KITTED OUT FOR THE 2010 GAMES

Here's a trailer for a movie I worked on... I blogged about it back in October.

Got an email yesterday telling me to be at the PNE (Pacific National Exhibition) grounds between noon and one to get my official ID and wardrobe for the Olympics.

I set off at around eleven, after making sure my hair and makeup look good. Don't want to have an ID photo that 'looks like you've been in a bar brawl' as my dear friend said when she saw my passport photo.

I am not sure where to park, I don't really want to park across the street in the huge lots usually full to the brim when the PNE is open in the summer. So instead I cheekily pull onto the grounds themselves and park in a small lot that has a few cars in it, some with the Olympic decals on the sides. Should be fine to park here.

I am not sure which of the many huge buildings on this end of the grounds is the Forum Building and as I am walking along wondering how long and how far it will be before I find it, someone comes out of a doorway nearby. "Scuse me." I call out, "Do you happen to know where the Forum Building is?" She points the way and it's the big one right in front of me.

I go around to the front door and am greeted by a fellow who holds the door open for me. Inside there's another fellow, this one decked out in the blue fleece of the games (wonder if I will get one of those vests?) and he asks if I am a volunteer. I say no and he directs me to the left. What follows is a very well thought out process of working my way through various stations: checking in, getting my photo taken (it looks hideous - I TOLD him to take it from higher up but did he listen?), getting my laminated and HUGE ID tag to wear and which will also get me on all transit for free for the next two and a half months, then to the wardrobe area where I try on samples for size, then to collect my eight items. Once that is done I go through the final checkpoint where all my items are scanned, just like at a store but only I don't have to pay at the end. It seems the touque did not make it into my bag (even though I saw him take one off the shelf) so the guy goes back and gets me one.

All in all, it takes about an hour and when I get back to my van I pull everything out and have a good look at it. Each clothing item is of the highest quality fabrics and workmanship. There are two pullover shirts made out of a soft cotton fabric that has an almost fleecy feel to the inside. One is plain blue, the other has a faint pattern on it. There's the fleece vest I saw earlier; a pair of warm ski pants that have about a zillion pockets and are thick with a soft filling (they will do nothing for the figure); there's a fabulous Gore-Tex jacket that zips up on an angle so that you don't catch your neck in the top last bit of zip (so I caught my hair in it instead when I tried on the sample inside); and the touque. There's a 'welcome kit' that contains a souvenir hand-book, a bunch of postcards, a bottle of Cold FX, a Cold FX Olympic pin, a pack of 2 pieces of Excel Gum (cheap'os), a stainless steel travel mug (OH YAY!!! I have been looking at them ever since I lost mine on the plane back from Florida but didn't want to pay the twenty dollars for a good one that wouldn't leak - this one's a good one), a card to swipe at Petro Canada gas stations for five cents off of 200 liters of gas, another card that gives me $1000 towards a new GM vehicle (as if), and a coupon for 15% off of a day of shopping at The Bay. All of it is in a lovely big dark blue carry bag. It's a lot of very expensive stuff. I am guessing about five hundred dollars worth (just found out it's actually eight hundred dollars worth!). I am not going to tell them that I feel like this is enough payment for a few weeks of work. If they want to give me an hourly wage on top of this, who am I to argue?

I tuck it all back in the bag and get into the van. I am going to drive over the bridge to North Vancouver and surprise my daughter at work with a Starbucks Toffee-Nut Latte and a cupcake. She is a preschool teacher and it's nap time so she will have a couple of hours to herself.

It's a gorgeous day today and as I make my way across the river, I can see the North Shore mountains and I am shocked at how little snow there is up there. The run down Grouse is very clear from here and there are huge patches of rock and earth visible all over it. It's as if spring has arrived in Vancouver. It's a balmy day. Not the best news for VANOC. All of the snowboarding events are to be held on Cypress Bowl. They closed down last weekend to try to preserve what little snow they have. If this weather keeps up, there won't be any snow up there. Thank goodness Whistler had a good lot of it this year and, apparently, will be fine for the games.

At this rate, they should have given us tee-shirts and cargo pants to wear to work.