2012 Olympic preparation (Maidenhead)

The 2012 Olympic opening ceremony is only 32 days away and preparation is well underway. Exciting times!

Maidenhead is a hub for spectators attending the rowing events at Eton Dorney and prep has been in process for several months. It began with construction crews resurfacing the major roads and continued with the crews repainting the road markings (thank you, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead!).

Upon completion of those tasks, the crews started replacing the old, unhelpful pedestrian signs in-and-around town centre. They also cleaned (or replaced) road signs. One may think, “clean the road signs?” Yes, they cleaned the road signs and I am elated. In a country where it rains ALL THE TIME, moss grows on everything, including road signs making them difficult to read. Hence, the need for them to be cleaned.

As of last week, they began posting “torch relay” signs around M’head. As in, if there is a pole, a “torch relay” sign is attached to it, even when the poles are three feet apart.

This brings me to the next exciting bit of news…

The Olympic torch relay parades through Maidenhead on July 10. The fact that I can walk three blocks and watch the torch relay in person is awesome. I view this event as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity or more realistically, a never-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the majority of people on Earth.

The last and most frustrating part of the Olympic preparation is that the Olympic committee has closed Dorney Lake to the public. I understand why they have closed Dorney Lake but the closure really cramps my style.

First, I can no longer walk Dexter at Dorney Lake. Second, no one else can walk their dog(s) at Dorney Lake. Therefore, everyone who once walked their dog(s) at Dorney Lake has migrated a half-mile north to Dorney Reach where I primarily walk Dexter. More dogs equal more opportunities for Dexter to be a bully which equals more stressful dog walks.

Not only has the dog walking traffic at Dorney Reach increased but so has the cycle traffic because they have added a cycle route to Dorney Lake. Bicycles are like horses to Dexter. When he sees a bike barreling toward us, he runs toward the bike and then stops in front of the bike.

The biker is then forced to stop or swerve around Dexter. Most of the time, people do not mind and sometimes they even pet Dexter, however, there are times when hardcore cyclists pass by and scream, “Control your dog! Put your dog on its lead!” I get it.

Long story short, the Olympics are coming! The Olympics are coming! The Olympics are coming!