Some days I am thinking there is no way I can survive another year of work, and then I hear about another company that is laying off a couple of thousand people.

There are over 4,000 documented homeless people in Calgary alone. Sometime around April, my department is releasing Alberta's 10-year plan to end homelessness. I've been a small part of this document, and while everyone knows that to eliminate the need for homeless shelters completely is unrealistic, the plan will work (with proper funding). It's being reviewed by Treasury right now.

Today, I was called to accompany our Deputy Minister and ADM to one of the family shelters in my portfolio, we just started funding it in the Fall. Last week, they had a new mom with a baby not 48 hours old. Both are doing fine. The hospital actually discharged them with no place to go, so they were taken to the shelter. I'm not sure why social services didn't step in. While I was there, a young woman who looked like a teenager was walking with a baby girl, about 6 months old. The baby smiled at me as I talked to her, it wasn't her baby, she was acting as "auntie" to give the Mom a break. It was so heart-rending.

This weekend, I'm spending time with friends - going to see a play at the Vertigo Mystery Theatre and then out to dinner. Looking forward to it.

Maybe I can make a little bit of difference before I retire.