Friday, February 26, 2010

#333 - Olympics

Ok, I couldn't let the Olympics pass without reflecting back on one of the coolest work experiences I've ever had.

This will be a long, wordy post (so feel free to click away now) but I want to remember this. And remember some other memories I have of the past...so this may be a little random and strange. A free flow of my thoughts...you've been warned.

For the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City I had the opportunity to work (in television) for the figure skating competitions.
That's me above (not the one on the ice, but the one filming). Can you guess who I am filming?

Wow, these pictures are bad...wish I would have had a better camera back then.

My job was to film all the figure skating practices - seriously a dream come true.

How much of a dream, you ask? Well, I remember when I was 10 years old, I took my little brother Brian outside in the snow and spun around like we were pairs figure skaters. Poor thing. I had just watched the Russian pair figure skaters win Gold and I thought my baby brother could be my skating partner...I think he was only 2...so I had to do the lifting. Oh, I was a strange child. Sorry Brian! Hope I didn't scar you!

Ok, back to the 2002 Olympics...

Luckily my cousin Lindsay let me stay at her place, so my commute wasn't that bad....huge thanks!

Also, my cousin Michelle stayed there with me...that was fun! She was working as a reporter up in Park City for the Olympics.

I worked 16 hour days (sometimes).

Up at 5:15am and not home until midnight.
I didn't have a cell phone...how did I survive without one?

I would call from pay phones to get in touch with people...do pay phones even exist anymore?

I hung out with my family for a day and that was so exciting!

I did keep a journal during this time and look what I wrote:
"Last night I was really confused about what I want to do with my life. I love the tv business, but you work super bad hours and almost every day. The pluses are that it is so cool and there are great people to work with."

If I could just go back to my confused self and let her (me) know that it would all work out. Oh, and I'd also tell myself to stay away from the Craft Services table. And to invest in real estate after the bubble burst. And buy a better camera.

Would I tell myself to stay in the tv business? Probably...I've gotten to do/see/work on some pretty amazing stuff and travel to some cool places.

But there is still a tiny piece of me that wishes I had a more "mom" friendly profession...one day ...one day.

But, you know, if I didn't choose this profession and work at the Olympics, I don't know if I would have ever traveled to the East Coast to work, meet my husband...get married and have 1.5 wonderful kids. Things all happen for a reason.
And guess what else I wrote in my journal. "Chatted with Scott Hamilton about the skaters." I mean, how cool is that...Scott Hamilton...he was a really nice guy.

Seriously...this was one of the coolest work experiences of my life...I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

that is so cool. thanks for sharing that. cmd

tvmom said...

thanks Casi!

Kreller Kaboodle said...

that is AWESOME!!! What an experience! Figure skating is my favorite part of the Olymics! So awesome you had the experience! Very nice post! Congrats on baby number 2 on his way! :)

Maritime Girl said...

Your blog keeps getting better all the time. Keep up the good work and the reflections. Do you remember the Bette Midler Miss Ottis video and also the Sound of Music in the backyard. Those were priceless.

Michelle said...

love these memories and seeing you behind the camera. reminds me of pumping days and nightly balancing act of video equipment on the bike.

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