Ready, set...

Tomorrow I join the blue army, reporting for work at the Big House.

No, I haven't joined the military or become a prison guard: I'm donning my volunteer uniform and starting my Olympic job. Over the next six weeks, I'll be working part-time at the Olympic Media Centre, which is home to close to 3,000 journalists plus thousands of employees from Olympic broadcasters like CTV and NBC. For one month, major news outlets will relocate huge parts of their operations all under this roof, and more than likely any articles you read or images you see from the games will pass through this building at least once before reaching you. The main work space in the building isn't unlike a giant newsroom from the '50s, minus the heavy cigarette smoke plus a whole lot more flatscreens. In this one newsroom, there's space for more than 500 people and competing news outlets are working shoulder to shoulder to report the winning team. It's going to be madness: I can't wait.

A good chunk of my time will be assisting with the press conferences being held at the media centre - which, depending on the announcements, could be madness of another kind. Who knows? I could be rubbing shoulders with Manny Osborne-Paradis! Or Britt Janyk! Sidney Crosby! While my patriotism is killing me to admit this, I also kinda hope that this will somehow mean I'll cross paths with Lindsey Vonn.

But life isn't as simple (is it ever?) as having just one job. For the games, it's all hands on deck. A friend in Whistler described himself as having three jobs that would each take half his time, and it's pretty much the same for me. I'll also be taking shifts at other desks and centres (including Whistler) and other specific games-time responsibilities. And then, of course, there's the (vastly smaller, thank goodness) part of my day-to-day job that doesn't stop while the Olympics is happening.

Over at Granville Island, meanwhile, you'll find Scott, managing his own version of madness. Granville Island a hub for the city on a normal day and during the games, it will be even more of a draw. The Swiss have set up their headquarters in one corner, Coca-Cola in another: the Francophones have a multiday festival throughout the month, and - perhaps most importantly for the Fraser clan - Atlantic Canada House (that includes PEI) will be making their base here too. There'll also be a direct streetcar line from the Athlete's Village, so the odd national team might wander through from time to time too.

Then there's the non-work fun that Scott and I will try to fit in, including events that we have tickets to (hint: we have plans on February 12, 17, 23, 24 and 26), the many country houses & pavillions to visit (hint: apparently Holland knows how to throw a party) plus all the fun going on in the streets and in the pubs (hint: in Irish bars the beer always flows, the TVs are always big, and the crowds are always, um, enthusiastic)... Whew. We're a month out from the opening and already my calendar is full.

So, an image to consider when you think of me:


In my Olympic uniform and slugging back the coffee to get me through to March.