Final Preparations

We leave tomorrow and are making final preparations.  Last night we actually spoke to the fellow who is renting us the condo in Vancouver.  It was reassuring, after reading/hearing in the news about some scams that are going on, to hear his voice.  He told us that the condo (originally purchased for his son when in university) had only been used previously by friends and family and that, by using it, we were now included in that group.  He said we were stuck with him and his wife.  It was sweet.  He and his wife will be waiting for us at the condo when we get in.

The camera is charged and the memory chip has been wiped.  Olympic bus tickets and flight itineraries have been printed.  Now all that is left to do is actually pack.  We'll need a suitcase for all the Olympic wear alone!

A friend from Paul's work, who lived in Vancouver, just emailed restaurant advice.  Other people have made suggestions and really everyone has been helpful and enthusiastic, from the guy at work who said we could stay with his friend if our condo turned out to be a scam, to the folks who run the dry cleaner down the street who are closing early during the Olympics to go home and watch, to the receptionist at the dentist who insisted on pictures at the next cleaning, to the strangers on the street who, more than once, have cheered or called to us just because we were decked out in Olympic gear.  One of the best things so far, even before we leave, is how the Olympic spirit makes this vacation about so much more than "our" vacation.  We get to feel part of something larger, something communal.

So thanks to all those people.  And Go Canada!

With shared anticipation,

The Entity
Paul McCulloch Alexander
Kim Boara Alexander