Much like the Paralympians, this cast and crew are everyday looking people capable of super human feats! Can’t wait!!!!

The older I get, the more comfortable I am in my own skin.  For the first time I look in the mirror and I like what I see.  I’m finally loving my curves and big hips. Don’t get me wrong, I still have my moments – there is the beer belly and love handles after all, which I battle a love / hate relationship with.

Embracing Me and My Curves (Photgrapher: Lola May)

I love that as a woman I have this body that is designed for baring and nurturing life. How cool is that?  That is a miracle that men do not get to share. Even if the actual act of childbirth (and possibly breast feeding) scare the bejesus out of me.

I love that as women we are welcome to share our feeling and emotions, with minimal judgment.  Hell, half the time I think we are encouraged to do so.  Mostly, I love that we can hug and kiss – both men and women – in our life’s, and mostly are not judged for it.

Kissing an Absolutely Delightful Woman

What I am not proud of in women is the underhanded, vindictiveness that we treat each other.  I’d say cattiness, but I love my cat and I do not love women that behave in such a manner.  They’ll kiss you to your face and grab a knife to stab you behind your back.  Why?  Competition, jealousy, a man.  What I most love is when this is over a man that isn’t even theirs or one that you are personally are interested in no more than a friendship with and they are just jealous cause your close with them.  Because … Hello People … men and women can just be friends with no alterior motives.  Just look at my life – most of the men in it are just good buddies, that I love as friends.

Women – we should be supporting one another, not tripping each other in an attempt to get what we want.  That just makes you look ugly.  Something to remember and think about as International Women’s Day comes and goes.

And on that note, an enormous thank you to the many incredible women in my life, that help build me up everyday.  I love you!!!

She is the woman that instilled the confidence in me to speak my mind.

She is the woman that gave me the courage to stand by my convictions.

She is the woman that taught me most of what I know.

She is the woman that instilled a sense of compassion within me.

She is the woman that challenged me to be my best.

She is the woman that empowered me to believe that I could do whatever I set my mind to.

She is the woman that showed me I am equal to all.

She is the woman that made me feel loved unconditionally.

She is my Mom.

Love you Mom!

Thanks Mom! I love you!

The engaging power of a unicycle

We decided to leave and never saw the big finish.  As we walked around, I started to think about all the things people are doing other than watching the games.  Myself included, they are spending hours standing in line.  The day before, I spent nearly 3 hours waiting to get into the Atlantic Canada House for their Kitchen Party.  It was well worth it and I did make some new friends whom I’ll never see again, but it was 3 hours spent waiting, rather than watching.

Standing in Line-The new Olympic sport

There were hundreds of people that unicycle night drinking hot chocolate and ice skating at Robson Square.  Even more were just sitting on the steps watching dancers perform.  There were crowds waiting for balloon animals and my favourite all time non-game watching activity….the rice cracker maker!  This machine would twirl around and shoot rice crackers out like fire works.

A delicious distraction

Wow

There were so many people just roaming the streets trying to be a part of the action.  As I’ve had a chance to reflect on this revelation, I’ve realized that I have watched less of the Olympic games than ever before in my life because I live in the city that is hosting them.  I have wanted to be with all the other excited people from Canada and all around the world and that has led me to downtown or surrounding areas where I have been nowhere near a television, but captivated by spirit.  I have to admit, that as thrilled as I am for the amount of medals Canada is winning, I am most proud of the fact that I got picked up while filling up with gas the other day and invited out to party with some out of town boys!  Of course, as a mom and wife I had to pretend I was unfortunately busy, but knowing you’ve still got what it takes is worth gold.  I do enjoy watching our athletes, but given the chance, I can see how some might  pick this alien dance party instead.

The Today Show gathering - thanks to Emme for the photo

We got up there right in time to catch a couple of glimpses of “The Today show“, which to my sadness is not hosted by Katie Couric anymore, but Meredith Vieria who is so photogenic she should be studied. The whole crew was there: Matt Lauer (who has quite a fan following… mainly 45+ women who comment on how “young” his skin looks), Al Roker (who won’t stop smiling while he reads the weather), Anne Curry (who does most of the reporting in Vancouver not in Grouse, and who normally does more controversial topics like Haiti) and the beautiful Natalie Morales (who is eye candy). But as they posed for pictures and yelled behind the athletes, we asked people why there were there, and although some wanted the chance to be on television, some of them were actually ending their night after a Monster party. Emme actually kissed one of them for some bet, at which point I started wondering what I was doing there.

It ends up I was there for comical purposes as they knew I had no experience on the snow or ice whatsoever. They made me hold the camera, put me on skates and tied the camera to my neck, so I wouldn’t drop it. We met a fellow UBC student who was there for fun and a man wearing shorts because he felt Canadian. If you listened you could actually hear the pride on his voice, and deservingly so as Canada is beating the odds in the games. The man in shorts was interesting, but afterwards on the way down we met a man who trekked up Grouse mountain almost every day. He said he climbed up 594 times, but also timed himself and took notes every time. That sounds like obsessive compulsive to me, but that’s just my opinion. What surprised me about this man is that he said it like it was something as ordinary as going for the groceries. The mountain is HUGE and to climb it in 45 minutes is a super human ordeal. Even though it is illegal (in the off season), there are world records and everything (24 minutes and 22 seconds), telling me that there are a lot of these iron-man people out there. Do they all suffer from OCD or are they simply adrenaline junkies? Whatever the reason, they deserve as much recognition as the athletes because they accomplish the extraordinary. If the winter games are about the “amateurs”, then people like him deserve recognition as well. And for that matter so do the people that make it to the Olympics, because it is an amazing accomplishment and they should not cry when they don’t make it to the podium or say they have failed their country, because just by being present, they are making someone in the world proud. I think too much emphasis has been put on the medals, when we have to recognize everyone that makes it here to Vancouver. That’s what the Olympics are all about guys: amateurs who accomplish the impossible. And I am speaking as a person whose nation has three athletes, and for me simply participating here is way more valuable than a gold medal.

At the mountain top with Emme and Katie

Anyway, after skating for a while Brie suggested snowshoeing. I had no idea what this was, I thought we were going to put on those funny looking snowshoes and start walking. I was wrong: we started climbing. Now here lies the problem, I have climbed a lot of mountains before, but I use my whole foot. I have a very weird balance center, and I know it, so I need my whole foot to climb up anything. In snowshoes you use the bottom part of the foot (those little bumps) so you are essentially tip-toeing up a mountain. Let me repeat that: tip-toeing up a mountain. It’s brutal. I think its really cool that people do it every day and have adjusted themselves to it, but it’s definitely not for me. My calves are still hurting and my lower back is not functioning correctly. But the trip was worth it. The view of the mountain and the city is beautiful and like nothing I have seen before, its simply breathtaking. The day was perfect too, it was sunny and nice, the perfect day to tip-toe up a mountain.

Would I do it again? No. Maybe in the summer when I can wear shoes, but snow shoeing is something that everyone should try and then just leave it to the pros. I felt bad at myself because there was an old couple (and I mean old, like 70) in front of us (we began, and were immediately the slow group) that was just going at it like Speedy Gonzalez. We didn’t make it to the top, which was perfectly fine with me, but we still got a great view. I recommend it to the athletic people out there, not to the ones that prefer being taken up by a gondola, like me. Also, if you think you are going to be slow, don’t get Dawn as a guide as it was her first time up the mountain at sunrise and she was stuck with us, so just let her go to the top with the not so out of shape ones, although she was an AMAZING guide.

In the end it was a great experience that I will remember as long as my legs hurt and for a long time after that. For the younger folks I think the Monster party is fun if you snowboard and such, but I asked around and it doesn’t seem that cool. Everyone should experience it, and on a last note, help us find Saxel the mouse as he has been kidnapped. He is a really timid creature, and deserves better treatment.

I'm the king of the world

This is one of the many reasons why I am not an arm chair athlete and admittedly have not watched much of the Olympics on TV.  So what have been up to instead?  Well, competing, of course.

What?  You haven’t heard of me?  Which sport am I in?  No worries, I take absolutely no offence, as you see I’m in one of the experimental sports.  They are doing a soft launch of it this year with just two athletes – myself and hummingbird604.  And as we are all about inclusion are sporting events extends over both the Olympic and the Paralympic Games.

So what’s the sport?  Well, really its a long standing Olympic tradition played undercover. Yes, that’s right, the hummingbird and I are competing for whom can get the most Olympic dates. And NO, not, as others have suggested, the most Olympic shags. Neither, the hummingbird or I are tarts.  Simply, the most Olympic dates.

So far I am in the lead at 5 -3, despite twitter betting against me.  So whats the story on my dates?

• A Swede enjoyed over a glass of wine.
• A good, old American boy picked up our town’s latest meat market, the Canada Line.

Olympic Dates 2 & 3 (Yes, they happened at the same time. I'm not a girl that wastes time.)

• A lonely Swiss man eating a meal alone.
• Two drunken snowboarders, picked up in unison, at 4 AM on Grouse Mountain. (there is actually video on this one, I just need to find it for all of you voyeurs)

Olympic Date 4 wasted absolutely no time.

As for date number 6?  I am hoping it will be with this handsome Saxon.  Only problem is that he is currently MIA.

Have you seen my fella?

So my dear hummingbird?  Let’s hear the dirt on your 3 dates!

Loving the Outfits!

Our experience on the top was even better.  Spontaneous kisses for Emme, stories from unknown great athletes, Canadian flag cape-wearing skaters, and free expert snow tips for our own novice Mario were some of our most pleasant surprises. We even got our snowshoe guide to do ridiculous yoga poses on top of the mountain (Well, our ‘top’ was only half way since Emme kept slipping and giggling, my water bottle kept falling out of my pocket and rolling way back down, and Mario was just trying to breath.)  Everyone we met was more than willing to participate in our shenanigans and held back nothing in the quest for a good time.

An Unexpected Kiss

I’ve noticed this new Vancouver spirit spilling over to my regular daily interactions at the kids’ school, stores, banks and the lines I’ve been standing in to party at the different Olympic houses.  I’ve made more instant friends this week than in my entire time living here.  Perhaps  it’s the infectious attitudes of our international visitors, or maybe it’s because we all feel united as Canadians fired up to win, but whatever it is, I hope it lasts.  Please keep the love alive Vancouver, and don’t go back to sleep!

Namaste

Stealing a Kiss

Being me – he is, of course, a complex fellow, and not all that easy to get close to.  You see, he is somewhat of an International Celebrity. We stole a brief moment when no one was looking, but would I ever see him again?  Would we be able to share another tender touch?

As luck would have it, he was needed to entertain the crowds last Saturday and his handlers were preoccupied, so he reached for the only familiar face on these foreign soils – me!!!  I got to be on his arm all evening, to dance with him, to poise for photos with him and proudly introduce him (my future lover) to the world.

Me and My Fella

Celebrity or not, the time had come to seek out something a little more intimate, perhaps even a date!!!!  Not wanting to offend and to respect International relations, I decided it was best to formerly request an audience with this delightful fellow in a more formal hand written letter to his handlers, of course. And then I waited and I waited….

Had I misjudged our connection?  Were our cultures and customs just so different that I was so off on the typical signs of the mating dance?  I simply had to know, so I mustered up the courage to go and see him one last time last night at Saxony House.

I was met by my worst fears.  No, not that of unrequited love, but that of concern for the safety of this most gentle fellow. Saxel had been kidnapped.

My head is reeling in despair and disgust.  This gorgeous beast was handcrafted with love for the Canadian people, he had agreed to leave his most beloved woods of Saxony to grace us with his presence here in Vancouver, and he had even agreed to stay, to be auctioned off at the end of the Olympics to raise money for a children’s charity.  And how are these extensions of International friendship received?  Someone kidnapped this beautiful, trusting Saxon soul, right from under the noises of his handlers.  I ask, where were the police and motor security brigades, when this International travesty struck?  What are they doing now to find this missing International ambassador?

I urge, you the people, Canadians and Internationals-alike, to help find my fellow, Saxel, and return him to his rightful home.  Show him how good and kind we are as Canadians.  How we would protect his hairy ass, in an attempt to see him free once more.

Have you seen my fella?

Saxel was last seen on Wednesday night at the Irish House. Any tips you can provide on his current whereabouts or leading to his safe return would be most appreciated.  You can drop tips here or to my email at emme@emmerogers.com.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Emme

As I watched the crowd chant “Oh Canada” with huge smiles on their faces I felt a sense of false nationalism that has seemed to invade everyone here for the winter games. People dressed in black, yellow and red holding Germany’s flag were trying to follow the words, and everyone hugged each other as Ricker’s face zoomed in unto the screen. I have decided that every time Canada wins gold I’m going up to Robson Square and simply enjoy the happiness these people are having, as it is as real as it can get. An elderly woman came up to me as she saw I was taking a lot of photos and videos, and thinking I was still recording looked straight into my camera and yelled: “I love Canada!!”. I should have asked her to do it again but she just left yelling woos and yeahs towards the immense crowd. In total there were many chants for Canada and I participated in most of them, because even though I am not Canadian and know absolutely nothing about the rules of any winter sport (in particular Biathlon, I get lost every time I see it on the TV), I actually cheered on for Canada because I was proud to be on Canadian soil and surrounded by such great people. So from the bottom of my heart: Thank you for hosting the Olympics, they are amazing fun.

Now, of course my night didn’t end at 8. Afterwards we walked through Granville where we saw a man with an actual eagle head, a ton of jugglers although this one in particular impressed me with her skills, and my friends dragged me to Doolin’s “irish” bar where the tequila shots are cheaper than the Guinness and everyone was having a miserable time. Yet although my night was nothing short of fun (I ended up in Numero Uno Pizza being asked by a 70 year old woman what language Peru spoke and my whole life story leading up to UBC) my core memory of last night was of the following woman:

We were cheering Canada in the middle of the street when this woman dressed in something Bjork would wear came up chanting for Canada in a very thick accent. She looks younger in the picture above, but I thought she was 60. I asked her where she was from and she said Norway. When I asked her why she was cheering for Canada she said: “because I love Canada, and I am here, right?”. She took a picture and kept on walking, but I still remember her, not because of her weird clothing style, but because she was having fun by herself, minding no one’s business. She chanted on along with the drunk college boys, and was obviously having more fun than anyone on that block because she was doing it for her own sake. If you ever see her roaming the streets of this lovely city please tell her she has my respects. And she should have yours too.

Photo by Lola May

I ‘ve felt like I was in a bit of a holding pattern, in which I’d been told we were being watched, in which people told me they had big expectations for me and some started telling me what they thought I should stand for, how they thought I should look.  Generally, I’ve always gone with my gut and listened to my heart, but after a bad break up swept the carpet out from under my feet, I was left feeling totally lost.  Not really sure who I was or who I wanted to be. Horrified at myself for having let myself fall into what clearly was an unhealthy and emotionally abusive relationship.  How could I let myself do that again? Was there something wrong with me?  Was there something I needed to fix about myself? Should I really trust myself and my own instincts? And admittedly, my writing poised a huge factor in our break up, so I started making it less of my personal story and more about the events whirling around me.  And with that I started getting a little fluffy in my writing and occasionally a little tartish in my attire.  In my mind, my writing has become a little flat and artificial and I’ve felt more than a little flat and artificial.

I get asked all the time, how I am going to make money with my writing?  Where is my funding model?  Well, I started writing for fun, to process my thoughts, and to grow as a person.  When I moved it online, it was for inspiration and drive to finish my first novel.  It was not to become a marketing tool or an advertisement, and while no one is paying me to write about this product or that, I do fear that that is what I am becoming.

Feeling especially like this with the Olympics, as Brie and Mario and I decided to let as many people as possible know about the fun and free of the Olympics.  So we’ve been trying to collect as much content as possible and firing it up as quickly as possible.  I’ve gotten tired and the story has really suffered.  Has it been a complete waste?  No.  It has been a good training ground for Mario and an extremely good reminder to Brie and I on what it is that we are doing. So I think we are going to regroup tonight on our 3 am team building trip to Grouse Mountain and remind ourselves of what this is really about.  Having some fun and telling the story of the people we meet that help us to process our own stories in this wacky world.  While yes, we may still mention the odd event at the Olympics, I don’t that our guide will be quite so full.  Now the Olympic language guide on the other hand ….

And a huge thank you to my wonderful family and friends that are not afraid to tell me when they think I’ve lost my path (or, in the case of my family, are concerned that I have started to have dressing like a tramp).

Kisses,

Emme xoxo