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Sunday
February 27, 2005

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today most of the Seattle ReStore staff vanned it up to Lake Samish Lodge
for my and Re-Sources' first ever work retreat. the morning was informative
and inspiring. people do various things for Re-Sources: some test water quality
and lobby for stronger environmental protections; some tour local grade schools
teaching ecology; some "deconstruct" houses from the top down to salvage all
lumber and other useable material; some scavenge old buildings to separate the
trash from the treasure and keep useful items out of the landfill; some run the
stores where reclaimed goods are sold and home repair workshops are taught.

my assignment was to present what i like about my job. it wasn't difficult to come
up with a long list which boiled down to variety of work and sense of purpose.

the afternoon wasn't quite as interesting. for some reason, 4 mormon-like
automata from Landmark Education were invited to deliver their sales
pitch for 2.5 hours. i made it more than halfway through, during which
time i doodled on the back cover of a mostly blank sketchbook. it took
me a long time to arrive at the simplicity of these tangled worms. i blacked
out everything else. maybe there's a lesson in that. i bowed out after finishing
my drawing and went straight for the fridge. i put a PBR in each of my pockets
and cracked a third one then and there. i made it out back and sat on the grass
to enjoy the sunshine and lake. i offered beers around and quickly got 2 takers.
from that moment on things just kept getting better.... no more BS from fakers.