The Torch came to Kingston!

What a day. I was excited all day.... talking about the torch, about my run, and the new run. I wore my jacket but felt a bit stupid wearing it... but its a monumental moment in time... what better day to wear it again.

Most of the staff from the school walked to Maple street about 1:50 and waited almost 30 minutes for the flame to fly by us. How cool that right where we were standing, the waiting torch bearer was planted... with his flameless torch. He is a young man named Trevor from Truro, somewhere. It was nerve wrecking for him with everyone taking his picture and he was standing there for like 20 minutes. At first, I stayed back, understanding his stress, but then I thought, what... am I crazy... here is a picture. The old meets the new... I made sure and cozied up to him and had a photo moment.

One of the camera clickers told me to touch the torch but I didn't feel right... it was his moment.. not mine. I asked if I could put my hand on his hand...and he agreed, joyfully. When I placed my hand on his... he was absolutely shaking so badly, I felt the motherly need to put my arm around him and I whispered... I know how your feeling. Try and enjoy every moment... it will stay with you forever!!!

He nodded, and said thank you... and I left him to the camera clickers. Who knows if he even heard me!

Then the wait. It seemed to take forever, but I bet Trevor felt like it was an hour! When the caravan of vans came down the road, the thin but plentiful crowd at this end of town started to cheer and wave flags. Both schools (staff only) were lining the streets, as there was no school for the children today. It was so nice to be a part of it all. When the first guy came closer to our little Trevor he greeted him with a big grin, a knowing hug and a loud energized cheer! Trevor was more subdued since he was so nervous, he couldn't really take it all in (my opinion only!!). Guy number 1, then tipped his torch towards the awaiting torch and passed along the flame. This was very cool.

I believe each hand off is celebrated with the "lighting of the torch".

Then our Trevor was off....

Kingston School was cheering loud and waving our little flags. I hope he could hear us!

My favorite moment? The experience was very different than what I had

experienced in 1987. It would be like comparing apples and oranges. I felt a connection to the runners, I understood what all the caravans were for, and I understood what they were feeling. I had three favorite moments.

1. Trevor's trembling hands. His trembling brought back all the

emotion I was feeling, and I know if he was a girl, he would have been crying!

2. The passing of the "flame". This was unique, and symbolic.

The torch was beautiful. At first, when looked at out of context, the torch

looked kind of odd, not torch like. But, being there, seeing the flame spread down the top half of the torch, its wide flame dancing backwards... it was majestic!

3. This guys face. I don't even know him. He was guy #1. We waited with Trevor for this guy, all excited... anticipating.. When he arrived, he was exhilarated, pumped, and he was eager to pass along the flame.

But after Trevor left with the torch, there he stood... guy # 1, done. It was over. Its in his face. He said quietly to the crowd, that was amazing. I then got a lump, as I watched him walk onto the waiting van.. watched him sit down... quietly and alone on the bus. He was the first runner of this team.

It was wonderful to be a part of.. and I hope I get to see another Olympics come through our country.

My cousin Dave carried the torch tonight in Lunenburg area, and I know when we see each other again, we will have a lot to talk about. Caroline Winters carried the torch in Greenwood, and I can't wait to see how things went...

And that is it... I end this week of Torching... but its still November, and even though I have the start of a cold.. I must blog... every day... until Nov 30.... oh... and no sugar this month either.. ugh.. this is all getting to be a big much!

My day with the Flame-Dec 18 -Day 32

You can't imagine the nervousness, excitement and disbelief I was in on the day of my run. I was working at Alliance Communications in those days and worked only evenings. I was on the schedule to work an ungodly 13 shifts in a row.. from 3pm to 11pm and the last shift was the day of my run. The company broke down and gave me the night off so I could do the run (but not without some foot-stomping on my part)

We had received information at some point in the mail as to how to dress for the day.. depending on the weather conditions. I had long johns and a turtle neck and who knows what else. They were giving us our running outfit once we got to the Pre Run location. It was an amazingly well coordinated event when I arrived. Terry and the girls, my mother in law, Joan,and my sister in law, Kelly were with me and dropped me off 2 hours before my run. They went off and found a spot along the crowded country road to watch for me.

We had rented a video camera, which was pretty high tech for the time. It was as big as a small car, and you could fit a VCR tape right into the machine. Kelly was the camera man for the run.

The 2 hours before the run was almost as amazing as the run itself. There were 10 of us on my team. We would each run a full kilometer. We would be the team that goes through Gananoque and halfway to Kingston. The ten of us stayed together for that day... really, and to share such excitement with these people from all walks of life, and all different stories was amazing. We truly were like family by the end of it. After we got our outfits on, we sat around in an organized group, adrenaline surging..

We each were asked questions about our particular quest for the torch, and this really opened the conversations up. Their stories were amazing. One lady put in 1000 ballots; she asked for 6 different days. They explained that the choosing of names was done by physically drawing names out of boxes in the order of which time slot you had. Not locations so much. Each one was giving a time... I was 1:53pm by the way, 68th runner of the day. Anyway, the lady who had 1000 ballots... her ballot was drawn... to run right past her Bed and Breakfast home & business right in the middle of her home town. Another girl was running because her brother put in 39 ballots for himself and put ONE in for her... she got picked. The guy running after me, Mark Owen, was an 18 year old boy from Brockville who was in his first year of university in Maine (I think). He put in one ballot. The date of his run was the same day as his last exam for that term. He wrote a letter to ask permission to have the day to go to the run, and he was denied. He came anyway!

We laughed with each other, we signed each other's certificates, we posed for pictures and we chatted, chanted and danced the whole time we were together..

We were constantly cheering, and as they walked us out to our awaiting Caravan, we sang, held hands and shivered with excitement. We got in this big motor home type vehicle and were driven out of town to wait for the last runner of the team before us. We all piled out of the motor home and did some warming up (as if any of us needed that!!)... Our team had two torches with us.. both unlit. They were full of fuel.. ready to be lit, as the last runner of the team ahead of us had very little fuel left in his torch. Apparently they radioed ahead to tell our coordinator. Each torch burns for 45 minutes, so we needed to have two ready, since each of us would run approximately 8 minutes. We got to hold the unlit torch and it was humbling, I must say. We waited by the side of the road, as the runner appeared ahead. We screamed and cheered (not another soul was around us, just 10 crazy torchers). The last runner, lit the torch of our first runner... and I burst into tears... a few of us hugged and then we were rushed into the motor home to start our trek. That was the last time I got to see the torch until it was placed in my hand. We were always ahead of it, and we missed the excitement of the crowds, but we hugged and cried as each person was dropped off at their spot on the highway! The radio in the motor home was filled with communication between the vans and trucks and people that made up the entourage.

I was number 8 of the ten... and as we dropped off each person, we became a little more quiet, a little more nervous... when it was my turn, I got my final hug and I was dropped on the side of a deserted highway... all alone. I waited.... only 5 minutes... I started to cry immediately when the torch was put into my hands, and I apologied to my "guard". She laughed and said everyone cried!

In the video you will see, it starts with a full minute of my hubby, my two little daughters, Michelle in Terry's arms, and Stephanie with my mother in law. Kelly was carrying the 50 lb camera, and was getting a lesson on how to work it, and she scanned the horizon to show the massive crowd of people that were there to cheer me on!

We were told in our Pre Run, we were NOT to stop at all in the crowds. We were NOT allowed to let anyone touch the torch..... hee hee... but no one was going to stop me from letting my kids touch the torch! There is only a few seconds of me.... but I am so happy to have this memory on film.

You will notice the the Torch Guard changes sides when we come close to the scary guy on the side of the road, in case he mobs me. That was Terry. She was there to protect me!! I was the token "mom" on our team and had the youngest kids, so the man who talks to my kids is one of the coordinators. I told him that my kids were GOING to touch the torch... and he cheered

me on!

The moment I got to share the flame with my family, I felt so victorious, and energized, I really forgot that I was carrying the torch. My next 5 minutes flew by and I almost forgot to wave at a small cluster of farm folk who drove to the end of their driveway to see the Torch go by. And then it was over.

My student friend, Mark, stood waiting for me, and I slowed to a crawl when I got closer to him. I didn't want to give him the torch. He snapped this picture of me, and it says it all. I was happy and sad....~... exhilarated and exhausted. Months later when he mailed the picture to me (how sweet he was to take the time to send it, eh) I said to Terry, this is it. This is the picture that says it all. Its over :(

After I passed him the torch, we hugged yet again, and I was left to stand, alone again. A few cars back, there was a van, that scooped me up. And there I sat, with 7 of my teammates. Some stared straight ahead, some cried, but no one spoke. It was a long quiet drive back to the center, where all our belongings were..and where we were to meet our families. Once there, we mingled and chatted, we hugged one more time and then .... it was really over.

Months later, on Feb 13, I watched TV as my torch was carried up several steps and set to ignite the Olympic Torch in Calgary. I cried hysterically again, knowing I had been a part of this amazing event.

I invite you to click here and see the end.. the lighting of the TORCH in Calgary!

Thank you for allowing me to "Share the Flame" with you over the last few days. It was very important for me to write this week of blogs, to explain the whole story. I will never forget the experience, but it is so nice to have it in a venue that I can save and share.

Tomorrow, the 2010 Olympic Torch will be coming through my little village and I will be there to cheer and wave. I will know in my heart what those torch bearers are feeling, and I will cry.

the hype in Calgary...

I am writing this a little backwards, as I am going to ask you to watch this new broadcast of when the Flame arrived in Calgary, on its last day. You will hear about the amazing feat it was to travel all that way. It truly was perfectly coordinated, with thousands of runners, 10s of thousands of volunteers and trucks, vans and "pre run" people, "post run" people... clothing, food, photographers.... Now remember this little fact... there was no such thing as cellphones, email, texting, gps, computers were the size of a large microwave, and not in people homes. When the people from Petro-Canada were praised on this video, they couldn't have known that 22 years later, this would be happening all over again, across the country.. but with the use of all the newest technology.

One thing I want you to notice is that with each runner there is a "guard" running beside you. That person wears a different outfit, with more white on it, and navy blue on their shoulders. There job is to "guard" the torch. When we were in our "Pre Run" meeting, the guy told us that this guard would run beside and a little behind you, so that you would not feel pressured to run fast, or anything, but he was there to help you if the crowd came toward you, or if you fell, they would take care of the torch. We giggled at this comment, but then he explained that the torch was an open vessel full of fuel, and if it tipped or fell, that oil could spill on us or anyone, and ignite. There were only 250 torches made (you can read obout it in my brochure on yesterday's blog ) so they wanted as few as possible to get damaged.

In the video of the last day of the run, there were so many people that were trying to get close to the torch, that the Torch Guards were really working hard to keep the crowds away from the runner and the torch. The hype was that everyone wanted to touch the torch... and the guards were sometimes lighting a candle off the torch and passing it to the crowd for them to light their own candles (which were handed out free to the crowds, with a drip guard that simulated the torch).

The quality of this video is somewhat terrible, but you have no idea what I (and Scott) had to do to get this video.. its a bloody miracle it plays at all. The audio is delayed by almost 30 seconds, and its fairly dark and blurry.. but it tells a great story. The real video is on Youtube and if you want a better quality click here. The crowds are an amazing contrast to my stark and lonely run, but truly, I wouldn't change my day for any thing.

If the video doesn't work at all.. go to my real blog at http://peterssm.blogspot.com

Tomorrow, I will finish up the Relay blogging... with a video of my day... then I will stop yapping about it!

Share the flame

Every month for the rest of the year, there was new information mailed to my house. There were forms, disclaimers, route maps, training brochures and "how to make the best of your day" brochures. This page was from the booklet that came in the mail to every home in Canada, telling us about the torch relay. This had the route map for my area where I lived at the time.

My very first Brochure said "Welcome to the team!" You are one of only 7195 Canadians

will have the honour of carrying the olympic torch. That was an amazing feeling. There wasn't another soul that I knew, who was to carry the torch. The brochure also laid out how I was to get into shape for my run, which consisted of 1 km (no matter what the weather, eeek!!) and I had to carry a 4 lb torch at shoulder's height. It gave you pointers on how to start a walk/run program now, in order to be in shape and ready for your 1 km. They gave a few samples of warm up exercises, and then advised you to carry a 1.8 kg weight with you as you did your walk/run, and flexed your arm up and down to build up strength. Geesh, I never really considered that I would actually have to RUN and CARRY a heavy torch!!!!

But like a keener... I started my walk/run practice routine, along with carrying for 2 little girls, a full time job and we bought a new house and moved into it during this time! We had moved to a new subdivision full of half built houses. I was pretty lucky because it was fairly unpopulated there, so people wouldn't see me panting and gasping for air!!!

Terry worked with metal lathes, at the time, at RMC (constructing custom made metal boxes for the computers to go into F18 aircrafts). He came home one day with a beautifully "lathed" brass bar. It weighed exactly 1.8kg and it became my practice torch. So, please picture this ...... a subdivision filled with construction workers, a tired ole mom of two, walking and occasionly running, gasping and sputtering, and branishing a 4 lb brass bar high above my head. The average "Joe" or "Jane" in the city (including lots of my friends) didn't know a thing about the Torch relay..therefore, not many would know what I was doing... resulting in me looking somewhat stupid. I still have my practice torch... I love Terry for making it for me. For a reality check, lift a bag of sugar up to shoulder height with one hand, and carry it for 8 minutes...ugh... heavy.

I was somewhat shy about the whole thing, so I didn't really tell many I was running. My closest friends and relatives all knew, but not many felt the need to come watch. Looking back, I don't know why Archie didn't come and watch me carry the torch. I wish he had been there. As the commercials started to play on TV, I started to get pretty nervous and excited. It just started to feel a little bit real. Have a look at the two commercials that played every day here and here. Some of you might remember them....

This appeared in the Herald just a few days before I ran, and having survived the old MicMac Rotary on many occasions (sometimes barely), this made me laugh hysterically. Only local oldies will know where and what the MicMac Rotary was

The Olympics are coming to Canada...

The flame is coming through Kingston on Friday, November 20th... Its all very exciting but it just that much more exciting because there is no school for the students and they will be able to line the streets of our little village to cheer the flame on!

With all the "Flame" talk around town, I am thinking about my own experience with the Olympic Torch Relay. I am so excited to share the whole story with anyone who wants to read about it. It was a pretty accomplishment for Canada... and I totally enjoyed my little 1km part in the whole thing.

For me, it all began in January of 1987, when I was a young mom of a newborn and a 2.5 year old. We received in the mail, a brochure.. like any junk mail flyer, the announcement that the Torch Relay was going to go across Canada starting on Nov 17, and that every kilometer it traveled would be carried by ordinary Canadians. If you wanted to participate in the Torch Relay, all you had to do was fill out a ballot at any Petro Canada gas station. Hummm... what a cool idea. That was it. Just a fun thought. But over the next few days, it stewed in my head for a few days and then I went to Petro Canada and picked up a ballot.

When I shared this idea with Terry's grandparents who lived not far from us, Terry's

grandfather Archie (see Remembrance Day Blog) said he would pick one up for me on his walk each day. Well, it couldn't hurt to have a few ballots I thought. So, Archie picked up 6 each day, because he walked to three Petro Canadas each day. On the ballot, you had to chose what day you wanted to run, and after looking at all the days that were near me... I chose Day 31 (Ottawa), Day 32 Kingston and Day 33 Trenton.

In the end, I think I had a total of 535 ballots entered by the end of February thanks to Papa Archie and his winter walks. I was sure that was the most ballots that any one person could possibly put in. Later on, I would find out that some people had thousands of ballots.

In May I received a letter from WATTS, a Contest company of some sort saying that they were a judging organization and that I had been selected but I had to fill out forms and sent them back by a certain date before being

considered a winner... can you imagine!! I only remember reading the letter and wondering what the heck this meant. I filled out the papers and mailed them back immediately and then waited each day for a letter. Let me remind you.. this was well before emails existed. When it came, it was a form letter stating that I was indeed a torchbearer for Day 32. There would be 106 runners on that day and it was between Brockville and Millhaven.

Let me explain about this particular Torch Relay. Never before had there been a relay like this. First it was the longest relay, coldest and most complex ever staged. For the first time, an entire country had been given the opportunity to participate. It would take 88 days, 18,000 km and 7000 people will carry the torch. The brochure said that the torch would be as close as a 2 hour drive from every Canadian to come and see. The USA had a torch relay but only athletes or the famous were invited to carry it.

In the next few days, I am going to share with you the whole event. An amazing event. I have downloaded a couple of videos... a commercial, a news broadcast and of course... me... about 1.5 minutes of my run. Its too much for one blog. So, stay tuned ...

LINE UP... addictive...

Yup, an iPod Touch/iPhone game... free..

We have had so much fun with this game all weekend. We all downloaded it, and its sooo addictive. I couldn't blog because I had to play this...

My top score is 1852... Michelle's top is 1872... Terry has finally got over 1000, and Scott has just started playing (he did homework all weekend).. and hasn't made it past 1000.

So this blog wins the award for most pathetic blog subject! Sorry.. brain dead...

Oh, have I told you lately-about how I love Saturdays...

Well, have you hear then, that I hate doing garbage.. its not true, though. I don't hate doing garbage... I just don't do garbage.!!! The whole time Terry was planning on leaving to go away, I kept saying, "but who is going to do the garbage?". He would just laugh. The day he left, he said he put the garbage out in the middle of the garage floor, so I would see it... Then it was my turn to laugh. ugh

In a giggly conversation with Debbie on Monday morning (at 5:55am on our frosty walk) I was lamenting about how I hate doing garbage and here it was "Garbage Week". She informed me that Wednesday, our normal garbage day, what not happening... because of Remembrance Day. That was hilarious to me... but then she said, it was now going to be on Saturday. Oh.... if it was just moved to next Monday, Terry would be home... and I wouldn't have to do the garbage!!!! Oh well, I may or may not do the garbage.. we would see.

My week alone has been heavenly to say the least. I know it sounds heartless, or that I don't miss Terry. Its hard to explain, but it was nice... to not cook, to lay on the bed and not have to explain that I was tired. Don't get me wrong; its wonderful to have someone who cares about you and worry if your laying on the bed, but it was a nice little break, I guess. Oh, like I just said, its hard to explain. This is truly the first time since 1992 that I have been entirely alone. And I have really enjoyed it.

Terry comes home tomorrow. He is on his way back from Ontario now, and will stop to visit my Aunt Angeline in Quebec City for lunch, drop her some deer meat, and then drive the next 7 hours to my sisters house. He will be 6 hours away from here at that point, and sometimes he drives straight though, and other times he stays the night there and comes home. I hope he stays tonight because its just too long a drive for anyone.

Michelle and Scott arrived last night, with Lucy and the two cats. We kept all the pets separated last night, but this morning they started to mingle a little (minus Lucy). There was some hissing, some stalking, and a few slaps... but all in all.. Stephanie's two, and Michelle's two... are getting along pretty good. The challenge will be to introduce the doggie into the mix. That will be another time!

Oh... and Saturday.. Garbage Day........ hee hee hee. Gotta love the Son-in-law!

Pika misses his dad.. that's for sure.. and Scottie is the next best thing. Poor Scott can't sit down without Pika snuggling up on him.