Yep, it's that time again!!! The Winter Olympics Games are upon us. The Stoneblossom Staff has strong ties to this veritable institution and we would be remiss in letting it pass by without a few words on the subject! I've dragged out my Park City cap and the impossible-to-get Olympic Berets that were the hot items in Salt Lake City.
Salt Lake was our Fourth Olympic Games - and the first Winter one we had been a part of. Dennis loves to tell the story of our primitive workspace - in a rented storage area adjacent to the flower market - with NO HEAT! We had propane heaters to huddle around that were so loud - and they could knock you out from the fumes!
And of course 09-11 had happened just a few short months before - making for a security nightmare - even X-raying out floral designs on their way into each hotel! Who could plan for such a posey nightmare??? This was a major pain in the arse to say the least!
You may ask - did you make those always silly presentation bouquets given to the Medal winners day after day. NO actually. Nothing of the sort! Corporate Sponsors use the Games as a hospitality vehicle for their VIP's and Executives - flying them all in for a few days of fun and frolic - enjoying the amazing athletic spectacles by day - and our glam themed floral designs back at their hotels for dinner by night!!!
If you can imagine servicing 18 different Corporate Sponsors - each with their own set of fabulous designs - all at the same time each and every day - and then trying to deliver them all in a locked-down city between 2:00 and 4:00 am - every night - for two weeks straight: THAT is the the true GLAMA of the Olympics Games!
In all fairness, we did have the amazing privilege of catching quite a few events over the years - our eyes held open with toothpicks - but a great thrill none the less! Who could forget our front row seats at Curling! A memorable time was definitely had by all at Men's diving (we could have skipped the nose-bleed seats for girl's gymnastics - the athletes like tiny Mexican jumping beans better seen from our beds back at the hotel!).
One of my fondest memories was my first Games in Barcelona - 1992. Ah - to be young again and loose in Sitges - the Jet-setty seaside town south of the city - where we had the most fortunate luck of having our workspace just across the street from the most divine nude beach. The heat, the tapas, the clubs open till dawn... I barely remember making a single floral piece with that blend of heady fare... But I digress...
It's fun to reminisce for sure and wonder how the heck we pulled it all off - not only in Spain or Salt Lake - but Sydney and Atlanta too! Catch Dennis and Margot when they're on a roll and they've got some yarns to tell for sure. Looking forward this year to catching every glorious moment in front of the fire with my pups on the big FLAT SCREEN!
xxxx John
