Still at it....

Last night's dinner was everything I had hoped it would be! The beef was amazing and they cooked it right there on the table for us in special grills. They also served this iced noodle soup thing, which I've decided will skip if I ever eat there again. We had frozen persimmons for dessert--not as good as chocolate, but still really good. I've never had a persimmon before, but it's kind of like a cross between an apple and mango.

After a delicious dinner last night, the coaches decided to give us a little break this morning. We slept in 2 hours (crazy, huh?) and only worked on land this morning. We've been needing to spend some time on our deck-work (the stuff we do on the deck before we enter the water), so it was good to spend some time making it better and working out all the kinks. We also had time to land-drill a bit which means we go through our routine on land for timing, patterns, matching, and performance.

We're heading back to the pool this afternoon for a little longer than usual since we had the morning off. But it will be fine because I feel rejuvenated after a full night's sleep and a more relaxed morning. Plus, our other coach/consultant Gail Emery flies in today and we're anxious to see her. Gail is a veteran Olympic coach...this will be her 5th Olympics! She always helps create a more exciting and relaxed atmosphere on deck and plus it's always nice seeing people again when you haven't seen them for a week or more!

Speaking of seeing people, I can't wait to see my family again in a week--my parents and sister arrive on the 18th and Erick and his mom arrive the 19th. Even if I can't spend time with them, I'll be able to see them up in the stands during duet competition! It is so nice knowing there will be so many people in Beijing to support me and my team, including those that are there in spirit!