Week 3, a memoir.
This week presented some of the highest highs and the lowest lows. When you set out to complete a 1000K tied to a community involved fundraiser, you never know what hurdles you will encounter. I learned a lot this week.
Monday: I usually do not love Mondays, but damn I loved this one. I was a guest on Bridge Street! For those of you who are reading this that are not local to CNY, Bridge Street is a local version of the 3rd hour of the Today Show. It is a lighthearted show that showcases local happenings and current events. I had reached out to Bridge Street when I started this adventure and had no clue if I would be awarded airtime. A couple conversations last week led to Monday - my big debut. It was a live segment over Zoom, because, you know, Corona. It went beautifully. Of course, during the segment, in my head, I was in fight or flight mode. I had no idea what words were coming out of my mouth. I was just hoping to piece together intelligent thoughts and not say “like” or “um” 100 times. I did watch the interview back, and I was very pleased. This was such an exciting experience. I’m so glad I was able to talk through the 1000K for CNY campaign spreading the news! What a high! ICYMI you can see my big local TV debut here: Bridge Street TV
Tuesday: When you go to bed at night you never know what you will wake up to. This world we live in is changing every second. It is nearly impossible to know how to react to something because if you wait 5 minutes, the reaction may be different. I woke up Tuesday morning to a different world than I was in on Monday. Tuesday’s air was different and social media knew it. Not sure if this is a good or bad thing, but the first thing I did when I woke up Tuesday was check Instagram. There they were - black boxes. I scrolled and scrolled. Black box after black box. Having watched the news and having not lived under a rock, I knew what was happening. I took the time Tuesday morning to read, learn, and understand. Now I will be the first to admit, I have work to do in this department. I agree that simply not being racist, isn’t enough. I agree that our black community should not die in the hands of law enforcement. I agree that what we are and are not doing is not enough. I joined the community and paused to listen. I did not post a video, and I did not promote the business I had scheduled for that day. I listened and learned. I learned there are so many black owned small businesses in Syracuse. I made sure to share their businesses on social media. I still have much more work to do in this department, but I am honored to be able to do it.
Wednesday: Last week I recorded a podcast with Anthony from Eat Local CNY Podcast, which was so fun, and it hit the airwaves this week! Swing by Eat Local CNY Podcast wherever you get your podcasts and take a listen. A huge fan of podcasts myself, I have always wanted to be on a podcast and to be asked where people can find me on social media. When you listen, be sure to take note of that part in the pod. You can literally hear my dreams coming true. Listen here: Eat Local CNY Podcast
Paige’s Butterfly Virtual Run registration went live this week, so I signed up and promoted registration. I got my run in at Onondaga Lake Park and even was spotted by a couple of fellow OneNY runners! Join me for Paige’s Butterfly Virtual Run Here: pbrun.org
Thursday: Thursday was busy. I had a jam-packed work week on top of everything else so I really needed to micro manage every hour of the day. I have found that I really enjoy early mornings. In the early weeks of quarantine, I set myself up on a pretty strict sleep schedule. I go to bed at a decent hour and wake up early. I set my alarm for 6:30 or 7am every day. This gives me time to myself before my day actually starts. I can spend it sending emails, watching the news, listening to Spotify and dancing in my kitchen. On Thursday, I made my quarantine breakfast, chocolate chip Kodiak pancakes, and hammered away at emails to small local businesses. I want to keep pushing forward and get as many businesses on board as I can! If you know anyone, send them my way! Also, if you haven’t tried the riggies at The Cider Mill. Do yourself a favor. They were the perfect carb loading dinner.
Friday: I am blown away yet again by our fundraising total. Fridays are my new favorite day because I get to email Lynn Hy at the Food Bank of CNY and ask her for the totals. This is the third week in a row I am completely amazed at what we as a community can accomplish. I knew the number would be big but THIS BIG, come on. I have a fun day ahead, so I have to get going. I am meeting with a photographer today for a surprise project for the campaign and then I’m repping the Fish Friar all day!
Let’s cut to the chase, shall we? Here are the stats from Week 3!
Total miles run: 148.05 miles
Small businesses showcased this week: Epicuse, Skaneateles Bakery, Bridge Street TV, Eat Local CNY Podcast, Paige’s Butterfly Run, The Cider Mill and The Fish Friar.
Total amount raised for the Food Bank of CNY to date: $2,564.45
I have made my way past Rochester and heading for the CUSE! 87 more days to go!
See you on the road,
Amber