My original intention when starting this blog was to write each day of my experiences here at the Athens 2004 Olympics...after all, I'm just a volunteer, plenty of free time to reflect and record my experiences. The reality has been very different and now, as this spectacular event is about to close this evening, I finally have a chance to put up a couple of stories. So for anyone whose been trying to follow my time here, I apologize for the delays...I will get all my thoughts on the 'net, but, as I've truly started to live 'Greek time", it will not be conveyed in the punctual manner I originally intended.

The reason for the long delay in bringing my blog up to date is simple - exhaustion. Partly caused by the long volunteer work days, partly by the long volunteer party nights...one the Olympic committee's doing, one my very own fault. But I've met such fun and amazing people that I just couldn't be bothered with such trivial things as sleeping and eating....

My vision of working at the Olympics was that I would put in 4-5 hours per day, rotating to different venues and experiencing different events. The reality was quite different. As mentioned in an earlier blog, I had been assigned to the Baseball stadium...8 days of baseball. While I'm a Cubbies fan and enjoy a fun day out at the park, I had hoped for something more 'Olympic' feeling, like gymnastics or track. I was also surprised by our "work" schedule. I was expected at the park each day by 3 pm or 4 pm, depending on which field I had been assigned, and expected to stay on the job until about 10 or 11 each night....with only a 30 minute, 15 minute and 10 minute break....

I wouldn't have minded the 7 hour days so much if not for the boredom of the first three hours. You see, the games didn't start until 6:30 or 7:30 pm each day...so why were we expected to be there 3½ hours before each session? After 8 days I still don't know. The venue doors opened an hour and a half before each event...perhaps a 2 to 2½ hour lead time would have sufficed. Perhaps it was an over-anticipation of 'Greek time' on the part of the volunteers or perhaps the doing of a very anal leader; the type of person who arrived at the airport 5 hours early...but like the riddle of the Sphinx, it shall remain a mystery for the ages.

So from about 3 pm each day we sat or stood around in the sun until the doors opened... and sat/stood around some more after that because most attendees didn't show up until just before the first inning...or part way into the first inning...or in the second...or fourth...Why? Because the fans were all operating on Greek time!!!

But luckily for us, our stadium was situated by the beach, so once the sun started to set around 7 pm or so, the cool breezes of the Mediterranean wafted in and put us all in good humor. In fact, it became so breezy that on some evenings I needed to wear that Olympic jacket that I swore I would never need. But nonetheless, the daily 3-4 hour dosage of sun mixed with periods of great busyness, standing on my feet for hours and lack of proper nutrition made me very tired. All I could think of my first few days was going home to sleep...but then I made some new friends and sleep became the last thing I was doing.