April Showers, May Flowers

Yes, I know, I am late posting again! But that means I have been extra busy which means I have lots of activities to report.

I was in P.E.I. again last weekend. It was a nice trip and the weather cooperated somewhat. We drove over on Friday and came back on Sunday. It only takes about 3.5 hours each way and in my "eco-friendly" Echo, takes only a little over a tank of gas. Now that I brought up the Echo, I may as well let everyone know that we are looking to sell it and buy an even more fuel efficient car. Maybe a hybrid? Regardless, I had a great visit with my wonderful family that I am so fortunate to have.

On Monday (supposedly my day off), I did a couple sessions of in-house computer training for some clients and decided to visit City Hall in the evening for the session of Council. I must say there was a very interesting presentation by the Downtown Ministers Association. They were asking that the City not support the "Racino" for Saint John. For the record, I would have to say that I could not agree more with their points. As some councilors noted, yes gambling will always be an issue, but I do not think that we as a City have to support that issue. It ruins people's lives and their families lives. I have seen it first hand. Those that can afford to gamble can afford to go elsewhere and gamble. I have nothing against gambling if you do not have a pre-determined addiction and have the extra money. However, I fear that many in our City do not and why should we then put this in their faces. It is not fair. I truly believe that any reliable study cost/benefit study would show that the costs far outweigh the benefits but are just harder to measure. Enough on that!

On a more positive the Atlantic Health Sciences Corporation was also doing a presentation on having public access defibrillators in strategic locations across the City and this is an excellent idea. It will definitely save more lives.

On Tuesday, of last week, the Greater Saint John Community Foundation had its first meeting around their Annual Harbour Passage Gardening Party. This will be the third such event. Basically the event brings together organizations and individuals in the community to help clean up and "green" Harbour Passage. The event is always a success and is important to the environment. This years event will take place on Saturday, June 3rd from 10 AM - 1 PM. Everyone is welcome!

On Thursday night I attended the Annual "Faces of FUSION" networking dinner. The invited guest was Premier Bernard Lord. This was a successful event. Around 200 young Saint Johners attended and I had the privilege of getting to meet many of them. The City has a tremendous amount of potential. Now, how to harness this potential? Perhaps I am bitter, but I am still waiting to hear on several job applications I have submitted. I still find it hard to believe that I can have this much trouble finding work in a major urban centre with two University degrees. It is quite disheartening and I will not go into anymore detail as I am sure I have in previous posts. The dinner received input from the participants on a slogan for the N.B. license plate. I submitted one but left before they were all announced. "Discover Yourself!" was my submission. I believe it is fitting considering the urban/rural split in the province and the natural beauty and slower pace of life.

Today we had our MindPower 2006! event that I have spoke about in previous posts. It was a huge success and the speakers were very entertaining and insightful. Unfortunately I was playing the "techie" role and so got to take in little of the speakers. But by all accounts it was a great event. I will look forward to next year!

After attending MindPower 2006! all day and doing some chores this evening, I have put over 20,000 steps on the pedometer today. That means it is time for bed! I hope you all have a great weekend. It is supposed to be a nice one!

One last promo of an event I will be attending Monday night. I have cut and paste the info below:

8 pm. Imperial Theatre, 24 King Square South. Presented by: The Human Development Council. Tommy Douglas: The Arrows of Desire is an exploration of Douglas' life, beliefs, passions, battles, dreams and humanitarian accomplishments during 44 years as Premier of Saskatchewan and Member of Canada's Parliament in Ottawa. Tickets: $20. (506) 674-4100.

Volunteer Appreciation Week is Near

Happy Volunteer Appreciation week to all those hard working volunteers that do so much in our Community. Today I had a pizza and cake party for my volunteers at work to recognize all that they do for the Community. I know the the Computer Access Centre would not be able to function without the hard work of my volunteers. Take some time this week to recognize the volunteers in your organization. Volunteers do so much in our community and we seldom recognize them for their contributions.

I had a quiet Easter weekend, not to mention the cold and windy weather. I did manage to get caught up on my sleep though and attended a potluck supper on Saturday night and then had friends over for dinner on Monday night. On Monday I attend Tim Isaac's Annual Easter Monday Auction. There were lots of people there and unfortunately most of them had more money than me which made purchasing anything very tricky. It was great to see all the antique items though and I enjoyed it very much.

The holiday weekend made for two short work weeks which really doesn't do anything except make you busier for a shorter period of time. Sort of a cruel trick on the body. I will be heading to PEI this weekend to visit family and attend my niece's (God Daughter) confirmation. I got to remember to stop by Vesey's to pick up my seed potatoes. I have heard that it should be very nice weather-wise this weekend. I have yet to hear of the employment opportunities I have in the wings but will keep my fingers crossed.

Another reminder to everyone of the FREE MindPower 2006! event that is coming up on April 28th. For more information visit the website of St. Joseph's Community Health Centre and click on the MindPower 2006! logo.

I would also like to let everyone now about a great event happening Friday night:

Saint John Youth Cabinet Fundraisers. Friday, April 21 at 7pm, Fundraising Auction at Jake's Steakhouse & Pub (535 Westmorland Road), with guest auctioneer Joe Boyce. A really fun night, where you can get terrific deals on great prizes for a great cause! The SJYC is also having a Fundraising Raffle: 1st prize is 2 return Air Canada tickets for Canada or Continental U.S. 2nd prize is 2 return Via Rail tickets between Saint John and Montreal. Tickets are 1 for $5 or 3 for $10. The draw will be held May 31st, 2006. Raffle tickets will be sold at the auction, or call 636-8544 for tickets or more information on the auction.

Taken from their website: "The Saint John Youth Cabinet will be the official voice for local youth at City Hall and empower them to better their communities. Although the cabinet is in its initial stage of development you can still contact us or visit our blog for updates on: the cabinet and its inception; upcoming meetings and events; how to become a member and get involved; and to be added to our listserv."

The Youth Cabinet is very much needed in this City and I am glad to see it up and running and it good hands. Sometimes the politicians and leaders in the community forget about the youth and the fact that they are our future. We need to listen to their concerns and try to address them in the best manner possible. I am sure we will all see great things arise for Saint John from this initiative.

Anyway, I think that is it for now. The short week has made for little news to report. I will have more for the next posting.

I am only a day late!

Well, I try to post in here at least once a week and this week I am a day late. I have found I am exhausted at the end of each day so it is hard to sit at a computer and type. However, I feel more energized today, perhaps it is the beautiful weather.

Lots has been going on....I think most of the Boards/Committees I sit on must be trying to get some things done before the lull in the summer months. I had a Sex Trade Action Committee Meeting on Thursday of last week. Not a whole lot new here. It is still an issue and it becomes more apparent during the warmer months. The "survival" sex trade is directly connected to
drug addictions and I worry more when I hear of Crystal Meth and other new synthetic drugs showing up in town. What are we doing wrong as a society? Why do people become addicted to drugs? What is the driving force? I guess if we knew there would not be an issue. On a more positive note, the area surrounding the sex trade district has developed their own community group. For more details visit the new online magazine Coalfish, developed by Mike Parker.

On Thursday of last week I also had a final PRO Kids meeting before "Curry Night Out" which took place on Saturday night. It was a wonderful evening with a fantastic Indian meal prepared by the Delta chefs under the direction of Pam Iype. There were a lot less tickets sold this year than in the past. I feel there are just too many dinners now days and they are all for great causes. We will have to come up with some innovative ideas to ensure the future success of this great organization. Thanks to all who came and donated their time and money!

I ended Thursday night with a trip to Fredericton to watch the screening of a play that my younger sister wrote. It was screened at St. Thomas University and she did an awesome job. I guess I was the scientist in our family and she was the artist/writer. She is truly gifted and I know she will do great things. The play was called "Sandcastle Syndrome" and if I get her permission I will have to post the script on here sometime.

The weekend was quiet with more gardening and relaxing. The crocuses are up and the daffodils and tulips are not far behind. Did some window shopping for flag stone as we want to put in a new stone patio and pond this summer. It is hard stuff to get hold of so if you have any tips then please let me know. The trees have been trimmed and the lawn fertilized (no pesticides of course).

On Monday, our Many Faces of Violence Committee put on a lunch and learn entitled "A Journey through the System". This was a mock journey of one victim's travel through the system after being abused. We had about 50 people in attendance and it was an eye opener for some. Victims must deal with many service providers and wait long periods after being abused; for some it simply is not worth it and they return to their abuser or fall through the cracks and become lost. We need some government attention on this matter for sure!

I am on a planning committee for MindPower 2006 and this event is fast approaching. I did the press release today. This is a well needed event that aims to give participants knowledge on the challenges of life and how to overcome them successfully. Basically, the rally was founded on the notion that learning to master life's difficulties is better than avoiding them and more healthy. There are some great speakers and activities lined up and it is free. So come on out on April 28th! On a related note, I would point you to an article in last weeks "here" magazine. This article focuses on one persons difficulty in dealing with anti-depressants. I believe that many doctors now days are unaware of the risks and withdrawal symptoms associated with today's anti-depressants. I have seen many friends struggle with medications and never get the counseling help that they need. Perhaps we should have a conference on this some time!

Well I think I have said enough for one night. I begin my next level of French training tomorrow night (even though I haven't got my grade from the previous session??). This weekend is a long one so I hope you all get to enjoy some R&R with friends and family. Happy Easter!

I Love Scrabble!

Yes, I know. That is a different title for my blog. But after spending hours playing Scrabble on the computer, I feel I may be developing an addiction of sorts. Well at least I am admitting it. It is just a great game!

It has been a busy week. I am in the midst of some employment leads and this has been taking up some of my time. It will be a nice change though if I am successful. I love working at St. Joseph's Community Health Centre and the staff are wonderful but I just feel like I need a new challenge. A new chapter!

Last week we had a M.D. and Nurse Practitioner come down from Ontario and it was a great learning experience. They spent Friday sharing their experiences in the "Community Health Centre" field with us. They have a lot of specialized positions such as a Coordinator to help low income and immigrant individuals to navigate the government systems....what a great idea!

I had my final French class last Wednesday which translates into a final exam but I feel it went well. Well at least I hope so as I have already registered for the next level which begins on April 12th at the Community College.

I took a break on the weekend from Community activities to catch up on some yard work. We did some raking, fertilizing, trimming and planting. Soon I will be able to till the gardens and plant. Anyone have a tiller? I have started many herbs indoors and they are doing great. The warmer weather is definitely helping.

Last night I had another training session for my work with Victim Services. It was a very interesting session offered by the Saint John Volunteer Centre on the ABCs of Fraud. It mainly deals with fraud as it relates to seniors but would be useful to anyone. They will come and do the session at your organization if you are interested. It is hard to believe that people can make a living off of ripping off other people, but they do and they do it well.

I have to plug another session around Domestic Violence that is coming up on April 10th from 12-2 at the Church of St. Andrew and St. David on Germain Street. It is entitled, "A Journey Through the System" and will focus on the journey of a victim of domestic violence from start to finish (if there ever really is a finish). Of course, the mock journey will use an actress even though there are thousands of real victims. There will be a free lunch and if you are interested in attending then just RSVP me (jarda@reg2.health.nb.ca).

Well I could go on and on but will wrap it up. If it is too long no one will read it, right? I hope everyone is doing well!!