CassieGermsheid.com

This past weekend I attended North Battleford’s first Champions of Mental Health awards banquet. It was lovely and I hope it can be an annual awards event since it’s a great opportunity to spread awareness while giving credit to those who go above and beyond. My mom received an award which makes me very proud because she deserves it more than she will ever know.

The food was great and the entertainment had everyone clapping and singing along. What wasn’t lovely was the not-so-subtle political undertone to the evening, but with the recent rumblings about the uncertainty of a new Saskatchewan Hospital, it wasn’t surprising given the context of the evening.

Saskatchewan Hospital is a beautiful old building that I used to drive by every day on my way to work. If the weather is nice on a Saturday, you’ll most likely find a photographer taking photos of a wedding party on the grounds. It also happens to be the only psychiatric rehabilitation hospital in Saskatchewan.

Unfortunately, it is in a sad state of disrepair. While the outside of the building and the surrounding scenery is breathtaking on any given day, the interior is quite the opposite.

The century-old building is in dire need of being replaced. In 2006, $39 million was committed by the NDP government to use towards constructing a new Sask Hospital with the total project cost expected to be $59 million. The project was recommended in 2004. Now back in 2006, the construction period was slated for 2008 to 2010. We’re almost halfway through 2010 and so far, no new hospital.

In April of 2009, the Sask Party government provided further support of the new hospital with an additional $450,000 to put towards planning, but this year, the budget did not have room for any funds to cover any more than that.

Health Minister Don McMorris has expressed his frustration over the deterioration of numerous health care facilities but insists that there is just not enough money available to do anything about it at this time. He’s also been open with the Registered Psychiatric Nurses Association of Saskatchewan that money is tight right now.

While there are programs underway to help improve the quality of patient care, it still doesn’t change the fact that Sask Hospital needs to be completely redone. A mental health facility should be able to provide patients with what they need to have the best quality of treatment as possible, as any health facility should do for its patients. In its current state Sask Hospital does not, despite the valiant efforts of its staff and volunteers, because of a lack of resources.

Sask Party MLA Michael Chisholm was also at the Champions of Mental Health Banquet and he spoke very briefly during the speeches. While he did address the Sask Hospital issue and asked the public to be patient, he was very terse and broke off the end of the speech, resulting in some awkward looks among people. It didn’t help to quell anyone’s curiousity about how likely a new Sask Hospital will be a reality in the near future.

The patients and staff at Sask Hospital deserve some answers along with a better equipped building. Keeping the faith will work for awhile, but it won’t cut it forever. It’s understandable that the planning and construction of a new hospital takes time, but it doesn’t take a lot of time or effort to appease the people who demand answers by providing some actual information we can use.

I’m very happy with all of the progress our government has made with health care and I’m excited to see the results of their initiatives. Despite what some people may be led to believe by countless NDP propaganda attacks, Wall’s government has taken great strides to reduce surgical wait lists, bring in more physicians and surgeons and train new residents. We have more nurses than last year and we can now train more, and we also have more funding for cancer treatment and prevention.

I realize Rome wasn’t built in a day and there is more than one hospital in need of being built in our province, but government responses are usually “we don’t have the resources” or “give us time” which are a tad too generic for the taste of most people. I’d like to see them try a little harder at reassuring them. I’d like to see them offer some information about the current stage they’re at with the planning.

McMorris has toured the ailing facility and agrees that it needs to be replaced but according to the government they need more information from the Prairie North Health Region (PNHA) before moving forward. PNHA manages the place, but former health minister and NPD-er Len Taylor says he’s waiting for the government. So who is dropping the ball here? Is there a ball to even be dropped?

Everything seems to be very hush about it and the media mostly talks about the Children’s Hospital, not Sask Hospital. I would hope that any stigma associated with mental health issues is not interfering with the completion of this project or the importance of the need of a new facility.

Politics has never been classy, but it’s getting downright embarrassing. The NDP spend too much time writing their clever statements mocking our government and flinging zingers during legislative proceedings than allowing the agenda to move forward. Let’s see some cooperation from them and some suggestions to keep this health-care-improvement ball the Sask Party started rolling. Let’s give thanks and credit for the positive changes we’ve been seeing and continue that by getting this new hospital built.

Let’s get back to what this province is about. Set aside egos and pride and start thinking about the people of Saskatchewan again. Realize that the health, safety and well-being (above or below the neck) of the people in our province is one surefire way to encourage its growth, prosperity and attractiveness.

So the mayor of North Battleford figures we should have a “buddy system” when venturing downtown. This is in light of a “recent report” that shows our city’s downtown is an “area of concern”. Maybe a recent stabbing led them to carry out this report. Maybe it’s the fact that downtown NB has been a slime pit for years!

“It might be public awareness of buddy systems, ensuring that people are aware of their surroundings and go for walks with a buddy all the time,” Hamilton said.

Next time I have to go deposit some money at the bank, I’ll be sure to call up my friends and see if any of them are available to walk with me. That will keep me safe.

He also said more police officers could be assigned to walk the downtown streets.

There “could” be more officers assigned to walk the beat? How about, there WILL be. Starting NOW!

Or, how about getting rid of that disgusting bingo hall and the putrid pawn shops that plague that unfortunate street? Those pieces of shit don’t belong downtown. Move them away from the center of the city, which should be the heart of the city, and draw the unemployed slobs away from it.

There was a stabbing this morning on 101st street outside of the Royal Bank Tower. The suspect has been arrested (and rightly so since the cop shop is less than a block away!) and no information has been released yet about how serious the injuries are of the woman who was stabbed.

This reminds me of a night just over ten years ago when my then-boyfriend was held up at that the RBC bank with a sawed off shotgun by some lowlife on drugs. Turns out he knew the guy too! Luckily for us at the time, we were twelve dollars in the red in our bank account so the loser got nothing except his face on the security cameras.

I have to go to that bank at least once a week and I make several trips a month to other nearby banks and shops. I usually have my two small children with me.

How about we clean up downtown North Battleford and get rid of the rubbies that loiter about the sidewalks and harass citizens who are trying to go about their daily business?

I don’t appreciate having people ask me for cigarettes or telling my kids that they have a “good lookin’ mommy” while I’m trying to deposit a check or buy some pastries from the bakery. Go get a job and/or do something with your life! If you refuse to get a job or offer your time to our community, then go take your lazy ass somewhere else where you won’t bother anyone.

And stop stabbing people for the love of all that is holy!

Today I thought I saw a dead lady behind the wheel of her car. I was driving down main street to pick up my son from preschool and I noticed a car sitting a ways back from the stop line at some traffic lights. The turn signal was on and there were no cars coming but the vehicle wasn’t moving. As I drove by, I saw the old lady sitting with her mouth open, head to the side, and eyes closed. My heart stopped for a few beats when I saw that. I was expecting to see some shmuck talking on his cell phone and not paying attention, or some ditz putting on lip gloss in the rearview mirror. Instead, it was a friggin unconscious old lady!

There were quite a few vehicles behind her waiting to turn. I started to pull over and planned on running over to her car but when I looked back, she had started to slowly turn and go on her merry way. Thank you for not making her dead, Universe! What a way to go that would be.

After I picked up my son, we drove home and pulled into the driveway. I got out of the car and heard someone throwing up. Lo and behold, there was a rubby doubled over just a few feet from our car. He was barfing his ever loving guts out! I got the kids quickly into the house and then peeped at him out the back door. He continued down the alley, stopping every five feet or so to vomit. After he finished, he’d take a swig from a little black bottle. He puked a few more times, polished off whatever was in the bottle, then tossed it into a snow bank. Thank you, Universe, for creating low-lifes like that and ensuring my kids are exposed to them.

And now I’ll leave you with an awesome but completely unrelated song, Mykonos by Fleet Foxes. Enjoy!

To those that park on the street like you’re supposed to, kudos and thank you! To the rest of you:

The parking lot that teachers park in on the North side of the school is a PARKING LOT FOR TEACHERS! It is NOT meant for you to drive through to pick up your kids.

Every time a parent drives through to pick up their kid, they risk running someone else’s kid over. You run the risk of hitting MY child. I may be small, but nobody ever wants to see what I’m capable of doing if someone hurt one of my children.

I was nearly run over while walking my daughter back to our car (that was parked on the STREET) no less than THREE times!

Are you more important than the rest of us who have to park on the street? Do you pay extra school fees so you have the privilege of parking there? Is your child’s life worth more than mine?

In case you’re an asshole, the answer is a resounding NO.

There are numerous signs posted that say “No Through Traffic”. If you’re capable of driving a vehicle, you should be plenty capable of reading those signs and obeying them. If not, then I hope you won’t mind if I shove those signs up your ass. Then maybe you’ll pay attention to them.

I can tolerate ignorant people, but I will not tolerate them putting my children’s lives in jeopardy. Go be stupid somewhere else where it doesn’t hurt people around you.

I’ve been keeping my eye (ear?) on the band Dredg and I’m glad to see they’re finally starting to get a lot of recognition because they kick a lot of ASS!

Here are just a few of their songs:

These guys rock hard. Check out how they play their instruments! They must burn five thousand calories per hour playing those things. It’s refreshing to see a band who is really in it for the music.

So my 3 year old son was taking a crunch on the potty the other day and while he was flushing, he was yelling at the toilet, “Bye bye poops, have a good weekend!”.

I was at the computer writing an article while my 5 year old daughter was wandering around the house, singing a song she made up. I couldn’t understand all the words, but I typed out the ones I could because I thought they were cute and funny. I may have a little poet on my hands.

Morgan’s song

chubby cheeks with black and blue eyes
a cord that’s been bitten
a pretty room with a nice warm bed that my mommy sleeps in
i’ll make castles that are not messy
anytime you can play and make me fly with teeny tiny fireflies
fireflies glow like stars right here
a nice walk with a house with a castle inside

fireflies are little stars
anywhere that i love here to play right in my backyard
it’s so good and clean and soft
fireflies are sparkly anywhere that i sing
and the table is so shiny with the light on it
to play all the fishes, the wind is blowing
branches are breaking
frogs are so nice
knots untied with no knots
this summer we’ll go to the poooooooool
it’s so good, fireflies, sparkling chairs
and whole bunch of things here

Fireflies are glowing stars
two pumpkins with seeds
movies, watching them
anything that you care
anywhere that has a gift
with a thing that you care
fireflies are so goooooooood
i wish i could paint a cardboard seed
but i fell down on the couch
anyone to play with is a friend
a boyfriend, that plays with you

The song “42″ by Coldplay is one of my favorites. I’ve listened to it at least 98 times since I got the album so my daughter was forced to listen too. It must have grew on her cause now she runs around singing, “You thought you might be a goat! You thought you might be a goat!”

Demetri Martin is one of the most hilarious little cuties I’ve ever seen. This is one of the very first “sketches” I had seen him do and it’s still one of my favourites. If you’re in need of a laugh, watch!

Demetri Martin – Large Pad – Watch more Funny Videos