Now what?

WE GOT FIRED.

So yesterday at work, Sam (our boss) gave Kramer and I the news that we would be transfered to the door-to-door canvassing office because of our lack of money raising skills.  Like I said before the quota per day is $125 and Monday and Tuesday I only raised $95 each day.  

So the kids from the door office are really cool and we thought that it wouldn't be too bad... but this morning I got a phone call from Sam telling me that she was "letting us go" completely.  

So of course I got upset, freaked out for a minute and panicked. 

BUT... maybe this is all just part of our adventure.  

We were fired not because of our personal deficiencies, but our lack of ability to raise obscene amounts of money from people on the street.  

Oh well I guess, as much as I care about the issues and the environment- that doesn't make me a great street peddler.

Minneapolis phase two: Job search. 

Do you have a minute for the environment... dammit.

So the last week Kramer and I both didn't "make quota" at work.  It turns out that each week you must make $625 to keep your job... we both raised clear over $500 - so we both got warnings... Carl says I'm way too happy when I ask people if they have a second to talk to me.  Our pickup lines consist of Do you have a moment for clean energy?  Do you have a minute for the environment.. etc.  He told me I would get more stops if I acted more serious so people don't think I'm just some happy cute girl but rather sense the urgency in my voice instead.

So yesterday at field manager training, I had to practice asking those questions as if there were a period at the end and not a question mark.  He had me say the phrase:  

My shoes are dirty... 

                Do you have a minute for the environment.

Next week: Its on!

This evening we're going to a Memorial Day cookout at somebody's house from the door-to-door office. We made pasta salad.  Supposedly there will be bacci ball and a game of kickball: we can't wait.

Were starting to make friends with our roommates more which is cool: Yesterday we rode bikes with this dude named Timma down to the Mississippi river to play frisbee and my feet kept getting bitten by these really spikey weeds that were all over the field. . . But this town is sweet because we never have to drive a car.  Everything is either close enough to ride our bikes, walk or take a bus.  Lexington - you've got some work to do.

As for the photo of the day, the sauces at taco bell are not the same color as at home...

Can you tell which one is wrong?

Working hard for our money...

Work is two things: rewarding and brutal.

The first three days it turns out are a test run for everybody -> if you aren't able to raise over $125 and also commit two monthly givers, then you lose your job.  Thankfully, Kramer and I both "made staff" and despite the pressure had a good time doing it.Al Three people didn't come back today... its almost like a game of survivor.   Knowing that you've done something really great while you were at work for the day is a really rewarding and powerful thing.  Although I've gotten a little bit sunburnt and my farmer's tan is coming in strong, work is going well.  Kramer and I are both being trained as field managers this week, so we'll be leading our own crews of canvassers. 

Today though I didn't raise barely any money, the same for a lot of people, and that was very discouraging... but tomorrow can only get better.

Here's a picture of our house, like I said: ITS HUGE.  I live on the second floor in a nice room that is painted brown.  Kramer lives on the third and everybody that lives on the second and third floors shares a kitchen.  The boys in the basement have their own kitchen on the 1st floor that everybody fights over the use of fridge space for... apparently those boys don't use it at all- when we got here there was a gallon of milk in the downstairs fridge that expired in January... I think everyone might be right.

 

Our Arrival

So on Friday May 16th, my friend Kramer and I set out for Minneapolis, Minnesota to work as environmental canvassers for the summer and to find an adventure.

After thirteen long hours in the car, we finally made it here - and needless to say its a pretty cool place.  We're living in a ten-person house that is giant and very dark... our roommates think it was built before electricity was invented because all of the light switches are on the ceiling and no one can really reach them.   Everybody in the house is really cool -they've even taken us out to parties with them a few times thus far-  and it ended up that where we work is only a few blocks away.

The organization we're working for is called Fund for the Public Interest.  Its a grassroots organization that was started twenty years ago in order to provide the most progressive organizations in America a helping hand in building up name-recognition, to raising money for campaigns, and also to provide more support in general for the movements being addressed. 

We'll be working with Environment Minnesota, the US Progressive Future and also the Human Rights Campaign... let the adventure begin.