Volunteering can be hazardous to your health

And I see Willie and Jodi and Carroll and Carol and Liz and Neil and Peter
Did I mention Coco Chanel and Merlin were the short ones?

Hello and happy Friday. Gloriously bright sunny day in Calgary with a hint of spring in the air. It must be spring as the street sweepers are dusting up a storm on the main roads. Perhaps by May we might see the start of April showers as I think we haven't seen any yet. What do May showers bring?

The photo above is from a trot two weeks ago that I advertised as one of the best city and mountain views in Calgary. As you can see I was foggingly wrong! All was happy in the state of Denmark and the dust on Carol's knee luckily did not leave a mark - after washing.

Who says I don't know the shortcuts?

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My volunteering at the Calgary Stampede has allowed me to be a part of the biggest outdoor show on earth for over 20 years. My dad got me started in 1989 after the Olympics. Standing on a street corner in the east village (then it was just deserted buildings) I watched the crowds watch the parade as it started up the strip for the 2.5 mile meander through downtown.

I also got to watch families grow up, as year after year the same families would line the streets with kids in tow. I recall Sue and Carol Corkey, as St. Francis High School fellow alumni and parents, they would faithfully plop their lawn chairs every year until the kids became too old and 'cool' to watch the annual event. Am I uncool for still enjoying it on this 44th birthday year?

Why do I ramble about the parade and volunteering? Well if you must ask:

Jamie is a fellow SAIT employee who last year only ate free Stampede food for the entire ten days.

The Midway department seeks volunteer food judges (or the very best fair foodie opportunity you never knew existed)

Title: Volunteer Food Judge

Position Summary: Seeking adventurous, experienced-in-food-eating individuals to journey deep into the gastronomic landscape of Stampede Park during this year’s 10-day Stampede, July 5-14. Like culinary Lewis and Clark, these individuals should be willing to venture into the unknown, try anything (yes anything ) and then report back to the world faithfully on what they have seen, smelled and tasted—from the classics to the brand new, the dangerous to the irresistible. When you hear the words double-deep-fried-bacon-wrapped-corn-dog , do you think calories ? Or at long last! The food gods have answered my prayers! ? If you answered the latter, this job is for you!

Responsibilities in this role include, but are not limited to:

• Tour and taste the food vendors of Stampede Park.
• Rate and judge these foods in the following categories: Best Food On a Stick, Best Value, Best Healthy Choice, International Favourites, Best Deep Fried Food, Best Sweet Treat, Best Food Between Buns, Best Food Under $2, Best Classic Fair Food and Best Beverage.
• Live blog, Tweet (#omnomnom) and Instagram your thoughts and discoveries.

Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have/be:

• A discerning palate.
• A knack for describing food (‘delicious’ and ‘tasty’ ain’t gonna cut it folks.)
• A proven Social Media junkie, addicted to shares, hashtags, filters and likes.
• An adventurous spirit.
• A long, storied history with food.
• An omnivore. You will be consuming meat, lactose, gluten and all else.
• The ability and desire to expose the good, the bad and the criminal-but-delicious.
• And, most importantly, will love to eat, (like, in a spiritual way.)

To apply: submit your food resume by Friday, May 3. Your food resume can be anything—the more creative, the better! All media will be accepted: audio, video, power point, performance art, etc. Four Stampede employees and four Stampede volunteers will be selected. You can e-mail or snail-mail your application to James Radke in the Midway department. Please call James at 403.261.0251 (local 3251) if you have any questions.
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The Golden Arches are where the runs always start!

Oh hey, if you need to burn off those calories before you do the ten days of gluttony, join us at McDonald's in Glenmore Landing for our Saturday trot around the reservoir, or just a nice walk! Joy will be doing the latter, I will be dancing with dirt and the former. See you at 9 am!

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Another good April Clay in May event. This sounds quite interesting and I wonder who will take that Saturday as a wonderful learning experience? April is volunteering at the event - don't we have great volunteers? - her words:

I will be volunteering so I will look forward to seeing some of you there.  If you don’t know about TED, please check out www.ted.com and see the world’s best ideas being shared…for free.  This TEDxCalgary event is a not to be missed inspiring event.  Please spread the word and start your registration process today! (see link below)  Any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!

Cheers, April
Bodymindmotion
Mental skills for sport and life
www.bodymindmotion.com

TEDxCalgary's Energy: Full Spectrum event will be an exploration across disciplines and frontiers, bringing together speakers and participants to jointly explore how we as humans have understood and harnessed the energy systems of our natural world, our societies, our bodies, and our minds. From technology that changes possibilities, through entertainment that stimulates our thinking, to design that sets a pattern for future generations, we'll cover the full spectrum.

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Sadie is watching for your arrival at base camp!

Last year you might recall that Joy, Sadie and I ventured up the Banff to Jasper highway and did the Mount Robson Marathon. It was a very memorable trot up the highest peak in the provinces. I would strongly support anyone who thinks this would be on their to-do list and encourage you to sign up starting May 1 at 10 am PDT. 

It is also the 100th anniversary of the park so there should be some great happenings there this year. Let me know if you need more info.

Have a great week and play safe.