We made the A-List/Politico ???

So this post is horribly belated. After much procrastination and some neglect/forgetfulness, we wanted to tell you about a fun evening we had a few weeks back.

We spent part of one evening searching for ugly sweaters, and then wearing those sweaters to a holiday party hosted by some friends of ours. There was quite the turnout of style, including some shout-outs to Hanukkah and a full Santa suit (complete with beard).

...but little did we know that the group was being watched...

Turns out, the gathering made Politico's/Mike Allen's "Playbook" for the day. (Relevant passages quoted below, taken from its permalink (be sure to click "Read All" if you visit this page.))

--The A-list GOPosse showed strong for the “5th Annual Crappy-Christmas & Heinous-Hanukkah Sweater Party” in a white tent in an Arlington yard, with part of a Santa costume tossed on the roof. (One of the Santas was swilling Korbel through his rented white beard.) Mike Neal, who’s among the founders (11 hosts this year), gets the RECIDIVISM AWARD for his annual zip-up red holiday vest that would be a hit in any bingo parlor. Special category: “3-D Sweaters,” festooned with ornaments and such [[ed.note: just sayin', but we think we were the only ones with ornaments attached to our sweaters.]] By the time we got there, Jay was down to a T-shirt promising, “Nice Jewish Boy!” Actual Nice Jewish Boy Rob had a hooded red, snowflake-bedecked number that he planned to burn in order to determine the “fiber” composition. Ryan Haddad sported antlers. When we left in the wee hours, Brian was closing but the party wasn’t. There was talk of rallying to Atlantic City, but debate about who would drive.

SPOTTED: April “The Goldstein” Goldstein, asking Santa for a Playbook shout-out.

OVERHEARD: Sarah Sendek, explaining her brother’s failed Uncle Eddy costume to his buddies when he was inside.

ALSO OVERHEARD: “You won’t bring jobs to unemployed Republicans? YOU’RE not the real Santa.”

So there you go!

A Letter from Jill

From: Jill
To: You
Subject: At this season of giving, a personal request

Dear Friend,

As you may know, I work for the American Red Cross and I'm writing to ask for your help, but I want you to know why I have fallen in love with this great organization and maybe help you fall in love too.

Within days of joining the American Red Cross, I heard firsthand accounts of our work in China, and I saw the efforts to help people rebuild and recover from a powerful earthquake that impacted millions of lives. Nothing could have prepared me for the images and stories. The most heartbreaking sight was at a primary school, where a young girl described the terror of losing her brother and friend. It hit me at that moment that I wasn't just looking at pictures of destruction; I was looking at broken lives. Lives we can help to rebuild.

Since I joined the Red Cross in July, I have watched employees and volunteers respond to a multitude of disasters. In addition to a barrage of hurricanes (Dolly, Fay, Hannah, Gustav and Ike) we've had widespread floods and devastating wildfires.

Volunteers have staffed our shelters and provided meals, mental health counseling, and community outreach into disaster stricken areas. I've witnessed the impact that we have as we work to restore dignity and a sense of hope for the victims of these disasters. I've never been so proud to be part of an organization.

This year, an unprecedented number of disasters has taken its toll on our Disaster Relief Fund. Although we utilize a volunteer force, the expenses associated with meals, supplies, and transportation for our volunteers has depleted our funds. This year alone we have served more than six million meals and opened thousands of shelters. We have coordinated the work of more then 50,000 volunteers. Thousands of individuals have benefitted from the services of the American Red Cross.

The cost of responding to these disasters has been enormous, but the Red Cross has been there to answer every call. In order to make it possible for us to continue this life-saving work, we have launched a $100 million dollar Campaign for Disaster Relief to replenish the Disaster Relief Fund. I'm proud to announce that we have reached the midway point and raised over $60 million.

As we approach the home stretch, I've been asked to help raise funds by reaching out to family and friends. Jeremy and I personally want to demonstrate our commitment to this campaign by participating.

Our goal is to raise at least $10,000. I hope that you'll consider making a gift to the Disaster Relief Fund so that we can continue to help those in need.

I know these are challenging economic times for every one of us. Those same economic factors will increase costs that impact the Red Cross and the people we serve - some in their darkest hour of need.

You can use the link at the bottom of this note to go to my personal fundraising page for the campaign and make a donation to help disaster victims. Please forward this note to your friends and family, encouraging them to join with you in helping save a life.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please feel free to contact me.

Thank you in advance for your generosity and support. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and a happy New Year.

Best Wishes,

Jill E.
Office of the President & CEO
American Red Cross

Click here to visit my personal page.
Or, visit this web address: http://american.redcross.org/site/TR/DRFCampaign/DisasterReliefCampaignTeamChallenges?px=5398750&pg=personal&fr_id=1184&et=zBcywdRCtIJy2r155Rxk_Q..&s_tafId=1808

It's a What?!

So, I found this while watching the commercial above, and just had to post it.

E-Day 2008

I'll try to be brief...

Worked in Colorado in the morning. Got a group of our volunteers off to the airport. Found out last-minute our flight had been bumped up several hours, so madly packed, threw everything into the rental car, and drove to the airport.

Flew to Arizona. Grabbed a cab and drove to the Biltmore. Checked in, went to my room, cleaned up (had to go from "political" back to "finance") and went to the staff briefing.

Quick tour of the goings-ons. Played bouncer. Ate chips and guac, quesadilla bites, and other hors devours. Watched The One sweep across the nation.

Watched the concession speech. Had a few more diet Cokes while everyone else continued to enjoy the open bar with much more fervor.

Stayed up late.

Flew home the next morning.

On a more detailed note, the day was an interesting mix of excitement, tension, apprehension, and eerie calm -- at least, for me. The set-up was amazing, and people came out by the thousands. Several other E-Day parties were being held close by, and "bouncer" quickly turned "troubleshooter" as you tried to explain to someone that the reason they couldn't get into this room was because they were in the wrong spot...

Although remaining optimistic with the guests, in the back of my mind I was expecting the worst, but felt unusually calm about it. (Others didn't take it as well).

The last 16 months were quite the roller coaster -- and quite the experience. I'm glad I took the opportunity to get involved, gave my all, and stuck with it to the end.

Service with a Smile

So, I told myself that I'd write a few blog posts to catch ya'll up on the happenings of the past few months. This isn't that post.

Today, it's easier just to post a video and a quick note to say that we helped out at the American Red Cross' "Holiday Mail for Heroes" this past weekend, and made CNN. Keep a close watch and see if you spot us! =)


12-06-2008 National Headquarters, American Red Cross, Washington, DC

Two Interesting "Top 10s" from FP

The 10 Worst Predictions for 2008

The Top 10 Stories You Missed in 2008