Men's XC 30km Pursuit

After yesterday's adventures this morning was a bit of a slow start. Fortunately they had the transportation fiasco from yesterday cleaned up (after numerous apologies) so I didn't have to start out too early. The sun was out when I left this morning. My first glimpse of blue sky since I arrived. Hanne was kind enough to drive me into town so I could try the train. Since none of the trains actually say Holmenkollen I asked a young lady standing next to me. She promised to point out the right one when it came through. It turns out it was not hard to figure it out since it was already packed. We turned around and walked out of the station and got on the bus outside. The downside to the bus was the fact that it was only going to the path to the lower jumps, not all the way up to Holmenkollen which is where I needed to be for the XC race. On the way up the road though my brain kicked in. I realized that a short way up the path was the train station so I could see about sliding on when a train came through. This turned out to be a good idea. The first train was too full but the second had plenty of space for a few of us to jump on.

Once I got off at the Holmenkollen station it was a slow climb up the hill to the competition area. Along the way I enjoyed the people watching. Part way up I realized the people in front of me were speaking english and one member of the group had the same warm up jacket on that I did. Since I am in the home country of Bjorn Daehlie I can not assume much from the jacket. While most Norwegians that I have come in contact with speak english, they don't tend to do so until you ask them a question in english. I asked the man next to me if they were from America. He said yes and as his wife turned toward me I realized she had a U.S. Ski team logo on her headband. I asked if by any chance they were Noah Hoffman's parents. Turns out they were. I guess they could have been any American fan or parent, but I knew that the Hoffmans were in town since Penny and Fred had asked me if I had seen them. Before today I had never even met them. I just knew Noah from Rookie Camp. Our ticket sections were right next to each other so we hiked up the hill trying to figure out where to stand so we could actually see some of the course. Eventually we reached their area which was somewhat better than my area so they had me slid in with them. The area was like a bleachers only it was for standing instead of sitting. We were directly lined up with the big jump, which you could actually see. This put us somewhat off to the side of the Cross Country stadium and course.

The big jump

Holmenkollen Chapel with sun on it.

It was hard to tell how much we were going to see. There was a video screen down by the jump so we had that option. The binoculars helped make the screen easier to read. Luck was on our side and we saw more than we could have hoped for. So in the pursuit they do 15km of classic skiing and 15km of freestyle skiing (or skate). The classic route had three laps but the only time we saw them was when they came through the stadium. During this portion of the race Noah and Kris Freeman were in the pack of top 30 racers. The announcers said Noah's name a couple times during the race. Once they mentioned that he was a surprise addition to that group. We all cheered and those around us turned to look. The skate skiing had many more sections that were within site of the stadium. We could see them go through, across and out of the stadium, behind, up a hill and across a bridge. So during those laps we had more opportunities to pick out our guys. Although after awhile we did lose track of Tad and Lars. Kris stuck with the first pack most of the race and Noah lost a bit of ground but was in a follow up group. Toward the end Kris fell off the back but stayed in position for 30th. In the final run into the stadium he kicked into gear and finished 29th. Noah finished 27th for the day which was great for him. In the end Lars finished 53rd and Tad was 55th.

Kris Freeman in the black (between the red athletes)

Noah Hoffman

Skier from Kenya

(He has been around since the mid-1990's. This is his last.)

We realized early on that our guys were probably not going to be on the podium, so we were very excited while the Canadian athlete was leading the race, even if they did take one of our coaches. Sadly, it was not meant to be. In the last lap the Norwegian skier over took him and controled the end of the race. You should have seen the crowd when the announcer started going crazy with that news. I have absolutely no idea what he was saying but you didn't have to. You knew that Norway had the lead based on the fans. The excitement was huge, the flags were waving and the cheers never stopped. I kept joking that I was going to the Super Bowl for Nordic. That is seriously what it felt like to be in the midst of all those Norwegians when their athlete took the win in today's race. Hanne had warned me that this would be a big day for them and they would all be out in full force. I do not think you can imagine what this was like without experiencing it someday for yourself. If you ever get the chance I highly recommend it. No one in America would believe that all that excitement and cheering was for a Cross Country ski race. It was an amazing day.

Afterward we slowly made our way toward an exit (you always hope anyway). Noah called his family and asked them to meet him in front of the Chapel. We had to laugh because that meant going against the tide of traffic for them, but he could ski over. They asked if I wanted to come but I was going to meet up with Hanne and Bjornar so I said to tell Noah congrats for me. I pointed them in the right direction and headed downhill. On the way I had to stop and see the sponsor tents. One of these days I need to go into the merchandise tent up there (just have to check my account first). I made pretty decent time down the hill until I hit the wall right above the train station. You could tell when a train came in because we would move a few feet forward. I texted Hanne to let her know that I would update her when I got on a train. It took some time, but once we reached the ramp it went surprisingly quick. They did a much better job today getting us out of there. But they also had jumping in the afternoon and you needed a separate ticket so they needed us gone.

When I reached downtown Hanne and Bjornar were waiting for me. They took me over to Vigeland Park. It is a beautiful area with some amazing sculptures. Everyone who has been to Oslo has been recommending it. I loved everything. It is hard to believe that the big sculpture is one piece of stone. The detail is unbelievable. They kept telling me how nice it is during the summer. But I really enjoyed it in the snow. We walked from one side, around the center point and down the main walk with the line of statues, including the angry child which is famous, and stolen often. I kept asking questions that they did not have answers to. Although we did find out that the building I was asking about was Frogner Manor and was from 1790. We went into the Vigeland Cafe to see if they had postcards. Not only did they have postcards but they had Holmenkollen postcards that say Oslo 2011 Nordic World Championships. I stocked up. But they cost 190 kroner which comes out to each postcard being about $2 each, so guess what everyone is getting as a souvenir?! I was assured that this is the cheapest cost I was going to find for postcards, and they are perfect, so I went with it. If you get one plan on treasuring it.

From there we tried to go to the Viking museum but it was closed. Instead we drove out to Bygdoy area which also has some museums that were closed. We were still able to walk around though and see some boats and the water. At least I'm sure it is a beautiful water area when it is not ice. It was actually kind of cool. On the way back we stopped so I could take a picture of the royal barns with the former king's symbol on them. I also enjoyed the drive back among some of the older areas that were really beautiful. Hanne had run into a bakery real quick and picked up some bread and Bolle which is a sweet roll with raisins. Delicious! It was a nice afternoon in Oslo.

Tonight for dinner I got to try their version of hotdogs. These were special ones named Kollen after Homenkollen. So I had hotdogs that were world championship dogs. And instead of buns we ate them on lefse which was yummy. When we are ready for dessert we are going to try my derby pie. Lets hope it tastes better than it looks. Hanne just said it looks like an earthquake. I was a bit nervous while cutting it, but it tastes good. Phew.

I have to admit that I'm glad I went to Freestyle World Championships before I came to Oslo. The difference between the two is night and day. Someone told me that going to Nordic Worlds would be as big as the Olympics. They were not kidding. Besides the crowds you can see the comparison in the medal ceremonies. There is a huge, beautiful stage downtown with a podium that looks like ice (it might actually be ice). The top six finishers come out, although only the top 3 are on the podium. But all six athletes receive what looks like a crystal or glass trophy cup. I hope one of our athletes wins so I can find out what it is. Each night includes concerts and victory celebrations. Members of the royal family have shown up at the flower ceremonies and the medal ceremonies. It is all done on a very grand scale. The best part is that when a member of the Norway team wins a gold they get a gold coat. I can just see Spyder doing that down the road for Lindsey. Overall it has been an amazing experience. I'm really glad that I took the suggestion from Billy to come to Nordic World Championships in Norway.

Tomorrow is the Nordic Combined small hill team event and Women's Cross Country 10km Classic. Our NC team is going to be made up of Billy Demong, Johnny Spillane, Todd Lodwick and Bryan Fletcher. For the women's 10km it will be Ida Sargent, Sadie Bjornsen, Holly Brooks and Kikkan Randall. Since I missed the women's race while hiking up from jumping the other day I think I will head up early this time. Might have to skip Todd's jump. Shh, don't tell on me. GO USA!

The Hill from H*LL

Today was an experience. Nordic Combined was going to start at 10am. I thought if I caught the 8:15am bus I should get there with some time to hike up to the competition site. I never considered that a Saturday would be worse than a Friday afternoon. Or that maybe the fact that nordic combined, women's cross country and men's jumping were all going on today. I made it to the train in reasonable time. Unfortunately, when I got there I faced a wall of people that was not moving. Train after train came into the station and left empty if it wasn't going to Holmenkolen or was so full when it came into the station no one could get on it. I eventually texted Hanne and said that I wished I knew more about the area so I could figure out a plan b. She called me a few minutes later and said that there were issues with the train and to walk outside the station where I should be able to find a bus. Within 15 minutes I was on my way up to Nordic Combined. I double checked with a teenage girl and her mother to make sure I was in the right spot. They told me I was and we chatted while we waited. The teenager reminded me very strongly of a former U.S. Alpine skier named Kaylin Richardson. And just like Kaylin she was very friendly and helpful.

Those inside the station did not seem to figure out that there was a bus option right outside. Despite that fact the bus ride was extremely packed. I squeezed myself between two sections of seats over a wheel well and rode up that way so I could leave more room in the aisle. When we got dropped off at a parking lot I wasn't completely sure where I was, but figured that following the crowd was a good plan. On the way out of the lot I realized the group waiting for more members were American. Turns out they were a high school nordic team from the Boston area. They came over for their winter break and took advantage of World Championships being here to attend an event. We all hiked up the hill together. Eventually we came to the spot where the train lets you out and I realized how far we still had to go but we made it.

At the top it was not long before I realized that the weather was as bad or worse than the day before. I'm still not convince there is a ski jump there but those athletes keep coming from somewhere. When I walked in I saw a couple of people in our team jackets so I yelled to Tara. I had brought socks for the head coach to give some of our service guys and wanted to get them delivered. I left a note in the bag that said Toni told me that DJ would owe me a drink for delivering them. We'll see what happens with that. Tara informed me that our guys had not jumped and gave me their approximate start #'s. No sooner had I walked around to find a spot that three of our guys jumped right in a row. They did okay but not great. In fact, watching some of the guys I kept thinking the girls jumped just as far. Fortunately, Bryan Fletcher had a great jump and was sitting in 10th before the Cross Country portion. I had found Bryan and Taylor Fletcher's mom and stepdad in the crowd. I had met them the night before when they came almost straight from the airport to cheer on the women jumpers.

After the jumping we headed for cross country which was on the other side. This is when I met the hill from h*ll. I'm pretty sure it rivaled the hill we walked up at the Torino Olympics. In fact, if I can walk tomorrow I'll be impressed. It did switcheback. And since there was such a crowd headed that way the pace was slow which helped my knee. We ran into the high school team again. They were extremely impressed to be walking with Bryan and Taylor's mom. At one point we came around a turn and all I could see was people going straight up the hill. It definitely scared me a bit. My knee can take a lot now but that was going to be pushing my luck. Fortunately, it turned out those were just the crazy people who decided to take the "short cut" route. We had the option of another switchback. I took that option. Eventually we reached the top but still had to find a place to watch the race. That took so long that we only saw the last couple of cross country girls go by us. And then it was over and we had a new chance to find a spot for the nordic combined race. I was disappointed to miss an opportunity to cheer on our girls, especially Liz Stephen. Finding a location to watch became a whole new adventure but eventually we found ourselves on a fence that overlooked two sections coming and going. We could see the back half of the stands too. And at one point when the fog lifted for a brief moment we could see more of the stadium, and then it was gone again. The men were warming up and the girls were cooling down while we were standing there. A few times we saw some of the U.S. men go by. I kept hoping the U.S. women would go by on their cool down. Just so I could say I saw them even though I missed the race. Eventually an American uniform came our direction so I just started yelling, "USA, USA, USA!" I'm pretty sure it was one of the two girls I couldn't have identified that qualified. But then I looked up and coming our direction was Liz. So I started yelling for her. No idea if she heard me, but at least I got to see her go by. Turns out our girls finished 24th- Liz Stephen, 25th- Holly Brooks, 28th- Jessica Diggins, 43rd- Morgan Arritola.

With all the fog it is hard to know what is going on. So we realized the race had started when the first guy went by us on the lower section. We started counting so we could find our guys. No one ever did catch the guy in first. But it was quite a race with our boys. Bryan started 10th, Todd started 16th, Billy was 29th, Johnny maybe 34th and Taylor was 39th. We cheered as loud as we could. And I took pictures the best I could, but very few are actually good. In the end our boys finished 7th- Billy, 8th- Todd, 19th- Johnny, 22nd- Bryan and 26th- Taylor. A good day for moving up. Hopefully they will recover and be ready to kick some butt in the team event on Monday. I would really love to see them win a medal after performances like today.

I thought I picked a Fletcher, but this might be Johnny

The white hat is definitely Todd

Johnny again? (It was a confusing day)

Once it was over the next adventure, getting home, began. It was slow going working our way back up and then down the hill. We did make a brief detour to see the Holmenkolen Chapel which is beautiful. Then it was down we went. According to Penny and Fred my limp got worse as we went. Which is not good since I've been trying not to limp. Along the way two students asked me if I was from America and then proceeded to give me a high five. Turns out they are also Americans on exchange in Norway. From their attire you would never have guessed it. I had been confused when I first walked by them and heard their english but saw their clothing. Guess they were just trying to fit in. After what seemed like forever we reached the bottom near the train station. At which point we ran up against that human wall again. Penny asked someone about the wait while I asked someone about the option to get a bus. I was told there were no busses, just the train. She was told it would be over an hour of waiting for the train, but we could walk to the center of Oslo in an hour. With those options we decided to walk. I texted Hanne to let her know and off we went. At one point Hanne texted telling me to let her know when we got close on the train since they were in town. I sent her back a message letting her know we were literally walking so it might take awhile. When she called we had only reached the lower drop off point for the lower jump. She told us to keep going and she would see how far they could drive up to meet us. At one point we were optimistic that a bus was an option. But then we were disappointed again and kept walking. I was warm enough during this whole process, just annoyed because my boots had become so wet that my feet sloshed. I have never enjoyed it when my feet sloshed in my shoes (made for long spring soccer seasons). We finally reached a lower train stop that also had a coffee shop. Our theory was that we could get something hot to drink, check in with Hanne and see if we could squeeze onto a train coming down. Thankfully Hanne called as the 3rd train we would never have been able to fit on came by. She told us they were almost to us and to wait at the street. I have never been so thankful to see two people in my life! They picked up all three of us and took Penny and Fred to their lodging. That warm car with Hanne and Bjornar was the most beautiful sight of my trip so far. First Hanne saved me so I could get to the event, and then Hanne and Bjornar saved us returning from the event.

Back at their condo we hung out for awhile, ate some lunch and I tried to dry out. Eventually a run to the grocery store was in order. I think the closest way to describe their big grocery would be similar to a super Target or Walmart. It has some of everything. Although I think it is a bit more mixed together than our stores. I decided that I wanted to make them something since they have done so much for me. So walking through the store I was trying to remember what is in Derby Pie since it is about the only thing I can successfully make. We managed to find chocolate chips, opted for walnuts instead of pecans and bought some dough for pie crust. The rest Hanne said she had at home. Dinner tonight was steak on the grill, mashed potatoes and cooked tomatoes using the garlic oil that I brought them. It was all delicious! Then Hanne and I set to work figuring out how to make Derby pie with their temps and measuring cups. Fortunately, she found one that had our measurements on one side so I was able to figure it out. When I opened the bag of chips I realized they are much bigger than ours. But its chocolate and going to melt somewhat so I just went with it. They also have different measurements on their stick of butter so we were guessing and melting. We had a bit more melted butter than we needed, but definitely got what was required. I put it all together and put it into the pie crust Hanne had created. I tasted some of the mix in the bowl and it tasted like what I am used to. It turned golden like I am used to, but it did a few things I did not expect. Hanne seems to think that despite it's looks the taste will be great. So tomorrow night we will find out. I joked that I needed to take a picture of the pie, but I don't think I'll be sharing it with mom and Amber unless it really does taste great. The family already has enough jokes about my cooking abilities.

Tomorrow is the Men's 30km Pursuit. So tempted to skip it after today's adventures. But I have been reassured that it should be partly sunny and the Norwegians will be out in full force for this event. I guess I can't come all this way and miss that experience. So I will be out there cheering on Kris Freeman, Lars Flora, Tad Elliott and Noah Hoffman (one of my rookies). Go USA!

Wish it! Dream it! Do it!

I am going to steal today's title from Sarah Hendrickson's gloves (see the photo below). It seems like the perfect title for the World Championship Women's Ski Jumping. The girls today did more than just wish, dream and do it. They were true champions whether they finished on the podium or off. In fact every one of those girls are my hero for going out there and jumping in the conditions they competed in today.



I arrived at the competition sight around 12:20pm. As soon as I wandered up near the stands I heard my name being yelled. The girls were standing just a few feet away so I was able to go over, wish them luck and give them hugs. I was happy to have that opportunity to start off my day. I wandered around a little further trying to figure out where my ticket allowed me to stand. I noticed the team coach, Kjell talking to some people. I waited until he was headed back toward the team and stopped him just long enough to say hi. After he walked away a woman approached me and asked if I knew him or was with the team. I told her that I worked with them and she informed me that the whole group standing there were from Kjell's village in Norway. They were there to cheer on the USA girls. Pretty impressive. At the time the men's qualifying was going on. It was foggy so you couldn't see the top of the jump but you could see the OSLO across the hill just above the landing area. I decided that since we did not have anyone competing I would wander back toward the cafe and merchandise tents to see what was available. That area ended up being the best place to find people. First I found Blair who works with the women's jumping team and then I found the moms (Chris, Nancy & Dorie). Blair told me to look for them near the rail because they had brought flags to put up.

When the moms and I walked around to our standing ticket area we found the group and moved in. Thankfully the position was right across from the big screen because while I was gone the fog moved lower. You could no longer see the OSLO on the hill. We were able to watch much of the jumps on the screen and then you could see the girls as they entered the finish area. There were many times the judges held the girls or had them come off the bar and wait for conditions to improve. Despite this the girls put down some impressive jumps. For most of the competition we could barely see the lights at the bottom portion of the jump by the landing. And we never could see the landing.

Our view

Despite the conditions the crowd was enthusiastic. We all cheered for every athlete but you knew when an American or a Norwegian athlete was coming up. It went a bit crazy at that point. Throughout the event our group size grew as more American fans found us. A couple of the Nordic Combined parents had flown in this morning and they eventually found their way to the event and our group. The reigning world champion coming into today was American Lindsey Van. Unfortunately the wind and weather were not helpful and her first jump came up short. She did not qualify for the second jump. In the end our girls finished 14th- Jessica, 16th- Sarah, 20-Alissa, 24th-Abby and 34th- Lindsey. At the end I had the chance to ask Abby what their view was like from the top. She said it was exactly like ours. They could barely see their coach give them the signal to go. They couldn't see the end of the jump and they definitely couldn't see the crowd. But she said they could hear us. It was a tough day for all of them but I am still amazed by the perserverence and determination despite the odds and weather. These girls deserve the opportunity to be Olympic athletes. They certainly showed today that they will not let anything stop them from competing in a sport they love. I hope someday everyone gets a chance to see them compete.

The mascots


Abby and Me (after event)

Chris, Dorie, Nancy, Nancye

Nancye & Nancy

After the event I managed to get the parents all down the right route to the train. Since we had different stops they were on their own from there. I got off and picked up the bus back to Hanne's place. They made the most delicious homemade pizza for dinner. It was amazing. And then we watched tv and I did my knee exercises since I have been slacking off with moving and travel. I'm pretty sure now that they know I'm supposed to be doing them they will be cracking the whip. We hoped that during some of the jumping replays I could point out our group. They did show a shot of Blair on the tv and my hand waving a bell, but that was it. Which is fine, since I'm not a huge fan of being on tv. It is hard enough making myself do photos. But I want you to know I'm really here, so I posed for a couple today.

Tomorrow morning it is back to the hill. Here is hoping we can see it this time. There is Nordic Combined and Women's XC Pursuit to cheer for. Plan on cheering for Todd Lodwick, Johnny Spillane, Billy Demong, Bryan Fletcher and Taylor Fletcher. On the XC side we can cheer on Liz Stephen, Morgan Arritola, Holly Brooks and Jessica Diggins. GO USA!

Off to Oslo I go

Last year when I had to sell my Nordic Combined Olympic tickets I mentioned that maybe our veteran athletes could stick around until Sochi so I had a second chance. Billy Demong suggested that while that was possible maybe I should consider World Championships in Oslo. Since I have never been to Oslo I decided that sounded like a great idea. I thought about it on and off over the summer and finally decided to go for it. It helped a lot that Hanne so kindly offered to take me in while I was going to be in Oslo. I had only emailed asking for suggestions but she is my hero for providing lodging and support! The first day tickets went on sale found me working away at a friend's computer on the Notre Dame campus (while on vacation) so I could get myself covered for these events. That was an effort convincing my bank that I really was the one using my credit card for event tickets in Norway. But eventually I ended up with events every day from February 25th (Women's Ski jumping) until March 2nd. In November I finally bought my flight and thought I was ready to go. And then I tore my ACL. My only question for the doctor was whether I could still go if I had surgery. He gave me the okay, so the surgery happened and the travel plans continued!

Finally it was time to head for Oslo. I have to admit this was not my best organized trip. I spent the past two weeks moving and found myself rushing to pack. I left behind my American flags and any thought of bringing along stickers or pins. Oops. My flight left Salt Lake City Wednesday morning and took me to Minneapolis to Amsterdam to Oslo. Things were going really well for air travel until I got to Amsterdam. We actually arrived early but then were delayed getting out due to weather. In Minneapolis I was able to switch my seats to the aisle so that I could have my leg hanging out. And luck was with me and I ended up with both seats to myself. The other two flights I just switched sides with someone. It is nice to know there are still helpful people out there. The other issue I ran into in Amsterdam involves my Visa cards. Turns out that not one single one of the prepaid cards works over here so far. Good thing I deposited my federal return before I left. Might have to use it here on my bank card and then use the prepaid cards to pay bills at home. Oh the joys of figuring out money while traveling. I love Visa, they help our athletes and I have always had good luck with my credit/debit card, but I wish the prepaid ones came with more information on whether they would work in Europe. Live and learn.



This afternoon I arrived in Oslo and was greeted by Hanne at the airport. I was so happy to see her! And happy to be done with flights for a few days. She took me back to her wonderful place where I was able to relax from the travel and we watched the Cross Country sprints on tv. She translated what was going on every once in awhile. They even interviewed Kikkan Randall, which needed no translation. I'm just sorry it wasn't a good day for her. This evening after a delicious dinner we traveled downtown by bus. Hanne showed me where to pick it up, which one to take, where to get off, etc so that I'm all set for tomorrow's event.

Once we were downtown we took the train (metro) over to the center area where they have a stage set up for ceremonies. Since we were early we wandered around the tents checking out the local dishes and souvenirs. Hanne explained any that I might not have understood. I already have a few fun ideas for souvenirs, although mostly for my brother. We'll see what I decide upon later. We wandered by some snow sculptures and checked out the events until it was time for the awards. Everyone was pretty happy since a Norwegian woman won and a Norwegian man was 2nd today. There were also a couple of Swedish athletes on the podium and they seem to have a decent crowd here too. We weren't not able to see much other than the flags and bits of the video screen. So now I know when the USA athletes are on the podium I need to get there early so I can see.

Snow sculptures

Hanne showed me another option for taking the bus back to her place. When we arrived I met her fiance Bjornar who is also wonderful for taking me in! I am so excited to experience Norway with the help of Hanne and Bjornar. It should be a wonderful week of adventures. Tomorrow will start the excitement with Women's Ski Jumping. I will be there with my bell cheering on Abby, Alissa, Jessica, Lindsey and Sarah! GO USA!

Girls' Night Out, Birthday Weekend

By now most of my friends have heard me talk about Straight No Chaser. If you haven't, they are an amazing a cappella group that started at Indiana University, I think in 1996. I left town for college around then, but fortunately one of my friends introduced me to their music. I have been a fan ever since. Sadly I was a bit slow in figuring out they were back together. But I am thrilled that they have three Cd's out and have been on tour. I kept waiting to see if they would make it out west near me. They finally added Denver and Salt Lake City to their Fall tour. I ran into some difficulty at first getting Denver which was my first choice. So I went ahead and bought tickets for Salt Lake. Eventually I had the opportunity to get tickets for Denver. I was not sorry to have tickets in two cities bookending my birthday. I thought it sounded like the perfect way to celebrate. It was not meant to be though. The show in Salt Lake was canceled for reasons I'm still not sure about. But at least I had the tickets for Denver.

I flew over to Denver on Friday to spend the weekend with the family, spoil that adorable niece of mine and enjoy Girls' Night out at the Straight No Chaser concert with mom and Amber. I spent some time with Trinity on Saturday afternoon before it was time to head to Denver. We went down early to have dinner at a great Mexican restaurant that Amber loves. From there we fought through traffic to get to the show. I have seen a lot of the SNC videos from their concerts on Youtube but to see it live is amazing. They weren't even through the first half before I was wishing to see them again. If you get the opportunity to see them in concert you have to do it. They are an amazing group of guys with amazing voices. And they look like they are having so much fun up there. Plus the choreography is fabulous and worth a few laughs.

After the concert there was a meet and greet in the lobby. Since the Salt Lake show was canceled I had requested that I be allowed to stay. Fortunately mom and Amber were troopers. One of the reasons I was a fan when they first started is because Charlie went to my high school. He was one year ahead of me and I had always enjoyed watching him in our school musicals. We were never in any classes or activities together, but I knew who he was. So it was fun to support someone from North. (Plus the group is great.) I had never officially met Charlie but wanted to say hi after the show. Along the way I had the opportunity to talk to a couple of the other guys and get a photo with Mike. When I got to Charlie it turns out he recognized the last name because my brother was in his sister's class. Bloomington really is a small world outside of the University. We had a nice, quick chat before I moved along the line. I am definitely looking forward to my next opportunity to see SNC in concert. And if you haven't been yet you should definitely check them out!

Mike Luginbill & Me after the show

Me & Charlie Mechling (North H.S. Alumni)

Me & Mom post show

Me & Amber post show

Sunday was a quiet day after our late night. I made it over to the ranch in time to see Trinity after her morning nap. The little one is turning into a total ham. She hears a camera turning on and she starts smiling. It is adorable. Trinity is also a lot more flexible than I could ever have been. She was sitting in her swing pulling her feet up to her mouth. Impressive.

Trinity showing off her flexibility.

When it was time for Trinity's afternoon nap I ran back to pick up mom. We had dinner at the ranch and an early birthday celebration for me. Mom made my favorite dinner and Amber made a bourbon cheesecake. Yummy! I lucked out with the most fabulous gift from mom. Technically she had already gotten me one by paying for my flight to Denver. But she couldn't wait for Christmas so I received a Kindle as well. This is looking to be my new favorite toy. Chris, Amber and Trinity gave me a Gap gift card (part of my improvement project) and the Michael Luginbill cd I had on my wish list. Altogether a fabulous birthday celebration with the family.

Monday mom had to work before I left for the airport. So I dropped her off at school and went to the ranch. I got there in time to ride along to the doctor with Amber and Trinity. Fortunately it turned out that Trinity did not have an ear infection. She was quite a trooper with the doctor and fascinated by the mirror next to the table. We played around until it was time for her nap. I was able to stay until she was up for lunchtime. We were watching Amber make lunch when Trinity bumped her head on the window. I couldn't get her to stop crying and she wouldn't stop for Chris. She was starting to calm down a bit but still crying when I turned on the camera. I swear she turned around and smiled at me through the tears. I can't wait to see how much fun she will be around a camera as she gets bigger. Hopefully she never wants to hide like I usually do when a camera is near. Overall it was a fabulous trip and a great start to a birthday week.

Trinity & Me.

Happy Family

Broke the California Boycott

I moved to Utah from California four years ago. SO far no one has come to visit me. So I kept joking that I was going to boycott the state until someone (anyone) came to visit. And then it was announced that Brandi Chastain was having a testimonial game for her retirement. It was going to be a whose who of soccer players (and actors) that I had grown up cheering for. The time had come to break the boycott. Most of my friends won't be shocked that it was soccer that got me back to the state. It is still my first love when it comes to sports, even if I do not go to as many games living in Utah. (And yes, I know we have a pro team. Just not the same.)

I headed out to the bay area on a Thursday. Almost didn't make it. Somehow I mixed up the times in my head and thought I needed to be down at the airport before 7:30 to check in. In fact my flight was leaving at 7:30, so at 6:20 I was in a bit of panic driving down I-80. Fortunately I made the delayed flight. Sometimes you have to appreciate a delay. It worked out since my friend Nancy was running behind to pick me up. We managed to be on the same time table after all of that. Nancy and Kim had been kind enough to take me in and offer me the use of their car for the weekend so I didn't have to rent. It was super nice of them. On our way to Nancy's house she showed me a way to loop around to their street if you couldn't make the turn due to traffic. At the stop sign before you turned onto their road she said there is a good view there. But since it was dark I couldn't tell. The next morning I realized I had forgotten my directions. Since I couldn't back up I did the loop. Turns out that good view is looking across the bay at the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco. That is an amazing view!

Friday I drove down to the Cal State East Bay campus for a bit. Since everyone was busy I walked around and looked at some of the changes on campus. Then I headed out to Walnut Creek to meet up with Bri. We had survived grad school together and been the two girls who wanted careers in sports. It was so great to see her for a bit over lunch. I hope that sometime soon I'll convince her to come out to Utah.

Bri & Me after lunch

After lunch I raced straight back to CSUEB for the women's volleyball game. I had worked with the team when I lived in California. None of the players are the same but I still love the head coach and the one assistant I know. It was a great game and CSUEB came out with the win. Afterward I got to talk to Meg and Spagle. I had to give Spagle a hard time about having a tournament trip to Alaska after I left. Turns out I also missed the tourny trip to Hawaii. He does take his teams on some great trips. When I was there I got to go with them to Kentucky. Nothing like seeing a bunch of California girls in the Midwest. It was great. Spagle was just happy because my mom found him a place to get a hot brown sandwich and a bourbon. When in Kentucky... Anyway it was great to see all of them. Then Debby talked us into going over to the soccer games which wasn't on my schedule. The field is amazing now. They have redone it and it is used for the women's pro games. Nancy and I left for a bit to go get dinner. We headed straight to Val's for burgers, fries and milkshakes. The best comfort food I ever found when I lived out there. Then we stopped back by campus for a bit to see how the guy's were doing in their game.

Debby & Me at soccer.

Saturday morning was a nice slow start. Eventually though I left to drive over to Alameda to meet up with Mansi and Amanda who also survived grad school with me. We went to this cute little place by the water. We had the best view of the San Francisco skyline and the Bay Bridge. It was windy but beautiful. And since I had missed Amanda's wedding I was happy to catch up with them. Mansi swears they are either coming to visit in January for Sundance or June when it warms up. I have sent along the Sundance information so we'll see what happens.

Mansi, Me & Amanda

When I got back to Nancy and Kim's we got ready to head to Santa Clara for Brandi's game. I was so excited. All of my favorite players were going to be there. Brandi had invited Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, Joy Fawcett, Tisha Venturini, Cindy Parlow, Tiffeny Milbrett, Marcelo Balboa, Tab Ramos, Eric Wynalda and so many more. There were also actors and athletes from other sports. The game was being held at Buckshaw Stadium at Santa Clara University. I used to love going down there for games when I lived in the Bay Area. It was a beautiful day for a game. We got there early so we watched the clinic they were putting on for the kids ahead of the game. Kim and Nancy bought me a t-shirt and the program as early birthday presents. We had also brought a 12 year old friend of theirs named Tiffany. At one point the two of us wandered down to see what else there might be to do and get food. Unfortunately the line for food was so long we bailed on that idea. The line never did get short. I think a lot of people missed a lot of the game standing in that line.

Some of the players.

Julie Foudy & Mia Hamm - team captains

Eventually the game was under way. It was red team v blue team. In the first half Brandi played on the red team but at halftime she switched to the blue team. Considering that some of the players were not soccer players and others had been retired for 6 years it was a great game. Everyone was very competitive and having a good time. I really did watch the game but I also took about 300 photos. I never thought I'd have the chance to see so many of my soccer heroes playing in one game, I had to get proof. It really was a dream come true. There was a group of boys from a local soccer team sitting in front of us. The ones not standing in the concession line kept asking who people were. Since I had the program and years of soccer watching I filled them in the best I could. It is sad that today's kids do not know about Mia and the rest of that group. Although the little girls knew about her. They were still wearing her jersey. The boys were mostly excited because they had heard that a former Boston Red Sox player and an NFL football player were there. I knew they were referring to Nomar Garciaparra for the baseball player but it took awhile to figure out the football player. It was a former 49ers player named Brent Jones.

The whole list of players for the game:
Brandi Chastain, Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, Tisha Venturini, Joy Fawcett, Aly Wagner, Eric Wynalda, Leslie Osborne, Eric Lagopoulos, Marcelo Balboa, Tab Ramos, Brent Jones, Kelly Lindsey, Ro Hernandez, Tiffeny Milbrett, Nomar Garciaparra, Cindy Parlow, Giovanni Savarese, Chris Armas, Judy Reyes, David Zayas, Sissi, Danielle Slaton, Julie Inkster (she played in her hat), Yang Zhou, Meagan McCray, Jordan Angeli, Fernando Clavijo, Chris Dengerfield, Bobby Sarnevesht, Kristi Leskinen, Joe Cannon, Val Henderson, Tony DiCicco, Chioma Igwe, Chad Chastain, Lorrie Fair, Colleen Hacker, Linda Leipper, Shawn Medved, Cameron Smith, Kerry Smith


Late in the second half Brandi finally scored a goal in her testimonial game.

Brandi's goal.

Celebrating the goal with Mia.

After the score was tied 2-2 they called the game and went to PK's. You almost expected Brandi to take hers and then whip off her jersey like in 1999. She did take the last PK but after scoring she ran over and hugged the goalie. And the game ended up a tie. Not a bad way to go with so many amazing players.

Post game included the retirement of Brandi's high school jersey, her college jersey and then the Mayor of Santa Clara declared it Brandi Chastain Day. The best though was when they let Mia and Julie have the microphone. They had some great things to say about their friend and former teammate. I really miss watching these amazing players. They were a true class act and what all athletes should be like. Finally Brandi had the microphone and thanked everyone. She was a bit emotional but you certainly can't blame her. I was emotional listening and realizing that now all my soccer heroes are retired. It was a beautiful night.

Brandi thanking her fans.

Tisha, Julie, Mia after the game.

How do you follow up an awesome experience like Brandi's testimonial game? You spend Sunday in Monterey with two great friends. Nancy and I drove down to meet Joyce and got there around lunchtime. After checking out Joyce's adorable house we walked down to the wharf for a lunch of sushi. I had been craving sushi for awhile so it was great to finally get some. After lunch we walked back to Joyce's to get the car so we could go cheese tasting and wine tasting. When I still lived in Cali a group of us had gone down to meet Joyce for a day of wine tasting but she introduced us to the Cheese Shop in Carmel that day too. My request was sushi, Nancy's request was cheese. So off we went to The Cheese Shop where we easily spent an hour or more tasting cheese from all over the world. The owner was working with us and started calling me Utah after I told him I couldn't join the wine & cheese of the month club since I live in Utah. He had us try a cheese called "Barely Buzzed" that is dusted in espresso from Utah. I laughed because I'm pretty sure caffeine is not allowed by the Mormon religion, or so I had been told. We had a great time and we all walked out with plenty of cheese and I bought a bottle of wine to try. The next stop was a wine tasting room on Cannery Row. Joyce was a member so we went in and tried some of their delicious wines. I had to purchase a bottle there as well. After that we walked around and tried some of the shops. The sock place pulled us all in and no one walked out empty handed. I was pretty excited to find Thanksgiving socks. Our last stop was the Rocky Mountain Chocolate shop where Joyce treated us all to candy apples and other goodies. Yum! We made sure we had a group photo before taking Joyce home and driving back to Hayward.

Joyce, Me, Nancy

Nancy and I had one more stop that evening. We were invited to dinner at Debby & David's and you never say no! They are the best cooks. And it is always fun to spend time with them at their house. We had a lovely dinner and I got a chance to see the remodeled kitchen. I do miss their amazing dinners now that I'm in Utah.

Monday morning I went in to work with Nancy. Then I borrowed her car to go pick up sourdough bread at Trader Joe's and chocolate from the Ghirardelli Factory Store. If you are in the East Bay Area I recommend the factory store. Great prices and wonderful chocolate. I also had to stop and pick up lottery tickets while I was in a state with a lottery. Hard to win enough to travel the world when you live in a state with no lottery. I picked Nancy up and said good bye to Debby. Then on the way to the airport we stopped at See's Candy to pick up a box of chocolate for my Great Uncle and Aunt. The last time I was out there I bought a box but it never got to them. They received the padded envelope but not the candy. (This time I sent it Fedex.)

And then it was time to fly home. All in all a great trip to California. Hopefully someone from that huge state will come visit before the next time I travel that direction.

Weekend in Jackson Hole

So I'm a bit behind since Courtney and I were in Jackson Hole back in September. We decided that since I had gotten a special we would go up for a weekend after Labor Day. We drove up Friday evening so that we would be there in time to go rafting on Saturday. Before this summer I had never been rafting, now I've been twice. I love it!

When we walked into the Dave Hansen Rafting shop on Saturday morning I was wearing a Notre Dame shirt and my Towson hat. The guy at the desk asked me if I went to Notre Dame because they had a guide that played lacrosse there. When we got to the drop in point I met the guide, Ryan. Turns out that not only did he go to Notre Dame but he grew up in Towson. Very small world. Courtney and I ended up in Ryan's raft and had a fabulous trip down the Snake. If you are up that way I recommend taking a rafting or float trip with Dave Hansen.

Courtney & I after our rafting trip on the Snake River.

We got back into Jackson Hole in the later afternoon and decided to walk around town while we waited for Chris, Amber and Trinity to reach us. They were on their way back from Montana and taking the scenic route. I was excited that I would be able to get my Trinity fix for the month of September. I was getting text messages with updates on their progress. I guess they did not see much wildlife in Yellowstone but fortunately saw some buffalo and moose as they were leaving Teton National Park. They met up with us by one of the Antler Arches in Jackson. We walked around town and eventually stopped for dinner. That is when I got some quality Trinity time. She sat in my lap for most of dinner giving me those big eyes every time I ate a bite and didn't share. Trinity may be up to eating solids but only when they are really mashed up. Not quite time to share my buffalo burger with her.

Trinity in Jackson Hole.

Sunday I introduced Courtney to Yellowstone and Teton National Parks. We were going to drive straight up to Yellowstone to start but took a detour to see the barn with the Tetons behind. I'm glad we did it in the morning since the light wouldn't have been as good later. After that little detour we headed up past Old Faithful to some of the hot pots and geysers. Then we worked our way back down past Old Faithful, Lake Yellowstone and the rest of the park. She will have to go back since there is so much more of the park for her to see. I love going to Yellowstone whenever I can. I usually make it up there at least once or twice a year, except last year. The only wildlife we saw in Yellowstone was one buffalo and an osprey. It is getting harder to find them on my last couple of visits. But we did see lots of Buffalo, one elk, some antelope and the backside of a Moose in the Tetons. So it is possible to see some wildlife while you are up there.

Beautiful view!


Our wildlife encounter.

Beauty in Yellowstone

Before we finished our trip we also took the aerial tram ride up at the Jackson Ski resort. It was beautiful up there even if the day wasn't bright and sunny. There were a bunch of people para sailing which was cool to see. Don't think I'll try it but fun to watch. Overall it was a fabulous weekend. I highly recommend a weekend in Jackson Hole.