hundreds of humans.

it was so nice to see the world smile.

today was a great opening ceremony day.
february 12th, 2010.
the opening of the winter olympic games.
in the town which i love.
perhaps it is a city?


i went to work and strictly created cool stuff.
i didn't let myself get distracted; i enjoyed my work day.
all day i generated assets for the destruction of a window.
well, i also worked on some taillamp vehicle blueprints.
it was satisfying to spend my time creating something.
lately, i have been doing more planning types of tasks....


i woke up at 6.20 AM.
there was loud music and announcements.
there was cheering.
i was groggy, but arnold was running by.
he carried the torch, but i didnt know as i started to wake.



so weird, i just watched this now... wtf arnold barbie plastic face...


it was just like the other day when i held the torch.
but now it was passing by through stanley park, and i was in my bed.

i didnt know, but it was the begining of the end of the longest torch relay in history.
it covered a lot of distance! (although it seems like a bogus route to me)
the torch FIRST started in victoria, only a few hours away!
however, it took 12,000 runners across the country.
haha.
today it started just over lions gate bridge at 6.00 AM, headed south.
thats why i woke up - so much CELEBRATING!
i got up and put on the same clothes from yesterday.
i grabbed a guitar cable, my chromatic tuner, and my bass, and went to work.

i only made it a block and thought they might come back on lagoon drive!
the torch MIGHT COME BACK BY MY STREET!

i had never looked at the torch schedule before.
if they came by my street, i definitely wanted pictures from my window...
so, i turned around and parked again, went upstairs.

i wanted to definitely get pictures if the torch went down lagoon drive out front.
but it turns out it didnt.
however, it zigged and zagged all across downtown.
i ran back to the jeep and hurried to work to beat the traffic hold ups.

~~~~

at 5, i got a beer with my friend todd.

FRIDAYS means 2 kegs at work, its called BEER AND CAKE.

he played his drums and i played my bass.
we also had a drink of scotch with karl.

it was fun, we made up a few memorable moments.
karl came by when we were jamming to sarah mclaughlin.
she was playing piano during the opening ceremony, on TV.

pretty funny to be playing along making up bass and drums with this:


(i didnt know she had carried the torch, too)

we jam in a meeting room at ea - we had the projector on.
we had the volume down, but were broadcasting the ceremony.

it was surreal and memorable to watch the theatrics of the show.
to think, it was all happening, in all the whimsical glory, not far away!
these are my memories while playing bass and truly having fun.

I am so happy to play music!

after, i gave karl a ride, but i couldn't drive to his house.
it was too close to the ceremony downtown, and the police said no.
many streets were blocked off and law enforcement was everywhere.

karl just came to my place and we had a beer.



later, karl and i met with joe, and we walked downtown.
i finished another beer while we walked along the seawall.

there were police everywhere.


rent a cops, i thought.


karl said something else, police in training, i dunno.


it was fun, it was fine, we walked along.
the westin was blocked off for dignitaries.
members of the VANOC.
vancouver olympic committee.


joe and karl and i saw a crazy military blackhawk ish helicopter.
it landed as we walked along towards downtown.
we were going to meet joe's girlfriend she had been to the ceremony.
it was nice to walk along the seawall to downtown again.
it had been a while.

working in burnaby is not the cats meow.

the ceremony had just finished so people where everywhere.

hundreds of humans.

all nationalities.


we had a few drinks and some fries and crab dip at steamworks.
it was odd, the pub was only a block from old blackbox.
really made me miss my comprehensive life downtown.

however, i can't complain.

joe's girlfriend had a great time at the live ceremony!
it was awesome, including graphic and practical whale spouting events.

at the end of the night, we all went our own ways.
joe and i live close, so we walked together.



the olympics are truly a wonderous time.
the entire world comes together with a smile.


we saw people laughing everywhere.
everyone was happy and having fun.



when we were almost home, there were blossoms.


today, the cherry blossoms opened.
it is great, and i contemplate:

for every, end there is a new beginging.
today, an athlete died.
and today, flowers were born.