Nebraska: Ask about our state motto contest

Just as I titled this post with Nebraska's state motto, one of our senior citizens passed me, asked me how I liked Omaha, and regardless of my upbeat answer replied: "Nebraska isn't quite the end of the world ...but you can see it."

OMAHA:

My team and I are living this month in Bellevue which is a suburb of Omaha while we work in the city with Volunteers Assisting Seniors and Habitat for Humanity. VAS is fantastic. We were trained on Medicare Part D drug plans and Advantage plans and now we help cute old people to save thousands of dollars by switching to plans that more adequately cover their prescriptions. VAS feeds us a lot. A lot. Which is helpful because each member of the fireteam eats roughly the diet of a medium bear before hibernation. I actually had to ration our milk.
We just started at HFH but so far we have prepared final touches on 2 homes for their dedications and worked on siding another house. My team is doing well, 11 people in one house with one kitchen is interesting but also fun. My team has been described as having "a lot of strong personalities." Our team definitely has energy.
We've worked out a deal with the local YMCA to exchange volunteer hours for a free membership which is wonderful but makes our schedule a bit insane:

5:15am-wake up, get ready

5:50-team meeting, leave for Y

6:30-YMCA workout, shower, eat breakfast in van

8:30am-4:30pm-volunteer

4:30-back to YMCA for volunteering

6-head home to start making dinner

8pm- various meetings/paperwork



However, today is a bit slow at VAS so as you'll notice, I am multi-tasking at work.

Last weekend we explored downtown Omaha which is very hippy and has a great music scene. AKA I like it. I splurged and bought myself a Nebraska tee-shirt.

For Thanksgiving we are volunteering at a dinner at the YMCA tomorrow night and on Thursday about half of us are staying in town to have dinner at our Sponsor's house. I'm very excited!

PEER PRESSURE STRIKES AGAIN:

So I mentioned to my team that I had shaved my head. And then it spread like wildfire. 3 people on my team are fundrasing for a non-profit and getting sponsors to raise $ to shave their heads. Also, after we talked about it 8 members shaved their heads in the Corps right before we left for Spike. It's pandemonium. They were trying to convince me to do it again, but I think i've had my fill. I'm comfortable in the peer pressure role.

GOOD NEWS FOR NEW YORKERS:
I found worse drivers than New York drivers! They live in Nebraska.

GOOD NEWS FOR JEWS:
We can sense each other. I have accidentally met almost every Jew in Omaha, one of which updated me on recent Brandeis politics, and one who has an Israeli husband from the town where Julia works and a nephew at her school.