Vancouver--Light at the end of the tunnel

Almost done!

I thought I'd post a few of my favorite signs in Vancouver. This first sign is the path I walk each day to the oval. Yes, I walk the Dyke Trail on a daily basis.

Not a sign most men would want outside their homes:

And the epitome of Canadian politeness. Nothing else needs to be said.

One more day at the 2010 Spring Olympic Games. US Speedskating is leaving with 10 medals! My shuttle to the airport leaves at 1:30 on Monday morning, so in just a little more than 24 hours, I'll be on my way home!!!!

Vancouver--O Zonian

Finally made it to the O Zone tonight--home of the infamous Heineken House. Wasn't impressed. In the O Zone, there were some creepy, glittery animals doing Olympic sports--but I'm not sure what event Mr. Piggy was entered. Falling down drunk?


This is the Ice Gate, created by artists painting colors on ice and assembling them in a long display of ice. What do you do with an ice display after the Olympics? Make colorful margaritas?

During the event today, Ryan Bedford showed off his new coif. He had it done last night and his mom saw it for the first time when he took the ice for his race. He was a media sensation. Hey, if you can't win the gold, at least have a funky hairdo.

Just a few more days to go. I might just make it.

Vancouver--Honk!

I'd scheduled the morning so reporters from the Chicago Tribune, AP, NBC and USA Today could come talk with the skaters when they got off the ice at noon. HOWEVER, they all skated early and were gone by 11.

So I got to explain to reporters from the Chicago Tribune, AP, NBC and USA Today that their trip to the oval was in vain. Stupid day.

Since I was done earlier than I thought I would be, I decided to walk to the O Zone to check out the local festivities. A mile later, I found out the O Zone didn't open until later in the afternoon. So I visited with the Canadian geese for a while.

Geese are everywhere. They graze like livestock. "Canada: where the men are men and the geese are scared."

Tomorrow is the Men's 10K event where skaters skate 25 laps!!! 25 laps x 16 skaters = hours of boredom. For many Dutch fans, this is a favorite event. I've never understood the Dutch.

Vancouver--The Final Week

I went to my first medal ceremony tonight to see Shani, Apolo and a lot of foreigners get their medals. It was an intimate setting with about 22,000 people there to cheer them on. I couldn't take a picture of the actual medal presentation but this is the arena at BC Place.

Following the medal ceremony, Linda and I walked to the train station and bought some yummy cinnamon and sugar crepes. Gooey and delicious!!

While waiting for the train to go back to our hotel, we saw Canadian Man! Faster than maple syrup, able to leap totem poles in a single bound--it's a bird, it's a plane--it's another crazy Canadian!! (I wonder if he's been decorating flower beds in his spare time.)

Practice tomorrow until 3 but then I'm off for the evening!!! I might visit the O Zone (not what you think, pervert). It's pretty close to the hotel and is supposed to be THE place to go during the Games. Or I might just go to bed at 5.

Vancouver--D'oh!

So instead of getting five medals tonight like we thought we would, we had to settle for two: Shani with silver, Apolo with bronze. That's okay.

I've noticed Canadians have way too much time on their hands.

Example number one: Someone created these Canadian maple leafs out of rocks all along the walkway. Get a life Mr. Canadian.


Example number two: Someone recreated the space needle just hours away from Seattle. A little redundant, doncha know?



Example number 3: 75,000 people applied to volunteer at the Games!!! They only selected 25,000 people. The volunteers in the picture below work the media center at the oval. They take their jobs VERY seriously--almost fanatically. Damn better have your credential or you ain't gettin' anywhere. A little old lady yelled at me today for trying to get Derek Parra in to talk with the media. He didn't have what she considered the RIGHT credential. Sounds a little elitist to me. Crazy Canadian.

Vancouver--Director's Cut

How long have I been living in the Great White North? Two years?

This is the first day since the Games began that I didn't have an event to cover. So I had some down time this evening. I met up with partner-in-crime Linda at the U.S. Olympic Committee's headquarters at the Main Media Center. Quite glamorous, eh?


Then began our quest to find the Olympic flame. If you look over my shoulder, you'll see a boat. If you look over my other shoulder, you'll see a star-shaped creature writhing in flames. That's the Olympic cauldron. There's been much discussion about how the cauldron is barricaded away from the public but after mingling with the public here--that's probably a really good idea.

After we found (and extinguished) the cauldron, Linda and I went to Caldero's for some seafood. I had some really good salmon and a delicious brownie sundae. Tasty and wonderful. Then another train ride home and bed. Lovely bed. G'night all!

Vancouver--Eh?

Day 7 of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games--DONE! Our ladies did pretty good today (two top 10 finishes). That's the strongest they've been for a long time.

During breaks the chart-topping Dutch band Kleintje Pils performs for the crowd. Their name means "We only know three or four songs" (which I've heard every day for a week now). I'm ready to shove chopsticks into my eardrums. They're also lecherous.

Dr. Heiden, Carrie and Fikre love posing for pictures. All this dressing alike is starting to get a little creepy.

The rink looks really pretty before all the skaters get on it. But it's damn cold when there are no spectators. I need to get a job with a summer Olympics.

Curling is Canada's favorite pasttime; right next to drinking beer, watching hockey, being overly polite and making maple syrup. At the mall tonight, people were gathered around the TV watching a curling tournament. Crazy, eh?

There are NO events for speedskating tomorrow. Woo-hoo! But there are three practices scheduled. I'm not sure why all the skaters can't skate at the same time. I might stop by figure skating tomorrow night to watch the men prance around in sequins and feathers. I might watch the figure skaters, too.

Vancouver--Gold!!!!

Much better day (well, technically yesterday) for US Speedskating. And for me. I didn't wander aimlessly once today. Stephen Colbert stopped by the oval to do some filming with our athletes. He's an amazingly funny guy.

He spent some time counseling our Olympic athletes and even signed Tucker's chest. (Beat THAT Katherine Reutter.) I like the nipple smiley face.

During the filming I brought Eric Heiden up to meet Colbert. Heiden is one of Colbert's idols and they had a good chat. This is a nice picture of Heiden's back talking to Colbert's front. Thank heavens our assistant sports psychologist was around to keep us all mentally stable.

But at the end of the day, it was all about the medals. This is Chad Hedrick and me after his press conference celebrating his Olympic bronze medal in the 1000m. We both look a little tired. Shani Davis (not pictured with me) won the gold!!

Vancouver--More Than Halfway

Today sucked. That's all there is to it. I decided to wander aimlessly downtown this evening and, if I was lucky, get assaulted and left for dead. No such luck. So I took pictures.

This is one of the many totem poles stabbed into the earth around Vancouver. Talk about phallicaly (sp?) obsessed. Even the cauldron was a big phallic symbol as it rose from the earth--but when it didn't work, that was a major erectile dysfunction.



Pretty night lights along Water Street. Lots of homeless people. Couldn't Vancouver ship them somewhere like Salt Lake did?

The Olympic rings are everywhere. This is a picture in the harbor and in the Main Press Center. I'm starting to see rings when I close my eyes--which isn't often, come to think of it.

That's it for my sucky Tuesday in Vancouver.

Vancouver--Owned by NBC

Yesterday was a tough day in our speedskating world. The "Don't Call Them a Zamboni" machines broke down. Both of them. This caused a 2 hour race delay. Maybe they should have bought zambonis. Just a thought.

Then one of our top medal contenders flubbed his race and ended in 12th. He was crushed. Four years of training for 2 35-second races--and it's over--just like that.


After being in this sport for more than three years, it's CRAZY to have all the media attention. Here are two pictures of something you never see at speedskating events in non-Olympic years: sold out crowds and rows and rows of photographers.


Damn Canadians! (For no particular reason.)
Hopefully today will be better. Hope they brought in a zamboni!

Vancouver--For Lovers?

Happy Valentine's Day from the bustling city of Vancouver. It was SUNNY today which made for a nice counterpart to gray and drippy.

My Valentine's Day was full of love, romance, sweet nothings and happiness. For someone, I'm sure. Here's how I spent Valentine 2010:

I was either a) working in the press room or mixed zone

b) watching the Ladies 3000m (we didn't win)

c) washing my underwear in a Chinese laundry two miles away from my hotel (neither of those people are me, by the way)

Or d) all of the above.

If you guessed "d" you are unfortunately correct. I did go to dinner and got some good food (chicken teriyaki rice bowl). However, I looked like a bag lady with my sacks of freshly-laundered clothes sitting next to me in the booth. Loser Lady on Valentine's.

Vancouver--Really??

What a long, long day. I was at the rink at 8:30 and worked through the races. I then left the Oval at 3:00 to go to the Pacific Coliseum for short track events and just got back to my room.

My day started quietly with a sprinkly walk to the Oval. I passed by The Foggy Dew, a quaint little Irish pub with great food and walked passed the Dr. Seuss tree.

Races started at noon and the Olympia "Don't Call Me A Zamboni" machine made the track nice and smooth for the races. We lost. So off to short track.

Short track went much better with Apolo Anton Ohno winning a silver medal and J.R. Celski winning a bronze. Very cool! About 10:30 I jumped on the shuttle to the Main Press Center so I could jump on a train back to my hotel.

Even at 11:00, the train was STILL crowded. First official day over. Tomorrow I start over. Sigh. Is anyone even reading these posts?

Vancouver--The Fun Begins

This will be short and sweet, folks. Today's been a long day with lots of time at the oval. BUT I did get to go to Opening Ceremonies--which was really cool! I didn't know if I could go until about 2 hours before it started, so that was a fun surprise. I can't post any pictures from the ceremony (stupid IOC blogging rules) but I took a couple of pictures from the Main Press Center overlooking the water. Gorgeous!



Off to bed. I've got to be at the rink at 8:30. Racing starts tomorrow so look for the U.S. on the medals stand.

Vancouver--The Final Frontier

My day in Vancouver started with me being escorted out of the stadium by the RoyalCanadian Mounted Police. Here's a picture of me being mounted.

The rest of my day was spent setting up interviews with athletes and various sports reporters. Here, Nancy Swider Peltz talks to NBC's Andrea Kramer. I also helped set up an interview with Eric Heiden--outside in the rain.

Volunteers are EVERYWHERE. I talked to a volunteer recruiter who said they had almost 25,000 volunteers working the Games. That's about 1,000 for each country. I shouldn't have to do my own laundry or even wash my own hair. They're uber-polite and stand out in their bright blue coats.

I never considered myself to be a pin trader but I put my speedskating pin on my lanyard and since then people have started giving me pins. I've acquired quite the collection. I am an official Olympics nerd. It's becoming quite heavy and I've developed a slouch.

Vancouver--The Sequel

While walking to the Oval today, I noticed this store behind my hotel. I LOVE this sign and might need to steal it for my office.

By the way, here's my lovely, swanky Sheraton hotel in Vancouver. Don't let the opulance fool you. However, the bed I have is AMAZING!! It's so soft and just cradles me every night. I'm bringing it home with me. (Hey, some people take towels and soap--I take mattresses.)

Went to a team meeting tonight at a sushi place. This is Linda, Nicole and Guy. Guy's acting like he's on the phone--but it's a lie. And the second picture is Tucker Fredricks in the mixed zone at the Oval, talking to the press. He was being asked the stupidest questions, "What are your expectations for the Olympics?" "What is your hope for medals during the Games?" Duh.

Off to bed. My soft, comfy, cozy, warm, snuggly bed. G'night all.