Even if you don't watch hockey (or understand it), you should watch the women's hockey final match for the gold between the USA and Canada tonight. It is sure to pack plenty of drama and emotion no matter who you're rooting for.
For myself, I'm quite torn, having been born in America and lived my entire life there before moving to this wonderful country Canada, which I love in a very different way and for very different reasons. I think I'll root for Americanada!
For those hockey fans out there, you realize this is a major match-up, one with echoes of the past. Flash to the Winter Olympics in 2002 in Salt Lake City, when Canada beat the USA in the women's final and snatched the gold medal (and that was on America's turf!).
Will there be home court advantage tonight? Payback? Dejavu?
We'll see! Tune in tonight, live in Vancouver at 3:30pm PST.
Go Slovakia! Errr. Go Russia! Go dykey athletes!!!!
Another afternoon/evening of fun was had yesterday. Olympic-wise, we started downtown at the Pride House (Whistler's sister, where we watched the opening ceremony). Andre (who is a doll and pictured below) with Pride House asked Dipster and I to stop by, and because I was the only one north of the border, I rolled in (with Pcake on my arm) yesterday afternoon--a beautiful, sunny afternoon I might add. Andre blogged about it yesterday.
We met some really cool people there: Ginger, MaryAnn, the Professor, Lovie, and Skipper. Just kidding. (One of the great women we met was Ginger and I just wanted to pay homage to Gilligan's Island.) Ginger and her partner, Kelly (pictured here together with yours truly), had come up for the games from Seattle. Super cool women. Their friends Maria and Jenna were also kickin' it at the Pride House, watching some downhill skiing. The Qmunity Director, Jennifer, also popped in to say hello. Kelly and Ginger just so happened to have a Curve Magazine with them, so we had a good laugh together and took some fun photos. Thanks ladies! Hope you enjoyed the hockey game!
Pcake and I then ventured out into the wild Olympic abandon and made our way to UBC's Thunderbird Arena for some women's hockey. Russia VS. Slovakia. Both teams were evenly matched and it was a great game. In the end, Russia beat Slovakia 4-2. There were many things I loved about going to see women's Olympic hockey, but one of the big things was that every single person on the ice was female, even the refs, and you could feel the estrogen reverberating off the ice like the beat of a base drum. The female heartbeat was alive! Also, we enjoyed all the many many many lezzies in the crowd rooting on our Slavic and Russian sisters.
We ended the night with a bang: fireworks! Every night at David Lam Park--Live City Yaletown--they do a huge music show and then end it with amazing fireworks. We hung out with Patty's family and watched the show from a perfect vantage point: the 25th floor of a condo in Yaletown. Not a bad view! You could almost feel the heat from the explosions. Beyond the impressive pyrotechnics, there was one really cool element to the celebration that inspired me. The photo slide show played off the water's spray. It's hard to see in photo and the video, but those sprays of water had images of Winter Olympic athletes playing on them. Click on image below to see up close. Super cool!
Me again, giving you your daily dose from the Olympic trenches...
Back in the Couv. In the afternoon yesterday--a glorious spring-like day--Pcake and I played tourist in our own city and went down to see the flame. You may have heard about the controversy surrounding (so to speak) the flame, cuz people were mad they couldn't get close enough. They had it encircled by Olympic covered fences and you could only see top of it and from far way. VANOC made some changes earlier last week (getting people closer, altering the fence and adding a viewing point) and people can get closer, but we were the real lucky ones: our beloved family member Pam works in the building adjacent to the flame and she let us up onto their atrium so we got an amazing bird’s eye view.
You Yankees might recognize some of the buildings and the rings in this slide show from NBC’s coverage in these photos. The building with slanted eaves and grass on the roof is where NBC and all the other million media affiliates are broadcasting from.
Women’s hockey tonight! Unfortunately, not USA or Canada, but a 7pm puck drop for Slovakia and Russia. We’ll still be there with bells on!
Where do I even begin??? The women's downhill combined event yesterday was an absolutely amazing experience--one of the most exhilarating times in my life. it's hard to put words around the energy at these Olympic games and all the wisps of activity swirling around them. It's just so palpable.
By now, you know Olympic darling Lindsey Vonn crashed at the end of her run yesterday, so no spoilers here. Most everyone else skiied amazing and the sun was so high and bright, keeping us all warm thorughout the morning and into the afternoon. After the medals ceremony, we waited to around and got to meet and greet some of the USA Olympic team. Kaylin Richardson was SOOO nice and even jumped the fence to get a photo with us. We waited for Lindsey, too, and we finally got our moment with her. She signed Pcake's ticket and was also so gracious and sweet, despite having just spilled down the mountain and been disqualified from the event. She is SUPER sexy. MEOW!
Hope you enjoy the slideshow; there were so many photos I had to create an online album.
Woa! Things are really ramping up here in Vancouver and Whistler. We had to buzz back to Vancouver earlier this week to get some bizness done and celebrate a friend's birthday, but arrived back in Whistler last night to an engulfing Olympic spirit.
After some sushi, Pcake and I cruised the Village and were swept away by the Olympic energy that has swelled here in Whistler! We just missed the medals ceremony where Lindsay Vonn received her medal, but arrived to Celebreation Plaza for the party afterwards. The "world" spirit is so fabulous and fascinating! Being surrounded by so many people from all over the world so excited to be alive is at times moving. Pcake and I both felt that last night here in Whistler. The photos don't do any justice (as usual), but we had such fun!
Before we arrived, we stopped in downtown Vancouver at Robson Square to see our good friend Bonnie Ste. Croix perform for the Olympics. If you don't know Bonnie, you SHOULD! Her voice is like delicious spoonful of warm caramel--mmmm mmmm good. She sang a set and the crowd loved her! After the show, as we were just hanging out, gold medalist Maelle Ricker walked by with her Vancouver PD security detail on her way to a TV interview. She stopped and waved at our little crowd. She ROCKED the snowboard cross two days ago!
We're just getting ready now to leave for today's women's downhill, which gave Lindsay Vonn a gold medal and most of the other women many bruises. We couldn't believe all the spills--they were so hard to watch. Rumor has it they've made some changes to the course overnight, so here's hoping no one gets hurt today. More to come later...
GO CANADA!! We've finally done it! We've won gold on our own turf! Alexandre Bilodeau took home the men's freestyle crown! We were with friends at the base of Whistler mountain when Canada won the gold and everyone went cah-razy! Putting a touching spin on the win was Alexandre's brother, who has cerebral palsy
Because the women's downhill event was canceled yesterday, we just hung out in the village and enjoyed Valentine's Day. Hope everyone's enjoying the games!
How about those Opening Ceremonies?! We were blown away up here and so proud of the amazing job VANOC did. Aside from that one little phallic glitch (Patty said the fourth caldron needed viagra), it was absolutely stunning! My favorite parts included: the whales swimming in the floor, the mountains and the red skiers, the little boy who flew through the prairies, Sarah McLachlan's beautiful song and the special effects, the Anne Murray cameo and--of course--the barefoot dyke who brought down the house: kd lang singing Hallelujah.
In case you missed kd's song, enjoy a very similar rendition below... Every big country up here has a host "House" for people to visit and for their people to hang out in. We visited the "Swiss House" a couple days ago (they're serving up bratwursts and bier) and on Friday we hung out in the "Pride House," hosted by GayWhistler.com. It was a great space and was very warm and welcoming, a place for the LGBT athletes and visitors to take a load off, have a drink, eat and just chill. The bronze pictured here is called "Slapashotolus," inspired by the famous discus bronze. Classic!
The women's downhill alpine was postponed today. Good news for America's sweetheart Lindsay Vonn, bad news for us--we had tickets. It was rescheduled for Thursday. We also scored women's hockey tickets for Saturday--a playoff game, teams TBD. Very excited for that! Those bitches play just as hard as the dudes! Canada beat Slovakia yesterday 18-0. Ouch.
I met Barb on the Olivia Cruise. Barb is a fan of bright and sparkly things that light up, as you can see from her Halloween costume. While on the Olivia Cruise, Barb bought an amazing glass, but when she set it down to go dance, someone walked away with her prize possession. Barb tried and tried to get a replacement while on the cruise, but came away empty-handed.
She was sad, but determined. After getting home, Barb tracked down Holland America customer service and eventually had a glass shipped to her from a ship near Seattle. As you can see, Barb is very happy to have her special glass.
It's the world coming and turning their eyes to British Columbia. As the snow falls outside our window, the cars are winding up the sea-to-sky highway making their way to Whistler. They're also circling the airport in 747s from all over the world getting ready to land and go through customs before descending upon Vancouver.
If you'd like a sneak peak of the Olympic mayhem, watch the Today Show. They've been here this week covering many different angles and Natalie Morales has been live from outside the Longhorn (our favorite place for apres ski in Whistler). We went up on the mountain earlier this week to ski and it was a eerie ghost town. Even though nearly 80% of the mountain is still open, people would rather be sipping toddies in the village than treading the slopes. Not us. We enjoyed a wonderfully sunny day in heaven. Last night we hit the village again to ride the Olympic wave some more and it was really exciting. We snapped some photos with the Olympic rings and then hit the Bearfoot Bistro to experience the Belvedere Ice Room, where we sampled vodkas from all over the world. Brrrr. It was 30 degrees below zero (C) and I was in a skirt! More to come soon...
The sports fans are arriving in Vancouver and Whistler, likes ants headed to the anthill, and we continue to enjoy ourselves up here in the Canadian Rockies waiting for the Olympics to begin.
Yesterday, we got to play in a bobsleigh and scored some tickets to Womens Alpine Skiing. It's a medal event and we can walk there--bonus!
There is a lot of buzz about the Opening Ceremony, which is being shaped and rehearsed in downtown Vancouver right now. Rumor has it some big names will perform.
I have a hunch Sarah McLachlan will be there to sing her new Olympic song: One Dream.
I remember, back when I was just coming out, an amazing music festival that blew through my hometown. It was called Lilith Fair and it was revolutionary for its time. Only women performers, the best on the planet.
With clarity, I remember watching Jewel, the Indigo Girls and Sarah McLachlan sing "Water is Wide" a capella together 20 feet away from where I was sitting. I remember running from the bathroom as Martina McBride took the stage and laid down a "Broken Wing" that had most people around me in tears. I remember being near a fence that lined the backstage and seeing Natalie Merchant making her way to perform. She walked over to the chainlink to the few of us waiting in line for a hot dog and said "People actually live here?" It was summertime in Arizona and she was right: it was hard to believe people survived in 115 degree heat. Playfully, Natalie said she was melting.
Those are just a sprinkle of the wonderful memories I have from the the original round of Lilith Fairs from the late nineties, but they won't stop there, the legacy in continuing this summer with Lilith Fair 2010. It will include many of today's hottest female artists. To name a few: Tegan and Sara, Sugarland, Norah Jones, Brandi Carlisle, Corinne Bailey Rae, Beth Orton and more! For a list, go here.
Many vintage favorites will join the tour again, too: Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow, Sugarland, Mary J. Blige, Heart, Emmylou Harris, Indigo Girls.
If you don't know anything about Lilith, Sarah McLachlan (and others) started this estrogen-charged traveling music festival. For the 2010 summer tour, the cities have been released as well as many artists names, but no dates or venues confirmed. Become Sarah's fan on Facebook to keep up to speed on all-things-Lilith. Thank you Sarah!
After making its was across Canada toward Vancouver, the Olympic torch arrived in Whistler on Friday to much fanfare. While they didn't ask Patty or I to be a part of the Olympic relay (do they know who we are?!), the flames arrival is still buzzing through the Village. The photo included here is of Shania Twain, who lit the flame in her hometown (Timmins, Ontario) a month ago.
While gallivanting around Whistler Village yesterday, we ran into one of the people who was lucky enough to be part of the relay. She posed for a photo with us and said they get to run 300 meters with the flame before handing it off to the next relay member (and she got to keep the torch!). Beyond the flame (it was lit in ancient Olympia, Greece in October), which is the biggest Olympic symbol--second only to the colorful rings--Whistler and Vancouver are all ready to host the big party next week. When we left Vancouver, nearly every single parking meter had been bagged, Olympic traffic lanes had been added and everyone was a little on-edge waiting to see if anyone's going to show up. Surprisingly, the streets were eerily quiet (because there is nowhere to park), everyone is taking public transit. It's like the perfect Utopian society without cars on the road or smog.
We are headed out today to wait in line to hopefully score some tickets, so keep your fingers crossed. More soon...
Apple announced today that it has developed a breast implant that can store and play music. The iTit will cost from $499 to $699, depending on cup and speaker size. This is considered a major social breakthrough, because women are always complaining about men staring at their breasts and not listening to them.
An old friend of mine, Ryan Page, co-directed this amazing film coming out soon. It's called "Blood into Wine: The Arizona Stronghold" and its red carpet premiere is February 19th at the W Hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The movie is the widely anticipated documentary that shares the story of Tool/A Perfect Circle/Puscifer front man Maynard James Keenan and his mentor Eric Glomski as they pioneer winemaking in the hostile deserts of Arizona.
Check here for other screenings around the country. I wish it were coming to Vancouver!
DETAILS Friday, February 19th 6pm W Scottsdale, Arizona Wine + hors d'oeuvres included To get tickets, go HERE.
A measured blend of guidance, wit and sincerity from the femme and the butch perspective, Lipstick & Dipstick is a punchy advice column in CURVE Magazine, the nation's best-selling lesbian magazine.
"Finally! What we've been missing from Oprah and Dr Phil!! Lip and Dip bring unflinching truth to gay gals who are in, near or want a relationship. And they drench it all with great gobs of humor. Irresistible."
Honey Labrador said:
"Get ready to learn all you ever wanted to know (and more that you never wanted to know) about that girl you are SURE is 'the one' in Lipstick & Dipstick's Essential Guide to Lesbian Relationships. A real page turner and eye opener...but most of all, with a sense of humor! If we can't laugh at ourselves ladies, than who will? Thanks for the insights...better late than never!"
Diane Anderson-Minshall said:
"Move over Dan Savage and out of the way Ann Landers. There's a new guru in town (two of them!) and they're dishing out sexy, saucy, ribald and totally irreverent advice for girls who can't say no, aren't in the know, or are still on the down low. Lipstick & Dipstick's Essential Guide to Lesbian Relationships from Alyson Books tackles everything from titillating first dates to vengeful ex lovers, bisexual babes, and the top five wedding no-nos (only a couple of dykes would put strippers and Styrofoam on the same list). Want to know when to take the plunge? Dipstick's quiz will have you down on your knees or running for cover. Does your girlfriend talk to her softball coach 17 times a day? Apparently Lipstick knows just the answer. Though you may disagree with the sometimes incisive, sometimes flippant recommendations-heck, they disagree with each other-you can bet that what you're reading is a well tested, hard-to-find, how-to guide to life as a lesbian in the '00s. No lesbian should be without it."
Go Camerica!!!!
about going to see women's Olympic hockey, but one of the big things was that every single person on the ice was female, even the refs, and you could feel the estrogen reverberating off the ice like the beat of a base drum. The female heartbeat was alive! Also, we enjoyed all the many many many lezzies in the crowd rooting on our Slavic and Russian sisters.
Woa! Things are really ramping up here in Vancouver and Whistler. We had to buzz back to Vancouver earlier this week to get some bizness done and celebrate a friend's birthday, but arrived back in Whistler last night to an engulfing Olympic spirit.
We're just getting ready now to leave for today's women's downhill, which gave Lindsay Vonn a gold medal and most of the other women many bruises. We 
couldn't believe all the spills--they were so hard to watch. Rumor has it they've made some changes to the course overnight, so here's hoping no one gets hurt today. More to come later...
GO CANADA!! We've finally done it! We've won gold on our own turf! Alexandre Bilodeau took home the men's freestyle crown! We were with friends at the base of Whistler mountain when Canada won the gold and everyone went cah-razy! Putting a touching spin on the win was Alexandre's brother, who has cerebral palsy
The women's downhill alpine was postponed today. Good news for America's sweetheart Lindsay Vonn, bad news for us--we had tickets. It was rescheduled for Thursday. We also scored women's hockey tickets for Saturday--a playoff game, teams TBD. Very excited for that! Those bitches play just as hard as the dudes! Canada beat Slovakia yesterday 18-0. Ouch.
If you'd like a sneak peak of the Olympic mayhem, watch the Today Show. They've been here this week covering many different angles and Natalie Morales has been live from outside the Longhorn (our favorite place for apres ski in Whistler).
After making its was across Canada toward Vancouver, the Olympic torch arrived in Whistler on Friday to much fanfare. While they didn't ask Patty or I to be a part of the Olympic relay (do they know who we are?!), the flames arrival is still buzzing through the Village. The photo included here is of Shania Twain, who lit the flame in her hometown (Timmins, Ontario) a month ago.
While gallivanting around Whistler Village yesterday, we ran into one of the people who was lucky enough to be part of the relay. She posed for a photo with us and said they get to run 300 meters with the flame before handing it off to the next relay member (and she got to keep the torch!).
