So Long, Farewell, Auf Weidersehen, Goodbye

Rich — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:00:00 +0000

I hate it that, in my time here in Whistler, I haven’t done more posting to my blog. Two things stood in my way: long hours and a really lousy internet connection. Whistler, apparently having it’s own rate of exchange whereby a pack of gum, under the right conditions, could cost $4.00 US, is more than pleased to charge $14.00/day for internet access, yet the only place in my room where I can use the internet at all is (more…)

The Photo Finish

Rich — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:00:00 +0000

Well, as promised, here are some more memories of Vancouver2010 as captured in photographs. (Click on any of the photos to see an enlarged image.) As I mentioned in an earlier post, lack of time and lack of a good internet connection kept me from keeping this blog as up-to-date as I would have liked. Now, at last, here is the payoff.

I start with a photo I like to call “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” Canadians, it seems, have no concept of cold. In fact, I’m not sure a word for cold exists in the Canadian vernacular. Moreover, Canadians seem to use mind control on people of other nationalities to get them to freeze to death voluntarily. I suspect this is how their gold medal count got so high. (more…)

Have a Coke and a Smile

Rich — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:00:00 +0000

I wanted to take a quick moment to salute some of the people who make life here away from my family bearable. I don’t say this to mean that most of the people I work with are UN-bearable, but the traveling media crew is a tough lot. They’re a hard working group that seems to have hardened a bit after years on the road. Most of these guys (more…)

Life, the Universe, and Whistler …

Rich — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:00:00 +0000

With apologies to the late author Douglas Adams for my title to this post, here is an introductory glance at life in Whistler and around the Sliding Center compound.

Whistler, British Columbia, is a beautiful alpine village at the base of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. It’s a ski resort and snowboarder’s paradise. Having said that, Whistler is not for the faint of heart nor the faint of bank account. (more…)

Tech Photos - Part II

Rich — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:00:00 +0000

Well, as promised earlier, I do have a few more technical photos for those still sitting, waiting, and wanting. When I was in Beijing, our broadcast compound was much smaller in terms of the amount of land it covered. Here in Whistler, we cover half of a mountain. That said, it’s hard to cover the compound with my camera while ostensibly working. (more…)

Remembering Nodar

Rich — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 07:00:00 +0000

After the death of Georgian luger, Nodar Khokhobashvili, I felt I needed to take a couple of days off from the blog before commenting. First, it would be practically impossible not to acknowledge his death in a blog about the Olympics — especially since I work at the course where the accident happened AND it happened right outside my control room. Secondly, I wasn’t sure I had processed it. Here, now, are a few remarks a couple of days later. (more…)

Tech Photos — Part 1

Rich — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:00:00 +0000

Okay, I’ve been putting it off long enough. Finally, today, I’m pleased to present a few techie photos. When I was in Beijing, our broadcast compound was a bit less spread out, so it was easy for me to get pictures of all sorts of stuff. Here, we’re spread out over a mountain. I still haven’t even been to the start of the course. I’ve been to the END of it lots of time because that’s where a lot of my work takes place, but the start, well, no. Besides, the start is a LOT farther up the hill.

Now, onto the pictures! (more…)

Zoom, Zoom … Brrr, Brrr

Rich — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 07:57:19 +0000

As you know, if you’ve been following this blog, I’m an audio guy with the Olympics. This means that before the games, I’m installing and testing circuits in the Commentary Control areas including what’s called the Mix Zone, the place where all the media and press are able to get comments, and even interviews, with the athletes as they come off the course. I took the picture at left a few days ago, just after they had installed the rails separating the different networks’ “spaces.”Since then, they’ve dressed the area up a bit with signs and drapes to make it look more colorful and more “Olympic.” (more…)

Sorry, Shakespear, All the World’s a PARTY

Rich — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:34:14 +0000

Well, somebody (who shall remain Coca-Cola) apparently let it slip out that there would be a party in Whistler to kick off the Olympic festivities. Word spread, and pretty soon everybody in town converged on the village for, well, crowd-related stuff. My boss, Dave, and I got off the bus from the venue, walked through the hotel, and headed to the village for a bite to eat only to discover that you couldn’t even get a seat in a restaurant or bar — much less a bite to eat — for at least 45 minutes if you’re lucky. (more…)

Mr. President, Would you send us some snow?

Rich — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:33:05 +0000

Ed, my colleague in Commentary Control, is from Baltimore, MD. His wife called the other day to report the three feet of snow that had just fallen in the front yard. Ed and I looked at each other. We’ve seen but a few inches of snow falling since we’ve been here in Whistler. Mind you, there’s still a ton of snow on the ground, but no new stuff. (more…)