I’m a Master of Science, and 40

I completed my Master’s Degree – surprise! (I didn’t talk much about being in school – sort of embarrassing to be in school and nearing 40). Although I wasn't really looking forward to it, I had many reasons to do it - nearly all positions I hire for are "master's required" so it was odd that I didn't have one, and I was sick of people assuming I did because I work with lots of MDs and MPHs. And I was feeling like I should do something for myself, since all I pretty much do is work, and I thought "if I'm going to do this, I want to do it before I'm 40" (and I almost made it). Oh, and I guess I wanted to learn something. But that was totally secondary. :)

So I looked into three programs in Chicago for my field (nonprofit management) and chose the cheapest and (assumedly) easiest - it was one night a week for a little over two years, plus a final project (or more classes, but I chose the final project). I didn't really talk about it since I literally wasn't sure I was going to do it - I went to the orientation and before I knew it I was well into the classes, and it was pretty easy so I figured I'd finish. I actually finished the classes last year but dragged my heels on the final project - seems it was much easier for me when I knew I had a class coming up and a deadline. Once the classes were done, everytime I told myself I needed to work on the project, somehow I just ended up doing work work instead.

But I finished! With an A or A+ in every class. So now I have an MS - technically an MSNM (Master’s of Science in Nonprofit Management) but I'm just using MS since that's more common. It's from Spertus College, which is small and really only has two programs - this one and one on Jewish Studies.

Also, in April, I turned 40. Mom, Dawn and Lisa came over for the weekend to help celebrate. We went to see a show – The Drowsy Chaperone, which was really good – and had dinner at our house with Jim, Kathy, Cindy and Mike. It was perfect – no need for 80+ people, drunk at a bowling alley like my 30th.

This is a cake my staff gave me - during a meeting, so I had to transport it home (with boxes, signs, etc.) and it didn't make it too well. Still tasted good and was a nice surprise.

Also, on my birthday, I had to be at one of our conferences for Reach Out and Read (a program we do) and we invited the Mayor and he came. Sort of fun to meet the Mayor. He has a photographer who follows him around all the time and takes pictures of everyone he meets, then they send them to you signed afterward. I'd post the picture but for some reason when they sent the electronic version as a PDF and I don't know how to upload it.

March 2008 Work - McDonalds and Cher

Our association started doing an Annual Meeting again and this year it was in March at Hamburger University in Oak Brook, IL. This is the McDonald’s offices and training center (and also a Hyatt and conference rooms). Actually a very nice property, but it’s very odd to be surrounded by the Golden Arches and to have your coffee breaks at self-serve drink stations like in the restaurants. Here are some pictures - a display on the history, a sign that says "Hamburger University," and a display with all the old uniforms.

Also in March, I had to moderate a conference for other AAP Chapter Executive Directors – about 50 of us come. It’s a great group of people and so much fun, particularly since we are all doing the same thing (basically) but we are spread out pretty much one per state – so it’s a blast to get together. Last year as an ice-breaker we had a dinner and “talent show” – no I didn’t sing or anything. But this year I had a really good idea for an “act” – I took head shots of nearly all the other Executive Directors (they are posted on the AAP Web site) and used this Web site, http://www.myheritage.com/celebrity-face-recognition, to upload them and find their celebrity “matches.” I had the idea to do this and then one of my staff, Jana, told me about this site, which made it much easier. Then I did this long (and complicated) PowerPoint that showed the pictures and unveiled their matches one by one. Very fun and hopefully it wasn’t too embarrassing for everybody. A few matches were really good, but most were just silly – the Web site is pretty bad. I uploaded two pictures of myself - a good one matched Harrison Ford and Oded Fehr (of the Mummy movies, below), mainly because of my goatee .... and then a really bad photo of mine matched Cher's photo, below.

Quick NYC Trip February 2008

I had a quick trip to NYC this month. We applied for a grant from The Commonwealth Fund and after it receives one level of approval, they fly you out to “present” it to their executive team, which includes their President Karen Davis (VIP) and other important people. I was pretty terrified but I think it went well and feedback from the CWF VP who is shepherding the proposal through their process, Dr. Schor, was good – so keep your fingers crossed (I think we’ll get it). But the most important thing is I found time to squeeze in a show – Curtains, which is the “last” Kander & Ebb musical and stars among others David Hyde Pierce. It was good, actually – better than I expected.

And I also snagged two very rare vinyl showtunes – the London casts of Valmouth (a flop starring Cleo Laine) and Little Mary Sunshine (a 50’s parody of the Canadian Mountie musicals – “when I’m calling you-ooo-ooo-ooo, ooo-ooo” etc.). The off-Broadway version starred a very young Eileen Brennan, and the London version starred Patricia Routledge, who some people might know from “Keeping Up Appearances” which we see on BBC or local public television. Score!

Spring/Summer 2007 Travel Part 2 (Work)

Ottawa

I had a work trip to Ottawa in June and it was beautiful! It's only two hours north of the 1000 Islands so I hope we can make side trips while we are at our trailer there. So many pretty pictures I had trouble deciding which to post. (Unfortunately I didn't get one of the nude cyclists - must have been some sort of protest, but I was walking down the street with a bunch of the doctors and other staff attending the meeting when they rode by!).


These pictures are Canada's parliament, our meeting hotel (very historic), fruit at a farmer's market, and POUTINE! (french fries covered in gravy and cheese curds ... yum)
Orlando
For three years in a row, I ended up going to Orlando in the summer for work. That's what happens when you work for and with nonprofits (hot and sticky = undesireable = cheap). But I've learned to love 1) The Universal Studios Royal Pacific Hotel (I was going to link to it but they have nasty music on the pages so I won't torture you), 2) the Emeril Lagasse restaurant there, 3) the Spiderman ride at Universal (so cool), and 4) the fact that with a room key from the hotel, you get to go to the front of the lines automatically in the park. Steven and I did the parks two years in a row - yes, we are too old for that, but it's fun and you feel special walking past all the common people waiting in the heat.

Oh and I was working (almost forgot). I "presented" a poster at an AAP conference. about teaching pediatric residents about advocacy, which is something I do. Here's a picture of it.

My Buddy Blago

We were invited to a meeting with our Governor, Rod Blagojevich (blah GOY uh vich for those of you from outside Illinois). The photo above is me, the Governor, and the current president of our organization, Dr. Eddie Pont. The Governor is going to announce big new healthcare initiatives and wanted our input (and ultimately, support). This is the second time I've met him, but the first was at a press conference with lots of people - this was a smaller meeting. He was with us for nearly an hour and really listened to us. And told us about Elvis' last movie, with Mary Tyler Moore.

Thanksgiving cookies

Not sure who sent this to my company (I was out and one of my staff took a picture). It's a cookie bouquet. Very nice, but they have to bake those cookies so hard and thick they aren't very good.

AAP NCE In Atlanta

AAP National Conference this year was in Atlanta - the second time I've been there in 2006 and probably the 10th time in as many years. I wasn't planning to attend, but I ended up speaking and having my way paid. It's not my favorite city - it's way too hot and spread out. But after many trips, I was starting to like it. I was into a productive habit of jogging from my downtown hotel(s) out to Piedmont Park and back, found some decent restaurants in downtown and Midtown, found a few good bars and a good wine bar, etc. But this trip was my least favorite (I was mugged). Won't be visiting Altanta again anytime soon.

Star Sighting in Pittsburgh

I was in Pittsburgh this week for the National Academy of State Health Policy conference. (This is the third one I've been to, as a guest because of a grant project we have - this time I was on a panel planning a new project for states to work on developmental screening.) I was working out in the hotel and guess who was there - Jude Law! He looked familiar, then I realized he looked like Jude Law, but I put it out of my head since, well, I was in Pittsburgh. Then I looked around and this woman on another treadmill was frantically trying to make eye contact with the other hotel guests and when she caught me she mouthed "is it him? is it him?" I just smiled and shrugged, but eventually she got up the nerve to ask and he confirmed, yes, it was him. I later saw on the local news that Sienna Miller, whoever she is, was in town for some film festival (and apparently insulted the city while she was there.)

He was smaller than you'd think (especially after Gattaca - wasn't he the tall one and Ethan Hawke had to have his legs extended to be his double?). Web sites say 5' 11'' but I don't think so. Very charismatic and attractive in person even though I've never thought that watching him on screen. He had those grungy workout clothes on that, upon closer inspection, were probably designer clothes that cost thousands of dollars. He answered his cell phone maybe 10 times during his (pretty intense) workout. He also brought down his iPod and speakers ... maybe he expected a private fitness center?

Pittsburgh, BTW, was very pretty and seemed like it could be an interesting city. (Steven was there for a longer period for his association's conference, and would probably disagree.) I had the same positive response to Cleveland when Steven and I stayed there for one night on the way back from Poplar Tree Bay in August ... it felt like a big city, and a few blocks from downtown there were gorgeous, huge houses which I assume (perhaps offensively to the citizens of Cleveland) must be really cheap. The more I visit these mid-size cities the more I realize I could probably live in any one of them. Somewhere in the south would be nice ... cheap real estate, a few good restaurants (which is all we really need anymore - we are in such a rut in Chicago), little traffic, and (ideally) better weather. Like we will ever be motivated enough to move, but the thought does cross my mind.

Yes, They Really Do Use "Big Checks"

One of the more interesting tasks of my job lately was attending a benefit at the Field Museum where I took part in the presentation of a large, fake check. ICAAP received a grant from the Aetna Foundation to support our project on maternal depression. (I was not the lead grantwriter - this is a joint project with a local health system, which has a whole development department - but I helped write it). Apparently, we competed against Johns Hopkins and other notable institutions so Aetna and the health system wanted to make a big deal out of the grant. Hence the photo op. Pictured below are some partner groups, the Aetna rep, and me.

It was an eventful summer for me and media events. This was about the same time I was invited to stand with our Governor, Rod Blagojevich (bla-GOY-uh-vich, for those not local to Illinois) at a press conference. I was ushered into a "green room" with other organizational representatives, to wait for His appearance. He's taller and skinnier than you'd think. We each shook his hand while an official photographer took our picture with him, then we were all lead out in front of the cameras. Unforunately, the media was totally disinterested in the topic of his press conference (electronic medical records), so it received virtually no coverage.

My Letter Made the Tribune

My letter in response to an article on teen drinking was published in the Chicago Tribune! In the print edition, and signed by me, no less (we send in quite a few letters from work, signed by pediatricians, and they inevitably get published in the online version). The letter was posted on the Chicago Tribune site but is only accessible now by paying for access. Yes, I know there's irony in an Allen family member sending in a letter on the evils of drinking. But teen drinking - bad (hear that, nieces and nephew?)