Two hundred and ten hours and counting

The Paralympics feel like such an afterthought. There is now more coverage of St. Patrick's Day than there is of the Paralympics. The media is more concerned with what we are doing for this Irish celebration than for covering a blind skier (and guide) skiing down the same run our Olympians competed on. There is limited coverage here in BC but I understand that there will only be highlights for the rest of the country. I feel lucky that we have camera coverage from each venue (with just "satisfactory" commentary I might add--no big guns here). The "secure" village has shrunk as two lots (3 and 4) are not being used by athletes and only half of lot 17 is being used. Even the Canadian moose is gone! Flags are the only decoration the athletes use to liven the place up.

As for the Bell team here, we have changed from looking at the number of shift cycles we have left, to the number of days we have left, to the number of hours we have left. Some of us have even downloaded a countdown clock. Things are pretty slow during these games otherwise. It looks like the people in VSS are responsible for the increased usage of condoms but not in the way you would expect. They must be bored as well.

Remembering what Annlou's school does in Belgium in their final year (where her school marked the 100th day left with a party), I suggested we have a 100th hour party and what the heck, a 200th hour party. I know I still have a bottle of red, a bottle of brandy and a couple of shots of vodka that I am not going to pack! That should get the party started!

The 200th hour party was celebrated a little early on the evening of St. Patrick's Day. The dining tent even gave us cheese cake as a dessert with an offer of "green" topping. I took the cheese cake with special Baileys topping, thank you! ("Tweedle-Lee-Dee Potatoes" as the Scottish comedian Danny Bhoy would say!)

Joe and I were on the fence this morning as to whether we should go skiing or play golf. Since I brought all my ski stuff home I would have had to borrow gloves and used my one free ski rental. Too much drama! We decided to play golf since it was going to be 12C, sunny and calm in Squamish. We were in our short sleeves all day, shot a good round and apres, found out how tasty "15 16" lager was. When I placed my order, it sounded to me like I couldn't make up my mind on how large a beer order I wanted. The bartender didn't think that was so funny! I guess she hears that all the time!

Olympic Fever Alive and Well, Thank you!

I have been down to Vancouver twice since the Winter Games ended. It has been very different to see so few people in Whistler and Vancouver still wearing the red and white. It was almost like everybody forgot that we had the Games here. Amnesia seemed to take hold so quickly once the torch was extinguished.

But then I started to get asked whether or not the Paralympics would be televised. I told everybody the same thing I was told, "No, probably not!" I guess the outcry was not just from my family and friends because I just finished watching the Opening Ceremonies for the Paralympics and they did not disappoint. CTV decided to broadcast the Opening Ceremonies tonight in BC and rebroadcast tomorrow to the rest of Canada. On a sidenote, those of you with Bell TV are already saying "I know that!" Maybe a little more push from viewers and the whole Paralympics will be televised.

The Athlete's Village is bustling again. Although our work is completed (not including the 'change orders' and 'games port violations' that still seem to trickle in), we still manage to get out of our technology trailer (mainly to try to stay awake). We generally hop into the "Gator" and take a quick drive down our main street. What is different this time around is that the athletes in wheelchairs give us a good run for our money. These people are zipping around the venue at mach speeds and seem to be challenging us to hit them (or maybe they're just trying to race us)! The Olympic athletes were reserved and more cautious around our motorized equipment, but these Paralympians are fearless! These athletes also seem to be more pleasant and are more approachable. I think I will probably get my Canadian flag out and try to get autographs.

We were told that we would be eating in the "Promised Land." That of course made us very happy, however, what wasn't said was that we would still be eating "workforce food." The food seemed to improve for a bit before the athletes arrived and the chefs were looking for things to do but the food now seems to have reverted back to Mickey D's as the more palatable choice! The reason workforce was allowed into the athletes portion of the tent is strictly logistics. The number of athletes have decreased and since support staff (ie. smurfs, security etc) have been moved into our venue from other temporary accomodations (ie. Mona Lisa cruise ship in Squamish), our numbers have increased! There are not enough chairs at this moment in the workforce dining area for all those extra people. Joe and I still find ways to enter the "Promised Land!" Let's just say that we ensure optimal performance on our IP phones, computers and HDTVs in the Athlete's dining tent! Then once we're in, the taste of an 'illicit' smoothie or cappuccino is that much more sweet!

The weather seems to be co-operating for the Paralympics this time around. I of course, decided to bring my skis home. We received about six to eight inches of new snow at the base but I am now in golf mode. It will be hard for me to decide to ski if the weather is agreeable for golf in Squamish! I might have to do the ski in the morning and golf in the afternoon, that is of course, if I can convince Joe to stay away from "Fields" in Squamish and his "Paesano" discount.

Joe might be more agreeable to that now though since he took one for the team on our last visit to "Fields." Joe promised his "paesana" an Olympic pin on one of his prior visits. It turns out that one of the more handsome female cashiers (the one that isn't our paesana and wears a very bad hairpiece) was so ecstatic to receive an Olympic pin, that she hauled off and gave Joe a big celebratory kiss. Maurizio and I backed away as a cautionary measure and were relieved to find she was satisfied with stealing just one kiss from Joe. Maybe it was the look of shock on our faces but we all agree that we might have to resort to tackling (or at least a pick), paesana or not, should that scenario play out again. Chalk it up to good oral hygiene!

Olympic Hangover

The Athlete's Village has felt very different this week. Part of it was because only half of our village team remained while the other half went home for a well deserved rest. All of the athletes were gone, with some leaving even before the closing ceremonies. We lost McDonalds for the time being which will improve our diet but forces us to stand in a cue for food that can at times be repugnant! We're all wondering when the boxcar of sausages will be emptied and if "they" believe "they're" tricking us by calling them bavarian sausages one day and italian sausages the next etc. We even lost our Olympic rings this week. As far as I know, they have not been replaced with anything for the Paralympics. Our "smurfs" have been busy removing all signs of the Olympic rings and the 2010 Inukshuks from our venue and replacing them with the Paralympic logo (part of the logo reminds me of somebody swimming in ocean swells).

The Love Lounge is different too because although many people left we also gained a few people that transfered from Vancouver. The poker games are all but over and one of the guys that transferred is a hunting channel freak! This guy is always in front of the TV and since our TV is first come first served, we have been watching alot of TV in our rooms! You can only watch so much deer, moose, duck, rabbit, gopher, crocodile, gerbil (pick an animal) hunting. God I miss the days when I would bring a bottle of brandy, Tony would bring a bottle of scotch and Ken would bring a bottle rye and we would all be drinking bottles of beer and/or finishing our bottles of wine from dinner!

Many days ago I said that we were ready for the Paralympics. We knew then that we still had to move a few IP phones, HDTV's and computers to new locations and box all the extra hardware that these Paralympic games would not require. Enter the "smurfs!" We have not yet conclusively found out who it was that directed these loveable beings to remove all the HDTVs and IP phones to our trailer, but when I saw all this hardware, all I could say (in my best Russell Peters accent) was, "Some buddy gonna dead!" Our four days were spent trying to ready all the buildings by undoing most of what the "smurfs" had done.

Many actual rock-pile type inukshuks have been made by people with too much time on their hands at our venue and all along the Sea to Sky highway as well. I would like to blame the "smurfs" for the inukshuks but I think some have been built by our security forces as well. There are many officers (with stripes) at our venue and there have been no incidents where we required them. I'm not sure but I think it would be too difficult for a "smurf" to build an inukshuk while juggling an IP phone, a computer and an HDTV.

There are rumours that we will be eating in the "Promised Land" for at least part of the Paralympic games. We were treated there for an Olympic Wrap-up party. I had third helpings because one never knows when one will ever be entertained in the "Promised Land" again. First course, two slices of pizza and caesar salad. Second course, chinese stir fry with two types of dumplings. Third course, a skewer of shrimp, mussells and half a piece of steak. Oh yeah, I forgot the piece of celebratory cake. It was nice to eat food that was tasty and not cooked to death on a steam table (or containing sausage in whole or in part). We even had beer tickets and when the beer was done we started drinking wine. Suddenly, the transgression committed by the smurfs didn't matter so much. After all, they are all so cute!

The After Gold--My Olympic Moment

I'm not sure if anyone will still be reading this, since the Games are over. As usual, I didn't know what to do with myself after the Winter Games and their televised coverage were over. The "Closing Ceremonies" left me disappointed and scratching my head! We had such an excellent "Opening Ceremony" that I thought we could do better with the closing. Maybe the farcical ending was meant to entertain the rest of the world. I know many people here thought the only thing funny was the look on the faces of William Shatner, Catherine O'Hara and Micheal J. Fox as they each were unceremoniously flushed down the centre of the stage. The music later on was good though, for the most part, if you stayed tuned that long.

In recognition for all our hard work toward a flawless games, our entire Bell team was given the day off and we were driven down to Vancouver for a party (in our honour) at the Bell Ice Cube. We were given a $25 gift card at the door which went toward the purchase of drinks for the rest of the night. The place was packed and it became immediately apparent that it was easier to purchase drinks with cash (and save the card for later, hopefully, if the cash on the card doesn't get dissolved)! Our CEO George got on stage to congratulate us and later Justin (our "chef du mission") got up as well. He shared his "Olympic Moment" which he said was going out to each of our venues and meeting "the Team!" We got to meet Clara Hughes and shortly after my picture with her, she found her bronze medal and began posing with it. She was asked to speak and we were informed of her "circle of strength." She impressed me with her eloquence and her ability to speak in front of a large audience. We were also treated to a live band which I didn't think was that bad until the lead singer looked out and said "we don't normally play to a room full of guys!" "Hey, these guys are family!" I thought! Of course, I can't forget that the entire Bell team from Whistler was also treated to a night at the Westin Grand on Robson Street, which meant we all got to sleep on one of their "heavenly" beds!

In the end, it was all bittersweet though as we had to say goodbye to a "goodly" number of our team.  Kristin asked that I never quote "Lord of the Rings" in this blog but she has since told me that she has had enough of the Winter Games and I think she doesn't read this blog anymore. So, in defiance of my daughter, I will quote Bilbo Baggins from his eleventy first birthday party speech (and I hope I get this right)! "I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve." I hope that a day will come when we can all get together again and reminisce over a glass of Paarl (or whatever) and rekindle some of the good times we had here. The new friendships I made here were my Olympic moment! I think that is the same sentiment Justin was trying to express!

Gold in Hockey

WHEW!We can hear "Oh Canada" from the "stroll" all the way to our hotel on Blackcomb Mountain. There is yelling and screaming and horns and whistles and I can't wait to get down there.

Olympic Spirit

There has been a definite change in the mood of the Athlete's village.  When the athletes first arrived they were sticking close to their teams and allotted beds.  You would only see them training in the streets and basically just sticking to themselves.  We are now seeing them leave the village with us on the no. 10 or no. 98 bus and believe it or not, they too are shopping for the red torch mitts. Many of the athletes have competed and are starting to relax a little bit.  (On a related note, many of the dispensers for Durex condoms we see in all the Athlete's bathrooms and the Polyclinic have been emptied!  I don't think I have seen any balloon fights. Nudge! Nudge! Wink! Wink!)


Canada by far has decorated their lot 3 better than any other country but we did see that Australia has placed some wickets in the rear of lot 5 (the Lodge) for cricket practice. Many countries have also sent a good number of their athletes home.  We are now wondering if the cooks in the "Promised Land" (Athlete's side of the dining tent) will want volunteer tasters to cook for!

We had a visit from Justin who is our Bell "Chef du Mission."  He also ran the torch in North Vancouver and he decided to bring the torch for a visit.  I decided that I had to pose the torch in front of those Australian cricket wickets as if the torch was a cricket bat. 

Justin, for reasons only he knows, decided that he wanted to eat McDonalds in the dining tent of the Athlete's village.  (We only decide to go to Mickey D's when we feel the food is too revolting and I have to admit we are pretty close to being extras in the film "Super Size Me!") As we were waiting for Maurizio to supply enough meal tickets, I held the torch in front of all those dining "smurfs."  It didn't take long before people came up and asked to pose with the torch.  Some of them even asked if I could pose with them even after I explained "the torch is not mine! I'm holding it for a friend!"


It makes me so happy to finally find that the Olympic spirit has filled the nation but more specifically, British Columbia!  I can now honestly say to Fiona, Catherine and their friends that I predicted this would happen (Read my blog from November 15).  I'm not sure if that is their experience as well but I can't guesstimate how many cheers and tears I have witnessed being in Whistler and visiting Vancouver (for my Fin/Ger hockey game).  This is all in witnessing the pursuit of gold medals for our Canadian athletes.  I thought "the stroll" in Whistler was crazy after a Canadian medal but I witnessed "crazy" on Granville Street walking back and forth from Canada Hockey Place (known outside of the Olympics as GM Place)!  After that Friday night (Feb. 19th), police in Vancouver had the liquor stores close by 7:00 pm to try and maintain some peace.  I watched as a reveller needed to be subdued with a tazor.  I declined taking pictures since the police were taking video of their own.  (After all, I know that the police had a box of latex gloves and were not afraid to use them!  Imagine the fun now with tazors!) Closer to the chalet, fierce Canadian supporters were antagonizing American supporters on our no. 6 bus before the famous game on Super Sunday.  When have you heard Canadians doing that, especially in laid back Whistler!  Maybe it's a good thing these Games only last just over two weeks!

Our Olympic Vacation

In California (and one place in Hawaii that I know of) many people talk about surfing in the morning and skiing in the afternoon. In winter, in the Whistler area, people talk about skiing in the morning and playing golf in the afternoon. Maybe it's because there are no places to surf close by. Joe and I contemplated skiing in the morning and personally, I think that was close enough to qualify (it would have been easy enough to strap on the skis and do a few runs on the learners hill). We decided to drive down to Squamish to play golf and take a vacation from the Olympics.

Our life in Whistler has been totally concentrated on this athlete's village and the Olympics. We, more so than the average public (outside of smurfdom) have been watching Olympic coverage almost non-stop since before the Opening Ceremonies, especially since we have the direct feeds from the different venues. The "I Believe" tune, with or without lyrics has been etched into all of our brains. I catch myself humming it when I'm bored or when I'm sleeping, standing up. I also generally have an irresistible urge to hum the theme for the "Smurfs" but that's another story.


We borrowed a vehicle from Dave and his media centre crew. It was something we didn't know we could do! We grabbed the van (and the Sea to Sky permit) and just drove south in the bright sunshine watching the outside temperature rise. It was conveniently displayed on the dash. The snow became a memory just after we passed the "WOP" (Whistler Olympic Park) and we arrived in Squamish to calm winds and 12 C temperatures. Perfect day for golf. Scores didn't matter, especially because they were poor and we couldn't blame them on our rentals (Nike Sasquatch--We thought it would be funny if we scratched in Quatchi, but we were on an Olympic holiday and Squamish Valley Golf and Country Club might not have thought it was that funny). I would have loved to have had my spikes (and my own clubs) but let's face it, we were playing golf in Canada on the 22nd of February. It was a good antidote to Olympicitis.