Today I hit the Deaf Expo for all of 20 minutes; I would have been there longer except that it took forever to find the room in the Salt Palace. I do a quick walk through and say hi to a few friends. There was a booth with t-shirts and I only saw the one that said something like 'what's the sign for pimp?' and I almost bought it. I should have dangit.

I grab a sandwich at the mall and get on trax to head up to the Huntsman Center for more practice with the kids. They are all inside sitting and watching all of the different groups getting ready, setting up, checking lights, etc and are pretty quiet. After a while it's our groups turn to practice on the stage. I think we waited a few hours and the kids are getting restless and running around. They give us all sandwiches and licorice.

We all line up in the tunnel and I get into arguments with the 5 year olds 'I don't want to wear this jacket, it's hot' 'you have to wear it, this is a practice for tonight and if you take it off you will lose it' 'but I'm hot' (5 minutes of argument later) Me: Kid, there's a lot of things in life that I have to do that I don't want to so suck it up' and eventually, 'because I said so'.

One by one, each dance group makes their way to the stage and I wait with mine, we are second to last, right before the flags. They don't want to stay in their lines on or off the stage and all crowd around it. I make them hold hands so they remember to give each other space for good lord, some of them won't hold hands and fight each other. They practice on the stage, not bad and I go around reminding them of giving each other enough room and of the steps. They look really cute and my heart melts as I forget the constant questions and fighting with each other and arguing with me. Two seconds later we're back in the tunnel and into the gymnasium to wait until the show.

At this point I have lost track of time, it's maybe 6pm or 7pm, who really knows and I've been herding them in and out of the bathroom before the show so the one who has Spiderman paint on his face doesn't decide he needs to go right before he gets on stage, like earlier today. The kids are the usual running around and playing and the athletes start coming into the gym, they are waiting there until they go on stage and wave at the audience. I grab a couple of kids and take them around saying hi, starting with Canada. They give out pins and flags and some of the kids go sit back down and some go wandering around meeting people. I take the shy ones and shove them right at the different athletes. Ha. I talk to most of the ones I introduce the kids to, and it's interesting trying to communicate. I can tell them I'm American and I think I understand their sign for deaf and kid cause they were asking about the kids I'm dragging around. I ask them the sign for their countries and what they are competing in. I tried to tell the Russians that the kids were dancing in the show but they didn't understand and the kids wanted more pins so we kinda gave up and walked around more. They were really nice to the kids! And most of them were really excited to meet each other and they wanted pictures and names. I went around with Itzel and she was telling the Canadians that she used to live in Toronto, I didn't know that and thought it was cool. She wasn't really shy at all with meeting people, she'd go right up to them and say hi and then ask for a pin or a flag. Ashlin was really shy though so I took her and a few others who were scared to meet people and we walked around a bit. It was funny, some of the hearing dancer kids wanted to know how to ask for pins or say hi so I gave them the easy version, walk up, wave, point to a pin or a flag and if they had one to give out they'd get one. One of the athletes from Poland I think even let me try it out on him to show them it would work. A lot of them wanted pictures with the kids so I'm rounded them up when I can and offering to take the pictures, that was definitely easy to communicate.

They leave to go do their thing on stage and we're left with the kids again, as they look over their loot. After an hour or so, the volunteers get to switch out and we go side at the side and watch the rest of the show from about the National Anthem until the end. We all wanted to see the kids anyway, with all the work we've done and they are really cute. We get to see Rathskeller, a comedy/dance group with 2 men and 2 women dancing to some rap and hip hop and then some 8-'s music, wild wild west and Michael Jackson. Then they have a Native American blessing and pow wow with was cool and then Jon Marceau come out and performs and then the dancing with the kids. Afterwards we all go back to the gymnasium as they wait for their parents to come pick them up and I'm cleaning up the garbage and taking pictures. I told one little girl, Brittney that I was really proud of her and she did a really good job and she gave me a big hug, so of course I start taking pictures with me and most of my group. Eventually we all leave and I go home, really tired but wow, it was really cool.

Sunday: 2/4/07: Pictures

Today I show up at the Steiner Ice Center at about 1pm and no one knows what I am doing or where to do. I wander around running into some friends and go watch curling. Well, I'd like to but because the person over the volunteers doing the curling hasn't given me any info I was not aware that curling practice is delayed for an hour. So I sit and do Valentines that I got at the grocery store. I gave them out to a few Russians and I talk to a Russian guy selling stuff. He told me that he was waiting 45 minutes for the Russia/Canada Hockey game. He seemed nice too. More wandering....

Curling practice starts and I watch it trying to figure out the game. It looks like bowling/pool/some other game I also don't understand. I spend the next few hours mostly watching that and some of the hockey game. So far I've figured out that they wear one rubber sole they slip on to help with traction on the ice. Other than that I have no clue what they were doing. I mostly talk to friends and check out the athletes.

I've never seen either live and it was interesting. The hockey players took every opportunity to beat the ever living crap out of each other, one guy even bled all over the ice which remain for a while afterwards. The guys would hug or slap each other on the back and then a minute later ram each other into the walls. It was like 'I'm passing someone in the hallway and for no apparent reason I'm going to full body tackle him into the wall'. The curling was less violent though. The hockey group was going nuts toward the end of the game so we had to keep them updated on the score. They tied so I guess all the fans had to go home disappointed.

More curling, I am going to die in that little room after falling asleep in the cold. I have on 3 or 4 layers and it's still cold. After a while the wander around watching the people in charge set up for the medal ceremony. The guy on the zamboni is driving around smoothing out the ice but aren't they going to have to do that again anyway? That sucks for him. After a few National Anthems a guy comes and sits down near me. He is from Germany and the Ski Official. Also he speaks way too many languages. He tells me about his sightseeing in Park City which consisted of the view from the ski lift and whatever he could see out the bus window. The schedule was very tight. He kept talking about the altitude and so I ask if he's been having problems with it and breathing but not so far. Apparently he hadn't heard this the altitude sometimes cause problems with athletes. Suckers. That's why you train at high altitudes duh. More medals and everyone is getting ready for the next hockey game but I'm dead so I go home. I taped the Superbowl to watch the commericals but fell asleep on my couch in the middle of it.

Monday: 2/5/07: Pictures

I worked today and for some reason working is less exhausing than watching Curling.... weird... oh well, my art class has been canceled and I am going to watch stuff afterwards. More pictures tommorow moring.

Today I get to the Steiner Center at about 5:30pm. I have no idea what's going on cause I lost my program with the schedule but I figured I'd get to see some curling practice and the medal ceremony and hockey. Nope. Nothing happens until 7pm. And i's the medal ceremony and curling. Whilst waiting though I started talking to a couple from Switzerland. I can't remember their names but it wasn't Bob and Jane, it was more unpronouncable. I mostly talked to the wife, she was really sweet. She was waiting for curling, apparently hockey isn't very big in Switzerland but they had time to kill too. She taught me some Swiss SL, just some simple stuff like man, woman, kid, spouse,family, etc. It was really cool. Lets see, we talked about... she was one of the Swiss Delegates, here supporting her team. Her flight here was something like 14 hours and had several lay-overs that were long. I think she said that her and her husband live in a town near the Alps, she drew a map so I understood that part. I told her about watching hockey yesterday with the players beating the crap out of each other and how it was cool picking up the different sign languages. She didn't have any kids, was just here as a delegate and a fan.... I told her that it was recommended to me to find a husband here cause all the athletes would probably be close to my age, she thought that was funny. She worked as a seamstress making clothes but is retired (I think) as it eventually started hurting her neck and back. I was wearing my sweater that I embroidered a trinity knot onto and told her that I do sewing too but mostly embroidery. I'll bring some pictures next time, so hopefully she understood me. I can't remember everything we talked about but it was really cool. I was trying to get them to tell me more Swiss SL but was having a hard time communicating that. I told her I speak a little French and was kinda mouthing some of the words I could remember to help her get some of my gesturing. Also, I thought hockey was kinda violent and so did they, they told me that the players all wear a lot of padding but Sunday they were practicing and hitting the puck at the wall and I could feel the wall vibrating each time it hit. Ouch.

After a while I watched some official presentation of Curling, and it as a new competition in the Deaflympics so there was a big ceremony with bagpipers. That was cool but man they must have been freezing their kilts off cause the Curling Arena is really really cold. Afterwards they scrape the ice to prepare for the game. I meet some interesting people, one of the Slovakians won gold for something and she is only 16. How cool is that? I was pretty unmotivated at 16. Also the Finnish team for who knows what keeps jogging around the hockey ring, I want to talk to them but they seem kinda busy plus I am a gigantic chicken. What would I say? You look tired, cause you've been running around my mind all day... yeah I have all the good pick up lines, 'hey, want a green card?' 'Did it hurt when you fell from heaven, cause it looks like you landed on your face'. Maybe not.

I ran into the german official again, we were comparing stories of cold, he said that once in some small town he was visiting, they got a foot of snow so fast that cars were stopped on the highway right on the road. The snowplows couldn't plow because of all the cars and they were stuck for about 7 hours. I told him and his friend that every year me and my friends go to Park City during the Sundance Film Festival and eat pizza and watch all the skinny actresses who don't know how to dress for winter, in their mini skirts, very clearly freezing their asses off.

I'm really trying to get into the Curling, but it moves so slow so I go back to hockey and take pics whilst swearing at my camera cause the batteries keep dying. At some point I become allergic to something or someone in the building because my eyes water and I start sneezing really bad and have to go home. It was fun though.

Tuesday: 2/6/07: Pictures

I go to work and plan to head to the Steiner Ice Center afterwards for the USA v Canada Hockey game. This will be the first time I sit through a whole game and I'm excited. I haven't decided who to support yet, I'm leaning towards Canada, cause I have a thing for Mounties. I run into a few friends and meet some new ones, that part is kinda cool. Then I find some random spot where I can root for either team without getting my ass kicked. I'm asking more dumb questions during the game but it's ok, the people around me have become used to my cluelessness. At the end of the 2nd period I tell everyone good bye because it looks like it's over. Oops, not quite. Doh! We finish the game and I say bye to a few more people and then head home. It was pretty fun. Canada was up by 2 until the last period and then the US came in and won. By then I had picked the Canadian Team, cause they were winning and was disapointed. I walked by one of the players, the goalie I think, and told him I was cheering for his team. No mountie fantasies tonight.

Wednesday: 2/7/07: Pictures

Today I got up and drove to Park City to help and watch the snowboarding competition. This will be my first ever, and first time going to Park City in my own car, cause all of the others I had would have never made the trip. Mapquest is awesome with general directions but they suck one you get close enough to need the street signs. I do finally make it to the resort. There are people everywhere and I have no idea where the competition will be held so I ask the front desk clerk and then followed a bunch of people signing. That's always a good indicator that I'm in the right area. Despite the snow it's actually pretty warm and I take off one of my many layers. I was planning on freezing my butt off the whole day but it's almost like spring. I find a seat and then wander taking pictures. I don't know if it's team support or what but it seems like the whole Finnish Delegation is here along with Japan. Maybe they are the most insane about snowboarding. I even see some of the kids from the Opening Ceremony. I start eating some Valentine's Day candy and offer it around. There is a group from Canada and they are there to watch one of their kids.

At the break, I go wandering the resort looking for a cheap hat because I am getting sunburned. They are all way too expensive and I don't really wear hats anyway. I should have bought some sunscreen though. Everything is really expensive here and I imagine the shops make a ton of money off the tourists. I'm conflicted about that, they are rich anyway so what does it matter if they are getting gouged, but on the other hand, I want a cheap hat. I don't think there's enough time to drive to the Walmart I saw earlier either. I also want a shirt with a Canadian flag on it but no luch either. I walk back to the seating for the competition and run into more friends. We walk up to the side of the place where the guys will be coming from but het kicked out by security. The Japanese fans are really nice though and let me take pictures right up next to them. Damn that spandex is tight. After the second run I decide to call it a day, I'm getting the sunburn headache right before I get really sick and I'm hot. I also have a class in a few hours.

After my art class I drive over to the Steiner Center to check out the latest hockey game. It's between Germany and Russia. I don't really care who wins but I hope it's a good game. Good as in 'not getting beaten so bad that the other team couldn't win with cover fire' because some of the games have been pretty one sided. Tonight was the same, Russia beat Germany, 12-1. I sit by the Russian team and kinda talk to the assistant coach who keeps walking back and forth, admiring my sunburn. At some point I offer help, because I have on a Superman tshirt and I show him. He says he doesn't understand Superman but I doubt it, who on this planet hasn't heard of Superman? Geez! Instead he prefers I cut open my shirt and flash the team for support. I politely decline and have to sit there for the last 10 minutes of the game completely embarassed. I have got to learn to not talk to strangers! Good times.

Thursday: 2/8/07: Pictures

Today I am working at the Deaflympic Store doing who knows what. They need more volunteers and I don't have hockey until 7pm so I offer my help. When I get there I am assigned to deal with the orders. The 'store' looks like a mini Gap with tables of clothes and misc. crap. Very soon after taking over the orders, I become the 'hearing person who talks/explains to the hearing customers' even the ones who don't speak any english. It's not so bad though and actually kind of fun though really busy. The place has two settings, busy or dead and it's more busy. At some point a super hot Italien guy comes in with who I hope is his sister. He wants to order some stuff and he speaks a tiny bit of English while I speak no Italian. It takes a while but we get everything figured out and he plans to come back the next day to check on the order. Oh man I hope so. There aren't really any breaks, lunch or otherwise so I eat when it's slow and runs to the bathroom right before I'm about to wet my pants. Ah memories.... Eventually I sneak out at 6pm and go home for an hour. I want to be at the Ice Center by 7pm to watch the Medal Ceremony and then help out with hocky. I have just enough time to eat something quickly and check my mail, so it's not too bad.

At the Ice Center I'm told that a lot of the other volunteers have quit due to illness. Yeah right, they just didn't like their jobs. Well, that's what I thought until I got the flu that was going around.... I am assigned to sit in the Penalty Box for Sweden (vs Canada) for the night's game. Holy crap, I get to sit next to hot hockey players? Hell yeah! I sit in the box getting mentally ready as the teams practice on the ice. One of the Swedish players hits a puck right at me but it bounces off the plexiglass. I flinch and jump several feet into the air and he apologizes. Wow, how embarassing! Ok there's a few downsides I hadn't thought of: the guys are pissed to be in there and throwing tantrums, throwing their sticks and hitting the walls. Also they are spitting all over the floor, gross. One player even tried to get the ref wet but got me instead. It's also unbelievably cold. All as romantic as I'd imagined it to be. I also get to give the ref a new puck when he needs one and the first and only time I throw it over the puck over the plexiglass, but instead it goes straight up in the air and then tries to go straight back down. I attempt a spike over the glass but it bounces off and goes in another direction. Dammit that's embarassing! I toss him another one.

Some of these players are so mad that I'm afraid I'm going to get hit! Not as if they would punch me but their stick might bounce off the plexiglass and hit me. The rest of the game quickly goes from 'wow hot players' to 'not the face!' I sorta feel like I should tell them to knock it off but I'm pretty sure they'd get a few hits in before someone pulled them off me. It's better to keep quiet. The players are sitting next to me, angry and disgusting and then it hits me, I'm sitting in the penalty box for the Deaflympics, how cool is that? I get a dopey grin which I have to quickly hide from the players. Also I start out thinking 'hockey is a rough game' then towards the end 'Sweden needs to get it's shit together and stop throwing tantrums' what the hell? All in all it was a bad first date but an awesome experience. Canada beats Sweden so bad that they actually flip the screen for 'attempted shots'. Over 100 and the game is still on.... The Swedish goalie is awesome though because for all of those attempts, Canada only made 9 goals which is pretty amazing.

I have a hard time sleepinng at night thinking about the penalty box and am I going to leave it friday night with a broken nose or what....

Friday: 2/9/07: Pictures

Today I hit the Deaflympic Store at about 10am. The store is really busy with small periods of completely dead. It's a lot of fun and I'm starting to get the hang of it. I'm still the talker but man I am exhausted. I'm getting the flu finally but it's just the portion of the experience which makes me barfy. I don't though so that's good. I have all day at the store and then another hockey game at night. It's still fun but man am I dying. It's still busy all the time and very occasionally slow. One of the volunteers decides to refold everything like the Gap, she's good.

I painted a Canadian flag on a white tshirt and get tons of questions about it, am I Canadian, why do I have the shirt, etc. It's like being famous, for my shirt....There are a ton of new orders and orders being picked up. We are closing early for a volunteer party at the Ice Center so everyone waits until the last hour before coming it. We are kicking them out the door for another 30 minutes after that. Italian guy comes back and only part of his order is in. I have a hard time communicating so he has brought an Italian to English dictionary and it's amazing. He even teaches me a little Italian. He is getting stuff for the whole Italian team and we have to ship it to them, how the hell do I explain that one? 'not here' 'mail to Italy' then he wants to know how much and it takes me 30 minutes of talking to the boss cause the order is huge. Eventually we figure everything out and he thanks me for everything. I can see the love in his eyes..... Now it's my turn to interpret again, only this time the woman is from Slovakia. Is that even a country? She loves the quilts and wants to find a store near trax so she can shop. I go over the the phone booth and get some addresses and draw maps. I'm curious about what she's going to make but now I'll never know. I should have got her email address. I did give her my cell phone number in case she gets lost though.

After I leave the store I go right to the Ice Center for the volunteer party/get ready for the hockey game. The ice cream is awesome and some of my followers come say hi. There are a few guys who keep hanging around and it's kinda funny. After Ice Cream I am assigned to sit behind Germany and get them water and whatever else they need. There are 3 young boys sitting near me and being obnoxious. I can relate so we start talking. They are there with their grandmother and are having fun so far. Whilst handing the assistant coach some water an annoying fan comes over and tells me I'm in the way. Um yeah, screw you I work here buddy. But I don't say that I merely look at him like he's an idiot and make very clear and obvious gestures that I am getting the team water. Dipshit. This is what happens when you deal with the general public. One of them eventually says something stupid to you. Germany loses to USA, 8-1. I'm happy they at least got a point.

Saturday: 2/10/07: Pictures

I wake up bright and early Saturday morning, the last day. I need a few more hours of sleep but I'm already late from being paged by work. I get to the Steiner Ice Area a bit after 8am and I see the hockey players already on the ice practicing. It's Canada vs Finland and I am the official door opener, from the ice. I have to let them on and off for the game and practice. How cool is that? I guess any time I get to be close enough to the players that I can smell them makes me happy. I brought some blue hair coloring and have streaked my hair. I wasn't planning on supporting Finland but I only had the blue and wanted something crazy for the last day. Though not too crazy compared to what I would have done if I'd have enough time and sleep. I've also been eating way too much junk food but I seem to have lost about 5 pounds, probably from not eating enough and running around a lot.

I let all the players on the ice and go sit down to watch the game. There are a lot of Canada fans and some are insane. One guy yells at the players and gives a yelling running commentary during the entire game. Anytime a goal is attempted, a player rammed into the walls or a guy changes directions, he's yelling and cheering Canada on. It's hilarious. If a Finland Fan as crazy as him had been there I bet they would have fought. The players, however, are beating the crap out of each other. There's been a couple penalties by the end of the first period and I go let the Canada team out whilst making love to them with my sexy, sexy eyes. Afterwards I go sit in the Volunteer Room for a few minutes before letting them back out. My smile says 'good luck' but my heart says 'you guys are hot'.... I pull my hair back into a pony tail so they can't see the blue streaks.

Second period and these guys are fighting more and more. The refs have to pull the players apart and again after the whistle. Finland is playing hard but Canada is just too good so the fighting increases. The Canada Fan has an impossible amount of energy and continues cheering on the players. I've seen the Finland goalie get hit in the face mask twice and the crotch once with the puck. Holy crap this is a good game. There's some local guy, ex pat from Canada who comes and sits by me and another girl and explains stuff that is happening in the game. I am still pretty clueless but I'm starting to understand more. I'm pretty awake at this point so I practice some Irish Dance for the players and other random people backstage.

Third Period: I am pretty sure at this point that this period will never end. Both teams keep getting an ever increasing amount of penalties. It's like Finland has given up winning and has just decided to beat the hell out of Canada in exchange. Little do they realize that the fighting during the game was invented in Canada. Heh. Finland gets in a few more fightsl and mercifully, the game ends. Time to let the players out.... but no, they gotta take some pictures on the ice. I know this is the last game for both teams but I don't realize that with this game, Canada has won the silver medal. Very cool. They stay out for a while taking pictures and celebrating.

My new assignment in between games is to give a burlap bag to the Canadian team and have them put their dirty towels in it. Oh baby. Too bad they won't let me into the locker room. Oh well. I stand outside talking to people and wait. I meet a few of the Finnish Players and they seem nice, young and oh so hot. I showed a few of them the blue streaks in my hair and wait for the Canadian team to hurry up with the towels. The next game has already started and I don't really have a job because of the waiting so I wander around watching and talking to people. At the start of the second period, I open the door for the Swedish Team. These were the guys I was in the penalty box with on thursday. I wish them all luck whilst secretly thinking to myself 'hey! that guy was a real tool the other night', the ones I sat with don't smile but the rest do. Pricks. The Russian fans are almost as insane as the Canadian ones and have just about filled their side of the arena. This game is going to be good. I give up on the towels and find out the main computer room is unlocked with no one guarding it so I wait inside reading Discover Magazine.

Partway through the last period Kelly, my boss comes into the room and tells me that a player has been seriously hurt and they are taking him to the emergency room. Holy crap, another first for me. I walk out to the arena and check it out, sure enough, players and medics are surrounding a player laying down on the ice. It's a guy from Sweden. The game just went from cool to sad. I see some of the kids from the opening celebrations and go say hi. They remember me! I also see a few people I met while working at the Deaflympics Store. The game is delayed about 40 minutes while they get the guy on a stretcher and into an ambulance. I didn't see what happened but he hit the wall pretty hard from what I'm told. At exactly 15:00, the buzzer goes off and the game stops. It's broken again and I tell everyone around me what happened the night before and what's going on. Lame. Russia wins 9-0 and I watch the Swedish Team walk off the ice, they take their helmets off and I see that some of them look about 15-16. Wow, very young players.

It's now the final medal ceremony. I'm taking down all of the signs and helping to clean the place up. The Russians have left the locker room a complete mess and I don't want to touch anything without gloves. Gross! I do get to see the US get the gold for hockey and I have a few pictures. I'm taking down signs and flags and moving all of the crap onto the trucks/cars. There's a lot of stuff. At about 5:30pm they let me go and I drive straight to my apartment. I take a shower and lay down for about 30 minutes before getting up and ready for the closing ceremony. I was supposed to be there at 6:30pm if I was free but I am so tired that I need the rest. I meet a couple of ladies on Trax and a drunk guy I'm trying to ignore. Sitting across from me is a girl taking high school ASL and her mom. I talk to them for a minute and then get off at the Salt Palace. I should have taught her something for her class. Oh well.

I get to the closing ceremony just barely before it starts. At some point earlier I had stopped caring about being late so it's ok. I talk to a few people inside and am assigned to stand up by the path the athletes will be taking as they get to their seats. I am quickly crowded out by people taking picture. Good, I get to go sit down but I do say hi to a few people. The lady I met at the store from Russia, she's really nice and asks how I'm doing. I don't think Russian SL has the same sign for tired but she definitely understands me. I also see the cross country skier from Italy. I like her too. I eventually get to sit and eat and the food is delicious, though I'm starving and have been living out of vending machines all week. I hang out talking to friends and other volunteers and then head home.

At the trax stop where I wait, I see a car pull over to the side of the street and a bunch of people run over to it. I'm reading a magazine so I have no idea what's going on but apparently, two girls are fighting in the car, Jerry Springer style. What the hell? The onlookers pull one of the girls out who immediately starts freaking out and gets on the same trax train as me. She was fist fighting with her sister over a boy. I guessed correctly. I eventually make it home and go to bed. It was a fun experience, exhausting but worth it and now I want to be a Deaflympic Volunteer Groupie, following them around and helping just to keep doing it. I'm going to miss everyone. I also got picked up on by 4 guys at the farewell party. I'm going to miss that too....