The Adventure has Begun!

Well we are in Russia! And it has been adventurous already. We began our trip on a coach bus in Madison, WI around 7:15am on Saturday (keep in mind this entry is going to involve time zone changes). Our first stop was O'Hare airport in Chicago, but around 9:30 am we got a call from our travel agent that we had gotten bumped off the cruise ship in Sochi and would be staying in a hotel instead. This was not entirely a surprise as we had just heard of two other families that this had happened to just the day before, however, it didn't make my husband happy. After we got to our gate at O'Hare, he spoke with the travel agent again and was able to get some clarification and we decided this might not be terrible and we would just need to be flexible.

Wesley, happy traveler on first flight

Carter, Chicago to NYC

Our flight to New York from Chicago was uneventful, but the New York airport was where the "fun" began. We were told we needed our boarding passes from the Russian airline we were flying to Moscow and we were to get them in New York. Well this meant we needed to walk a bunch, take several elevators AND escalators, get on a train (which we took going the wrong way at first), and go out of the secured area.  We checked in and had to get into a long security line and of course we picked the slowest line. Then when we finally got to our gate, we had to go through security again where they opened up and went through all of our carry-on bags. We were told by some nice Canadian travelers that the TSA agents were removing all food from carry-ons, so before we got into this last security line, we sat down and ate a bunch of candy and drank some water(my kids liked this part a lot!). Then we went through, but they did not remove anything. A bit frustrating. After going through

Driving the air train in NYC

this security at the gate our 3 hour lay-over was just about done, and we had to sit in our secure spot that was far too small and really hot! All this security delayed our flight by about a half hour. This was immediately a concern for us because we were to get a connecting flight to Sochi in Moscow and only had about an hour to get that connection. But there was nothing we could really do about it so we just tried to enjoy the flight.

Made it to the Big Apple

We flew Aeroflot, and it was great! The crew dressed like the crew from Pan Am, hats,white gloves and all! We got two meals! Not snacks, meals! I had fish both times and it was yummy! Each seat had a tv and you could choose what to watch, from kids movies and tv shows, to newer movies and documentaries, it was great for us all. And of course we slept, too. Then with about 45 minutes left of the flight, the flight attendant came to us and said we needed to be ready to get off the plane immediately when we landed because they were going to make sure we got our connection. We started to pack stuff up and get shoes on and my youngest son, Wesley, began to vomit. A lot. He used a couple of the bags. We grabbed a few extra just in case, and had him carry one with him when Olga, our flight attendant came and got us. There were 8 of us total on the plane going to the same connection and they had us move to the door before the plane even stopped. Then they changed doors and had us walk through first class. During this time Wesley got a bit separated from me and my husband, Donnie, and my brother in law, Pete was with him

and he started to vomit again! Pete ended up carrying Wesley and getting a little vomit on him, while we ran through the Moscow airport with our crew of folks trying to get the connection. We were lead by several Russian officials that yelled out "Sochi",  waved their hands to show us where to go and encourage speed, got us through customs,  zipped us through security like you wouldn't believe, and held Carter's hand to get him to the gate. During this time, Carter is yelling how fun this is because it is like we are on the show The Amazing Race. We got some looks, but we made the flight! And a friend. I ended up sitting next to a gentleman that was in our racing group and his wife is one of the doctors for the hockey teams! We chatted quite a bit on our way to Sochi.

You might think, well that was an adventure!  And it was, but there was more. When we got off the plane in Sochi we discovered that my father in law's luggage did not make it. He filled out all the necessary paperwork and we headed by train to our accommodations.  My family went to our hotel, and Pete and Wally (father in law) went to the cruise ship hoping they still had a room there.  When we checked in at our hotel, they informed us that our reservation is until the 15th. This is a bit of a problem considering we don't leave until the 20th. We are still working on this. Our rooms are nice. We needed two to fit us all in beds as the rooms are a bit smaller than in the US.  The water is clean, toilets flush, and the hotel is finished. We were pleased. But hungry. So one last adventure before bed.  A trip out of the hotel to find food. The first thing we spotted? McDonalds! Tired and needing something fast, we went straight there. You could order and  on a computer! They were super busy, so  Donnie went to the counter to order by pointing to a menu as it was all in Russian, while the boys and I found a spot to sit outside. Yup, we sat outside at about 8:30 at night without jackets on our first night in Russia eating happy meals and cheeseburgers from McDonalds. We are American!

The Question

Lots of people have questions for me about our trip.

But the number one question

I get is about security. Honestly, I am not very worried.

I don't have time to be worried.

I truly believe that Russia wants to show the world the

best show they can and they will 

do everything they can to make sure that happens.  

My husband, Donnie, and I both 

believe in living life to the fullest and taking advantage of 

opportunities when they arise. 

Tomorrow is not guaranteed.  And we can't live in fear.

So changing our plans never came

to mind when security concerns started to surface in the media.

As a family we are going on an

adventure that likely will not present itself again, and 

we are all ecstatic! Not afraid.

5 more sleeps and the adventure begins!

Madison Curling Club Party for Olympians

Patrick, Craig, Debbie and Steve
 (and my dad snuck in the back)

On Tuesday, I went to the Madison curling club for a party for the curling Olympians that will be going to Sochi, Russia.  I met Craig Brown who will be the fifth player on the men's team.  Patrick McDonald was there.  He plays on the Paralympic curling team as the skip. And the coach of the Paralympic team is Steve Brown (father of Craig) and he was there too. And of course, my Aunt Debbie was there. She is the third on the women's USA team.

There were other people there, too.  Lisa Schoeneberg went to the Olympics in 1988 and 1998.  My Aunt Debbie played with her in 1998 back then Debbie played second and Lisa was the skip.  I wasn't born at this time.

Lisa and Debbie

Me talking with Debbie and Tammy Baldwin

Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Senator, was also there, too.  I got to meet her and shake her hand. She asked me if I was a curler too.  And I told her about how I won a gold medal at the junior bonspiel.  She also asked me if I had ever been overseas before, and I told her no, but I had been to Canada for the 2010 Olympics. It was pretty cool to meet a Senator.

My grandpa was there too.  He coached my Aunt Debbie's team in 2002 and 2010 when they went to the Olympics.

My Papa and Aunt Debbie

There was a raffle during the party.  I took some pictures of some of things that were in the raffle.  This is a mini curling stone and one of Debbie's shirts with a team picture.

Thanks reading my first blog. My mom helped with it a little bit, but I took most of the pictures and told her what to type.
--Carter

Counting Down

19 is the magic number!  We have 19 days until we leave for Russia.  Unreal.

We have been busy making plans and getting ready.  We have a few loose ends left to tie up.  We need a hotel room at the Moscow airport on our return trip, transportation to and from the airport in Sochi hasn't been arranged, and what/how to pack is still up in the air.  But the list of things that are done is far longer which is good news.

The Norwegian Jade

Our family will be staying on a cruise ship during our stay in Sochi. Fun, huh?! There are at least 6 cruise ships that are going to be in the ports of Sochi and Adler (a town about 30 min. from Sochi) and we chose to stay on the Norwegian Jade docked in Sochi.  The Sochi area did not have enough hotel rooms, so this was a way to address that problem. I thought it was a good idea.  However, being a ship, our room is small and quarters will be tight.

Since our ship is in Sochi, we will need to take public transportation to Adler where the curling venue and Olympic Park are located.  Our plan at this point is to take the train.  They built a new train just for the Olympics and we are looking forward to trying it out.  There is also a bus, but we think the train will be faster.  No matter what, this trip will be an adventure in transportation.  By the end we will have taken a bus, flown on a few planes, slept on a ship, commuted on a train, and had a car ride or two. Oh my.

We also have some fun events planned before we leave.  On Tuesday, January 21 there is a free meet and greet at the Madison Curling Club from 5pm-9pm.  Debbie is going to be there, but so are other Olympians that belong to the Madison Curling Club.  Craig Brown, the alternate for the men's curling team, Patrick Mcdonald, the skip for the Paralympic curling team, and Steve Brown, the coach for the Paralympic team will all be there. There will be a raffle, some snacks and lots of fun!  If you live nearby, we would love to see you there. Then on Saturday we have a fundraising party that Debbie is organizing, and on Monday Debbie is going to be speaking to my students and at Wesley's school.  A full, but really exciting schedule for everyone!

Fun as an Olympian

Do you know these people? 

If you have been paying close attention to this blog, you should know the three ladies in black.  If you are a fan of the show The Biggest Loser, then you know the lady in orange.  Debbie, Ann, and Jessica from Team USA went to Utah this fall as guests of the Biggest Loser show!!  This is a picture of them with the host, Alison Sweeney.  The show is going to air on Tuesday, January 14 at 7 CST.  Tune in to see how the Biggest Loser incorporated curling into their competition.  

So not only do the Olympic athletes get to experience the Olympics, which is amazing all by itself, they also have tons of other amazing experiences that come along with being an Olympian.  I count being on the Biggest Loser as one of those really cool things you get to do because you are an Olympian!  During the last Olympics, Debbie also got to curl in New York on the Today Show. Curling in Rockefeller Center on national television, how cool!? 

And tomorrow, she is headed to Vegas to curl in the Continental Cup.  Curling in Vegas!? How cool!! The Continental Cup is a competition where the US teams up with Canada to take on the World.  They have more than just your run of the mill curling games, so it is really fun to watch.  I have been told some will be televised, but I have not had a chance to figure out when and where.  If I get more details I will try to post them here.  But, meanwhile, you can follow along and find out more about this event at this link.

Continental Cup information 

I have been struggling a bit with what those of you following this blog may be interested in reading about, and I have been very busy (aren't we all?).  Therefore, I have not posted much lately, but if you leave some suggestions on what you would like me to write about, I will do my best to write about what you want.

~Courtney

PS: We leave for Sochi in 26 days!! Aaahhhhh!! (that is a terrified, cause I am not ready, ecstatic, cause I am uber excited, scream!)

McCormick Olympic Curling Shirts

So what do Olympic athletes and their families do in the month(s) before the games begin? They work on all the details necessary to get there and the athletes have to practice and compete too!  Our whole family has been immersed in the details!  Many are taken care of, but a few are still lingering.  It will all get done.  Debbie is currently off to Switzerland to compete, but just before she left, she designed these shirts and she is selling them to help get her family to Sochi.

My favorite part of the shirt is the back which has her name and the number 8.  For many not familiar with curling, this may not see odd.  But for curlers, it is very unusual to have a number on a jersey. However, this year, Debbie's team moved away from the norm and each woman had a number on their back.  And the number was significant. 

Let me take a step back and explain more about their jerseys for this year.  So they each had a number on the back and the numbers seemed a bit strange.  Debbie had 8, Erika 95, Jessica 79, and Ann had 80. Deb was the only single digit number, it was not the year they were born, it wasn't their ages; it seemed they were random numbers without significance.  Then there was more mystery.  They each also had a letter or two on their sleeve.  Debbie had O, Erika Am, Jessica Au and Ann had Hg.  When the team posted the first picture of their new uniforms for the year, there was a bit of buzz as fans tried to determine the significance of the letters, many not realizing the numbers were significant too.  Have you figured it out?

The women all chose elements from the periodic table of elements (as a science teacher, this makes my heart sing!) and the number on their back is the atomic number and the letter or letters were the atomic symbol.  I thought this was brilliant! So Debbie chose the element Oxygen.  Here team had this to say about her choice.  "Deb is Oxygen. The element forms with most elements and is necessary to sustain life. Deb is a vital part of our team and often reminds us to breathe. She is necessary for our survival."  How sweet!  And each woman had an equally well thought out reason for the element on their jersey.

If you would like to purchase one of these shirts, you can go to this site here.

https://sites.google.com/site/olympiccurlingshirtorder/



.

Team USA

We thought you may want to get to know Team USA a bit.

Left to Right: Erika Brown, Debbie McCormick
Jessica Schultz and Ann Swisshelm

This first picture is of the team after they won the Olympic Trials to secure their spot in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. If you have been watching TV lately, especially NBC, you may recognize their Go USA mittens. This is a must have accessory for Team USA!

Left to Right: Erika, Debbie, Jessica and Ann
Ready for Russia!

The trials took place in Fargo, North Dakota, and my husband, Donnie, was able to attend, but I chose to stay home with my boys to make sure all of us didn't miss any school.  I was able to watch the game online (the boys fell asleep before the end, it was late) and talked to Debbie on a cellphone after she won.  It was so exciting, but it was tough for me to not be there in person.

Left to Right: Erika, Debbie, Jessica, Ann, and Allison

In curling, there are four people who play at any given time during the game.  Each has a position and throws two rocks per end (An end is like an inning in baseball, but only one team can score per end. There are 10 ends played in competitive curling).  Erika Brown is the team's skip, Debbie McCormick plays third, Jessica Schultz is the second, and Ann Swisshelm is the lead.  After they won the Olympic Trials, the team chose an alternate player, called the fifth.  Allison Pottinger is the fifth.

So who are these women?  Debbie McCormick is my husband's sister.  She was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada and moved to Wisconsin with her family when she was 4 years old.  She now lives in Rio, Wisconsin (north of Madison) with her husband Pete and two dogs, Ellie and Ava. She owns her own mobile curling supply store and travels extensively around the US with her big red rig selling curling equipment. Debbie is from a curling family. Her dad and brother are both national champions and are involved in curling still today. Now, her nephew, my son, Carter is starting to curl too.

Debbie throwing a stone.

Erika Brown grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, but now resides in Oakville, Ontario, Canada with her husband, Ian.  They have two sons, Nathan and Cole.  My boys are just about the same ages as Nathan and Cole and love when their Canadian friends come to visit in Wisconsin! Erika works as a physician assistant in Canada. She is from a curling family, too. Her parents and brother are also national champions and her dad is the coach for the Paralympic Curling Team which will compete in Sochi beginning March 7.

Jessica and Diesel

Jessica Schultz is the youngest member of the team.  She was born and raised in Alaska, but now lives in Minnesota with her springer spaniel Diesel. She is a physical therapy assistant. Sochi is going to be her second Olympics and she has a very impressive curling resume.  All this before the age of 30.  A very talented young lady!

Ann Swisshelm was born in Ohio, but now lives in Chicago with her husband Sean and dog, Emma. She is the oldest one on the team, but don't be fooled.  This woman is an amazing athlete!  As the lead, she has to sweep all of the rocks after she shoots her own.  And have you seen the position you need to get into when you throw a stone?  Curling may look easy, but just the amount of strength, endurance, and flexibility needed to be as successful as Ann is incredible at any age. Ann, like all these ladies, is phenomenal.

Allison and Debbie during the
Vancouver Olympics

Allison Pottinger is also originally from Canada, but she currently lives in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.  She is married to Doug and they have two young girls.  In Minnesota, she works as a research analyst. She played in the Vancouver Olympics with Debbie as the third. After Vancouver, she began skipping her own team.


Watch the fun video they did below.

Happy New Year!
-Courtney