Day 188: Laughed At A Friend's Jokes

Imagine being completely exposed.  No, sickos, not like Lindsey Lohan getting out of a car.  A different kind of exposure.  Like being on a stage in front of a bunch of people, all the while being open to jeers, criticism, and potential failure.  Imagine the nerve required to put a ton of work into something, to try to perfect something, and then to present that in the face of those possible consequences.  Even while typing this I am starting to get nervous and sweat a little bit, so I can't even think of being in the shoes of my buddy John Thomas.  Tonight, John will be making his debut at the world famous Laugh Factory here in Chicago where he will perform a stand up comedy set in front of friends, strangers, and god (yes, Tim Tebow will be in attendance).  John has been in comedy for the past couple of years, and getting an opportunity to perform at a venue as famous as the Laugh Factory is huge for his career.  So tonight, along with my friend Doug (who will most likely be wearing at least 1 see through article of clothing), for my random act of kindness, I will go to the Laugh Factory and laugh at John's jokes.  I know great things will come from tonight because of the magic that this venue holds.  Back in April, it was the place that hosted the Jokes 4 Miles Joke-A-Thon, and helped Len and Miles get ever closer to their goal of 5,000 jokes.  Good Luck Break a leg John, and be sure to picture the crowd in their underwear (Doug will be wearing something sheer I am guessing).  If you would like to come and you live in the Chicagoland area, you can buy your tickets here.

Day 187: Chewed Some Gum

Did you know that each second of the day, more than an acre of the rainforest is lost from deforestation?  The consequences of this deforestation range from the extinction of plant and animal species to global warming to humans being forced from the natural homes.  I learned these facts from a group called Project 7.  Project 7, founded my entrepreneur Tyler Merrick, has made it their goal "to ensure that everyone around the globe has access to fundamental needs for a healthy life."  They have been able to get closer to their goal through the sales of coffee, mints, t-shirts, bottled water and gum, with proceeds from the sales of these products going towards a number of causes that they have backed.  A couple of the causes that Project 7 backs in an effort to Save the Earth are Plant With A Purpose and Trees Water & People.  They are looking at helping these organizations save rainforests, aid in reforestation, and offset our carbon footprint.  So today, for my random act of kindness, I purchased and chewed some Project 7 gum.  With my purchase, 10 fruit trees will be planted back into the Earth.  If you are interested learning more about Project 7's other initiatives please visit their website.

Day 186: Manned The Grill

Happy 4th of July to each and every US citizen both here and abroad.  Also, I want to thank the men and women of the Armed Forces for protecting us as we celebrate this holiday.  I hope at some point today, each of you get the chance to enjoy a nice grilled hot dog or hamburger.

Earlier today, my wife and I visited a friend's house to take my daughter swimming for the first time ever.  20 years from now, while my daughter stands on the podium at the Olympics accepting her gold medal in swimming, to think back about how she first learned to swim on the 4th of July.  Luckily we were able to be in the water because it was unbearably hot outside.  We are still in the midst of the heat wave that has battered the Midwest for the past week.  Including humidity, today should register over 110 degrees here in Chicago.  It has made the 4th of July tradition of grilling a little more difficult since no one wants to stand in front of a hot grill and flip burgers for the majority of the day.  To help alleviate the pain from everyone, today, for my random act of kindness, I am going to man the grill at my friend's 4th of July cookout.  We have been coming to this cookout for over 12 years now, and it is always something I look forward to every year.  Thank you again to Ginny and Kevin for putting it on!