Several months prior, we had found a wonderful family to stay with (on CL).  They turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the trip.  So welcoming, generous and friendly.  It was like we had known them for years.  They had two boys, five and seven.  They all lived, breathed, played and watched non-stop hockey.  Not too surprising, as Canadians are koo koo for cocoa puffs for their hockey.  They quickly converted us into Olympic hockey fans and I shouldn’t admit this but I’m totally rooting for Canada to beat the US in the gold medal match.  It means so much more to them; “Go Canada, go!”

I’m having a really hard time putting into words the electric atmosphere that took over an entire city so I’m turning this post into a picture post; but even the pictures don’t do it justice.  During the day, it was camaraderie and strangers bonding over shared experiences.  At night, it was like New Years turned on repeat night after night.  Simply, Awesome.

The Olympic torch!

Watching the Canada v. Swiss hockey match in Robson Square with the Canadians.

Brodie and Rob celebrate the win!

Granville Street, packed with celebratory Canadians.

Kevin and me with Quatchy and Miga!

We saw a Latvia v. Czech Republic hockey match.

Canadians, full of pride, sing “Oh Canada” riding the sea bus to North Vancouver.

Karen and Ravi in front of the torch at night.

Kevin and me with the Inukshuk in Stanley Park.

Kevin, enjoying his Japadog! (We tried the Kobe beef and Ume- YUM!)

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Vancouver 2010 cancels ‘general admission standing room’ tickets to snowboard halfpipe, ski cross and snowboard parallel giant slalom events at Cypress Mountain Tickets to be refunded

Feb 16, 2010

West Vancouver, BC ― General admission standing room tickets have been cancelled for Olympic men’s and ladies’ snowboard halfpipe on February 17 and 18; ski cross on February 21 and 23; and snowboard parallel giant slalom on February 26 and 27 at Cypress Mountain. Tickets will be refunded, said the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC).

Heavy warm rains on Saturday and Sunday have made the general admission standing room area at the Cypress snowboard stadium unsafe for spectators. The rains washed away almost a foot of snow in the area where the standing room area was to be located. General admission standing room tickets for men’s and ladies’ snowboard cross events were also previously cancelled for February 15 and 16.

With safety the top priority and with snowboard events taking place daily, there is insufficient snow to move and build the standing room area back up at the Cypress snowboard stadium. VANOC has protected sufficient contingency snow for field of play at Cypress Mountain.

“Our senior management and venue team have spent significant time on site to try and find a way to accommodate spectators in the standing room areas for the events. We’ve exhausted all avenues but it just wasn’t possible to make the area safe for spectators,” said Caley Denton, VANOC’s vice president of ticketing and consumer marketing.

This cancellation and refund will affect approximately 20,000 spectators.

If interested, all of our Thanksgiving weekend pictures are HERE.  Kevin has some neat ones from the top of Whistler and on the glass bottom gondola!

I was recently turned on to a book called Even Happier by Dentler.  I’m not far into the book, but so far I can absolutely, without a doubt say the first chapter was the best and will probably be the most influential to me.  It’s titled “On Being Grateful” and gives you an assignment at the end to list five things a day that you are grateful for.  It could be anything.  Of course I’m grateful for my family who is forced to love me no matter what.  For Kevin who does the same (by choice even!).  My friends who are the most amazing people I know.  But what else makes me smile? Husky basketball, Starbucks serving peppermint hot chocolate, couch time and keeping this blog are among the many.  I don’t know why it was such a revelation to me.  But it works.  When gratitude is a habit, we don’t need special events to keep us happy.

So, this Thanksgiving, I’m just as thankful today as I was yesterday and as I’ll be tomorrow.  Specifically, today, I’m thankful for all these things:

Jason, who continues to invite us up to Whistler, year after year.

Thinking about Kevin getting to snowboard today with Jason.  I know he’s having a blast his first time out this season.

Being lazy and not feeling guilty because I literally have nothing to do and nowhere to be.  I was going to snow shoe but there’s not enough snow on the ground…..so I’m still in pajamas, working on picture books.

Cousin’s pumpkin bread recipe, that I’m snacking on right now.

Still getting to eat turkey and pumpkin pie with Lauren and Co., despite being in Canada, where it’s not officially Thanksgiving.

Avoiding the “Black Friday” lunatics by shopping on “Black Wednesday.” (We hit the outlets yesterday on our way up to Whistler.  We got all the deals – so we were told – and missed all the crazed bargain shoppers.)

Part of me wishes I was in Spokane right now with my people, but knowing I’ll be there soon for Christmas and knowing they wish I was there too, makes it ok that I’m not.

Happy, Happy Thanksgiving!