Picked up my Canada Winter Games clothing, badge and handbook today. Not to kick a gift horse in the mouth, but...the coats and vests come in MEN'S sizes ONLY. I'll bet there are more women volunteers than men and of course, since accreditation began on Friday night, there were no extra-small men's sizes left. And, although receiving a Columbia coat is great, I think they forgot the games are being held in Whitehorse, not Vancouver. The coats are shells with no winter lining, great for Spring and Fall. Thank heavens I am not working outside at the games.
Now that I've got that off my chest, I just read in the paper today that the Squash sport that I am working is having problems. The squash courts of our privately owned local gym will be used as well as one court in the school where the offices will be located. The problem - the City of Whitehorse is planning to spend mega dollars to add sports equipment to the gym facility at the new Canada Games Centre, which will be in direct comeptition to the privaely owned gym. The privately owned gym facility, which is closing down their gym for the week to donate courts to the games, is not happy with that decision and may pull out of the games, leaving only one squash court in operation for the games. Oh the joys of operating a national competition in a town of 23,000 people!

Long Track Speed Skating Oval

This is a picture of the long track speed skating oval that will be used for the Canada Winter Games, beginning the end of February. For those of you who know Whitehorse, it is located in Riverdale at FH Collins High School. This has been a week of volunteering for me. Yes, I'm volunteering for this event in week one and volunteering for the Squash event in week two. Now I'm busy with orientation meetings, computer training, accreditations and meeting the crew I'll be working with. The Games, for those of you who are interested or wish to catch a bit of Whitehorse on the T.V. are from February 24 to March 10.

I had arranged to spend my last day in Toronto with my good friend. I was so looking forward to our day together - and arrived in Toronto soooo s i c k ....the flu hit me hard, but I persevered. I sat in the front seat of the car (like a wet dishrag) while she drove me all around our old haunts - Andy's old house on Westmount Park Road, The Hobbit Hole, Kensington Market, and all around downtown Toronto. Although I was deathly ill I had a great day and look forward to my next visit when I can actually walk and talk. She dropped me back at the hotel (at my request) and I slept for 12 hours straight. At least I got my money's worth out of that room!

A few more family pictures. The first is the one I promised Cousin Joe I would post. We banter back and forth between our blogs and actually did get together at his mum's New Year Day soiree. I keep up on his son (Joey's) football scholarship (career!!) - which university will he pick?? - as well as how his side of the family is doing. To visit his blog click here . Great seeing you Joe!

And I also stopped into Regina on my way home. Just in time for -45 degree weather and blizzards just north of the city. But I was kept warm by my little niece and her wonderful family. Went to a craft class (one-stroke painting) and saw a Regina Pats game (they lost to Seattle), watched little Dawson play hockey and did some clothes shopping as Air Canada lost my luggage for 3 days - on a non-stop flight from Toronto to Regina!

New Year's Day

Every New Year's Day, Aunt Liz and Uncle Joe host a party. This is the first year I was able to attend. They invite all the family, family friends, and the Tim Horton crowd. Since everyone was at the same place at the same time, I tried to get our family together for a group picture. Here it is - although there are still people missing - like SR who is Down-Under. So, this pic is for you SR, to see what you are missing. (Now I want some of your pictures on the internet so I can see what I am missing in Australia!).