It’s been a while, I know.  I am a very bad blogger but in my defense I have had a lot on my plate.  Really it’s true!  So, I haven’t been able to bake anything in a while, but I’ve decided that this blog’s main theme isn’t baking. The theme is about being a mother and the crazy (but happy) times it brings and how to cope with them.

Four months ago my husband finally came back from being away for six long months.  Four months ago we also moved from Vancouver, BC to Whistler, BC.  Do you know where that is?  Well, you should because it’s where the 2010 Winter Olympics is being held and it is hectic here in this little ski town.  Oh, and did I mention that almost three months ago I gave birth to another beautiful baby girl?  How lucky am I?!  And to top it off I am pretty sure that my gluten tolerance was due to my pregnancy so I am back to eating all things gluten, though I probably shouldn’t.

Anyway, now that I have caught up on sleep– or I am use to not getting sleep–I am going to start blogging again about motherhood, baking, cooking and Whistler.

Stay tuned!

Whistler is Vancouver’s premier ‘cottage country’. You’d be excused for guessing that, as Vancouver boomed, Whistler would have moved in lock-step. This has not been the case, with the luxury market there moving down for years. This has affected a subgroup of Vancouver RE investors. These two posts at RE Talks on 25 Nov 2009 -

kevind (5:43 am) – “I have several friends and associates that got hammered and are still stuck in Whistler and can’t get their properties sold. One guy has had his place for sale for 5 years and has had only one offer in all that time for 1 million under his build cost and he just keeps dropping the price. He’s also lost most of his hair from the stress. I know of another place that went on the market new in 2005 for just under 3 million and last time I looked it had dropped to the 1.8 range and still for sale. The build and land cost him more than 1.8. A round of drinks one evening last season at the Longhorn and I hear this guy over at the next table make the comment something like “Christ, I feel like I could put my place up for 1 buck and no one would call”. Another friend I know just wishes his place would magically burn to the ground because the insurance replacement build value is 1.5 million more than he can hope to get for it today if he’s lucky and he would still own the land. I could go on and on.”

Greenhorn (8:50 am) – “Whistler bankrupted a very good friend of mine. He got in 4 years ago on the Olympics hype but it was all a mirage. Once his property was underwater, he gave it back to the bank and got sued for the deficit. Just going through bankruptcy now. Luckily other assets like his home were in his wifes name and she has credit still or he would be on the street. They both have jobs and income right now, but the deficit to the bank was too huge to recover from. Bankruptcy was the only choice. I went to many parties in his house in Whistler. It was beautiful. Towards the end, he had a tenant who operated the property as a type of hostel/hotel. The tenant was always late on rent payments though he was making money and getting paid every month. There are a lot of scammers up there.”

How you do write the story of Whistler, in 1500 words of less?

Given the chance to write the Whistler feature for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Souvenir Program, the only option was to offer readers a bullet-train journey across well-travelled ground, slowing occasionally to wave at contemporary Whistlerites, which gave rockstar-photojournalist Bonny Makarewicz a platform to shoot photos that are in themselves worth another 1000 words or so, like these of Whistler’s elder statesman Garry Watson, or brothers Michael and Peter (YP) Young.



YP and Michael’s old man, Sid, spearheaded the ‘76 bid.  Classic examples of Whistler’s “came for a season” method of recruiting new residents, YP decided to spend a winter at the family cabin in ‘72, when he was 17. He’s still here, running the Whistler Blackcomb Events department. Brother Michael followed the next year, and he’s still here too.

December 3-6, Whistler Film Festival is four days of films, celebrities, red carpets and more.  Featuring over 90 films from Canada and around the world.   There is an opening gala and other cool parties.  Check out the website www.whistlerfilmfestival.com for more information.

As excitement about the coming Olympics builds in Whistler, the ski season got off to a roaring start. Not only have we seen the most snowfall ever recorded for the month of November, it’s been more than any month since measurements were recorded in 1979.

Already Whistler has received more than 5 meters of snowfall since November 1st, and we still have an entire week to go until December.  Here’s the snow report. http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/weather/snowreport/index.htm

Whistler Mountain has been open since last week, and this week, Blackcomb opens along with the Peak to Peak Gondola.

This bodes well for an excellent season of skiing and riding in North America’s #1 Ski Resort

It was a while ago now that I questioned the hydrogen bus plan for Whistler,  in fact May 1, 2007. That post attracted a comment from someone using the pen name “Astrolounge” who is obviously an insider, since (s)he revealed that the “plan” was even worse than I imagined. Over two years later and long after most of the money has been spent, Ian Bruce of the David Suzuki Foundation has caught up – and is now being quoted by the Province yesterday.

Bruce says he is concerned about the priority of spending on the hydrogen buses as part of the 12-year $14-billion provincial transit plan announced in January of 2008.

“The new money was roughly $11 billion and of that just under $5 billion was committed from the province,” said Bruce. “Yet in the last budget we had roughly $150 million (toward public transit) so it is not even putting us close to being on track.”

The so called “transit plan” was bogus. I said that at the time as well. There was never any money – other than the funds committed to the Canada Line and this daft Olympic showcase as part of the “hydrogen highway”. The plan relied on money from the feds, and from the municipal level as well. Neither was consulted – and no commitments by either were ever made. The “plan” was simply a hasty rehashing of earlier proposals, designed to look like a plan. And there was never any thought given to how these projects might get enough operational funding.

The Gordon Campbell government was, as that time, looking forward to the election, and trying to appear green. Somehow they managed to work this trick with a totally inadequate carbon tax. Carol James seized on this as her (failed) strategy, when it would have been much easier to discredit the BC Liberals due to their much greater commitment to greenhouse gas increases through the Gateway – a major freeway expansion – the expansion of oil, gas and coal extraction and the yet to be realised plans to build more pipelines to export tar sands output, as well as the very real threat to open up drilling for oil around Haida Gwai.

Added to the question of costs is the fact that the hydrogen has to be bused in from Quebec, as it cannot be produced in B.C. in great enough quantities.

Actually that’s nonsense too. If you are going to spend these sorts of sums, a new electrolysis plant running off our own abundant hydro resources should not have been too difficult. After all, how can you have a hydrogen highway without the hydrogen? Of course, the fact that apart form these buses there are no hydrogen vehicles that need the fuel now or in the foreseeable future is just one of those nitpicking details that can be readily dismissed.

But, said BC Transit spokeswoman Joanna Morton, investing in future technologies is a must.

Actually, it isn’t. There are all sorts of well proven technologies that would increase transit use, reduce car dependency and start building a greener future. The problem is that would require a government that understands how transportation and land use needs to be changed to a more sustainable model. That would, for a start, mean abandoning freeway widening – something that Gordon Campbell has made clear he has no intention of doing even though studies the government themselves sponsored show will increase ghg emissions. It would also mean that some new funding source would have to be found to ensure that the proposed capital projects would actually be able to be operated. This is the most pressing problem in Greater Vancouver – not for BC Transit, since none of the other cities in the province will ever see modern transit investment in anything other than buses. Translink  (SoCoBriTCA) cannot afford any system expansion – and has simply raised fares and taxes to keep operating the same system it has now for the forseeable future.

The real question that needs to be answered is why this government can find millions for hydrogen buses which cannot operate effectively in Whistler and meets no identifiable needs at all, when all sorts of worthwhile projects that would increase transit use and enable a more efficient land use pattern are neglected. The Evergreen Line is the one that springs to mind, but let’s assume that BC Transit has to be involved and needs to spend in other places – so perhaps Rail for the Valley and on the E&N on the Island  come to mind. Or perhaps streetcars for Victoria. None of these looks Olympic of course. None offer photo ops with the Governator. But they would actually work to increase transit use and encourage transit oriented development, and thus actually do something effective about ghg emissions. Something that can not be claimed for hydrogen buses in Whistler.

Wow talk about an exhausting weekend!

Friday night was spent at Lee & Kelly’s no pants house warming party. Let’s just say there were some very interesting costumes at the party. The VOC’ers at the party were certainly more “open” when it came to costumes (or rather the lack of) compare to Kelly’s architecture friends. Knowing that I had to drive to Whistler Sat morning I intended to leave earlier than usual. That didn’t happen as I ended up going to bed at 1 AM.

The lovely hosts

Somehow I woke up at 5:20 AM on Saturday morning without too much problem. After picking up Lee, Evan, and Greta we were off to Whistler. Lee had less than 2 hours of sleep due to excessive partying so he basically passed out the whole car ride. Luckily the coffee from Timmy’s and loud music certainly helped me staying awake. We skied a few runs before meeting up to the other car group of 5. The entire day I kept hearing people commenting on these “goofy” telemark turns. The skiing was wicked, so much pow and of course lots face plants on my part. For a few runs I was having so much fun I was singing “Pow pow pow pow pow” down the entire run. People must thought I was nuts or something. To get the most of the day we skipped lunch (well ate lunch while waiting at the lift), and ended the day with like 9 or 10 runs. Needless to say my quads were burning like fire by the end of the day.

Evan sporting his “moose”stache

After getting back in town from Whistler and having a shower I then headed off to 2 parties – Lorraine’s birthday & house warming party and Mitch’s birthday party. It was funny meeting some of Loraine’s friends again. Apparently I was remembered as Lorraine’s roommate that stole her vodka at a house party many moons ago. I couldn’t remember a thing from that party. Oops. I arrived at Mitch’s birthday party in Yaletown Brewpub finding him already pretty wasted. The 151 shot I gave him certainly put him over the limit as he ran to the bathroom immediately afterward. I admit, I can be quite evil sometimes.

Today was spent recovering from my lack of sleep. My quads were basically non-functional the entire day. Walking up and down stairs and getting up from chairs was a real choir. My skis were in very bad shape from last year’s action so I ended up spending a bit of time ptexing and waxing the skis. I won’t say they are as good as new but certainly looking better than earlier today.

Before, lots deep scratches

After putting on Ptex

Final product, Ptexed and waxed. Can still see some scratches but better than before.

I found out more information on the House of Switzerland today (actually two Houses, one in Vancouver and one in Whistler).  What’s cool about the House(s) of Switzerland is that they will be open to the public!!  Most National Houses won’t be so if you have time you’ll want to make sure you make it to one of them!  I’m mostly going to use their words for today’s post, but just click here if you want more info!

The House of Switzerland in Vancouver will be hosted at Bridges Restaurant on Granville Island.

“The House of Switzerland Canada 2010 will open its doors at both venues a full week before the Winter Olympic Games get underway – on 5 February 2010 – and will remain open to the wider public until 28 February 2010. At both venues, the House will be integrated into a successful and attractively-sited existing venue with restaurant facilities.”

“In Vancouver, the House of Switzerland will be situated in the highly popular “Bridges” restaurant on Granville Island.  In Whistler, the House of Switzerland will be set up in the trendy “Mountain Club”, centrally located in Whistler Town Plaza.

The House of Switzerland Whistler will be held at the Mountain Club on Whistler Town Plaza - it looks like a beautiful place!!

Neeeej, vad har du gjort nudå?!
Äsch jag lagade mat och kaoskocken som jag är så öppnar jag alla skåp, men har lite svårare för att stänga dem. Så under dagens matlagning, precis när jag skulle hälla av makaronerna så hörde Åsa som jag bor hos ett högt skrik. Ja då gick jag givetvis in i en öppen skåpslucka! Sidär ja.

Åh idag har jag varit på julmarknad, ungefär som att gå på julmarknad hemma. Massa dukar, tomtar, glögg, julmusik, leksaker och träskor. Cirka 600 besökare idag och Åsa är ansvarig för allting så igår var jag även där ett antal timmar och förberedde för detta. Tjae varför inte? Kul att vara med när det händer lite!

Imorgon ska provjobba! Jajjemen på en delikatessbutik, tänk er de ni, jag ska stå å sälja korvar, skinka och allt sådant där rackarns. Haru erfarenhet av sånt här?! Naeejeaee, men det är nog inga problem löd konversationen när jag lämnade in mitt CV och detta ledde till intervju som ledde till provjobb.

Har även varit på intervju för ett stort varuhus, jjaee säg liknande Åhlens, eller så kanske?! Som eventassistent, hittade annonsen sent en kväll tänkte äsch kan väl lika gärna testa å skicka så jajjemen en kaxig ansökan med uppmaning att han absolut inte skulle ångra sig om personalchefen tog kontakt med mig haha och dagen efter ringde han. Det var bara att kränga på sig kostymen och pysa iväg, en timme satt å briefade nya eventkoncept, fick göra ett litet test med huvudräkning, träffa event ansvarig så det var väldigt givande. Återstår att se vad som händer, de skulle höra av sig i veckan!

Nya bilder är upplagda!

- Whistler
- Julmarknad

Ja gonatt, en låt som har fastnat på min hjärna just nu är följande, spotifylänk

Quiet morning…up way too early waiting for the next snow report in the morning to confirm there’s another foot or two of fresh snow.  I am losing count but the opening week has gone something like this: Saturday 70cm, Sunday 70cm, Monday 30cm, Tuesday 40cm, Wednesday 56cm and now Thursday another 53cm, Friday don’t remember…you do the math…it’s deep!  Can’t sleep…

Heard a gentle ‘hwump’ the other morning and thought for a moment it was an avi bomb echoing down the valley but looked out to see a small dark bird twitching on its side in my son’s sled beneath the window, wings folded tight to her chest, struggling to catch her breath and then still.  My wife and I watched silent, I turned to her and shook my head with my eyes and we finished getting our little boy ready for school.  Later that morning I returned, picked up the motionless little body and took her to a hollow in the rocky bank next to our home after holding her long enough to be certain she was not coming back.

I am reverent in these early days in the snow and of our friends who are not here to laugh and smile and tell us tales of just how deep it was or about the stupid trick they pulled or line they skied.  Only a week after Remembrance day and here we are heading up the mountains with that same anticipation we had when we were kids and this year (once again) there are fewer returning after their lives were cut short so suddenly…but if we listen closely between the turns and windswept lines we will hear their voices beneath the snow.

The first 70cm day was epic (what else do you call those days?)…dropping into the same lines I had just skied the last two days that had vanished.  The next 70cm day was beyond…literally too deep to turn on any of the terrain that was open and the usual trees and rocks my size were gone beneath the surface, the cliffs on top of Rat Fink, gone in two days…enough, stop thinking…sleep.

In the dream this opening week in Whistler has become, each day repeats like it did for Bill Murray in, ‘Ground Hog Day’…I get off the gondi goggles, gloves and zips all set, click the buckles on my boots and slide unnoticed past the crowds with that silent nod that says ‘Here we go…’ (aka ‘I’m local, trust me, you don’t want to follow me’)…but more than that it says, ‘I’m home’.  I slide past Green, right, a little left of right, nearly out of sight and slip between the markers without a second thought…like slipping into my favorite pair of jeans ‘that fit like  an old lover come back for more’ (Max Blagg).  A short hike over the roll, west wind at my back pushing, driving me to that bottomless familiar escape into the white…and beneath the snow echo the ageless muses of younger days like the soundtrack of my life.

The low base of “Love me two times…” sinks in and the voice of Jim Morrison reciting the Graveyard Poems of a forgotten era before my time…and, “the voices of singing women are calling from the far shore and they are saying, forget the night and live with us in forests of azure.  Meagre food or souls forgot.”  The constant sting of the wind numbs and the blur of white that suddenly surrounds is calling me home. ‘A little more right son, you know the way.’  Alone, together, like an old friend pouring one more drink for the drive home.  Punch drunk love-sick ramblings…like it’s the first time all over again. 

Higher right, roll, straight line, wind lip…pass a huge bomb hole the size of my body with a moments glance that snaps me back, awake.  No results from the blast, just a perfect round hole like a meteor evaporated on impact and left nothing to show but the crater…safe for now, game on, here we go.  There’s a small group of struggling searchers to my right too close to the tree line, too flat over there for today, and I instinctively cut left, air between the trees, drop weightless, land, and drop again when the ghostly cushion beneath the K2 Kahuna’s says, “yes, now”.  I run straight exhaling through the chest deep compression while the group stands still in time watching as the flash of red disappears into the glade at the bottom of the second pitch. Pine branches loaded with snow brush by and windows between the heavy trunks appear from my dreams and open one after another and I’m certain they close behind me as I pass…but I can’t look back.  I am ‘one’ with the forest, nearing unconsciousness, like Bruce Lee and, “the art of fighting without fighting…it is like a finger pointing to the moon.  Do not focus on the finger or you will miss all the heavenly brilliance.”  I let go, I release the inner turmoil to the wind and deny the inevitable collision of man and earth and focus beyond the trees, beyond the forest, until the voice fades and I am conscious again for a moment on top of a giant log.  I slide up and drop over the hollow gap below and find the muses waiting on the other side.

Five minutes to midnight or 3:28am, I don’t know which, and I am there throughout time with all the dead poets, friends and heroes who left before their time…James Dean, Jim Morrison, Bruce Lee, Trevor Peterson, Craig Kelly, Alex Loewe, Goran Kropp, Denis Fontaine, Heath Ledger, Shane McConkey…my cousin David at 16…and more.  In a world of exceptional people there are precious few who truly inspire and as they fall, each one in turn reminds me of the next.  It is so sad to say, ‘in turn’, like it was meant to be, by design.  The names and voices call us from the snow, and at home, far from the empty dreams we walk the halls as years pass and find our wives asleep and little boys and girls who woke up and crawled into our beds after a bad dream.  It is an all too true reminder that we take them with us when we do these things.  Like Shane said, there was a time when I too wrote I might never see 30 or 40 and yet here I am with their voices.

I imagine I see in those stolen moments what they saw and taste ‘the search’ at the tip of my tongue.  Unless you have fallen from a plane (a perfectly good one) and touched that awakening moment that commands you alive, or better commands that you question your life in a flash of white not knowing if you will surface from a wave or be forever one with the white light of an avalanche or slide down the pavement or dirt until the friction of the impact and the bone crushing clash of gravity and normal force make you stop breathing, you can’t imagine what they felt the instant before the inevitable.  It is like they say, your life flashes past in the blink of an eye, no, faster, and I mean your whole life before and beyond the chaos of disaster…the loves, the triumphs, the failures, the regrets, loved ones laughing, the dreams of your own seemingly inevitable funeral, that first ride on the Honda 50 motorcycle that had you hooked on speed, the children you have yet to hold, the dream of growing old with the one you love…all time and place and spirit combine and before you are lost, you are whole, and you know the truth in that fleeting moment before death and then, god willing, you are alive, thanking god (or whatever other divinity  you denied you implore the moment before) that you are alive.

My heart races…and then, at the open light at the end of the glade I slide to a stop and breathe…it’s nearly morning now.  I look up at the clock, check for daylight through the blinds, see the new day has arrived, and know if I listen closely the voices will be with me.

girls weekend ‘09 – woo! the time had finally come. after months of planning and talking about planning, and forgetting to plan… our whistler dream getaway was slowly becoming a reality. six girls. one night. whistler winter wonderland was waiting…

11 am we met at tracy’s place downtown, split into two cars and off we went! it is my strong belief that every good road trip needs some good tunes, and so, i made us a rad cd mix that would have been incredible. had i remembered to take it out of my computer before we left the house! boo me. so i grabbed what i could out of our car…and thankfully sufjan stevens was happily waiting in our pile of cd’s. this soundtrack could not have possibly suited our weekend any better. sufjan saved my musical sadness.

feast your eyes on my yummy roasted veggie sandwich + african yam peanut soup! on the beautiful road to whistler we stopped off in squamish. lucky me, i was driving with an ex-whistler local! [who knows the surrounding area.] the fabulous miss brittany took us girls into the cute, up-and-coming town on the way, to settle our growling stomachs and sleepy eyes. we went to a most cozy place with funky art and chalk boards, called the zephyr cafe.

arriving at our luxurious two-bedroom condo involved a lot of girlish screaming and a lot of “oh my gosh, oh my gosh”. we had booked on a last minute whistler website where we scored an incredible deal + we were over-joyed with our home for the night. the highlight was the heated bathroom floor that we may or may not have lay down on. it was squeaky clean. [shh don't tell anyone]

after we were settled it was time to explore the village. man i love whistler! i’m pretty sure its the perfect wintery escape. i never get sick of this place, and i still can’t believe its only an hour and a half from my home!!! how did i get so blessed?

the rest of the day was ‘plaid saturday’, because really…what else should you be wearing on a magical snowy winter wonderland vacation? so we made our home cozy + plaid, and ate a delicious meal together.

laura, brittany and myself were on dinner crew. complete with red wine, cheesy bread, spaghetti and a most delicious salad. yum.

we danced the night away at this random club and woke up to a beautiful snowy view… tash and tracy decided to wake us all up for a hot tub. at nine a.m. had i not been so excited to sit in a lovely hot tub as the snow fell – i may have been unimpressed!

breakfast was an incredible pancake feast fit for a queen. the remainder of the day was magical. loving every minute in whistler wishing it never had to end! the weekend could not have been any better.

As part of our MapleRent.com network of local rental websites in Canada, we launched VancouverOlympicsRent.com to help people find and rent homes and apartments during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. We will provide the website for free for the first 50 Vancouver homeowners, landlords and property managers who list a short-term rental available during the Winter Olympics.

Canadian residents can still find tickets online at the official Winter Olympics website, and U.S. residents can browse CoSport for remaining available tickets. The Opening Ceremony is held on February 12, 2010, and the Closing Ceremony is on February 28, 2010.

Winter Olympic events will be hosted at venues in Vancouver (Canada Hockey Place, Vancouver Olympic Centre, Pacific Coliseum and the UBC Thunderbird Arena); Whistler (The Whistler Sliding Centre, Creekside and Olympic Park); Richmond (Olympic Oval);  and West Vancouver.

Visitors attending 2010 Winter Olympics events should seek apartments and other rentals in Vancouver, Richmond, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Port Moody, or North or West Vancouver.  Note that Whistler is 125 km north of Vancouver — about a 2 hour drive. Check out VancouverOlympicsRent.com to list and find available rentals and make your stay in Vancouver a cozy one this winter!

It’s gotten late again somehow… I’m not quite sure how it happens some days though I suspect that not finishing work until 9:30pm this evening may have had something to do with it.  And while it was a very lovely day in the Olympic Superstore it was an item in my email inbox that really got my attention.  Today I received my Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Village Venue training booklet.  It talks about what most of the roles are within the village, including my role in “Plaza & Events”!  Sounds like there will be some welcoming ceremonies, maybe some concerts and fun, the gym and funnily enough, the retail shop (something tells me I’m likely to get shifts in the shop as I am already so familiar with the Vancouver 2010 retail merchandise!!).

A photo of the Athlete's Village taken during the summer.

I go for my Venue training on Thursday night this next week and I really can’t wait!  It’s going to be fantastic!

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Too many things to mention tonight so I’ll keep them all brief!!

Pin contest – Comment on this post (or one from the last few days) and answer the following question before the evening of Sunday, November 22nd (my brother’s birthday!) and you could win an oversize Torch pin from me!!  They’re very cool!!  Curious?  Find more info here (there’s also a hint!).  And of course, the questions:

Where was the first Winter Olympics Torch lit, by whom, and in what year?

Drawing of the oversized Torch pin - it's nearly 10cm long!

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Some bits and pieces:

I love Pique Newsmagazine from Whistler!!  They always have great, up-to-date information on Vancouver 2010 and what it means to the communities that are hosting!!  Please check them out!  (I think I’m too late for #followfriday but I don’t have a Twitter link for them anyway… Is there one??).  My most recent example of why I love them is that they covered some of the discussions of putting a zip-line across Robson Square (still nothing confirmed but it’s still in the works!  Wicked!).

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Whistler has broken snowfall records for November!!  I’ve heard the ‘pow’ is fabulous (nearly 5m of cumulative snowfall this month!).  Me?  Well, I wouldn’t know… a slight skiff of snow and I get nervous.  Ok… well yes… I get nervous anytime I strap boards to my feet and head downhill, but there are a lot of excited people and it’s nice to have an early start to the season!

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We’re going to have new neighbours!!  Seems like a floating fishing lodge is going to be moored under the north side of the Granville Street Bridge for the Olympics providing an additional 12 rooms for accommodation in town.  I think that means I’ll see it anytime I look out the windows!  Should be neat.  I’d like to say “Welcome to the neighbourhood!”.

Soon to be my neighbour!

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Hmm… what else??  (There’s a lot so I’m trying to find the stuff I’m most excited about…).

Oh yeah!! Mitts for Kids!  There is a fundraising project going on right now to get the Red Mittens to every elementary school child in Vancouver!!  It’s a big job!  Sounds like so far they have the kindergarteners covered but they want to get all of the kids up to grade 7!!  If you’d like to help out with a donation click here!

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Mascot’s Birthday!!!  I think I’ll finish off with this as some of it isn’t set in stone yet but I have some more specific ideas about what’s up so I wanted to pass them on!  The Mascot’s birthday is on Friday, November 27th, but we’ll be celebrating in the Olympic Superstore on Saturday, November 28th!  The Mascot’s will of course be there (they couldn’t resist the cake!) and will be appearing at 2pm, 3pm and 4pm for a half hour each time.  There will likely be balloons, goody-bags for kids, and face-painting, and of course birthday cake at 2pm!  The Mascot’s will probably also be set up for a photo shoot where you can buy your photo with the Mascot’s for a $2 donation to Canadian athletes.  Also at 2pm??  Kurt Browning will be signing autographs I think (hope!!) as well as a speed skater (sorry speed skater, I don’t have your name yet… I’m working on it!).  So really it’s going to be a fantastic and wonderful day!  I hope you’ll come down to check it out!

OK – Bed!!  I need sleep!  Thank you merci for reading and for sharing this journey with me!  Andrea – 2010vanfan blogger!

Whistler Smashes November Snowfall Record

Vancouver Sun
Via ICECAP, November 18, 2009

“Whistler Blackcomb ski resort has reported 98” the last seven days and 165” November. This makes it the snowiest November on Record at Whistler Blackcomb.

See larger image here. H/T Tim Kelley.

“I’ve skied here for over 15 years and I’ve never seen this much snow so early in a season, it seems like every day’s snowfall is topping the last,” said Stephen Butt, communications coordinator and voice of the Snow Phone for Whistler Blackcomb . “We have already received one third of our average annual snowfall for the entire season and it’s only four days into the season, it’s unbelievable!”

See photo gallery here.

This record Whistler Blackcomb ski resort November snowfall is occurring in spite of the National Weather Service predictions in No Need to go to the Desert for the Winter, in the October 1 Tacoma News Tribune link, that begins as follows,

“Skiers may want to hold off on buying that new set of snow skis for the coming winter. Umbrellas still will come in handy but there may not be enough rain to seriously challenge river levees.  El Nino is back and that usually means a mild Northwest winter with less rain and higher temperatures than normal, one of the National Weather Service’s top climatologists said Wednesday.”

See more here.

Additional information courtesy of Ken Schlichte: “Looks like record snow coming to Mt Hood too. Timberline already has a 50 inch base and 98 inch snow fall to date with much more snow forecast for the rest of November.  See links here and here.

Last winter during the snow in town we drove from Tualatin to Timberline, and back, and never drove on pavement.

See larger image here.

See larger image here.

See FSU snowcover. Note the greater than normal extent in Asia, less in southern Canada north central US. This will change late this month.

See larger image here.

Still notice the above normal snowpack in mid latitudes (35-55 N).

See larger image here.

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BEIJING – See these stories on the killer cold and snow in China here and here. Unusually early snow storms in north-central China have claimed 40 lives, caused thousands of buildings to collapse and destroyed almost 500,000 acres (200,000 hectares) of winter crops, the Civil Affairs Ministry said Friday. Nineteen of the deaths resulted from traffic accidents related to the storms that began Nov. 9, the ministry said in a statement on its Web site. The snowfall is the heaviest in the northern and central provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Shandong and Henan since record keeping began after the establishment of the Communist state in 1949, the ministry said without giving detailed figures. It estimated economic losses from the storm at 4.5 billion yuan (US$659 million).

Chinese state media say some of the snow was induced through cloud seeding, although the precise amount of snowfall in all areas was not reported and it wasn’t clear what the previous records were. Hebei’s provincial capital, Shijiazhuang, received the heaviest snowfall – 3.7 inches (9.4 centimeters) – on Nov. 10, the day of the heaviest flurries.

More than 7.5 million people have been stranded or otherwise affected by the storms, which caused the collapse of more than 9,000 buildings, damaged 470,000 acres (190,000 hectares) of crops, and forced the evacuation of 158,000 people, the ministry said. State media have reported at least two deaths were caused by the collapse of buildings, including a school cafeteria. Beijing has been hit by three successive waves of snow, causing havoc on roadways and forcing the cancellation or delay of scores of flights.

The capital and surrounding areas are little prepared to deal with such heavy snow, with few plows or road deicing supplies. Snow tires and chains are almost unknown and many drivers simply leave their cars at home and turn to public transport in such conditions. The impact has been far greater in the surrounding provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Shandong and Henan, where highways have been closed, schools shuttered, and crews sent to rescue people in their snowbound homes.

Freak snow and ice storms last year hit parts of eastern and southern China unaccustomed to such weather. Those storms paralyzed key transport systems just as millions of migrant workers were heading home for the Lunar New Year holiday, leading to more than 80 deaths and billions of dollars in damage.

Source

TripAtlas.com recently listed the 10 safest countries in the world.

“The Global Peace Index (GPI) moves beyond simple crime statistics alone, and looks at the actions of a government, the country’s relationships with the world at large, and the attitudes and demographics of its population.”

Let’s see what TravelPod bloggers had to say about that.

1. New Zealand

Kikiblogtrot in New Zealand

“I get to chat to local Kiwis who tell me about Christchurch and the life here, and not all of it is rosy and happy… far from it. They tell me about what they think of the racism and crime here. Something which I have to say I was surprised to hear about in New Zealand – it feels so much safer than some of the places I have been to before…” – Kikiblogtrot

2. Denmark

Twittg's friend Elisa on a trampoline in Norway

“Personally, I’d never live here, but the people seem to be happy and though crime has been on the rise in recent years, generally there is no trouble here.” – Pwong

3. Norway

Recently I applied online for a volunteer position with VANOC, the Vancouver 2010 organizing committee. I ranked PR at the top of the list so that I would be able to gain invaluable, world-class public relations experience.

…Tonight is my lucky night! Vancouver 2010 called and after a thirty minute phone interview explaining my passion for the games & my country, I was offered a position in the Whistler media centre for the duration of the Olympic and Paralympic games.

Needless to say, I am ecstatic and could not be more thrilled to be a part of something so incredible. The interviewer explained I would receive more information on my assigned job as well as training and volunteer packages in the mail over the next few days.

I look forward to blogging more about my journey towards the Vancouver 2010 Olympic games.

Wo sich die Stimmung gerade auf dem Hoch befindet und die Vorfreude besonders groß ist:
Welche Strecke der SC:10 ist die Beste? Die neuen wie Beaver Creek oder Whistler? Oder die Klassiker: Gröden, Wengen, Bormio oder Kitzbühel? 

Wo erwartet ihr den meisten Spaß oder die geilste Herausforderung?

Bubbles and oysters; dresses and heels; feathers and sequins; burlesque and beer; and even a few fresh powder turns in between. Cornucopia was a weekend to remember!

When I was invited to participate in Whistler’s Cornucopia 2009, I was beyond excited. I’d heard for years about the wine tastings and seminars, sensational gastronomic experiences and the exclusive parties where girls wear heels – even whistler girls – and inhibitions are set aside. Cornucopia – which was recently ranked one of the top Top 10 International Food and Wine Festivals by Forbestraveler.com – lives up to the hype, and then exceeds it.

My first stop was the House Party, Best of BC – a festival opener featuring a variety of food and wine tastings in the foyer of the Whistler Conference Centre, including Pemberton’s potato vodka and seared halibut by Windset Farms.

Then, it was on to ARTrageous, which is put on by the Whistler Arts Council.

Here’s a great little preview video of ARTrageous:

A feast for the five senses, this event featured artists creating live paintings and roaming characters wearing costumes created out of materials donated by home improvement stores – the work of Carey from Paintertainment. The craft table is my favourite station at ARTrageous, complete with glue guns, feathers, beads, sequins and all kinds of delightful crafty bits and bobs. This year, the theme was burlesque so the craft was nipple tassels.

The grand finale of the night was Big John Bates and the Voodoo Dollz, a rockabilly punk act featuring live burlesque dancers. The girls are sexy, the costumes are elaborate, and the nipple tassels are swinging – and occasionally on fire!

Friday night, I headed to the infamous Casino Royale at Ric’s Grill. Vegas show girls, topless Bond Girls painted head to toe in gold glitter, Vegas-style games with fake money, fire dancers, Go-Go dancers, a contact juggler and hula hoop girls were all part of the circus of colour, sex, and magic.

The showgirls were cute, but in high demand. My friend and I got shuffled out of a photo shoot with them by an affluent gentleman who wanted to take a picture with them. Our egos were wounded.

We enjoyed canapes, a buffet meal, and a decadent chocolate fountain. Of course the open bars throughout the venue made for a fun night – especially that strawberry-infused champagne.

Somehow, I managed to wake up the next morning for Whistler Blackcomb’s early opening to do a few turns – which were epic, by the way. After a quick disco nap, I was off to my third night of Cornucopia.

Cornucopia is a girl’s chance to get dressed up. So, a few of us ladies – including one girlfriend in bejewelled Manolos, braved the snow in heels and short dresses.

The first stop was the CRUSH Gala Grand tasting, one of the signature events of Cornucopia that takes place in the Whistler conference Centre ballroom. This sellout wine showcase has been expanded to two days due to popularity. I’m certainly no wine guru, but I know what pleases my palate. Some of my favourites were Dirty Laundry’s Pinot Noir, Road 13’s Riesling, Inniskillin’s Ice Wine, Miner Family’s Oracle, and Poplar Grove’s Syrah. The Dirty Laundry clothes peg made my night.

After CRUSH it was on to our final – and most anticipated – destination, the Bubbles + Oceans Afterparty at Araxi Restaurant. The spotlights out front illuminated huge fluffy white snowflakes, and created a sense of anticipation for night to come.

Araxi does seafood and they do it well. The oyster bar was amazing as always, and the canapes were melt in your mouth.

We enjoyed sampling from the champagne stations along the perimeter of the room, including one of the more unique blends by Ayala, which should be available in Whistler in the coming months, according to the rep.

After a great night of socializing, drinking and eating, I finished the night off with a chocolate espresso cocktail in the lounge. I left Araxi with the most delicious feeling of contentment.

By the end of the weekend, I had consumed copious amounts of champagne and food – and slept very little. But I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. Snow sports are the heart and lifeblood of this town I call home, but cultural events like this are what give Whistler its dancing shoes.