Excitement building!

Beadraich - http://www.vancouver2010.com/, The official games time website is now up and running and is a sudden reminder of the magnitude of the event that we are going to be a part of. I've spent some time poking around the site, looking the information on the various venues, sports, and communities that are participating and WOW, there will a lot going on.

It's 114 days until we fly out, and 116 days until the opening ceremonies. We won't be able to see or participate in the ceremonies, however we will be likely watch them on TV from a pub or apres location in Whistler.

To see where we'll be, and what will be going on the there.. check out http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-alpine-skiing/

Uniforms.

Beadraich - I'm sure Woodsy can tell you about the number of volunteer t-shirts that she helped me purge from my closet when we first started dating.

I think we have both been hoping that the Vancouver 2010 Volunteer Uniforms wouldn't become another item we would want to purge.

So, naturally we were both pretty nervous about what the Volunteer uniforms would look like after seeing a lot of the Vancouver2010 merchandise available. The colours are often not so fashionable greens and blues, and I honestly want to be able to wear this after the games with pride.

Today they introduced the uniforms that 30,000 of us will be wearing and they aren't that bad. A blue jacket with a hood that is designed to fit over a ski helmet and navy pants, and of course the blue toque will be nice and warm.

I like it.

Whistler Transportation

Beadraich - Along with the excitement of new sites, and experiences to explore, travel to a new community is always full of a little bit of anxiety for me. It's just that I'm quite used to what lies next door, or around each corner in Guelph, and I don't have that security elsewhere. So, one of the things that I've always enjoyed is reading maps. Yep, just staring at a map and wondering how do you get there from here.

Today, I've spent some time trying to figure out how to complete our transportation plans, looking at maps of Whistler to acclimatize myself with what surrounds our accomodations, and researching how to get to Whistler from Vancouver Airport. I've discovered that Pacific Coach offers an Airport to Hotel/Condo door service which is perfect, since we will have ski's and gear, as well as our usual clothing, laptops, and camera's. We will be booking this in advance to ensure seating for the 3 hour ride to Whistler.

Now, for VANOC 2010, the communities along the Sea to Sky corridor have a significantly improved public transit network, and we will now have a Whistler bus almost at our door step. This is going to be needed when I have to be on the hill at 5:30 a couple of mornings. The really cool thing is that Whistler buses have a ski rack to carry your skis to your destination.

So, the maps are now starting to make sense, I know that I can take a bus to Creekside, and even beyond. All of this planning is starting to make it feel real and closer to a dream come true and I really must thank Woodsy, as she is the one who is a planner. I would be scrambling on Feb 10 to figure out what to take with me.

Update on Boot Shopping

Woodsy - Kenmark Ski Sports...Carrie and Chris are awesome!! Nordica Olympia SM8 boots are my new babies. They are so comfortable. I found out that my 8 year old ski boots are probably too big, hence the reason why my feet get cold. We also bought 2 duffel/ski equipment bags. If we pack properly we should be able to get all our ski gear, boots, and casual clothes into one bag. (I know my Mom won't believe that!) After deciding on new boots I thought I should probably look at new skiis too. I am a loyal Head ski fan so I am going to demo a Head pair and a Volkl pair once there is enough snow. They also carry Icebreaker long underwear. I have only read great reviews about their lineup. It is pricey stuff but I am hoping to get some for Christmas. I also looked at a hat, a couple of jackets, a pair of mitts...the list goes on.
Let it snow, let it snow!

Preparations.... ok.. it's a fancy word for shopping!

Beadraich - Today, Woodsy and I are going ski boot shopping. We are off to Kenmark Ski Sports in Richmond Hill to see my friend Carrie and her husband about boot fitting, and maybe (most likely) boot heaters.

So... do I need stuff for Whistler? Yep. I need some mid/heavy weight baselayers, and a backpack camera bag with laptop sleeve. Sounds easy enough to find, but it hasn't been so easy. I've looked at all kinds of them and they always seem so impractical for what I want. So, Burton makes one, that is designed for all of the above, and snow sports, but I can't find any interior pictures or reviews of it to know if it will hold my gear.

Here's looking forward to a fun day in a ski store.

Important Non Olympic Side Note!

Beadraich - This weekend is the CIBC Run for the Cure in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. A cause that that deserves our support, and affects everyone.

Woodsy and I will be running (walking) and have had some generous supporters who have sponsored us and deserve our thanks.

My message is, if you haven't sponsored someone, do so. If you have time, find a walk near you and walk on Sunday. If you can't do either, call someone who is and encourage them.

Just do something to support this event.