2010 Winter Olympics

(Editor's Note: After posting this blog, the sun came out, the wind died down and the temperature rose to 50 degrees, a mid-April day in Anchorage.)

“Trickle, trickle, splash, splash. Tell me how long will this rain last?”
-Manhattan Transfer

Welcome to the 2010 Vancouver Rainfest…er… Winter Olympics.

It seems like it’s been raining here… forever. Oh sure, we’ve only been in Vancouver for a week, but it’s rained every day but one. It seems every time we do a live shot (TV lingo for our thrice nightly live reports from the games) we’re getting precipitated on. Normally I’m not one to get worked up over a little rain, or even a lot of rain, but when I look around and see the animals start pairing up, I get nervous.

I talked to a couple of locals who told me this is actually normal February weather for Vancouver: showers, followed by more showers, followed by a 100 percent chance of even more showers.

Speaking of showers, let me take this chance to go down a quick rabbit trail. I’m a guy who likes a good, high pressure, hot shower. I’m not overly fond of high pressure, low flow showers, and that’s what we have at the house we’re staying in down here. The streams of water are so small and high pressure, it’s like having little needles poked into your body. Not relaxing at all. In fact, it’s more of an assault than a shower. When I get done I’m not sure if I should towel off, or file a police report.

Back to the weather in Vancouver…
I know I’m whining. And I know I’ll live, albeit in a slightly more damp state than I prefer. I just hope the rain stays in Vancouver and leaves the ski areas, Whistler and Cypress, alone. The games won’t be as much fun if events start getting cancelled. Ultimately, We all know there’s nothing anyone can do about the weather. One way or another, we’ll all have to adapt to the hand Mother Nature deals us. But like Girdwood snowboarder Callan Chythlook-Sifsof said to me… “Hey, that’s what they get for holding the Winter Olympics in a rain forest.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

-Carp