Apple Hill

Today my mom and I ventured 40 minutes up Highway 50 to Apple Hill.  Apparently my mom remembers going with my second grade class as a chaperone but I don't have any memories of the place and thought it might be fun to check it out.  The weather was great and we really enjoyed our time up there.  It's kind of like Napa but for apples instead of wine; there are a bunch of orchards and vendors selling everything apple:  cider, jam, desserts, salsas...it's crazy!!  We had lunch up there and did some shopping before heading back down to Folsom and finally home.  I turned around and went out not too much later to meet up with my Byers classmates (class of 2006, woohoo!) at The Cheesecake Factory by Arden Fair Mall.  It was originally meant to be a reunion of our entire training group, but not many people could make it.  It was still a nice gathering and we had fun talking about all that's gone on in our lives over the last year.  I'm already excited for our get-together at Christmastime, which will hopefully include our coaches and other teammates.  All I know is that I won't be ordering anything with cashews in it...I found out I'm allergic (to some extent)!!  Luckily my throat didn't close up or anything, but I received a massive migraine-like headache and when I finally got home and looked it up, I found out that that's one of the signs.  Go figure, learn something new every day!

Thanksgiving

After not being around for the holiday last year, I had high hopes that this year would be spectacular and I was not disappointed.  I had work through Wednesday afternoon and then Cat and I drove up to Sacramento.  It was a very long, almost 5 hour drive because everyone had the same idea as we did and were trying to get home, but we listened to music, took a break, and unfortunately for me, Cat also fell asleep a couple of times.  We eventually made it, with my brother coming in the door about 10 minutes after us.  My mom was at work but the rest of us went out to pizza for dinner, went to the store to pick up a couple of last minute things, and then came home and crashed.  We all had to be up early on Thanksgiving Day for the Folsom version of the Turkey Trot.  I had signed up my family but Cat was resistant until the last moment.  She finally decided to join in so we were awake at 7am and out the door not too long after that.

We arrived at the race site and Cat and I began to get jitters, reminding us of what it was like before competitions.  We had signed up for the race portion (my parents and brother were just taking the recreational walk) so the competitors in us were nervous and wanted to do well.  We tried to settle down by rocking out in the car (flashback to dance parties on SWG bus trips) and finally made our way to the starting line.  We had these cool little timers attached to our shoes so it didn't matter how many people we lined up behind because the time didn't start or end until you ran through the designated area.  We were near the front and I managed to stay up there but somewhere along the way I lost Cat.  There were parts of the race that were a struggle but I set a personal record for a 5K and finished 6th in my division...not too shabby :)  I walked back a ways after I was done, met up with Cat, turned around and ran the rest of the way with her.  We were both happy it was over and I'm actually excited to see if there is something similar coming to town around Christmas (I don't think I can say the same for Cat...she was a little traumatized).

The family met up at the house, showered, and then my mom and I began cooking.  We cycled through a couple of movies and everyone was pretty lazy but it made for a nice afternoon.  We were all looking forward to the evening meal and our tummies were grumbling but it was worth it because when we finally sat down there was a huge spread and we were all able to stuff ourselves silly.  Cat got to experience dinner with my family and she held her own as they cracked jokes, etc.  While we tried to get over our dinner coma we brought out the game Apples To Apples and somehow Cat whipped us all.  Dessert was set out and everyone enjoyed pumpkin bread, apple cake, and a pumpkin pie, though I'm pretty sure none of us were actually hungry at that point.  Kenny and Cat were able to stay awake through Ratatouille but the rest of us fell into bed and dreamed on full stomachs.

Yesterday Cat and I ventured around town after slowly getting up and eating breakfast (more like brunch at that point).  We visited my mom at work and had high hopes of shopping but we were both tired and ended up not feeling the mall so we left to go to Sutter Street in old Folsom.  It was much calmer and we enjoyed looking at all the little antique shops and finding a small café for a coffee break.  Cat had scheduled a massage for 3:30pm so I drove her over there and lo-and-behold they had a second appointment open at that time so she convinced me to take it.  We had picked up coupons after the race and one of them was for a 80-minute massage for $49!  It really was an awesome deal and post-race/after spotting for months and months it felt really good.

We got back to the house and had leftovers for dinner (woohoo!) while watching Elf with my parents.  Then we dressed in gloves and scarves and went back out to the Folsom ice rink, set up outside for the Christmas season.  We had a good time and there was a lot of laughter; though there were many close calls, luckily neither of us wiped out.  We tried to get a couple of people to come out with us afterwards (one of the guys currently on the men's team was in El Dorado Hills and then I have a former club teammate who's home from Utah) but that didn't work and so we just walked around listening to the various live cover bands playing in different bars.  We ended up heading back to the house and being that it was close to 11pm it didn't take long for our heads to find our pillows.

Cat got up really early this morning and hitched a ride back south but I decided to stay through the weekend because there are still some things I want to do; my mom and I are getting ready to head up to Apple Hill and then I will be meeting up with some former teammates for dinner.  I'll be hitting the road tomorrow, probably in the morning if I can get myself out of bed, because I'm hoping not to have a traumatizing experience like I did on the way up here.

Level 4 State Championships

This weekend is being spent in Redwood City at the last meet of the 2012 compulsory season.  Twisters had 13 girls qualify to the competition and because of the range of ages of those participating we are in seven of the eight sessions.  We're through five at the moment and I'm back at home on my only break (it's so nice to live close).  I'll be back at 2pm for the final two rounds and then it will all be over until the optional season picks up after the holidays.

Watching the level 4 team compete is always fun but this is a completely new experience for them and seeing the way they try to sort it out is rather entertaining.  It's their first time being put in a random order, competing without the entire team there, and having to deal with frantic coaches who are trying to accommodate everyone's different bar and vault settings.  Things have really worked out well so far and I'm hoping to put an exclamation point on the weekend with the girls competing this evening.

We've had an all-around champion and a couple of event winners, along with lots of second place finishers (even on bars...Cat and I are so stoked!).  It's really easy to compare the kids when you're all thrown together in one rotation and all-in-all I feel like our girls look really clean and put-together.  I'm very proud of how much they've grown in the last couple of months and how they're now like seasoned veterans out there on the floor.  I'm sad to see the season come to a close but all good things must come to and end at some point!  Onward and upward from here...Colorado in January here I come!

EDITED TO ADD:  We ended up in third place as a team, an amazing accomplishment given the competitive environment we were in.  Our team staff is so proud of the girls and can't wait to get going and see what's in store next season!

Windy Hill

Today started off very early and I'm not sure why I'm not in bed yet, but I got up to take my car in for one of the normal service appointments at 6:45am.  I had already arranged to meet up with Cat for a hike so it worked out perfectly as she picked me up one block away from where I left my car. It was really, really cold out this morning so I was dressed in layers in an attempt to stay warm.  We had the heat on in the car but could only keep it on in spurts because it would get really stuffy (but then really cold again).  We picked up Allie and drove through a bit of Portola Valley before reaching the start of the trail known as Windy Hill.  I'd never been up this particular path but I know people who have, including Cat; I had heard it was beautiful at the top so I was excited to get going.  We walked for about an hour up steep, muddy hills but took breaks along the way to look around us.  Everyone I talked to was right and the views were pretty breathtaking, especially on such a clear morning.  We didn't spend much time at the summit because it had dropped about 10 degrees with the elevation and we were wanting to move and stay warm.  In total we were gone for a little over a couple of hours but it was a fun and different way to begin the day.  We picked up a warm drink and stopped at a pastry shop on the way back to my house.  I grabbed everything I would need for the rest of the day and then Cat brought me to her house so I could help her prepare lunch (we had our weekly date this afternoon).  Her meal of choice was Vietnamese spring rolls and they were delicious!

I picked up my car on the way to work and was forced to finally give in and buy new brakes.  I knew it was coming but shelling out the money is never fun...but I guess 50,000 miles is adequate mileage for the first set.  They also put in a couple of new filters which is good and I should be set for awhile.  At the gym I had a private for an hour and then it was off to Stanford for the first Game Day for the Twisters optional team.  Allan has been working with SWG twice a week, has gathered up a lot of things, and is now sharing them with his own team.  He decided that competition would help the girls and would break up the monotony of the workouts, making things exciting and fun.  The girls decided that it would be patriotic-themed in honor of the election on Tuesday and came dressed in red, white, and blue, and even used eyeliner to write "'merica" on the their arms.  It was a great practice and I think the girls really enjoyed it and are looking forward to next week.  As they start to piece sequences together we'll do more and more but it was nice to hear the girls cheering for each other and really pulling for one another to do well for the team.

Tomorrow is the beginning of level 5 state championships so best of luck to our team!  I'm staying back to hold a practice for the kids who still have a week of training left before their final competition but from what I hear the coaches and many of the girls have safely made their way up to Folsom for the meet and will hopefully have a successful weekend!

Level 6 State Championships

This year, the level 6 State Championships was hosted by Byers Roseville so the meet venue was driving distance from my parents' house in Sacramento.  I came up on Saturday and spent the night with them after going to Alex's tennis tournament in the morning, which was held in Fremont.  It was a very good day for him, as a side note, and he advanced out of the first round and into a very competitive match in the second round.  Even though the final score of that game wasn't what he was hoping for, I can see big improvements from the last time I watched him play and it was fun to cheer him on.  When I finally made it home (the traffic on the way up was terrible) I went to Macy's to see my mom.  It's so nice to walk in, tell someone Janet Carter is your mom, and have them go on and on about how great she is :)  I already know that, but it's awesome when you find that other people think that as well.  We had dinner together and chatted while she finished up her work and then we headed home where we met up with my dad and watched Star Trek.  It was a very nice surprise for me when I found out that we were to set our clocks back and gain an extra hour of sleep...one of my favorite days of the year!

This morning I got up bright and early because our first meet session was at 8am.  The drive took about 25 minutes but it was easy and the facility was awesome.  We only had one girl in the session because they divide it all up by age and we very soon found out that we were to start on beam.  After march-in we got going and she did well on her first event.  We went to floor and she had her best routine of the season but the judges did not reward her for it.  Michaela and I submitted an inquiry form and watched the video but nothing was changed so we were left to stew on our thoughts.  Vault is typically her weakest event but she stepped it up and took two great turns.  We then had some down time and were spending it sitting behind the bars when a scary accident occurred.  I took Emma out of the arena while the poor girl was being tended to (the ambulance had to come and she was taken away but we found out later that she's going to be fine, luckily) and when we came back the entire place was a little on edge.  We still had bars left to go so I tried to get her mind in the right place and she looked good during warm-ups but had a silly mistake in her competition routine.  Overall it was a good day for her but of course we were hoping to finish on a little better note.

When the session was over Michaela and I went our separate ways and I met up with my parents for lunch.  We went to The Habit which apparently is a popular chain but I've never heard of it.  It was good but all too soon my parents had to go off to run errands and I was left with a few hours to kill; I went back into Roseville and shopped around for a carry-on size piece of luggage.  Unfortunately I didn't find one but I did end up with some winter-appropriate running clothes, woohoo!

The second session we were part of was the final one of the entire competition.  We had two girls going at the same time which was nice because they could keep each other entertained, cheer for each other, etc.  My coaches from Byers have a daughter and she was also in the session so it was fun to see them and to watch her compete.  I remember when Eli brought her into the gym as a baby during the long days of summer training and we would have to build her a playpen out of panel mats, and now she's a level 6!  Time flies.

Bella and Kai also started on beam which proved to be great because Bella was the very first kid up and set the bar with a 9.5.  Kai followed with a 9.525 and we were off and running.  They both had very good meets (could have been more aggressive on bars but were nervous after finding out what had happened in the other session) and ended up second and fourth all-around, respectively.  As a team, we came in 17th out of 59, which is great given that we only had three girls.  It was a very fun experience and I'm sad that they're season is already over.  Next week will be the end of the road of the level 5 team and the level 4 kids are the weekend after that.  Then it's off to optional season for me, yay!

Giants Parade

This morning Cat and I hopped on the Caltrain and went up to SF for the celebration parade held for the Giants.  It was an experience to say the least; there were people drinking and smoking on board, seemingly enjoying themselves.  I can't imagine how one even digests alcohol that early in the morning but maybe one day I will have first-hand experience and find out.  It was about an hour trip and the time passed rather quickly.  Cat and I chatted with some random people and with each other and we were excited upon our arrival.  Chants of, "Let's go, Giants!" started up and we were in somewhat of a daze as we were swept up in the crowd.  We followed everyone up a few blocks to the area of 4th and Market and were quickly being shoved, stepped on, elbowed in the ribs...the list goes on.  It was fun to be in a sea of orange and black and it all felt so perfect for Halloween.

We made our escape when things got rough and we grabbed lunch and began walking back to the train.  Along the way we saw on the former men's gymnast, Jason Shen, and Kristen's husband and son, Scott and Zack, respectively.  It was nice to be able to bump into them and talk for a few minutes before continuing on our way.  The train ride home was more subdued than the ride up but we arrived a few minutes late, making it difficult for me to get to the gym on time for my private lessons.  Cat and I literally ran from the train station to my car and I jumped in and was off.  This was especially entertaining given the fact that I was wearing boots...

After all the excitement I wound down a little in the gym; regular practice was cancelled but all us coaches had lessons with some of the girls.  I spent a couple of hours with two of the level 6's and then Cat and I did some core exercises and stretching.  When we finally dragged ourselves out of the gym we went back to my house, I lit the pumpkins, and we had some Trick-or-Treaters come to our door.  I love seeing the little kids in their costumes, especially some of my favorite kids at the gym.  When we are training sometimes I forget that they are just young kids and this serves as a good reminder :)

Happy Halloween, everyone!  I hope it was fun, safe, and enjoyable.

Moon Festival

It was another very early morning as Shenel and Cat met at my house at 5:30am so we could get on the road up to Petaluma.  It was pitch black outside when we left and really foggy while we were crossing the Golden Gate Bridge but we made it safe and sound and had the pleasure of watching the sun rise along the way.  We arrived early and went straight to the hospitality room because we were all starving but unfortunately there was nothing there so we had sit and wait for a bit.  After finally filling our tummies we went out to the floor and greeted the level 5 team.  They had a good day and ended up winning, though unfortunately we didn't qualify anyone else to State so it was the end of the season for some of them.

We had a break between sessions so Loren, Cat, and I made the two-mile trek to the outlet mall and we went shopping for an hour or so.  We were pretty successful but also very tired so we decided to head back to the meet site where Michaela and Shenel were doing homework.  Cat and I took naps (or tried to) and it was nice to be outside enjoying the warm weather.

The meet took an interesting turn when we found out that there was a conflict in the information sent out to our parents and the information we were given as coaches.  Some of our level 4's began arriving but we were realizing that the start time was approaching and not everyone was there.  We were worried and then one of the parents told us that the team thought the meet started 30 min later than it actually did!  The discrepancy was never resolved and we were forced to get going and just shuttle kids in as soon as they got there.  It was a little unnerving for them and I felt bad for the little ones but they took it in stride and ended up winning second place as a team.  We were only four tenths away from first and I know we can make that up somewhere, especially because a couple of our top kids had uncharacteristic errors.

Next week Michaela and I will be in Sacramento for the level 6 state championships.  There are only three girls participating but it should be fun and I'm excited to see my family.  Tomorrow I think I'm going to sleep all day until practice to make up for all the lost hours I accumulated at the end of this week.  Lazy day sounds awesome :)