My Grouse Today Show Experience #1 - Friday February 12, 2010

Thanks for your patience with this blog. My camera had died so most photos were taken with a friends camera, which I prefered shotting with as it is a MUCH better camera than mine. I also used it for video, but I think that will come later as it is being edited.

Anyways, Here is my story from Friday.... I also went today Monday February 15, 2010 and will blog about that tonight.

My Grouse Today Show Experience #1 - Friday February 12, 2010

Thursday February 11, 2010 - 10:00pm - My husband drops me off at the skytrain and I kiss him and my daughter good night.

10:30 pm - Meet Theresa and Emmy at Blenz. We grab essentials and hop into the party van as Amy pulls up.

10:45 pm - Stop at Tim Hortons for a Take Ten Giant Coffee Box, some sweets and some giggles.

11:15 pm - Park at Grouse. We take shifts of two people to wait in the line that is already about 20 people. It is not too chilly, or too wet. There are some rowdy teachers behind us and some snobby teenagers in front of us, but overall, everyone is in good spirits.

**The time in between now and the gondola rid eup is a blur of coffee and bailey's, photos and giggles, meeting new friends and winning free stuff (hats, umbrellas, pins, etc.)**

At one point the hosts and guests began to arrive.

We saw Al Roker, Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, Ann Curry, Michael Bublé, Emily Cook and Jeret "Speedy" Peterson all arrive at various times and load a gondola with their entourage.

Here are some snap shots:

Al Roker

Meredith Vieira

Michael Bublé

Jeret "Speedy" Peterson

Perhaps my best moment was getting a photo WITH Michael Bublé. Of course I was going on 18 hours of being awake at that point and plopped a free hat on my head to help look less horrific... it didn't help much, but I am ok with that.

Finally at about 3:30am we are amongst the first 100 people to load the first gondola up Grouse Mountain.

it is VERY cramped.

As the doors open we rush out. Somehow, I managed to run in rain boots on the snow and be one of the first 10 people inside claiming my spot up front for the taping.

I can easily see the comfy chairs for the hosts to my left, the tv reader prompts, a ton of cameras and lights straight ahead and to my right a piano, drum set and mic..... the rumours of Bublé performing outside seem to be false.

At 4am we go live - 7am EST and the hosts are outside with the crowd, some gathered around a fire, some ice skating. I am inside wondering if I chose the best spot to be.

I sit it out. The hosts are a flurry of movement. Between commercials, pre-taped clips and guest spots they move swiftly from inside to outside to the rink to the fire to the mountain side.... I am impressed.

We get to meet Bublé, Peterson, and Cook as well as surprise guest Premier Gordon Campbell, during breaks. I can see me on tv and keep my promise not to act crazy waving like a looney.

Bublé performs inside - I do have the best spot in the house - quite literally - just WAIT for the video I took OMG!

The show tapes, after Bublé sings two songs i head outside to meet with some of my friends. We get photos with some of the hosts and enjoy the fresh air.

Here we are with Kristi Yamaguchi

And Matt Lauer

It's beautiful up there with all the snow and lights and people.

A Great way to open the Olympics in my book.

**Today, Monday February 15, 2010, I went up again for the taping of the Today Show and met Canadian Gold Medalist Alex Bilodeau, The Great One - Wayne Gretzky, as well as several USA medalists and Slam Poet Shane Koyczan. Stay Tuned for Pix and Deets later today.