More Picks & Thoughts

I recorded the opening ceremonies for the Olympics since I wasn't home on Friday nite, and finally watched it on Sunday afternoon.

In the lead in to the ceremonies, they showed a clip of the head of the olympic committee, when they announced that Beijing was going to be the site of these summer olympics.

When they showed the clip I actually got a little emotional, and it took me back to the night (actually 4am) that they announced Sydney Australia would be the site for the 2000 Olympics. We had all been waiting and I was telling everyone we had it in the bag because Sydney's zip code is 2000 and it was a sign. I'm not absolutely sure of the year but it was around 1992 or so, because I was living in Sydney then, and the announcement came on a Friday early morning and I had to go to work. I had been out with friends and came home pretty late. Around 3am I heard my roommate, a jazz promoter (see australian jazz agency) Leslie come in (our schedules worked perfectly for roommates) and turn on the TV. I finally went downstairs because I was already awake, and thought i might as well watch to see if "we" got it. When i got downstairs, Leslie offered me some whiskey, he was feeling pretty good after his nite out, and we continued to drink until long after the announcement was made. It's hard to describe how high everyone in the country was that nite and for the next few days. It was almost as if the air lightened/shifted- you could feel the change in the atmosphere the minute he stumbled on the word Sydney. Needless to say i was also feeling pretty good by the time I left for work, and from my recollection, I was waiting to get my company car for my new job at that time (thank god), and I took the bus to the train to work- finding my boss sound asleep on top of his desk (he was an older gentleman, former diplomat, and he'd been at the official party when the announcement was made) .

I vowed that if I had to leave Australia I would return and do some work surrounding the 2000 Olympics. Unfortunately that didn't happen, although I did get over there and saw the main stadiums just a few months before.

Tomorrow I'm going to the Old Globe for a performance, but a behind the scenes tour first with the few of us from LEAD San Diego that signed up for it. see www.leadsandiego.org. Dinner at the Prado first, after meeting a friend for a glass of wine at WineSteals in Liberty Station, Pt. Loma.

all for now.

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