24 hours left until Gishbot shuts the list down and submissions close. Meanwhile, the internet goes crazy for GISHWHES. Misha tweeted the Collectress’ Day 4 post yesterday, broke our blog for at least an hour, giving the Collective gals and our Minion pals simultaneous heart attacks. There are thousands of Orlando Jones Twitter accounts and they all are following YOU. Plus, Osric Chau is tweeting pictures of himself with a shit ton of paper mache heads. It’s all so surreal. Critics have had their say about GISHWHES and the disruption it has caused this week as well. Even E! Online blogged about GISHWHES this week, although I won’t glorify it with a link because big media just doesn’t get it (they think we’re insane). I have spent the last 5 days setting up list items on and offline–contacting writers, friends, acquaintances, strangers –for help crossing tasks off the list. I have called in favors, promised payback in the form of coffee and/or chocolate, begged, borrowed and coerced those in my life to assist me and have gotten enough strange looks to last a lifetime.

Honestly? I’ve enjoyed every moment of it.

Let it be known, I work in community service, amongst other endeavors. As in, it is my job is to deal with service organizations and volunteers. This week, I have participated in more acts of kindness than I have in years. GISHWHES moved me to see individuals instead of demographics, and I found myself enjoying my time with some really beautiful people because of a silly little scavenger hunt. Not only did I meet up for a GISHWHES moment of kindness with one of our blog readers, I visited with my daughter’s great-grandmother, went over to my preggo friend’s house and hung out with her one-year old while I drew on her belly, Skyped with my best guy friend who moved up to Santa Cruz and played in a homemade water park with a newlywed girlfriend of mine to the dismay of her fireman husband.

Smiles gained during GISHWHES: an even 300

This is my last GISHWHES post of the week. Tomorrow, I renew wedding vows with my husband of 12 years in couture kitchenware and THEN life goes back to “normal”. Not to be cliche, but I am not sure I want that to happen. I can’t think of a good reason why I shouldn’t visit my friend again before she pops out that second baby, or why my tweed-loving homie and I don’t Skype more often. I promised to pick up great-grandma in a couple of weeks and take her to a family wedding. We are both attending and she needs a ride, so why not actively participate in random acts of kindness? I think I am finally figuring out what this GISHWHES stuff is all about.

First Mate Diva