And then it was gone

After 17 breathless, heart-stopping days, the 2010 Olympics are over. What a run. To suggest the Vancouver Games went off without a hitch would be an inappropriate revision of history. But the Games certainly went out with a bang and made the uncertain first few days seem a distant memory. After all the hand-wringing over Canada's (perceived) poor early showing, after all the doubt (from this corner at least) the men's hockey team could compete for gold, after tragedy, this country stood Sunday afternoon in triumph. Maybe others have hosted the Games better, but nobody had more fun than Canada did. Even here in Calgary, we spent the last two weeks partying, celebrating and loving every minute of it. From Jenn Heil's silver, to Alexandre Bilodeau winning gold at home, to Moir and Virtue's brilliant skate, to Joannie Rochette's gutsy bronze, to the dramatic finishes in the curling and hockey (and 50 km cross country event on Sunday) and everything in between, this year's Games had a little something for everyone. And a story for everyone. So this is just a quick thank you to everyone that spent time enjoying the Games with me these last couple weeks. Thanks to those of you that didn't care much for the hockey, curling, or biathlon I forced you to watch. Thanks to the folks I kept touch with in Ontario during the Games-- even thousands of miles away, I felt closer to you than ever before. Thanks to you for sharing the memories and being the story. Thanks to our incomparable server, Kat, for never leaving us with empty glasses or empty bellies. But most importantly, thanks to all the athletes that gave Canadians a reason to come together in the past 17 days like never before. Things didn't go quite as planned, but we sure had a good time, and I wouldn't change it for anything.