It's really June! If you know me then you know that means I am excited for the start of the CFL training camps. I've made it out to a few practices so far and not only is it a thrill to see all the guys competing for a place on the team roster, but all the CFL fans have crawled out of their dismal off-season funk and are ready for action! Other than Grey Cup, this is my "most wonderful time of the year." (Sing along. You know you want to).
     May was a stressful, emotional month, but I was on the road quite a bit and found interesting things to occupy my time. For starters, I attended the Edmonton Eskimos Alumni Winefest. This year I promise to keep my notes and hopefully buy only good wines for the rest of the year.
     I was invited to speak to the members of CMC Alberta which was awesome, because in a previous life, I was their Executive Director and Registrar. It was lovely to connect with old friends and meet some new ones, plus it was so gratifying to see how the profession of management consulting has advanced over the years. Friend and colleague, Keleigh Cormier, introduced me as "good people" pointing out that is a term I myself use frequently. I realized that Keleigh (herself, a good people) was right. I have always singled out good people, and because I've been blessed with so many good people in my life, it happens a ton. Lucky me!
     I participated in two board retreats at Jasper and Pigeon Lake, so life looked pretty good from there. On a break-neck speed trip to Calgary (with stops in Ponoka and Torrington just for kicks) I attended two AGMs that lasted 7 minutes (national) and 21 minutes (provincial, but there were presentations and speeches) respectively. My previous record for an AGM was 8 minutes, which has happened three times. I am proud to have been elected to the Board of the Alberta Branch of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators and I also got to hear a really inspiring speech by Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi. 
     In the category of full on silly, I went to a quote-along screening of the movie Airplane! at Metro Cinema. I've always been a fan, so I barely needed the sub-titles. My sides were sore with laughter, which really is the best medicine. And don't call me Shirley...
     Less silly, but just as fun was seeing Jesus Christ Superstar at Mayfield Dinner Theatre. Our Grade 9 Drama Club performed it and I have never tired of the music. Not a strong singer, back then I opted to be a choreographer and dancer. It was pretty cool to spend a whole show in either a bikini or cutoffs. Ttoday, I shudder at the thought, as my mother probably did then. I also got to present the roses to the director after the show (photo below). Isn't it astonishing I can still do all the moves to "King Herod's Song" but I can't remember who I was supposed to call today?

     In a truly bizarre event, I've been shortlisted for a Black business award by a UK magazine. The magazine seems legitimate, but there is no possible way the nomination can be. So I ignored it, as well as all the other emails checking to see if I'll be present in case I win the award. Did any of you get a similar nomination? In any event, I've decided it makes more sense for me to answer the requests from the far east to make my millions distributing low quality plumbing supplies. (Kidding!)
     I found the photo below as I was looking through some of my mom's things. It's her and me, when I was about 3 years old. What struck me about this was the short fence and how well we knew our neighbours. This chat over the fence would have been a daily occurrence.
     Now that summer is really here, we're bound to see our neighbours more often as they step out from behind their tall fences. Why not smile and say hello, even to the grumpy ones. It will probably make at least one person's day better.

 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson