Our Games, Our Time ... Finally!

First, a confession.
Hell yeah, I'd rather be in Vancouver. I'd love to be in beautiful British Columbia — in one of the world's most stunning cities — to help roll out the red carpet for the rest of the world.
Damn right it pains me to hear so many folks I know talk about the dream of the lifetime they can't wait to embrace when they head west in a few short weeks to be a part of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics ... while I know I'm resigned (like so many millions of others) to watching the biggest sporting show we may ever seen in our fair land on a television screen (hey, at least it's high-def, which is the only way to go).
So close and yet so far, as the old saying goes.
But with no ticket to ride, I'll do my level best to capture the spirit of the first Olympics on Canadian soil in 22 years. The torch relay? Been there, seen that, felt that (actually, covered that emotional moment for OttawaSenators.com, the home of my day job).
Those Petro-Canada Olympic glasses? Got a full set of them, too.
Red mittens? You betcha.
(see the accompanying photo if you don't believe me. Admittedly, those ones were borrowed ... though I assure you I have my own).
Point being, just because you're not there doesn't mean you can't experience — or feel — the spirit of Vancouver 2010 wherever you are. Rest assured, Canada, no matter how far away you are, our Olympians will hear your cheers during what figure to be 16 extraordinary days.
Whether it's in front of your TV (which hopefully is HD) or in front of your computer, every second of these Games will be available to most every Canadian (more on that a little later). Further proof that the world has indeed changed since Calgary 1988.
Whether it's through this blog or on the accompanying Twitter feed, hope you'll find some time to join us on an Olympic journey right here. As always, we'll have plenty to say about what we see ... even if we're not exactly there. Promise we won't mope too much.