Security!

Day one of uniform wearing means that it's really getting close to becoming very real! Now we have to go through some pretty serious screening before getting to work and getting on site. We were picked up about an hour earlier this morning to allow time for the extra screening -- for instance, our accreditation was checked 3 times within 100m and then the vehicle we were in is stopped inside a tent and checked over by a bunch of RCMP (some single...don't worry, I'm checking!!!). From there, we can drive on site and park outside our workforce tent where we go inside to have our accreditation barcode scanned and go through an airport-like security treatment. Phewph! And that's just to get to work!

It didn't take us nearly as long as we thought so we headed into the workforce dining tent area to have a coffee and sit around until 8:30am. Cue the RCMP coming in for breakfast! HELLO! That was cool...oh, but before that happened, Chef Michael Smith came out to see the breakfast buffet and have a little to eat himself! My heart was POUNDING...it was cool! I tried to get up and just meet him and tell him I love his show, but the timing wasn't quite right...my staring at him was probably enough! Some of the police were trying to sneak a picture of him too! He's huge and totally normal. In all seriousness, his fanny-pack (yes, fanny-pack!) would seriously be at my shoulder height! Ha! Lunch was really good too and will be the highlight of my days this week!

Back to the RCMP...there are some good looking specimens I tell you (and from right across this beautiful country!)! And we have one constable on the lookout for my roomie and I -- I have his number so a group of us can meet up for a ski day!! Woo! More on that when it happens! ;)

On top of the world!

Well, I was able to ski Whistler this weekend and put a big check mark off my bucket list! I spent Friday evening studying the mountain map and let me tell you...I was intimidated! The mountain is HUGE! For instance, every night the groomers are on the hill and from the village, the lights on the groomers just look like stars in the night! I mean, they are WAAAAY up there!

So Saturday morning rolls around and it's time to go! Yay! I get my gear on and walk down to the bus (yes, in my ski boots!) trying not to smile so big! Two stops later, I'm in line for the tickets -- my plan is to get a 5 day EDGE card and then turn it into a Season's pass...you know, when else am I going to be able to ski on an Olympic mountain DURING the Olympics? I think I may have mentioned that before...but seriously, sometimes it takes a lot for it to sink in! After I get my pass (which is a photo ID on a lanyard...so official!), I head to the gondola and I'm off! It takes one gondola ride and two chair lifts to get to the very top!

My first run was the Peak to Creek (which was on my bucket list!)

...it literally goes from the very Peak of Whistler to Creekside where you actually have to take your skis off in order to get back on the lift. It's 11km long and takes well over 15 minutes (if not 30!) to get down to the bottom...all depending on how many breaks you take and frankly, I took a lot of breaks! But what a moment! Just amazing! I mainly couldn't believe how high up I was and how HUGE this ski resort is! There are chair lifts everywhere! I didn't even make it over to Blackcomb (that happened today!) -- it was just a fantastic day (not to mention I ate at Splitz after...my fav burger shop!).

One of the cooler things was on the way up the gondola and seeing the Grandstands and Olympic rings on the mountain for where the mens and women's downhill and Super G races will finish! I was able to ski the last portion of the race today, right into the Grandstand...and just in time as they are closing this section of the mountain next week to get it ready for the Olympics! Saweet! You can see the Grandstand from a distance on this next picture -- I just couldn't believe how far away I was and trying to imagine what it would feel and look like with it packed with people! You can also see the blue fencing that marks the race course as well.

From the Grandstand, you look up the hill and see the Olympic rings that are right there!

Overall, it was the best weekend of skiing in my ENTIRE LIFE! The Black Tusk looked amazing though out the day...God's beauty is everywhere! He is so good to us for allowing us to see, experience and play on his creation! I am truly blessed.

(This was a fun run!)

;)

Not so ordinary

When I woke up on Wednesday, I figured that I had a regular ol' day ahead of me...boy, was I ever wrong!! Everything around the village is really starting to pick up and it's getting to crunch time. The moment I arrived into the building, one of the guys I work with said that Michael Smith is on site and had JUST been in the building for a meeting on the couches where we usually sit! I had missed him but it certainly didn't stop me from going directly to the spot he was sitting and sit there! Woo! And that was just the beginning...!

The next surprise was a cute one...plays on the ol' heart strings! First of all, if I see any video about the upcoming Olympics with a tonne of Canada hype and Vancouver/Whistler specific photos and memories of the previous great moments of the Olympics...I weep. It's that simple. There's one video in particular (you can find these on vancouver2010.com) that I've be

en getting better at making it through but then they show the women's hockey team win and then glimpses of prideful Canadians and I lose it! Thankfully a new friend that I work with here is exactly the same so by the end of these videos, we're a mess!! Now that you're caught up on some background that has no connection to this next little story...........

We're at the process of delivering the right amount of linens and soap and whatever else to the rooms for them to be set up and there were new boxes in our storage units this week full of cards. And not just any old card...these are hand

-drawn welcome cards made by elementary kids from around Canada that will be placed beside each athletes bed! They are so adorable! And quite a nice touch, I might add! Yay Canada!

And I can't stop there!

As I've mentioned before, we're getting ready for what we call 'the sweep'...where the army etc. come in and check everything! So before that happens and we're in total lockdown where we're the only ones allowed onsite there are tours galore! Wednesday was media day...the only day that the media was allowed on site! Media from all over the world were here on a tour and if you saw Global news last night you would've seen it all (well, all that we were prepared to show people!). This was where the Village GM had to keep Michael Smith in the back of the kitchen so the media could only see the McDonald's in the dining hall and not know that a pro chef is in the back of the real kitchen! Anyway...

Next on the list of excitement was when we discovered that the Olympic Rings for the village had arrived!!! And they postponed their placement until after our Operational meeting so we could all go and get our picture taken with it! I mean, how COOL is that?!?!?! I totally touched them (no big deal)...and now they're on the first level roof of one of the buildings. They're lime green...weird, I know. But still cool!

And THEN we discovered where team Canada is staying so we've been doing a little snooping. They have a gigantic moose (red and white with Team Canada tattoos!) in their garage and they're going to set up hockey nets to play road hockey!! How sweet is that??!!! I love it!

Next up was the original plan for the day which was to play darts at night. Clearly, being a part of the housekeeping team (and seeing as there were hundreds of extra toilet brushes ordered) we all get one and are going to bring them everywhere we go! So, naturally, we played darts and brought along our torches!

I'm off to our managers hockey game and well, yes...the torches are coming there too! If she gets a hat-trick, we're throwing them over the glass!! Woo!

Standing at attention...but not really

Probably one of the cooler things about working here is the chance to wear some really sweet gear! Monday morning we headed back into Whistler Village to be fitted for our Vanoc uniform! All the volunteers and workforce have the same items but there's a difference between the city and mountain people based on the pants (mountain staff get actual ski pants!)!

It's a sweet colour and the reflective stuff is super reflective...you know, like the ACTUAL Olympic rings on the back and the 'Vancouver 2010' written on the legs and arms! Other than the fact that each item is made in China........I'm pretty pumped for the opportunity to wear it (especially the fact that we only get 2 long sleeve shirts for 2 months of work...but anyway...)!

Let's start from the top:

1. Vancouver 2010 toque (awesome!)

2. Two long sleeve t's -- made of BAMBOO which is soooooo soft! One is solid blue, the other has a design.

3. A fleece vest with Vancouver 2010 on the front and back

4. A water proof shell jacket with Vancouver 2010 in reflective on the arm -- the zip on the front is on an angle...and I share this only because it was told to me at least 3 times when trying it on! Not only that but there are OOBER reflective Olympic rings on the back! WhaBAM!

5. Navy blue ski pant with Vancouver 2010 down the leg.

Not bad, eh?

Now, we won't officially start wearing them until January 29th but thankfully that won't stop me from trying it on every so often! Until then, the army is moving in to check every square inch of the athletes village. So far, they've started coming in and driving their equipment around which is beyond cool. Apparently, they're going to be opening every single space possible and every box and lifting every bed and and and...it's quite the operation to say the least -- and they'll do it in about 3 days! It's pretty impressive...just like their mustaches!

Church on the Mountain

Going to church by myself kind of reminds me of the Ab Ripper X from P90X. Before you get started in the grueling 15 minute ab workout, my dear friend Tony Horton gives a little pep talk and then says, 'Ab Ripper X...you hate it...but you LOVE it'! And it's true!

I heard about this 'Church on the Mountain' from a friend of mine here at work -- she knew some people who had gone to it in the past...so I thought I'd check it out. One thing I love about it from only hearing about it was that it starts at 4:30pm and they do this so that people can get a full day of skiing in and then come to church for Apres (as they say). So, I gathered my accreditation for my free transit and headed into the village. I knew it would be great to just be around some other believers and just to go to church...but I also knew it would be awkward. One thing I've taught myself is that not going is just too easy so I challenge myself to go (whether it be to church or some other new adventure). God doesn't make things easy...He'll present an opportunity and it's our challenge to meet Him where He wants us. Anyway, I walk in to the Golf Club, where they meet, and it was a cute little set up. I definitely felt awkward and didn't talk to anyone or be welcomed by anyone but as the service got going and we started singing, it just felt like God's house with God's people and I love that! During the meet and greet time, it turns out I was sitting beside a guy I worked with at the Penticton museum about 10 years ago! Ha! How crazy is that?!

The message was great -- about Jesus being truth and the answer to every question and the cool thing afterward is that they open up to the group after the message for a time of questions, comments and concerns! It was great! Then, before leaving, I met a girl from Australia and had a nice chat...and I'm looking forward to next week!

So, yes it was hard and there were times during the day that I was trying to come up with excuses to not go but I just knew that it's too easy to not go and I knew that I would love it. And now I'm sitting by the fire that I just made in our fireplace and am so happy that I can share this with you all.

Be encouraged, be blessed.

SunIce adventures

Well, it's almost been 2 weeks since I've been in Whistler so it was time to bring out the ol' SunIce fluorescent jacket! I think I got this jacket about 15 years ago...I was obviously STOKED to have it (especially since my previous jacket had a fluorescent strip of fabric sewn on it...of which I also loved, don't get me wrong, Mom). Anyway, last year after Christmas, Donny and Tamara were visiting (trust me...I'll get on with it) -- we went to go play outside and when that happens in the winter ALL the old gear gets put out for all to wear. Tamara donned the SunIce and revived the fluorescent movement. From then on, it has been the only thing I ski in and it is really as awesome as it looks! The only kicker is that it has a short body but clearly, that is the most minor of offenses -- I get more compliments on this jacket then anything else I know! I have to add here too that my toque (made by my good friend Jenna in Maui) is also experiencing some fantastic adventures!

Ok, so, on Saturday afternoon, the Vanoc supervisors and the Sedexo supervisors headed up to the mountain for some old fashioned fun of tubing! There were 8 lanes ranging from Green runs right to Black Diamond! The Black Diamond runs were closed because they were too fast but the Blue runs did the trick. Like, it's no 93km/hr but it was super fun...and wow, what a beautiful night! Clear skies and fun times!

The other cool part was that we got to take the gondola up to the tube park -- that in itself was enough for me! I just love having adventures outside and especially under the lights! Super fun times! I was even able to take a picture en route down my last run (as seen below!). My plan is to be on the hill next weekend to take this jacket for a ski...and I can't wait! Donations to my season's pass can be directly deposited...I thank you all in advance! Seriously. :)

Say CHEESE (but don't smile!)

While losing a snowball fight with God, we ventured into town to get our official accreditation on Friday! So, it's official! The ol' picture time but 'don't smile' is always fun...and by fun, I mean difficult especially when there are 6 of us trying to be serious for half a second! You'll be happy to know that I was practicing smiling with my eyes and I do that by thinking of Celine. Yep...true story! You'd think I'd be good at that...and deep down I believe I am...but the sad ending is that I look a little freaky and I sure wish I put my hair behind my ears. Ha!

Oh, and I forgot to mention that on the momentous occasion of eating a burger from Splitz, Celine came along...in t-shirt form, of course (the Vancouver one, for those of you who are visual and know my collection!). She couldn't miss out! :D

5 Napkins

If anyone has ever eaten a hamburger with me, they know that I have a rule...to only use one napkin. It's not like I'm a super hero and never mess my face up (trust me, it's a mess!)...I just have a rule. Very simply, I don't like wasting napkins but being polite and wiping my mouth after every single mouth smearing bite so, in order to avoid this, I just fight my way through the burger (enjoying every single moment) and wipe my mouth once at the very end. I've heard it can look on the repulsive side of, well, repulsive but it's just my way of eating a burger (and saving the planet one napkin at a time).

I encountered a serious issue today when the Vanoc Housekeeping Supervisors headed into the Village for lunch at a place called Splitz Grill. OH MY WORD! It was a magical place! Simply MAGICAL! You order your burger (meat, chicken...) and then you line up and the person gets your bun ready with whatever you want on it! Then this homemade meat patty of deliciousness is piled on and your heart skips a beat (at least mine did!). It was probably the most incredible burger that has ever been constructed to date until I go back and make another one!! Not to give it away, but as you can see from the title, I had to use FIVE NAPKINS to get through this wonder! What a treat!

I'll be lucky if I can get to sleep tonight with burgers dancing around my head/through my veins!

A new way to blog

I basically don’t have any internet available to me (free internet, that is). For the first week, there was a weak signal in my chalet that I could tap into but that has just been locked. Bummer. I’ve walked a few times to the Creekside Village to find a link to the outside world but it gets a little difficult to type a message when it’s either freezing cold or pouring rain. What I’ve decided to do, thanks to a brilliant idea from Kendra, is to type my observations and stories each night or so on a document and then email them to her from work and she will post them for me. This way I’ll remember things more clearly and be able to share them more frequently – especially since I’m so encouraged that a lot of people are reading this.

Like, I remember the time the army vehicles started arriving to the village. All kinds of army trucks – even the kinds that have mini-tanker-like wheels but not wheels…caterpillar-type moving treds that make the truck move (if you know what I mean!). All I can say is thank goodness they are camouflaged or else I wouldn’t see them against the snow. ;)

Pointie Heaven

On Monday, our job was to move a garage full of boxes of toilet paper to different storage units around the village. Oh yeah, baby! Would it sound any better if I said that it was POURING RAIN?? The joys of the wet coast... kind of reminds me of why I enjoyed Maui so much.

Meanwhile, back to the boxes. We moved over 500 boxes of toilet paper (48 rolls per box)... don't worry, I'll have a calculator do the math... 24,000 ROLLS! And that's not even the start of it -- I'm sure there are thousands more and rightfully so! I'm not going to lie, this is probably one of the most important statistics that the athletes care about. It's not about how many Big Mac's are eaten during the Olympics but how many rolls of toilet paper are at the hands of Olympians! Even though we won't do them, just imagine the potential for pointies!!

93km/hr

I never would have thought in a million years that I would fling myself down an Olympic luge track...let alone HEAD FIRST! I always thought those athletes (if you could call them that) were a little loose in the head, I mean, who in their right mind (or wrong mind for that matter!) would ever dream of such a thing? However, when an opportunity like this is offered to you AND you get to pay real money for it, somehow it just makes sense and money just flies out of my wallet! Before you know it, I'm the one flinging my body down an icicle roller-coaster about 3 inches from the ice...oh yeah, and traveling at an INCREDIBLE rate...head first!!! Now YOU tell ME who has something loose in the head?!?!

It all started earlier in the week when one of my co-workers asked if a few of us wanted to try the Skeleton on the Olympic luge track. He had done it a few weeks ago and said it was a blast -- all we had to do was sign up to the Whistler Sliding Club and ask if we could do it. Three of us signed up and within in moments, our Saturday afternoon plan was taking shape. After signing our life away and paying $50 for two runs we were reassured from the lady that of all the three forms of sleds (bobsleigh, luge and skeleton), the skeleton is actually the safest! Ha! She said that if each of the sleds were let go from the top of the track without anyone on/in them, the skeleton would be the only to make it to the finish without crashing! Phewph! Not only that, but I found it oddly reassuring that there was no mention of how quickly an emergency crew could get to you if you did, in fact, crash! Oh well...

Anyway, we get into the track area and have a look into the tube of ice and the WALL of ice on the last corner which happens to be a U-turn (where you are apparently going to experience 2G's of force!)...and head up to our launching pad -- thankfully only a third of the way up the track to corner 11 of 16. Nervous jitters and giggles are coming from everyone now and as we're walking up to our proverbial 'brain fart' of the day...especially since we are hearing our names announced on over the speakers! So official! There were about 20 of us all tolled and it was a fun bunch!

Once we got to our spot, they started calling us in order and shooting us down the course! It was a rainy day so the course was apparently slower but the first guy down reached a speed of 97km/hr! I was in the middle of the pack and was trying to play it cool the whole time but when it comes down to it, I was freaked! I get loaded onto the sled and am told the final points: hang on, keep your elbows it, shoulders down, head down, feet up...and just lay there like a sack of potatoes. Let me tell you, that alone was probably the most comforting statement of the day...it's a good thing I like potatoes! So, down I go...just trying to breath, stay calm and not move! I was peaking up here and there so I could see where the corners were and if/when I'd be flung up the ice wall. It was INCREDIBLE! The final turn is fantastic and then the course shoots you up a hill where three other people are there to stop you and grab you off the track. I stood up with legs a little shaky after traveling 92km/hr but life is good! I was ALIVE! We are toted back up to our start in the back of a truck and it felt like we were loading into a plane in order to only jump out of it again!

By the second run, we all felt like semi-professionals and everyone was wishing the guy would push us a little harder at the start to really get us going! Some people were even stripping off their jackets and snow pants to get rid of the drag. Second time down, I made sure that I kept my head down, staring at the ice (so close that I'm sure if I stuck my tongue out it would've been stuck right onto the track!)...and boy, it felt a LOT faster! The hood of my jacket became untucked and slowed me down (I think!) but my maximum speed overall was 93km/hr!

I am totally hooked on this sport and can't wait to do it again! Next time FOR SURE I'll be sporting a spandex uni-suit and go on a prime weather day where the course will be super slick! This Olympic course is apparently the fastest in the world (no big deal)...and I can't wait to see the real athletes do their thing in a few weeks!

What a rush!

Beyond the toilet bowl...

Well, beside the toilet bowl, actually! Yep, that was part of my job today...placing the toilet bowl scrubbers beside the toilets in Lot 5. Thankfully there weren't that many but I would say that, by far, it has been one of the most important jobs I have undertaken in this new adventure.

Now, there is a weekend ahead of me and I'll be on the Olympic luge track...hopefully the freezing rain doesn't slow down my time! From all accounts, I should be traveling at an incredible rate -- like, 98km/hour! Hello!

I've unlocked the comment side of things so hopefully this allows all of you who reported trouble to say a little something! I'm so glad so many people are reading this...it makes me excited to write random things down!

Whistler living...

Well, I pretty much experienced the best day of work EVER yesterday! We arrived to Whistler on Monday night after some training in Vancouver and my new roommate, Nathalie (from Montreal...yes, I will eventually ask her to translate some Celine for me!) moved into our sweet little condo in the Bay Shores area. It's pretty sweet, I'm not going to lie! A nice kitchen and living area -- leather chairs, a couch, a real fire place and three rooms downstairs. We'll have to share a room at times during the Games but right now, we each have our own room and our own bathroom! SaWEET! :)

Yesterday we headed to the Athletes' Village and it was SO COOL! Security is quite high already and each vehicle and delivery truck is stopped and cannot come in unless your name is on the guest list or if someone is expecting you. We sign in and sign out each way and now have a special accreditation that we have to wear everywhere to be allowed to walk around the village on our own. This accreditation is good until January 22nd when the VPD and RCMP and Canadian Army come through the village and do a 'sweep' to make sure there is nothing suspicious. If want want to have anything on site (like food or snacks) for the Games, we need to bring it in before the 22nd...otherwise, it'll be quite a challenge to get through security for our shift! We had a really sweet tour of the village yesterday and went into the different rooms where the athletes will be staying...rooms from condos to townhouses and even a hostel style place. And everything is BRAND NEW!! I mean EVERYTHING! It is really quite something to think about all that goes into the Games and if only from the housekeeping side of things! New beds, frames, sheets, towels, mops, toilet brushes, vacuums...you name it...NEW! Today we moved all the boxes of cleaning supplies to the cupboards and storage lockers...yay, that was fun! ;)

The sponsorship stuff it crazy too! Coke is everywhere! There is an entire lounge area dedicated to Vitamin Juice...and in the Athletes Dining hall (which is in a massive tent..and the inside is super cool -- no one is allowed in there but we've snuck in twice already) is a full fledged and soon to be operational McDonalds!! Like, full on! The other food is set up in a market place style and it looks really classy -- and did I mention that Chef Michael Smith (you know, the taaaaall guy from the Food Network..."Chef at Home" etc.) will be the chef for the Whistler dining hall?!?! No big deal! :D

Hmm...well, I think that's everything for the first three days of work. Trust me, though, it's going to be CRAZY once the Games get closer but it's so exciting and probably one of the cooler things I've done in my life! I do imagine myself on the beaches of Maui quite regularly, however...it was a cold one today! I'll do anything to imagine my feet being warm! :)

Until we get closer to opening the Village (which so happens to be on my birthday!), we'll be working Monday to Friday, 8:30-5...which leaves weekends open for me to ski (debating a seasons pass...but whoa is it expensive!)! It's either ski or go down the luge course on the skeleton (head first!)...I'll be doing the later on Saturday!!

Woo!

Extremes

Well, it's time to switch out the summer clothes from the suitcase and jam it full of long sleeved everything! Somehow winter clothes are a touch more bulky then their summer counterparts but I'm determined to make it work! All I have to do is get them from the floor and into the bag...no big deal!

The best part is that I can bring my ski gear too...oh life!

From one extreme to the next...let the next adventure begin!!