I went in to work on Friday and Saturday but they were both very quiet days. We had been expecting some more of the top executives from Panasonic to arrive for this weekend but, in the end, we only had one in town. With three VANOC drivers and two private cars on duty, there really was not much to do. This suited me just fine though because we were able to spend time in the driver's lounge watching the last of the events, and watching Canada sweep up a few more medals (do you like that allusion to curling?!).
Sunday was a very interesting day. We were all asked to come in for 9am and, as VANOC drivers, we were due to end at 3pm. After 3pm, only the buses remain in service as they try to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads before the Closing Ceremonies. I did do a run from our hotel to the Canada Hockey Place (straight across town) with one of the assistants. She was supposed to arrive in advance of the executives so that she could make any arrangements that were necessary. However, there were new road closures in effect that we were not aware of and a lot of traffic so it took us 40 minutes to make a trip that should have taken 5! Fortunately, we were then able to advise the other driver about the changes before he left the hotel and he made the trip in about 10 minutes, arriving just after us. A month ago, the threat of route changes would have sent me into a tizzy because I was so unfamiliar with the roads. I was happy if I knew the one route properly! Now, I know the streets of downtown like the back of my hand.
After returning from that run, I parked myself in the driver's lounge with the other drivers and we started to watch the hockey game. We were all on pins and needles! During this time, one of the Panasonic reps advised us that we were being given tickets to the Closing Ceremonies - how awesome! I told Sabine, one of the other drivers, that I wanted to be outside with the crowds for the end of the game, if it looked like we could win. At the beginning of the third period, we headed over to Robson Street, the epicentre of the public portion of the Olympics. We did not head over to Robson Square where the super huge tv was because we were afraid that the crowds would be too huge and we would get stuck in the middle of it all and not be able to get out in time for the ceremonies.
We parked ourselves in front of the CTV booth on Robson but were disappointed to realise that we could not actually see the screen. CTV only had a small overhead tv screen on their booth (this is where they have been filming their shows every day) and it was covered with a protective plastic screen that caused terrible reflections. A small handful of people at the front could actually make out the action and we all had to react to their reactions. We often had no idea what we were cheering for!
Everything was fine until the game became tied in the last 25 seconds. At this point, Sabine and I started to worry about what could happen if the Canucks didn't win. Vancouver has had a couple of riots in the past and we really did not want to be there for that. We headed back to the Sutton Place Hotel and decided to watch on the big screen in the lobby. We sat on the floor of the lobby, along with about 20 or 30 other people, and watched the overtime play. The moment Sidney Crosby scored the winning goal, I leapt to my feet and ran out of the hotel to listen to the roar from the crowd down the road. And what a roar! It went on and on and on. What a thrill to be there with the thousands of people who just wanted to celebrate!
Shortly after this, Sabine and I headed down to the Westin Bayshore Hotel to turn in my vehicle. Sunday was my last day of work and I had to turn in my car and cell phone. It was sad in a way because they have been such a huge part of my life for the past four weeks. I have driven over 4100km in my Chevy Traverse, around Vancouver, up to Whistler, and home to Maple Ridge. Of the four drivers who were part of the Panasonic Team, I am the only one who returned the vehicle undamaged (there were a couple of problems with tight spaces on parking garages, one faulty rear hatch that popped open and hit a roof support in the parkade, shattering the window, and one true accident with no injuries) but I drove the same vehicle the entire time and returned it with nary a scratch.
In addition to turning in my Traverse, I also picked up my last shift gifts. VANOC has provided us with several gifts during our work time, one every three shifts for the first fifteen shifts, and then a final shift gift. I have received two special volunteer pins, a stuffed Miga (and my teammate Dick gave me his Quatchi since he does not have children), a set of Olympic handtowels, an Olympic Participation medallion, and a Birks silver keychain. The last shift saw us getting a special Thank You Pin from the IOC and a 2010 Olympic edition Swatch Watch. Of course, all of this has added significantly to the amount of luggage that I am bringing back!
Sabine and I set out from the Westin back to the Sutton Place where we were to meet the rest of the drivers and then walk across town to BC Place for the ceremonies. Unfortunately, the traffic had become far worse and it took us half an hour to get back to the hotel. By this time, the other drivers had left so I set out across town on foot, making my way through the cheering crowds. There were so many people cheering, wearing red jerseys and Canada Flags, and even a few people doing some sort of Captain Canada thing, wearing red tights and shiny helmets! I did finally make it to BC Place at 4:45pm, in plenty of time for the show.
I had heard rumours that the Closing Ceremonies would include lots of performers and famous Canadians but the secrecy around the show is pretty serious so none of us really knew anything. However, when the performers appeared, I was thrilled but can't say that I was surprised since we had seen shots of them all at the hockey game just prior to this! The best surprise though was seeing the faulty torch "fixed" and having Katriona LeMay Doan relight it. That was the one part of the Opening Ceremonies that left me feeling a bit down and that was resolved in beautiful style.
After the ceremonies ended, I made my way out of the stadium with the thousands of others and followed the flow to the Skytrain. Despite the huge crowds heading for the train, there was absolutely no wait to get on a train. They were being pumped into the station as quickly as possible and as quickly as people could make their way down in to the station, the trains were being filled and sent on their way. I travelled a few stops to the Waterfront terminal and then crossed the station to the West Coast Express Train (this is a longer distance commuter train). The gates were not yet open to access the West Coast platform and there was a small crowd of people waiting. The attendant appeared and informed us that the gates would open once we had sung the national anthem. The crowd gave a rousing rendition (just one of many heard yesterday) and the gates opened. I boarded the train and rode/slept my way back to Maple Ridge where Debbie was waiting for me.
Yesterday marked many lasts for me - my last day of work, my last trip on the Skytrain and the West Coast Express, and my last day of the Olympics. I am going downtown tonight for a Panasonic party and then, after a few short hours of sleep, I am heading to the airport for an early morning flight home.
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