Finish line

It's time for farewells. Wishing safe journeys to colleagues, and getting ready to hit the bar.
Thanks to Gary, Steepie, and Mason for the laughs amid the pressure. And for keeping me sane. At least as sane as I ever am.
Special thanks to Mary Carillo for the hug and kiss.

More love on the wall

Izzy's Piece

Hey guys...

Don't miss my pal Izzy's retrospective video montage at the end of tonight's coverage.
It will make you cry.

Pack me up

NBC News tribute to S.T. Agnew

Bill's Olympic tower of babble

See...I'm not the only one

The wall of the graphics area outside our door. Apparently Bart Simpson works here.

Let's lock the door

Great news, colonists!
NBC has decided to stream the Closing Ceremonies live!
Now you can hear how dumb the commentators sound without post-production. You will also be able to hear legends of British music lip sync as it happens.
Rumored to be appearing:
Freddie and the Dreamers
Cilla Black
Adam Ant
And the long awaited reunion of Wham!
I've just seen the actual list. I wasn't far off.

Burnout

I've been reading my blogs from the past few Olympics. Every time, I completely ran out of gas about 2 days before the end. This time it has happened once again. Last night, quite suddenly, the f*** this! light came on in my head. At the exact same point it happened in Torino and Beijing. Being this much older has not apparently increased or decreased my tolerance.

Plus, I have been informed that after I get to sleep at 2 am Sunday, I'll have to get my luggage downstairs and check in for my flight home on the NBC charter, popularly known as "The Slave Ship"at 5 am. And we will arrive in NEWARK. Great. Then I can be in 2 foreign states. Delirium and New Jersey.
I know...you're thinking: "Stop whining, you twit...all you do is read out loud."

Only when I pass out from exhaustion .

Unless you have lived this, you have no idea.

Huh?

Overheard in the NBC hallway:
"I was in the listening room but I didn't hear anything."

Gary after midnight

Here's Gary at the Control C audio console after yet another long day.
This is not a trick photo.
He really looks like this.

Yum

Toward the end of our stay, they keep us going by putting out more and more stuff like this beauty.
Banana toffee pie with fresh whipped cream cream topping.
Just perfect for my 6 pm pre-dinner sugar rush.

The treadmill of words

As the Closing Ceremonies approach, I'd like to give thanks that I will soon be spared uttering the phrases "Check your local listings", "Historic Horse Guards Parade", "The networks of NBC Universal", "Looks to" ,"Three peat" and "Unprecedented" Not to mention Misty May Treanor and Kerry Walsh Jennings, certainly the winners of my "Names most often read aloud in promos" competition. There have been too many Olympians with three names. But for them I could have gotten out of here a few days sooner. Hey, it could have been worse...some have 4 names, like Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce.
I'd also like to take a moment to thank our talented writers, Cut and Paste.

Dead Sea Scroll

Actual Costas script with revisions in actual Costas handwriting.
Available soon on EBay.

Going for the gold

At the Olympics, everything is a competition.
This is the trash can outside Control C.
The horizontal lines indicate the trash level at various times.
Note at right the Olympic record and world record.

My little town

All these shops are just for TV and press. As with our studios, commissary, edit rooms, etc... They won't be around for long. P.S.- 3 different bars within a few hundred feet of each other.

Lather, rinse, repeat

As the end of our assignment nears, I'm once again struck by the irony that just when all of us get really good at doing our jobs, it's over. I'm sure the Stockholm Syndrome has something to do with it.
And wandering around the Press Center and Broadcast Center it's almost hard to believe that in a week's time there will be bulldozers in here and all the crowds will be gone. Seeing the corporate venues in the Olympic Park reminds of a World's Fair. But this is all done after 17 days.

Wall of fame

With all due humility, I am proud to be included with a quote on Izzy's edit room wall:
"I set my hotel room thermostat for 70. I didn't realize it was Celsius. When I woke up, the temperature was 135 degrees Fahrenheit."
My Beijing post was unintentionally funny from the massive jet lag:
"I'll be all right as long as I don't breathe the water or drink the air."
P.S... Izzy beat me to it...he was brushing his teeth in the bathroom and became aware of the lack of urinals behind him.
I told you the symbols on the doors look too much alike !

Next wave

Well, Jane and Kathryn have arrived. It has been a comfort to have family around.
For a time, all 5 of us in one room. Almost like hot bunking on a submarine. Where 3 rotating 8 hour shifts of sailors share 1 bunk.
For the past week or so, it has looked like a suitcase and the snack counter of a 7-11 exploded in my room. Photographic evidence to follow.

Where's Daddy?

Wilbur waits at our dock should I return by sea.

Sorry girls, he's married

Jack Felling proves that if you wear it with confidence, you can pull it off.

The girls traverse the globe

Amy and Mary left today at 4 am, and hopped a flight to Amsterdam. They departed at 10:45 local time, flew over the Pole, and arrived back in Seattle at 11:15 am local time the same day. If the Concorde were still available, they might have been able to actually get younger.

My ride from hell

Let me tell you a story about my trip to work Sunday. I got a call that something needed to hit air at 1:30 PM so I hopped in a cab in order to get to the international broadcast center more quickly. Except the cab driver couldn't find the place. I kept seeing the Olympic Stadium go by on different sides of the cab. We asked numerous Olympic workers if they could help us find the place, but mostly we were met with shrugged shoulders. Finally we pulled over and asked a policeman if he could help us and he said "you will have to find someone who's more familiar with the area.". Great. And where might we find them?! I received a frantic call requesting my whereabouts as I continued my tour of the immediate Olympic area. Finally the driver found the international broadcast center but could not enter the driveway because his car lacked the proper credentials. I ran at breakneck speed up the driveway toward my assignment. I must've appeared to be even more of a mad man than usual and would not have been surprised to have security gun me down. But at that point I really wouldn't have minded either.
I survived.

For now.

Best athletes names in the games

The gold goes to:
American Destiny Hooker

The silver to:
Chinese trampoline competitor Dong Dong.

Stay tuned for Bronze....when we return from London.

Amy and Mary on set

Mary where Michael Phelps sat last night, and Amy upon the Costas throne.

On the board

Wanna learn graphics?

Phelps Official Olympic ID photo

Build your own!

Oh no, it's the weekend

The next 2 days are the big hump.
NBC has way too many hours of coverage on the weekend. Hence way more stuff for us drones to crank out.
As always, this is where we really hit our stride. Here's the Olympic park with lucky civilians outside our door.

Pix

A section of the NBC commissary featuring the winner of our Lewis Black lookalike contest.

The cone of silence

I am lucky to possess a distinct advantage over most of my coworkers. They are crowded together in rooms with people bumping into each other, speakers blaring, and video monitors blazing. Some for 17 hours at a stretch. I am increasingly retreating to my booth. A place which offers me not only privacy but more than quiet. Absolute silence. Ahhhh, tranquility. For as long as it lasts I will bask in it.

Wake up and smell the promos

Last night we worked very late and then could not get back to the hotel for hours, because the International Broadcast Center transportation network was shut down after one of the buses struck and killed a person on a bicycle.That stranded everyone who wanted to get in or leave here. Finally I was able to hitch a ride in the motor pool with some VIPs back to the hotel arriving very late. Sleep deprivation is beginning to take its toll. Yesterday while in the booth I took off my Olympic credentials because they were rattling around and getting into the recording while I was reading. Later I wandered across the hall to the NBC commissary for a coffee, and when I came back the guard at the NBC entrance said "you can't enter without a credential." I suffered a moment's panic. Then said "but I belong here. I'm the announcer. ". Then in my very best announcer voice I said "Listen to my voice...how could I not be the announcer?" She said "Ok, you can go in"
I also figure it's also only a matter of time before I go into the ladies room by accident because I'm so tired and the male and female figures on the doors don't look very different.
On the positive side, I have fewer days ahead than behind me so there's hope. A good night's sleep tonight, and I should be good to go for the duration.

Feeeeed me

How homesick have I become? I'm glad you asked. So homesick I've taken to going on the Epicurious website and looking up my favorite recipes. Pretty pathetic. I can't wait to make that Korean rice bowl again.

Signs of the times