A quick update for everyone. It’s been a busy week, one filled with returning from a hectic Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival to nursing my sick wife, subsequently battling my own cold, having a mid-term due Sunday and being asked to step way out of my shell and do a photo shoot this coming Monday. All the while putting to bed my most challenging magazine edition of the year during work hours.

Vancouver was fun, however it was more tiring this time around. I participated in probably a few too many late nights and enjoyed myself a little too much with colleagues who I’m getting to know better each year. That’s the battle that happens, I suppose, when you develop friendships with like-minded people from all over the world who you only see once or twice a year. Somewhere in the mix I’m getting older too, though apparently none the wiser.

The Junos were taking place in Vancouver on the same weekend as Playhouse this year. Long-time readers will recall that I experienced a great deal of Junos action in Calgary last year, and I was drawn back into all the drama and TMZ-style celebrity sightings again this year in Vancouver. As we ate breakfast each morning at the Fairmont Waterfront, we saw K-OS and a few times we saw Jim Cuddy. A post-tasting dinner in the lounge had us sitting next to 2008 and 2009 Junos host, comedian Russell Peters. Pretty cool.

I’m theoretically supposed to be in Vancouver again at the end of the month. April 30 is the Liberal Party of Canada convention, where Michael Ignatieff is going to be validated as leader of the party. This time, unlike 2006, some no-name is absolutely not going to sneak up the middle, steal the nomination and ruin the Liberal brand for the following few years. I say theoretically because the only thing in the way of my attendance is the $1000 hit at the door. That’s a hefty price tag for anybody, especially these days. I’m working to see if I can access funds from the party to help get me there, and if all else fails, perhaps ask for some modest donations from family or friends. It’s 75% tax deductible, though those apply to 2009 taxes of course.

My PR and Publicity certificate is proceeding nicely. The textbook for the first course is fantastic – a great introduction to the concepts, premise and fundamentals. Similarly, doing a course online for something such as public relations makes a lot of sense – as a class we’re exploring digital and social media almost accidentally while learning and discussing course material amongst ourselves from all corners of the country and beyond. And within the context of an online course, we’re delivering our arguments to each other in concise, motivating and persuasive ways, which is, in its essence, PR.

In other news, I’ve been Twittering regularly – though I’m not sure who cares (I know I barely do), and I’ve also recently boosted my presence on LinkedIn. I’m beginning to wrap my head around the relevance of these social networks. Look me up if you want; I’d be happy to add you to my contacts.

I won’t get into the photo shoot that I alluded to earlier. Sorry to be a tease. Some of you already know what’s going on, but for the sake of superstition I will wait until it is over before I share too many details. That, and I’ve actually been told not to say much until it is done.

Have a great weekend everyone.