When three tenths of a second is too slow…

I’m not too sure I could live with that. Well, it would be hard at first…like, brutal…but it would a serious piece of motivation to find ways to make myself faster! I suppose I could give up dessert but don’t I want to be heavier to get down the track faster? I could shave every hair on my body but that would just be too cold and frankly, quite useless seeing as the ultra spandex suit in itself would make me super fast! Come to think of it, I should really get one of those suits for my commute to the bus stop – I could shave off a good 8.5 seconds on my walk down the hill! Not that I’ve been late (too often) but it would give me time to focus on flossing which I’ve basically given up on since I flossed one of my fillings right on out of my mouth a few months back! I have to admit that carrying a toothpick everywhere I go and digging around for that little extra chicken crammed in the back cavernous hole in my tooth really isn’t that bad. I guess I’d have to make sure that I dug out all the food stuck back there…that could make me faster. Can you pass me a cookie?

A day in the life...

A few people have been asking me what my typical day looks like so I thought I'd open it up for everyone to read and enjoy!

6AM -- Alarm (snooze 3 times), devotions, breakfast, shower...

7:25 -- Leave the house and start walking to the bus stop

7:30 -- Get to the bus stop and hope it comes within the next 5 minutes

7:45 -- Arrive to Athletes Village, go through security screening (accreditation scan, X-ray machine etc...like at the airport)

7:50 -- Take the internal shuttle (bus) to the workforce check-in tent, accreditation scanned again and I get my meal voucher

7:55 -- sign out my radio ("Housekeeping 6"), sit in on a meeting with the housekeeping contractors, assigned to a zone in the village and a supervisor to work with and support their team

8AM -- start walking...sometimes grab a hot chocolate in the dining hall (if it's cold), go to a little hide out (usually a resident centre with a tv with Olympic only channels...in HD!) to let the room attendants get a head start before we check their work and audit some rooms.

And beyond....walking, talking, walking, audits, lunch, walking, looking for more face cloths in the different storage containers, talking, walking, naming the flags as I go down Legacy Way, watch athletes work out on the street (the 4-man bobsled men's legs are MASSIVE!!!!), enjoy the sunshine, stare at the mountains and wish I were skiing.

4:30 -- head home! Internal shuttle back to the gates, catch the #10 bus home, ding the bell (!), walk up the hill and home I am!

Into the evening....sometimes I go into the village (watched 2 medal ceremonies last week -- got stuck in a mosh pit from the concert afterwards...got out of there fast!...and I'm at Blenz right now and can see the medals plaza and big screen from my seat -- the music is inspiring and the flags shine in the lights and night sky...Norway is cleaning up on the gold here!!!). Sometimes I'll wander the village, check out the crowds and watch the live CTV feed. I do like to stay at home too -- make a fire, watch the Olympics (or the Bachelor....) and head to bed by 10:30.

Weeeeeeee!

A shift that starts at noon is a different story and usually includes a bit more of a sleep in but NOT ANYMORE! I just upgraded my ski pass to a seasons so I'll be on the hill as often as possible -- including taking a few fresh track turns in the morning before work! First day of that will be on Wednesday! I can't wait! All these bluebird days have been hard to take...and the rain/snow is supposed to come on Wednesday! Bummer...but that always means snow for the hill so I'll get over it!

Hope everyone is well!!

Valentines...ew

I don't like Valentines day. It's just too commercialized...that's all I have to say about that!

But when one of my roommates gives chocolates and promises a lasagna dinner for after work...it's pretty awesome! She surprised us in the morning with chocolates in the shape of men so when we had dinner we just had to set a space for our twins!

Helicopters and bluebirds

Helicopters fly around all the time. They're either army ones or medical ones or mountain ones. This past week, they were doing practice runs and pickups from the mountain to our polyclinic in the athletes village. It's pretty cool to see (and hear) the whop whop whop from the copter and a little nerve wracking to see someone hanging in a stretcher from it. Even though it was practice (and made a few of the athletes nervous based on the tragedy in luge at the start of the Games) it's still very eerie. It was a good thing they did practice, though, based on the craziness of the women's downhill! Wow -- those were quite the spills! We were watching the races in the dining tent (over a Big Mac and fries...) and the wipeouts created quite the reaction! Especially when they said that one girl was going to air lifted out -- which means we can literally SEE the helicopter from the athletes village do the pick up on the hill! It's crazy!

Not only that, but we're so close to the action in the village that during the men's races, we could faintly hear the announcer from the grandstands (all while sorting through linen containers!)! And not only THAT...but my chalet is a mere 15 minute walk to the base of Whistler Creekside where these alpine events are happening!!

This is a live picture of Whistler mountain at the EXACT moment the Men's downhill was on. I was watching on tv just inside in our break room and just had to run outside to capture the moment! It was cool.

Below is a picture of a section of the flags lining Legacy Way. On days like this bluebird you just can't help but take pictures all the time! The building right in front is the High Performance Centre with a gym and games room and the building on the left is where the US and Aussies are staying. If you look closely, you can see two Czech athletes -- this is the only area of flat pavement in the village so a bunch of athletes do sprints here.

Stair cases

A few days ago, one of our tasks was to deliver boxes of paper towels to Lot 5...aka where the Americans and Aussies live. It's more of a dorm-style building rather than a townhouse so it has elevators but since I've been opting to eat free McDonalds more often, we try to use the stairs as much as possible. So Em and I pushed on up to the third floor and almost keeled over at the destination. The best part is that a US athlete (probably cross country skier based on his gear out in the hall) was in the hall being all extremely fit looking at these two people huffing and puffing from doing three flights of stairs (maybe it's the altitude?)...so I said, 'man, you've got to try that! If you think the Olympics are tough...whew!' He laughed -- it was great!

(But seriously, you try climbing stairs in boots and snowpants! Good thing P90X was so 8 months ago...!)

Living the dream

What a week! I'm sorry for the delay in posting -- I didn't realize it had been so long but thank you to those who gave me pleasant reminders to get writing again! This one will either be epic in size or I'll break it down into a few stories...we'll all have to wait and see -- I might even work backwards!

First of all, I'm going to say that today is probably the most spectacular day I have EVER seen here! We like to call them 'bluebirds' when all you see is blue sky (obviously) and they're typically enjoyable while skiing (in powder) but, WOW -- breathtaking! This is just a sample of what I enjoyed on my bus ride back to Whistler this morning (after watching Celine's new movie in Vancouver last night...! Woo!).

This is coming into Squammish and I have no idea what mountain that is other than it being amazing! (As a side note, the Croatia team is standing RIGHT in front of me RIGHT now! They're in line for a coffee...). Anyway....where was I?!

Oh, well, speaking of Celine....I was working with a

supervisor from the contracting company this week and out of the blue she asks me if I like to sing. So I said that yes I do like to

sing...whether or not I'm good at it....and THEN she said, 'well, you look like Celine Dion'!! I just about passed out (and by that I mean, instantly teared up!)! Haha...she had no idea that I'm a huge fan and that I was wearing her t-shirt under my uniform (which actually isn't that odd)! It was a great start to the day -- what an honour! hahaha...I still laugh (while my friends here just roll their eyes!). But, let's talk about the movie last night! Woo! I had my mom and aunt run out and buy tickets the night before because you just never know what's going to happen...and with only a certain number of showings and with the opening night falling on my day off...I just didn't want to miss it! I hopped on the workforce shuttle bus after my shift yesterday and it dropped me off a mere 2 blocks from the theatre!!!! How incredible is that?!?! A few minutes later, my Mom and Aunt are dropped off and there we are -- three Canadian matchie-matchie hoodies ready for the show! We were about 45 minutes early (for no other reason then that's when the bus dropped me off...and by that I mean...I wanted to get a good seat!). Well, we pretty much had the theatre to ourself!! HAHA -- we laughed! It took a good 25 minutes before anyone else showed up and as 'I drove all night' hit our ears there was a whopping 8 people in the theatre! Ha -- but we had the best seats....! I tried 2nd row center (like in Vegas) but settled for the middle of the pack! You'd have to be a huge fan to really enjoy it and was I ever lucky that I am!! I loved it! Would've watched it again tonight but I have tickets to the Victory Medal Ceremony here in Whistler so I came back.

Yep...living the dream! It's pretty sweet!

My melting heart

I just LOVE being an Auntie! I came home last night to a card at my door...a birthday card from Sarah and Ben. Just thinking about it now gets me all choked up!

Especially the thought that they gave me some of their own money so I could have a treat!

I LOVE you too! And I already bought a BIG chocolatey Hot Chocolate with the money you gave me because I know how much you two LOVE Hot Chocolate -- I even got whipped cream (but they didn't have sprinkles!)!

YUM!!!

Thanks, guys!!!

That one time I went to the Opening Ceremonies (rehearsal)!

Probably one of the most exciting and largest scale events I have EVER been a part of or ever will be happened last night! I don't even know where to begin!

Our boss had a few extra tickets and, for the price of a bottle of Grey Goose vodka, we were set to go -- with a ride down, to boot! It was a momentus day with just that on my mind but wouldn't you know it that my dear friend Celine was on Oprah, too?!??! I was just tickled inside and SO pumped! Especially since I am

CONVINCED that she is going to perform at the ceremonies! Now, I can't say anything about them but I'll just say there is still opportunity for a surprise appearance (especially since she was on Oprah AND she has a new movie coming out on the 17th.........it's all good marketing...but don't get me started!)!!

Ok, where was I? Right, the tickets! We got to work early yesterday with our bags packed to change into a white shirt (yes, Celine's shirt made it...) and then we left after lunch (a lovely lamb roast with a side of apple squash ginger soup!). Our first stop was to Tim Hortons (no, Kendra, not the guy who lost his leg and ran across the country...) for a quick coffee and a treat and we were off! Unfortunately, we couldn't take pictures but in actual fact, I'm happy about that rule so I could be focused on what was going on and not be distracted by having to take photos. So this dashboard shot is the only one from the evening...I love Canada!

It was pouring rain in Vancouver, as per usual, as we boarded an incredibly stuffed bus from North Van to the city and then had to walk all the way around BC Place and GM Place (felt like 3 km!)...or rather, Canada Hockey Place...to go through security and join the crowds! It was so exciting...and so west coast! By west coast, I mean that people are too reserved to show their excitement...but the time will come!

The show was just FANTASTIC! If I wasn't Canadian, I sure would wish that I could be!! It was simple and awesome and I can't WAIT to see it on TV tomorrow! The performances were amazing! I was basically sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time with my mouth dropped open at what was going on! I also loved that I could share the experience with my Mom and Aunt who had seats on the other side of BC Place -- they stopped by our seats for a little hello before it all got started! Surprisingly I didn't cry...but I'm pretty sure I will tomorrow and, like Karen said, everyday for the next 2 weeks!

Leaving the building was an adventure too as BC Place is a pressurized building, they can only let a certain amount of people out the door at a time...so that was fun, too. Not to mention all the volunteers with loud speakers outside shouting out directions to the options of transit! Loved it! I even tried to give my number to the guy who was sitting beside us (I don't know what came over me...just for fun, I guess!)...but he was taken. Ha! I still laugh!

Anyway, we made it back to our van and got home just after midnight. Thankfully I have today and tomorrow off to just relish in the moment...and even perhaps to ski tomorrow before finding a great place to watch the excitement to unfold on tv.

I'm excited for the element of surprise that awaits the world tomorrow! Be proud, Canada!

Drum circles

Every day in the athletes village plaza they have a drum circle. There's a guy who leads it with a big drum but basically, they want anyone (mostly athletes, of course) to get involved and do something really fun! The other day, there was a live feed from the Vancouver village for an unveiling of the 'truce wall' between the First Nations of Canada -- we have one here too so they wanted to do it simultaneously. So, on one of the most beautiful days ever, we headed to the plaza to watch it all happen -- and to grab a drum and get involved! It felt totally odd at first but you just have to embrace it! The batteries on my camera died JUST before the unveiling but oh well...it was still beautiful and a great way to spend an hour of my day!

(a little artistic impression...and showing off some of my flare on my lanyard!)

Birthday cake and beautiful days

It was simply a beautiful thing. My roommate, Leslie, makes these AMAZING homemade ice cream cakes and OH MY GOODNESS are they good!! Wow. Full stop. One recommendation, however, is to be sure to leave it out for a few minutes before digging in...but saddling up to the trough with just spoons still does the trick! We were even able to carve out an innukshuk (by total fluke!)...but I guess you could say we have the Olympics on our brain! Leslie wanted to make the blog with this cake so there you go, roomie!! Woo!

On my birthday, my friend Em drew me a picture of being thirty-one-derful...with a little Celine flare (as per usual!). She even had a left-hand mic!! But on closer inspection, the mic is actually a container of toothpicks signifying that I really really REALLY need to get that filling that I popped out in Maui fixed so I'll stop eating my second helping out of that crevasse of a hole (of which I only truly enjoy digging out of after a Splitz burger!).

And if ice cream cake is beautiful just try to imagine a 'bluebird' day in Whistler! Wow! It felt like spring out there with blue sky and a warm sun...if it wasn't for loading Canada's luge equipment into a van, I would've forgotten we were in winter! The flags on the street were flying and athletes from all over are walking the streets familiarizing themselves with their new home. A new game I thought of was to be able to name the country based on their tracksuit before reading the name on the back! I'm getting good but still struggle on a few countries!

One other new adventure is eating at the McDonald's on site...FOR FREE! Yes, I know Michael Smith is a good chef blah blah blah...but we're now getting the left overs from the athletes and there are a few of us who have accepted the challenge to use our meal ticket for McDonald's for one week! Day one was today...I'll opt for the healthier salad option starting tomorrow...there's always tomorrow...maybe, tomorrow, tomorrow. :) It's just a cool thing to order your meal at McDonald's and not have to give them money! Plus, they give you a token to get a free pop from the machine! Simple pleasures, I tell you!

Oh Happy Day!

I forgot to mention that at the end of this day, I was photographed for 'whatswhistlerwearing.com'...what a moment!! Ha!

Thirty-one-derful!

I'm thirty-one today and I couldn't love it more! God has blessed me with a fantastic start to my 30's and I can't wait to see what's next! Thank you to everyone who love me, pray for me, bless me, make me laugh, feed me food and give me hugs. May your day be as blessed as you all make me feel today -- I love you all!

See you on the hill!

Skiing is my favourite!

Having a mid-week ‘weekend’ is awesome! The mountain is basically empty and the snow is fantastic! I was able to meet up with my friend Em and our German co-worker Marc on Wednesday…it was SO FUN! We ski at the same level and speed – we were like little puppies so excited to be alive and eager to get down the hill! The weather was just perfect! Em is from Whistler so she knows a few of the secret places (and yes, those are tractor trucks and martini glasses on her pants...we were 'team green!') and there was a secret hut off of one of the runs…so, clearly, we had to check it out (and have a pre-birthday toast with mysterious green cups)! We went off the trail and took our skis off and hiked up in the trees a bit…then, there it was! This little lean-to almost buried in the snow! It was sooo cute! We had to slide down this little ramp to get in the opening…simply amazing!

After skiing, I like to go to Splitz…the ol’ burger stop! YUM! I may have perfected my burger today which is very exciting because I’ve decided to eat here at least once a week! And since I missed my burger last week and this week is my birthday, I here by declare that I will eat at Splitz twice this week! Not only twice but two days IN A ROW! I’m just about to head to the slopes for my birthday and to celebrate with a Splitz burger and homemade ice cream cake that my roommate is currently creating! Oh happy day!

Up, up and AWAY

Ok, it’s really starting to be real! Team officials are starting to arrive and the flags of all the countries are all up and along the main street in the village!! The Olympic ring flag and the UN flag…then the BC flag and the CANADA flag! It looks SO amazing! And there’s a balloon in the sky acting as Big Brother and helicopters fly overhead throughout the day! The rooms and town homes are really looking sharp, too! By the time I work again on Friday, the village will be in full force as the athletes start to arrive today!!! (I always wanted an Olympic athletes village to open on my birthday!) And while it opens, I’ll be enjoying my second day in a row on the mountain (and my second Splitz burger in a row, too!)!!

Watching Chef Michael Smith watch Chef Michael Smith

This place is just something else! I arrived home from Vancouver on Sunday night to hear about an opportunity to watch Chef Michael Smith watch Michael Smith on Iron Chef America! There was a little party organized in the athletes village dvd lounge where he was going to be there and whoever could go and watch (while eating pizza and treats and having drinks…for free!)! Obviously, I was going to attend!

My new roommate and I headed to the village for the party (early enough to watch the end of the Grammy’s where Celine was performing!! HELLO!!)…and it was SO fun! Chef Michael Smith was chillin’ on the beanbag and giving us all the little behind the scenes info about the show and all the drama! He’s a really normal guy and all the chefs he has with him here were also on the show with him! I was able to ask him some questions during the show and met him for real at the end! It was so cool!

Apparently, they are given a short list of 3 items that would be the surprise food so they could have some preparation but otherwise it’s a full hour of cooking! I asked if they have access to anything food-wise that they want and they do! For instance, there was one dish that he said had hundreds of dollars worth of meat…intense! He was very happy with how they performed (I asked him and he said they ‘nailed it’!)…he also gave us the inside scoop that apparently Bobby Flay had lost twice that week already and threatened that he’d leave the show if he lost again! Basically, Michael should’ve won…everyone thought so, but Bobby won. Also, there’s no talk whatsoever about a point system anyway so that part is just for the show. All in all, it was a saweet experience! Especially taking home some left-over pizza…mmmmm!

Market Madness

My Grandparents have been going to Grandville Market every Saturday morning for probably over 50 years! Every time we’re in town, we always know where they are and where they sit – one of my favourite things to do is surprise them! It doesn’t happen often but I did it once and it was super great!

Last Saturday, I escaped Whistler and headed to the big city for one last hurrah before it gets crazy…and, in all honesty, before I spend all of my days off skiing!! Word got out that the Market was the place to be and it turned into quite the family gathering!!! It was awesome! Like a mini pre-birthday party for me! As usual, Grandma snuck me a $20 and I was off to get a BELCH (bacon, eggs, lettuce and cheese breakfast sandwich…with Frank’s Red Hot sauce, of course!!).

It was soo sweet to see everyone – G&P, aunts and uncles from both sides, cousins and even my sister and her family! I love being an Auntie!! (and I love getting another bottle of Celine purfume, and getting my Celine dvd's, AND some of Mom's amazing cookies!!)

I went to church with Holly on Sunday to the church she goes to in a movie theatre on 5^th ave and then we took in all avenues of transportation across the city! From the free trolly to the sky train and the bus! It’s funny…this thing called public transportation. I’m so used to driving everywhere that it just surprises me so much how well you can get around without a car! What a concept! What a life!