Over the weekend, I went to Vancouver, BC. It was meant to be a "dry run" of sorts for my trip to the 2010 Olympics. (Did I mention that I've got tickets?) It turned out to be an enlightening weekend on several levels, during which I learned the following, in no particular order of importance:

• You would think, that now that tickets have become available, Vancouver would make information about transportation logistics with regards to getting around the games also readily available. This is not the case. Not at least for another 6 months. This could make decisions about lodging and whether to take a car very complicated.
• It is, in fact, possible to wait 3 hours to cross the US boarder from Canada by car. Believe it or not, this is not as fun as it sounds.
• I am a little concerned about the "snow" events taking place around Vancouver. I had tickets to a World Cup Snowboarding event over the weekend which was flat out cancelled due to soupy snow. I don't think that they can do that at the Olympics... just cancel events? Even postponing would suck.
• I ice skated for the first time in a very long time and I was shocked that with even with all the working out I do, the saying, "you don't use it, you lose it" is so true.
• It is totally acceptable to have drinks at the Fairmont Vancouver dressed in sneakers and a fleece, while never removing your hat.
• Lychee liquor and bourbon together in the same glass is actually pretty yummy.
• If you put a wasabi pea under your tongue for, oh... about 5 seconds, you will not only clear your sinuses but you will, for probably the first and hopefully only time in your life, burn the underside of your tongue.