Olympic Blogger Version of Fergie's "Glamourous"

Opportunity knocked a few weeks ago when my great friend and fellow summer '95 U.S. Olympic Committee intern Amy, now a bigwig at Glam.com, invited me to submit a few five-ringed fashion stories from Sochi.

The first of these -- under the headline "Ski Devil Wears Prada" -- features observations about Olympic Champion Bode Miller and his footwear, as seen at the Team USA Media Summit last fall.

Not since Fergie's hit song has it felt so glamorous for this blogger.

My fashion sense begins and ends with the latest Docker's slacks and embroidered Olympic host city polo shirts (not necessarily the Ralph Lauren kind), so I greatly appreciate the Glam.com opportunity and vow to have fun with it.

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Putin on the Blitz!

Some days you go to the office expecting the same-old-same old.

On Monday in my "remote office" at Sochi Media Center, things were mostly routine. Except for the part when Russian President Vladimir Putin stopped by for a speedy tour.

That's right: Putin ... on the blitz!

With a surprisingly sparse security detail and motorcade, Putin arrived at Sochi Media Center, handed his coat to a greeter then strolled on in to the main press room for a look at the scene.

Escorted by a local official (I assume a minister of tourism for Sochi), and accompanied by Sochi's Mayor and Olympic Champion Aleksandr "The Great" Karelin, the Russian president listened carefully to details about the Center -- one of the best unaccredited media centers in Games history (sadly underused by Western media outlets -- once again, I was the lone USA contact with one Canadian gentleman bearing credentials).

As throngs of working media were suddenly aware of Putin's presence, TV and still camera teams rushed to surround Putin, encircling his tour about 15 rows deep.

The president spoke for a couple of minutes, answering just two impromptu media questions, then turned with his hostess to walk back to toward the entry point.

Through all of this, I was tipped by a college student media center volunteer to stand at a fixed point back from the throngs of camera women and men.

I complied to earn a most excellent payoff of three very close -- shake hands close -- photos of President Putin.

It was tempting to offer him a lapel pin for this blog, but the security detail and fears of Siberian GULag served as a deterrent.

Hey, here's a guy happy with his photos.

So happy, in fact, moments later I moved quickly to a prime spot for creating a Presidential #SochiSelfie.

As predicted, Putin turned and stopped to view a working model of the Coastal Cluster to be retrofitted for Indy racing in October.

Putin sternly looked at the miniature Olympic city then disappeared to the third floor press conference room for a private meeting with members of the Russian Presidential Press Corps.

Were the room's two North American reporters able to attend? Nyet -- Russians only. Oh, well.

Two surprises emerged about Putin the man.

First, he is not tall, only an inch or two above five feet in dress shoes. Also, he does smile, and he did so several times on the closed-circuit broadcast (sans audio) of his private meeting.

Putin also beamed during his waving exit and return to a simpler-than-anticipated motorcade featuring just three vehicles (an unusual limousine and two extended vans) and one police escort, leaving behind Karelin and the Sochi mayor.

When Karelin next turned his attention to souvenir shopping at the Sochi Media Center store, I did approach him offering an Olympic blog lapel pin, congratulations on his achievements (most recently as Olympic Torchbearer at Fisht Stadium Friday night) and my awe.

This guy is HUGE, and as a former USA Wrestling intern long-aware of his five-ringed feats in Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta and Sydney, I was most appreciative of Karelin shaking hands (his are bear-sized, strong like bull), visiting briefly and posing for a photo before he presented me with a commemorative Sochi.Ru 2014 keychain. Too Great!

One of my first reporting assignments in college involved trekking to Minneapolis for President Clinton's 1992 healthcare reform visit.

Monday's presidential reporting experience was absolutely nothing like the USA version, and I kind of liked it. I liked it a lot.

Only at the Olympics!

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Dreams of Russia -- Opening Ceremony

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).

I will now have many new Dreams of Russia.

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Trippin' to Grocery for Russian 'Shroom Fix

Today was move-in day at new hotel. After four days in the hills overlooking Sochi (at Hotel Aks), the plan was to board a cruise ship docked here for the Games (advance booking completed in December).

But as is the norm for all things 2014, a surprise change occurred, this time with a dose of serendipity. The ship apparently was commandeered for government or sponsor use, so my reservation changed (an upgrade!) from a windowless cabin off-shore to a fifth floor seaside room in a four-star hotel (I can see the cruise ship from the hotel).

Not quite like the "junior suite" referenced in the SNL "Space Olympics" video, but it will do.

Across the street from the new hotel is a "New York" steakhouse at which I enjoyed a nice filet mignon served with the most savory and unexpectedly delicious grilled plum sauce (Soooo good!) with a Jack & Coke and grilled vegetables (and baked pear with caramel, crushed almond and ice cream for dessert).

Stumbling out of the restaurant with near-food-coma status, my eyes fixed on a small neighborhood grocery to buy some bottled water, and I found the best surprise treat in Sochi so far. Shrooms!

Who says you can't blog and do 'shrooms? Bonus -- the box reminds me of that popular Mellow pizza chain back in Atlanta!

And thank goodness they included a Cracker Jack prize (or warning label) on which "X" means "Just Say No" to real 'shrooms.

Photo by Nicholas Wolaver

Getting Social

Not sure it was "officially" announced, so here goes: This Olympic blog is now on Facebook, and I encourage and appreciate followers, comments, five-ringed questions and the like.

Thank you for your support!