On The Road Again

Cheryl Leitner backs up onto the shuttle lift.

Scott Winkler came over to give Zena a "lift" when he took over the controls.

All aboard and on the road heading for the airport.

Olympic Rings

The Olympic rings are so easily recognized and have made my heart swell with pride each time the games are going. I love those rings, love the feeling I get when I see them. I know Mike just go nutty when he looks over as I'm writing/typing about the Olympic rings and he sees the smile on my face. He says I don't have a poker face...whatever I'm feeling shows on my face.

Right now, along with the rings, I love the sight of my sister in front of the rings, the U. S. and Olympic flags displayed behind her. How terrific is that? :)

We had some stranger visiting in the center take a picture of the two of us. Love ya' Zena!

Scott Winkler stretches out for a nap between activities.

The throwers get together in the dining area for an impromtu coach session. Others were there, I got a picture of just this one table.

Those Olympic rings again. :)

We'll be packing up and leaving tomorrow. Good thing. The Altoids tin is empty. :( The mints from Chik-Fil-A are gone...the chicken nuggets didn't lst long at all. :( This is the last Pepsi - Jacob and Maria had gotten some onto the campus for us. Coca-Cola sponsors the Olympics so there's no Pepsi products available around there.

It has been an amazing week!

Long Shadows

Taking a break in the late afternoon before the evening's workout, Shirley Reilly of Tucson, relaxes in one of the shady area on the campus.

Tina Kaufman-Cain of the U. S. Olympic Committee, pauses to pose for a picture with Zena in front of the Olympic Rings.

Scenic view abound throughout the campus. Those teal blue chairs look so inviting!

As the shadows grow long, the throwers prepare for an evening practice session.

And, the practice continues till well after sunset.

What A Surprise!

Zena and I were both surprised beyond belief to learn John and Kelly had also traveled over to Chula Vista and would be visiting at the OTC!  How exciting that Zena would also be meeting his wife and two little ones. :)

Baylee had no hesitation at all in climbing out of the vehicle and giving Aunt Ogie a big hug. I love that she was smiling up at Grandma, too!

Zena was all smiles as she nestled Ashlee in her arm and led the way inside, out of the heat of the day.

After the initial greetings, we went up to the activity center for some fun and games. Kelly and Zena played a couple games of pool. I'm not sure what the outcome was beyond the sheer fun of the game.

John and Kelly went a couple rounds of table tennis, too.

Guess who won? :)

Don't you just love that Olympic moment with the outstretched arms?

A group picture before departing...John wanted the banner overhead, I wanted the people below. We compromised. Somewhat.

It was such a surprise that John and Kelly had come over. It was great that they were able to spend the time getting to visit the center and meeting Zena. I know it meant the world to her having that time with Hi Baby and his family.

The Retriever

Jacob and Maria came back again the next morning with the kids and it was nice that they were able to go down on the practice fields and interact with Zena as she did her routine.

That is her coach out at the far left and Jacob is walking back with Davis after going out with him to show him how to retrieve Aunt Ogie's club and bring it back to her.

Zena has only the one arm for momentum as she throws. That said, she does a heck of a job. Obviously else she wouldn't be on TeamUSA representing the U. S. In the world championships!

It didn't take long for Davis to get the hang of it. It was so very hot out there but that little guy ran and ran  retrieving that club for Aunt Ogie.

Made her day, too! Zena was loving it that Davis was coming right up to her to hand that club back. He had a smile on his face each time, too. :)

Grandma kept giving him his sippy cup to drink water between runs. Gotta keep that little guy hydrated while he works out. :)

After a nice visit, Jacob and Maria prepared to head out. We said good-byes in the parking area, while scrambling to find a bit of shade.

I am so glad they were able to visit!

Expected Visitors

Zena was ecstatic to learn Jacob and Maria were going to visit with the kids so she would have a chance to spend time with them. This was Davis first ride with Aunt Ogie and he was a bit hesitant to start. That didn't last long!

We were on our way to lunch when they arrived so we all had lunch together.

One of the competitors on the throwing team, Scott Winkler, stopped by to meet the little ones. What a guy!

Look at that, she's all smiles! And what a cutie she is. :)

It was wonderful that they were able to make the trip over! I know it meant a lot to Zena, too.

Around The Facility

Okay, another picture heavy post...A picture is worth a thousand words.

At every turn, there are inspirational, motivational quotes and images throughout the campus. Zena and I were exploring around so we ended up being the only ones in the activity center this particular afternoon. Worked out great for getting some pictures. :) I love all the quotes but especially love that quote by Jesse Owens (orange panel). "We all have dreams. In order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort."

That large white tube at the top right is part of the cooling system...it scared the daylights out of me when the cooler started up (loud) in the back corner and then that collapsible tube inflated with air along the length of the building at the top of the structure. Oh my heck, I did not expect that at all. And if you know me, you know what that means. :)

She's looking sassy, isn't she? {hugz}

Oh my. Okay, I know this is a software program, installed on the computers, for voice interaction where typing is not possible. But, did they have to include that picture? Ugh. It still haunts me to look at the picture.

These are the dormitory buildings on campus. That may be ours at far right there. I didn't get any pictures inside the dorms but the rooms had all the basics and were clean and comfortable. We were in a wheelchair accessible room (of course) so the bathrooms were especially large and had roll-in showers. Each dorm room had two bedrooms, with two twin beds per room, and there was a bathroom for each bedroom. So, Zena and I had a bathroom and our roommates had their own bathroom.

Watching these amazing athletes gave me pause to reflect on how little effort I put into living each day. They give their all to excel in competition and their all to get through each day...I give so little. Life just happens in my world. I need to do more to take control of my day, and my life.

To the right is one of our roomie, Kerri, and to the left is Kristin, introduced in another post about the airport. They're both terrific athletes and Kerri is quite the scholar. :)

This pictures gives a look, from a distance (where we actually were at), of the roadway leading down to the track & field area. The road angles up from left to right and is most notable in those areas where there appears to be a trail down to the field. That "trail" area at the right is zoomed into the next picture where you can see a wheelchaired athlete rolling "up" the roadway...another challenge they put before themselves. It became part of their workouts. Just amazing! :)

The area is scenic and has tremendous views all around. This is Zena, Cheryl, and Tommy as they come back from the track & field area heading toward the dining area.

Okay, there are a bunch of stories around this picture! LOL I am laughing even now. This picture of Zena is great-just love it. I posted it to Facebook to share with friends and family, especially her friends who have been so supportive. A day or two after the picture had been posted, Zena says to me, "What the crap! What is that? It is. There's a noodle on my boob!!!" No one at all would have ever known if she hadn't pointed it out! I sure hadn't seen it there. :) Seriously, I am laughing like crazy as I try to finish this post.

On a more somber note...Zena's tee shirt got ruined in the wash! :( There was Whisk liquid laundry detergent in the laundry room so I poured some (just one capful) over the laundry when I started the washer. When all was said and done, her tee shirt had blue streaks on it from the detergent when it came out of the dryer. Sorry, Z.