Independence Day

June saw some good days and, most recently, a wet day. Bad plumbing can hold out only for so long. The old toilet which always ran finally had its chance to become Niagara Falls (for 48 hours). I walked into the office on Tuesday wishing I had worn rain boots.
An emergency call to the landlord's wife, a snake down the pipe,
pro rug cleaners, 2 industrial fans, and 3 days later -- we're back to the ERCA you all know and love. Maybe this will be the end of the new carpet smell that gets pointed out to me every so often. By the way, I am aware that my clinic smells like new paint and carpet!
We've got great new volunteers who help keep me sane when the going gets tough, and we have more on the way!

Now it's time for a little ERCA history:


Most of you have never seen the logo that almost was our logo.
Joey, my graphically artistic friend, and I slaved over finding the right image to capture who we are. On your left you'll see the first runner up. The main issue was that we are eagles, rather than doves. Is it just me, or does that eagle remind you of UNICEF? Then, K.D. alerted me to the fact that red-orange comes from the lower chakra and signifies fear. Another strike against this logo.






My original idea had a kind of Flintstones aesthetic: a "pre-historic" recliner petroglyph. Joey began sketching. On and on it went until, at last, we arrived at our current logo which includes a real eagle, a recliner, the sun and the letters E-R-C-A -- all encircled by 2 acupuncture needles (you might not have caught that).

Anyway, it's thanks to all of the people who believe in what we are doing at ERCA that great things happen: logos are made, vacuum cleaners are donated, volunteers arrive, eager to help. Grateful patients show up with bags of peaches from their trees. In fact, when asked by several customers yesterday, "Don't you wish that you didn't have to work today?" though it was July 4th, I answered that I was so happy to finally have this place and a job where I am doing everything on my own terms. Happy Independence Day (a day late).