David J Baldwin

Friday night, I scored some passes to Club Bud (this time through my sources ;) and Trevor and I took off for a night of celebrity photo hunting! As we waited in line at the Commodore, we saw Benjamin Agosto, of the 4th place US Ice-Dancing Team, talking to the media on the red carpet (the red carpet was only about 5 feet long, but nonetheless...) Inside, we saw Jeret Peterson again (this time with his silver medal--he'd received it at the Medals Ceremony that night.) I stopped Benjamin Agosto to congratulate him on his performance in the Ice Dance and chat about how he was enjoying Vancouver. He had to be at the rink on Saturday morning to get ready for the Figure Skating Gala Exhibition. Upstairs, I pulled aside Michelle Kwan when she walked by to ask how her Games were going. A few minutes later, Tara Lipinsky walked by and I introduced myself (apparently, I also introduced everyone else in the area.) She was gracious and fun, but I had to stoop down about a foot to be on her l

Evan Lysacek, 2010 Olympic Gold Medalist, Men's Figure Skating Through the generosity of Bronze Medalist Allison Baver (friend of a colleague,) I was invited to The USA House last night, where the Figure Skating stars were out! I rode the elevator to the 2nd Floor with Evan Lysacek and my heart started pounding. "I Gotta Feeling," The Black Eyed Peas catchy anthem, started running through my head! I met Elana on the 3rd floor and we headed down to the 2nd to get some drinks. In a corner, we found Dick Button chatting with Kristi Yamaguchi and Evan. Nearby, Tara Lipinksi and Michelle Kwan were chatting with friends. There were plenty of other skiiers and athletes I didn't even recognize. After we got a picture with Evan, we wandered around a bit more and Sasha Cohen arrived. We caught her before she left for a picture. Sasha Cohen, 2006 Olympic Silver Medalist, Figure Skating (I saw her skate in Torino, and I loved her on Project Runway!) After USA House shut down, Al

Mom & Dad left early Tuesday morning. I was able to join them for the 2nd and 3rd period of the Switzerland - Russia Women's Hockey Game on Monday night and we came home to watch the Gold-medal winning performance of the Canadian Ice Dancers. It truly was beautiful. I used to scoff at Ice Dancing, but now I think I might actually like it. And I certainly have respect for what they do. Their performances were so smooth and quick and very artistic. Tuesday after work, I headed home for a quick treadmill run and a shower, and later that night I joined Trevor, Philip, Ryan & Jae for homemade pizza at Ryan & Jae's! It was nice to sit on a couch and just hang out with friends. We watched the women's short program and were so happy that Joannie Rochette pulled out such a great performance in the face of her mother's death Sunday. Work has slowed considerably, as most people have already picked up their orders. Still, the stress of working 40 days in a row is gettin

This weekend was all about the food! When Mom & Dad arrived Thursday, I took them for lunch to PHAT (Pretty Hot And Tasty)for Montreal smoked-meat sandwiches. We've been eating here all the time since I arrived, and I used my VIP card to get us pre-Olympic pricing! I had a Reuben sandwich--delicious! Friday we ate dinner at Habit (see previous post.) Saturday night Mom & Dad cooked dinner at the apartment and I came home to home-cooked chicken, creamed corn, mashed potatoes, salad, bread, and butterscotch pudding. It was like being in Millbury again! The Germany-Belarus game was very exciting, with 5 points being scored in the 3rd (final) period if I recall correctly. Mom & Dad went to bed, and I met some of the guys out for a few. Sunday, Mom & Dad met me for lunch and we went to a little storefront here in Yaletown for palateable food served by incompetent servers. Fortunately, I'd made a reservation for Sunday dinner to treat my parents to Coast , recommende

Mom & Dad arrived Thursday at noon and stopped by my office to say hi. They wandered the city a bit, and then I sent them off to Pacific Coliseum to catch the Men's Figure Skating Long Program. Trevor and I had to finish up some things at our respective jobs, so we arrived a little later. During a break, we saw Katarina Witt and Viktor Petrenko in the Olympic Family area (from a distance - we didn't have access.) We saw the last half of the competition, including Evan Lysacek's Gold Medal-Winning routing, and Evgeny Plushenko's powerful routine and arrogant antics. He held up Number One fingers at the end, and when he went to take the podium, he climbed onto the Bronze platform, over the Gold platform, and onto his Silver platform, where he belonged. After the presentation of the medals, he left the picture-taking in the media area to rip off his medal and storm out of the arena in advance of his competitors. Trevor and I tried to get our picture with the Swiss skat

Friday night, February 12, I fought back the disappointment as all but 5 of my team took off for the Opening Ceremony. The 5 of us remaining worked to help customers while our office was open until 10pm. After that long day, I went home to shower and watch the Ceremony. I'd recorded it on DVR. My favorite parts were the Olympic Anthem, sung by a fierce opera singer, and Hallelujah, KD Lang's powerhouse performance. I fast-forwarded through the Athlete's parade. In Beijing, I remember I met a friend for a drink outsided during that long procession. Saturday, Nick arrived, and the Olympics began to redeem my disappointment and exhaustion. Nick and I went to Short Track Speed Skating at the Pacific Coliseum and saw Apollo Ono win a silver medal in an exciting match where 2 Korean racers fell and hit the ice! After the event, Nick and I had an amazing feast at Cobre ! We called it a night, and after I worked and Nick wandered around on Sunday, we went to Pairs Skating Short Pro

Sunday morning I got up and boarded a flight to Seattle. From there, I hopped on another jet to LAS VEGAS! I was finally taking part in my first Gap Field Leadership Conference! When I arrived, I checked in with Gap and The Mirage, and strolled down the strip with Jeff to shop at The Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace. Troy and I took a jog on the treadmill, then showered and met Gina in the lobby for a drink. We hopped a cab to New York, New York, where we had dinner at the Italian restaurant and saw Cirque du Soleil's Zumanity. Monday, we were in meetings all day, and the General Session began at 5:30pm with an address by our inspiring Vice President of Store Operations, Barbara Cook. Jeff (my roommate and former boss) and my old store manager Shannon, had been selected to be a part of the surprise fashion show, a presentation of Summer 2010, starring Gap General Managers as the models! It was great! Then Gap had reserved the Jet Night Club at the Mirage for our exclusive use for