Did you love the Sochi Olympic Opening Ceremony as I did? Spectacular!
Inside the venue Friday night, a duo of Russian celebrities took turns warming up the crowd, showing everyone how to don our "Olympic medal lights" (providing a Roy Lichtenstein-like dots of light across all in attendance). We also learned how to count down in a whisper the final seconds before the magic moment the action would begin: 7 Feb at 20:14 (8:14 p.m. Sochi time).
Impressive were the performances of Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" by a group of police, and a gorgeous traditional Russian folk song "Oy Da Nye Vecher" performed by Pelageya, perhaps Russia's answer to Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" performed in Vancouver. Not a dry eye in my section.
Seated on row five in a corner used for staging performers, most of my neighbors were Russian. It was fun to meet the nearby mother of a Team USA athlete who scored a last-minute ticket to view her daughter's march into the venue.
In the 24 hours since the Olympic Stadium main event, I remain impressed with all the history learned or reinforced by the presentation titled "Dreams of Russia." The music -- classical and techno -- sent me searching for many tunes online.
There was a friendly, "Sesame Street" quality to the "Russian Alphabet/Azbuka" segment, the glow-in-the-dark fur vests to create the Russian flag stood out, and the massive projection effects to turn the floor into maps, oceans and constellations -- brilliant!
The white horses running across the sky, and the construction of Soviet-era Moscow also impressed me.
It pleases me that New York Times reporter David Herszenhorn provided a very balanced to positive review of the experience (he nailed it!), praising the event's most remarkable and memorable details while noting, but not drawing undue attention to, a couple of glitches that other U.S. media continue to report.
Given the surprise "selfie" photo with her on Thursday, it also pleased me Maria Sharapova carried the Olympic torch into the stadium. She was beaming!
Standing beneath the ignited Sochi Olympic Cauldron at Olympic Park after the show, the warmth from the flame was appreciated (inside the venue it was in the 40s Fahrenheit).
Under the headline "The 'How Are You?' Culture Clash," Simone details the typical yet vastly different Russian or American response to the common question on one's condition.
Often the USA reply of "fine" is lost in translation for our Eastern counterparts.
I loved the illustration that ran with the story (shown with this post), reminiscent of USSR era propaganda posters, this time exclaiming one brutally honest Russian answer to how one is doing: "Terrible!"
The same could be said for me and my sister given recent family news from my home town in Oklahoma. But we're trying not to say it, rather counting blessings while navigating the next phase of a tricky family situation.
On the home stretch to planned travel to Russia, a few days ago I booked a multi-city series of one-way tickets to visit family in Oklahoma this weekend, then my Wisconsin-based girlfriend later next week, prior to a scheduled Feb. 1 departure for Sochi.
Then during last weekend, my dad, who is 80, developed stroke-like symptoms, spending the last three days in intensive care. Scary!
Fortunately, he did not have a full-blown stroke (thank God!), but he did have an internal bleeding issue that I cannot pronounce, and he's not been himself for a few days (and as I understand it, several more days or weeks may be required to get a handle on his future ability to live at home without assistance -- hoping for the best, but preparing for an array of possible alternatives).
So for a few days now, the "How Are You?" query took on a new meaning, because it is not easy
living and working a few states away when a parent is very ill and a $600+ airline ticket change fee is in the way of getting there (if I fly or drive home early, the booked travel is all extensively up-charged, and if I don't show for the first scheduled flight from ATL on Saturday, then like falling dominoes, all latter flights are nixed -- thanks, American Airlines ... not/nyet).
With many resources already tapped for Sochi, it's a hurry-up-and-wait situation on several fronts.
Questions about dad's condition bring on more unanswerable questions such as "What does this all mean for family?" or "What does this mean for the next few days, weeks or months?"
And relevant to this blog, what does this mean for my pending trip to Sochi (for which I have several thousand invested rubles, er, dollars and a good chunk of my freelance P.R. enterprise on the line)?
But here's where additional truth shines from Simone's report: As much as I have feelings of grief, sheer frustration, impatience and bewilderment about the unpredictable and ever-changing-ness of dad's elder health (and the curious pre-Games timing of the latest elder care adventure), I cannot answer "terrible" to how I am doing.
It's not exactly "fine" either, but perhaps a guarded "O.K." is apt given my home state's license plate proclaiming how Oklahoma is doing.
I am incredible grateful that my sister was there when dad's health issues arrived and that she knew what to do (and did it quickly) -- with the help of a neighbor, she was able to summon emergency care that probably saved dad's life (a feat my sister achieved during another sudden health scare for our father two years ago). She's been a real trooper through several days of dramatic and sudden change, holding down the fort in my absence and hands-tied inability to get there sooner (Okie pun not intended while first typing this, but leaving in as it has a nice ring to it).
We are also appreciative for the many other neighbors and family members who also stepped up to help with time and good counsel during the last few days (going above and beyond many months or years of help they already contributed). We are blessed and thankful that my mom is also in great hands with professional care for her elder health challenges. And, of course, we cannot say thank you enough to the medical team caring for dad while tending to all our questions with poise.
Good news arrived Tuesday night that dad was resting and moved to a non-I.C.U. room, a sign of improvement (whew!). Messages of "Get Well Soon" arrive for dad with each call or email.
I'm anxious to get there (hopefully on Wednesday or Thursday, or eventually on Saturday) to talk in person and start to determine the possibilities for what's next for family and the (for now) TBD nature of Sochi embarkation. So thankful that with the help of many others, the long-planned travel remains on the table.
I love the kicker to Simone's Opinion-page contribution as she brought to readers some thoughtful words that fit my situation and decisions to be made during the next week, not to mention the pre-Games tension that Sochi organizers must feel given all the recent security-themed headlines.
How are you doing? "все сложно" -- It's complicated!
Wonderful to find a phrase of inter-continental relevance for this Olympic blog.
Illustration by Gail Anderson and Joe Newton, with image by A. Sverdlova/Sovfoto - UIG via Getty Images (all via The New York Times); other Soviet-era posters via Pinterest; license plate photo from personal collection.
UPDATE A WEEK LATER: Last week I did find a way back to Oklahoma and spent time with parents and family. Dad continues to improve daily, now in a nursing therapy program down the hall from mom! It looks like he may be there for a week or two, then we'll assess and proceed with future plans. We are so thankful he is alright, in a safe and nurturing environment and we appreciate many friends, neighbors, family members and healthcare professionals all helping.
With both parents secure, my comfort level (to resume Sochi travel as scheduled) improved, and the trek down the Road To Sochi is again underway. Just a few more days to the Olympics!
With just 315 days until the Opening Ceremony for Sochi 2014, today's New York Times featured a full-page photo essay by Moscow-based photographer James Hill.
The online gallery gives a good overview of the upcoming Winter Olympic host city, so sharing it here.
Scanning NYTimes.com this afternoon, I spotted a fresh article datelined London, noting the ups and downs faced to find new use for the 2012 Olympic Stadium. The article is good, in that it was an informative update as to the status and next steps for the venue, and comments are flowing in to their site, including one posted by this blogger.
My issue with this article is the multimedia photo gallery that accompanies the online text. Though I concur that many Olympic venues became white elephants after their glory days, today's article/slideshow left out a few success stories while also noticeably deleting iconic venues of late. While Beijing's Water Cube gets some clicks, where is the Bird's Nest? And what of the Atlanta success converting the 1996 Olympic stadium into MLB's Turner Field?
I also wondered why select Olympic stadiums -- such as Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Munich Olympic Stadium and Barcelona's venue, each with decades of non-Olympic use under their belts -- got omitted while the usual suspects Montreal and Athens got billing as Olympic boondoggles.
Though the London update was in order, it seemed a bit early to be crying or labeling things a failure; London staged a most successful Games, and there should be no doubt their success will continue in a post-Games afterglow, which I think is warranted for more than six months (let's give it, say, a year before tearing out finger nails and then pointing bloody fingers).
One of my favorite Olympic stadiums is Munich. Now home to rock concerts, sports and special events, and a zip line attraction, I love this centerpiece of Olympiapark. Here's hoping Germany again enters the Winter Olympic race with a Munich-centric future Olympic bid (sadly they lost for 2018). The LA Memorial Coliseum also remains a favorite.
I am optimistic London will find an appropriate tenant and use for the 2012 stadium, as will Rio de Janiero and other future host cities.
When passing through Racine, Wis., on road trips, a favorite stop is the I-90 gas station with the Danish bakery showcasing kringle, the delicious, buttery, flaky, fruit or nut-filled pastry associated with Scandinavia. According to this article, the southern Wisconsin town best known for Frank Lloyd Wright's buildings is also best known as the center of Danish culture in the U.S. So with sweet kringle on the brain, on a recent New York trip I enthusiastically trekked to TriBeCa to visit a dear friend and and experience a taste of Denmark at Aamanns-Copenhagen, now open at 13 Laight Street, sharing a building with the Tribeca Film Festival office. From the street, Aamanns beckons with huge black and beige signage highlighting culinary treats. They had me at pork, potatoes and currants. Inside its glass doors, the restaurant's cozy dining room, white walls and tabletops, light wood fixtures and tea lights were warm and welcoming on a chilly December afternoon (come July the same dining room will feel cool and calming relief from sweltering summer temps). My friend recommended the house specialty, smørrebrød. That's Danish for open-faced sandwiches, and at Aamanns, each served on rye bread. My first two smørrebrød, from the lunch menu, were the smoked cod and chicken salad. They had me at hazelnuts. My friend enjoyed the gravad laks and panfried white fish, which looked as tasty as my selections; both were filling, popping with spice, and best enjoyed with knife and fork. The Aamanns menu also tempted with herring, pâté of pork, aquavit (a Danish libation) and smørrebrød of braised duck. I'm not much of a tartare fan, but for those who enjoy their smørrebrød on the raw side, the beef or fresh kale options may entice. I was so swept up in conversation and savory smørrebrød, I did not notice whether kringle made the menu (it did not, as Aamanns is an authentic Denmark restaurant in the U.S. not a "USA version" of an upscale Denmark restaurant), though looking at the online menu now, Aamanns' fresh Danish cookies, honey cakes and a sweet rice-infused (though not pudding) desserts look to be great treats for my next visit. Another bonus about Aamanns is their pricing. Whether enjoyed in the dining room or for takeaway, their food is a filling and great value for a Manhattan lunch or dinner. I envision many an Edelman colleague (offices one block north), or film festival patron, enjoying Aamanns for a quick midday bite or an after work/after film treat. It was worth the trek from the Guggenheim, and from Atlanta, to experience Aamanns-Copenhagen, and I hope the folks in Racine will take notice and fly east for a taste of the real deal (rest assured, kringle also remains as real a sweet treat). Heading to Aamanns, I had no idea that Copenhagen cuisine enjoyed a renaissance in recent years, earning Michelin stars and drawing chefs from around the world. A great New York Times article by Julia Moskin, who also wrote the first (and glowing) review of Aamanns, gave me a better background on the rise of Danish cuisine. I wish this came to my attention when Chicago, Rio, Tokyo and Madrid were duking it out, for the 2016 Olympics hosting duties, at the IOC Session in Denmark in 2009. To Aamanns-Copenhagen, skål! Photos by Nicholas Wolaver; Brian Harkin/New York Times; Marta S. McAdams/ms-takes.com/Tribeca Citizen; HonestCooking, Snackish, and via Gloobi
Catching up on some New York Times articles this evening, it was fun to read about rising U.S. Ski Team star Mikaela Shiffrin. Bill Pennington's report introducing readers to Shiffrin filled almost two full pages of all the news that's fit to print.
This high school student spent the last few weeks racking up three World Cup victories, earning her, among other accolades, the status of "crazy good" from Olympic Champion Ted Ligety in this post later quoted in the huge Times story.
Scanning Shiffrin's results online, the U.S. Ski Team site includes good video of the recent wins via Universal Sports. It will be fun to see another Mikaela excel on the lead-in to Sochi 2014 -- let's just hope Shiffrin can do it sans "not impressed" distractions of other athletes by the same first name.
Before the London Olympics, I did not know the Spandau Ballet song "Gold." Almost every night of the Games, the BBC played this tune during their medal count segment. Catchy.
The title "Gold" also caught my attention when NPR aired a pre-Games segment introducing Chris Cleave, the award winning British author of "Incendiary" and "Little Bee." Cleave and his publisher's P.R. team were debuting the author's auric text about British cycling at the Olympics in Athens, Beijing and London.
Intrigued by the radio review of the book and Cleave's down to earth interview, I requested a publicity copy and started reading "Gold" on the July flight to London. I finished it (via audiobook) on a late summer drive to Oklahoma, now overdue for a blog review. You could say the review's been circling in my mind like wheels in a velodrome.
Then I learned of Cleave's two Oct. 6 Atlanta book signings and seized the opportunity to interview him and gain clarity on some solid "Gold" questions. Before delving into Cleave's answers, here's my quick take, er, book report.
In his third book "Gold," Chris Cleave takes readers on a dizzying and high-speed ride into the world of Olympic track cycling.
The story opens with two of the five main characters, Team GB's Zoe and Tom; respectively, she is a first-time Olympian about to enter the Athens Olympic velodrome as hell on wheels, and he is an elder Aussie Olympian-turned-coach who missed bronze by an agonizing one-hundredth of a second -- a fourth-place one moment in time he's regrettably relived daily, hourly or worse since the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
Also competing in Athens: Jack, the rising men's track cycling star for Britain. His young wife Kate is stateside watching the cycling drama unfold on the BBC's live broadcast from Greece. Kate and Zoe are teammates and best mates, and readers soon learn the former opted out of the 2004 Games to care for her newborn daughter, Sophie. We later discover that Zoe, Kate and Jack met young, and their mutually ultra-competitive natures led to a five-ringed love triangle in their early 20's.
Following the Athens opener, more pages are filled with detail of Sophie's struggles with pediatric leukemia.
Before proceeding, let me write here that one critic at The New York Times nailed it when he wrote that "Gold" is like "Beaches" on bikes. I love that, though I don't foresee Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey portraying Olympic cyclists when "Gold" hits the big screen, which I believe it will, just in time for Rio 2016.
My only complaint about "Gold" is that at times, too many times, the would-be-tearjerk detail about Sophie's illness and treatment is over the top, more of a cringe-jerk for this blogger.
Reading the book en route to London, I winced again and again at the medical jargon and play by play of young Sophie vomiting into her toys, which happen to be a collection of "Star Wars" vehicles (the girl is a big fan of the George Lucas series).
Listening to the audiobook, too often my hands moved to cover my ears while I hummed to drown out the treatment-speak with "La-la-la-la-la." When young Sophie suffers a seizure mid-text, I could not hit fast-forward quickly enough.
On the flip side, Cleave's play by play about track cycling, elite training and all that Olympic bike champions are made of -- that was all, how do they say in England (???) -- it was all brilliant!
Reading "Gold," I could not get enough of Cleave's detailed descriptions from within the helmets and heads of its fictional Olympians. He unknowingly wrote "Chariots of Fire" on bikes. And for the record, I think "Chariots of Fire" director Hugh Hudson should also direct "Gold" for the silver screen.
During my conversation with Cleave, the author revealed extensive research went into each of his books. For "Gold," the research included several months of training with national level cyclists and coaches, which led to Cleave's excellent second by second descriptions of Olympic velodrome racing (as it turned out, Cleave also researched pediatric leukemia in as much detail).
As readers of this blog post will find in the videos of Cleave's comments, the London Games brought to Great Britain as much elation and positive energy in 2005 as in the summer of 2012. Though Cleave never attended the Olympics prior to writing "Gold," it's clear his experiences with the book and as a London 2012 spectator may lead him to attend Rio 2016 as he predicted. Will he write another five-ringed story? Probably not. Will Cleave write again about individual pursuits? Likely yes, as he hinted his next work may delve into the world of a person struggling with a long-term recovery.
But the focus of "Gold" comes down to one thing, in Cleave's words.
"I wanted to write about a rivalry," said Cleave. In the pages of "Gold" he said, "Zoe and Kate live their lives, their rivalry in very different ways."
In his remarks at one of the book signing events of Atlanta, Cleave described Zoe's path as a trail of descruction, and that through his own cycling training the author learned the "savage joy" of winning against his training partners. He touches a bit on another result of this training in the video for this post (hint: hospital).
Another off-camera conversation briefly tied back to "Star Wars" trivia. Cleave shared that his birthday is May 14, the same day as Jedi creator George Lucas, Talking Heads front man (and cyclist) David Byrne, and the author of one Olympic blogger who aspires to the same level of creativity as these fellow Tauruses (Cleave was born only hours before I was on that May morning of 1973).
In the weeks since meeting Cleave in Atlanta, his other books made it only my library reserve list. If you enjoyed his prior works, you will likely embrace "Gold" as well. And if you are new to Cleave's style, "Gold" is a good entry point to his works. Happy reading!
Photos and videos by Nicholas Wolaver
P.S. Driving away from the Cleave interview, my route took me past a pawn shop for which a man donned signs advertising "We Buy Gold!" With a straight face I rolled down the window and offered him an autographed copy of Cleave's book. Pregnant pause ... then the sign guy laughed as loud as anyone I've heard in a long time.
I love Saturday mornings (who doesn't?). Though it's tempting to sleep in, during recent Saturdays (excluding Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve) and today, found it enjoyable to wake up early, tune in to "Weekend Edition" on NPR, catch up on newspaper sections missed during the week (with three subscriptions, sometimes The Times, WSJ and AJC hard copies pile up) and enjoy the bright Atlanta sunrises that fill the Myrtle Street house apartment with light.
Today's NPR reports are mostly about election topics, but looking forward to "Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!" and the Tappit Bros. later in the broadcast. By evening I'll be enjoying Garrison Keillor and Saturday night's great jazz programming. Love it!
With the radio news in the background, I read a couple more chapters of Roger Ebert's excellent memoir "Life Itself" -- during the week the pages mostly highlighted Ebert's upbringing and travels (delightful to learn of his early book titled "The Perfect London Walk" which should come in handy at the London 2012 Olympic Games). Now finally getting to more of his early film critic days, nights and weekends. Good stuff from an author who already had three books on my bookshelf.
Catching up on some recent Olympic headlines, a few reactions came to mind ...
-- Olympic champion Kurt Angle will pursue a spot on the 2012 Olympic wrestling team, as reported in the New York Post. Angle won a gold at the 1995 World Freestyle Wresting Championships while I was interning with USA Wrestling (his victory in the Omni Coliseum was pretty cool, a preamble to his gold during the Atlanta Olympics in 1996). It would be so cool for Angle to make the 2012 Olympic team. As they say in Hollywood and perhaps in the showbiz side of professional wrestling, "Break a leg!" (not your neck again, Kurt).
-- After pulling a twice-in-Olympic-history "psych!" move on the International Olympic Committee -- winning the bid to host the 1976 Olympic Winter Games then cancelling -- Denver is now considering a new Olympic bid, according to NPR. Channeling "SNL - Weekend Update" anchor Seth Meyers, Denver's decision begs the question, "Really?" (I learned in the NPR blog post that the other city to win, then decline, the Games was Rome in 1908, but they gave the Games back to the IOC in response to a natural disaster rather than results of a local vote denying funds/support).
-- AFP reports on the U.K. release of new Olympic and Paralympic stamps for 2012 (perhaps the plainest Olympic postage stamps I've seen in 25 years as a philatelist).
-- Authorities investigating a stolen 1996 Atlanta Olympic torch (or perhaps the cyclist owner of said torch) drastically overestimated the value of the torch in various reports about the recovery of the torch at a North Carolina pawn shop. WSB-TV of Atlanta reported the accurate value of about $1,500, with help of Olympic memorabilia collector Craig Perlow, and glad to see the Asheville Citizen-News did some basic research on the correct value (unlike other outlets that picked up the AP story and took it at face value).
-- The swashbuckling swordsman who helped create great fencing fights as a 1952 Olympian and as consultant for the silver screen -- including famous scenes in "Star Wars" and "The Princess Bride" -- died at age 89 (Bob Anderson's obit, as reported in the LA Times and other outlets).
Sad to recently read that Olympic weightlifting champion Vasily Alekseyev died in Germany on Nov. 25.
I recall viewing Alekseyev's super heavyweight feats as a kid, and his gold medal lifts in Munich and Montreal are burned in the brains of many who viewed highlight reels of Olympics from the 1970s.
Through The New York Times obituary for Alekseyev, I learned he was undefeated from 1970 to 1978. Also found that his wife's name is near match for my Yahoo! email address: Olimpiada.
According to the report, the U.K. bid for the 2012 Olympics included a commitment to get more than 1 million host nationals up off of their arses and engaged in physical activity.
Jolly good show!
This was the first I heard of such a component of the Olympic bid process, but it was not surprising. The sounds of "fittest Games" ring similar to bid book language about "greenest Games" or other aspirational statements. Should we get ready for Annecy, Munich and PyeongChang to present their commitment to the "snowiest" Games in 2018.
Interesting read in today's New York Times regarding the U.S. Olympic broadcast rights process underway with major TV networks and the International Olympic Committee.
The report by Richard Sandomir paints the picture that the money may come in under past Games' agreements given the economy, changes at NBC and other factors. My gut is that with the Games coming to Rio deJaniero in 2016, with prime time competition options for U.S. broadcasts, NBC may be willing to take a hit in Sochi 2014 for the potential payoff two years later. What do you think? Post a comment by Dec. 31, 2010, and I'll send you a pin from this blog.
This morning while perusing The New York Times, the dateline for a report on page A20 -- Mankato, Minn. -- jumped off the paper.
Mankato was home for my latter teen years and early 20s, and the site on the brain when the song "I Wish I Could Go Back To College" is performed in "Avenue Q" (for clarity: I usually don't wish I could go back to college, but Minnesota State University-Mankato was a pretty darn good place to attend classes).
It's not often this little town, where Silica Gel is produced* to delight owners of new luggage, gets some ink or Internet space in a national news outlet.
Also known as the "big city" portrayed in "Little House On The Prairie," Mankato is an hour southwest of Minneapolis. And yes, Walnut Grove is real and not far from Mankato. Bravo, Mankato, for the limelight!
Today's report in The Gray Lady describes an event from 148 years ago that may get some more media play for an upcoming sesquicentennial of the largest mass execution in U.S. history.
I will let the article by Robert K. Elder speak for itself, but you can imagine my surprise and delight to read a quote in the report, showcasing the expertise of one of my college English professors, Gwen Westerman. My file cabinet holds many pages of terrible late-night writing dated 1992, each covered with Westerman's handwriting and proofreader marks (see how I just used her last name, a la AP Style -- she might have suggested I just use 'Gwen' for this pseudo-journalism blog that is more an exercise in would-be creative writing).
So cool to see her name in The New York Times!
With thanks for her influence and good works, Gwen was the third in a series of influential creative writers, following Honors English teacher Saxon Vandagriff at Edmond High School, and Keith Sell in English 101 at Mankato, who taught me a great deal about writing before "things clicked" junior year and I pursued a journalism degree with the fine MSU Mass Communications Department.
Of course, after two years of "reporting" for the campus newspaper, journalism's "dark side" lured me away to a career in public relations, which I love, but not without the occasional "grass is greener" allure of a news room (for the record, more than one MSU classmate has since inquired about the greener pastures on the dark side).
By chance, a newsy friend at Atlanta's NPR affiliate WABE-FM today forwarded a timely video titled "So You Want To Be A Journalist," portraying a recent J-School graduate networking for a job. Hilarious!
What made the video all the funnier for me personally was that I hung out at Columbia Journalism School (referenced in the video) during a Manhattan apartment-sitting gig in 1996, pondering graduate school options. Also explored Syracuse University options before landing the first P.R. job back in Atlanta. Those were the days.
Who knows, maybe the recent grad in the video has some Mankato ties, too.
The last few days, post-Thanksgiving, I spent a bit of time cleaning house and my office, preparing for the new year (early 2010 Spring cleaning, or late 2009 Spring cleaning, if you please).
Tonight I came across a couple of items clipped from New York Times features of 2009 -- so that the papers may be tossed, posting the items here for perpetuity.
The first is a photo from the Jan. 1, 2009, edition of The Times featuring a Yale University photo exhibition review by Ken Johnson. The photo (shown with post) is by Karin Rosenthal and is titled "Belly Landscape" (clever title, eh) from 1980. Any one of the Rio women in my Dec. 4 beach volleyball post might well be suited for a "30 years later" photo should Rosenthal choose to pursue a similar study in 2010.
Also tagged and saved another New York Times photo from the paper's Sept. 4 report that "Avenue Q" (one of my favorites) was closing shop after a great run (thank goodness they reopened down the street in Manhattan as I hope to get my parents and sister in to see the show in 2010). The photo was by Sara Krulwich -- great shot of the puppets on a backstage shelf awaiting their "final" curtain call (unfortunately, the image is not available online -- drat!).
The last item (at least for tonight) is a cutout saved from an auction catalog or art sale advertisement featuring a painting by Roy Lichtenstein (anyone know the title?). This one reminds me of the need to invest in some larger-necked dress shirts (seems I've outgrown a few from my closet in the days since the office where I work switched from "casual Fridays" to casual everyday).
Another interesting Olympic headline of late is this one from AFP related to the opening ceremony of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games (The Canadian Press also ran a slightly more detailed report on this news).
In just 432 days, Vancouver will ignite the 2010 Olympic Cauldron to kickoff the XXI Olympic Winter Games. It's never 'too soon' to start planning travel to the next Olympic host city, and the New York Times published a great read on the city in yesterday's 'Escapes' section.
In the cover story by Dave Caldwell, there's a taste of things to come regarding the Vancouver Olympic Village, the city's great quality of life, real estate and references to ABC Sportscaster Jim McKay (his misnomer for Vancouver apparently remains the talk of the town for some during the last 19 years).
Are you considering a trip to Vancouver, or will you be tuning in to wall-to-wall Olympic coverage on NBC or other national Olympic broadcasters? I'd love to hear from those already researching their Canadian adventures.
For me, absolutely! Glad the New York Times gave me a nudge to look the Province of British Columbia over the weekend.
A public relations executive by day, small-time eBayer by night and weekends, lifetime member of the International Society of Olympic Historians (ISOH) and full-time Olympic enthusiast who also looks at "BoingBoing-style" unusual news with interest. Please e-mail me at olympiada@yahoo.com or if you can't get enough try my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/people/Nicholas_Wolaver/713593008
Given the surprise "selfie" photo with her on Thursday, it also pleased me Maria Sharapova carried the Olympic torch into the stadium. She was beaming! 
The last few days, post-Thanksgiving, I spent a bit of time cleaning house and my office, preparing for the new year (early 2010 Spring cleaning, or late 2009 Spring cleaning, if you please).
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