Every country participating in the 2010 Winter Games has a 'House'. USA House is located at the corner of Nelson and Seymour streets in downtown Vancouver.
To gain access to USA House, (sponsored by ATT) you need to have been a member of any US Olympic Team, (past or present/winter or summer/ regular or special) or some other VIP-type, ala VP Joe Biden, George Clooney, Paris Hilton.
USA House here in Vancouver is pretty easy to find... it's across the street from Irish House.
Back in 2004 in Athens, finding USA House was like something out of a Harry Potter movie – you could only find it by being led by the hand by a person who knew where it was. And no one knew where it was. Luckily the US rowing team tracked it down using their keen sense of smell to detect free beer and free food, or else the USA House would have been shipping beer and food back home.
What's inside the Vancover USA House? Open bar (free). Snacks (free). Lunch (free). Dinner (free). A dozen big screens TVs are scattered throughout. Who has found their way into USA House? A dozen or so current Olympians, fit and fighting ready, plus their friends and family. Also in attendence, a dozen fat, out of shape former Olympians and their fat, out of shape friends and family. Basically, it is heaven. (I've forgiven them for banning me from the dessert table. Honest mistake about the brownies.)
Across the street from USA House is Irish House. The line-up to enter Irish House is NEVER less than 300 people long. To gain access to the Irish House you need the stamina of a marathoner, the foul weather gear of an Everest mountaineer, and $10.00 cover charge. From noon until 3:00AM, the tent walls of Irish House vibrate back and forth like a snare drum being beaten by a hyper monkey. Music blaring, singing, laughing, shouting, screaming, it is a party. Ireland has six athletes competing here in Vancouver - gold to all six for perfecting the party experience.
Austria also has a house, located in Whistler, where most of the scary sports are taking place. For their House, the Austrians have constructed a brand spanking new 'Passive House.'
'Passive House' is a well-tested system of house building, (already popular in Europe), wherein the structure is so remarkably air-tight and well-insulated that a 40 watt light bulb provides sufficient heat to keep that place at 75 degrees. If three or more people are in the house, you can turn off the light – body heat does the trick to warm it up.
I have been reading about Passive House for years – and finally, today, I would be able to see one in person. I trekked to Austria/Passive house, located on the eastern edge of Whistler, and presented myself to the black booted, black jacketed, earpiece wearing security guard.
Hello, my name is Brad and I was wondering if I might stick my head inside and take a quick look at your amazing Passive House.
'You stick your head inside, we chop it off.'
Okay, good, well maybe I can arrange a tour...
'No tours. Austria House is closed to the public.'
Okay, good, but I've come from Southern California just to see your Passive House.
'We turned Schwarzenegger away, so forget it.'
Okay, good, but how 'bout if I give you three Budweiser pins from the 1996 Olympics...
'Your pins are worth nothing in Austria House. Beat it.'
Where's that good ol' Olympic brotherhood? Very angry at the Passive House. Downright aggressive.
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02/22/2010 1:50:28 PM