Paint Your Town Red!

I was feeling especially tired this morning, so thanks for indulging me and allowing this post to go up later than normal.

Lots of announcements at the end.

I had a plan for today's post, but after the story Heather shared about her friend Julie yesterday, I've decided to switch gears.  We'll save "Just Say Yes" for another day.

Heather explained that one of her oldest and dearest friends has been diagnosed something called, called Pick's Disease.  The disease is the slow atrophy of Julie's brain.  It began with Julie having small lapses in speech.  It then progressed to her forgetting simple motor skills and, over time, her condition will degenerate to the point that Julie will die because her brain will not remember to perform essential bodily functions. 

Julie is by all accounts one of us.  She is in her late twenties, married, college-educated and was a writer for a magazine (before her disease rendered her unable to think coherently or to write). Julie is the girl next door.  No signs, no warnings.  Just one day enjoying the status quo and the next... changes so life altering that she, nor her family, will ever have the normalcy they once knew.

But Julie loves Coco-Cola and and their is something we can do.  In yesterday's comments, Heather asked us to save our Coke Caps, so we can give the Coke Reward Codes to Julie's mom, Joy.  Joy uses the Reward Points to purchase items for Julie that she otherwise would not be able to afford, due to exorbitant medical costs.  Katie (loyal reader) posted soon after challenging the readers to collect more Coke Reward Points than the residents of her building at James Madison University.

Points are awarded as follows: 3 points for every bottle cap; 10 points for a 12 pack (on inside of cardboard carton); and 20 points for every 24 pack (also on inside of carton).  

I like the idea of this, so I began milling it over in my head some more...

• Julie=Coke
• Coke = red
  
• Red = Paint Your Town
  
• Paint Your Town = Mobilize the people in your area for a contest to collect Reward Points
  
• Reward Points = Coke
  
• Coke = Red
  
• Red = Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, Valentine's Day
  
• Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Valentine's Day = Parties and Family Gatherings
  
• Parties and Family Gatherings = beverages to serve
  
• Beverages to serve = coke (and all coke products)
  
• Coke products = Julie
  

So that's it.  We will run a contest to see how many Coke Reward Points we can collect between today (September 13) and February 14.  That is almost five months to the day and only FOUR days before our one-year anniversary of the start of Highlowaha.  What a nice way to celebrate.

Taste of USA participants... you will recognize the next portion of the idea, as it was a suggestion that came out of last week's Taste of USA trip.  Highlowaha will appoint 8 Regional Directors to gather points in their "region" and to actually try to garner support for the idea.  

This represents the first official opportunity to run for Highlowaha political office.  Only, I probably won't make you run.  I will select you on sheer desire to make a difference.

My long-standing involvement in Residence Life programs around the country made the National Association of College and University Residence Halls (NACURH) the natural place to go for my break down of regions.  I remember them and the seemed (and still do) to work fine.  If the acronym held true, that would make us the National Association of High, Low, Aha (NAHLA).  Below is the breakdown.  Look for your state and more importantly, consider running for office.  I have placed some names in throughout.  If you see your name bolded, consider it an invitation to serve as your Regional Director.

Those of you who accept the challenge, it will not be an exorbitant amount of work.  People will send you their codes and you'll pass them along to Heather once a month, via email.  Also... if you're motivated by collecting patches for your PATCH WORK jeans (or denim), they will most assuredly be a patch in it for you.

Intermountain Association of High, Low, Aha (IAHLA):

• Arizona  = Lori (though she is an avid Pepsi fan)
  
• Colorado
  
• Idaho
  
• Montana
  
• New Mexico
  
• Utah
  
• Wyoming

Southwestern Association of High, Low, Aha (SWAHLA)

• Arkansas = Ashlee
  
• Louisiana
  
• Oklahoma
  
• Texas = (Toni, Chaotic, or Heather herself)
  

Great Lakes Association of High, Low, Aha (GLAHLA)

• Illinois = Peggy or Cristine
  
• Indiana = Cassie P
  
• Michigan
  
• Wisconsin
  

Northeastern Association of High, Low, Aha (NEAHLA)

• Vermont
  
• New York = Layne or Maureen
  
• Connecticut
  
• Massachusetts
  
• Maine
  
• New Hampshire
  
• Rhode Island
  

Central Atlantic Association of High, Low, Aha (CAAHLA)

• Delaware
  
• Maryland
  
• New Jersey
  
• Ohio = Tera
  
• Pennsylvania = Heidi or Brian
  
• Washington D.C.
  
• West Virginia
  

Mid-Atlantic Association of High, Low, Aha (MAAHLA)

• South Dakota
  
• Iowa = Katie or Ashley
  
• Kansas
  
• Minnesota
  
• Missouri
  
• Montana = Kelly
  
• Nebraska
  
• North Dakota
  

Pacific Association of High, Low, Aha (PAHLA)

• Alaska
  
• California = Alden
  
• Hawaii
  
• Nevada
  
• Oregon
  
• Washington
  

Southern Association of High, Low, Aha (SAHLA)

• Alabama
  
• Florida = Sandy
  
• Georgia = Susan
  
• Kentucky = Melanie, Emily S., or Nicole
  
• Mississippi
  
• North Carolina
  
• South Carolina = Tracey
  
• Tennessee
  
• Virginia = Katie, Funsies, or Kristen
  

Announcements:

• Countdown to the Superbowl:  Garlic was the voted the secret ingredient for this week.  Good luck Tera and Stacie as you brainstorm your Throw Down entries.  Remember, Sunday, September 21, Struble Suds, and your entry can be anything that fits in a bowl!
  
• Virtual Bingo: Next Friday night, 8:00 CST.  Create your own card and send it to me snail mail or electronically.  One card is $3.00 or get three cards for $5.00.  My mailing address is 4012 Harvestwood Court, Grapevine, Texas 76051.  ALL the money goes to our Helping Hand Christmas Project.
  
• Anyone who offered to make a donation to Sue's HLA Creativity Basket, to be raffled off at upcoming high school volleyball game, please know... the game is next Friday.  To get something to her on time probably means mailing it by Monday at the latest.