We're heading into the home-stretch for the Annual Fund: there are only SEVEN more weeks until the June 30 deadline. There has been much change at Ohio Wesleyan this year: new staffers, Mr. Rickey's campaign, the Shipps setting sail from Cleveland and down the Scioto to set up camp here at OWU, and, probably the most important development, the advent of the Annual Fund Blog.

Oh yeah, the Annual Fund is on pace to break the most money ever raised in its history.

The goal for the Annual Fund is $3.8 million. Sometimes people describe the Annual Fund as keeping the heat running and the lights on. I know what you are thinking: that is a whole heck of lot light bulbs (8,571,428 to be exact- our service department stays busy), or about 13 minutes of natural gas heat from the furnace in my current place of residence (I think the efficiency rating for my heater is -75%. Seriously).

While the Annual Fund money does purchase a few light bulbs and helps with heat, it does much more. It helps pay tuition, salaries, upkeep, keeps this blog happening every week. To reach the goal, everyone that cares about OWU is going to have to become involved. June is always a big month for the Annual Fund because you and people like you understand how important the Annual Fund is and what it means to Ohio Wesleyan. If you've already given, thank you; but also please think about making an additional gift.

Don't wait to make your gift- make it now. It's getting dark in my office- I'm sick of not having any light bulbs.

Random Meanderings
I really enjoy working in the Annual Giving department and at Ohio Wesleyan in general. Nice people, pretty campus, good alumni, El Vaquero is right down the street, Freedom to express myself- sometimes my selective narcolepsy hits me in the office, and no one judges me (maybe they do, but I don't know it).

There is one thing I hate: expense reports. They are the bane of my work existence. There is nothing that I hate more- if expense reports were people, it would come to fisticuffs. Me vs. Expense Reports. I mean, how can so much be expected of one person? Or maybe I just mean "How can this much be expected of me?"

To keep track of receipts, remember dates, figure out tips, and then have to write it all down; it's a lot of pressure. If I happen to be out of town or at a conference, I'm expected to keep the receipts for longer than a day. That is way too much commitment: I can barely choose a brand of toothpaste because it lasts for a couple of months.

I am really, really horrible at expense reports. I'm big enough to admit it. When I finally get around to completing a report, it looks like I'm in first grade learning cursive writing: horrible hand writing, eraser marks, Xs through mistakes, errors in the math computations, water marks from where my sweat and tears hit the paper. All that I need is that brown paper with the solid blue and dashed red lines. It's a good thing that we have an understanding accounting department, otherwise I probably would have been fired by now or at least have had my credit card taken away.