. We got a home-esque cooked vegetarian meal before the fair opened. It was really good--even the eggplant casserole, which is just asking for disaster--although someone apparently mistook cayenne pepper for nutmeg on the apple crisp (no, I'm not making that up). The only thing bittersweet about it was that no such fairs existed (or were available at my college at least) when I was in school, except for volunteer opportunities at the school/in the city. Now, those are great, and I'm a fan, but we were recruiting volunteers for places like inner-city Detroit, rural sustainable farms (ahem), and villages in Paraguay. I was politely turned down by several people who were looking for a year or longer commitment (we typically have 3-6 month internships). I spent three hours talking to all manner of engaged, eager, happy, go-getter students who wanted to use their power for the forces of good.

It could heal one's soul.

And in entirely unrelated news....

MEET MY NEW PEEPS!

Here they were just 1.5 weeks ago:



And here they are today:


(OMG they've grown so much! Can you see the feathers on their wings already?!)

And here will be their home in about 4 weeks:


(This has now been painted an unsightly color of primer-white, but will hopefully soon be transformed into a more pleasing hunter-green).