Team USA!!!

It is day 5 at the Bank of America Hometown Hopefuls Family Center. So far there have been some amazing happenings around here. This morning, Natalie Coughlin (Go Bears!) won a gold medal. Yesterday The Men's 4x100m Relay won the gold, which they were not expected to do. In the afternoon Cullen Jones, a member of that relay team and a BofA sponsored athlete, came in for a press conference. I don' think I've been that close to a gold medal before. Evidently while he was here and I was helping his mom with her computer I actually bumped into him. Literally.

On Day 2, something I couldn't blog about before, George H.W. Bush was in for the grand opening ceremony. It was pretty cool. He wasn't here for very long, but he did give a speech and he did shake some hands. Besides, The Bush sighting means I have now met, seen, and/or been in the same room with all of America's ex-presidents. Not Bad. Not Bad.

As I've mentioned earlier, the pin trading is in overdrive. I've acquired a backstock of trading pins and am slowly improving the overall quality of the collection.
Recent additions have included the hysterical Tyson Chicken Gymnastics Pin:



Because I am closely involved with the athlete's families I've naturally amassed a collection of team pins. Each parent trying to outdo the others. Sports presently represented: Gymnastics, Men's Water Polo, Women's Water Polo, USA Shooting, Field Hockey, USA Swimming, Official USA Team Pins for: Swimming, Water Polo, and Softball. When I get out of here on the 15th I'll have a short chance to do some shopping. So far though, I'm saving money because I'm never awake, and not working, when stores are open.

We have worked 14 hours a day for the last 7 days, and I'm starting to feel it. Seriously, if my ticket weren't for the Gymnastics Women's All-Around competition I would consider sleeping in and just staying at home. However, I wouldn't miss this event for the world. Sadly, my request for tickets to any locker room was not honored.

There is a rally going on downstairs for the Women's Field Hockey team, and they are making lots of noise!!! Those girls are loud!! It's awesome. The entire team is here and right now there are some speeches going on. Oh. Speeches over and they are playing "Eye of the Tiger"! Nice.

There's a great vibe here and lots of great people. They, of course, all want to show me pictures of their children. It's like some sort of Kaffeeklatsch in here sometimes. "Now this is my Michael at the PanAm Games." "This is my Mary at the World Championships." It's a bizarre Kaffeeklatsch, but a Klatsch nonetheless.

Speaking of which Zenaida Coughlin, Natalie Coughlin's mom (GO BEARS!), was just here and asked if I had heard that Natalie has won a Gold, Silver, and a Bronze so far. She was beaming. As would any mother. (Dayton, Julie, and Rob, I sent her heartfelt Cal Congratulations.)

Aside from pin trading and shoulder and wrist injuries caused by lifting laptops all day - I wish this place was stocked with Macbook Airs- there isn't much to report. Lots of stories from families. In addition to this I occasionally feel as if I am trapped in some sort of bizarre Chinese prison where everyone speaks english and wears red white and blue.