Kind of Surreal

Today is day 3 of competition.

We started the day off by hoping on the Olympic Line streetcar to Granville island to check out some of the Olympic events planned.  Atlantic Canada house is located there and the smell of cooking seafood (think I caught a whiff of lobster) was overwhelming.  The kids didn't want to wait in line so we went for gelato cones instead.

Then we were off on the bus  to I scope out the city in search of some pin trading.  Turns out it was not as easy as one might expect.  Usually, at big events like this they have a pavillion dedicated to the art of pin trading with hundreds of traders around.  This time there is only one official area and that is inside The Bay Olympic superstore where you have to line up to get inside.  I was not up for it (as I wait in line for no one) however, Xavier had his heart set on it and talked his sisters into it as well.  What did they care?  They had a stroller to sit in to wait.  We started off with buying 2 pins each and I had a number of pins from preivous events over the years which I allowed the kids to trade with.  After we got inside, Xavier went right to work.  He ended up getting two more free pins for all the kids from Coke and one from a fella from Atlanta who gave them Olympic pins from the 96 games. 

Since it was sunny and quite warm, the city was wall to wall people.  Took us an hour just to get lunch.  Someone in line asked where we were headed and I mentioned we were trying to find more pin trading and she said she saw a bunch of them down at the waterfront in Coal Harbour.  Off we went in search.  We were in luck.  Xavier spotted a couple and he was off and running (it was like tracking a deer) before they left.  He traded some more pins and ended up with one from Nortel (may be the only thing worth anything for them) and a hockey player with the Stanley cup.  Rae traded a pin for a McDonalds one.  Lexie was asleep in the stroller so she missed out.

We headed back to catch the train back downtown.  Holy Schnikies!  The people!  It was like we were a race of rabbits and had multiplied in the last couple of hours.  We had to line up to get to the line up to catch the train.  Would have been quicker to walk but by that point my foot was on fire.  Back at Robson Square people were crowded around the giant TV screens watching the mens mogul races.  It was very exciting and the noise almost deafening as we watched we had 2 in medal position.  As the second to last skier came down, the last Canadian, I could no longer even hear myself thinking and right there was Xavier shouting and jumping up and down.  Rae got caught up in it as well and Lexi was just mesmerized by her surroundings.  When we won the gold the street vibrated from the sound of a very proud country.

After I took the children home to their parents, I made my way home by train and bus.  As I got off the bus, I could hear the celebrations taking place in Yale town across the water.  I could hear the music and the cheering as clearly as if I was sitting right there.  The fireworks went off as scheduled at 11pm.  We have a perfect picture window view from our balcony.  I can only imagine how it must be for the condos around Yale town since it sounds like cannons going off from our place.  I understand that some people down there are complaining since they are going off late and the laser show lasts all night.  I can only imagine trying to go to bed because you have to work early the next day and having laser beams shooting through your window and then cannons going off.  Must be fun.

Today's picture is of Xavier and Rae trying out a bobsled.

stay tuned