February 18,2002:
It's hard to believe that we are already at Day 11 of the Olympics. Everyone is generally pleased about the outcome of the skating mess. The Canadians have been seen here and there and have behaved extremely well, considering that they have been constantly dogged by the media.
The staff have anticipated the general letdown we are starting to feel - I think we existed on adrenaline until this weekend and now most everyone is starting to drag. In an effort to re-energize the team, today the supervisors decorated the staff tent with crepe paper and balloons and brought dominos and cards and other games to play during breaks. And we also were a given an incredibly strange pin "from" Steve Young - It has a big number 8 with a football player in red and white. There is a dinky little logo in the corner to designate it as an Olympic pin and it is signed (printed) on the back with his signature. I know I am rejuvenated.
Our happy little band in the IB are having our own problems. We are all here today, but the two guys might as well not be. One is bored with it all and doesn't think that the work is fulfilling enough and the other is so lively that he can't stand to be cooped up, so they wander a lot. I was alone quite a lot, which is really just fine, since there are periods of quiet during the medals and concerts.
For some reason, we seem to get a lot of the same problems on different days. Today was Airport Day. About 5 people needed to know how to get to and from the airport and all from different starting places. So I called around and found a suitable airport shuttle for them all. It's just odd that we have had no airport questions before yesterday. One of the people I worked with had a succession of problems, including a lost key to a rental car, so he wanted to get out to Avis to get another one. After I tried a couple of things and got him taken care of, he was so thrilled that he wrote down my name and said he was going to write to SLOC and tell them how wonderful I was. I can't wait to hear from Mitt.
I had a Japanese couple come in to check for a lost scarf. While I was talking to the wife, the husband was filming both of us and all I said. He even took a close-up of my handing her the paper with the Lost and Found Center address and phone number. He said he wanted to have a memory of everything.
Our super supervisor has a headset radio that she needs to keep track of everything on the OMP. She ran into the restroom trailer, which has tiny little stalls. She took off the radio and her coat and set them on the minute counter by the sink. Just as she got settled, her radio started calling her frantically about some major issue. She started saying, "Holy cow, holy cow!" and trying to hurry so she could get out and grab the radio. When she finally emerged from the stall, a half dozen women were staring at her and wondering what kind of problems she was having in there.
About a dozen US women athletes barged in to the IB and wanted directions to the Olympic Alumni House. Just when you think you know everything - now we have quite a list of these places.
I have one more day to work before a day off again. I wanted to have Wednesday off so Bob and I could take Paddy down to see a few things while we still can. Luckily, one of the others needed Tuesday off, so we made a trade.
--
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Flashback to 2002, Day 7
February 17, 2002:
Yesterday on the bus I was visiting with a couple from Montana who had driven their motorhome down to catch the festivities. Almost every time I ride the train or the bus I end up near a retired couple who are here and want to know what they ought to see. I have met some great people and everyone is friendly and patient and appreciative of everyone here who is helping with the events. I even had a pleasant conversation the other night on the Trax platform with a couple of obvious gang-bangers who looked over and asked if I was working with "that Olympics thing". We started talking about what they had done and I gave them some ideas about places they would like to see. They asked if I was getting paid and I said, "No, but I get to keep the outfit." They thought that was pretty cool. I got the impression that they were not used to a middle aged white woman chatting with them, especially at 11:30 at night. What a shame.
The outfit is even better than I expected. We have to wear these clothes for 8-12 hours at a time and they are remarkably comfortable. I was worried, since there are some fabrics that I don't enjoy, but the turtleneck shirts are soft and warm, but light, and the adjustable zipper neck is great for those of us with no necks. The coats move well and aren't heavy and stiff like I expected. I love the fleece vest - sometimes I run errands before my shift wearing the shirt and vest and it's plenty warm for that. I am lucky that I don't have to wear the ski pants - the IB is heated and I don't love that nylon swishing sound - and don't need the hat or headband - they are pretty small with all my hair. And the crosspack is wonderful - I may never carry a purse again.
Boy, I don't know if it is Sunday or what, but last night was so slow. We spent a large part of the evening just sitting in the IB gabbing. There were three of us - the law clerk, the seminary teacher and yours truly. The IB gang have gotten to be pretty good friends. The seminary teacher is a volunteer from Visitor Information Services and is an interesting guy - he retired from the Army about 5 years ago and wasn't sure what he was going to do. After being offered several jobs that he didn't feel great about, a friend called and said that he ought to check into teaching seminary. He loves it and I'm sure that they love him - it's obvious that he cares a lot about the kids and he has a positive attitude about everything he does. He said that this is just the same as the military - just working on a different battlefield.
I was able to work out acreditation for a freelance Czech journalist - the media center is probably the most secure area around. You practically have to furnish a pint of blood and your mother's shoe size. Some enthusiastic Australian fans wanted to go find their broadcasters, maybe for a personal perspective on the surprise medal, and were sure that if they showed up they could get someone to let them in to hang. Nothing I said could dissuade them. They spotted the location on our map and headed out. I wish I had been able to follow and watch. We also had a bunch of Swiss, Austrian and Norweigan fans and athletes who had to be dispatched to their respective parties. I hear that some of those national houses get pretty lively.
LOST AND FOUND PROBLEM OF THE NIGHT: Not quite L & F, but a problem, anyway. A young guy was going through security and the guardsman wasn't careful and dropped his video camera. He checked to see if it worked and it did, but later found that the zoom was broken. We've had people hysterical over a lost glove, but he was so patient and understanding that we couldn't believe it. He waited for a supervisor and filled out forms and was calm and polite. We lucked out.
Walking back to the shuttle to take me back to the Fairgrounds I walk over the North Temple viaduct. There are twenty or so train cars parked on the tracks there. I found out that they have all been restored and refurbished and are housing dignitaries there. Some of them are beautiful and look like the Orient Express. At night you can sometimes see folks in there having dinner or parties. Too bad it isn't a better neighborhood.
Yesterday on the bus I was visiting with a couple from Montana who had driven their motorhome down to catch the festivities. Almost every time I ride the train or the bus I end up near a retired couple who are here and want to know what they ought to see. I have met some great people and everyone is friendly and patient and appreciative of everyone here who is helping with the events. I even had a pleasant conversation the other night on the Trax platform with a couple of obvious gang-bangers who looked over and asked if I was working with "that Olympics thing". We started talking about what they had done and I gave them some ideas about places they would like to see. They asked if I was getting paid and I said, "No, but I get to keep the outfit." They thought that was pretty cool. I got the impression that they were not used to a middle aged white woman chatting with them, especially at 11:30 at night. What a shame.
The outfit is even better than I expected. We have to wear these clothes for 8-12 hours at a time and they are remarkably comfortable. I was worried, since there are some fabrics that I don't enjoy, but the turtleneck shirts are soft and warm, but light, and the adjustable zipper neck is great for those of us with no necks. The coats move well and aren't heavy and stiff like I expected. I love the fleece vest - sometimes I run errands before my shift wearing the shirt and vest and it's plenty warm for that. I am lucky that I don't have to wear the ski pants - the IB is heated and I don't love that nylon swishing sound - and don't need the hat or headband - they are pretty small with all my hair. And the crosspack is wonderful - I may never carry a purse again.
Boy, I don't know if it is Sunday or what, but last night was so slow. We spent a large part of the evening just sitting in the IB gabbing. There were three of us - the law clerk, the seminary teacher and yours truly. The IB gang have gotten to be pretty good friends. The seminary teacher is a volunteer from Visitor Information Services and is an interesting guy - he retired from the Army about 5 years ago and wasn't sure what he was going to do. After being offered several jobs that he didn't feel great about, a friend called and said that he ought to check into teaching seminary. He loves it and I'm sure that they love him - it's obvious that he cares a lot about the kids and he has a positive attitude about everything he does. He said that this is just the same as the military - just working on a different battlefield.
I was able to work out acreditation for a freelance Czech journalist - the media center is probably the most secure area around. You practically have to furnish a pint of blood and your mother's shoe size. Some enthusiastic Australian fans wanted to go find their broadcasters, maybe for a personal perspective on the surprise medal, and were sure that if they showed up they could get someone to let them in to hang. Nothing I said could dissuade them. They spotted the location on our map and headed out. I wish I had been able to follow and watch. We also had a bunch of Swiss, Austrian and Norweigan fans and athletes who had to be dispatched to their respective parties. I hear that some of those national houses get pretty lively.
LOST AND FOUND PROBLEM OF THE NIGHT: Not quite L & F, but a problem, anyway. A young guy was going through security and the guardsman wasn't careful and dropped his video camera. He checked to see if it worked and it did, but later found that the zoom was broken. We've had people hysterical over a lost glove, but he was so patient and understanding that we couldn't believe it. He waited for a supervisor and filled out forms and was calm and polite. We lucked out.
Walking back to the shuttle to take me back to the Fairgrounds I walk over the North Temple viaduct. There are twenty or so train cars parked on the tracks there. I found out that they have all been restored and refurbished and are housing dignitaries there. Some of them are beautiful and look like the Orient Express. At night you can sometimes see folks in there having dinner or parties. Too bad it isn't a better neighborhood.
Flashback to 2002, Day 6
February 16, 2002
I've had a lot of people ask what questions we get the most. Besides transportation issues (Where do I get a shuttle to ________?), the biggest one is "Why can't I get a beer here? I just look them in the eye and say that since the Olympics are REALLY for the athletes, and we were concerned that a bunch of drunken rock and roll rowdies MIGHT not be as polite and respectful of the Medals Ceremonies as we would like, the decision was made to restrict alcohol on the OMP. It's amazing that no one questions that, especially when I say, "I know that it NEVER happens, but we didn't want to take any chances." They usually grin and say OK. One of the other hosts was going on about the property being owned by the Church, etc., etc., which only got people going and isn't necessarily the issue, since the Church only specified that the tickets would be free, nothing else.
The best beer story here, however, has been the groupie for one of the bands who was so plastered that the security thought that he was a risk and kicked him out of the plaza and the band sat and waited for their pre-show "warmup" delivery. We finally had to track the guy down to bring the booze. (No restrictions on "Talent".)
Our team leader of the other night, the overly enthusiastic one, has been assigned permanently to sectors far, far away from us. The other guy in the IB wants to hire me as his permanent lobbyist, since I did such a good job on this one.
LOST AND FOUND OF THE NIGHT: A nice lady came in and wanted to know how she could get her blanket back. It seems that as they got off the shuttle, a policeman helping with the crowd had a heart attack, so some of the folks donated their blankets and coats to keep him warm. Apparently, her blanket accompanied him in the ambulance. She just didn't know where to call for the return. We gave her the little paper with the phone number of the Lost and Found Center - I hope she has some luck.
Everything you may have heard about the crowds on Saturday were true. It took me 25 minutes to get from the ZCMI Mall 2 1/2 blocks to our check-in gate. The Main Street Plaza was wall-to-wall. I hope the businesses were having a good day.
The record for least clothing worn to the OMP has to be the girls who came in sleeveless, bare midriff tops and windbreakers, jeans, no socks and Birkenstocks. They said they thought it was indoors, but I can't imagine wearing that just to walk anywhere from their car! A couple of sweet older men who are hosts had spare socks they just gave the poor dummys.
It is just incredible how different the crowds are from band to band. The audience for Brooks and Dunn were more mature, more families and more responsible. We had less than half the Lost and Found after their concert. I can't wait to see what we get with N'SYNC.
I have hung around the IB most of the nights, so I told the others I wanted to watch all the Medals Ceremony and they couldn't really refuse. I'm so glad that I did - the darling German girl that I spent so much time helping the other night was the Silver Medalist in the Biathlon! It was just like having a friend up there. It really is worth being there just for the medals presentation. It's so exciting to see those kids getting their recognition. It was a little scary, though, since so many of the other medalists were Norwegian - their fans are fanatics! Most of them were wearing gunny sack tunics and Viking hats with horns. I just tried to stand out of their way...
I've had a lot of people ask what questions we get the most. Besides transportation issues (Where do I get a shuttle to ________
The best beer story here, however, has been the groupie for one of the bands who was so plastered that the security thought that he was a risk and kicked him out of the plaza and the band sat and waited for their pre-show "warmup" delivery. We finally had to track the guy down to bring the booze. (No restrictions on "Talent".)
Our team leader of the other night, the overly enthusiastic one, has been assigned permanently to sectors far, far away from us. The other guy in the IB wants to hire me as his permanent lobbyist, since I did such a good job on this one.
LOST AND FOUND OF THE NIGHT: A nice lady came in and wanted to know how she could get her blanket back. It seems that as they got off the shuttle, a policeman helping with the crowd had a heart attack, so some of the folks donated their blankets and coats to keep him warm. Apparently, her blanket accompanied him in the ambulance. She just didn't know where to call for the return. We gave her the little paper with the phone number of the Lost and Found Center - I hope she has some luck.
Everything you may have heard about the crowds on Saturday were true. It took me 25 minutes to get from the ZCMI Mall 2 1/2 blocks to our check-in gate. The Main Street Plaza was wall-to-wall. I hope the businesses were having a good day.
The record for least clothing worn to the OMP has to be the girls who came in sleeveless, bare midriff tops and windbreakers, jeans, no socks and Birkenstocks. They said they thought it was indoors, but I can't imagine wearing that just to walk anywhere from their car! A couple of sweet older men who are hosts had spare socks they just gave the poor dummys.
It is just incredible how different the crowds are from band to band. The audience for Brooks and Dunn were more mature, more families and more responsible. We had less than half the Lost and Found after their concert. I can't wait to see what we get with N'SYNC.
I have hung around the IB most of the nights, so I told the others I wanted to watch all the Medals Ceremony and they couldn't really refuse. I'm so glad that I did - the darling German girl that I spent so much time helping the other night was the Silver Medalist in the Biathlon! It was just like having a friend up there. It really is worth being there just for the medals presentation. It's so exciting to see those kids getting their recognition. It was a little scary, though, since so many of the other medalists were Norwegian - their fans are fanatics! Most of them were wearing gunny sack tunics and Viking hats with horns. I just tried to stand out of their way...
Flashback to 2002, Day 5
February 14, 2002:
It's Valentine's Day and no one is particularly thrilled about being here and not somewhere else with their significant others, except those wackos who volunteered together. The wife of one couple got up at our briefing at the beginning of our shift and recited the poem she wrote about her husband being her "Gold Medal Winner." Gag. He was pretty funny, though, and jumped up and said they were leaving together. We're all trying to make the best of it and lots of people smuggled treats in to cheer each other up. I had security paw through the box of chocolates I brought to share with the IB gang. They are looking at everything.
We have all decided that Bare Naked Ladies is going to win the prize as the best concert. They were the most entertaining group we have had. The two guys in the booth with me spent most of the night out watching the show. We are busy in spurts so I have been letting the others roam. It's easier for me to stay. If the others don't know how to do something they just give up. I hate to have people leaving unhappy or unresolved, so I keep calling around until I find the answer. I've gotten pretty chummy with all of the different supervisors. Tonight we had a couple who came through the gate and the ticket taker ripped their ski jumping tickets instead of the OMP tickets - they looked the same, but after they are torn they aren't accepted again. Since it was our fault I wanted to make it right. It only took a couple of calls to locate the ticket resolution office at the Delta Center to get new ones printed.
Right after the concert started we had a very unhappy Canadian official sent in to find out why her Gold medal winning speed skater hadn't had her medal presented with the others. They had been sitting out in the cold (and the poor girl had another race today to prepare for!) and had just been ignored. We finally tracked down an official who had postponed the presentation (all the skaters actually get their medals in the arenas, but come to the OMP for formal presentation, later) and told all the others, but not the Canadians. It's starting to look like someone is out to get them.
We also had our first major group of athletes. A whole bunch of young Germans came in, looking for the official German house. We have been trying to get the addresses for all the houses for several days. We tracked it down and sent most of them to 300 North and 400 West (however, wondering if it really is in that iffy neighborhood!) and directed the rest of them back to the Olympic Village. They spoke English well and I felt that they understood the directions, but just hoped that they made it OK.
MIRACLE OF THE NIGHT: Someone lost one of those Roots berets and it was actually turned in!! I figured it was a goner. They are going on the street for about a hundred bucks.
LOST AND FOUND INFO OF THE NIGHT: Each night we put every found item in a separate plastic bag, put a form with all the info available about time and location in with it and seal it up before locking it in a cabinet. Then every day we pack up all the stuff from the night before and send it to a central location, where it is sorted and computerized for retrieval. Tonight the director of the L & F center came in to tell us that we were about the only IB that is doing it correctly. She said some of the booths were sending really dumb things in, like used chapstick, bandaids and a banana!
Another day off tomorrow. I'm half finished. I got my Six Shift pin. It's really stunning - kind of a gold map of the US with the snowflake logo on it and a huge red Utah in the middle that says "Work Force 2002". I know I'll treasure it always!
It's Valentine's Day and no one is particularly thrilled about being here and not somewhere else with their significant others, except those wackos who volunteered together. The wife of one couple got up at our briefing at the beginning of our shift and recited the poem she wrote about her husband being her "Gold Medal Winner." Gag. He was pretty funny, though, and jumped up and said they were leaving together. We're all trying to make the best of it and lots of people smuggled treats in to cheer each other up. I had security paw through the box of chocolates I brought to share with the IB gang. They are looking at everything.
We have all decided that Bare Naked Ladies is going to win the prize as the best concert. They were the most entertaining group we have had. The two guys in the booth with me spent most of the night out watching the show. We are busy in spurts so I have been letting the others roam. It's easier for me to stay. If the others don't know how to do something they just give up. I hate to have people leaving unhappy or unresolved, so I keep calling around until I find the answer. I've gotten pretty chummy with all of the different supervisors. Tonight we had a couple who came through the gate and the ticket taker ripped their ski jumping tickets instead of the OMP tickets - they looked the same, but after they are torn they aren't accepted again. Since it was our fault I wanted to make it right. It only took a couple of calls to locate the ticket resolution office at the Delta Center to get new ones printed.
Right after the concert started we had a very unhappy Canadian official sent in to find out why her Gold medal winning speed skater hadn't had her medal presented with the others. They had been sitting out in the cold (and the poor girl had another race today to prepare for!) and had just been ignored. We finally tracked down an official who had postponed the presentation (all the skaters actually get their medals in the arenas, but come to the OMP for formal presentation, later) and told all the others, but not the Canadians. It's starting to look like someone is out to get them.
We also had our first major group of athletes. A whole bunch of young Germans came in, looking for the official German house. We have been trying to get the addresses for all the houses for several days. We tracked it down and sent most of them to 300 North and 400 West (however, wondering if it really is in that iffy neighborhood!) and directed the rest of them back to the Olympic Village. They spoke English well and I felt that they understood the directions, but just hoped that they made it OK.
MIRACLE OF THE NIGHT: Someone lost one of those Roots berets and it was actually turned in!! I figured it was a goner. They are going on the street for about a hundred bucks.
LOST AND FOUND INFO OF THE NIGHT: Each night we put every found item in a separate plastic bag, put a form with all the info available about time and location in with it and seal it up before locking it in a cabinet. Then every day we pack up all the stuff from the night before and send it to a central location, where it is sorted and computerized for retrieval. Tonight the director of the L & F center came in to tell us that we were about the only IB that is doing it correctly. She said some of the booths were sending really dumb things in, like used chapstick, bandaids and a banana!
Another day off tomorrow. I'm half finished. I got my Six Shift pin. It's really stunning - kind of a gold map of the US with the snowflake logo on it and a huge red Utah in the middle that says "Work Force 2002". I know I'll treasure it always!
Flashback to 2002, Day 4
February 13, 2002
It must be something in the air - everyone is dragging today. I could barely get myself here and once I arrived, I noticed that everyone else is in about the same shape. Luckily, as soon as the gates open and people start to arrive, we seem to be energized again.
The volunteers structure is well organized. We are all assigned to a team leader, who is under a sector coordinator, who is under other troup leaders who work together with the Venue Director. The team leaders are rotated nightly, but we have the same sector coordinator all the time. She is a wonderful woman named Linda. She was in a particularly bad mood - the team leaders are always beating her up about assignments and some of the volunteers were giving her a hard time about their shifts. She looks like she hasn't slept in a month and I know she doesn't ever take dinner or a break. She has figured out that the IB bunch are a good time, so she hides out with us when she can. And we do our best to cheer her up.
Since we have been working together the past few days, we have worked out a perfectly good balance and are really enjoying each other's company. We try not to bother the team leader and they usually leave us alone. Last night we had a lovely new TL, who helped a little on Monday when I was gone, and she decided that she would really take charge of the lax IB. Within 5 minutes we were referring to her as "Hitler", and one of the other guys said she was a "Red, Type A". We decided she had to go. Through my varied employment experiences I have learned who to befriend quickly. I cornered our trusty Linda and mentioned that I would appreciate her only assigning our friendly team leader to the IB when I was off. She noted my schedule and promised speedy service. The TL was unexpectly assigned to deliver hand warmers and granola bars to the volunteers in the stands. Hurrah!
People often duck into the IB to make cell calls, since the volume at the OMP can reach excessive levels. The best one was a darling guy who was returning a message left by an Orange County newspaper. He said that he didn't know how, but they found out that he was in SLC for the festivities and wanted his personal take on the games. I eavesdropped and heard him give a glowing report about one and all. He said it was beautiful here and everyone was friendly and helpful and he was loving it. That was a relief, especially after all the stuff about that rat, Woody Paige. (Note: Denver newsman who blasted Salt Lake, Mormons, etc. in editorials at the time) When I heard some of his "amusing" comments, I had to wonder if he was actually here. ALL I have heard is extremely positive and most everyone is amazed at how different it is than they expected. We're trying...
The only unhappy camper we had last night was a photographer from Eastman Kodak who was restricted from entering with a large and obviously expensive tripod which exceeded the size limits for poles. Even he was reasonably tolerant, if frustrated, because everyone seems to understand the security problems. You look at everything in a whole new light - when we had a shopping bag left behind the stands we had to call the officers to determine if it was a problem. (It was a little girl's pin trading bag) It's such a pain.
LOST AND FOUND ITEM OF THE DAY: A very nice marquise diamond ring, about a carat. You really have to wonder.
We still haven't had to tend kids, thank goodness! The worst we have had is a couple of frozen 6-7 year olds whose folks brought them in to thaw. You haven't lived until you are stuck in a small tent with socks drying on the only heat source. And in the "What Were You Thinking?" department, the parents who brought a 15 month old who started fussing the minute they took him out of the stroller (they have to be checked - they can't have people rocking on the floor with equipment all over) and they brought him in to settle him down. He would go to sleep, they would walk out into the cold and he would wake up. They hung around longer than I expected, but finally gave up after the medals were given.
I sure hope it warms up soon. Fighting the cold is wearing really thin.
It must be something in the air - everyone is dragging today. I could barely get myself here and once I arrived, I noticed that everyone else is in about the same shape. Luckily, as soon as the gates open and people start to arrive, we seem to be energized again.
The volunteers structure is well organized. We are all assigned to a team leader, who is under a sector coordinator, who is under other troup leaders who work together with the Venue Director. The team leaders are rotated nightly, but we have the same sector coordinator all the time. She is a wonderful woman named Linda. She was in a particularly bad mood - the team leaders are always beating her up about assignments and some of the volunteers were giving her a hard time about their shifts. She looks like she hasn't slept in a month and I know she doesn't ever take dinner or a break. She has figured out that the IB bunch are a good time, so she hides out with us when she can. And we do our best to cheer her up.
Since we have been working together the past few days, we have worked out a perfectly good balance and are really enjoying each other's company. We try not to bother the team leader and they usually leave us alone. Last night we had a lovely new TL, who helped a little on Monday when I was gone, and she decided that she would really take charge of the lax IB. Within 5 minutes we were referring to her as "Hitler", and one of the other guys said she was a "Red, Type A". We decided she had to go. Through my varied employment experiences I have learned who to befriend quickly. I cornered our trusty Linda and mentioned that I would appreciate her only assigning our friendly team leader to the IB when I was off. She noted my schedule and promised speedy service. The TL was unexpectly assigned to deliver hand warmers and granola bars to the volunteers in the stands. Hurrah!
People often duck into the IB to make cell calls, since the volume at the OMP can reach excessive levels. The best one was a darling guy who was returning a message left by an Orange County newspaper. He said that he didn't know how, but they found out that he was in SLC for the festivities and wanted his personal take on the games. I eavesdropped and heard him give a glowing report about one and all. He said it was beautiful here and everyone was friendly and helpful and he was loving it. That was a relief, especially after all the stuff about that rat, Woody Paige. (Note: Denver newsman who blasted Salt Lake, Mormons, etc. in editorials at the time) When I heard some of his "amusing" comments, I had to wonder if he was actually here. ALL I have heard is extremely positive and most everyone is amazed at how different it is than they expected. We're trying...
The only unhappy camper we had last night was a photographer from Eastman Kodak who was restricted from entering with a large and obviously expensive tripod which exceeded the size limits for poles. Even he was reasonably tolerant, if frustrated, because everyone seems to understand the security problems. You look at everything in a whole new light - when we had a shopping bag left behind the stands we had to call the officers to determine if it was a problem. (It was a little girl's pin trading bag) It's such a pain.
LOST AND FOUND ITEM OF THE DAY: A very nice marquise diamond ring, about a carat. You really have to wonder.
We still haven't had to tend kids, thank goodness! The worst we have had is a couple of frozen 6-7 year olds whose folks brought them in to thaw. You haven't lived until you are stuck in a small tent with socks drying on the only heat source. And in the "What Were You Thinking?" department, the parents who brought a 15 month old who started fussing the minute they took him out of the stroller (they have to be checked - they can't have people rocking on the floor with equipment all over) and they brought him in to settle him down. He would go to sleep, they would walk out into the cold and he would wake up. They hung around longer than I expected, but finally gave up after the medals were given.
I sure hope it warms up soon. Fighting the cold is wearing really thin.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Flashback to 2002 Day 3
(My email program ate the first attempt.)
February 12, 2002
Having a day off was a lifesaver. I got to relax, a little, and do some damage control at home. BTW, the Canadians were ROBBED!
I loved it when I got to work and found out that they had to get 3 extra people from Systems Operations to work with the 3 that were assigned there already. See, I am indispensible.
Walking through the stage area I happened on an emergency rehearsal with some of the "Children of Light" who help with the medals ceremonies every night. It seems that some of the happy winners are reluctant to give up their place in the spotlight and they were trying to figure out the nicest way to give them the hook. She said, "If they seem to be stuck on the platform, just tap their leg and say, 'Let's go out this way.'" I was relieved that they weren't supposed to smack them in the knees with their "Light" lanterns.
Right after we opened the gates we had a very nervous young woman rush in. She and her elderly mother in law had been separated coming through security and she was worried that the MIL would be confused and stressed. They were from out of state and MIL had tickets in the seats and the DIL was in standing area and she didn't know how they would get back together at the end of the night. I sent a host out with her to search the section.
Tonight was Bob Saget's last night as emcee. I am amazed that he lasted after they booed him off the stage the first night before Dave Matthews. Someone suggested that he had just done too many projects with a large "cheese" factor.
The host and DIL came back to the IB after scanning the stands and other areas. I sent the DIL out with another host to check the security areas and in front of the gates.
We haven't seen too many athletes, yet. We have heard that the numbers will increase daily as the events conclude. We did have a couple of coaches from the Czech team who needed to get back to Park City - the buses quit running after 6 p.m. Try explaining THAT in sign language. We finally directed them to the shuttle to the Trax station, on Trax to the U then the shuttle to Deer Valley. Sometimes you have to be pretty resourceful.
The barely controlled DIL, who by now hasn't seen any of the medals ceremony, comes in again, just in case MIL has been sent in in a panic. No sign of mom.
I have gotten pretty friendly with several members of the media. They are generally nice guys who need a little help, occasionally, to get meet their deadlines. We had a photographer from the Deseret News stop in to use our phone line to relay some pictures to the paper. He was camped out on the end of one table with his gear and a laptop. He was glad to find a semi-quiet spot for a minute.
Frantic DIL comes back again and is sure she and MIL are just circling around each other. I put a call out on all the radios to be on the lookout for confused, frightened older woman.
I've given up trying to eat the food provided. My tolerance for institutional food has dropped off. I think the item labeled "stuffed cabbage" did it!
The now hysterical DIL comes back at the end of the concert and decides to call the friend they are staying with to see if they have heard anything. But she doesn't know the number and we don't have a phone book. I'm trying to call Directory Assistance, but for some reason our cell phone isn't working and the DN guy is still using the other line. The door opens and a lovely lady peeks in and says, "Is it alright if I come in to warm up a bit?" DIL spins around and screams, then runs over, hugs her and starts yelling that she will never take her anywhere again. The astute DN photographer, recognizing a photo op, snaps several. Turns out that the MIL had happily been in her seat all along, rocking with the crowd. What a night!
February 12, 2002
Having a day off was a lifesaver. I got to relax, a little, and do some damage control at home. BTW, the Canadians were ROBBED!
I loved it when I got to work and found out that they had to get 3 extra people from Systems Operations to work with the 3 that were assigned there already. See, I am indispensible.
Walking through the stage area I happened on an emergency rehearsal with some of the "Children of Light" who help with the medals ceremonies every night. It seems that some of the happy winners are reluctant to give up their place in the spotlight and they were trying to figure out the nicest way to give them the hook. She said, "If they seem to be stuck on the platform, just tap their leg and say, 'Let's go out this way.'" I was relieved that they weren't supposed to smack them in the knees with their "Light" lanterns.
Right after we opened the gates we had a very nervous young woman rush in. She and her elderly mother in law had been separated coming through security and she was worried that the MIL would be confused and stressed. They were from out of state and MIL had tickets in the seats and the DIL was in standing area and she didn't know how they would get back together at the end of the night. I sent a host out with her to search the section.
Tonight was Bob Saget's last night as emcee. I am amazed that he lasted after they booed him off the stage the first night before Dave Matthews. Someone suggested that he had just done too many projects with a large "cheese" factor.
The host and DIL came back to the IB after scanning the stands and other areas. I sent the DIL out with another host to check the security areas and in front of the gates.
We haven't seen too many athletes, yet. We have heard that the numbers will increase daily as the events conclude. We did have a couple of coaches from the Czech team who needed to get back to Park City - the buses quit running after 6 p.m. Try explaining THAT in sign language. We finally directed them to the shuttle to the Trax station, on Trax to the U then the shuttle to Deer Valley. Sometimes you have to be pretty resourceful.
The barely controlled DIL, who by now hasn't seen any of the medals ceremony, comes in again, just in case MIL has been sent in in a panic. No sign of mom.
I have gotten pretty friendly with several members of the media. They are generally nice guys who need a little help, occasionally, to get meet their deadlines. We had a photographer from the Deseret News stop in to use our phone line to relay some pictures to the paper. He was camped out on the end of one table with his gear and a laptop. He was glad to find a semi-quiet spot for a minute.
Frantic DIL comes back again and is sure she and MIL are just circling around each other. I put a call out on all the radios to be on the lookout for confused, frightened older woman.
I've given up trying to eat the food provided. My tolerance for institutional food has dropped off. I think the item labeled "stuffed cabbage" did it!
The now hysterical DIL comes back at the end of the concert and decides to call the friend they are staying with to see if they have heard anything. But she doesn't know the number and we don't have a phone book. I'm trying to call Directory Assistance, but for some reason our cell phone isn't working and the DN guy is still using the other line. The door opens and a lovely lady peeks in and says, "Is it alright if I come in to warm up a bit?" DIL spins around and screams, then runs over, hugs her and starts yelling that she will never take her anywhere again. The astute DN photographer, recognizing a photo op, snaps several. Turns out that the MIL had happily been in her seat all along, rocking with the crowd. What a night!
Flashback to 2002, Day 2
Last night things were a little quieter. We decided that the Dave Matthews crowd might have been part of the craziness on Saturday. Sunday's concert, unannounced until Friday, was some group named "Lifehouse", who none of my boys had ever heard of before (which isn't a good sign, considering Mike has every CD ever produced). The crowd actually disappeared after the medals ceremony, except for the ones frozen in place. And the athletes were afraid that they would only be warmup for the band. We could sure use a warm-up. It is pretty cold, but the humidity is a killer. Even in my heated tent the cold seeps in. I have it real tough - sometimes I actually have to wear my parka.
LOST AND FOUND ITEM OF THE NIGHT: The "honey wagon" crew sucking out the porta potties left a head warmer hanging from our Welcome sign that they uncovered. No sign of the camera, however. (I truly hope that this is the last mention of the porta potties!)
FAVORITE LOST OR FOUND PATRON: The seriously intoxicated guy (he was so out of control that I first thought he had Cerebral Palsy) who kept waving his arms and telling me that his father donated millions to the Olympics, so his lost keys were top priority, but, when asked to describe them, only would say that they were for a red Ford. I couldn't get him to connect with the fact that the color wasn't identified on the KEY!
We are also the official location of lost persons. I have had nightmares about people "losing" their kids so they can play for a couple of hours and me having to baby sit with a crummy coloring book and 4 crayons, but we have lucked out so far and not had any little ones. Last night we did have a large, dopey, 14 year old who had headed for the porta potties (oops), left his ticket with his sister, and couldn't remember which section he had been in. I said, jokingly, to the others, "Well, wouldn't you want to ditch HIM?" Half an hour later, he finally was able to get through to her on her cell phone - she was all the way to the Gateway. I hope he found her. We also had a missing husband and two irate daughters and a hysterical wife. We had to ask, to determine how much we needed to intervene, if he was capable of taking care of himself. I had the feeling that he wouldn't be, after they got through with him.
I'm thinking that we aren't going to actually see a lot of celebrities - they have escorts and toadies who take care of all they need. So far the closest I've come is 2 feet away from John Williams on the street (he was wearing the same sweater as he was in the Opening Ceremonies, I swear!) and the girl speed skater who is second in line on the cover of the Transportation guide. I could tell it was her after her friend pointed it out and I squinted just right. Cute girl, but I don't think this counts for much.
I have made friends with a guy from the Trib who was glad to find someone who could actually locate the Media standing area. It never hurts to keep on their good side.
I figured out that walking to and from Pioneer Park was a big drag, so I walked from Trax through the Main Street Plaza and around the Temple grounds - a way nicer start to the evening. The greeters at the gates are all in red jackets with a nice "Welcome to the world" logo - it's different to see them in something other than black suits, etc.
Last night there were 4 of us in the booth, so I had three to cover for. My old college friend, Con Kimura, and his wife came to the OMP, so we got a chance to visit when it was quiet. After they watched for a while, he said, "It's nice to see you organizing and in charge, again, just like old times." It was reassuring to know that it isn't just me. Honestly, the other woman there is only in it for the food and bathroom breaks, as near as I can tell. This is really sad, because the food resembles lukewarm MREs and the bathrooms are the (unfortunately) aforementioned porta potties (sorry, I really will try to do better.)
I'm off for a day, so enjoy the Pairs finals!
--
LOST AND FOUND ITEM OF THE NIGHT: The "honey wagon" crew sucking out the porta potties left a head warmer hanging from our Welcome sign that they uncovered. No sign of the camera, however. (I truly hope that this is the last mention of the porta potties!)
FAVORITE LOST OR FOUND PATRON: The seriously intoxicated guy (he was so out of control that I first thought he had Cerebral Palsy) who kept waving his arms and telling me that his father donated millions to the Olympics, so his lost keys were top priority, but, when asked to describe them, only would say that they were for a red Ford. I couldn't get him to connect with the fact that the color wasn't identified on the KEY!
We are also the official location of lost persons. I have had nightmares about people "losing" their kids so they can play for a couple of hours and me having to baby sit with a crummy coloring book and 4 crayons, but we have lucked out so far and not had any little ones. Last night we did have a large, dopey, 14 year old who had headed for the porta potties (oops), left his ticket with his sister, and couldn't remember which section he had been in. I said, jokingly, to the others, "Well, wouldn't you want to ditch HIM?" Half an hour later, he finally was able to get through to her on her cell phone - she was all the way to the Gateway. I hope he found her. We also had a missing husband and two irate daughters and a hysterical wife. We had to ask, to determine how much we needed to intervene, if he was capable of taking care of himself. I had the feeling that he wouldn't be, after they got through with him.
I'm thinking that we aren't going to actually see a lot of celebrities - they have escorts and toadies who take care of all they need. So far the closest I've come is 2 feet away from John Williams on the street (he was wearing the same sweater as he was in the Opening Ceremonies, I swear!) and the girl speed skater who is second in line on the cover of the Transportation guide. I could tell it was her after her friend pointed it out and I squinted just right. Cute girl, but I don't think this counts for much.
I have made friends with a guy from the Trib who was glad to find someone who could actually locate the Media standing area. It never hurts to keep on their good side.
I figured out that walking to and from Pioneer Park was a big drag, so I walked from Trax through the Main Street Plaza and around the Temple grounds - a way nicer start to the evening. The greeters at the gates are all in red jackets with a nice "Welcome to the world" logo - it's different to see them in something other than black suits, etc.
Last night there were 4 of us in the booth, so I had three to cover for. My old college friend, Con Kimura, and his wife came to the OMP, so we got a chance to visit when it was quiet. After they watched for a while, he said, "It's nice to see you organizing and in charge, again, just like old times." It was reassuring to know that it isn't just me. Honestly, the other woman there is only in it for the food and bathroom breaks, as near as I can tell. This is really sad, because the food resembles lukewarm MREs and the bathrooms are the (unfortunately) aforementioned porta potties (sorry, I really will try to do better.)
I'm off for a day, so enjoy the Pairs finals!
--
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