Ouch!

By Lisa Ovens

Hi everyone, hope you are all doing great. I am typing with one hand due to a hand sprain. Ouch!!! It hurts :o(

I will return soon with more content. In the mean time, if you like, why not start at the beginning of the blog? Click here

Or, please visit Lisa's Hockey Lounge...I will have some exciting new hockey posts up there this afternoon. But the latest post about rink board advertising by regular hockeyandhighheels.com contributor Jan Snyder is a good read, too!

Now time to ice the hand...

Cheers :o)

-Lisa O.

Three Little Things I will Miss about the Olympics

by Lisa Ovens

People all over the lower mainland are already missing the 2010 Winter Olympics. That feeling actually set in on March 1st. Then the Paralympic Games started up and we had a chance to get into the routine again: don our Olympic fun wear, travel to see events and cheer. But it's all over now.

Thinking back to July 2nd 2003, when Vancouver/ Whistler learned the 2010 games would take place here, well, it seems like so long ago. And having the games in mind for a seven year period, whatever are we going to think about now? London 2012...and Sochi 2014 I guess.

Right now I am thinking of the little things I am going to miss about having the Olympic movement take up shop in my backyard, and here are a few....

Television Crews Making the News

This was an hourly occurance on some days...compact TV crews finding a place, any place to capture the story. Often you had to be careful not to accidentally walk right in and steal a scene :o)

GrandDaddy Visa

What I mean is Morgan Freeman's voice overs during the Olympic Visa commercials. It was like he was a grandfatherly figure speaking to the whole country when he congratulated us on winning our first gold on home soil. And when we won another gold he was right there to give us kudos again. Then he would tell a little story from Torino 2006; the one about the Norwegian cross country ski coach that gave a canadian skiier a pole mid race when her's broke and she won a silver so we sent Norway 500 tons of maple syrup. Morgan caps the annecdote with "I hope you like pancakes, Norway."
 I almost expected I'd hear him comment when I was making a cup of cocoa in the evening after a long day of Olympic revelry... "Go ahead and add a few more mini marshmallows to that cup, Lisa, you've been a good girl today. Mmm, cocoa...."

Decoration

I loved the look of the Games. It was beautiful to me, so beautiful I don't even want to call it "a brand". From the pretty event tickets to the fence banner above...this just looks how the beautiful south coast of British Columbia ought to look for a monumental event like the Olympics.

all photos by Lisa Ovens

2010 and High Heels Tuesday Photo: Olympic Flags

by Lisa Ovens

I went to see some Paralympic Wheelchair Curling tonight and was dazzled by the evening sun highlighting these Winter Olympic flags.

Only a few more days left of 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic and Paralympic happenings. Sigh...

The Goal Called...Around the World

Something cool to listen to: Sidney Crosby's overtime goal calls from around the world...Enjoy! Especially the one from France TV - it's pretty priceless :o)

Paralympics and the Art of Adapting

by Lisa Ovens

On Friday I was very lucky to be invited to attend the 2010 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony (many thanks, Eterre!).

It was an energetic spectacle that moved the audience to sing, dance, cheer and occasionally cry. We remembered and we were reminded: sometimes when we hold onto the past we deny our ability to adapt to change.

The athletes that paraded into BC Place on Friday night have taken their ability to adapt to its highest level, and it doesn't end at sport either.

This is definitely something to celebrate.

I am sure I wasn't the only one out of the thousands watching to consider our own lives and how we can be better. Because there always seems to be something  "holding us back" and often times we just allow that to happen.

So in the spirit of the Paralympic athletes, past and present, I will exercise my "adapt muscle".

My Favorite Ceremony Moments...

I loved the whole production, but a few highlights include:

Justine, the dancer: looking up at the big screen at the same moment my second cousin, Justine was on camera dancing with the other performers!

The DJs during the Parade of Athletes: not sure how it sounded on TV, but I loved their tunes and the way they directed the crowd... "SIDE to SIDE!!!"

Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli breakdance: Now he can add the 2010 Paralympic Opening Ceremony to his already lengthy list of accomplishments.


The Terry Fox speech clip...I really like the clip shown of Fox speaking about his motivation for The Marathon of Hope. He spoke frankly and his commentary on celebrity and the drive to be famous are timeless words.

Rick Hansen: the world can never have enough of this Man in Motion!

The Audience Participation Kit: My green poncho, light up pom pom and a stunning example of print design success (the program) will be treasured!

Gone Bottom Shelf: Hockey Canada Frozen Pizza!

by Lisa Ovens

This is like a Tuesday photo, but only it's Wednesday. I wandered the city today and witnessed some post Olympic dismantling: Alberta House is still in the throws of decontruction, with a classic Vancouver saloon underneath just waiting to be freed (that would be the Atlantic Trap and Gill), the Bell Ice Cube, now melted, is but a pile of black metals rods, and although the Olympic Superstore still crazy busy, you can see noticeable empty spaces growing larger on the racks and shelves.

But what is happening to this pizza? The Hockey Canada Frozen Pizza has been relegated to a bottom shelf. Is this not blasphemy? There is a contest on right now until June 30th, 2010...win one of 50 official Team Canada Hockey jerseys visit Delissio Hockey Now to enter!

Four years ago I purchased Hockey Canada puck shaped brownies (they were disgusting) I managed to hang onto them until 2008 (they were lost in a move). I kick myself for not capturing them permanently in a photo. They would have looked great with the pizza.

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Olympic Volunteer Quote of the Day overheard on a bus...

"Where are you 'smurfin' at'?" Translation...Where is your volunteer assignment?

- volunteers wear blue jackets...a Smurf like blue

Don Cherry to Salute Paralymics Games Wednesday

 

updated: Mar.10, 11:38am
by Lisa Ovens

Today, at about the same time the Paralympic Flame arrives in Vancouver, a big gathering will also be taking place to celebrate the Paralympic Movement.

The Official Olympic and Paralympic cold and flu remedy sponsor, Cold FX will be hosting a luncheon at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel. Among the speakers; one of the top ten greatest Canadians (as voted by Canadians), Donald S. Cherry of Hockey Night in Canada.

Love him or hate him, the 400 guests will be in for a treat when Grapes takes the podium. Though the big question is...what will he be wearing??

Will Don present professionally? Or boldly?

For readers not aware of the famous Don Cherry Suit, please visit this post on my other blog (Lisa's Hockey Lounge) and watch the video. Or visit the Don Cherry Suit Fest Page for variety! And just a heads up...the two part Don Cherry biopic Keep Your Head Up, Kid airs Sunday March 28th and Monday March 29th, 2010 on CBC.

Also speaking: BC Premier Gordon Campbell, the world's top Paralympic sledge hockey goalie Paul Rosen and Dr. Robert Steadward who is the founding president of the International Paralympic Committee.

Over four hundred guests will include Paralympic medallists, 50 young hockey players and 100 coaches and physical education teachers from Vancouver area schools as well as leaders from business, education, finance, law, medicine, journalism and the military.

This event is an opportunity to raise the profile of the Paralympic Games. This shouldn't be too hard to do in Vancouver: 40% of Canada's Paralympic Team are from British Columbia!

 A few days ago I heard the Paralympic Opening Ceremony is close to selling out and the Gold Medal Sledge Hockey Game is already sold out.

Come on Vancouver, lets help make this the most successful Paralympics ever!

For Paralympic ticket information please click here.

For Cold FX website, please click here (did you know Clara Hughes, the only Olympian to win medals in both the summer and winter games swears by Cold FX??)

Don't Forget: Paralympic Games open March 12th, 2010!

by Lisa Ovens


We are officially on a break in Vancouver. Actually we are pressing the reset button and gearing up for the Paralympic Games, opening on Friday March 12th, 2010.

The Royal Canadian Mint Pavilion is on the move and will re-open for the Games. Canada's Northern House is still open, and much of Robson Square's Olympic dressing will remain,, including the Zipline, the skating rink and the BC Pavilion.

The Paralympic Torch Relay begins in Ottawa on Wednesday, and there are still tickets available for the Opening Ceremony at BC Place.

Paralympic Game Tickets webpage

1350 athletes from over 40 countries will be in Vancouver/ Whistler competing in five sports. This can mean only one thing Vancouverites: we'll get to cheer on the world all over again!!!

More Paralympic posts and post Olympic pondering to come, but for now,  I'm going to take a day off from posting!

Thanks everyone for stopping by at 2010andhighheels!!  :o)

See you in a day or two!

- Lisa O.

Oh Canada!

photo: Lisa Ovens

Hey Vancouver...did we show up or what!

Bye Bye Olympics :o)