Got My Tickets!

originally published January 20, 2010 on My Life Is Like A Song

Well, I'm one step closer to realizing one of my dreams. I have my tickets in hand...and they are oh so pretty!!

I actually got my moguls tickets last week from my friend in my book club (who was kind enough to sell it to me at face value!)...and if my friends thought my tears of joy were brought on by the wine...the Purolator driver can confirm today that nope, it wasn't the wine...I cried again (ok, I didn't cry in front of him...but I'm sure my eyes were teary). At least he knew what they were (he told me...like I needed to be told...lol).

Every day I visit the Vancouver 2010 website in search of more tickets. I will be there for 4 days and at the moment going to 2 events. The commute to Vancouver will be quite lengthy so perhaps 2 events will be plenty, but I keep looking in case there is someone out there who really wants to get rid of a single ticket (not at 5 times the face value though like most of them are trying to do).

The events I'm interested in while I'm there are (in order of preference):

• Pairs Free Program on the 15th
• Men's 500m speed skating on the 15th
• Short Track speed skating on the 13th
• Men's 5000m speed skating on the 13th
• Women's hockey Canada vs Switzerland on the 15th

I won't be heartbroken if I don't get any more tickets. The ones I have are more than worth the trip. I also know that staying in Victoria and commuting to Vancouver will be very time consuming so perhaps it's best if I don't get more (you can really only do one event per day and I'll be arriving back in Victoria at 2:30am...yes AM)...but then I think that I can always rest when I get home....so I keep checking and hoping.

While I'm on the Olympic website, I see their countdown.

23 days until the Opening Ceremonies!!

21 days until I leave!! (3 weeks tonight)

Time is flying. There is so much to do before I leave. From packing, to organizing child care, to learning how to use my DSLR camera properly (and my pocket one), learning how to use my iPhone (and input my contacts), etc.

The list goes on...but there's one thing that is often on my mind.

I have been asked by Mothers on Fire to write about my experience for their "Diaries of a Mother on Fire" section. I was thrilled when they asked, but I am wondering what I will write about? How do I condense a lifelong dream in a few paragraphs? (you would think I was competing from the way I'm talking...lol) Most of the "diaries" are a couple of screens long. If you have been a regular reader of my blog, you will know that I can write a couple of screens about everyday events...yes, I see you nodding your heads.

I think my biggest challenge will be to keep my diary to a reasonable length, which means I have to choose what I will write about very carefully....no going off on tangents or into much detail.

I'll save the tangets and details for my own blog!

Fueling the Fire

Originally published on My Life Is Like A Song on January 9, 2010

As many of you know, in just over a month, I will be going to the Olympics.

I intially managed to secure myself an Opening Ceremonies ticket. A friend of mine who has decided not to go is selling me one of her Men's Moguls tickets (at face value). Securing other tickets is looking pricey as the fan-to-fan Olympics website (where ticket holders are reselling their tickets on the Olympic website who are confirming the tickets are legit) have tickets for sale that are going for much more than face value.

I've had a mixed reaction from friends to my news that I am going to the Olympics. I've had people who are over the top excited for me. These people either have known me a long time and know how passionate I am about the Olympics...or it's someone I haven't known that long...but I guess long enough for them to have experienced an Olympics with me. One that stands out in my mind said "of all people, this should happen to you"...and it surprised me, because I didn't think she knew me that well. The other supportive ones are other acquaintances who have had more exciting adventures themselves than the Olympics...so to them, it's a realistic choice, just not one they're choosing (or they are also going).

The others, who think perhaps I'm a little crazy either can't imagine me doing something so extravagant, or perhaps know that I have never travelled on my own besides business trips (and perhaps don't remember my business trips). I never did the Europe backpacking thing...so I guess this is my equivalent of that.

So, this post is for those who think I'm crazy. I'll just fuel the fire.

My friend who is selling me the ticket, forwarded a message she received about the Olympic Bus Network. I realized today (I'm normally so on top of doing my homework, but somehow missed this) that the only way to get to Cypress Mountain for the Moguls Event (and other events) is via three "hubs".

The friends I am staying with in Victoria had told me that it would be "so easy" for me to get to Vancouver (and Cypress Mountain) for the Olympics. I trusted their (ok, his - I'll let her off the hook for this) opinion...not that I would choose anything else, had I known ahead of time.

They (he) said that to get to Cypress Mountain would be so easy. They (he)'d drive me to Nanaimo. The ferry would take me very close to Cypress Mountain (on the map, it looks like I could walk there - he's not lying but I'm exaggerating a bit). The problem is that during the Olympics, the shuttles are coming in from North Vancouver and Burnaby, so I have to ride 45 minutes (including a bus transfer from the ferry) east...only to ride 30+ minutes back west on "approved" transportation.

It looks like I won't be going this route. Rather than getting my friends to drive me to Nanaimo very early in the morning, I think my best choice is to travel by bus from Victoria to the ferry. The bus boards the ferry and then would drive me downtown. This seems a wiser choice. Less hassle for my hosts and less on and off transportation vehicles for me (I think). I would also get some shut-eye this way as well (as long as I'm not too excited to sleep).

So here's where I give fuel to the fire to my friends who think I'm crazy. My tentative schedule for my Moguls day looks like this:

5ish taxi
5:15 arrive at bus terminal (ok, 5:05 - it's very close)
5:45 am leave Victoria bus terminal
7am (without getting off the bus...board ferry)
8:45am arrive Tsawwassen (stay on bus)
9:30am arrive downtown Vancouver

walk/take public transit to Waterfront
Board seabus to Lonsdale Quay (15 minute ride)

Board bus at Lonsdale Quay (that I have to reserve a time now - how do I know what time I'll get there? lol) that will take me to Cypress Mountain (30 minute drive).

So, in summary, I'll leave my friends' place at 5am for a 2:30pm event (ok, I do want to arrive there early to enjoy the environment and atmosphere).

The event ends at 6:30pm...too late to catch the 7:30pm bus from downtown (have to take a bus and seabus to get there) so I'll have to wait until 10:30pm to leave downtown Vancouver to arrive in Victoria at 2:20am.

I do find it interesting that they added morning/afternoon ferries back to Victoria during the Olympics, but not evening ones (they added a midnight ferry after the regular 9pm one - a 3 hour difference when most events end early evening) ...hmph...who is going to Victoria before events end?

So am I crazy? To witness a 2:30-6:30pm event, I'll leave at 5am and return at 2:30am...almost 24 hours. Water does make the commute more tricky, but it kind of is like staying in Windsor for the Toronto Olympics and coming in for the day (or Toronto for the Detroit Olympics...maybe the border equals the ferry and seabus). Sounds crazy, but if it's your only free accommodation, wouldn't you do it? I would!! And I'm VERY thankful!!!

To be fair, my friends did mention that perhaps we would find a friend in Vancouver who would have a spare couch for me. I had a friend from Toronto who considered going. She lived in Vancouver so knows a lot of people there. I had hoped that she would join me, but it doesn't look like it will happen. Whether I find a friend or a friend of a friend in the Vancouver area or not, I think that this will be a highlight of my life...and whether my friends think I'm crazy or not....they may be right...but I don't regret my choice.

I'm glad I am doing it, while I am still young enough to enjoy it (and endure the early mornings/late nights).

Fueling The Fire

As many of you know, in just over a month, I will be going to the Olympics.

I intially managed to secure myself an Opening Ceremonies ticket. A friend of mine who has decided not to go is selling me one of her Men's Moguls tickets (at face value). Securing other tickets is looking pricey as the fan-to-fan Olympics website (where ticket holders are reselling their tickets on the Olympic website who are confirming the tickets are legit) have tickets for sale that are going for much more than face value.

I've had a mixed reaction from friends to my news that I am going to the Olympics. I've had people who are over the top excited for me. These people either have known me a long time and know how passionate I am about the Olympics...or it's someone I haven't known that long...but I guess long enough for them to have experienced an Olympics with me. One that stands out in my mind said "of all people, this should happen to you"...and it surprised me, because I didn't think she knew me that well. The other supportive ones are other acquaintances who have had more exciting adventures themselves than the Olympics...so to them, it's a realistic choice, just not one they're choosing (or they are also going).

The others, who think perhaps I'm a little crazy either can't imagine me doing something so extravagant, or perhaps know that I have never travelled on my own besides business trips (and perhaps don't remember my business trips). I never did the Europe backpacking thing...so I guess this is my equivalent of that.

So, this post is for those who think I'm crazy. I'll just fuel the fire.

My friend who is selling me the ticket, forwarded a message she received about the Olympic Bus Network. I realized today (I'm normally so on top of doing my homework, but somehow missed this) that the only way to get to Cypress Mountain for the Moguls Event (and other events) is via three "hubs".

The friends I am staying with in Victoria had told me that it would be "so easy" for me to get to Vancouver (and Cypress Mountain) for the Olympics. I trusted their (ok, his - I'll let her off the hook for this) opinion...not that I would choose anything else, had I known ahead of time.

They (he) said that to get to Cypress Mountain would be so easy. They (he)'d drive me to Nanaimo. The ferry would take me very close to Cypress Mountain (on the map, it looks like I could walk there - he's not lying but I'm exaggerating a bit). The problem is that during the Olympics, the shuttles are coming in from North Vancouver and Burnaby, so I have to ride 45 minutes (including a bus transfer from the ferry) east...only to ride 30+ minutes back west on "approved" transportation.

It looks like I won't be going this route. Rather than getting my friends to drive me to Nanaimo very early in the morning, I think my best choice is to travel by bus from Victoria to the ferry. The bus boards the ferry and then would drive me downtown. This seems a wiser choice. Less hassle for my hosts and less on and off transportation vehicles for me (I think). I would also get some shut-eye this way as well (as long as I'm not too excited to sleep).

So here's where I give fuel to the fire to my friends who think I'm crazy. My tentative schedule for my Moguls day looks like this:

5ish taxi
5:15 arrive at bus terminal (ok, 5:05 - it's very close)
5:45 am leave Victoria bus terminal
7am (without getting off the bus...board ferry)
8:45am arrive Tsawwassen (stay on bus)
9:30am arrive downtown Vancouver

walk/take public transit to Waterfront
Board seabus to Lonsdale Quay (15 minute ride)

Board bus at Lonsdale Quay (that I have to reserve a time now - how do I know what time I'll get there? lol) that will take me to Cypress Mountain (30 minute drive).

So, in summary, I'll leave my friends' place at 5am for a 2:30pm event (ok, I do want to arrive there early to enjoy the environment and atmosphere).

The event ends at 6:30pm...too late to catch the 7:30pm bus from downtown (have to take a bus and seabus to get there) so I'll have to wait until 10:30pm to leave downtown Vancouver to arrive in Victoria at 2:20am.

I do find it interesting that they added morning/afternoon ferries back to Victoria during the Olympics, but not evening ones (they added a midnight ferry after the regular 9pm one - a 3 hour difference when most events end early evening) ...hmph...who is going to Victoria before events end?

So am I crazy? To witness a 2:30-6:30pm event, I'll leave at 5am and return at 2:30am...almost 24 hours. Water does make the commute more tricky, but it kind of is like staying in Windsor for the Toronto Olympics and coming in for the day (or Toronto for the Detroit Olympics...maybe the border equals the ferry and seabus). Sounds crazy, but if it's your only free accommodation, wouldn't you do it? I would!! And I'm VERY thankful!!!

To be fair, my friends did mention that perhaps we would find a friend in Vancouver who would have a spare couch for me. I had a friend from Toronto who considered going. She lived in Vancouver so knows a lot of people there. I had hoped that she would join me, but it doesn't look like it will happen. Whether I find a friend or a friend of a friend in the Vancouver area or not, I think that this will be a highlight of my life...and whether my friends think I'm crazy or not....they may be right...but I don't regret my choice.

I'm glad I am doing it, while I am still young enough to enjoy it (and endure the early mornings/late nights).