And now let the work begin. You never know where life is going to take you. Last year this time it was all about Essex County College and the just about a hour and a half daily commute from Titusville to Newark, Orange or Belleville. I did that drive for over four years, and I did a lot of it in that big old beat up 2002 Silverado, which isn't the best on gas.
What working there did was add three hours to each work day. I know people spent decades with long commutes, but I just couldn't do it anymore. I realize now how much life, and your mental state, can improve when the work day is done and there's more of it to enjoy both before and after you clock out.
This year things are slightly different. Most of the work I now do is at Capital Health's Regional Medical Center in Trenton. That's just a 10 mile drive down Route 29. I think there might be eight traffic lights between home and the hospital. Other parts of my job take place at the Hopewell campus, 1.8 miles, and at the training center in Ewing, 4.8 miles, away from home. Funny thing is I used to fill the truck up with gas every other day, now it's like every third week.
The top pic is one of the clinical groups (+ three more) that I'll have in the hospital this semester. It's a hospital based program, meaning the hospital is our home, so the experiences should be endless and easily accessible for the students. We're on a Trauma/Surgical floor which is right up my alley. So far things are good, but I do have to admit I miss my Essex County College home and the students I built solid relationships with.
And now the games. Last night was New Jersey public hearing on the ASMFC's Addendum III draft. I was finishing up a shift in the hospital as this was going down down in Manahawkin.
From what I hear there were just under 100 people in attendance, and there were really any super strong speakers to sway the ASMFC either way. After years of public hearings and a public comment period a lot of people believe it's all just a show with the final decision having already been made.
What do I think the final answer will be? I think you'll see the No-Harvest, meaning not the No-Target, with seasonal closures, the Wave system, and you'll see mode splits for either size or bag limits. That'll mean those for-hire operations, like six-pack and head boats, will be able to harvest fish outside of the 28-31 inch slot, and maybe more of them, like going to a two a day limit, over the one per day for anglers fishing on foot. They'll say that will have less of an economic impact on for-hires, WHICH, they count as non-commercial operations. Don't they make money by fishing???? It's commercial and should be on that side of the aisle when it comes to the flawed numbers, or scientific data as they call it.
Other things they'll decide on are commercial tagging, measuring striped bass for harvest, and the entire Maryland Chesapeake Bay debacle, of when, where, and what sized fish can be targeted or harvested in that 4,479 square miles of water. There may be something else but that's what I got.
If you didn't attend last night you should still, if you even have any life in you regarding striped bass management and the ASMFC, submit a public comment before October 3rd.