Random Things

I am so glad that it will be cooling off - somewhat, tomorrow and over the weekend. I have been anticipating the thunderstorms they have been forcasting over the past couple of days in hopes that it would cool off the house. However, it has been blue skies and 30+, so I am not sure the thunderstorms are coming. Hopefully the house will cool off, if only a bit, over the weekend.

I had another chance to play ball this evening with 'my' ball team. It was a good game, even in the warm weather. We won! It looks like I am going to get into next weeks game as well so that I can qualify for the playoffs mid-August. That should be a fun weekend.

My class on Monday and Tuesday rocked! Although it seemed quite introductory, I learned a lot of useful information that I will be able to apply at work. The class will help me plan needs assessments more formally at work, which is exactly what I was looking for. I was also able to reflect back on some of my past evaluations and assessments at work, and see where I had gone wrong and what I need to do to improve. I am also happy about the assignment I am required to do, because it will become the formal needs assessment plan for something I am already working on at work. All in all, an excellent class.

James is coming to visit for the weekend. We plan to get out and about this time. No sinus infections or colds to impede our activities. There are so many things going on this weekend, it is going to hard to choose. According to Andrea, I must go to the Farmer's Market in St. Albert. Apparently it is amazing. The Capital EX started today. Although it's not going to be that much different than the Stampede or the Saskatoon EX, I wouldn't mind finding a spot to view the fireworks. Not sure if either of us would want to go, but I found out that the Edmonton Grand Prix is on for the next three days. River City Shakespeare wraps up this weekend with Two Gentleman of Verona and The Winter's Tale. We have already seen Two Gentleman of Verona, together last summer in fact, so if we decided to go it would be The Winter's Tale. However, we might just decide to take a long walk down Whyte Ave or picnic in the park. I guess we see what suits our fancy.

And finally, 2 weeks until my vacation. I'm going to the lake. Wahoo!

Sports & School

Since playing on our company slo-pitch team for Corporate Challenge, I had been asked to sub for a league team that has a number of my co-workers on it. I finally got to play tonight. Other than the gym, I have been fairly inactive in the way of team sports since Corporate Challenge. Even though it was hotter than hell outside, it was nice to be out playing with the team...in fact, it was nice just to be out. Because I don't have much of a yard or a fence there is no gardening to motivate me to spend time outside. My co-worker hopes to get me playing in a couple more games so I can qualify to play with the team in the playoffs. That should be fun.

In other news, I am back at school - well kinda. It hasn't even been a full year since I finished up my MBA, and I have already been tempted to get learning and developing again. Our company gives us money for external education, so I figured I might as well utilize it and take something to improve my mind and my job. It is a course that qualifies for CACE - Certificate in Adult and Continuing Education - which I have been seriously thinking about pursuing. I can take mostly all the classes during the evening or the weekends, and I can take up to 5 years to complete it. I think I will take a few here and there when I have the time over the next year and see how it goes.

The course I am taking next week is Needs Assessment in Training. I picked up the required textbook - A Practical Guide to Needs Assessment at the bookstore yesterday, and I am already onto chapter 3. It has got some great information for all areas in HR, not just training. I am really looking forward to the class. It should be quite interesting.

The next number of days are suppose to be 30+, and I am not looking forward to my house getting hotter and hotter as the days go by.

Weekend plans - clean house, organize pantry, read textbook, Andrea & Kory coming over for supper and movie. I am looking forward to just putzing around.

Convocation & Other Bits

Well, it is official. I received my Master of Business Administration degree yesterday at the convocation ceremony.

I never did go to my undergrad cermony. I figured I should put in the time and actually go to one convocation ceremony in my lifetime. This one being the last opportunity.

I did the walk, in my gown, shook the chancellor's hand and Peter McKinnions, and got my degree. It was a lot more fulfilling than I thought it would be. I am glad I went.

I guess it is time to do something with my degrees. Jeez....somebody call me, I need a job. Ok, I should probably stop complaining.

Let's hope I can snag a interview or a job during my upcoming trip to Vancouver.

My day has been overly anti-productive. The scratchiness in my throat, that I thought had come and gone, has turned into a cold. So far, not a head cold. I have only been plagued with the sniffles, running nose, sneezing, and laziness. I am hoping it will subside within a couple of days.

As for my new design, I hope everyone likes it. I have been unable to get the comments to appear below the post after clicking on the '# of comments' link. However, if you click on 'Post a comment', it will send open up bloggers comment window where you can view the comments that have been made. So, it's not like you can't view them at all, it is just more round about than I would like. However, it will work.