great day!

Today was a great day. It was perfect timing after my bad Thursday when I went to the dentist and found out there is a little (I mean a lot) of work to be done to my pearly whites.

I accomplished a few organizational tasks in the morning, talked to my parents for a bit, and called Phil for his birthday (Happy Birthday, again, Phil).

Then I remembered that there was a volunteer opportunity for Starbucks employees to help out with a salmon luncheon and dinner, so when the sun peaked through the clouds, I hustled on my bike down to Boundary Bay to assist in some setup and such for the luncheon. The organization, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA), raises funds for salmon restoration, kids programs, and planing trees once a year at this event. I thought it was mildly ironic that an organization which tries to restore salmon to streams and rivers served up their prized fish for their fundraiser, but they do also promote healthy fishing practices.

After helping out for a couple hours, I ran up to the Farmer's Market for a bit, enjoyed 1/2 my bag of kettle corn, and then ran home for a break and to catch up on a few things.

I returned later in the afternoon and volunteered again to serve salmon for the big dinner. Not only did they sell out of tickets, but they kept selling dinners at a discount since we were running out of the side dishes. It was a record turnout. I spent such a fun evening with a few other Starbucks employees, serving up pasta salad, fresh (real fresh) White King Salmon Steaks, and super fresh strawberry/raspberry cobbler for dessert.

Perhaps the best part of the evening that each volunteer was allowed to indulge in the dinner as well. Amazing! Nothing quite so good as fresh food outdoors in the sun!