Hey!! Guess what?! I have FINALLY solved the photo problems I was having.. and Photojournalist Rod Stevens gets to post his missing blog. Yay!! It's funny because I basically send my blog to Portland and then Portland sends it back to Italy to this company that then posts them in the Ozone area (www.nbcolympics.com). Well, I made direct contact with the company here and it graciously agreed to expedite fixing the problems.

If you're reading this then you are checking out the health blog as opposed to the mirror image at www.nbcolympics.com. This health blog has been problem free because I have control over it.

You get a bonus photo: this is Mark Johnson from KTVB in Boise Idaho. Those are the mics we use here to "track our audio" (translation: record our voice on tape). You push it against your upper lip and it cuts out almost all of the background noise. But, I bet if you listen closely you can hear that it sounds a little funny.

What else is new? Well, the hours are longer than Greece because I have to come in so early to send back audio for my stories. As a result I haven't been out on the town yet, but that's okay. I got to see THE coolest thing ever: freestyle aerial skiing practice. I went up there to snag an interview with an athlete who has ties to our area.

Take some time and look up Joe Pack who was born in Springfield. He now calls Utah home. This guy has a great story and might even end up on a future "Apprentice" series with Donald Trump, if you vote for him (again, www.nbcolympics.com). He's going to kill me for suggesting that since he says he is totally ambivalent about doing it.

His sport is quite possibly the most visually frightening thing I have ever seen. I mean, I've seen it on TV, but never with my own two eyes. He basically rockets himself down the mountain.. hits a jump.. willingly flings himself into the air 55 to 60 feet.. and just to further increase the odds of a catastrophic outcome… tosses in a bunch of flips and twists, etc.

Let's just say it's not curling ((which I think is a hoot, but you’re not likely to kill yourself doing it)).

New topic: ask Lisa (the producer here who is also blogging) and she'll tell you I am hyper-organized… like to the point where I get teased. I have to be because I’m so flighty/distracted/tired in other regards that having my stuff in order keeps me on track when I’m here. Well, the other day I’m doing an interview with Joe Pack and I’m showing him my 4” thick Olympic bible (as I call it) and I tell him that if I ever lost it I would be sunk. It’s a binder that contains my life here.. all my story ideas and contacts and calendars etc.

That very night I lost it.

It turned up two days later.

Here is a list of items that I have lost and recovered.. in order.

Ponytail holder (still lost)
Black frame glasses (still lost)
Olympic binder (recovered)
IFB (recovered)
Scarf (recovered)
Makeup bag (recovered)
IFB (again, recovered)
Shoes (recovered)
Phone (multiple times, recovered)
Phone case (left it out at the live shot location)
My head (obviously still lost)

QRT

Gregg: you have great stories. I should also keep my camera with me. You never know when I might run into someone I’d like to have a photo with.

Sally: The ice sculptures sound like a great story idea, but unfortunately I am tied to my live shots which doesn’t leave me time to go the mountains. We went up there once and I had to blow off an hour of live shots, which is frowned upon.

Hubert: Yes, Portland physically could host an Olympics.. but would it. That is the question.

Ed & Mary: Thanks for the suggestions on what to buy here. And yes, the few times I’ve eaten out the food has been GREAT!!

Penny: If you are watching during the Ozone show then that is taped. If you are watching during the morning show or 11:30/midnite newscast then that it live. Does that help?

Hey Manny: You make a better argument than I ever could for me getting a raise. Maybe I’ll call you the next time my contract comes around, haha!!

Ryan: Yes.. Lisa is married to Matt and Lisa and I are traveling together through Italy and will be joined by another girlfriend in early March. Fun, huh??

Email me: sstricklen@kgw.com