I have to chime in here with my own comments/observations.

For the past year "we here locals" have been hearing time after time after time about transportation during the Olympics. Road closures, construction, skytrain running more frequently with extra cars, leave the car at home and take public transport. So I made arrangements to drive into a different office to work during these two weeks so I wouldn't have to battle traffic into town.

WTH??? Where is all the traffic???? Message must have gotten through because yesterday I had to drive into to town to my "usual" office and it only took me 20 min. vs 45 min. You could shoot a cannon down the freeway and not hit anyone. I'm liking this. It's like summertime traffic. I also heard this morning that lineups at the skytrain ranged anywhere from 30 min to an hour just to get on the sardine packed train. Gee - car vs train......duh it's a no brainer.

Vanoc - gee what can I say about that. There is a very ugly chain link fence around the flame downtown and people everywhere are complaining that it's not "picture friendly" so bright and early this morning the construction crews were down there taking down the fence and , I hear, that they are putting up perhaps a plexiglass surrounding. It's a shame but without some kind of barrier, the protesters and "riff raff" alike would be doing a number on it. Now, why didn't Vanoc think about this years ago in the planning stages????

Blunders?? There have some some major ones and apparently the British tabloids are picking up on all of them. The weather isn't doing us any favours either - it's the warmest February in the past 114 years. Go figure!!! Many spectators who purchased tickets to one of the Cypress mountain events had to get refunds - costing Vanoc over a million buckaroos.

I'm not negative about the Olympics - I love them and I admit the ambiance in the city is amazing. Everyone is hyped up and bearing ear to ear grins. I'm optimistic that tourism is going to bring in some big bucks and maybe those who visit might love it here enough to move here or at least visit again.

So, I have a sofa bed up for grabs. $300/night can get you some blankets, a soft pillow and perhaps coffee in the morning.