Is It Tuesday Already?!

So restaurant training goes well and I'll be on the floor next week.  I'll only write about waitressing these days if it poses any significant ADHD issues.   Otherwise, please assume work is going fine. 

So to the music festival... 

An accomplishment this week: yesterday I submitted an application for a grant requesting $3000 of support.   I won't sugar coat it, working on that grant was difficult.  There were moments I felt very dispirited and lost in a morass of, "in what order do I answer any of this?" but I pressed on and knew that no matter what I would be turning in that application.   The more pleasant aspects of it were writing about the festival as in the following:  

["Mary Ann's music festival ]is a free community event.  Participating residents (and businesses) within walking distance of a central [local city] location will host bands of varying styles and ethnic genres on their front porches over a four hour period.  At the end of the festival participants will gather at the [Jane Doe] Urban Park on West Avenue after 6pm for a big picnic and music performance.  Over the four hours of [Mary Ann's Music Festival], local residents and those from the surrounding environs, with map in hand and perhaps a picnic, will walk around to listen to the bands. This will be an opportunity for neighbors to meet neighbors and for local residents to share their musical talents.

I enjoyed answering the questions that asked me to paint a picture of the event.  

Harder to answer?  Any budget or "tell us in exact detail how you plan to get this event done."  These are the questions that could paralyze me and make me feel sleepy and demoralized. 

Luckily this is where two friends were of great support to me.  They helped me talk through what I had in my mind and to decipher what questions HAD to be answered and which ones could be answered in the subjunctive, as in "this is what I hope to do during the festival."   

The best validation the festival has received so far is from my friend Ron (not his real name).  One drawback to this grant is that the awardee receives the money AFTER the event.  In essence I have to find some way to pay bills in the meantime and then I'm reimbursed.  Very annoying.  However, Ron offered that if indeed my festival is awarded the $3000, because there is collateral, he will gladly loan the festival the money. 

Very lovely validation, indeed.