December Links to Sign Up to Volunteer at Veterans Village

Link to sign up to cook for Veterans Village  12/8 dinner http://www.signupgenius.com/go/508094ba5a72e5-12816
Adopt a  Veteran at Veterans Village for the Holidays www.SignUpGenius.com/go/508094BA5A72E5-adopt1
Link to sign up to cook for 12/22 dinner
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/508094ba5a72e5-122216

Back it Up

I am driving Zoe to something important, something so important that she doesn't want to get there early.

Fine, we leave with JUST enough time and in a few miles find ourselves on a winding bumpy rocky
 dirt road as the last light of the day ends.

She reads a text from a friend who has already arrived at the event "there's a bridge" and then ahead of us we see a narrow wooden bridge and cross it.  

Another car comes towards us right after I cross the bridge and I panic a little because there is nowhere to pull over since the sides of the dirt road slide down to roots and moss.

There must be another way out, I say to Zoe.

There has to be another way out, she repeats to me.

A few hundred yards later another car comes towards me and we barely make it past each other.  

There must be another way out, I say to Zoe, more as a question this time

There has to be another way out, she repeats to me, knowing I'm about to freak out.

Another mile of winding bumps and we arrive at a house full of liveliness. 

Zoe ditches me and I look for another way out and can't find one.  

That's OK, I tell myself. Everyone who's coming is already here, it's OK.

So I turn my car around and head back, racing off to get Zack's pizza which was ready 30 minutes ago.  I'm sure I will be OK, I'm just sure. 

I fiddle with the radio and fall into peace for about one full glorious minute.

And then I see a truck coming towards me. 

I pull as far to the right as I can, but it is dark and I don't want to fall into the ditch. 

I move up an inch, over an inch.

She pulls far over and inches towards me.

We pull our driver's side windows in and she gets out of her  to guide me.  

 Her daughter stands on the side by the ditch lighting the path with her iPhone camera.

 I go up an inch. She says stop. I almost cry. 

I go over another inch. She says stop. I almost cry again.

Meanwhile another car lines up behind her truck facing me down.

Then another car and another and please dear Jesus I don't know what to do because there are seven cars facing me and I'm stuck on a dirt road in the dark. 

All I can think is that I want someone to rescue me. 

Please.  Please rescue me.

PLEASE PLEASE BEFORE I CRY, today is THE DAY to show and RESCUE ME.

More than ANYTHING want someone to fall from the sky and appear in my car and rescue me right now. NOW. PLEASE.

I try to picture what someone would do to rescue me, and then I know.

I imagine some badass guy jumping in my car, taking the steering wheel, turning around and confidently backing the car up all the way back to that house.  

No badass guy arrives so I tell the woman who had been helping me that I would back up and follow her. 

She goes ahead and I back up ten yards, zig zagging over roots. 

She goes more and more  ahead on the narrow dirt road and then her headlights turn a corner and its so dim that I can't see more than a few feet behind me. 

I want to stop, I want to quit. 

I want to not have come this way today at all.

 But its too late. I'm in the dark, there is only one way through this. 

I take another deep breath and back it up slowly,  little to the left (but turn the wheel right) straight and then sharply to the right (but turn wheel left) my brain and stomach hurt but I keep going like the badass I hoped would rescue me. 

Food for Days Project

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/508094ba5a72e5-5daysof1

Mission:  Assemble 3 bags (preferably reusable bags) each filled with one day of non-perishable food – 3 meals plus snacks -- that will be given to Veterans at Veterans Village.

 Example of things to include:

• Non-perishable meaty meals (ex: Hormel Compleats, Chunky Soup)
• Cereal bars
• Crackers (box) ex: Ritz, Saltines, Club
• Peanut butter single sized or canned meat (ex: tuna, chicken, deviled ham)
• Chips or popcorn
• 1 roll of toilet paper, 1 roll of paper towels
• Dessert/candy
• Optional: pen, pencil, paper, a nice note to Veteran….

Reminder -- We are not collecting random food. Please make sure each of your bags will nourish and support a Veteran who is facing tough times. 

Students: Please take a picture of your donation to document your effort and to use in your final essay. Please bring your bag to my office HSS 204 (not to class); if I’m not there, leave it with a secretary and make sure your name is on it.

Due in my office by  6pm on 11/17; we will be distributing them at dinner at 7pm on 11/17.

Please do NOT donate canned vegetables.

AMH 2020 Quiz #6 Study Guide

Part 1: 3 @ 20 points

1.      Explain the Korean conflict 1950-1953.  What role did the Chinese Civil War and containment doctrine play?  How did Korean Conflict become UN War?

2.      Explain the Gulf of Tonkin Incident and Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. How was it a turning point in the war?

3.      Explain and connect: Buddhist BBQ, Operation Rolling Thunder, Viet Cong and Ho Chi Mihn Trail.

4.      What role does the Cold War and containment play in US-Cuban relations 1950-1965?    How and when does Batista come to power?  How does Castro come to power? What changes did Castro bring?

Part 2: 4 @ 10 points

·       Explain the Bay of Pigs. What was the goal? What happened? Results?   

·       Explain the Cuban Missile Crisis. What was the goal? What happened? Results?  

·       Explain Operation Pedro Pan and the themes in the letters US families wrote in response.

·       Explain and connect: Tet Offensive and 1968 election.  

·       Explain the Lottery Draft. How did it affect how people responded to the war?  

·       Explain the Nixon Doctrine and how it changed the Vietnam conflict. How did the conflict end?