My route may have been a little convoluted, but the first official scooter commute of both the New Year and the new house was a success. I dodged a lot of traffic and abused the Olympic Lane more than once (I also cut the post-event Skytrain line last night – I’m already on the VANOC shitlist; I might as well use the opportunity to break as many rules as I can), but I got to work only a few minutes late. If I had taken the bus, I wouldn’t be at work yet – there are incidents going on all over the place, and the buses are backed up and issuing alerts. Transit is going to be an exercise in angst during the Olympics – I just hope the weather holds so I can just scoot everywhere and laugh.

There are a few observations I wanted to add to my list from last night:

• The individual singing the national anthem has a gorgeous voice, but I did NOT like what they did to the song – our anthem (any anthem, actually) does not need vocal embellishing; it takes away from the overall effect
• Russia had an impressive string – 3 people long – but the USA had 4
• Canada’s string may not have been the longest, but it was clearly the best and accompanied by 30 people
• They weren’t kidding about airport security – be prepared to have your belongings scanned and manhandled, and your person wanded by a 16-year old girl
• Did I mention that you should be in line already?
• WEAR COMFY SHOES! The VANOC-approved exit for BC Place forces people to walk to the Main Street Skytrain Station, where you will wait in almost as long a line to get onto a train
• When I emerged at the Burrard Station last night, there was a 3-piece band doing a banjo/bongo/guitar cover of BEP’s “I Gotta Feeling” – it was kind of awesome

The inauspicious end to last night’s festivities really did a number on my excitement about the whole thing, but hopefully I will get some of my mojo back before things start for real. The torch comes very close to Sparta on Friday, so I will try to get some pictures. Maybe the torch contains my happy. We shall see.

walking the sea wall