Day 10 - OMG 0 dark hundred once again

Yesterday was a super long day for us so when the alarm went off at 6 after 5 hours of sleep it was a little harder to smile but we still did! Today it was off to Cypress once again with the sun still shining and men's ski cross and long track speed skating on the agenda. After the line-ups we faced yesterday I was afraid that Michelle and I wouldn't make it to the speed skating on time. So we put a strategy together planning to leave early if a Canadian didn't make the finals. We also realized that the departure time scheduled for our shuttle bus didn't matter they were just filling the buses and sending them off. So we left a little later and we were a little slower in motion! I was dreading the 250 stairs that we had to climb today. We learned our lesson the first time - use the portapotties - even though we didn't

want to, get your snacks and drinks and don't come down until you are leaving!!! We made it with up with a couple of rest stops on the way and our seats were great. All of the Canadian men qualified for the 1/4 finals races and then one by one they were eliminated or they crashed. All but Chris Delbosco! He made it to the finals so we implimented plan 2 - there was no way we were leaving early with a medal on the line! So we packed up or belongings and headed to the closest stairs, from there we knew we would not be allowed to stand and watch the race so we scouted out places close by where others had left. Perfect, we yelled screamed and cheered Chris on. It was amazing to see him move in to a medal position but as the last jump approached he tried to move into second and crashed finishing in 4th. The crowd went silent for a nano second and then erupeted in cheers for him. Again it is so amazing to be part of it. It is hard to put into words the feelings you get, how proud you become and how Canadian we are.

It is time for our Olympic event - the bus race. We are out of the gate quickly - a good start I'd say! Down 250 steps (much easier than up) shoulder checking to see that the rest of the team is following, race walking 1.5 miles to the shuttle passing people on the way, shins burning and lungs getting a workout! We made it on to one of the first buses - no waiting - and a half hour to recoup before part two of the race - the sea bus! Our shuttle pulled in and we jumped off - another great start this time it was a shorter race and but the time clock for the sea bus departure was under two minutes. Overdrive kicked in and we just qualified for the finals. We were the last ones on! 12 minutes on the sea bus and a little more time to refresh before the final leg of our event. We were off stumbling a bit under pressure but the team recovered nicely ( we've been training for 10 days) and we finished in first place getting on to the last of the transportation lines for the event - The Canadian Line. We even got a seat!

Michelle and I headed to the long track and Judy headed home. We had three Canadians

skating in the 1500m. Cindy Klassen was the first Canadian and with our voices warmed up from earlier today, Michelle and I were in top form. This time our flag was added to the mix! Then it was Kristina Groves, who we saw win a bronze earlier in the dream. She was behind after her start but she slowly cut her lap time and pulled ahead moving her into second place with two skaters left - one of the two being Christine Nesbitt so we knew we had at least one medal in store and possibly two! Just when I thought our dream was perfect it gets better! On our feet from start to finish Michelle cheering and waving the flag with me we watched in great anticipation. Christina finished in 6th place and we were part of a Silver medal for Canada.

It all has been so great but the greatest part so far is being able to share this time with Michelle. We have laughed together, cried together, cheered together, been proud Canadians together and we are living one of my dreams together...priceless!

Our Medal Count

1 Gold

1 Silver

1 bronze

2 Gold medal ceremonies

Still dreaming...

Tracey

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Day 9 - Crazy Crazy Crazy

The day started of with my phone alarm going off with the dog barking ring at 5:15 am! Yup that's freakin' early but you have to do what you have to do to keep your dreams alive! Michelle had a tough time getting up and going but she was able to nap on the Canada line, the sea bus and the shuttle. When we arrived at Cypress for the women's aerials we had to walk for a couple of miles but we didn't have to go up the stands with 250 steps ( that will be tomorrow!). The sun was shining and it was +8 in the seats. It was funny to hear the people from warmer climates complaining about how cold they were while we sat there in our spring jackets saying how warm it was! Back tracking a little bit when we got onto the shuttle bus a Canadian aerial skier sat with Judy for the ride.

Karen qualified for the 02 Olympic team but got injured in an event leading up to the games. She walked with us up to the hill and gave us some insight on aerials and the Canadian competing. We asked her how she ever started aerials - what a funny story! She was from Toronto and took gymnastics growing up. She then tried skiing, moguls were her favourite. Everyone kept telling her how good she was so she called the Canadian coach in BC and move to try out for the team one summer. Her gymnastic skills were great and her dry land training sessions went well then it was time to hit the slopes. Karen said that she was like a singer on an idol show...one that everyone said was great but really wasn't!!! After a couple of days the coach approached her and said that she would be better off in aerials!!!

The event was amazing. I can't believe there are people crazy enough to try going off of the jumps! Veronika Bauer went third and she nailed her first jump but she played it safe on her second jump and missed the landing. It was disappointing because we felt like we had a small connection to the team!!! I have to admit that watching the successful jumps was out of this world but watching them miss was just as fun. I couldn't put the camera down ...just in case! Well after the aerials finished we made the mistake of taking our time to catch the shuttle back to Vancouver. The lines were massive and it took us 1.5 hours to get on a bus. Then it was another 40 minutes to catch the sea bus. It sounds worse that it was because everyone from the volunteers to the fans are great. What an atmosphere - it's unbelievable to be part of it! Once we got off the sea bus Marc and Holly were waiting for us. Marc worked with me at UCV before he ran away to BC about a year ago. We only had about 15 minutes to chat and catch up because Michelle and I had to head to our next event - short track and Apollo but it was great to see them.

The short track skating was out of this world Canada had two Canadians in the mens 1000m finals and were leading the race for a couple of laps. It was so exciting the noise in the building lifted the roof! Do I ring our cow bell, cheer or take photos? All three is the answer. The bell was looped on my pinky, I screamed (and Michelle would say too loud) and the camera clicked away! It's a good thing for digital. Well the event ended with Canada in 4 and 5 and Apollo breaking the US record for Olympic medals won! It was time to get back in the lines and head home. By the time we arrived in Richmond it was 11:30 and we were exhausted. Michelle spotted a cab and I am thankful she did!

Wow what a day!

Our Medal Count

1 Gold

1 bronze

2 Gold medal ceremonies

Still dreaming

Tracey

Day 8

Today was a rather quiet day for us but we needed that! Our olympic schedule only had figure skating on it. We had, however, planned on getting up early to head downtown to see the sights of Vancouver however when the morning arrived Michelle was fighting a cold and an upset stomach so we decided to slow the pace down today.

It was another glorious day, the sun was shining and it was 12 degrees so Judy and I went to see some sights in Richmond and to stock up on groceries. The views of Mount Baker in Washington were stunning and the trees are budding and blooming. Around 2 pm Michelle and I got our Canada gear together and headed out to the dance compulsory.

We were looking forward to meeting up with Julie, we hadn't seen her for a couple of years so it was nice to catch up! The event itself was a little boring for us at the beginning but that gave the three of us a chance to chat chat chat! We really enjoyed the top two flights, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir were amazing to see live. After the skating we went out to enjoy Vietnamese soup and some more chatting! It was a great day...

Trace

Day 7 Whistler was Heaven

Just when I thought our dream could not get any better it did. I was so excited to get to Whistler yesterday I set the alarm for 7 but I didn't need it! The sun was shining and I knew it was going to be a great day. When we got to BCIT a camper pulled in to the parking lot and the couple had spent the summer painting it for the Olympics. It was great - an attraction in itself! We were first in line and for the first time (ever) I wanted to sit in the front of the bus!!! The sites were fabulous and they continued to get better at every turn! My camera didn't stop clicking. One of us would say look over here no over there. Unbelievable! The two hour drive seemed to go by as fast as the skeleton athletes did. We arrived at 11:30 and strolled through the village scouting out places we wanted to stop at. Everywhere seemed to be the answer. All three of us were hungry so we went to a great pub in the middle of the village called The Brewhouse. (www.drinkfreshbeer.com) We got the last window seats in the place and the sun was beaming through. It was hard to imaging that it was Feb 18th and we hadn't put on our jackets yet but we knew we'd need them after the sun went down. Michelle had a glass of glacier water and Judy and I enjoyed a pint of Grizzly Brown with our meals. Michelle went on and on about the water and how it was sooo good so I had to try it and it was the best glass of water I've had! (not as good as the pint)

After lunch we continued our tour through Whistler and Michelle found Cows, (this was more exciting than some of the events for her!) Starbucks - thanks Liz and Gavin, and a book store. I told you it was like being in heaven. She had just finished her last book that she had so the timing was perfect! We were still full from lunch so we decided to hold off on the ice cream and get one after the skeleton races.

It was time to head out to the sliding venue which meant more stairs and hills to climb! The venue was huge and it was hard to figure were to stand to watch the race. The sliders go by so fast we wanted to get to a place were there was a straight away and a corner. We thought we had a great place but when the racing started we realized that it was hard to see the racers on the straight aways. Photographing them was even harder. It was a sport in itself. Everyone with cameras were talking to each other asking "Did you get the shot? Wow you did lets see - great shot" Then we would laugh at all of the shots with the track but no racers! We stayed for the 2 women runs and the first run of the mens. We decided to head back to the village for some more shopping and for Cows. We were lucky on the way back because we managed to get onto the gondola to get back into town. It was breathtaking. We continued shopping, met some great people from Australia, gave them our hot shots - they thought it was the best invention ever. They were freezing! ( but still managed to have an ice cream!) We then headed to the bus to head back to Vancouver. Michelle was asleep in a matter of minutes! The ride was quiet and we got in at 12:30 am. Wow what a dream!

Until next time

Medal count

The same as yesterday!

Trace

Day 6 - Golden once again!

Well this one will bring everyone up to date with our dream. Yesterday was a very exciting long day. It started at 5:30 (6 for Michelle) and we returned to Judy's at 11pm so Michelle and I were a little bit slow today. We had planned on heading into Vancouver around noon but we didn't get going until 1:30! I must admit it - my legs could feel the work out we had yesterday at Cypress and the 250 stairs to get to our seats and I had the privilege of climbing up them twice! When we finally made it downtown we walked the streets and took in some of the atmosphere of the games before we headed to the Sweden vs Germany hockey game. With 6 events under our belts already, we are experts at getting around the transit system - go one stop in the wrong direction and then get on the right bus before the crowds! Take the subway to the end of the line and then stay on it going the right directions - it may sound crazy but it gets you a seat every time!

It was fun watching Alfie play for Sweden. You can pick him out anywhere. We were sitting at the German goal line beside four guys from Germany. They were a hoot!

Drinking and singing through the whole game! Michelle and I had to leave after the second period because we had golden tickets the the Victory Ceremony and we did not want to miss that. We met up with Judy at the ceremony and the crowd was loud and proud. Canada flags were everywhere and it was a sea of red! the crowd erupted when Maelle Ricker walked out and we didn't stop until she left. The anthem played the flag was raised and tears flowed! WOW what a night.

We will have another long day tomorrow. We are heading out to Whistler in the early morning. We have tickets to the skeleton races in the evening but we wanted to be there early enough to see Whistler before hand. So until next time GO Canada Go

Our Medal Count

1 bronze

2 Gold medal ceremonies

1 Gold

Still dreaming

Tracey

Day 5

Good night and welcome to Michelle's Blog!! I am excited to say that yesterday morning was crushing, because of my awakening (6:00)! I brushed my teeth and got ready to go as I pondered the excitement of waking up at such an early hour, THERE IS NONE!! But we left anyways, we walked the excruciatingly long walk (2 min) to the bus stop at the end our street. We then took the bus till we reached the Canada Line stop and we hopped on the Line!!! We travelled all the way to the other end (waterfront) and guess what?? I stood the whole time and almost fell asleep standing! YAWN YAWN YAWN YAWN! Then finally we arrived at the Waterfront Station and then we got on a boat called the sea bus, even though my eyelids wanted to shut I took in the ah-mazing sites. Finally we were on the shuttle, which I took the chance to read which was extremely stupid of me when I could have slept. We could not see anything out the windows because of the fog and rain. When we got off the bus it was another 2-km walk then 250 stairs seriously 250 stairs up the mountain.

It was still raining, cold and foggy. We finally made it to our seats and when I sat in my seat I had to ask "where's the hill?" And I'm serious you couldn't see a thing. The event was delayed for 2 hours. Then YEAH, the fog started to clear up and I realized that what I thought was the hill was really the half pipe and that the hill was next to it! At first some of the athletes failed, they fell and they fell, Maelle Ricker was disqualified in her first run. The second round, now, the second round was ah-mazing seriously Maelle came in 3rd place. Then the excitement started to grow, 4 snowboarders raced down the hill, Maelle getting a terrifico head start, yes I added an o to terrific it makes it sound cool. Yipee Yipee Yipee Yipee Canada won another GOLD medal

Maelle got terrific head starts to both races and won, Yipee Yipee!!! It was soooo much fun and I even forgot that I got up sooooo early! After that we headed down the stairs and halfway down the mountain (heehee lol), to catch the shuttle bus to Lonsdale. Then onto the SEABUS to catch the 135 to The Pacific Coliseum to see the mens figure skating (short program). Let me just say it was boring compared to the excitment that had occured just 2 hours before!!! The skating was still awesome and Weir was a DIVA like seriously who ends a skating performance blowing a kiss to the audience, the women don't even do that!! No offence to any Weir lovers!!

luv all readers lots

~~Michelle~~

p.s. To all teachers don't read this blog it may offend your early rising times!!!!

once again I heart u all

~Micky~

Day 4

We have been swamped so I must apologize about the delayed entry! It will, however, happen again! Our day started with a great sleep! Michelle didn't get up until 10:30. We didn't have any sporting events scheduled but we were heading out to the Golden Victory Ceremonies that evening.

Despite being at the Olympics, Michelle desperately wanted to see Valentines day. So we did. It was a great movie, I can't believe the list of stars that were in it! I, however, wanted to start chanting GO Canada Go!

After the movie we headed back home to get ready for the Golden moment! Once again the flags were packed, camera bag was ready and Michelle and I were so anxious to get to BC Place. When we arrived the place was already going crazy. Our seats were on the floor just to the left of the stage. Everywhere you looked fans were waving the Canada Flag and I am sure we could be heard across the country!! If you didn't hear it you weren't listening!!! Out came Alex ( we were hoping his brother would be with him too) Michelle and I watched history being made. It was hard to see through the crowd but we shuffled and moved until we could! Once the anthem started we realized that the flags being raised by the Mounties were right behind us. We turned to face the flags, proudly sang at the top of our lungs, waved our flag and choked up! It was the most wonderful celebration. I was so proud and honoured to be there. My words can't describe the feelings!!

What a day!

Medal Count

One Bronze and one Gold medal ceremony So far so good!

Let the dream continue...

Trace