The Browning's Blog: Good to be HOME!

I have finally went somewhere to a conference that I am just not dying to take Andrew back to. Thanks so very much to my friend Tracie Crain, I had some good experiences in the Big Easy but as a whole, the part of town I was in, for the most part, I can say I have seen it and that's that.

I know better than to base an entire city's existence on about 50 square blocks of it, but to be so totally immersed in that particular culture was just a bit too much for me.

I think our first mistake was walking down Bourbon Street at 10:00 of a night. Wow, between the people who were drunk and passed out in the street and the women with all parts of their body hanging out, and I am not exaggerating, I was appalled. Tracie didn't suggest anything on Bourbon Street but we were hungry, it was late and we hadn't ate, so we knew there would be food down there, we did find Oceana's and it was good, I just wish now we would have taken a different route to get there.

Monday started the conference and it was good. I did have something really nice happen. Brenda, Sharon and I were in a workshop that Larry Dawson, Deputy Director of LIHEAP for the State of IL was speaking. I was actually sitting with Nancy Kane-Richards, a PIPP coordinator from Aurora that I spend lots of time on special projects with. The workshop was on the various states that had started PIPP programs (Percentage of Income Payment Plans) I am the PIPP Coordinator for ERBA. So, we hear from Detroit, New Jersey and then Larry. As he starts speaking, he tells that this is our first official year, that we have had several pilot years and the biggest problem with this year was that when September 1 came around, our computer system was not nearly ready and that it has been a rough year. Then, he says, "In fact, we have a couple of long-suffering LAA and PIPP Coordinators with us here today, we have been through a lot and I just want to publicly say 'thank you" to both of you." How nice was that?

That evening was the reception and I got to spend some time with some others from around the state that I have become friends with so it was nice. We went to the Riverwalk mall and to Frenchmens Street for Jazz this night. Those were the good parts, the bad parts were walking to the river and realizing the two guys sitting on the park bench were smoking pot, then on our way back to the hotel, we walked by a guy pinching around on his arm, looking for a good place to shoot up.......

Our keynote speakers for both days were great but Ron Anderson, the keynote for Tuesday was fabulous. There is such a thing as compassion burnout, people in my position have a tendency to get it. You do your job day in and day out, knowing deep down inside you are making a difference but there are weeks you just don't see it. Ron Anderson pointed out to us under no uncertain terms that somebody just like me had made all the difference in his life. His future was predicted as being spent in the local prison, but a community action agency got a hold of him and people there told him he could make something out of himself and he did. I cried, a lot. He had a very rough life, and is a better person because of it.

Tuesday also brought a workshop that excited me work wise. Part of the PIPP program is supposed to be educating our clients to budgeting and conservation. You have to remember, personally I am a budgeting freak, it is how we survived the 2 months of Andrew being out of work and truly NEVER felt a difference. Anyway, New York is using a 12 month budgeting class, it is in a kit and the presenter is sending me a kit, but I believe I could make my own and it looks really good. Can't wait to get this on the table for when things calm down enough with the computer system that the state says it is time to incorporate the REST of PIPP.

Tuesday we took the trolley down St. Charles Street, which took us into the Garden District, went to the French Market, had beignets at Cafe du Monde and ate dinner at the Gumbo Shop. All fabulous and this was probably my favorite day as far as seeing New Orleans. We were in our rooms by 8:00 p.m., that probably had something to do with it too.

Wednesday morning we basically got up and got ready to get to the airport, not until one last run-in with a beggar. We went to Arby's to get a hot breakfast. A guy came up to the counter in a wheelchair, being pushed by another man. They bumped into me, I said excuse me and he started in asking for money. I told him I would buy him breakfast but no, he just wanted the money, I said no.

So, we got off the ground at 12:35, I was so ready. We touched down in St. Louis at a quarter after 2 and was out of the airport by 3. We stopped at the Old Spaghetti Factory on the way home and I still made it home just in time to go to church, which was probably just what I needed after some of the things I had seen.

All in all, I am still glad I went. VERY thankful for Tracie making me a bucket list, because those were the good things and I know as much as she loved living there, the town has lots to offer outside of downtown. So, glad I went, not planning on going back but I am always thankful when I get to take in this conference. There were people there from all 50 states this year. I ate lunch Monday with THE lady who runs Hawaii's LIHEAP. Yep, all one of her. She does 10,000 apps a year, granted all year as it is "energy assistance" in Hawaii instead of heating. It is hard to fathom poverty in Hawaii but when I really think about it, it doesn't surprise me and the cost of living is so high that I am sure there are people in need that don't qualify.

Tuesday I ate lunch with software developers for Portland Oregon.They are working on a program to automate the scheduling processes for offices like ours. I had to explain we are rural, have two people per office and two phone lines and most of us despise automated systems and we can handle our incoming phone calls pretty efficiently. They were good with that but then Sharon mentioned something about us IT geeks and they figured out I was IT. Then they really got excited because they realized I spoke their language AND the office's that they were working with's language. They have my email address and are sending me mock ups of what they have done to test. Funny the things I get myself into.