I know I've spent quite a bit of space talking about our plunge, so I promise this will be the last of it. If you can't tell, I'm proud to serve Special Olympics, and I'm proud of our team!
Friday, February 29, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Polar Plunge Pics!
As promised, here are several pictures from the Polar Plunge which took place this last Saturday. You can read all about the plunge in my last post, so I won't bore you with any further details. Happy viewing!!
Our theme this year was "Gang Green," thus, the green outfits. I'm the second one from the right, wearing the very stylish and sassy green mullet.
This is Ash, our Rescue 9-1-1 Dog. Ash was the only smart one of our group - she chose to avoid the water as long as she could while the rest of us plunged. She did eventually join us, though. Probably because she felt sorry for us.
On the approach....
Making entry.....
We've plunged!
It is at this point that one realizes just how much human beings were not meant to resemble anything remotely close to polar bears. Folks, it's cold!!
Ahhhhh....warm sunshine.....ahhhhhh.
Thanks for taking a look - check out my next post for a video of our plunge!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Polar Plunge Recap
If you thought I fell off the face of the earth, vanished into thin air, or just plain ceased to exist, I am back to tell you not to fear. I am still around, I am still breathing, I am still alive and kicking. The past two weeks in the lives of the Campbell Clan has been pretty crazy, but we are finally getting a chance to breathe again. As I have done many times in the past, I thank you for your patience!
If you've been checking in now and again, you are aware this past Saturday was the annual Polar Plunge to benefit Special Olympics Nebraska. Ladies and Gentlemen, I am incredibly proud to announce it was a huge success!! We began plunging at 10:30 on Saturday morning, and while the temperature climbed to nearly forty degrees for the first time in several weeks, the water at Holmes Lake was nothing short of bitterly cold. In order to make a place for us to jump, the Lincoln Fire Department began chopping at the ice on Thursday night, using chainsaws and axes in an attempt to tackle the job. After ruining several pieces of equipment, they ended up bringing in a backhoe to get through the fourteen inches of ice on the lake. Yes, you read right - fourteen inches of ice. Paramedics from the dive team stood by as the event unfolded, and fortunately, not a soul was harmed. Here are some statistics from this fantastic event:
Number of plungers: 176 (tripled from last year)
Amount of money raised: $40,000 ($27,000 last year)
Water temperature at time of plunge: Didn't ask, don't want to know
Inches of ice on the lake: 14
Oldest plunger: 61 years young
Youngest plunger: 9 years old
Again, a wonderful experience and a wonderful event. One of my fellow plungers is working on putting together a cd of pictures taken that morning. When I have the cd in my hot little hands, I will be sure and post them for all to see. Thanks to all who donated, encouraged, and who were there in person to witness my plunge! See ya next year!!
If you've been checking in now and again, you are aware this past Saturday was the annual Polar Plunge to benefit Special Olympics Nebraska. Ladies and Gentlemen, I am incredibly proud to announce it was a huge success!! We began plunging at 10:30 on Saturday morning, and while the temperature climbed to nearly forty degrees for the first time in several weeks, the water at Holmes Lake was nothing short of bitterly cold. In order to make a place for us to jump, the Lincoln Fire Department began chopping at the ice on Thursday night, using chainsaws and axes in an attempt to tackle the job. After ruining several pieces of equipment, they ended up bringing in a backhoe to get through the fourteen inches of ice on the lake. Yes, you read right - fourteen inches of ice. Paramedics from the dive team stood by as the event unfolded, and fortunately, not a soul was harmed. Here are some statistics from this fantastic event:
Number of plungers: 176 (tripled from last year)
Amount of money raised: $40,000 ($27,000 last year)
Water temperature at time of plunge: Didn't ask, don't want to know
Inches of ice on the lake: 14
Oldest plunger: 61 years young
Youngest plunger: 9 years old
Again, a wonderful experience and a wonderful event. One of my fellow plungers is working on putting together a cd of pictures taken that morning. When I have the cd in my hot little hands, I will be sure and post them for all to see. Thanks to all who donated, encouraged, and who were there in person to witness my plunge! See ya next year!!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Immigration Gumballs
This video by Roy Beck has been emailed to me a couple of times. Admittedly, I made an assumption before watching that what I was going to see was another conservative-minded opinion on why the United States needs to rid the land of immigrants, beef up the border patrols, etc. After watching, however, I found myself really thinking about what Mr. Beck presented and how he presented it. I've not done much research on the effects of immigration, positive or negative, so I cannot give a very educated response to what Mr. Beck has said in this clip. Nevetheless, it got my wheels spinning. Have a look, and let me know your thoughts.
Friday, February 8, 2008
HELP!!!!
Hello y'all! In my last post, I made the announcement that I would be sacrificing myself for the second straight year by plunging into the icy waters of Holmes Lake in Lincoln. Whatever for, you ask?? To raise moola for Special Olympics Nebraska in the Polar Plunge, 2008!! Special Olympics is an organization I hold near and dear to my ever-lovin' heart. Here's the problem - since I posted last, I HAVE HAD ONLY ONE, (1), UNO, UNE, ONE DONATION!!!!!!!
Thanks, Mommy!!
Please hook a plunger up and visit the website I've set up to make a donation, if you can. I would certainly appreciate your generosity with whatever you feel you can give, even it's just a buck. I have a long ways to go to reach my $1000 dollar goal and would hate to fall horribly short! Thanks for considering!!!!!!
Thanks, Mommy!!
Please hook a plunger up and visit the website I've set up to make a donation, if you can. I would certainly appreciate your generosity with whatever you feel you can give, even it's just a buck. I have a long ways to go to reach my $1000 dollar goal and would hate to fall horribly short! Thanks for considering!!!!!!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Freezin' For A Reason, '08!
It's that time of year again. The wind is bone-chilling cold, the snow is blowing and falling on about a weekly basis, and just a glance outside makes a person want to don a heavy coat and warm gloves. But all of this makes no difference to a select few of us who are preparing to participate in the annual Polar Plunge to benefit Special Olympics.
That's right - myself and about four of my coworkers will once again plunge into the icy waters of Holmes Lake in Lincoln, after the fire department finishes chopping up the ice to make it possible! I am in the process of raising funds for this benefit, and have made it easy for you to donate, should you so choose. Just follow the link below to my fundraising page, and rest assured it is all secure, fast, and easy!
If you're in the area on Saturday, February 23rd, at 10:00 a.m., feel free to dress warm and stop by Holmes Lake to cheer us on. It will be great fun, and the bigger the crowd of folks who are cheering for us, the better!! Thanks for considering a donation and your continued support and well-wishes, and I hope to see you there!
http://www.firstgiving.com/bigkev
That's right - myself and about four of my coworkers will once again plunge into the icy waters of Holmes Lake in Lincoln, after the fire department finishes chopping up the ice to make it possible! I am in the process of raising funds for this benefit, and have made it easy for you to donate, should you so choose. Just follow the link below to my fundraising page, and rest assured it is all secure, fast, and easy!
If you're in the area on Saturday, February 23rd, at 10:00 a.m., feel free to dress warm and stop by Holmes Lake to cheer us on. It will be great fun, and the bigger the crowd of folks who are cheering for us, the better!! Thanks for considering a donation and your continued support and well-wishes, and I hope to see you there!
http://www.firstgiving.com/bigkev
Friday, January 11, 2008
Wind of Change
The wind of change blows straight
Into the face of time
Like a stormwind that will ring
The freedom bell for peace of mind
Let your balalaika sing
What my guitar wants to say
Aaaaaaa....classic Scorpions. I can't help but hum this tune from time-to-time these days, as the year is just fifteen days old and the wind of change is blowing quite fiercely. It's all good change, at least to this point, I think. Oh, and since I know you're wondering just what a balalaika is, you can see for yourself here.
The first big change of the year was at work. After a lengthy application process, I have received a promotion and am now an Emergency Services Dispatcher III (as opposed to an ESD I or II), or commonly known as a supervisor. To be honest, when the position originally came open, I hadn't even considered applying as I didn't feel I had been employed at the center nearly long enough. Four years of time didn't seem like much compared to some of my coworkers who had eclipsed the decade mark and beyond. But when several of those very coworkers strongly encouraged me to apply, how could I say no? Don't get me wrong - I certainly did not make a decision based solely on their suggestions, but their support was definitely a factor. While I gave the process my full attention and best efforts, I still did not think I stood much of a chance considering I was the "newest" of the applicants. You can imagine my shock, surprise, and excitement when I was offered the position. I am humbled, and ready to meet head-on the new challenges which lay ahead.
The next big change this year is my decision to become a Mona Vie distributor. I have but once tried my hand at a multi-level marketing business, and failed miserably. Since that experience, I have always told myself I would never again get involved in such an operation, unless I was very passionate about the product, the business, and the opportunity. Mona Vie has fulfilled that passion, and I am excited about where this has the potential to lead. I am just getting started, and am having the time of my life! The product itself is a nutritional beverage, combining nineteen of nature's super-fruits in terms of essential vitamins and nutrients. It's signature fruit is the acai berry found in the Amazon, and the entire mix is completely natural - no additives. I've never seen my family experience such a complete feeling of overall health and wellness. The company makes no "miracle" claims, but instead simply allows the evidence speak for itself. I will soon have a website dedicated to my new adventure, and will post that in the near future.
Finally, I wrote awhile back about the steps we were taking toward my adoption of Kaedyn. The process has been quite slow, as I expected, and there hasn't been much to update on. Frankly, there still isn't. I had to have a complete background check done, and the results of the check had to be forwarded to our attorney before his office could move any further. That process took nearly three weeks, and we are now at the point of serving papers to Kaedyn's biological father. Trouble is, we are fairly certain he is living in Lincoln, but have no clue as to a specific address. Thus, our attorney opted to send a certified letter to his last known address. Assuming this attempted contact is unsuccessful, we then post a public notice in the local paper which has to run for three weeks. Whether he responds to this or not, and what happens as a result, is nothing but speculation at this point. Therefore, I will avoid said speculation until we have further developments.
I have been waiting patiently for this opportunity for nearly eight years, and while beginning this process has stirred some excitement, I am still willing and able to continue waiting patiently. Even if things do not turn out as we hope, the connection Kaedyn and I have as father and son will never be gone. What is really important is not what a piece of paper or official document states. My son is everything in the world to me, and nothing will ever take that away. Ever.
Yes, the wind of change is blowing fiercely in these parts, and we are running out to meet it! With the year just a couple of weeks old, I would love to hear about some of your changes thus far, or soon coming, or planned for the distant future. Feel free to comment...
Into the face of time
Like a stormwind that will ring
The freedom bell for peace of mind
Let your balalaika sing
What my guitar wants to say
Aaaaaaa....classic Scorpions. I can't help but hum this tune from time-to-time these days, as the year is just fifteen days old and the wind of change is blowing quite fiercely. It's all good change, at least to this point, I think. Oh, and since I know you're wondering just what a balalaika is, you can see for yourself here.
The first big change of the year was at work. After a lengthy application process, I have received a promotion and am now an Emergency Services Dispatcher III (as opposed to an ESD I or II), or commonly known as a supervisor. To be honest, when the position originally came open, I hadn't even considered applying as I didn't feel I had been employed at the center nearly long enough. Four years of time didn't seem like much compared to some of my coworkers who had eclipsed the decade mark and beyond. But when several of those very coworkers strongly encouraged me to apply, how could I say no? Don't get me wrong - I certainly did not make a decision based solely on their suggestions, but their support was definitely a factor. While I gave the process my full attention and best efforts, I still did not think I stood much of a chance considering I was the "newest" of the applicants. You can imagine my shock, surprise, and excitement when I was offered the position. I am humbled, and ready to meet head-on the new challenges which lay ahead.
The next big change this year is my decision to become a Mona Vie distributor. I have but once tried my hand at a multi-level marketing business, and failed miserably. Since that experience, I have always told myself I would never again get involved in such an operation, unless I was very passionate about the product, the business, and the opportunity. Mona Vie has fulfilled that passion, and I am excited about where this has the potential to lead. I am just getting started, and am having the time of my life! The product itself is a nutritional beverage, combining nineteen of nature's super-fruits in terms of essential vitamins and nutrients. It's signature fruit is the acai berry found in the Amazon, and the entire mix is completely natural - no additives. I've never seen my family experience such a complete feeling of overall health and wellness. The company makes no "miracle" claims, but instead simply allows the evidence speak for itself. I will soon have a website dedicated to my new adventure, and will post that in the near future.
Finally, I wrote awhile back about the steps we were taking toward my adoption of Kaedyn. The process has been quite slow, as I expected, and there hasn't been much to update on. Frankly, there still isn't. I had to have a complete background check done, and the results of the check had to be forwarded to our attorney before his office could move any further. That process took nearly three weeks, and we are now at the point of serving papers to Kaedyn's biological father. Trouble is, we are fairly certain he is living in Lincoln, but have no clue as to a specific address. Thus, our attorney opted to send a certified letter to his last known address. Assuming this attempted contact is unsuccessful, we then post a public notice in the local paper which has to run for three weeks. Whether he responds to this or not, and what happens as a result, is nothing but speculation at this point. Therefore, I will avoid said speculation until we have further developments.
I have been waiting patiently for this opportunity for nearly eight years, and while beginning this process has stirred some excitement, I am still willing and able to continue waiting patiently. Even if things do not turn out as we hope, the connection Kaedyn and I have as father and son will never be gone. What is really important is not what a piece of paper or official document states. My son is everything in the world to me, and nothing will ever take that away. Ever.
Yes, the wind of change is blowing fiercely in these parts, and we are running out to meet it! With the year just a couple of weeks old, I would love to hear about some of your changes thus far, or soon coming, or planned for the distant future. Feel free to comment...
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