Let the games....end sharply!
So that's it. Done. Dusted. Finite. The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic AND Paralymic Games are over. I have probably unloaded somewhere in the neighbourhood of 200 odd semi trailers and fit it all into maybe 50 semi trailers to send it away. Oh and about 100 skips/dumpsters of several different types (for the 12 kinds of recycling we do here!).
Let me recap what I have done since the last post:
So yes the Closing Ceremony...it was full of Canada's finest musicians including Neil Young, Michael Buble, Nickelback and Avril Lavigne. Yup all of them were there. And even Michael J Fox. I am sure most of you saw it so I won't bore you with the details, but here are some nice shots anyway.
The Full Cauldron
Sochi Segment
Super Canadian Closing
We also did the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympics. Not too many famous people there but there was a lovely tribute to the late Terry Fox and a lovely Rick Hansen moment. Both of these guys raised money for cancer and spinal cord research respectively by marathon across Canada. It was pretty spectacular.
Some shots of Para Opening.
Australia Enters the Stadium
The Big Floating Balloon Things
Some Floral Video Stuff
The Para Cauldron
Stanley and I watching the show from our suite
But to be honest, I really was ready to be done by the time that show was on anyway. After the show was over, I began stacking and loading 9146 temporary seats that we put in the stadium for the shows. To remove the chairs we ordered 18 x 53' semis, 2 an hour for 9 hours post-show. It was really exhausting, but we survived. Our crew was spectacular that night. Trust me, stacking chairs is no fun. If I never have to count another chair again, I would be very happy. The trucks rolled on until morning. I worked about 10 days straight loading out. And now I have about 4 pallets to go back to the warehouse, all my crew boys are pretty much finished working for me and I am moving out of my apartment on Tuesday.
I also made sure that I made it to see the Sledge Hockey. This is the parasport where the players sit on little sleds with blades, use 2 hockey sticks with ice picks on the ends of them to get around, and basically rough the shite out of each other. It was absolutely fantastic. I went to see Canada vs Norway. Canada won 5-0 which actually ended up getting a bit boring, but it was amazing. Canada didn't end up winning gold. The US did actually and Japan got silver. But seeing the sea of red and white was pretty cool. Have a look for yourselves.
Canada has a team powwow
Me and Stanley loving it
The Sea of Red and White and Maple Leaves
Players busting out of the penalty box
Canada's 50 year old goalie!!
Unfortunately following this game, Stanley and I got very drunk and had to be at work the next morning at 8am. Needless to say we weren't very useful. Stanley had to have a lie down on the suite level until midday!
Stanley and I managed to fit in a trip to Seattle to see Brock. We hopped in Brock's VW Eurovan and did one night of pseudo-camping in Port Townsend. We drove back to Seattle, Stanley did the underground tour, we had some beers with Kelly, grabbed some Jimmy Johns for dinner and went back to Vancouver. Whirlwind, but fun.
Me and Stanley in Port Townsend
I am now currently working on the Vancouver Auto Show just for a few shifts supervising the crew. Just for a bit of extra cash. I am definitely heading on the holiday and it goes something like this:
1 April - Fly into Cincinnati to see the Sprinfield OH Family for Easter
5 April - Go to Gallipolis to see that half of the family
9 April - Drive to Charleston South Carolina. Pick up my Danish friend Karina. Take the Train to Orland for a few nights of Disney!
13 April - Drive back to my parents house in Myrtle Beach South Carolina
18 April - Karina leaves.
24 April - If I don't have a job, hang out until my parents get there. They happened to be planning on going then anyway!
That should be absolutely awesome. I cannot wait. I haven't been to Ohio since I don't know when - probably college (and I am not admitting how long ago that was now!). And I haven't seen Karina since 2007 after Doha, so it will be great to see her too. I will attempt to blog as we go on holiday, but not guaranteeing anything.
I still don't have a job, but I have a few things in the pipeline. Am going to really work on following them up in the next few weeks and see what comes of it. Really I would like to stay here for summer and work, but if I can't get something, I guess it's 3 winters in a row for me. But coming back to Australia would be great too. I am open to whatever comes along.
I am adding in a few shots of something very important to me. On my very last shift at BC Place, I went up on the roof for one last hurrah before it comes down. The stadium itself is dome, but not for much longer. Hopefully after my holiday I will get the chance to come back and see what it looks like with the roof missing. By 2011, it will have a retractable suspension roof. So it certainly was fun to enjoy the air supported roof one last time. Enjoy.
Hope everyone is well. Talk soon.
Sarah xo
Let me recap what I have done since the last post:
So yes the Closing Ceremony...it was full of Canada's finest musicians including Neil Young, Michael Buble, Nickelback and Avril Lavigne. Yup all of them were there. And even Michael J Fox. I am sure most of you saw it so I won't bore you with the details, but here are some nice shots anyway.
The Full Cauldron
Sochi Segment
Super Canadian Closing
We also did the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympics. Not too many famous people there but there was a lovely tribute to the late Terry Fox and a lovely Rick Hansen moment. Both of these guys raised money for cancer and spinal cord research respectively by marathon across Canada. It was pretty spectacular.
Some shots of Para Opening.
Australia Enters the Stadium
The Big Floating Balloon Things
Some Floral Video Stuff
The Para Cauldron
Stanley and I watching the show from our suite
But to be honest, I really was ready to be done by the time that show was on anyway. After the show was over, I began stacking and loading 9146 temporary seats that we put in the stadium for the shows. To remove the chairs we ordered 18 x 53' semis, 2 an hour for 9 hours post-show. It was really exhausting, but we survived. Our crew was spectacular that night. Trust me, stacking chairs is no fun. If I never have to count another chair again, I would be very happy. The trucks rolled on until morning. I worked about 10 days straight loading out. And now I have about 4 pallets to go back to the warehouse, all my crew boys are pretty much finished working for me and I am moving out of my apartment on Tuesday.
I also made sure that I made it to see the Sledge Hockey. This is the parasport where the players sit on little sleds with blades, use 2 hockey sticks with ice picks on the ends of them to get around, and basically rough the shite out of each other. It was absolutely fantastic. I went to see Canada vs Norway. Canada won 5-0 which actually ended up getting a bit boring, but it was amazing. Canada didn't end up winning gold. The US did actually and Japan got silver. But seeing the sea of red and white was pretty cool. Have a look for yourselves.
Canada has a team powwow
Me and Stanley loving it
The Sea of Red and White and Maple Leaves
Players busting out of the penalty box
Canada's 50 year old goalie!!
Unfortunately following this game, Stanley and I got very drunk and had to be at work the next morning at 8am. Needless to say we weren't very useful. Stanley had to have a lie down on the suite level until midday!
Stanley and I managed to fit in a trip to Seattle to see Brock. We hopped in Brock's VW Eurovan and did one night of pseudo-camping in Port Townsend. We drove back to Seattle, Stanley did the underground tour, we had some beers with Kelly, grabbed some Jimmy Johns for dinner and went back to Vancouver. Whirlwind, but fun.
Me and Stanley in Port Townsend
I am now currently working on the Vancouver Auto Show just for a few shifts supervising the crew. Just for a bit of extra cash. I am definitely heading on the holiday and it goes something like this:
1 April - Fly into Cincinnati to see the Sprinfield OH Family for Easter
5 April - Go to Gallipolis to see that half of the family
9 April - Drive to Charleston South Carolina. Pick up my Danish friend Karina. Take the Train to Orland for a few nights of Disney!
13 April - Drive back to my parents house in Myrtle Beach South Carolina
18 April - Karina leaves.
24 April - If I don't have a job, hang out until my parents get there. They happened to be planning on going then anyway!
That should be absolutely awesome. I cannot wait. I haven't been to Ohio since I don't know when - probably college (and I am not admitting how long ago that was now!). And I haven't seen Karina since 2007 after Doha, so it will be great to see her too. I will attempt to blog as we go on holiday, but not guaranteeing anything.
I still don't have a job, but I have a few things in the pipeline. Am going to really work on following them up in the next few weeks and see what comes of it. Really I would like to stay here for summer and work, but if I can't get something, I guess it's 3 winters in a row for me. But coming back to Australia would be great too. I am open to whatever comes along.
I am adding in a few shots of something very important to me. On my very last shift at BC Place, I went up on the roof for one last hurrah before it comes down. The stadium itself is dome, but not for much longer. Hopefully after my holiday I will get the chance to come back and see what it looks like with the roof missing. By 2011, it will have a retractable suspension roof. So it certainly was fun to enjoy the air supported roof one last time. Enjoy.
Hope everyone is well. Talk soon.
Sarah xo
posted by sjg | 7:13 am
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