MISSION: Finding Flowers!

Flowers make me smile. All the time. They’re so happy! When I visited Holland several years ago, I wanted to bring all of the beautiful flowers home with me! That would be a dream place for me to live for sure!

Affiliated Agent A of Arkansas completed a lovely mission involving flowers. What a wonderful sight to see, especially now that the weather is turning darker and colder!

DATE:
Tuesday, 2 November 2010

OPERATIVE:
Affiliated Agent A

LOCATION:
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

TIME:
3:45 p.m.

When I arrived at my building at the University of Arkansas Monday morning there was a large flower arrangement leftover from a luncheon on Saturday (Homecoming). This was sitting near a trashcan and obviously meant to be thrown out. What a waste; the flowers still looked great. I decided to take the leftover flowers and use them for a mission. What better way to use these lovely flowers to brighten someone’s day – and for free! I found some red ribbon in the supply closet and attached notes that I made on my computer that said “Spreading a little kindness your way; hope this flower will brighten your day!”

I had 6 flowers to give away. I wanted to target females since I didn’t think guys would really dig the flower thing. At approximately 3:45 pm on Tuesday, November 2, I left my first flower in the 3rd floor ladies room in Bell Engineering Center.

Then I drove around campus looking for cars that had sorority license plate holders or decals or something that distinguished them as being owned by females. I was able to leave all of the flowers and snap pictures without anyone noticing me. What a fun way to spend an afternoon!

I love this mission!  Thank you for adding some beauty and kindness on a brisk autumn day!

Secret Agent L

Secret Agent L says, "Be Kind. No Exceptions."

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MISSION: Cold Weather Care

I’ve been wearing gloves at my desk at work lately.

I know, I know.

But I’m always so cold! Luckily, my gloves have openings for my fingers, so I can get some work done. Affiliated Agent B thought of another nice way to bring help to cold hands, while simultaneously moisturizing them! I should follow her lead!

DATE:
Week of November 22, 2010

OPERATIVE:
Affiliated Agent B

LOCATION:
various drop locations
Shoreline, Washington

TIME:
various

totally got consumed with this mission — i was at pier 1 last week and they had a bin of zippered bags that had been marked down to .38 (each!) so i bought 10 thinking this would be the starting point of a “something” for my as yet unplanned mission…….

i bought 10 prs of coordinating gloves at fred meyer (again, marked down to $1.09/pr) and some hand warmers. I arranged the bags with a pair of gloves, hand warmers and a tin of nivea hand cream, wrapped them each with a note and set out to dispense them.

although i did not photograph all the drop points, they have been left on car windshields, on chairs in lobbys, restrooms, etc – i kept them in a box in my car so that anytime i found the right opportunity i could just set one out.

the best part of this is that last week we had the first snowfall of what is expected to be an usually snowy and cold winter — hope these come in handy for whoever does find them!

Way to go, Affiliated Agent B!  I might have to copy this mission here in Pittsburgh, with your permission, of course!

Secret Agent L

Secret Agent L says, "Be Kind. No Exceptions."

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MISSION: Holiday Shopping Surprise

I think most of us can agree that while the holidays can be a very festive and fun time, they can also be stressful. Especially when it comes to shopping. The crowds, the parking lots, the sometimes ridiculous amounts of money we spend…it can all take a toll. What I love about this mission is the simplicity of it: the Affiliated Agent just wanted to remind someone that they are special and that they should remember to do something nice for themselves during the often stressful and busy holiday season. And sometimes all that takes is a nice, warm, delicious cup of coffee to soothe the body, mind, and soul.

DATE:
Saturday, 27 November 2010

OPERATIVE:
Affiliated Agent T

LOCATION:
Walmart restroom
Somewhere in Pennsylvania

TIME:
10:30 p.m.

I personally do not like to go out and do holiday shopping, because of the crowds. But I know that some people have to go out to shop, or to work, and battle the crowds and the cold weather. So why not brighten one of their days. Since today saw the first flakes of snow in my part of Pennsylvania, I decided my mission would involve my favorite way to warm up- coffee!

I got a cute little travel coffee cup, and a package of Chocolate Peppermint coffee (yum!). I hid the coffee inside the mug, and then made up a card to go with it. I wanted to let the recipient know the coffee was inside as well as wish them a wonderful day. I also included the Secret Agent L business card. I attached the card to the cup, then set out to leave my surprise.

I needed to go to Walmart anyway, so I decided this would be the perfect place. The particular Walmart I went to closes at 11 pm, so I knew that I only had a little time. I quickly slipped into the ladies room and left my bright surprise on the sink platform, where someone was sure to see it. With the store closing soon, I knew if nothing else, a hard working employee would find it when making the closing restroom check!

I scurried out and did my own shopping, smiling the whole time at the surprise awaiting someone. I just know it brightened the day of someone very special.

P.S. I was so excited about my mission, when I checked out, I left my purse at the store! Thankfully, a kind employee found it, and I was able to go back to the store and get it. So I not only got to pass along some kindness, I received some as well!

Affiliated Agent T, this is wonderful!  How thoughtful of you!  And I, too, have left things behind during missions, simply because I was so excited about what I was doing that my brain just went on the fritz!  One time I paid for the meal for the person behind me at the McDonald’s drive-thru, and I proceeded to zip right past the pick-up window to get my own meal!  Ha, ha, ha!  Oh, well!  I’ll gladly embarrass myself in the name of kindness!

Secret Agent L

Secret Agent L says, "Be Kind. No Exceptions."

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MISSION: Thanksgiving Travel Treat

The day before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year. And it can also be one of the most stressful. With so many people on the road, it can feel like a major chore, rather than an exciting trip. And with the airline industry under attack, so many people choose to drive to their destinations these days. But the cost of gas makes it less than fun, that’s for sure.

Thanks to the generosity and kindness of Affiliated Agent J and her team of Mini Agent E (age 3) and Mini Agent A (age 1), a Thanksgiving holiday traveler will have one less thing to worry about.

DATE:
Wednesday, 24 November 2010

OPERATIVES:
Affiliated Agent J
Mini Agent E
Mini Agent A

LOCATION:
PDQ gas station
Madison, WI

TIME:
4:30 p.m.

I’ve been wanting to complete a mission for a while – however, I just couldn’t come up with the perfect mission … until I remembered that the day before Thanksgiving was the busiest travel day of the year. So, I bought a $10 gift card at the local gas station (they are all over our area) and decided it would go perfectly with a thank you card in the spirit of the Thanksgiving Holiday.   Hope that this makes someone’s day and that they pay it forward!

Affiliated Agent J (and team!), this is such a thoughtful mission!  I’m sure it made a traveler’s day.  Thank you for your kindness and creativity.  I can’t wait to see what you come up with next!

Secret Agent L

Secret Agent L says, "Be Kind. No Exceptions."

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MISSION: Black Friday at Borders

Raise your hand if you’ve worked retail.

*raises hand*

Raise your hand if you’ve worked retail on Black Friday.

*raises hand*

Raise your hand if you like brownies.

*raises hand*

These are all components of the mission I completed today.  And my heart feels good.  (Not to mention my belly!)

DATE:
Friday, 26 November 2010

OPERATIVE:
Secret Agent L

LOCATION:
Borders Book Store
East Side Shopping Plaza
Pittsburgh, PA

TIME:
1:26 p.m.

I’ve worked a lot of retail in my life.  During high school and college, retail jobs helped me learn responsibility, pay some bills, and gain some skills.  I worked mainly in clothing stores or beauty product shops.  After college, when I was out in the Chicago area trying to make it as a model with the Ford Modeling Agency, I had to work retail to make ends meet.  I’m not going to lie.  I hated it.  With all my heart.  Sure, the employee discounts were nice, but the customers?  Not so much.  Once, when I was working at JCrew, I went back to the fitting room area to check on a client.  I politely knocked on her dressing room door and asked if there was anything I could get for her or take out of her room.  Much to my surprise, she opened the door and proceeded to throw a wad of clothing at me.

Right at me.

And she didn’t say a word when she closed the door.

Since today is Black Friday, I’m taking back to those many memories I have of working retail.  And my heart aches for the retail employees who have to work today.  Because I’ve seen how horrible customers can be on this day.  So, I wanted to do something for those employees.

I decided to make them some brownies.

I live right down the street from a Borders Bookstore.  I decided that I’d try to avoid the high-traffic areas (for the sake of my own nerves) and stick close to Command Central.  I thought it might be nice to hop on over to the store and deliver a plate of freshly baked brownies, which I made at 9:30 a.m. today.  I also thought it’d be nice to include a note indicating why I wanted the employees to have my delicious treats.

After I let the brownies cool, I tasted one–you know, just to make sure they were okay.  *wink*  They met my taste test and immediately went onto a foil-covered plate.  I wrapped them up with some plastic wrap to keep them fresh and proceeded to prepare the outer wrapping.

I included a beautiful white ribbon with silver trim, so as to look festive for the now holiday season, and also added the Secret Agent L business card.  I put my personalized note right on top so it couldn’t be missed.

I made my way over to the store, walked inside, and immediately looked for an employee.  There was a gentleman standing at one of the computer information kiosks, so I made a beeline towards him.

When I finally got up next to him, I said, “Hello!  These are for you and the entire staff.  I hope you enjoy them.”  He looked a bit confused, and then he said, “Thank you.  Who are they from?”  I pointed to the Secret Agent L business card, flashed him a smile, told him to have a nice day, turned around, and walked away.

Mission complete.

I hope you all have a wonderful Black Friday today, score some nice deals, and are kind to everyone–employees and fellow customers alike.  If you’ve decided to stay home, I hope you’re having a wonderful day, too.  Who knows?  Maybe you’re even enjoying some brownies.

Secret Agent L

Secret Agent L says, "Be Kind. No Exceptions."

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MISSION: Movie Merriment

I love going to the movies. It’s a whole experience for me. I’ve gotta have popcorn or some other snack, an ice cold drink, and plenty of napkins (I’m kinda clumsy). I need to sit far enough back that I can see the whole screen without having to move my head, and I have to be near the aisle (I get sorta claustrophobic).

I know. I’m high maintenance.

But movies can be pretty expensive.  I mean, the cost of the ticket can be as much as $12 in some cities!  And add the snacks to that tally, and you need to take out a loan just to go see a flick.  Thankfully, Affiliated Agent KH extended kindness so that someone would save a few bucks on his or her next movie-going experience.

DATE:
Wednesday, 24 November 2010

OPERATIVE:
Affiliated Agent KH

LOCATION:
Sears
Pittsburgh Mills Mall
Pittsburgh, PA

TIME:
12:30 p.m.

I’ve completed my first mission!

You know, I think on some level, I’ve always wanted to be a secret agent. When I was a little girl, I had spy toys like periscopes, invisible ink, tiny hidden walkie talkies, and lots of every day objects that were secretly other things (like an “audio cassette” that unfolded into a game.) I had elaborate “dangerous” missions to undertake, like rescuing dolls that had been “kidnapped” and hidden around the house. So the fact that I got to do a random act of kindness while calling myself a Secret Agent was very exciting to my inner child – and apparently grown-up me, too, as I really did love the TV show Alias.

I wasn’t initially sure what to do for my first mission, all I knew was that I wanted to spread a little kindness in the world. It finally hit me while excitedly talking about plans to go see a movie about a certain famous boy wizard — a movie gift card! No matter what genre a person might prefer, everybody likes movies! With cold weather settling in, friends and families around for the holidays, and lots of new movie releases, a little cinematic escape might be just the ticket! And movie tickets are still fairly reasonable in my neck of the woods – only $5 on Tuesdays and first matinees, so a $5 gift card could be a free movie for somebody – or at least an almost-half-price movie if somebody was seeing a 3D IMAX spectacular.

When at the theater last week, I went up to the box office with my friend and got a gift card. I was planning on remaining coy as to why I was doing it, but I decided to let her in on the secret. As soon as I mentioned Secret Agent L, the friend responded, “oh, I’ve heard about that! That’s so great!”

I determined the best day for “the drop” was the day before Thanksgiving. I would be in the Pittsburgh Mills Mall early that day, so I could leave the card on a bench and nobody would be the wiser. However, it very quickly became clear that the plan was not going to work out! I only had the gift card, but I didn’t have any of the other supplies I thought I did! And before I could prepare a little notecard or the Secret Agent L business card to go along with it, I was going to have to go empty-handed to the mall and back again. Part of me was going, “Abort! Abort!” But I still thought that this would be the best time to get the card out there, so I went ahead and improvised.

So with the time of my return trip to the mall in question, I went about printing up a card (attached.)

Of *course* the printer was giving me sass while trying to do this! This mission was determined to give me lots of little issues, but it made me more determined to get the kindness going.

When I finally got back to the mall later in the day to drop off the card, I had a little trouble finding a good spot. Despite it being “standard business hours” (Wednesday around 12:30 pm,) there were still plenty of people in the mall the day before Thanksgiving. I found a nice bench underneath some indoor trees. I was waiting for people to walk by, when all of a sudden, an elderly gentleman decided to sit down across from me! So, again, abort! I realized I’d need to find a new drop spot. So I walked a little further through the mall and found a seating area outside of Sears Grand. No people in sight, so I was able to quickly sit down, set my little card package on the table, take a picture (also attached,) and scurry off before I could be discovered.

It was very exciting (and a little strange, honestly!) to just leave an envelope sitting there out in the open for a mystery person. I happened by the spot about 10 minutes later, and it was still there, left up to fate. I hope somebody found it, and I really hope it was a little pick-me-up and that he or she enjoys the free/discounted movie.

Affiliated Agent KH, I LOVE this mission for so many reasons!  Thank you for thinking of others this Thanksgiving holiday, for being so creative, for sharing such a personal and detailed narrative with us, and for participating in the SAL Project.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I know I’m thankful for YOU!

Secret Agent L

Secret Agent L says, "Be Kind. No Exceptions."

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MISSION: Noting Kindness

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I love paper products.  If I could just sit on the floor in the middle of the room and be surrounded by mounds and mounds of notebooks, cards, wrapping paper, stationery, etc., I would be One Happy Girl.  And not only are paper products fun, they’re useful.

And who doesn’t like things that are useful?

DATE:
Friday, 19 November 2010

OPERATIVE:
Affiliated Agent J

LOCATION:
local library
Mandarin Branch
Jacksonville, Florida

TIME:
4 p.m.

Let’s hear what Affiliated Agent J has to say!

Mission completed!

I purchased 4 small notebooks, and put them each in an envelope with a note card and your card.

I went to my local library (the Mandarin Branch in Jacksonville) on Friday at about 4 pm. I put one gift in the book drop, because librarians and library staff need a little kindness too! That was easy, as it was outside.

Inside was a different story! I was concerned the library staff would be suspicious of me taking photos, so I had to plan where I left the gifts. I left one next to my favorite TV show (Ice Road Truckers) in the non-fiction DVD section. This was pretty easy as the non-fiction DVDs are in a back corner.

I left another in the mystery books section (what a great mystery!). Anther pretty easy drop because not many folks were in the stacks. Though I did notice leaving the aisle there’s a mirror at the front where the circulation staff could see me in the stacks.

The final one I left in the teen section, but alas, no picture because as I was getting the camera ready, a teen walked around the aisle. YIKES! Almost caught!

And yes, I did pick up some books and DVDs for the week as well. YAY!

Thank you, Affiliated Agent J! I know that whoever finds your gifts will have a smile on his or her face!

Secret Agent L

Secret Agent L says, "Be Kind. No Exceptions."

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Website Upgrade

IT’S FINALLY HERE!  The NEW Secret Agent L website!

It seems appropriate that the launch of my new site occurs one day before Thanksgiving.  I have A LOT to be thankful for.

First, thank YOU all so much for your patience.  I knew overhauling my site would be a lot of work, but I had no idea it’d be as much as it was!  I not only had my site overhauled, but I had it switched to a new platform and server.

Go big or go home, I say.

Second, I would be remiss if I didn’t publicly thank two people who absolutely, hands-down, without-a-doubt are primarily responsible for what you’re seeing (and what you’re not seeing!):

1. Andrew Quayle from Tubu Internet Solutions.  This guy? GENIUS.  So helpful, so kind, and just an all-around gem of a man to know.  Andy, I heart you.  Thank you for all of the amazing behind-the-scenes magic you created.

2. Norman Huelsman, Pittsburgh’s Social Media King, Co-Creator of PodCamp Pittsburgh,  and All-Around Computer Wizard and Nice Guy.  Norm has put in countless hours not only troubleshooting but designing, editing, making suggestions, and teaching me how to use my new platform.  He is also so helpful, so kind, and extremely patient (especially with non-tech-savvy gals like me).  And he’s brilliant.   Norm, I heart you.  Big time.  There is no way I could have done any of this without you.  Thank you.

There is still some tidying up I need to do with some of the posts, but that will come in time.  I couldn’t wait any longer to get this thing back up for all of you!

Please remember to update your RSS feeds, by the way.

So take a look around, let me know what you think, and I hope you’ll continue to visit the Secret Agent L Project’s website daily!

May each of you have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Many thanks and much love,

Laura
a.k.a. Secret Agent L

Secret Agent L

Secret Agent L says, "Be Kind. No Exceptions."

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MISSION: Sweet Satisfaction for Students

Let’s hear about their first mission!

We were finally able to find time to go out on a mission. We were so excited! Since we love Halloween around here, we wanted to extend the holiday a little bit. We decided to make up a sweet treat and leave it in the library of the nearby university. Our hope is that some overtired student might find it during a long night of studying!

We put the package together in the office – lots of candy and a note assuring the recipient that this package is for him/her.

And then we marched over to the library to find the perfect spot to leave the gift. It was hard to find a place! The library was so busy and packed with students. But we found the perfect spot on the third floor on one of the bookshelves.

We had so much fun putting this little mission together and actually doing it. We can’t wait to do it again!

Affiliated Agents M and S, you rock!  Thanks for thinking of the hard-working students in your community.  And, I couldn’t help but notice, thanks for using Pittsburgh Steelers colors in your package!

Secret Agent L

Secret Agent L says, "Be Kind. No Exceptions."

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MISSION: Secret Agent L Strikes Again

It’s been what seems like forever since I’ve completed a mission.  I’ve been so busy keeping up with the administrative side of this project–answering emails, posting missions completed by my amazing Affiliated Agents, etc.–as well as trying to keep up with my day job, that I haven’t really been able to make the time to go be Secret Agent L!

Happy World Kindness Day, everyone.  But shouldn’t every day be filled with kindness?

Secret Agent L

Secret Agent L says, "Be Kind. No Exceptions."

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