Afterthoughts

5....4....3....here comes 2!

2009-05-22T10:49:00.004-04:00

I love anticipation. I don't know why. Whenever there is any kind of event that I'm looking forward to, the thought of the event and the anticipation of it are enjoyable for me. Sometimes, the anticipation is more enjoyable than the event itself.

I get excited for my birthday and Christmas every year. I love how that time of year feels. When Christmas is approaching, pretty lights and decorations appear everywhere, there's snow on the ground, and it just feels like a very special time. When the weather gets warmer, and leaves and flowers start blooming, I know that my birthday is just around the corner.

For whatever reason, on Christmas Day itself and my birthday itself, I feel kind of "meh" about it. Not that's a let-down or anything, but it's never as much fun as the anticipation.

Same with major fundraising events that I'm involved with. The planning and the organizing can be tedious and stressful, but they're also fun and exciting! Then, on the day of the event, it goes by so fast that it's hard to enjoy it. Before I know it, the thing that has almost consumed my life for months and months is over, and I almost feel like I missed it.

Today is a big day. We have Archbishop Desmond Tutu speaking tonight at a wonderful event for St. Joseph's. I'm delighted and a bit astonished to say that I met the man last evening at a small event. My meeting with him was brief, just a handshake, a smile and me trying to sound eloquent as I told him how happy I was to meet him and thanked him for coming. In that moment, all the rushing and last minute prepping that have at times stressed me out over the past nine months slowed right down and I knew nothing other than that moment.

I fully expect tonight to be a blur as a flurry of activity happens around me, and I need to remember and carry out my specific role. If that "meh" feeling hits me at all tonight, or I feel a bit disappointed that it's all over, I know that I will have a memory that I can cherish forever.

Where were you when history was made?

2009-01-21T15:47:00.003-05:00

I was watching the news last night, and of course, it was all about Barack Obama's inauguration.

I listened to most of his inaugural address on the radio, and quite enjoyed it. I am excited about the new President of the United States. I think that he is what America needs.

Of course, it was an historic event as he is the first African-American to be elected President of the United States. I think it's a great step forward for us as the human race, and truly believe it will have a tremendous effect on the state of equality.

When I was watching the news, they said something about the inauguration being a "where were you" moment. I'm guessing this means that it will be a moment in time about which people will one day ask where you were when it happened.

Is it really a where were you moment? What defines a where were you moment? Things like where we were when we heard of the 9/11 terrorist attacks I can understand. For some reason, although this was a great moment in history, I'm not so sure that my children will be asking me where I was when I heard the inaugural address given by Barack Obama. But, maybe I'm wrong. I guess only time will tell.

A leap second? Are you freaking kidding me?

2009-01-02T12:44:00.003-05:00

Last week, I learned something new: there is such a thing as a leap second. According to Wikipedia, which has become my source for all knowledge recently, leap seconds have been added 24 times since 1972. Yet, I'm pretty sure I had never heard of it until last week.

The most recent leap second was added on December 31, 2008. By the way, I believe my favourite headline of 2008 is "Gloom of 2008 to be extended". It's been a tough year, why on Earth would we want to make it longer?

Anyhow, to quote Wikipedia again: "A leap second is a one-second adjustment that keeps broadcast standards for time of day close to mean solar time...The leap second adjustment (which is approximately 0.6 seconds per year) should not be confused with the difference between the length of the mean solar day and the SI day. This confuses velocity with travelled distance (in time). The reason for leap seconds is not the difference but the sum of the difference between the SI day and the mean solar day (currently about 0.002 seconds) over a given period of time. The actual rotational period varies due to unpredictable factors such as the motion of mass within Earth, and has to be observed rather than computed."

Yep...that sounds about right.

I just can't help but think that it's not the Earth that's wrong, it's our calculation of time. I understand that pre-historic Earthlings had to invent the calendar to allow the eventual invention of the BlackBerry. But, I think they got it wrong.

If we had an accurate understanding of time, we wouldn't be adding leap seconds, and we wouldn't have an extra day in February every four years. We wouldn't have to have wacky rhymes to help us remember which months have 30 days or 31 days...or 28/29. Maybe all months would have 103 days and we can just leave it at that.

Something's messed up. I don't know the first thing about measuring time or the invention of the modern-day North American calendar. But, if we have to do something as nutty as add a whole second to the end of a year, we did something wrong.

However, the second was added, whether I like it or not. Now, I hope you all set your clocks and watches back one second before you went to bed on New Year's Eve. If you were too busy partying, and forgot, please go do it now. You don't want to be the jerk who shows up to the meeting one second early.

Adieu 2008

2008-12-31T13:09:00.002-05:00

I'm feeling reflective today, since it is the last day of 2008. I generally don't get caught up in the hype of New Year's. It doesn't feel like the fresh start everyone talks about. But, I do enjoy looking back over a period of time and seeing how far I've come.

It's funny, this is perhaps the first time that there were no big changes for me over the course of a year. This time last year, I was working in the same place, living in the same place, had pretty much the same circle of friends. However, I feel like I've matured a lot this year. I have a different outlook on my life and where I want to go.

I'm turning 25 in 2009. That feels like another reason to reflect. We like round numbers, and we tend to measure life in 100 years, even though it seems pretty rare to make it to that age. However, I'm marking a quarter century of life this year. I can say that I'm satisfied with most parts of my life. As for the rest, I've got nothing but time!

I never make New Year's Resolutions. This is related to my lack of feeling the sense of starting fresh. However, my goal for the upcoming year is to continue to grow, learn and better myself.

That's all. Fare thee well, 2008. You have been good to me!

Back to school I go!

2008-06-13T10:43:00.002-04:00

I find it hard to believe that I have been out of school for two full years now. That's the longest I have ever gone without being in school. I remember so clearly when I was in high school, and I thought to myself, "I can't wait until I'm an adult. I won't have to go to school anymore and life will be so much better!" It's funny how the transition from school to work was so seamless that I almost didn't notice it.

Anyway, I've been itching to go back to school. I obviously can't go back full time as I have a fantastic, not to mention full-time/permanent, job. But, I've decided that online education is the way to go!

I applied for, and was accepted in to, the Bachelor of Professional Arts program at Athabasca University. I'm majoring in Communication Studies, and I'm so excited about this! The program has officially started...now I just have to actually do it. That's the tricky part. It's going to take some major self-discipline for me to do this whole "self-directed" thing.

I am very excited about this, and I'm loving the idea of being in school again. Although, in a few months, that novelty may have worn off. I'll let you know :)

10th Anniversary of John Davidson's Walk Across Canada

2008-04-11T13:30:00.003-04:00

What were you doing 10 years ago?

It was April 10, 1998 – Good Friday. Do you remember what you were doing? Were you relaxing and enjoying the first day of the long weekend? Were you traveling to visit family or friends for Easter?

John Davidson clearly remembers what he was doing: he was dipping his foot in to the Atlantic Ocean, and taking the first steps on his historic walk across Canada.

If you have lived in London for a while, you have probably heard about Jesse’s Journey. It is named for Jesse Davidson, a young man who, at six years old, was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

DMD is a genetic disease; one for which there is no cure and no effective treatment. It is 100 % fatal, and it affects boys almost exclusively. The first signs of the disease show up when the boy is between four and six years old. He is having trouble walking, because the muscles in his legs are beginning to break down. Over time, all of the muscles in the body will break down and be replaced with connective tissue. Usually between the ages of 12 and 15, he is confined to a wheelchair. At the time when most young men are breaking free from their parents and asserting their independence, those with DMD become completely reliant on parents and caregivers. The average life expectancy of someone with DMD is 25 years.

Jesse’s parents were devastated when Jesse was diagnosed with DMD. As time went on and they learned about the disease and the lack of research that was dedicated to finding a cure, they were inspired to take matters in to their own hands. Jesse’s father, John had started walking as a means to stay in shape. He decided to turn his walking in to a way to raise money for research. In 1995, Jesse’s Journey came in to the public consciousness as John set out on foot, pushing Jesse in his wheelchair, and walked across Ontario. They raised just over $1M and donated it all to genetic research.

After that initial Journey, John realized that creating an endowment fund would be a great way of maintaining the flow of money in to research. So, he decided to introduce Jesse’s Journey in to the national spotlight by walking from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Victoria, British Columbia. During his nine months on the road, Jesse’s Journey raised over $2M and established the Jesse Davidson Endowment.

When the cross-Canada journey began on April 10, 1998, John had no idea that over the next 10 years Jesse’s Journey would expand to have an endowment fund of nearly $7M and growing, hundreds of dedicated volunteers and multiple research labs in Canada and the United States dedicated to working together to find a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. All along, John has been driven by the heartbreaking reality that all of this will most likely not be in time for Jesse. In John’s own words “Parents should not outlive their children.”

Last year, we held our first ever Walk Across Canada in a Day. We had hundreds of people in Springbank Park walking all or part of a 33 kilometer route. We had enough people walking enough kilometers to more than double the 8,300 kilometers that John walked from coast to coast, and we raised over $200,000! This year, we’re doing it again, making the event bigger and better to celebrate the 10th anniversary of John Davidson’s walk across Canada.

I’ve been a volunteer with Jesse’s Journey since 2004, and I am constantly amazed by the dedication of the staff, volunteers and donors. We all know that we are part of something truly amazing. We are working tirelessly to make sure that we see the end of this devastating disease in our lifetime.

Please join us on May 2, 2008 as we Walk Across Canada in a Day. Challenge yourself and your friends to walk the 33 kilometer route – the full route or any part of it. If you can’t make it to the walk, I ask you to please visit http://www.jessesjourney.com/ and pledge John Davidson, who will be walking a full 33 kilometers.

The things we'll do to win a prize

2008-03-06T14:55:00.002-05:00

At St. Joseph's Health Care, there's a campaign going on called "The Walking Challenge". Those of us who wanted to sign up were given a pedometer, some information on physical activity and a log sheet to record the number of steps we take each day. Apparently, to get the full aerobic benefit of walking, you need to walk 10,000 steps a day. But the average person takes between 5,000-7,000 steps. The goal of this campaign is to get us moving. The person/team who walks the most gets a prize.

It's funny how, now that this pedometer is clipped to my waist, and I know a prize is at stake, my thought process changes. When trying to decide if I should take the elevator or the stairs in the parking garage, I'll think to myself, "Hey if I take the stairs, my step count will go way up! I'll show them!" Here I am thinking that by taking the stairs, I'm beating the system. Actually, I'm doing exactly what they want me to do - move more.

It's really a Bart Simpson way of thinking. "I just read the information over and over again. Then, when I wrote the test, the stuff was still in my brain. It's like a whole new kind of cheating!"

Diamond Shreddies

2008-02-08T15:15:00.000-05:00

By far, the best ad campaign I have seen in a long time (maybe ever) is Diamond Shreddies.

This is absolutely brilliant.

I saw the commercial last weekend, and I wasn't even sure if it was a real product. The commercial shows an employee of the Shreddies factory at a conveyor belt, apparently inspecting every single Shreddy. They're all in nice parallel lines. All of a sudden, the Shreddies are now diamond shaped! Oh no! The QC Inspector stops the conveyor belt and calls over the rest of the team to witness this new diamond Shreddy. What could have happened?

I wasn't convinced that this was a real ad campaign until I saw a billboard advertising the newest cereal masterpiece, Diamond Shreddies.

What I love most is that it's the kind of thing that I bet a lot of people will fall for. It's a great campaign because it actually makes me want to go buy a box...just because.

I'm feeling sympathy for the New England Patriots today

2008-02-04T14:13:00.000-05:00

Oh man, that must suck.

To have an undefeated season, play in the Super Bowl, your team is winning the game, and then...ahhhhhh shoot.

I really feel bad for the Patriots. What a let down that must be. A few years ago, when my hometown hockey team, the London Knights had their record-breaking year, I remember thinking that if they make it all the way to the Memorial Cup, and then lost, the whole city would be devestated. Thankfully that didn't happen, we won. But that was only Junior Hockey, it wasn't anywhere near as big as the Super Bowl, and we hadn't had a completely undefeated season.

I have a feeling there's nothing I could say to the players on the New England Patriots team to make them feel better. So, all I can say is...man, it sucks to be you.

Best. Conversation. Ever.

2008-01-31T11:55:00.000-05:00

Colleen: "So, someone egged my house last night!"

Megan: "What? Someone egged your house? Who does that?"

Danielle: "No kidding, that's crazy."

Colleen: "I know! My husband called this morning and said that he noticed egg all over the front door. Whoever did it must have done it last night or early this morning."

Megan: "Wow, that's dedication considering it's like -20 degrees outside."

Colleen: "No kidding! I think I know who it was. It was those little punk kids who live down the street. Anytime I take (my two year old son) Russell out for a walk when they're playing road hockey, they never stop and let us pass. I'm always afraid that the puck is going to hit Russell, and I usually give them dirty looks. When this happened again on Monday, I actually yelled at them and told them to stop playing when we walk by."

Danielle: "That's insane, I can't believe they'd be so careless."

Colleen: "Well, the rest of the story is that my husband tried to get the egg off, but it's frozen to the door now. So he took a chisle to it, and the paint came off with it. Now we have to re-paint our front door."

Megan: "You should call their parents, tell them what the kids did and say that they need to pay for the cost of the paint."

Colleen: "I think their parents are drug dealers! They always seem out of it, and there's never any snow on the roof of their house."

Danielle: "Good lord. Where do you live?"

Colleen: "On Easy Street."

All life changing decisions warrant one year of courtship

2008-01-30T14:27:00.000-05:00

I was inspired to write this after having lunch with my co-worker, Jackie. We started our new jobs at St. Joseph's Health Care Foundation within three weeks of each other, so we both still feel like the "new kids". Jackie asked me if I have any regrets about leaving my old job and taking this one. I tried not to be too emphatic as I answered, "Holy crap, of course not!"

Jackie started talking about how, before you decide to marry someone, you usually have a few years of dating them. No one expects you to make this life changing decision right away. Why, she wondered, is it not the same for taking a new job, or buying a house? Jackie pointed out that when buying a house, you're expected to know within two showings or so whether or not you want to buy it. When it comes to a job, you have an interview that is maybe an hour long where they present the job and ask you questions. Then the employer takes as long as they need, but you as the potential candidate are usually forced to make a quick decision.

Jackie got me thinking. It's an interesting point that she made. Basically, she feels that all life changing decisions should be made after a period of "courtship". You know, when you think about it, that simple philosophy could be the answer to a lot of unhappiness in our world.

"I have a low tolerance for your pain..."

2008-01-29T14:20:00.000-05:00

That's one of my favourite quotes from my all-time favourite show, ER. The line was said by George Clooney's character Doug Ross as he watched his then-girlfriend limp on a sprained knee. Doug Ross couldn't stand to watch her suffer and offered to wrap her knee for her. Awwww...

Anyhoo, the reason I like this quote so much is because I often feel that way. I can tolerate my own pain and discomfort, but watching a family member or friend in pain is more than I can bear. I have a good friend who is suffering right now. He is in severe pain and is not able to function. He can't work, sleep, eat...basically he's stuck at home. He has gone to two emergancy rooms and was sent home and pretty much told to suck it up.

I hate thinking about how much pain my friend is in, especially since there's nothing I can do about it. I've personally never had a problem with our health care system or the doctors that treat in London's hospitals. My experiences have all been good ones. However, after seeing what my friend has gone through, I know that there are some truly cynical doctors practicing medicine in London.

So, I'm feeling pretty helpless at the moment. The only thing I can offer my friend is a sympathetic ear. He says it helps, but I wish I could do more.

I Love Event Planning...

2008-01-28T14:15:00.000-05:00

No really, I do. I've been on committees planning fundraising events for almost four years now. It's exhilarating and always rewarding.

That being said, I'm getting a little tired. I'm planning an event for the MS Society of Canada called Viva Las Vegas. It's going to be an amazing night. It's a casino night at the Four Points Sheraton hotel here in London. We'll have world-class Elvis tribute artist Roy LeBlanc entertaining the crowd. He performed last year, and was phenomenal! We'll also have a silent auction and tons of great food. However, I think I'll be glad when it's over.

The thing is, all of the event planning that I do is volunteer work. I do it on top of working full time. I've been doing that for a long time now, and I'm starting to wear out just a tad. It'll be a few months until the craziness dies down and I can take a few days off of work and volunteer stuff.

In the mean time, check out the London/Middlesex Chapter website for more information about this event. You won't want to miss it!

This is what I have to say about that...

2007-10-07T10:25:00.001-04:00

Acquitted vs. Exonerated

2007-08-30T13:25:00.000-04:00

This week, Steven Truscott was acquitted of the murder charge that has been with him for the past 48 years. This was a case that happened long before I was born, yet I was interested in it and was hoping for an outcome that would see Mr. Truscott a free man.

I read the breaking news about his acquittal on the London Free Press website while I was at work on Tuesday. I immediately told my co-worker and we started discussing what we knew about this case (which wasn't much). Both of us had read the article in the paper that morning about the pending decision and how Mr. Truscott hoped he would be exonerated. Then we tried to decide what the difference is between acquitted and exonerated.

My understanding is that being acquitted means that the prosecution couldn't come up with enough evidence to say for sure that a person is guilty. Exonerated means that the defense came up with solid evidence that the accused is innocent and had no part in the crime at all. Is that right? I remember learning in law class that there is a significant difference between "innocent" and "not guilty". Mr. Truscott was aquitted...I think that means that he should be thanking his lucky stars that we live in a society where people are, by law, innocent until proven guilty.

Anyways, I'm very happy for Mr. Truscott and I sincerely hope that he can live the rest of his life doing exactly what he wants to do, no longer bound by the restrictions placed on "convicted murderers".

Are there any other opinions or thoughts on this story? I'd love to hear them!

Reality Television...sigh

2007-08-24T13:48:00.000-04:00

I realize that every blogger on the planet has probably done a blog on reality television. We as North Americans talk about it all the time. It's become part of our culture, and it doesn't look like it's going anywhere any time soon.

I'd love to stand on my soapbox and claim my superiority by saying that I do not watch reality television and I judge anyone who does. Unfortunately, I can't say that. I am a BIG fan of Big Brother. I look forward to this show every summer. I started watching mid-way through season five. It's now season eight and I'm loving every minute of it. I also love to watch The Apprentice. It comes on in the winter, so I've got my summers and my winters covered. I can honestly say those are the only two reality shows I watch. I started watching The Apprentice two years ago. I started watching one scene and I was intrigued and pretty much hooked. I used the excuse that I was going to school for business and marketing, so by watching the show, I was doing research. I know, it's a long shot. I love the show, what can I say?

I haven't gotten in to any other reality shows, and I don't really care to. However, I can't judge anyone for liking them, and I can't even judge people for participating in them. They're all about adults who are put in to situations that they understand and are completely aware of before it happens. Until now...

Enter "Kid Nation". This is a show about a group of children who are between the ages of eight and 14 years old. They are taken away from their parents and their familiar surroundings, put in a studio lot and are expected to create a civilization. They cook, clean, work, do everything that a group would need to do to start their own village. One of the tag lines is "No adults". What about the people behind the camera? Do they just stand there and watch as these children cry? Or are these robot-drivin cameras? There's so much going on behind the scenes of reality shows. I think we're only shown such a small portion. Atleast I hope so, now that we're putting a group of unsupervised children together and then sitting back and watching with delight.

I, for one, will not be tuning in.

Cannon Family Reunion

2007-08-19T20:45:00.000-04:00

I just got home from my family reunion. It is held on this Sunday every year at my cousins' house in Clinton. We've been having this reunion every year for as long as I can remember. In fact, as I learned today, next year marks the 25th anniversary of the "Cannon Family Reunion".

I've always found my family fascinating. I have also found it kind of confusing. I'll try to explain this the best I can. Grandma and Grandpa Cannon (not actually my Grandpa) were married and had three children. Grandpa Cannon passed away and Grandma Cannon married Grandpa Zinn (actually my Grandpa) and they had two more children. By this time, the first three children were all grown. In fact, the second of the first three children was pregnant at the same time as her mother was pregnant with my Dad, who was her last child. Grandma Cannon passed away and Grandpa Zinn married Grandma Zinn (not actually my Grandma). All of these children went on to have children and we became a very large, but very close family. The one person connecting all of us was my Grandma Cannon. She's the only one who we're all related to. Since her maiden name was Hurley, we've considered changing the name of the reunion to the Hurley Family Reunion. We're all related to the Hurleys, but not all of us are related to the Cannons. But Cannon Family Reunion just has a certain ring to it.

This large family tree confused me even more when it was explained to me that my cousin Colleen, who is my age, was not my first cousin, but my first cousin once removed. Thus began my early lesson in "cousin removals". Try being eight years old and having people explain to you that the MOTHER of the girl who is your age is actually your first cousin. Yes, Colleen's mother Lori is my first cousin, my dad's neice. And, she's about 25 years older than me. So, even though Colleen and I are in the same age generation, we're not in the same family generation...she's in the family generation behind me. I had Aunt Fern who Colleen called Grandma (Lori's mother, my dad's sister). Then there was my Grandpa (dad's dad) who Colleen called Great-Grandpa. THEN there's my dad's nefew who is 65 years old this year. My dad is 64. Yep, his nefew is a year older than him, and I have a first cousin who is 65 years old when I'm 23.

Every year at our reunion, we have Cannon Family Trivia. My cousin Cathy (not actually my cousin LOL I won't get in to it) writes down questions based on conversations she has with us and we all guess the answers. She always throws in questions like the one we heard today, "Name two first cousins who were born in the same year." What was the answer? There are no first cousins in our family who were born in the same year haha we're all SEVERAL years apart.

So that's my family. What's your quirky family story?

Here we go again

2007-08-18T15:47:00.000-04:00

It's been months since I've written a blog entry. I feel bad that it's taken me this long to get back at it, but that's the way it goes. There are a few reasons why I haven't written anything lately. It's not like the last six months haven't been eventful. A lot of stuff has been happening in my life. I suppose the reason I haven't written anything is because I'm under a lot of stress, I'm not very happy, it's consuming most of my waking thoughts...and it's something that I don't feel comfortable talking about online. Atleast, not right now. Hopefully I'll be able to discuss this soon. However, since I can't write about that which is controlling my brain, I can't think of anything else to write about.

Maybe I'll write about writer's block. Hey, there's an idea!

I don't think I'm in an actual writer's block at the moment. I think true writer's block occurs when a person who writes almost every day and is usually quite good at it all of a sudden lacks the inspiration that they usually experience. I don't write every day. I'd like to, and maybe one day I will. I would LOVE to write a book one day. I'm not really sure what my book would be about, which is probably why I haven't started it yet. However, I would love to try and inspire people through my words. Dan Brown, author of Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code, and other wonderful novels, inspired me to start reading again. When I read the Da Vinci Code, I knew a bit about the subject, but mostly I just wanted to know what all the hype was about. That was almost two years ago and I've read more books in the last two years than I have in a long time. I started reading (honestly) when I was two and a half years old. I remember being in grade one and being sent to the grade four classroom to find a book because I couldn't find anything stimulating enough in my own classroom. From age four to 10, I always had a book and was always reading. I think I read too much too soon and maxed out by the time I hit the double digits. I lost my love of reading for so long, and now it's come back to me! Yay!

Oh ya, writer's block. I guess I don't have much to say about writer's block, but it got me thinking about another topic! Now I remember why I love to write so much. All you need to do is jot down one phrase, no matter how random, and who knows what will come of it.

So, I'm going to try to write as much as possible. I'd love it if I could write atleast one entry a day. I think it would be a great challenge for myself to see if I could come up with enough to write about every day. Stay tuned, and see if I can complete this challenge!

When Being Irrational Seems so Logical

2007-02-15T14:07:00.000-05:00

We all have our moments. Those times when we get mad at an inanimate object or at a person we have never met.

There are times when we act completely irrationally...yet it seems perfectly logical at the time.

How many times have we been angry at the traffic light because it turned red right when we got there? How often do you decide that the LTC has a conspiracy against you because the bus always leaves just as you're walking up to it?

I had one of those moments yesterday. I was driving west on Fanshawe at around 5:15, so the sun was on its way down right in front of me. It was blinding. It was not only that there were no clouds to block part of the light, but the light was shining off the wet roads and snow-covered sidewalks, creating a situation where I could not see.

I had to sit up as high as I could, with my visor down as low as it would go to try and block the sun. However, by doing this I couldn't see the traffic lights ahead of me, since they were up too high. I soon was relying on the walk/don't walk signals to tell me if I should drive/don't drive.

My first thought was, "They should really do something about this, don't they know how dangerous this is? Why didn't they think of driving on sunny days when they came up with this?"

Then it hit me: to whom was I referring? Did I want Mother Nature to re-think her plan of having a sun that goes up and down while I'm trying to drive? Did I want the government to somehow regulate the brightness of the sun so that it wouldn't bother me so much?

It sounds rediculous right now, but at the time, my first thought made a world of sense to me.

Have you had any of these logical yet completely irrational moments? I'd love to hear about them!

Getting Into the Swing of Things

2007-02-14T15:14:00.000-05:00

I didn't think that it would be this taxing to begin working.

I mean, when you think about it, I've had a full-time job since I was six years old. Going to school for seven hours a day, then having homework and extra-curriculars...that's hard! But I did it, and, for the most part, I did it well.

Last year was especially tiring. Juggling full-time school, plus two co-op placements, volunteer committments, family and friends was difficult, but I loved every minute of it!

Right now, I'm working full-time. I'm also on the MS Society Board of Directors. I volunteer with Jesse's Journey and have a maximum of three meetings a month dealing with the event I'm working on there.

So I'm doing less now than I was at this time last year. Yet somehow, I'm finding it harder to keep up with my responsibilities. I've received two emails in two days asking me about something that I had agreed to do, and then completely forgot about. It's so unlike me.

I do know that part of the problem is that I recently purchased a filing cabinet. I was so excited about this purchase! It's a nice, two drawer cabinet that nicely fits all of the files I'm accumulating full of different projects I'm working on. I love to be organized, but I haven't always been this way. I actually became very good at working in total chaos.

Enter the problem: I'm now so organized that I don't know where anything is. I know that sounds like something everyone says, but it's true. I'm used to things being scattered on my desk, my various dressers and the floor. But I knew right where everything was, and I knew the order in which I needed to do them. Now, I have things stored neatly in the filing cabinet. Out of sight, out of mind...I have forgotten what it is I need to do, because I can't see it.

So I guess it's going to take me a while to get in to the swing of things. I may not be doing as much as last year, but what I'm doing comes with more responsibility and more people to report to. That is kind of stressful.

Stay tuned for updates.

In Defense of My Hometown

2007-02-06T13:06:00.000-05:00

It's been almost two months since I last wrote a blog entry *slaps self on the wrist*.

I apologize, but now I'll make up for it!

I have lived in London, Ontario my whole life. There were two years where I lived primarily in Woodstock while I went to school, but those don't count since I still spent a great deal of time in London.

People who have moved to London as adults all seem to have the same impression of Londoners: we're not very nice people. I hear alot of complaining about Londoners. We're inconsiderate when we drive because we don't let people in to traffic, and we're constantly running yellow lights. We're inconsiderate walking down the street or sitting on a bus because we don't talk to the strangers around us. Everyone who attends the University of Western Ontario is a snob who thinks themself superior to the rest of the world.

It's amazing how many negative things can be said about the people of London. I especially take offense to these comments because I am, at heart, a true Londoner. And I think I'm alright. So are most of the people I know.

Well, this weekend, I was proven right! I work at Mission Services of London head office. We received an urgent call from our store manager saying that the Mission Store was officially out of blankets, and we were about to enter the coldest weekend this season. When temperatures hit -15 degrees Celcius, the Middlesex London Health Unit issues a "Cold Weather Alert". The cold is especially dangerous for the homeless, obviously, because they are out in the elements. It's surprising how many people, even in these frigid conditions, refuse to come in to shelter. That's why we have outreach workers who go in to the community and hand out blankets, water, etc. to the people who need it most. But as of last Thursday, we had no blankets to distribute, and that's a dangerous thing.

We at head office kicked in to high-gear. We wrote a press release that never got sent because we didn't have approval from our Executive Director or our Director of Communications, as they were out of the country at a conference. I wrote a mass email to our Church contacts which never got sent because my email crashed as I tried to send it. My co-worker wrote an email to her contacts at an organization that somehow didn't get sent until this morning.

We managed to get the word out to two groups of people. Those two groups of people told more people, and those people told more people, and on it went. By Friday, our warehouse was filling up and our van driver was booked by people wanting him to come pick up their donations. Can you imagine what would have happened if all of our correspondence was sent that day?

So here we are, Tuesday and it's still around the -15 degrees mark. Now, we're thanking people for their inquiries, but politely asking them to hold off on making a donation of blankets, because we have too many for our storage capabilities.

Londoners may be seen as snobbish folks who have no heart, but I can promise you that the people of London are as generous as they come. When there is a need, when there is a cry for help, these people are right there giving everything they have to serve the people who need it.

So, thank you London. By donating a blanket, a sweater, a hat or a pair of mittens, you may have saved a life.

The Job Search Completed!

2006-12-07T23:21:00.000-05:00

*clears throat* Are we ready? Ok, here it goes...test 1,2,3...do I have your attention?

I HAVE A JOB!!!!!!!!

Yep, I'm a tiny bit excited! I'm the new Donor Relations Coordinator at Mission Services of London. I haven't officially started yet, my start date is next Wednesday, so I'm taking this time to get used to the idea of not being unemployed any longer!

I have to say, the way I got this job is hysterical. Sit down my children, it's story time!

Over the summer, my good pal Erin, who was on summer break from her Social Service Worker program, was looking for a summer job. I was glancing through the HRDC job bank and found a position for a summer student at the Men's Mission. I thought, that would be the perfect job for Erin! She can make some money and get experience in her field. So I told her about the job and she applied. Wouldn't you know it, they hired her! She worked there all summer and loved it so much that she cried when she had to leave. Awwwwwww :)

I was sure to remind Erin that she now owed me big because I told her about this job. Since she enjoyed her time at the Mission so much, she decided she wanted to do her co-op placement in the same kind of agency. Through a complicated series of events, she ended up at Rotholme Women's and Family Shelter, which is owned by the same organization as the Men's Mission. She has learned alot there. Anyhoo, back in October, she noticed a job posting on the bulletin board at Rotholme. It was for a Donor Relations Coordinator, and she thought this might be something I'd be interested in.

To be honest, at first I wasn't interested really. But, I applied anyway. Good thing I did! This is exactly the kind of job I want right now! I'll be handling the processing of donations that come in, as well as coordinating the correspondence with the donors. I'm sooooo looking forward to it!

So, Erin and I have each gotten the other person a job, and now we work for the same organization!!

Yep, that's my story. I have a job!!! Yay! Thanks everyone for being so patient with me during this process. It means so much to me that I've had so many people on my side!

The Job Search Continues

2006-11-18T18:10:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to lie. I thought I'd have a job in communications by now. Partly because, while I was in school for PR and Communications, everyone told me that I'd get a great job within six months of graduating. Well, it's been seven months and, other than a few temp jobs, nothing has come my way.

I may be getting slightly bored, but I'm not getting frustrated yet. However, everyone around me seems pretty frustrated on my behalf.

I've had a few interviews and I have a few leads on some interesting jobs. Obviously none of the interviews I've been on have been successful. I had an interview about a month ago for a great job. If you look at the qualifications that were listed in the posting, I was perfect for this job. I even had connections to this place and lots of high profile people were putting in a good word for me. However, in the interview, it was clear to me that I wasn't what they were looking for. The questions I was asked were...well...they were interesting. I've never been asked questions like this before. Basically, I had the feeling that I wasn't as qualified as I thought I was. Needless to say, I never heard back about that interview.

I went on another interview yesterday. The job seemed great...atleast what I knew about the job seemed great. I say that because I didn't know much about it. I hadn't seen a description of the job or a list of qualifications. However, the job had previously been occupied by a girl who was in my class at school. So, logically, if she was qualified, I must be too. The woman doing the interview kept telling me how impressed she was with my resume. She mentioned a few times that the projects I've been involved with were incredibly interesting. She was especially impressed with my ability to type 70 wpm. I was feeling very confident. It was probably the best interview I have ever had. She asked great questions and seemed impressed by the questions I, in turn, asked her.

The last thing she said to me was, "Just so you know, the lady I interviewed before you has everything I'm looking for in this position. All her experience fits perfectly. So...you know..." I had the feeling she was telling me not to get my hopes up. Then she said, "I don't want to say you're out of the running, but I also don't want you to get your hopes up." Ahhh...I see. Well, good to know that now instead of waiting by the phone for the next two weeks.

The thing about this second interview is, she was giving me the distinct impression that I'm OVER-qualified for this position. She kept telling me about all of the administrative work that was involved with this job. I could tell by the look on her face that she was waiting for me to say, "Oh, well then never mind." My actual reaction was, "Great, I have a diploma in Business Admin. I like that stuff."

I'm in an awkward stage right now. I'm under-qualified for work in my field, yet I'm over-qualified for anything else. So, now what?

I have a lead on a FANTASTIC job, and I'm hoping to hear about an interview this coming week. Again, I have a connection in the place, and I've spoken with the man doing the interviews. We seemed to hit it off on the phone, and I've been told that I will learn so much if I get the chance to work with him. So, with any good luck, I'll be able to label myself as "employed".

On another note, I am now on the Board of Directors for the MS Society of London. Another volunteer and I have taken the roles of "Co-Directors of Events". Basically, we'll be overseeing the fundraising going on at the London chapter of the MS Society. AND I'll be spearheading the media and pr for FUNdraising Friday at Jesse's Journey this year.

I have a feeling that this will be a VERY interesting year!

Must We Be Subjected to This?

2006-10-23T21:58:00.000-04:00

I have just barely reached the point in my life where politics actually means something to me, and already I'm sick of it.

Canada's political structure has never really interested me. I did start to pay more attention during the federal election earlier this year, as I decided that I would vote. I wanted to understand the parties and what they stand for. I had an idea of who I wanted to vote for, and I voted for that party.

I believe that everyone's political views are their own. No one is obligated to reveal who they vote for. That being said, I voted for the Liberal party. There's something about Stephen Harper that I don't trust, and there are many issues with the Conservative government that I don't agree with. For example, is it a coincidence that almost half of the Canadian soldiers who have died in the three years we entered this war have died since the Conservative party took office a mere eight months ago? Maybe. Maybe not.

But I'm not here to debate about the Conservative and Liberal parties. I'm here because I'm frustrated that the line between politics and entertainment is growing ever thinner.

It was probably two or three weeks ago that Belinda Stronach was labelled the homewrecker that wrecked the home of hockey star Tie Domi. For some reason, Tie's marriage falling apart was front page news. It was at the beginning of every newscast. Everyone complained that this was not news-worthy, and yet we continued to talk about it.

Then, all of a sudden, our Foreign Affairs Minister, Peter McKay was accused of using an offensive "slur" to describe Belinda Stronach. All hell broke loose. Stronach is demanding an apology. McKay is denying he ever said it. I think it was Jack Layton who demanded that McKay either apologize or be fired.

I heard all of this before I heard what the actual "slur" was. I knew it had something to do with a dog because all I was hearing about was Stronach's "dogged determination" and that McKay is now in the "dog house". Yeah, these are the incredibly original headlines we're seeing now. What happened was, during the obligitory shouting in the House of Commons, someone shouted to Peter McKay, "What about your dog?" and McKay pointed to Belinda's empty seat and said, "You already have her." So many people now feel sorry for Belinda. She is hurt, and she must be defended.

Liberals and NDP's have been all over this as an opportunity to disgrace the Conservative party. It's being shouted that this comment is a direct reflection on the Conservative party's attitude towards women. Better yet, have a look at the Liberal Party's official website and you can see a video of the House session with subtitles when the comment is made. Faces of the speakers cannot be seen, yet we are assured that the voices belong to "David McGuinty" as the person who posed the question, and "Peter McKay" as the person who answers. If you're anything like me, you'll have to watch, then re-watch, then re-watch a few more times, because I didn't hear it at first. But it's there alright.

One of the things that makes me most proud to be Canadian is that our media doesn't buy in to the juvenile antics of the American media. Atleast, it didn't seem like we did. Maybe I've been too naive, and am only noticing it now. Dare I say, Belinda Stronach is turning in to Canada's answer to Monica Lewinsky. She was accused of being a homewrecker and it was all over the news. Now, here's this random comment and she is demanding sympathy. As a result, we're hearing about extra-marital affairs with hockey players during the political segment of newscasts, and we're hearing about politics on Enterainment Tonight Canada. Does this seem backwards to anyone else?

I'm no fan of the Conservatives, but I will say that this issue has been blown way out of proportion. If Peter McKay did indeed refer to Belinda Stronach as the "dog" that the Liberals now "have", then I think he's a jerk. However, I don't think it's a direct reflection of the Conservative party's view on women. I think it's a fundamental flaw in Peter McKay's character. It's definately not worth the lead story spot on the news, it's not worth the bashing on political websites, and it certainly wasn't worth the time it took me to write this blog.

Cheers :)

I Hate Statistics...and Yet I Am One

2006-10-17T18:05:00.000-04:00

I was originally going to write this entry about the lack of common courtesy I have been experiencing lately. I was going to talk about the number of adults I have emailed lately and have not received any sort of response at all. I was going to talk about the irony that I, a 22 year old from Generation Y am accusing adults of being disrespectful, as it's usually people of my age group who are accused of this.

Since I can never remember the division of these "generation" labels, I quickly did a Google search to make sure I had my information correct. What I found is incredibly interesting. It is a breakdown of the statistics of each generation. I want to share some interesting facts with you today. By the way, you can find this at Characteristics of Generations.

Birth Year* Generation Name* Generation Slogan

up through 1926* GI, Builders* "We Will Prevail"
1927-1945* Silent Generation* "I Will Cope"
1946-1964* Baby Boomers* "I Will Be Satisfied"
1965-1976* Generation X* "We Will Be Authentic"

When you come to Generation Y (1977-1994):
-We are also called Echo-Boomers because we are the "echo" of the Baby Boomers
-Our slogan: "It's a Hard World"
-This is the most unchurched US generation. All prior generations were (on average) at least a bit churched by their parents, so this is the first predominantly unchurched generation.
-This is also the first generation raised on 50 TV channels vs. four, and they are totally used to an MTV culture. Their typical attention span is is only seven to eight minutes. They are very visually oriented.
-They were, by and large, raised without moral values.
-The majority have not been raised with their biological father in the home.
-Whereas the Boomers came of age in the free-love era of the 60s and 70s, this generation has a fear of AIDS, and while they haven't become celibate, safe sex is definitely an issue.

This information was taken from an Episcopal website, so it is very religion oriented. I was curious to know if this was common thinking, so I kept searching. I found a website talking about this from a Human Resources point of view. This is what I found at www.manpower.com:

GENERATION Y CHARACTERISTICS

PROS
-Flexible, adaptable, no expectation of stability
-Fast moving, highly organized, time conscious
-Self-confident achievers
-Optimistic
-High level of sociability, team oriented
-Independent, self sufficient
-Well educated, intellectual, respect wisdom, value opportunity
-Open-minded, tolerant of diversity, willing to fight for social justice
socially and environmentally conscious, high morality and civic duty, frank & honest
-Entrepreneurial, creative, problem solvers, risk takers

CONS
-Demand workplace flexibility, transient, commitment is temporary
and tentative
-Impatient, want immediate results, want action not words
-Self-interested, self-gratifying, arrogant, entitled
-Skeptical, cynical
-Lifestyle driven
-Demand work that adds value, demand opportunity for challenge
more than money
-Free-agent, don’t respect status and authority
-Highly idealistic
-Demand involvement in decision making, want respect for theirideas and contributions – then they will perform

So, I guess we're not all bad. Looks like we're only half bad. If anyone has any thoughts on the division of generations, I'd love to hear it. It's actually something that interests me quite a bit. Also, if anyone has any predictions on what we might find in the next set, or the "Millennials" (people born in 1995 and forward), I'd be very interested to know. Perhaps that will be my next post.

Lost in Translation

2006-09-17T23:26:00.000-04:00

I'm borrowing an idea from Dave Howlett. Here is something to illustrate how if one does not express themselves properly, their message can become distorted.

Here is a message I received from the Managing Director of Jesse's Journey after our event in June:

Ladies-First of all I don't know where to begin to thank you for such a well-organized event. You guys were terrific!!
Here is some basic info for when you call (Darlene suggested the calling-good idea) and thank volunteers...to let them know they were part of a very successful day. I will be doing a letter for Wednesday to send to them as well.
Here are some statistics on the day;
For Jesse's Journey they were one of over 30 volunteers, who were part of the largest catered event in history of London, under the biggest tent in Canada, with one of the largest car shows in Canada... over 2,000 Cars and well over 10,000 people
-We raised over $43,000 for JJ from gate receipts alone
-More money came from 50/50 draws and sponsorships, as well as donations from individuals and bossiness's.
The Total for Jesse's Journey-Thanks to all the support from volunteers is over $55,000

Incredible for a one-day event
Thank You!!!
Rick MossManaging Director, Jesse's JourneyThe Foundation for Gene and Cell Therapy

When I used translate.google.com to translate the text to Chinese, and then back to English, the message becomes:

Ladies and gentlemen, first of all to thank you, first of all, I did not know such activities. You are an amazing man! This is the basic message that you (Scott's demands well and thank you. Volunteer to let them know they are very successful day. I will do that donated books) situation. Statistics here on the same day; Jesse journey they voluntarily 3000 London event in the history of Canada are the largest tent, the world's largest automobile exhibition in Canada. cars and 20 million people, we have made more than 43 door hearing on the income from half of the money -- and use sponsorships and individual donations, the business. The overall figure journeys thank all the volunteers and support more than 55,000 yuan incredible day activities Thank you! . Rick deputy general manager, the journey on the basis of cell and gene therapy

Anyone who knows me will know how much I laughed when I read that. Out of curiosity, I did the same thing again, only translating the text from English to Arabic and then back to English. I was curious about the differences in language. Here's what I got:

Ladies-First, I do not know where to begin to thank you This event and organization. O was wonderful! ! Here are some basic information on the floor and you (Prescott and calls for not a good idea) and you ... Volunteers They know it was part of a very successful today. This will be a message to be sent on Wednesday and them. Here are some statistics on the day. Jesse on one trip was more than 30 volunteers, which was part of a larger interest in the history of London, in the largest tent in Canada, one of the largest auto exhibitions in Canada ... Two cars, as well as 000 people - and their impact fon 000 to 000 of Fatima j receipts-only funds come from more 50 / 50 joint orientation, , as well as contributions from individuals and companies. Total Jesse trip to the all-thanks to the support of more than 000 volunteers from 55 to ratify the one today if Thank you! ! ! Rick Moss, managing director, Jesse trip on the basis of gene and cell therapy

Please forgive me for how much fun I'm having with this! Here's more text in English:

Yes, Rick, I heard back from the Optimist guy. Vouchers are OK. I put them in
with the volunteer area stuff. If there are any extra volunteers we will just give them cash to buy lunch.
I went and saw the tent. I went right in and walked through the tent, took
a look at how to hang banners. The guys from Raymond Brothers were unloading
the tables and the dance floor was set up. They didn't know where to leave
the display table and I told them. It is yucky and we will need to cover it
with the red plastic.
Lots of portapotties (I counted about 25 - 12 or so by tent, 6 or so by our
display area and a few more here and there around the golf course and rest
of property) and I noticed a handwashing station near the tent. Perhaps
there were more handwashing stations but I didn't see them. It is a hive of
activity out there.
That's it for now.
Darlene

Translated in to German, then back to English:

, I heard Rick back of the Opportunistkerl. Witnesses are OKAY. I set it inside with the freiwilligen range material. If it gives any extra extrafreiwilliger, we just give them cash, in order to buy the lunch. I went seeing the tent. I went to the right inside and went through the tent and accepted a view, how one hangs flags. The chaps of the Raymond brothers emptied the tables and the dance soil were set up. They did not know, where one goes the announcement table and I explained to them. Them are yucky and we must them cover with red plastics. Lots of portapotties (I counted approximately 25 - 12 or so by tent, 6 or so by our display area and unite here and there around the gulf course and - remainder of the characteristic) and of me considered one handwhat-hung station near the tent. Possibly there were more handwhat-hung stations, but I did not see her. It is a Bienenstock of activity out there. That is it for now. Darlene

Notice how the word "volunteer" doesn't translate...wierd eh? Also, "optimist" translated in to "opportunist" LMAO. Ok I have to do this once more. I'll translate the text from English:

Megans,
Any luck with Ron regarding Corona?
Could I impose upon you two wonderful ladies to perhaps help us out yet again? We just left a Super Cruise meeting and it appears that this year we are going to require a significant volunteer force for both the Friday Night and Saturday events. I was wondering if we might ask of you two for help organizing this event.
Don't hit me.
Have a great weekend and I look forward to speaking with one or both of you soon!
Thanks,
Rick

To Japanese and back:

The luck of Ron regarding Megans and the corona? Will i however perhaps in you us, do the woman whose 2 are splendid in order for the second time to help with assigning? We leave the assembly of extreme cruise exactly, we Friday the night and Saturday is possible and that this year you intend to require important volunteer power both because of thing appear. I this is possible and perhaps, we who organize thing you request help from 2, whether or not you thought in doubt. Me you do not have to hit against. If splendid weekend is passed, I thing or directly you speak with 1 have enjoyed you! Thank you, [ritsuku]

Oh my...good for a laugh, no?

There's No Such Thing As a "Wrong Opinion"...Or Is There?

2006-09-01T17:25:00.000-04:00

As soon as we're old enough to know what it is to debate, we are told that there is no such thing as a "wrong" opinion. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and everyone is entitled to share their opinion. We can disagree, but no one has the right to tell someone they are incorrect in their thoughts.

Then I see a letter to the editor that makes me want to say to the author, "Your opinion is WRONG!"

There was a letter to the editor in the August 26, 2006 edition of the London Free Press titled "Report Cards Shouldn't Seem So Onerous". It was in response to the recent editorials which stated that the school boards in London have decided to issue two report cards per year in elementary schools, instead of the three report cards that have been the norm for many, many years.

This letter to the editor states, "I listened to my teachers profess how hard they had it and how awfully the Conservative government was treating them. I, being 12-14 years old, sympathized. Then I grew up. I now sit in my third-year university class and discuss with my respective colleagues about how it would be a real break to be accepted into teachers college, as such a career holds a great pay scale with excellent holidays and benefits, minimal workload, and total stability."

In case you're wondering, I shuttered just to write that paragraph. Minimal workload, eh? Total stability, huh? I wonder how many times this self-professed third year university student has taught an elementary school class. Ummm...that would be zero as this person has not even graduated university yet.

How does one become so ignorant? I don't know the average salary and benefits of our elementary school teachers, so I am in no position to comment on them. I will say that I hope they make as much as I think they do, because this is not a career that is a cake-walk.

Sure, being accepted in to teacher's college may be a "real break", but I have a feeling that if this person were actually in the situtation of teaching a class full of children, they would think twice before using the words "minimal workload" to describe the career.

The letter continues, "Would a Grade 9 teacher not save his/her class material one year, so as to implement it in the subsequent year? Would it be overly difficult for a teacher, who is obviously a university graduate, to waltz into a Grade 8 classroom and teach rudimentary math and English? How much 'prep time' is actually needed for these university graduates?"

Ughhh, were do I start? Wait, before I start, I need to get rid of this migrane that surfaced while I was re-reading this statement.

My guess is that teachers do save their material from one year to the next. However, curriculum changes yearly. Teachers must be on the cutting edge of all new requirements for each grade, as well as being fully capable in the new teaching techniques and technologies. Teachers need to be able to teach children with learning disabilities, teach them properly, and they must be attentive to the needs of the other children. Also, I believe that teachers try not to use the same tests, exams and assignments year after year because students will pass on the tests and assignments to their friends who are one year behind them and have the same teacher. But I'm sure that our "university graduate" would NEVER have done anything like that. He's too high and mighty with his university acceptance letter.

Forgive me, I have issues with people who believe that a university education gives them the clout to judge, scrutinize and demean the rest of the world. Since the phrase "university graduate" was equated more than once to superior intelligence, it seems obvious that the author is one of those people with whom I have some issues.

Moving on to teachers waltzing and teaching rudimentary subjects. Again, I wonder how many times this person has been solely responsible for teaching between 20 and 30 students under the age of 15. How many times has this person been responsible for making sure that each and every one of them is understanding the material, and then evaluating each and every one of them thoroughly enough that each and everyone one of their parents is happy.

Yes, these people are university graduates. They understand basic math and language concepts. Some of them even understand basic science, geography, and history. Does that mean they can teach it effectively? Does that mean that anyone with these basic understandings is qualified to teach a room full of impressionable young minds who have no previous knowledge of these concepts?

Hmmm, well if that's the rule, try this on for size. I watch the television show E.R. I have watched it for many years and have seen almost every episode. I even own the first five seasons on DVD. Therefore, I have learned alot about medicine. If someone tells me that something hurts or doesn't feel good, I can usually give them an educated guess about what I think their diagnosis is. You'd be surprised how many times I'm right!

So, since I understand basic anatomy and the very, very basic concepts of medicine, I guess I'm ready for my surgery knife...what's that called again? Oh well, I forget. Atleast I have the basic training you get with watching E.R.

Perhaps this person should have analyzed his theories a little closer before publishing them. I have the utmost respect for teachers, and I believe that they have an incredibly demanding job. It is a job I could never do. I know that when I have children, if their teachers decide to only send home two report cards instead of three, I will know that it's because they don't feel that three report cards is necessary. It won't be because they need more time on the golf course.

A Reunion at Molly Blooms

2006-08-05T20:40:00.000-04:00

I must admit, I love a good reunion. When you run in to people by accident who you haven't seen in years, it can be a happy occasion.

Last night, I went out with my friend Erin. Our favourite spot in London is the Molly Blooms pub in Richmond Row. We have gone there a few times over the last two summers. There have been times when we have run in to someone who we haven't seen in a month or two or six. Last night was the most surprising reuinion ever.

Erin and I first met while working at Silver City North London. We started working there in 2000 and we made some great friends there. Erin left in 2001, came back a few months later and then left again in July 2002 when she was just over a month away from having her daughter. I left in 2003 a few months before I left for college. Other than each other, we haven't kept in touch with anyone from Silver City. We rarely run in to anyone.

A few months ago, I ran in to a girl we worked with named Trisha. Because of the cirumstances, we were only able to talk for a minute, not really having a chance to catch up. I didn't even have time to get her phone number. Well, last night, Erin and I walk in to the bar and there's Trisha! She's there with some of her friends, and we have a wonderful reunion. She came over to our table for a little while and we chatted. It was great.

While talking with Trisha, Erin looks past me and says, "That looks like Alex!" I turn around, and sure enough, there is someone else we know from Silver City. I couldn't believe it! So we call Alex over and the four of us have a great reunion. Alex was with a friend who also worked with, us but we didn't get a chance to chat with him.

Erin and I laughed about how our night began. We wondered outloud who else we might run in to. Would we run in to Matt? Rodger? We named a few other people, but then quickly moved on and had fun.

We were pretty much ready to leave, so we went to the bathroom. Of course there was a line. So we were standing outside the bathroom and about three guys walk by. I wasn't really paying attention, but Erin was. She said to me, "I think I went to public school with that guy." I turned to see who she was pointing at, and I saw Joe, one of the treasurers from when we first started at Silver City! We called him over and, again, had a great reunion! We laughed again about how many people we had seen, and how Joe was not one of the people we were speculating we might see.

We live in a small world, and it is also coincidental. Was it meant to be that Erin and I changed our minds and went to the bar on Friday instead of Saturday? Was it meant to be that we got there early enough that it wasn't too busy and we were able to see Trisha? Was it meant to be that Alex's friend scheduled his bachelor party that night, and chose Molly's? Was it meant to be that Erin and I decided at that exact moment that we were ready to leave and that we should go to the bathroom before we did, so we could see Joe?

Yes.

Volunteering is a State of Mind

2006-07-31T00:41:00.000-04:00

Anyone who has known me for longer than 5 minutes knows that I have done lots of volunteer work in the last few years. It all started when my good buddy Erin and I discovered a little thing called the "Community Service Bursary" offered at Fanshawe College. Basically, if you did something like 300 hours of volunteer work during the summer, the College would pay your tuition for the year. Erin started volunteering at the London International Children's Festival, and soon I was working along side her. This sucked for two reasons: 1) Neither one of us got the bursary for very stupid, OSAP-related reasons, and 2) After Erin was there for like 2 months and I was there for 1 month, we both realized that it was...umm...let's just say the office environment was not our cup of tea.

I didn't have a job and I was between my first and second years of my diploma program at Fanshawe. Since my mom gets antsy when I start to sit around the house all day, I figured I should leap right from the Festival in to something else. The positive side about the whole bizarre Festival experience is that it sparked something in me. I realized that I really enjoy volunteer work. I found that I enjoyed using the administrative skills I was learning in school in a small office where I was giving my services for free.

I had been very interested in Jesse's Journey when the walks were taking place, particularly the cross-Canada walk in 1999. When I realized in 2004 that I enjoyed volunteering, I called the good people at Jesse's Journey. Two years later, I am still there and have gone back and forth between being a volunteer and a temporary paid employee (in case you're curious, I am currently in the volunteer capacity).

I find it very interesting that I enjoy this so much. The reason it's interesting is because I have been presented with volunteer opportunities in the past and haven't taken them. What's the difference?

All of this was running through my mind yesterday. Erin and I had been talking about careers and volunteering. I said, as I've said several times before, I wish I could find a way to make volunteering my career. I wish there was a way to actually make a living by doing volunteer work. As I thought this, I remembered my final year in highschool. I went to a Catholic highschool, therefore I had to take four religion courses to graduate with my Ontario Catholic Secondary School Diploma. In grade 12, the class was called "World Religions". It was part of the curriculum for us to do 14 hours of community service during the semester to obtain the credit. This was before highschool students were required to do 40 hours of volunteer work to graduate.

When this assignment came up, I was not excited. Partly because, to me, community service or volunteer work meant either picking up garbage on the side of the road, or doing some sort of work with the elderly or people with disabilities. I have ENORMOUS respect for people who can work with the elderly and people with disabilities, but it is not what I was called to do. However, I had no frame of reference for what volunteer work actually meant. I wasn't given any suggestions, so I asked my neighbour who is a grade 3 teacher if I could volunteer in her classroom. She said "yes" and I spent a total of 1 hour helping her class, and I lied about other 13 hours. I received my credit and, ultimately, my diploma.

If I go back further, I can remember my mother taking me to Mount St.Joseph, the "Motherhouse" in London for the Sisters of St.Joseph. My Godmother who passed away in 1998 was a Sister of St.Joseph, so I was familiar with the Mount. But, this time my mom took me there to volunteer. I think this is where I got my impression of volunteering. As a volunteer there, I would be working in the infirmary opening the mail of the nuns who were too sick to do it themselves, as well as performing other little oddjobs which I seem to have blocked out because I can't remember them. As I said before, this is not the work I have been called to do, and it makes me very uncomfortable. So, I didn't go back after the first day.

Based on these two experiences, I'm sure you can see why I'm fascinated by the fact that I now wish that I could volunteer for the rest of my life and not have to work in the corporate world. Not many people have asked me why I like to work in non-profit. I'm glad not many people have asked me, because I don't really know what to say. Just a side note, it really bugs me when people answer that question with, "...because I like to help people!" The reason it bugs me is because that can be applied to every single job there is. It doesn't actually answer the question in my opinion.

When I went back to school for a third year of college in a post-grad program, I was shocked by the number of people who stood up and said they wanted to use their certificate in non-profit. That was sort of why I was there. I had just spent an amazing summer working at Jesse's Journey and saw first hand what it's like to be on the administrative side of a charity. I knew that it was alot of hard work, and some days the pressure gets to be too much. Some days are kind of boring as you spend the time re-organizing the file cabinet or god-forbid photocopying!!! To me, the boring days were all worth it because I loved the people I worked with and I met so many prominant business people in London. Also, there were the days when you hear about a medical breakthrough, or you hear that a small family has raised over $30,000 for your charity at their first event. To me that makes it worth it. Unfortunately, those with no previous non-profit experience were only hearing about the wonderful days. As soon as they encountered their first dull day, they decided non-profit wasn't for them.

All of a sudden, the tables were turned, and I was the one saying "you gotta stick it out, it will be worth it!" That's not the way it was before. I think the main difference between my state of mind in the two previous situations and my state of mind now is that I am doing the volunteer work that I feel passionately about. The best way to make someone not want to volunteer is to FORCE them to do it. Forced volunteer work is an oxymoron. I think that having highschool students give back to the community is great, but requiring them to do 40 hours or else they don't graduate seems extreme to me.

So, what's the moral of this story? I have no idea, but I thought it was an interesting story. If you have made it to the end of this, thank you for reading!

Until next time...

Pens and Paint Are Now Rated 18A

2006-07-13T00:51:00.000-04:00

Before I jump in to my main post, I want to offer my profound apologies for being so delayed in writing this!

Also, BIG BIG thanks to David Jones of the Inside PR podcast. On this week's episode of this supremely awesome podcast, David made reference to a comment I left on last week's show. My friend and former classmate Chris Clarke has been making his mark in the blogosphere, partly by way of the IPR podcast. Chris' segment last week had me flashing back to some lessons we learned in school, and I decided to share that with folks, as well as let Chris know that he has a fan! So, thank you David for mentioning my comment and my blog!

So, I shall dive in to this topic.

If you have visited Walmart, Zellers and I'm sure some other fine retailers in the last month, you have perhaps noticed a sign that is posted at the cash register. I can't remember the sign verbatim, however the gist is that certain products such as spraypaint, a certain type of pen, and a whole host of other art-related products are not to be sold to individuals under the age of 18 without parental consent. I don't know the exact reason for this new regulation. I don't even really know if this is a London bylaw or if it is corporate policy in these two organizations. What I do know is that if a 17 year old guy wants to get an A+ in his art class so that he can get that scholorship to take graphic design in college, he will have to take his mommy with him to the store to help him buy it.

That sounded bitter. I don't even know why this bothers me so much. I can speculate as to the reasoning behind this law. First thing that comes to mind is graffiti artists defacing public property and then the City paying the tab to clean it up. Also, these are the kinds of products that are easily accessible for people in to "huffing". Since these two problems are only getting worse, it certainly seems to make sense to regulate the accessibility of them. Somehow it just seems extreme. Maybe it isn't the regulation that's bugging me. Maybe it's the fact that we've actually gotten to the point in society where this kind of law is necessary to keep people alive and out of jail.

I paid close attention to this sign when I was at Walmart three days ago. I thought it was ironic that I noticed the sign just two days after my friend and I had a long conversation about a gun shop that has recently opened in London. The gun shop opened on July 4. It was robbed on July 5. My friend felt so frustrated that the City would allow this kind of business to open. She was hoping that there would be some legal precendent that would stop it from opening. Her thought was, if violent crime is on the rise in our city, why in the world would the powers that be in the City of London allow this store to open.

I told her that on principle, I completely agreed with her. However, I didn't think anything could be done to stop it. Think about it, though. Opening a gun store in a city where the rate of gun-related crime is rising. Of course it will be robbed! Some people are in a terrible hurry to shoot the people who are making them angry. So, not only will one more person be shot, but the shooter had to commit robbery in order to get the gun to do the shooting. Is it just me, or does it seem like opening this shop will DOUBLE the crime rate of our fair city?

So, I suppose the bottom line is, if you want a gun, go get one because there is a store right down the street. Oh, you want to buy a pen? I'm afraid I'll need to see some I.D.

To Retaliate or Not To Retaliate...

2006-06-21T17:52:00.000-04:00

I was inspired to write this entry by my very good friend Erin, who wrote her perspective on this situation on her blog www.xanga.com/madybaby2002.

When your organization is represented in a negative light in the media, what do you do? When a project you have worked on is represented in a negative light in the media, what do you do?

While studying communications and public relations, lesson one was very simple: if you don't want your name in the media, the worst thing you can do is put it there yourself.

Case in point: The Men's Mission in London, Ontario. An irate employee of the Men's Mission wrote in to the London Free Press to rant about the lack of direction at the Mission. The men who use the Mission's services are free to stay as long as they wish and are given a free pass to a lazy life, this employee said. They are given free meals and aren't encouraged to better themselves and move on.

This article was in a Sunday edition of the Free Press, therefore I didn't see it at the time. It wasn't until Erin told me about the article that I even knew about it. Erin actually emailed me the article, so I was able to read it, although it was after the fact. It was a brutal article. It seemed obvious to me that the employee was frustrated and decided that he had the answers to all of life's problems at the Men's Mission. Of course, I had first heard about it from an employee who informed me that the article was a complete misrepresentation of the work that the Mission does. As a result, I was reading the article with bias.

Today I opened the paper and saw the headline, "Try seeing homeless not as 'them' but some of 'us'." Not realizing immediately that it was the Men's Mission's rebuttle to the original article, I began to read. Of course, it became very clear that the directors of the Mission were attempting clean up the little mess made by their anonymous whistleblower.

As a recent graduate from a public relations program, my mind went in to "professional" mode when I first heard this story from Erin. It was fun for me; like a little case study so I could practise what I would say if I was the public relations director for the Men's Mission. My first thought was back to lesson one: don't continue the press coverage if it's of a negative nature. I decided that in my little ficticious world of being PR director for the Men's Mission, my decision would be to come up with an offical statement should the press come to us wanting our position on the subject. I would brief the Executive Director on what to say. I would tell him/her to say...well...basically everything that was said in the article today. "What this employee said has some truth, but here is the reasoning behind it..."However, I would have advised against submitting anything to the paper in response. I definately would have advised against inviting the author to take an unsolicited tour.

Disclaimer: I am NOT a seasoned professional. I could be completely wrong in my thinking. However, I do have a reason. Here it is:

I was introduced to this article by my best friend. I care about her and I care about everything she cares about, and she LOVES her job at the Men's Mission. I was already exposed to the organization and I probably pay more attention when I hear stories about it. So, I was told about it by someone I am very close to, I was emailed the article, it's an article I have saved on my computer, it was an article I read twice and decided to use as a pretend case study...and I completely forgot about it two days later. When I read the article in today's paper, that was the only thing that sparked my memory. Had I not seen it, it would not have entered my mind again.

That's probably the case with anyone who read the first article, which probably isn't very many people as it was the Sunday edition of the paper. However, I'm looking at this from the prospective of a PR practitioner. It's very different when you are directly involved. Trust me, I know. My class was involved in a project that was torn to shreds by a columnist. However, we made the collective decision to let it go and not bring it up again. In retrospect, I'm so glad we did. Otherwise, it could have sparked more talk and made that experience more widely known. Even though we were as angry and hurt as the day is long, it can benefit an organization in the long run to just let it go unless asked specifically by the media.

I thought that, although it maybe wasn't the best PR move, today's article was pretty good. I thought it explained everything that needed explaining. It wasn't defensive, which is awesome. Looking defensive can be very dangerous. On the flip side, I'm reading this article as an outsider. To someone who is directly affiliated with the organization, this article can look like a disaster. They look at it and say, "Hey, that's not what I meant, you took that out of context!" It's a Catch 22, one that is very difficult to make a final decision about.

But that's just my opinion. Comments?

Pictures!

2006-06-19T13:53:00.000-04:00

Here are some of my favourite shots from the Fleetwood Country Cruize In on June 10. All of these pictures were taken by a Jesse's Journey volunteer. Enjoy!

Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt Starts a Fashion Trend

2006-06-15T15:16:00.000-04:00

"The T-shirt that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's daughter wore in her first photo shoot has sparked a shopping frenzy.
The top featured skull and cross spoons, pots and pans, and the words "The Pots & Pans Band" scrawled over a pair of angel wings.
Parents eager to dress their sons and daughters in the Kingsley brand T-shirt are now frantically trying to buy it." (source: http://entertainment1.sympatico.msn.ca)

In case you've been living under a rock with a blanket over your head and your fingers in your ears, Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt is the daughter of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. This was a highly anticipated birth, with media from all over the globe invading Namibia on the off-chance they would get the incredibly valuable first photo of the child. Anyone attempting to enter Namibia had to receive clearance. Apparently, the citizens of Namibia wanted the day that little Shiloh was born proclaimed a national holiday. That last one sounds like a publicist's interpretation to me, but who knows?

This little girl had her name in the media more times during her first week of life than most people have in all of their lifetimes combined. This latest article showed up in my hometown newspaper as well as on sites all over the web. Baby Jolie-Pitt wore a t-shirt in a photo. Now, the designer of this shirt is rolling in money as all the celebrity wannabe's in this world hurry to purchase the same shirt for their little one.

I just don't get it. Can someone explain this to me? Today I came across a picture of me from when I was about three years old. My mommy had dressed me up as Cheer Bear of the Carebears t.v show for hallowe'en. I'm not going to lie to you...it's a cute picture! If I somehow managed to get that picture of the front page of tomorrow's paper, would it start a Carebears craze? Would costumes fly off the shelves? Would dvd's sell out? Would the creators of Carebears find new wealth?

The answer is obviously: NO! As it should be, right? What an infant wears shouldn't change the course of our evolution. This little girl is only just over two weeks old, and already she is one of the most famous people on Earth. Her every move will be watched for the rest of her life. That's not her fault. It's not even her parents' fault. It's the fault of every single person who buys a tabloid magazine, reads the gossip websites and watches the paparazzi television shows (yes, apparently those do exist now). We feed this industry every time we pay attention to the stories that appear about celebrities. Celebrity children like Shiloh have next to no chance at a healthy life, just because we can't get enough of watching these people who are just like us, only slightly richer and seemingly always perfect-looking. It seems sad to me.

Fleetwood Country Cruize In - Aftermath

2006-06-13T10:28:00.000-04:00

It went off without a hitch. I can't believe it. It came and went and no one was attacked by a dog or horse, no one got hit by a car or an airplane. There were so many things that could have gone seriously wrong...and they didn't!

Not only did nothing go wrong, but so many things went right! Some things even went better than expected!

I'd like to share with you the email I received from the Managing Director of Jesse's Journey giving me the breakdown of the day:

For Jesse's Journey they were one of over 30 volunteers, who were part of the largest catered event in history of London, under the biggest tent in Canada, with one of the largest car shows in Canada... over 2,000 Cars and well over 10,000 people
-We raised over $43,000 for JJ from gate receipts alone
-More money came from 50/50 draws and sponsorships, as well as donations from individuals and businesses.
The Total for Jesse's Journey-Thanks to all the support from volunteers is over $55,000

Incredible for a one-day event
Thank You!!!

It was an amazing day! I have never had so much fun after getting up at 5:00 a.m. Luckily, the day ended a little earlier than I had originally thought it would. We were out of there at about 8:00 p.m. I have never seen so many cars in one place. I've never seen so many people in one place! People came from all over southwestern Ontario and even further.

I can't seem to figure out how to post pictures yet, but when I do, I will post all of the ones that I think people will enjoy!

Thanks to everyone who came out, and especially to those who volunteered! You guys are amazing!!!

~peace out

Fleetwood Country Cruize In - June 10, 2006

2006-06-08T16:55:00.000-04:00

Picture if you will, a tent that is four stories high and 2,400 square metres in size.
Now picture 2,100 people sitting under this tent, the largest in Canada, having an elegant dinner of grain-fed chicken, baby back ribs, vegetables, strawberry shortcake and coffee.

Of course that's in the evening. Let's journey back to 6:00am when the first of the 2,000 classic corvettes, hot rods, and every other kind of car imaginable arrives and sets up in their prime area to be viewed by some 10,000+ spectators who will make the journey.

Think that's awesome? It's not over yet! Imagine at high noon in the clear blue (hopefully) skies, three World War Harvard air craft do an aerobatic demonstration.

Add in Canadian singer Bobby Curtola, a host of famous Hollywood cars and about 25 porta-potties.

If you can picture that, then you have just pictured the Fleetwood Country Cruize In which is taking place on Saturday, June 10, 2006. The main charity partner is Jesse's Journey, and eight other charities will also be seeing the benefit of this amazing day.

As a volunteer with Jesse's Journey, I was of course on the list to volunteer at this event when it was in the preliminary planning stages. Well, I did one better...I became co-volunteer coordinator. We have been working our asses to the bone on this event, and it is now less than 48 hours away. Oh, that sound you're hearing is me having a very violent panic attack.

Mr. Steve Plunkett is hosting this enormous event. He is an incredible philanthropist. He is picking up the tab for the whole event so that all the proceeds can go to charity. At the very, very, very least, Jesse's Journey stands to receive just over $10,000. That's if absolutely no one comes to see the cars, and the only people who show up are the ones who have paid for their tickets to the dinner. What are the odds that absolutely no one will show up to see the cars? Ummm...IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN!!!! aka we could actually see close to $50,000 by the end of the day.

Oh, speaking of the end of the day, that will come for me at about 10:00 or 11:00 at night. When is the beginning of the day? Good question. Here's the answer: 5:30 am....and now the sound you hear is me saying "Why did I agree to do this again?"

No, I'm just kidding. Not about the time of day...that's actually true. No, I'm very, very excited for this day! We've been planning for many months, and it's almost here! The anticipation is more than I can handle! I've never been involved in an event this big before. Mr. Plunkett has never even hosted an event this big before.

The amazing thing is, 10,000 people could actually come that day, and Mr. Plunkett has done next to NO advertising! As someone who has spent three years learning about the importance of marketing and publicity to the success of an event, I find this very strange. But, hey, Word Of Mouth Beats All Techniques...right Dave?! WOMBAT!!!

Look for pictures on here on Sunday!

~peace out

My Promise

2006-06-03T12:06:00.000-04:00

I am making a promise today. It's a promise to myself, so if I don't keep it, the only one who can get mad at me is me!

My promise is to start blogging on a regular basis. What I would like to do is choose a news story or a topic of interest and write about it. Isn't that what blogging is for? Actually, I don't know exactly what blogging is for. I'm hoping that this new project of mine will help me understand the concept.

So here it goes...news story #1:

Kitchener Man Charged with Armed Robbery

This story appeared in the London Free Press on May 30, 2006. Disclaimer: I don't think that was the actual headline. Truth be told, I have this article, but it's been put away somewhere by my mother, and I don't know where she put it.

On the evening of May 29, 2006, my father and I were watching the local 6:00 news. The lead story of the newscast was that a man armed with a gun had robbed the CIBC in the north end of London. This is very close to where we live, so both my dad and I started to pay attention to the story.

The man robbed the bank in the morning, sped off on a stolen motorcyle, and headed towards Lucan. A police chase started, but was eventually called off because the man had reached "dangerously high speeds" and the police didn't want to put anyone in danger. (side note: kudos to police for putting the safety of the general public ahead of catching the bad guy. I was actually very impressed to hear that!)

The man ditched the motorcycle in St.Mary's and carjacked two men in a pickup truck. Then, he broke in to a house in St.Mary's to steal their car. Another high speed chase began. The man lost control of the car, ran in to a wooded area in Mitchell and was eventually caught by police. He had an undisclosed amount of cash in his possession.

When I heard all of this, over several broadcasts mind you, I thought what I'm sure everyone thought: "What an idiot, I'm glad the police caught him. How stupid do you have to be to assume you'll get away with that? He put so many lives in danger, including his own."

When my mother called me to tell me that the robber they were chasing was in fact my cousin's husband, all of those thoughts left my head. Pretty much every thought left my head. I was numb for days, it all seems so surreal.

So, the moral of the story is: News stories take on a very different meaning when you're directly involved. I read all the stories in the paper and I was in tears when I thought of all the people who suffered unnecessarily because of a man who I've known for almost 10 years, and who I love.

I realize this is deep for my first blog, but I thought I might as well start off this new series of blogs with a bang!

Thanks for reading. If you have any suggestions of what I should write about next, please leave me a comment and I will do my best.

~peace out