tomorrow is...

   

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     Tomorrow is my (possibly) last day at the BLC working towards my senior project, and we plan on taking pictures for documentation and summarizing and tidying up any of the volunteer work I've done/will do at home. I will have logged a little over 10 hours with Maggie, and I plan to spend the 5 hours of "alone work" required accumulating donations of school supplies, books in Spanish, (hopefully) guitars, and (maybe) an Encyclopedia set, as well as typing out manuals for Facebook, surfing the web, e-mail, and word processor. (Even though I will not be able to make the manuals during my time with Maggie, we initially planned for me to do that mini-project, and I would like to follow through with that on my own time.)

     Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, I alphabetized organized alphabetized organized  alphabetized organized the BLC library. And finally.................IT'S COMPLETE! Well, almost... I have the sections all created, organized, and shifted to new homes on the many shelves, and yesterday (Wednesday) I typed out English/Spanish labels (in the BLC colors of blue and green) for those shelves and sections. If I can remember correctly, here are the categories: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Auto & Biographies, Books in Spanish, Children's Books, Children's Books in Spanish, Elementary Learning, GED, Spanish Learning, English Learning, Maps, Dictionaries, Thesaurus, Writing Reference, Encyclopedia, Equine Books, and Cookbooks. It's quite a nice library. However, I'd really like to get them some more books in Spanish, and so would Maggie, during the drive.

     I officially met Jennifer on Tuesday,  I believe. I remember her from when she talked to us at GSP. She seems really cool.

     It's been so great at the BLC, and I have come to look forward to stopping at Gate 5 to tell the nice security guard "Good morning! I'm going to the Backside Learning Center!" and his replying of a smile of recognition and wave. I have come to look forward to parking next to Christians red BMW - the thing that let me know on the first day that I had (finally) made it to the Center. I have come to look forward to walking through the BLC doors, and turning the corner around the hallway to say, "Hellooooo!" to Maggie and Christian at their desks. At the end of my working hours, which also includes fun conversation and unique music listening with the employees, I feel accomplished and like I have helped the center out, and in an indirect way, the students there. Tomorrow, I will put on my coat, hat, and purse that I place on the same table every morning, and wave goodbye and give thanks to Maggie and Christian the last time (this round). It has been really cool leaving around the same time that some of the horses in the backside are running the track, being walked, or being bathed. Churchill Downs is an amazing part of Kentucky and it's incredibly important that we support the workers that are the backbone to the entire industry, and that is what the Backside Learning Center is doing. What a great senior project! I feel and hope that it's true that I am contributing to the education the backside workers will receive in the Spring. 

THANK YOU, MAGGIE!!!!!!!

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