Thursday, Feb 4th, 2010 -- We need snow!!!

Hiya Bloggymates!

The air is just crackling with excitement in this here fair city of ours... but I'm thinking that it hasn't really sunk in just how huge this Winter Olympics event is! Seriously! I mean, yes, we've all watched them in past years, on the tv... and I know there are more friends than just me who say they normally don't ever watch sports on tv (have no interest in them) EXCEPT for the Olympics. For some reason, Olympic sports always seem to bring out the patriotism in everyone, no matter where you live or where the Olympics are being hosted.

So, ok, it's Vancouver's turn to host and shine. For sure, there will always be controversy around such a huge event... usually based around the amount of money that is spent to bring these games to fruitation. And wherever you have huge amounts of money being spent, you will have politics/government involved... which REALLY gets everyone going. Then, no matter how pure the "Olympic Spirit" may or may not be, there are all the big names in the Corporate World involved... with the corporates sinking in big $$$'s to have their logo and brand name splashed everywhere. This event is HUGE... and for us little folk who just happen to be living here and will admit to a closet addiction to watching Olympic sports... I don't think the hugeness of the event is really going to hit us until it's all over :)

So here, on my little blog... that is not meant to be an Olympic blog, but it just happens the Olympics are happening in this blogger's hometown, I will be reporting on the various goings ons that may or may not be making it to the headlines of the papers outside of Vancouver. For this, I'm going to have two sets of awards --- the Party Pooper Award which I'll give out to those companies/individuals who just aren't living up to the Olympic Spirit as hosts, which all of us who live here are hosts to the games... and then the Olympic Gold Rings Award that will go to any company/individual who I think has truly embraced the Olympic Spirit and done something to make the Olympics special for a visitor or resident.

Soooo... on Feb 4th, 2010 I am handing out the first 2 Awards. The Party Pooper Award goes to a company from Edmonton (Newwest Special Projects) who leased the cruise ship "Norwegian Star". This ship had planned to come here and dock in Vancouver to be used as a floating hotel. But, due to "not making enough bookings" they are now pulling out and leaving about 1000 people stranded with no accommodation. 1000 people who booked early and were so excited to be coming to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics... and now they are without accomodation. Nothing like pulling out a week before the event opens, eh? But, at the same time I am going to give out an Olympic Gold Rings Award to a New Jersey marketing company, JetSet Sports, a ticket supplier for the games... who came through for 13 terminally ill children from Canada, the US and Australia (and their 53 family members) who were booked on the Norwegian Star through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Their dreams of coming to the Olympics in Vancouver, seeing some of their favourite events and meeting some of their heroes (athletes), was all arranged for them, until the accommodations were no longer. JetSet Sports has rooms for their corporate needs/staff and they are giving these rooms to the kids and their families. Now THAT'S when I can't fault Corporate "greed"... when they turn around and do something like this!! Meanwhile, the phones have been ringing off the hook at Make-A-Wish-Foundation with people from all over Vancouver offering their homes to these children and families. So, we have the greed of Corporate Newwest Special Projects putting all these people in a position of having no accommodation, and another corporate player coming to the rescue. Mind you, it is the Make-A-Wish kids who are the winners here... the rest of the 1000 customers are now scrambling for accommodation.

Well, enough for today. It's 4pm and I have to take the car and see how long it takes me to get across the Lions' Gate Bridge to the North Shore. I'm heading over to my friends' to pick up a ticket to the first Dress Rehearsal of the Opening Ceremonies on Monday (Feb 8). Today is the FIRST day that the "Olympic Lanes" go in effect.... a lane on the major roads that are to be used for official Olympic vehicles and public transit (buses). So the start of the crazy traffic begins oh... about half an hour ago :)

Then, while I'm on the North Shore, I'm going to be meeting a friend for dinner... so hopefully when I come back tonight, traffic will be back to normal! Wish me luck!! LOL!

Hugggggs,

Cheryl