Monday, February 27, 2006
I'm still here
Wow, it has been a while since I was able to post anything. As I mentioned last week, it had been much quieter. That actually posed a bit of a problem (for updating the blog) becuase there were too many other people around! I really didn't want the rest of the office to watch me while I updated the site.
It ain't quiet anymore.
Today is the first day of load-out at the IBC. Also known as strike. Not a strike where everyone holds-up placards and stands around a barrel burning wood pallets. The kind of strike where you take everything down and get out of Dodge.
Load-out started a few days ago at some of the venues, as soon as competition was over. I spent all-day on Sunday in the mountains "observing" the load-out at the Sestriere Colle venue (where our Alpine Skiing crew was located). This compound was huge! Our cabines, trucks and equipment covered ~1600 sq. m (nearly 2000 sq yards). There were 2 OB trucks and 2 tender trucks, At least 12 cabines and a crew of over 100 people.
During the set-up and gamestime, we had some serious safety issues at this location due to the material that the Host Committee decided to put on the ground (covering a golf course). They installed huge metal plates that became extremely slippery whenever there was a bit of snow on them. Traction was made even more difficult as the compound was on the side of a gently sloping hill. Seeing as this was the WINTER olympics, this was a bit of a problem. In fact, it was so slippery that the OB vans needed to be towed-out by a huge front-end loader.
In anycase, it was a great day. No injuries, 80% of the equipment was gone by 5 pm, and it was sunny and beautiful all day. I even got a bit of a tan.
It ain't quiet anymore.
Today is the first day of load-out at the IBC. Also known as strike. Not a strike where everyone holds-up placards and stands around a barrel burning wood pallets. The kind of strike where you take everything down and get out of Dodge.
Load-out started a few days ago at some of the venues, as soon as competition was over. I spent all-day on Sunday in the mountains "observing" the load-out at the Sestriere Colle venue (where our Alpine Skiing crew was located). This compound was huge! Our cabines, trucks and equipment covered ~1600 sq. m (nearly 2000 sq yards). There were 2 OB trucks and 2 tender trucks, At least 12 cabines and a crew of over 100 people.
During the set-up and gamestime, we had some serious safety issues at this location due to the material that the Host Committee decided to put on the ground (covering a golf course). They installed huge metal plates that became extremely slippery whenever there was a bit of snow on them. Traction was made even more difficult as the compound was on the side of a gently sloping hill. Seeing as this was the WINTER olympics, this was a bit of a problem. In fact, it was so slippery that the OB vans needed to be towed-out by a huge front-end loader.
In anycase, it was a great day. No injuries, 80% of the equipment was gone by 5 pm, and it was sunny and beautiful all day. I even got a bit of a tan.
