Simon Says ...

While researching Sochi Olympic venues, I came across a fun comparison of the Bolshoy Ice Dome with the 1970s Milton Bradley electronic game Simon. LOL!

Given the building's LED-topped canopy -- useful for creating an electronic image of most any illustration -- my mind eventually wandered to the Mike Myers SNL character who sang "Well, you know, my name is Simon, and I like to do drawings!"

I don't yet have tickets to an event inside the "Major Ice Palace" (the literal translation of its Russian name) but aim to find one -- this Olympic venue is the coolest thing since Beijing's Water Cube!

Image via Imgur

Soiree Olympique

My first few Olympic viewing experiences -- for Montreal 1976, Lake Placed 1980, Sarajevo and Los Angeles 1984 -- felt like a party.

As a toddler, seven year old, and fifth grader, respectively, watching the Games on ABC Sports meant extra TV time and the rare "up past eight" opportunity.

During and after the LA84 opening ceremony, when every kid in the neighborhood went home to watch with family, I naively assumed that everyone in the world dropped everything to view the Olympics.

It wasn't until 1996, when my sister and I viewed the start of the Centennial Games ceremony on a small screen in a suburban Atlanta Chinese restaurant (we were both staying at apartments sans TV access), that it sunk in not everyone cared to watch.

Now I get it -- I may be in the minority on tuning in (LOL).

But some friends DO religiously watch the Opening Ceremonies and competitions. And today via Facebook I spotted an Olympic viewing party invitation from some five-ring fan acquaintances in Janesville, Wisconsin. Bravo! An Olympic Party, Sochi-style!

Perhaps everyone should drink a shot when NBC Olympic commentators utter dramarama terms such as "Olympic security" or "protest zone" and "figure skating controversy."

I'd like to know -- who out there in Blog Reader Land is going to attend or host a Sochi Olympic party? What are you including in your Soiree Olympique to make it authentic? Special Russian recipes and décor, or planning a fondue service with a mini-Olympic cauldron?

After the 1996 work experience, at an auction I purchased an Olympic cooler and official Coca-Cola picnic table and umbrella in anticipation of hosting a Games gathering. Later these items turned into great Ebay sales to fund travel to Sydney 2000, so I never did host an Olympic party. Please share your memories of torch-inclusive gatherings.

Meanwhile, one time I did attend a Golden Globes viewing party (and also attended several client GRAMMY viewing parties in Atlanta). Turns out in tandem with this weekend's Golden Globe Awards broadcast on NBC there will be a "Gold Meets Golden" party featuring many notable summer and winter Olympians and stars of the silver and small screen. According to a press release sent to this blogger, numerous luminaries may attend.

The second-annual NBC/Universal Golden Globes party includes Hollywood hosts Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy, Ryan Kavanaugh, Bradley Cooper, Mark Wahlberg, Sofia Vergara, Adrien Brody, Chelsea Handler, Kerry Washington, Owen Wilson and Hayden Panettiere, who is engaged to Atlanta Olympic gold medalist Wladimir Klitschko.

Atlanta Olympic Village visitor Arnold Schwarzenegger will host a table for winter and summer athletes to attend the Globe Awards ceremony.

The celebrities will join scheduled-to -ttend Olympians including gymnasts Mary Lou Retton, Nadia Comaneci, Bart Conner, Gabby Douglas, Carly Patterson, Nastia Liukin and Jake Dalton; figure skater Sasha Cohen; speed skaters Apolo Anton Ohno, Bonnie Blair and Dan Jansen;  athletics greats Bruce Jenner, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Alyson Felix, Carmelita Jeter, Will Claye and DeeDee Trotter; diver Greg Louganis; swimmers  Nathan Adrian, Rebecca Soni, Eric Shanteau, John Naber, Jessica Hardy and Summer Sanders; water polo player Tony Azevedo; freeskier Nick Goepper; fencer Tim Morehouse; beach volleyball players Kerri Walsh Jennings, Misty May Treanor, April Ross and Jen Kessy; original Dream Team basketball player Magic Johnson, and ice hockey player Caitlin Cahow (recently announced as members of President Barack Obama’s Presidential Delegation for the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games) will also participate.

An Olympic auction is set to launch at the event, with items available for online bidding including VIP tickets to exclusive parties to celebrate the Sochi Games with Olympic legends at Team USA Clubs in Los Angeles (Feb. 7) and Vail, Colo. (Feb. 15), official Team USA apparel, and a Cola-Cola snowboard to be signed by Gold Meets Golden party attendees. The auction launches Jan. 12 and continues this month via CharityBuzz.com/USOC.

I will probably do a party dance when my visa application for Russia Federation is finally processed -- getting anxious for "official" access to Sochi to arrive by mail. Why must this take so many days?

Images via Rich Fletcher and CW3PR

Lessons Learned Snowed In In Indiana

Four years at Minnesota State University in Mankato provided more than a few lessons in how to brave cold weather.

For instance, the experience taught me never, ever, EVER again reside at an address north of Tennessee.


Polar Vortex of January 2014


Winter weather driving lessons of MSU days came into play this past Sunday during a post-holiday road trip from Milwaukee to Atlanta.

The highways were terrible and only got worse with deepening wet snow as fellow drivers joined the 20 mph crawl from Chicago across the Indiana state line. In four hours, I got only as far as West Lafayette before calling it quits in white-out snowfall, which officially closed I-65 for three days.

Thanks to the Polar Vortex, even if the Interstate had re-opened Monday, my Volvo S70 was having none of the subzero temperatures.

How cold was it?

It was so cold the key hole for the ignition froze shut! And even after a day of prying the key slot open with a pocket knife, the car still did not defrost until Wednesday afternoon as the steering column remained locked in the bitter cold. It was so frustrating to remain among the last three snow-bound travelers stranded at The Lodge.

Yessir, three nights and four days at the Econo Lodge provided many reflections on patience and how Hades may not be hot but more like an Arctic Circle of Hell.


View from W. Lafayette Econo Lodge

When the key finally did slip into the Volvo ignition and turn, at last starting the car, I hollered "yes!" with pleasure, giggled uncontrollably and even got tears of joy in my eyes -- euphoria likened to losing my virginity. 

Finally made it back to Atlanta this afternoon, thankful for the experience but more appreciative of its conclusion.

During the day's drive to Georgia, several lessons learned from being snowed in in Indiana emerged:

1. There are a lot of good people in Indiana, and many of them work at the fast food, fuel and lodging establishments at Exit 178/N. River Road
2. The West Lafayette Econo Lodge is nothing fancy but it was clean and warm and I think most of the other snowbound guests would concur we were treated well during the experience
3. According to friends and this news article, Indian-Americans with the name Patel own a large percentage of economy lodging establishments across the U.S.
4. On cable TV in northwest Indiana, advertisements are in heavy rotation for the dating website FarmersOnly.com
5. A little cabin fever goes a long way toward getting things done, including the establishment of the official Facebook page for this Olympic blog (please check it out)
6. The HBO broadcast of "Life of Pi" provided a timely reminder that God is with you even when you are adrift in the Midwest Regions of Siberia
7. When you realign the letters of "Volvo S70" it almost looks like "Volvo P.O.S"
8. The lyrics to the Genesis song "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" take on a whole new meaning after one is ice bound for a few days: "Please get me out of here, Someone get me out of here/Just help me, I'll do anything, ANYTHING, if you'll just help get me out of heeeeeeeeerrrre, Tonight - oh, ohhhhhhh!"
9. There are dozens of Olympians from The Hoosier State including Lafayette's own Ray Ewry (among the most decorated Olympic athletes in history)
   
10. In Indiana, when it snows, they do not plow the Interstate exits nor rest areas (and I will always wonder "why not?").

During the crying, er, waiting game in West Lafayette, I also earned another dose of tested patience as the USPS held in limbo my passport and Russia Federation visa paperwork mailed to Washington last week (finally delivered today).

It will be a tremendous relief when that document soon arrives back in Atlanta.

On to Sochi! And Volvo reminds you, Drive Safely!

Volvo interior and exterior photos by Nicholas Wolaver; map image via this link; postage stamp image painted by Bart Forbes via this link

Vonn Boyage, er, Bon Voyage

Bummed to learn the news of Olympic Champion Lindsey Vonn bowing out of Sochi pursuits due to injuries. It is sporting of her to open up a U.S. Ski spot for a teammate to trek to Russia next month, though curious she opted to announce via Facebook.

I suspect we may see Ms. Vonn lined up as a commentator or other "live from Sochi" personality (she is, after all, the most decorated American skier in history), but only time will tell. It won't surprise me one bit to read of a Vonn run for PyeongChang 2018 as well.

Here's hoping for an injury-free transition and bon voyage to the next phase of Vonn's career.

Another thing that's bummin' me out is that my 1998 Volvo S70 (a.k.a. P.o.S) is frozen in Indiana. I'm posting today from McDonald's (Worldwide Olympic Sponsor) in West Lafayette, Ind., where the high temp of the last 48 hours was just about zero degrees.

Though appreciative of safe and warm place to stay for a few days, I am growing tired of hotel living and ready to get back to Atlanta. But the car steering column remains locked in place, possibly due to subzero cold, but just as likely a mechanical issue with "the usual" crud timing (it was so cold here yesterday the ignition key slot was frozen shut).

Know anyone in Lafayette who wants to chat about the Games? Give me a call at the EconoLodge!

Stay warm, my friends.

Image via AP Photo by Gero Breloer

To Russia, With Glove(s)

With client projects and holiday deadlines galore, November and December were a wash for free time to blog. Crud!

Lots of big Olympic news headlines of late, notably the selection of initial Team USA competitors and some final preparations for Sochi 2014.

Of course, troubling headlines are also on the brain given recent events in Central Russia.

During Christmas break, time at last arrived to finalize travel plans for the Winter Olympics.

"Are you going to Sochi?" is finally answered: YES!

For those who remain interested, it's not too late to book passage to Russia. Accommodations are available on several cruise ships set to dock at Sochi Port and Adler (with thanks to Tom Burke for the pointers on reservations). Also found an actual hotel available via Hotels.com, though I will be biting my nails until checking-in on 3 Feb that the hotel is there and open for business.

The cruise ship agency includes with their fee the required host documents needed for inclusion in the Russian tourist visa application process (more on that in a few paragraphs).

Flights are not cheap. Fortunately, after banking tens of thousands of SkyMiles, I'll get half-way to Sochi on Delta Air Lines' dime. The second half of the journey will be via Aeroflot from Germany, one of three nations with direct flights to Sochi available for the Games (it pleased me to avoid long layovers and out-of-the-way connecting flights via Moscow). Yahoo! Travel was helpful to locate these direct flight options.

And individual Sochi Olympic tickets remain available via CoSport -- it will be fun to visit Krasnaya Polyana for ski jump (the one ticket purchased so far). Locating a single Opening Ceremony ticket is on my wish list, but the Sochi ticketing process (which includes a new layer of security via the Spectator Pass process -- Meh) will prevent last minute wheeling and dealing like in Beijing.

Now, about that tourist visa for Russia Federation. Whew! I've put in a dozen hours and still the process is a work in progress. There are plenty of (nearly too many) checklist items to keep in mind, and that's just to get the paperwork in an envelope to the embassy (in my case, to a company that helps process the applications). I think only the visa application for China was more detailed, but it will be worth the time investment when arriving at the host city.

With just over 30 days to go, the time is now to get things booked without delay. Here's hoping others who are finalizing their plans will comment and share pointers.

During the booking process, I reflected many times that just 25 years ago a visit to Russia was likened to flying to the moon. It will be great fun to learn the culture in person, and I do wish to visit St. Petersburg, Moscow and other Russia Federation destinations in the future. Sochi will be a good place to start the Russia travel experience.

See you there!

Image via RussiaMap.org

Rio in M

Another pre-Games milestone crept up on the calendar this week: 1,000 days to Rio!

Looks like the Brazilian team organizing the 2016 Olympic Games celebrated the countdown with special events and photo opps. The Associated Press chose to mark the occasion with an update on an ambitious sponsorship goal, while reporters provided a journalistic kick-in-the-rear to underscore the urgency of Games prep yet to come.

The pictograms turned out nice. Though the designers refer to their round outlines as "pebbles" they struck me as individual guitar picks like the ones Charlie Byrd may have used in the studio sessions for "Brazilian Byrd."

Images via Rio 2016

Coming Soon: High Flying Adored

If you didn't yet hear that women's ski jump competition gets its Olympic debut in Sochi, you will.

Count on it.

The P.R. machine for Women's Ski Jumping USA is hitting its stride, and the Salt Lake Tribune's July 6 headline "Women's ski jump team prepping for Olympic media onslaught" was and remains apt.

At the recent Team USA Olympic Media Summit in Park City, Utah, where the women's team lives and trains, dozens of sports and entertainment reporters -- and even a few Olympic bloggers -- flocked to meet the Sochi Olympic hopefuls who are medal stand favorites going into the Games. At times, journalists huddled in rows three or four deep to pose questions, with photographers and TV cameras encircling each young woman.

All the attention is well-deserved. At the media summit, Sarah Hendrickson, Jessica Jerome and Lindsey Van explained their version of events leading to women's ski jump gaining Olympic competition status. It took, after all, several years, legal battles, IOC lobbying and an abundance of perseverance to create the five-ringed opportunity for Team USA and international competitors to jump in Russia during 2014.

To my bewildered eyes, the English language version of the Sochi.ru website still does not (at less than 100 days to the Games) include Women's Ski Jump in the official description of the 2014 ski jump competition.

However, the schedule section does note February 11 as the big day for women's jumping for joy (and gold).

I aim to be among the 7,500+ spectators in the RusSki Gorki venue. From a peek at the Sochi.ru interactive map (screen grab shown), the viewing stands and the jumps are nestled among the tracks for bobsled, luge and skeleton competition, much like the set-up in Park City for 2002. Globally, women's ski jump athlete qualification -- which involves number crunching of FIS World

Cup and Grand Prix results -- continues through January 19, according to the Team USA Media Guide. Here in the USA, the athletes are selected through rankings and results of competitions held Nov. 15 to Jan. 19, with one spot TBD on Dec. 29 at the Olympic Trials.

By my count via the FIS ski jump athlete pages, there are 22 nations who may field women's ski jump entrants from three continents: North America (Canada, USA), Europe (Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, The Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Romania, Poland) and Asia (China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea and Russia).

May the best woman ski faster, lunge higher and land stronger in the Sochi ski jump competition.

Images via Sochi.ru, WSJ-USA and Newscom