Hi Bicycle User Group,

We always love an opportunity to ride our bikes, and luckily there’s a whole month dedicated to it throughout the city. We even have special events at UHN. You can pledge to ride and win, but there’s lots more happening…

• BIKE TO WORK DAY
• BIKE SAFETY WORKSHOP
• BIKE MAINTENANCE CLINICS

BIKE TO WORK DAY: Monday, May 27

Bike Month kicks off with Bike to Work Day (and pancake breakfast…mmmm). Ride with the whole city!
Date: Monday May 27
Time: 7 AM – cyclists convene at various locations across the city
-     Bloor & High Park or Yonge & Lawrence or Danforth & Woodbine
7:30 AM – cyclists converge at Yonge & Bloor for ride to City Hall

For UHN: If you want to ride together, meet me at the TGH Elizabeth St Entrance, before 7:30 AM and we’ll join the group on the way to city hall

8 AM Pancake breakfast – Nathan Phillips Square, City Hall
This one is a city wide event, so for more info, see www.BikeMonth2013.ca
-email a picture of you riding that day to lisa.vanlint@uhn.ca. And yes, it would totally count towards the IHHC Health Challenge.

 BIKE SAFETY WORKSHOP at UHN: June 11

Learn the rules of the road and how to navigate on 2 wheels when you’re surrounded by 4 wheels. Don’t bring your bike as it’s an indoor presentation. People last year LOVED this and found it tremendously useful and confidence-building (plus, there’s a little bike swag at the session).

Date: Tuesday, June 11

Time: 12 – 1 PM

Place: Princess Margaret Cancer Centre M-805 main floor conf. room

RSVP to lisa.vanlint@uhn.ca

BIKE MAINTENANCE CLINICS at UHN: 

These are great outdoor huddles to learn some bike maintenance by real pros. Staff have been clamoring for more of these sessions and left knowing their stuff (plus, there’s a little bike swag at the session…different than the safety session).

Thursday May 30 TGH
Elizabeth Entrance, on the grass
- noon-1 PM – basic
- 1-2 PM – advanced 

Wednesday June 12 TRI-UC
University St. Entrance, on the grass
- noon-1 PM – basic

Tuesday, June 18 TWH
Leonard St. Picnic spot, just south of the shuttle bus stop
- noon-1 PM – basic
RSVP to lisa.vanlint@uhn.ca

PRIZES - Complete the online pledge and you could win one of four great prizes!
- 1 of 4 trips: a trip for 2 to Quebec City, Montreal or Ottawa, courtesy of VIA Rail,
- a trip for 2 to Kingston with 2-night accommodations and day pass to Fort Henry, courtesy of Welcome Cyclist

Register now to ensure a spot. If there’s lots of interest, more sessions can be added. And as a UHN employee, you are welcome to attend any session at any location.

 Want to put up a poster in your area? Print off the picture and post it around!

Want more info on biking at UHN? If you’re not already on it (i.e. someone forwarded this to you), email me to join the BUG (bicycle user group, not an insect).

Happy pedaling!

Do you find yourself counting down the minutes, hours and days until the weekend? Does being unhappy at your job make you less productive? Here are some helpful tips that can help you increase your happiness and productivity at work! Here is information from Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project and Happier at Home.

Of course, being happy at work depends mostly on how much you like your job. But there are also smaller steps that can boost your happiness, as well. Some of these steps are VERY small, but the fact that you’re taking steps to improve your situation itself boosts happiness.

1. Check for eyestrain by putting your hand to your forehead in a salute. If your eyes feel relieved, your work space is too bright.

2. Sit up straight with your shoulders down — every time I adjust my sitting position, I instantly feel more energetic and cheerier.

3. Get a phone headset. I resisted for a long time, because it looks so preposterous, but it’s really much more comfortable. Also, it lets me pace while I talk on the phone, which also looks preposterous, but is energizing.

4. Don’t keep candy on your desk. Studies show that people are much more likely to snack when a treat is within easy reach, and a handful of M&Ms each day could mean a weight gain of five pounds by year’s end.

5. Never say “yes” on the phone; instead, say, “I’ll get back to you.” When you’re actually speaking to someone, the desire to be accommodating is very strong, and can lead you to say “yes” without enough consideration. Along the same lines…

6. When deciding whether to say “yes,” imagine that you’re accepting a job that you’ll have to do next week. Don’t agree to something just because it seems so far off that it doesn’t seem onerous.

7. Don’t let yourself get too hungry. The Big Man goes without eating for hours and hours at a time, so once, trying to be helpful, I bought him a big bag of granola to keep in his desk. He ate the whole bag in one day and ended up sick as a dog. Lesson: eat regularly.

8. Take care of difficult calls, tasks, or emails as quickly as possible. Procrastinating makes them harder; getting them done gives a big boost of relieved energy.

9. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, think hard about how you spend your time. Be honest. How much time do you spend surfing the internet, looking for things you’ve misplaced, or doing a task that’s really someone else’s job? Also…

10. Let yourself stay ignorant of things you don’t need to know.

11. Go outside at least once a day, and if possible, take a walk. The sunlight and activity is good for your focus, mood, and retention of information.

12. Say “Good morning” to everyone. Social contact is cheering, and if you feel that you’re on good terms with all the people in your office, you’ll be happier each day. Also, it’s polite.

Information from: http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2008/09/happiness-and-p/