The 2011 Gymnaestrada is over.  We have had an amazing time here.  I am so proud of everybody!  Teamwork, teamwork, teamwork!

This morning, everyone finally had time to go souvenir shopping & sightseeing.  Most of you can expect Swiss chocolate as a gift!  We met for lunch & trading at the venue.  We have some great bargain hunters.  I think they all got exactly what they wanted!

We have been undecided about performing in Closing Ceremonies.  One rehearsal was late & far away, so we didn't go. One was on the rainy day, so we didn't go.  One was at 10 this morning, so we didn't go.  But, Steve, our head of delegation, still wanted us to perform, so we said "YES!"  There were only a few minor problems.  The Opening formation was circles - easy because we have enough people to form our own circle.  But, we had to find our place on the huge football field with about 1000 other people.  There were round white markers spaced all over the field.  The center of our circle was supposed to be K8.  More about that later.  We found a place to practice in one of the halls, because we didn't know the section of tthe routine with lifts, the part with waves, or the ending.  I watched the video this AM & counted out all the sections.  We were going to practice with the music on Mary's phone & Rachel's IPOD speaker.  Well, Mary & Kelli came to the field a direct route & they weren't there for practice, so we just counted.  I made up our own version of the wave because we weren't making all the formation changes & had no clue about the music at the end, so I told everybody just to watch Ali, Jessie, & Charlotte & make the final pose when they did.  I trust them alot!  We went up to the stadium early & they weren't letting people in.  I'm not sure what I said - didn't matter because the guard only spoke French & I was speaking English - but we just went in, found seats, & had our own rehearsal on the field.  We found K8!  Then, we blocked out all the formations, and hoped nobody else planned to use the white markers we were standing on.  Mary F., Kelli, Kara, Ariel, & Debi missed the walk through so I found them a spot in the corner to do their own thing.  I have to say - we did great!!!  Our whole group even faked the ending & finished just like everybody else!  Good thing Chile was a little in front of us.  There was just one slight problem.  Right before we ran onto the field, somebody told us there were TWO dances.  OOPS!  We can fake an ending, but not a whole dance, so we just ran off the field after the first one.

This Closing was the best I remember from any of the Gymnaestradas I've been to.  Each continent did a section.  In every routine, there must have been 1000 people on the field.  It was amazing!  It's hard to believe the Gymnaestrada is over.  Charlotte B. came up to me as we were leaving & said "I wish we could stay in Switzerland a little longer."  We are all anxious to get home to see family, friends, & pets, but at the same time, we are sad to leave the Gymnaestrada behind.  Despite all the trouble in the world today, for these 10 days, people from all over the world have been united through gymnastics.  What a wonderful feeling!

I had to stop writing for a few minutes to watch the grand finale out my window - fireworks over the lake!

Now - time to pack.  We are being picked up at 3:30 in the morning to go to the airport in Zurich.  When we get home, we'll let you know the plans for the 2013 Gym for Life in South Africa & the 2015 Gymnaestrada in Finland!

   

We had our last performance today & it was the best one yet!  I'm not having any luck uploading the videos to YouTube so you'll have to wait until we get home to see the show.  We had a full house & got another standing ovation!  As people were leaving, many were wiping the tears from their eyes.  All day, people have been coming up to the girls & telling them how much they enjoyed the performance.  I am so proud of the team!!!!

Most of us got up early & went to the venue to watch the British Disabilities Team.  They did great - as usual!  Paula's team, DeVeaus, was right after us, so our whole team sat on the floor in front after our performance & watched the magic show.  Paula's choreography is amazing. 

All afternoon, we watched the performances and traded anything & everything.  The Educational Forum was at 5:00.  We got to the hall early & took part in a tango lesson.  Katie K. & Mandy won medals for being the best dancers!  They were partnered with really cute guys from Argentina who were helping teach.  You should have seen Mandy swoon when her partner dipped her!  Katie got a kiss on the cheek & has been smiling ever since.

I think everybody had fun during my presentation - Gym for All means Gym for Life.  The focus was on including everybody (competitive gymnasts, seniors, people with disabilities, etc) in group performances.  We divided into 6 groups.  In each group, there were 3-4 representatives of kids/teens, people with disabilities, & adults/seniors.  I gave specifics, such as 32 counts of a locomotor movement, 32 counts of partner skills, etc. & each group choreographed a routine to the Radetsky March, using the abilities of the group members.  It was lots of fun & all the groups did really creative routines.

After the Educational Forum, we headed to the hotel to sort out the equipment to pack.  I think everybody has the right ball now!  Then, dinner at the school, packing, & early lights out.

I've had another late night, so you get another short post.  More tomorrow - I promise.  I have lots of stories to tell!

Short post tonite because it’s really late & I’m really tired – but quite happily tired.  The day started with good news – Dr. John got his money & credit cards back!   The bus driver found his money clip, which had the hotel room key & John’s drivers license.  So – they bus company tracked him down & charged 5 francs to deliver everything to the hotel.  Isn’t it nice to know there are honest people out there among the pick pockets!

 

We had an early rehearsal for the English Speaking National Evening.  There were teams from the US, Canada, Australia, Great Britain, and Trinidad & Tobago.  The show was all ABBA music.  We learned a fun dance for the finale first & then each team went through their routine.  We were the first team, so the rest was like having our own personal show. 

 

We fought our way onto a bus to go to lunch & another tradefest.  Everybody has scoped out what they want & is going after it.  Kiki & John Logan got French backpacks at lunch.  I think that was the coup of the day!  The US jackets are in great demand, so nobody has had to settle for something they don’t really want.  Khalilah got the whole Swiss warm-up & Karen got a Swiss jacket.  Lots of fun!  After lunch, we went back to the school /hotel for rest our & the beauty salon.

 

Our show was at 9:00.  The Dutch Evening was in the same hall just before us.  We went early to watch because it wasn’t sold out & we could get in the back door free.  It was great!  In addition to the dance & tumbling, there was a lot of trampoline.  Thailand was a guest in the show.  Their costumes have to be the most elaborate & beautiful ones here.  Danny was thrilled!

 

The English speaking Evening was a great success!  We were on first & the music man messed up.  He started our music before we got onto the mat.  Then, he stopped it, but didn’t rewind, so the music started about 10 seconds into the song.  The team didn’t miss a beat!  Everyone was awesomne!!!

 

After the performance, I had a great surprise.  Kara, Debbie, & Dede had taught everyone  a Camp Chattooga song (Bum Bum Bum Bum Boom Bah) & we all sang it!!!

 

All for tonite.  We have our last performance tomorrow & also my presentation at the Educational Forum.  Now, I have to figure out exactly what I’m going to say!

We had a well deserved day off!  Unfortunately it rained all day so the girls didn't get to play in the fountains.  They spent the day trading!  You wouldn't recognize most of them as part of the US team anymore.  Lindsay has to be the most photographed girl at Gymnaestrada.  Boys keep coming up & asking to take their picture with her.  She's loving it. 

We saw lots of performances today - everything from Avatar, to the Norwegian World War II veterans, to a group of guys who jump off a mini-tramp & slam dunk basket balls (while doing flips).  Chinese cheerleaders & 12 tiny kids who will probably be in the Olympics some day.  We watched the Hershey bars dance again!  All the audiences were packed because of the rain, so if you got a seat in one of the halls, you stayed there.

Guess what we did this afternoon!  We saw the new Harry Potter movie!!!!  & it was in English!  Those who have been reading the blog for a few years know that we were in Austria twice for the release of a new Harry Potter movie & we saw it in German.  Great way to spend a rainy afternoon.

We have an early day tomorrow - a rehearsal for the English Speaking National Evening, which starts at 9:00 tomorrow night.  Long day ahead, so we have an early curfew tonite!

PS - John said to tell you that Dennie didn't really sprain her ankle falling off the curb.  She did it on a double back flip with a half twist.

HI!  I have 2 main things to tell you.  1- Today was an eventful day.  2- WE ARE GETTING FAMOUS!  (You read correctly – famous, not infamous.)

 

I hope I told you everything about yesterday, because we have gone many miles since then & I can hardly remember what went on a day ago.  One thing I might not have written is that Pete’s wallet was stolen, probably on the Metro.  He cancelled his credit cards last night.  This AM, he went to the Gymnaestrada office, where there were lots of found wallets, but not his. After our performance, I got a message from our delegation that his wallet had been found!  Pete had to take his passport to the police station to get his wallet back.  Debbie T. went with him to try to find the station.  Pete’s wallet was there – no money, but everything else was in it.  They charged him 8 francs to get the wallet back.  (adding insult to injury, I think)  The police had called his family in the US, who told them he was at the Gymnaestrada, so the police called the Gymnaestrada, who told the US delegation leader, who found me.  Great teamwork!  Today, John had his money clip & 2 credit cards stolen on the bus.  The pickpockets here are as bad as in Greece.

 

Several of us got up early to go to the venue because we wanted to see the British Disabilities team at 9:00.  They were great!  They have a new routine & in Greece, I begged them to tell me about it, but they kept all the info top secret.  It was worth the wait!  They used Spanish music & as always, their performance was top notch.  An acro team from Great Britain performed, too.  Perfection!  Then, we rushed to another hall to watch Paula’s team – DeVeaus from Indianapolis.  Their routine was a magic show.  The choreography was full of magic & the performance was amazing!  On to another hall to see Finland – about 6 groups sharing the performance.  They had rhythmic, dance, aesthetic & everything else you can imagine.  Denmark was next – a group of about 60 seniors, ages 60-75.  In their finale, the men wore brown stretch suit bags & danced around like a bunch of Hershey bars to a chocolate song.  OK – I really loved that one!

 

Our performance was at 11:40.  Katey said a lady came up to her & asked if she was part of USA 12.  She said her daughter had seen our group the day before & was so moved she had to see us.  Things like that have been happening for the past 2 days.  I am so proud of the team!!!  The hall was completely full for our performance.  I did another video & will try to upload both performances tonite.  WE GOT ANOTHER STANDING OVATION!!!  I have to tell you that in all the shows we have seen, only a couple of groups have gotten a standing ovation.  (Have to brag a little!)  When we finished, the hall cleared out, so I’m thinking a lot of people came especially to see Chattooga!  I’m quite humbled by the reception we’ve had.  The team performed with such joy today.  You should have seen everyone smiling & giving it their all.  Erik said he was going to “cut a rusty” & that he did!  Along with everybody else.  If you don’t know what “cut a rusty” means, ask someone who is really southern.  2 more US teams performed right after us, so we got to watch them.  Go USA!

 

As we were packing up our equipment, Team Galaxy treated me to an extra performance.  They all had belly dance skirts & did an encore in the warm-up hall.  It was great!

 

Ana had been talking to a lady from Denmark the day before – Hella.  She & her husband coach gymnastics & they have a 13 year old daughter with downs syndrome.  They came to our performance today & I talked to Hella a long time afterwards.  She is interested in starting a Special Olympics gymnastics program!  OK - yes – I invited her to visit us & she invited us to visit Denmark.  You know the routine!

 

We rushed to Hall 9 for a session of the Educational Forum. – a professor from Japan teaching exercises on the Swiss balls (you know, those big blue balls we have in the closet).  It was so much fun!  There must have been 30 of us learning the tricks – bouncing, balancing, rolling over 3-4-5 balls in a line.  Great fun, but also funny.  We were dumped on the floor quite a few times.  The touching thing was that the teacher chose Danielle & Katie K. (2 of our Special Olympians) for his demonstrators.  If you’re brave, we’ll teach you some new tricks when we get home.  Dennie will demonstrate for all my Equilates students!  (Except she fell off the curb & sprained her ankle – kept Dr. John busy again!)

 

We wolfed down our lunch.  In Danny’s case lunches – he got 3 today!  Then, we went back to the hotel for an hour rest.  Guess where we went for dinner – FRANCE!   You never would have guessed that, would you?  We rode the ferry for 30 minutes to Evian.  There is a fountain where you can fill your water bottle with original Evian water for free!  Delicious!  We divided up & went in groups to several restaurants – crepes, quiche, banana splits.  YUM!  We walked along the water to work off dinner & then caught the ferry back to Switzerland.

 

Tomorrow is our day off.  We were supposed to go to the stadium for a rehearsal for Closing Ceremonies, but we’re bailing on that.  Everybody is really tired & we need a rest day.  Some of us are going to the venue early to see one of our favorite teams – the Norwegian World War II veterans.  Yes – they’re here!  Can’t wait to see them!  Some of the girls want to play in the fountains or see a few city performances.  There are stages set up all over town & teams perform all day.

 

Hope you’re all having as much fun at home as we are here.  We miss you all!  More later!

WE GOT A STANDING OVATION!!!!!  I am so proud of the team!  I cried through the whole routine.  We took 2 videos, & will try to post something on YouTube soon.  We had a few trials & tribulations before we made it onto the floor.  Erik left his black shirt at the school & had to go back (30 min. at least) & get it.  He ran up the hill on the way back & barely made it in time for the performance.  A few minutes after Erik left, Tonya discovered she left her vest, so Coleen (Danielle’s mom) went back to get it.  Stephanie & Kiki left their skirts in Atlanta.  Luckily Debbie H. anticipated that & brought extras.  Mary B. fell flat on her face on the entrance, but hopped up & kept going.  Jo was afraid of slipping on her back handsprings & danced her socks off during the routine.  None of that mattered when the music started.  The audience was clapping & crying during the whole performance.  Mary Louise, who was the director of the 2007 Gymnaestrada & the 2009 Gym for Life in Austria came to see our show!  I’m really flattered.  The USAGymnastics staff was there to help us get situated & we really appreciated it.

 

Everything about today has been a huge success.  I’ll give you a few hi-lites, but there’s no way to begin to explain.  First of all, there are people speaking different languages all around.  & people playing drums, & tumbling on the air trak, & singing, & doing cheers.  Most of all, people are trading!  We all left this AM in our navy blue USAG shirts.  At the end of the day, I could hardly recognize my team!  Many are wearing hats & headbands from Brazil, shirts from Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, carrying backpacks from different countries.  You should see all the pins they’ve traded!  As you walk around, you see people taking off their shirts & trading right in public.  There are beautiful fountains in the middle of the Gymnaestrada Ave.  People were playing in the water (because there is a heat wave here).  One team that was not slim & trim, or young & beautiful, stripped to their underwear & went in the fountain.  We are definitely “not in Kansas anymore!”

 

Let me tell you about the performances we’ve seen.  There are 8 halls with groups performing every 20 minutes from 9:00AM until 6:00PM.  You make friends & go see them perform, talk to people to see which groups are good, or just sit in a hall & watch all the groups.  We did some of each.  The Girls from Malmo (Sweden) are always a favorite & this year they were better than ever.  They juggle – sometimes 5 balls between 2 girls – while they do intricate dance steps & formations.  And they never stop smiling!  Amazing!!!  We went to see a Canadian team.  Kristi, who has done lot of our choreography, performed & she was great!  We saw Birons, from Houston.  The music kept stopping but they didn’t miss a beat.  The last team we saw was Japan.  The performers were older, but did the most beautiful dance in long lavender skirts.  Then, Pink Panther.  We saw many senior citizens tumbling & doing lifts.  There are several disabilities teams here.  Many people have come up & asked us when we are performing because they remember us from 2007!  OK – I have to stop for now.  This could go on all night!

 

We had tickets to National Evenings tonite.  They are big theater performances & are always wonderful.  Half of us went to Austria & half to Swiss.  From all reports, they were both amazing.  The group I had coming home had to stop by McDonalds.  They have a pastry shop! 

 

As I write this, I can hear the Gymnaestrada party in the park by the lake outside my window.  This is truly an experience of a lifetime for all of us.  I’ll let your friends & families tell you their thoughts.  I will tell you that I have seen the joy on everybody’s faces all day.  I’m sure they are all smiling (hopefully instead of snoring) in their sleep!

We have had the most exciting day!!!!  But first, let me backtrack to last night.  One of the men at the school is a magician & he had a magic show for everyone.  Very appropriate since the theme of the Gymnaestrada is Meet the Magic.  The most amazing part of the show was when the magician pulled a scarf out of Mandy’s sleeve!  I hear Mandy put on a show of her own in her amazement.

 

Today, we set out for the venue in the rain.  Good thing we catch the bus when we do, because after we got on, there was no room for people at the later stops.  At the venue, we went to Hall 2.  That’s where our performances are.  WOW!  It’s a huge wood floor – not to worry, there are strip mats to cover it.  There are bleachers on 3 sides of the floor, so hundreds of people can watch.  Dr. John & Neil went to the official medical meeting.  They can get us free ibuprofen if we need it!

 

We had a 2:15 lunch slot - & apparently 10,000 other people did, too.  Getting to the food was definitely not fun.  But it was worth the wait!  YUM – chicken & rice in a lemon sauce, salad, bread, & apples.  The girls got right in the Gymnaestrada spirit and started trading & taking pictures with people from other teams.  It was great fun!  Then, we hiked yet another mountain to reach the stadium for Opening Ceremonies.  All the delegations were lined up & having a big party while we waited to march into the stadium.  I can’t describe the feeling of entering a huge football stadium in the US uniform, with people cheering & shouting USA.  It’s very special to be able to represent our country!  There are 55 countries here & 20,000 gymnasts of all ages and in all shapes & sizes.  It took a full 2 hours for everyone to march in!  We circled the stadium giving high fives & waving to the audience – what a thrill!  Then, we sat on the field for the show.  There was a band playing during the whole march-in.  We clapped, marched, & danced to YMCA.  There were huge groups of Swiss gymnasts on the field doing mass warm-up routines.  It was great!!!  Then, the real show began.  Dancers, an amazing drum line, local gymnasts, & jets that flew over in many formations.  What a show!!!!

 

As everyone left, we ate our sack suppers & waited until things cleared out a little before we headed back home.  We hiked down the hill & caught the number 2 bus in two shifts.  I was on the second bus.  You can imagine my surprise when Ana, Rachel, & Tonya got on our bus at a stop half way home.  Somehow, Rachel & Tonya got off the bus at the wrong stop. Ana got off at the next stop & ran back to rescue them (though they were cool & calm and had a plan to catch the next bus).  Gotta have a little excitement everyday, don’t we?

 

The day has been well documented – Mark (Danielle’s dad) took almost a thousand pictures just today!  Lindsay had a headache this AM, so she & Robin stayed at the hotel in my room and watched Opening on TV.  They saw Jennifer & Ms. Joey march in!

 

Bad habits are easy to form here – there’s an ice cream stand right outside the hotel entrance.  Need I say more?

TOMORROW IS OUR FIRST PERFORMANCE!!!!!  We can’t wait!  I’ll let you know if the internet connection is fast enough to post the routine on YouTube.  Get your popcorn ready to watch a great show!

 

PS – did anybody count how many times I used the word GREAT in this post?

WHAT A GLORIOUS DAY!  I guess I need to catch you up on last night first.  We had a fun pasta dinner at what is our favorite restaurant on this trip.  Max is the owner & he’s been great to us.  It took 2 bankers to collect the money & settle the bill.  And 34 hungry people to eat all the pasta, salad, & lime sorbet.  The group from the school was freshly showered & looked great.  Let me tell you more about the showers.  The water only stays on for 30 seconds, so the girls have perfected the art of getting a body part wet, soaping it up, & rinsing.  They go in 3 people to a shower head & rotate positions for soaping & rinsing.  The problem is that the first group to shower has cold water because the 30 second spurts don’t clear the cold water out of the pipes very fast.

 

After dinner, the school group went back for another snorefest.  In the hotel, I had to fight off Ariel for a place at the computer desk!  (Not really – we shared).  Kara was pronounced perfect in speaking French by the hotel staff.  All in all, a peaceful night.  Except for Debi F.’s embarrassing moment.  As the group headed back to the school, Debi was talking & her denture flew out of her mouth & bounced on the sidewalk.  Not missing a beat, she picked it up, wiped it off, said “5 second rule” & popped it back into her mouth!  In case you’re wondering – she gave me permission to tell the story.

 

This morning started early (except for Kara & Ariel who overslept).  We met at 8:30 & headed out on our adventures.  I’ve lost track of how many trains, trams, & buses we rode.  First, we went to the Castle of Chillon.  We mistakenly got off the train 2 stops early & had to wait about 20 minutes.  We entertained the people on the opposite platform with the Flash Mob dance, Closing Ceremonies routine, & the Safety Dance.  What would you think if you saw 54 people in purple shirts dancing on the metro platform? Well – that’s what the other travelers thought too.  We had fun!  And it was the moms who were instigating everything after the first dance.  I love it!

 

The castle was wonderful – dating from the 12^th century (Kara is looking it up on the computer next to me to see when it was built).  We climbed down in dungeons & up in towers.  It was great fun & all the girls were real troopers.  Kelli was especially proud of walking up & down all the stairs!  We had a picnic lunch on the lawn outside the castle. 

 

Then, we set off for our next destination – Rochers-de-Naye (which, according to Kara’s computer, is 2045 meters above sea level).  Kara talked the bus driver into turning her head  as all 54 of us boarded the bus & rode for free.  We went to the train station in Montreaux & negotiated a group rate for the train.  All day, everybody shorter than me with not gray hair counted as a child for admission purposes.  Charlotte S. & Alex had to squat down to qualify!  The train ride was an hour of breathtaking scenery.  Mary B. & Sharon said they couldn’t believe they paid money for such torture.  They just said that on the really scary places.  Arnetha rode all the way to the top of the mountain!!!   OK – she rode with her head in Pete’s lap, not looking out the window, but she made it.  Dede has motion sickness & she was miserable.  BioCored (my latest movement class) came to the rescue.  Debbie tossed an apple back & forth to her (since we didn’t have a tennis ball) & the sickness went away!

 

We had 2 hours on the mountain & filled every minute.  We hiked through an Alpine Garden which had flowers even Dennie hadn’t seen before.  We hiked past marmot pens (they were so cute as they posed for us) to a cross.  Some made it to the very top of the peak.  The views were amazing!!!  Mountains, snow capped peaks, glaciers, hang gliders – all above Lake Geneva.  You will have to see the pictures to believe it.  20 minutes seems to be our magic performance time.  We had another Flash Mob performance on top of the mountain as we waited 20 minutes for our train.  I think we got funny looks because nobody but us could hear the music.  Karen L. was playing it on her cell phone!  If you want to see the show, Neil had his video running.  The train was really crowded on the ride down & half of us had to stand up – taking turns tossing the apple to Dede.  We had to convince Samantha she really did want to get on the train & ride down with all the people.  Kara had a major panic & was calling the hotel on top of the mountain – she forgot her camera.  Luckily, Dede found it & brought it.  Ariel’s comment was “I thought you were supposed to be my role model.”  

 

Everybody had a great time today & it seems that we all had our jobs.  The girls all have buddies & I’m really proud of the way they helped each other out.  Harris, Lee’s dad, always seemed to find kids at the train stations & they loved all the pins he gave them.  Kelli practiced her yodeling & was thrilled to yodel on the top of the mountain.  Lindsay & Paulette hiked up, down, & all around the castle & mountain.  One of the girls is in love with Erik, but I’ll keep it a secret who.  Katie K., Khalilah, & friends invaded the nasty mens room in the train station.  Kiki was thrilled to hike in the Alps.  Karen & Adrienne decorated the insides of their backpacks (unintentionally) with yogurt – YUCK!  Jo & Charlotte B. made a great team.  I tried to convince Charlotte the images on the wall in the dungeon were ghosts, but she sighed & said “Ms. Cindy, it’s only a projector.”  Stephanie & Danielle always seemed to be looking for each other.  Karen D. ditched Katey & hung out with me.  Debbie T. & Dede, my deputies, were on traffic control all day.  Robin had bathroom duty.  Pat’s backpack weighed about 100 pounds (maybe Jennifer was in it!) and Erik & Danny helped carry it.  Lani & Ana weren’t feeling well, so they missed the trip.  But – Lani is better & eager to celebrate her birthday tomorrow!  And best of all, Dr. John had the day off!  OK – if I forgot anybody, just know that they all had a super fantastic trip today!

 

We called our friend Max, & he had picnic tables & pizza waiting for us when we got back.  Joey has taken the troops back to the school for showers & guess what – they get to sleep in tomorrow!  8:45!  We are leaving at 11:30 for our first lunch at the Gymnaestrada venue (Debbie T., Dede, John, Dennie, Ariel & I made a trial run on the bus last night – 18 minutes) & then we have Opening Ceremonies.  WOO HOO!  We have met lots of teams on the street today – the ladies from Kanata (from Ontario, where the Vintage Team competed), lots of Swiss, & a lady from I don’t know where who came up to me & said BRAVO when she saw all the Special Olympians.

 

Rest up tonite – tomorrow starts non-stop fun & gymnastics!!!

 

PS – Fashion alert – Gertie put a zipper in her fleece hoodie so it wouldn’t smear her make-up when she puts it on!   

Whew!  We've had a busy day.  There was a huge thunderstorm in the middle of the night.  Rachel said she got up to close windows in the school so it wouldn't rain in.  I got up & watched the rain on the lake, which is the view from my hotel window.  Lots of people slept right through it.  From what I hear, the sleeping matresses were good last night.  Now, they're trying to rearrange the rooms to put everyone who snores in one room.  The joys of sleeping on the floor in the school!

Breakfast at the school is across the streeet from where we are staying.  You should have heard Joey describing the way the breakfast ladies made sure everyone only took 1 piece of meat when they went thru the line.  Breakfast at the hotel is yummy.  Dana & I are planning to share a giant cup of hot chocolate tomorrow. 

We met at the school at 9:00 for our training day.  Yes - we had marching lessons first.  We had to stand in lines 4 across.  I'm sure there was a line somewhere but I didn't see it.  We marched around the corner & up onto the front steps of the school for a group picture.  Then, into the gym for announcements.  We had the last slot on the floor, so we went onto the playground to practice.  There is a giant geometric whatchamacallit with ropes to climb on.  When I got to the playground, the whole team was hanging, squatting, sitting 8 levels high on the ropes.  We had a great team picture!  Getting down was an adventure.  We spaced our routines on the concrete playground & then went into the gym.  Everybody did great!  They really practiced hard with Ms. Joey while I was in Greece.  We didn't have any equipment except the balls, so the routine looked a little empty.  Remember I told you about Mary flying home from Greece & then coming back to Europe?  She walked in just as we were rehearsing You Light Up My Life, the song she taught us to sign.  She put down her suitcase, went to her place, & didn't miss a beat!

We had lunch at the school - sandwiches, apples, & drinks in case you're interested.  We picnicked Is there supposed to be  K in that word?) outside in the garden.  AHHH!  There was enough food left over to feed our whole team tomorrow.  Sweet!  We had another practice after lunch & got the routine cleaned up a little. We were only missing 1 person - the closest we've come to having the whole group together.  Steve Whitlock, the head of our delegation from USAGymnastics, watched our routine & loved it - even without any equipment.  He got choked up a little telling the story about the man at the last Gymnaestrada who saw us enter & said something not so nice about the American teams (not knowing that a USAG staff member was sitting behind him).  By the end of our routine, the man had tears running down his cheeks & said our group was what Gymnastics for All is really about!  I'm really proud of our group & can't wait to see them perform! 

Showers at the school - one room at a time & then rest hour.  I'm not there, so I hope I'm telling you the truth.  Tonite, we are meeting at the hotel to go to an Italian restaurant across the street on the lake for a pasta dinner. 

I have to say one thing - team doctors are definitely overworked & underpaid!  I met Dr. John when he got off the plane with questions about a stomach virus we had been dealing with, & he hasn't stopped yet.  4 down with the stomach bug, 1 passed out & a near miss during marching lessons, a shoulder hurt on one of the acro tricks, & various aches & pains.  Not to worry - everyone is well tended to & on the mend.

Enough for now.  I have to write this in the lobby where there is free internet & someone broke a bottle of perfume on the floor.  Smelled much in the gym after practice!

HI!  I just wanted to let you know that everyone is here. 

My group had a fun day in Zurich yesterday - finishing with a gourmet meal at McDonalds!  Arnetha was in heaven!

The group from the Atlanta flight arrived in good spirits.  Many got no sleep on the plane, but they are troopers!  We completely filled up all the seats in the bus & overflowed the luggage compartment.  The trip to Lausanne (not really sure how to spell it) was 3 hours. The main excitement was when Kara was trying to figure out where the bathroom was in the bus & then there was a big commotion.  Maybe she fell in?  I didn't ask!  We made a lunch stop at the rest area on the expressway.  Guess where we had lunch.  Right!  McDonalds!

We unloaded the group at the school first.  Rachel & Dave arrived just as we did - great timing.  There were 2 long flights of stairs up to our classrooms.  Lots of fun carrying up all that luggage.  The mens room is first on the hallway & then 3 ladies rooms.  There are 13 people in each room, all sleeping on the floor.  The air mattresses this time look good.  If you remember the last Gymnaestrada, they either bottomed out or bucked you off the side.  Many in our group brought extra air mattresses that you inflate with a hairdryer.  Everyone is living in luxury!  Dennie & I helped get everyone settled before we walked to the hotel.  When we left, the girls were heading to the shower - a big open room with 6 faucets, & the first faucet controls the temperature for all 6.  Now you understand why bathing suits were on the packing list!  We are all wearing our purple polos today & since we will need them again, everyone is doing laundry Chattooga style (in the shower).

The hotel is a 10 minute walk to the school.  It's by the marina & is very beautiful.  The rooms weren't ready, so everyone had to wait.  People were laid out all over the lobby.  I think we're all settled in now.  Just one problem - I've lost Danny.  I heard he went out to eat.

Food is really EXPENSIVE here.  About $15. for a big Mac meal, so you can imagine what real food costs.  Joey, Karen, Robin, & Erik are going to the grocery store to try to find something affordable for dinner.  We have set up a serving table in the lobby at the school.   There's an organizational meeting tonite, so we should have a plan soon.  Jessie, Jo, & Karen are the room mothers at the school & Joey is the Commander in Chief.  Great team! 

Tomorrow is rehearsal day at the school.  We will have almost our whole group together!  Mary Fehrenbach, the Kentucky coach, had to escort Team USA home from the World Games in Greece.  She has 1 day at home & then flies to Switzerland.  

Get ready for another adventure!