Therapist Sunshade

First of all, I would like to apologize to those of you who complained about the lack of photos like the one below in the recent Olympic related posts......


I hope I'll be able to make it up to you in this post...

Mum has been making progress with her Post Olympic Depression. She's slowly getting out of the bed, eating, and I've been able to take her for walks few times a day. Today, I thought a walk at the University of British Columbia Thunderbird field would be good.... It's only 10 mins drive from our house in case anything goes wrong with mum.

Unfortunately, we had a major set back as soon as we got there....


Who knew the Olympic fence would still be up since they basically took down everything downtown as soon as the closing ceremony ended.


Mum lost it. All the progress we have been making with her P.O.D.S had gone down the drain. Everything reminded her of the 2010 Olympics...

Like this temporary paved parking lot for the Olympic vehicles. This used to be all grass, it was a field!


That dome looking thing behind the fence is the Thunderbird Arena that hosted most of the Women's Hockey and some Men's Hockey games during the Olympics,


I think this was the entrance for the athletes and their families,


The fence extended all the way down the field, security was tight,


At this point, mum was staring into the sky and swaying...... (mum: uh huh...) So I thought I better walk her away from the culprit. I took her to go check out the soccer and field hockey courts,


Then we came to a dead end where we were surrounded by the Olympic fence and the soccer court fence.


Stuck there...


I tried to look for a way out as mum really wasn't in the state to be able to problem solve, (this is why I say I have to look after her you know?)


Looked around,


Hmmmm sprinklers are on, maybe that'll snap mum out of her mood?


Alright, sounds good! Let's do it!


Come onnnnn mum!!! You'll soon feel all better!


I had to go get mum out from hiding under the bleachers.... Not sure why she was hiding under there, maybe she really thought I was gonna throw her to the sprinklers (not like she's that light for me to lift okay!) or she was really having a rough time with the reminder of what's left of the Olympics..... (mum: *faints*)


I of course, was just looking for a way for us to escape the fences!!


Told you, you can always count on the SuperDALE!

Unfortunately, the Olympic banners came in sight again.....


So me, the perfect dogter had to do some quick thinking. Think of a way to distract mum so she couldn't keep spiraling down that never ending hole.....


HEY! WHAT'S THAT MUM??


Yeah down there, do you know what it is??

Can you be a good girl and find out what it is for Sunshade??


I gave mum a task to find out what's under the cargo container, to distract her and take her mind off the Olympics, (please excuse mum's sniffling, she was having a tough time coping...) (mum: I had a cold!)

It worked!! She was busy looking for answer, and she found it!!

Yes, it was a baseball. My SuperNOSE had picked up the scent!


Great job mum, I'm proud of you! (mum: I don't now how she does it, but Sunshade has always had a very good nose for all kinds of balls (and critters).)

Next Exercise:

Here is one easily accessible tennis ball. We don't want that, its too easy to get, provides no challenge.


Behind this easily accessible tennis ball, there's another not so easily accessible tennis ball. THAT'S the one we want ok mum?


Now, come up with all the ways you can think of for me to reach that not so easily accessible tennis ball. You come up with the way, I'll perform ok?


Under the stacked up chairs, past the undesirable easily accessible tennis ball,


Under the stacked up chairs, under the bench, (sorry, muscle butt was a bit too muscular)


Try to reach from the other side,


From under the bench,


At all angles, and CRAWL!! (mum: talk about terrier determination...LOL)


Finally!


Good job mum, we did it!!We got the prized, not so accessible tennis ball and you didn't have a melt down!



Last Exercise:

Now try to get a hold of this tennis ball ok mum?


(mum: Keep away is Sunshade's favourite game in the world.)

Thank you, Vancouver

The 2010 Winter Olympics is officially over.

Mum seems to be suffering from P.O.D.S (Post Olympics Depression Syndrome). She gasped when she turned on the TV this morning and saw Regis & Kelly had returned to regular programming. She is so used to hearing the calming voice of CBC's Brian Williams telling us how many medals we had won the day before, and how many we will be winning. It was almost as if she had forgotten what her normal daily routine was like before the Olympics (HELLOOOO, like taking me to the beach 20 times a day?? Making me food and treats? Telling STINKY "nooooo" throughout the day?)

Unfortunately, it appears my mum isn't the only one missing the 2010 Winter Olympics.

It has been a great 17 days of exciting, courageous competitions in Vancouver, Richmond, Cypress, and Whistler. This was today's front page on Vancouver Sun Newspaper,


Kudos from people in our backyard and around the world,

Thanks, "Neighbours to the North," for a great Winter Olympics. Joannie Rochette taught us what heart is all about and your Olympic team showed who invented the game of ice hockey. The last two weeks have been a pure joy! I'm sad to see it end. I guess there is a little Maple Leaf in all of us. Thanks Canada for inviting us in!

-Steve Crawford, San Jose, Calif.

You are a great neighbour, and you hosted a fabulous Winter Olympics. Congratulations on a job very well done. You have made your nation proud. Congratulations to all of your athletes for winning 26 medals. The hockey gold hurts a little bit, but that's ok, the winning goal was by our favourite Penguin, Sidney Crosby.

-Jim Teeple, Philadelphia, Pa.

I watched the television coverage of the Olympic Games from start to finish as I have done for many years now. These Games are without a doubt the best competed, best organized and most uplifting I have seen. Thanks to Joannie Rochette for her strength. I hope she makes the top of the podium in 2014. Although I would have had the results of that great hockey game award the USA team the gold medal, it was satisfying to see it go to a fine Canadian team. I'm proud to have Canadians as friends.

-Stanley C. Morton, Colorado Springs, Colo.

As an extremely vocal critic of the Olympic Games, I must now make an unabashed apology. It wasn't the athletic "events", but the athletes and the human travails that they experienced that melted the ice around the skeptic's heart as quickly as the snows on Cypress. The most touching scene, it even chocked up this grinch, was when my favourite singer, Neil Young, sang Long May You Run, and the camera focused on Clara Hughes who had tears in her eyes and that wonderful smile on her face. It will be forever etched in my mind and it still touches me and makes me proud to be a Canadian. Every aspect of the closing ceremony was done in such wonderful taste, even the self-parody. Michael J. Fox of Burnaby epitomizes the true Canadian who does not get tainted by the celebrity and fame of Hollywood and is such a class act. Were the Games too expensive? The verdict has yet to be rendered as to the long-term benefits. But as a public relations opportunity, it was a great and unmitigated success.

-Neil Swanson, Coquitlam BC

O Crosby! O Rochette! O Canada! O simply marvellous! Thank you, Vancouver.

-Geoff Dodd, Wayzata, Minn.

Top-tier Gamesmanship
As it turned out, we didn't own the whole podium, but we own the best part: the top level.

-Dave Malcolm, Burnaby

Yes, who can forget the courageous performances by this young lady, Joannie Rochette, whose mother died shortly after arriving to Vancouver less than two days before she was scheduled to compete.


Joannie chose to stay in the competition and skate for her mother, Therese Rochette,


Joannie won the heart of the world with her gutsy decision, and a perfect, heart felt short program. There was not a dry eye after her performance.


The entire world was behind Joannie, supporting her throughout her long program. We all rooted for Joannie, and celebrated with tears in our eyes when she was awarded the Olympic Bronze Medal. It was both a heart-wrenching and heart-warming.

We love you Joannie, your mom would be sooooo proud of you!

In case you were wondering, the song playing in the background is our broadcast TV station's theme song to these Olympic Games. It is titled "I BELIEVE", performed by Nikki Yanofsky who sang the national anthem at the opening ceremony.

Sunshade Report: We BELIEVED

Sunshade Report:

These Winter Olympics were so great to our city, to our country, to the world, and to all athletes and spectators. This was the most successful Olympics for Canada on many fronts in the history of the Olympic Games. Just as we thought things couldn't get any better, the icing on the cake came yesterday, February 28th 2010 - the last day of these Olympics.

Our Golden Boy - #87 Sidney Crosby - Canada's Next Great One perhaps?


Scored for our entire country during the sudden death over time against a very talented USA team,





Sidney Crosby's goal created history,


It was the 14th Gold Medal for Canada at these games, making us the country with most gold medals won at a single Olympics in the history of the Winter Olympics.


It was also the first time we have ever won Olympic Gold Medal for Men's Hockey on home soil,



Congrats BOYZ!



Sidney Crosby, will you marry mum? (even tho she's quite a few years your senior...)


I, the US born Miss Sunshade is also very proud of this underdog team from USA.


Nobody had picked USA to be in the finals, not the media, not the sports analysts, but boy did Team USA ever show them!!

They silenced our entire country with Zach Parise's game tying goal at less than 24 seconds left in the 3rd period,


Congrats USA for a well played tournament! I doubt anyone would be counting you out comes 2014!


The MVP of the Gold Medal game, as well as the MVP of the tournament both went to the USA goalie, Ryan Miller,


Well deserved, says the "LUUUUUUUUUUUUU",


Now all the players are flying back to wherever their NHL home team will be playing next as the NHL commences. Teammates turned rivals for the Olympics, and now teammates turned rivals again after the Olympics........

Guess who Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh Penguins team will face first game back from the Olympics?? Buffalo Sabres with Ryan Miller in net!

Ryan Kesler who scored the first goal for Team USA in the gold medal game will be reunited with his Vancouver Canucks teammate Roberto LUUUUUUUUONGO (I wonder how that's gonna go as comments were exchanged between the two during the Gold Medal game...). Vancouver Canucks had 7 players in the Olympics, and they will have 3 Olympic Medals: Gold - Roberto Luongo, Silver - Ryan Kesler, Bronze - Sami Salo of Finland. Daniel and Henrik Sedin represented Sweden, Pavol Dimetra represented Slovakia, and Christian Erhoff represented Germany. Canada played against Germany, Slovakia, and USA (talk about teammates turned rivals!!!).

Mum and the D-Guy watched the Gold Medal Game at the theatre on the big screen (while I was completely neglected at home)! After the game, they headed downtown for the celebration (no, they didn't pick me up. Still was neglected at home). (mum: sorry Sunshade...it was way too crowded downtown, and firecrackers were going off...FIRECRACKERS!!)

Ok, thank you for not bringing me, being neglected beats dying of a heart attack I suppose...

Here is a short video showing our nation's joy in winning GOLD in the sport that we pride so much of ourselves in.

Mum wanted to do the zip line but never did... The line up was averaging anywhere from 4-7 hours!!!

Scenes from downtown Vancouver,



Robson Square,


CTV live broadcast booth, check out the hair!!!


How is this for a Canadian Flag???


Pick up hockey anyone??


We BELIEVED it!!


So we won the most GOLD medals, and our nation is proud!


Granville Street, downtown Vancouver,



Mr. Inukshuk,


A very brave and patriotic man,


Street hockey on Granville St,


Foam fountain!


The Olympic clock, counting down........


(mum: We have never seen the kind of outpouring patriotism, and national pride that were demonstrated throughout these Olympics ever before in our city, and in our country. We cheered and cried for our athletes competing in sports we had no interest or knowledge about prior to these games. It would have been easy to assume that a red and white dress code was in effect throughout the games in our city, or even better, the country. The spontaneous outburst of "O Canada" happened everywhere; from the streets of Vancouver to restaurants and to press centers, from hockey games to curling games.

Our city, our country FELT it, something that's never been felt before. It was almost like we were craving and hoping to be able to feel, and finally got the chance to.

OLYMPICS PLEASE COME BACK!!)

NO don't come back!! I, the Perfect Miss Sunshade was VERY neglected in the last two weeks!!!