There comes a time when one says, “Man, I wish that was me jumping into that frigid body of water!” Well, my time has come and on January 14^th at Winterfest in Chesteremere I will be doing the Polar Bear Dip raising money for YELL (Youth Encouraging Lasting Leadership). YELL is a version of Town Council representing the youth population in Chestermere and Southeast Rockyview. YELL provides a voice for the youth group and helps them achieve their goals while encouraging personal development. I invite you all to come out and enjoy this festival hosted by the Town of Chestermere. There will be plenty of activities at the Rec Centre and Anniversary Park.

The day will kick off with a pancake breakfast and there will be fun activities in the Rec Centre like face painting, Wii Mario Kart, and a monster slide, races. The Polar Bear Dip will start at 12:30 and the day will end with the annual hockey game at 2:30. Click here for a detailed description.

If you would like to make a donation to YELL please email me at hernameisan@gmail.com.

Thank you in advance and I hope to see you before and after I emerge from the plunge!

Polar Bear Dip in Chestermere is a post from: Her Name Is An

This Saturday, December 17^th, Chestermere will be hosting its annual Christmas on the Lake at the Town Hall from 11:00 am to 3:00pm. There will be cocoa and pictures with Santa in the library, a kids shopping and wrapping center where they can get gifts for their friends and families, and a silent auction for gingerbread houses and beautiful gifts like a centennial Calgary Stampede Belt Buckle! Proceeds from this event will go to Christmas with Dignity with is a committee that helps families in need year round by connecting them to appropriate resources and financial aid.

If you’re looking for a small town thing to do this Saturday come out to Chestermere and support Christmas with Dignity.

I’ll be “Vanna White-ing” the silent auction so make sure you say hi!

Christmas on the Lake, Chestermere Alberta is a post from: Her Name Is An

Life is FULL of COMPLEMENTS so let’s ENJOY is a post from: Her Name Is An

Now as a student I recall and wished I had all the free time I used to have. Working 7:30 – 4:00 allowed me free evenings and weekends to do as my heart desired instead of constantly doing school projects.

The grass is always green on the other side. You will always chase it but you will never obtain it. The secret is to make your grass green. Reflect on the times when it was brown, yellow, growing, etc. Try to remember and enjoy the things you’ve overcome. Ask yourself why are you doing what you are doing and if it contributes to your end goal your grass will be greener. Reflecting will help you realize how far you’ve come. And, remember to celebrate your successes!

My first degree was in Cultural and Social Anthropology with a minor in Business.  My goal was to find something in HR or Marketing.  People always raised an eyebrow when I told them my direction because it didn’t make sense to them. I saw it loud and clear; Anthropology = people and business has to do with people…. anyway, I didn’t enjoy my time in school because I didn’t care for it (school was not a choice at that time) but I’m glad that I finished because it helped shape me and how I continue to see the world. I ended up becoming a Recruiter for 2ish years – which I didn’t realize was my goal because it was so routine and I was weighed down with stuff. I now realize how far I’ve come and how much I’ve accomplished that my grass can’t be brown.

Happy mowing

The Grass is ALWAYS Greener on the Other Side UNLESS…. is a post from: Her Name Is An

Julie and I were having a conversation about remembering names.  I told her that I used to be really good with names, sometimes even last names.  And now?  I suck!  I don’t even try and if I do, my brain doesn’t care to cooperate.  Why?  My name is An; it’s spelt A–N.  Not A-N-N, not A-N-N-E, not A-N-H.  It’s effin short!  And it’s not Anna or Amy either!  If they can’t remember that then why should I take the time or memory power to remember theirs?!

“I know what you mean!  They can’t remember my name either and it’s Julie!”

I GLARE at Julie, mouth open and speechless.  “I KNOW!  That’s what I was just saying!  If they can’t remember a one syllable, two letter name do you think they’d remember yours J-U-L-I-E?!?!?!”

Why I Don’t Remember Names is a post from: Her Name Is An

When I inserted my SIM card the Blackberry asked me for an MEI number.  You are allotted 10 attempts and MOST IMPORTANTLY you do not want to hit zero!!!  Why?  When you hit zero you HARDLOCK your phone and there is NOTHING you can do reset it.  TRUST me, I’ve looked everywhere, read everything and asked everyone!  Cell Corner is not able to unlock HARDLOCK BB9800s even though their website says so, I emailed them.  I tried everything from a soft reset to a hard reset meaning I restored the factory setting, went through the OS and command prompt it on my computer.  Remember you have 10 tries IN TOTAL for the MEI and MEP and you don’t want to use it all up as you’ll be needing more tries to actually unlock your phone.  Your MEI number can be found on the box of the phone or behind the battery.  Keep in mind that hitting the “End Call” button will not bring you to the home screen, it will actually count down the MEI attempts!  Try to be mentally awake and don’t multitask if you’re not tech savvy otherwise you might hardlock your phone like me.

I found this site: www.freemyblackberry.com extremely helpful and they emailed me my unlock code within 24hours.  I’m sure I would have been able to unlock my phone had I not hardlocked it!

This video was also really helpful and super easy to follow:

Best of luck!

If you’re with Virgin Mobile and want to buy a brand new Torch I will sell you mine.  If you’re with Virgin and your Torch is not hardlock and you’re super nice and want to trade Torches I will be your best friend! Haha

Unlocking a Blackberry Torch (9800) is a post from: Her Name Is An

Here are some general info:  
Admission:
- General (13 – 64) – $15
- Seniors (65+) – $8
- Child (7 – 12) – $8
- Child (6 and under) – Free
Park Hours: 11am – midnight

Bring lots of money because you’ll want to try a lot of food and have your faves like mini donuts and caramel apples, play games and oh yes eat some more

This year I plan to two-step my feet off at Nashville North, make friends with cowboys, and…. make friends with cowboys haha.

It’s also that time of year where you can get free breakfast everyday from July 7^th – July 17^th.

http://www.stampedecaravan.com/break_sched.html
http://www.flapjackfinder.com/events/results

Happy Stampedin’ Everyone!!

Calgary Stampede 2011 is a post from: Her Name Is An