G'day, Sunshine

Molly woke up this morning at 4:15 and wanted her leftover chicken and vegetables. A five hour nap the day before does not seem to help We must try something new. At 5:30 we all decided to head down to the beach to watch the sunrise. It was breathtaking. The pictures only capture half of the awe.

Today the Games start in earnest. The first Team USA function was a lunch and team meeting. But at that same time, Cheryl was supposed to have her bike at the Convention Center loading dock to have it transported to the Time Trial course for a practice session. While Cheryl was running around getting things organized, Molly and I spent the morning on the beach. After a nap we made it to the Team USA lunch just after the speeches, but just before food was served.

Cheryl on the other hand was harshly reminded that the mantra of any Transplant Games is "flexibility". She patiently waited on the loading dock with the other cyclists until a box truck appeared. After they loaded the bikes someone had the foresight to ask how the athletes were to get to the course. The driver pleaded ignorance and assured them his only job was to get the bikes there.

They eventually found someone official looking who assured them a bus had been arranged, but the driver had fallen asleep and they were getting a backup driver. The second driver appeared and announced they would be leaving in approximately 30 minutes. However, after talking with the official looking person, the driver jumped back into the bus, announced they were leaving now and promptly drove off with some athletes still standing at the curb waiting to board.

After 20 minutes of driving he suddenly stopped the bus and off-loaded them at the edge of field where kids were practicing American football...helmets, pads, and all. Fortunately, someone spotted some cyclists off in the distance and they made their way to the time trial course. Otherwise, everything went off without a hitch.

This evening we had our first formal Games meal in the Convention Center. It was better than anticipated, but there is a lot room for it to go downhill. After dinner Jim and Dani came over for a glass of wine on the deck and earnest discussions of whether Sweden in 2011 is in the cards.