Have to love a country with its own bacon
Reflections and observations on this, the 100th day of the 2010 Winter Games:
Canada has two main national sports: hockey and hockey.
The sun doesn’t come up here till almost 7. The people soon after.
Canadians are the kind of people who love to give directions. It is as if you are doing them a favor.
Best free thing in downtown Vancouver: the zipline at Robson Square.
Wait time for the free zipline: approximately five hours.
Time it takes to actually ride the zipline: 17 seconds.
We call it “Canadian bacon”; the Canadians call it “back bacon.”
You’ve got to love any country that has its own bacon.
Know what I like about NBC’s Al Michaels? Everything.
A recent poll found that 110% of Canadians are still confused as to why Gov. Schwarzenegger carried an Olympic torch.
In California, that number was slightly higher.
There are almost 20,000 blue-jacketed volunteers here, devoting their off time to making these Games a success.
None of them really knows anything.
But they are so kind and gracious, you don’t really mind.
They like cheese so much up here, they use it as a verb. As in, “I’m a little cheesed about that.”
Canadian translation: “I’m a little cheesed a-boot that.”
Watching curling always gives me the urge to sweep the porch.
A pair of those red mittens, one of the hottest souvenirs at the 2010 Games, costs $10.
The vendor had hoped to sell 1 million pairs. Sales are now up to almost 3 million. Online, you can order them at www.vancouver2010.com
Cowbells, used to cheer Alpine skiers, are available at the Vancouver Public Library. The cost: $3.95.
Beer is to Canadians what helium is to balloons.
Canadians are in awe of the United States and tend to have a more favorable opinion of it than Americans do.
If you accidentally stand on a Canadian’s foot, he probably will apologize to you for having to stand on his foot.
No one seems to be having more fun at these Games than Mike Eruzione.
Asked if he was nervous about his appearance on “The Colbert Report,” Eruzione said, “Come on, it’s just a TV show.”
Did you know: Two weeks before the U.S. hockey team stunned the Russians in 1980, the Americans lost to the same Soviet team, 10-3, in an exhibition.
Segments from “The Colbert Report” taped in Vancouver this week will actually air next week.
Shaun White is currently the most interesting young athlete in America -- poised, honest, funny. SoCal should be proud of the kid, still only 23.
Nationalized healthcare is a reflection of the Canadians’ natural inclination to help others. But it presupposes that the other people are doing everything they can to help themselves.
When London hosts in two years, the tabloids will no doubt dub it “The Olympic Thames.”
Then it’ll be everyone else’s turn to attack the snarky Brits, whose rush-to-judgment here has really cheesed off the Canadians.
Telling stat of the day: 80,000 girls play hockey in Canada. In Slovakia, which lost to Canada, 18-0, some 267 girls play the game.
In the U.S., the number is 60,000.
Classiest quote of the Games: “I’d say it was 99% him and 1% me,” said gold medalist Evan Lysacek, in crediting legendary coach Frank Carroll, 71.
The only real blowholes here seem to be TV producers and Russians.
If they ever hold a Blowhole Olympics, TV producers would capture the gold, the Russians the silver.
The Germans would finish third and throw a conniption.
Olympic record for a conniption throw: 30 meters (about 33 yards).
