Yesterday - Sorry No New Posts

Hello All,

Thanks for looking at this blog a lot. It has been fun to do. However, yesterday there was a lot of stuff going on as we tore down Gymnastics and set up for the Handball finals. So I didn't get to do much. Also...one of the guys here on the TV crew from 7 in Oz has brought along the class bear and I have been playing 'Baxter' on the blog and answering the 6 - 8 year old's questions. You should go check out the blog for Baxter. Here is the link. Especially check out the comments and see what the little kids are writing.

Apparently...it has caused a great stir since the parents are looking at it...the council is looking at it and more. We have had fun doing it. I will get some pictures up today before it is over.

Olympic Ring Tower - High Rent District

Here are some pictures from a tower here on the Olympic Green that change colours.

I met a man

who is from Zimbabwe and is a photog here at the Games. His name is Alexander Joe. We were sitting close to each other on the bus on the way home last night. I struck up a conversation with him. I asked him what he covered and he told me wars. He is known as the Conflict Photog for AFP. He has covered 26 of them. So I asked him what the toughest war he covered was. He said they have all been tough but then indicated that the way in Bruni was the toughest. He was always wearing a 26 pound flap jacket and more. It was not much fun. He said he went down once prostrate on the ground and took 30 minutes to get up...so he decided after that he would always 'kneel' if he had to go down again. He knelt a lot.

I asked him what his favourite story was that he covered. He surprised me and told me the Coronation of the King of Swaziland some 20 years ago. It is a private ceremony but in the end he and a couple of others were inside. They were invited to sit down and so he did. He sat down and then realized his pants were now wet. He had just sat in a pile of Cow Dung but he was there covering the story and was inside. He said it was special since it was the last time there had been a true South African traditional ceremony for a Coronation. He is afraid that the West will Westernize their ceremonies.

This is his first Olympics and he is shooting Volleyball for AFP. He has been doing this for 26 years. He wants to retire and live with his wife in Mozembique {sp}. He is currently in JoBurg.

Anyway...a fun ride home on the bus last night.

Other Interesting Swimming Stories at the Olympics

This guy from Tunisia won the 1500m men's race. That was pretty cool. He beat out Grant Hackett from Oz. I wonder where he practices in Tunisia.

You can see the Aussies cheering on their Grant Hackett and Hackett with his medal.

Then there is the story of Ms. Dara Torres. You guys should look it up. This is her 5th Olympics and she has Nine Medals coming into these Games and she won some here as well. She first competed in LA and then Seoul and then Barcelona and then Sydney. She skipped Atlanta and Athens...the two A Olympics. Wikipedia entry for here is linked.



In these first two pictures she had just received a medal for her race and was whisked away to get out of the warmup suit and out on the blocks for the Women's relay. She then raced in the Relay and toook a medal there as well. Not bad for an old lady....opps....she is younger than me....so she must be a young lady. Boy am I old!!!!!!!!!!!!

Erik had a birthday shout Hurray!!!!

It is hard to blow a cake.

We tried and tried and then my sister helped.

Mom had to hold on to me so I wouldnt blow away.

Emma can sure make that horse neigh.... It is great and I am sooo good at doing the sound myself. Hey, and there is a picture of my big brother Hans who doesnt like pictures.

I turned 2 and had a great party here are some pictures to show it. Miss you, Dad!

Watch my funny family go at it. they like cake but maybe not as much as me.

Phelps Did It - 8 Gold In a Single Olympics

In these first three snaps you see Michael on the starting block and then jumping into the pool. You notice that he and the other swimmer next to him are entering at the same time. In the other relay Michael caused the team to be behind when he finished where in this relay he came back and made up almost 1 full second.

In these next three snaps you see Michael coming in for the touch and then the next guy jumping in the pool. I wish I had with me the stronger lens. It would have been nice but I did not think I would be where I was at the time.





In the above picture you see Phelps touching and then in the thee next three snaps you see the final strokes of the last swimmer coming in for a Gold.











Let the celebration begin. For all you number geeks. If Michael Phelps were a country in and of himself competing in the Olympic Games he would be ranked 5th based on Gold Medals Won in Beijing as of this AM. In these pictures you can see him doing the butterfly and then touching and then the others jumping into the pool and finishing the race. Fun Fun Fun.

The Number 8

Here is one of the US team members arriving at the pool this AM with a baseball style warm up on with United States and the 08. One wonders if the 8 is for the Year or for the number of Golds Hauled in by Phelps. If he had not won today I am sure it would have been for the year but since he won I am sure they will say it is for his Gold Haul.

Phelps Arrives at Venue for Olympic History

Here are pics taken by me as Michael Phelps arrived at the venue at 840 AM this morning in Beijing, just minutes ago. I wonder if 8 Gold medals will be a lucky number like 8 of 8 2008 at 808 PM