Day 7 - Staff Gets Processed

Lobby area of SportsDock at UEL

Basketball gyms in SportsDock

I'm beginning to love that our meetings are only every few days because I heard they were daily in Beijing.  I get a strong sense that everyone is carrying their weight and a great team has been assembled.  Everyone is looking out for each other and offering help all around and trying to plug any gaps.  The Sports Dock was essentially completely turned over the USOC after the fire evacuation briefing.  Its amazing that this brand new place was built to be ready for us.  It's quite impressive!  The main goal for the morning was to get the fencing strips laid out and the 24 Hour Fitness staff has offered to help with any setup and we have definitely not been forgetting that.  Haha.  I'm very happy with how they all got laid out and think the fencers will be pleased. 

Fencing training area

A big group of staff reconveined to head to the Westfield Mall for lunch.  It's the biggest mall in Europe but it's got nothing on Mall of America (Minnesota represent!).  Today was the official staff team processing day so the afternoon was spent at Sarah Bonnell.  I got a nice greeting as I came in the doors.  A good friend, Lenny, who worked in International Games with me when I was an intern, was there at the door.  He has been working with the London Organizing Committee (LOCOG) since then so it was great to see him.  I was very pleased with the package that was put together with us.  Katie showed off her skills when it comes to apparel.  That's for sure.  Great job!  The process was smooth.

Welcome to Team Processing

Ralph Lauren Room

I got my finger fitted for the 2012 Olympic Games Staff ring which felt pretty cool.  I also got my phone finally and could communicate with people outside the realm of wi-fi.  Whether that is a good thing is yet to be determined.  I like it for getting in touch with people I need to contact but it also means others can get in touch with me for requests.  I was kind of liking the "take a step back a decade" approach even if it was difficult at times.  Processing was good because I got to run into people from different sites and the place has really begun to take shape since moving day. 
The staff was told to get out and enjoy the day.  We decided a to make a trek a whole two stops to Beckton which is probably a total of 500 feets total (from the room to the DLR station then the DLR station to the Winsor House).  It was great because Rick came over after we ate and had a drink with us.  I think it shows a lot about his leadership skills when he is willing to join us and to also get down and do some dirty work as well.  It's been a reoccuring theme amongst a lot of people here.  It speaks volumes, especially when many are in prestigious positions. 

My favorite shirt from the package

I left with another group to wander around with them as they tried to find food at 10 at night! It's a difficult task in these parts.  Somehow we found a little cafe/bar that served food 24/7.  While they ate I tried a beer called Tiger.  They say not to judge a book by its cover but the bottle looked cool and the name was awesome so I had to.  It wasn't too bad.  I'm all about trying new things when I'm in a foreign country.  It also helps that the customs here are nearly identical to ours.  I can't believe how fast time is going.  A lot has been accomplished already.  Well folks, one week is in the books!

Days Until Olympic Games: 12

Day 6 - Mile End

Secret of the Ooze?

A few stops down from us on the DLR (light rail) at the Beckton station Fred, Bill, Rob, and I went to find some easy breakfast like Micky D's but it started pouring on us and the first building we saw out of the station had a breakfast buffet sign on it so we unanimously agreed to check it out.  After filling our bellies we decided the place was probably going to become a frequent stop, especially since the dinner buffets were cheaper and had a different theme each night like chinese, chicken, pie (English style of pie that is similar to a pot pie and filled with meat), etc.  They also had a few beers on tap at their bar so it was  a great find.  After being back for a little over and hour we were told we were having a "mandatory" meeting in the Edge (cafeteria).  The meeting was actually just lunch so we topped ourselves off again.  I was stuffed!  All the guys then took to loading the equipment to Mile End on the trucks.  It contained weight platforms so it was a bit of a challenge.  A few of us were asked to then go to Mile End and meet the stuff that had been sent there earlier.  By the time we got there it the wonderful moving company had the stuff unloaded.  We scouted the facilities and I thought they were going to be very nice for the track and field athletes.  The track will be just right for Tyson Gay, Justin Gatlin, and Allyson Felix to get proper training in.  And the bonus was that I found Mountain Dew there!  With everything accomplished for the day a great Saturday evening dinner was in store.  Before we were seated we all enjoyed an ice cold "beverage" with a cheers outside on the sidewalk area.  My lamb burger was delicious.  I'm trying to explore some new things while I'm in foreign territory.  I've never had lamb before.  I've tried to inquire about other British foods and drinks to try.  No I am not going to try black pudding so don't recommend.  Look it up if you don't know what it is.  The restaurant/pub was located in nice neighborhood area and was called The Morgan Arms. 
Ben if you read this I think you'll appreciate the name.  As we strolled down the street a few blocks we came to another pub and asked each other if we really thought the night should end.  Without hesitation we all agreed another stop was in store.  Peter, Peter, Andrea, Rob, and I got some darts from the bar and played some cricket.  The dart board was with real darts and even had a nice throwing lane and line on the floor. Andrea had never thrown a dart in her life so I gave her a quick 101 and her first throw was good so I became known as "Coach" as the game went on.  It was about right because I started hot and went cold much like a player gets worse and has to refrain to coaching.  Peter was way too good at it and chipped away at each one to whoop our butts.  It was a great relaxing Saturday night out.  I think everyone felt some weight come off their shoulders even though we knew we had a nice 7 AM meeting the next morning.  A new adventure each day and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Days until Olympic Games: 13

Day 5

Volleyball Court

Keeping up with the blog is becoming difficult with only so many hours in the day but I'm not going to miss a beat!  Fred, Bill (floor expert) and I gathered a good group to head to Score and finish putting the volleyball floor together.  I'll be honest, setting up a volleyball floor is not one of my favorite setups.  It's actually quite intricate and time consuming.  For lunch we grabbed some pizza.  The sign on the building read, "5p for large pizza."  I pointed it out and someone responded, "A five pound pizza?  Wow, that's a lot of pizza."  It actually wasn't the first time someone had mistaken the currency for weight.  We knocked out the final touches of the volleyball court that afternoon and now Score was nearly fully set up minus the other court that would arrive later.  The judo ring, the boxing ring, and the volleyball court were complete.  

Score - Training Site for volleyball, judo, archery, and boxing

Tower Bridge with rings down

One of the ladies who operates Score, Linda, was awesome in making sure we had everything we needed.  She also was great to talk to about the British culture and gave us information on food, language, places, etc.  I gathered a group upon returning to Score to head out and see some of the city and grab a drink.  It seemed great for a lot of the group to get off the campus since they had not had as many travel opportunities around the city a few of us had by working in many locations to this point.  We ventured over to Tower Bridge which is a direct shot on the DLR.  The walk across the bidge was even better this time since the rings were down and the night was setting in.  Everything was lit up.  Of course it was raining.  That has become very common I've noticed so far.  We ended up at a place called The Draft House.  They had a pretty extensive list of beers available.  I tried one called Camden Pale Ale and I must say it is probably my favorite up to this point.  After a while the rest of the group decided to head back except for Rob and I.  We wanted to scope out a little more of the city.  It's uncertain how many opportunities there will be once the Games begin.  Plus, It would be good to have explored most of London by the time work is done so that I don't need to spend any of my extra time seeing things here.  After a couple stops we realized the time was getting late and heard the trains stop soon we were flying up and down escalators trying to figure out how to connect to get back.  Luckily a guy put us in the right direction and we made it to where we needed to in the nick of time.    A days worth of hard work and some time to enjoy the city as well.  Success!

Days left until Olympic Games: 14

Day 4 - UEL Load-Out & Score Setup

Starting to get a really good grasp on everything here.  I think I am aware of how I will live for the next 5 weeks.  Key word "think".  Following a good update on everything at the meeting I headed over to SportsDock (located at UEL and the site for one of our training centers) with Denise to try out the weightroom and get a workout in.  I had not seen the facility yet but the minute I walked in the door I was impressed.  The building had basically been built for us (Team USA).  Well, we helped move the process of the building.  It is completely brand new and we own it for the next month or so.  I've been very impressed with how good UEL has been to us.  They have everything in place and are always one step ahead of us.  Nothing is being worked on last minute.  Big kudos to them and to Doug and the team who got all issues addressed beforehand, not to mention how friendly they have been towards all of us.  The morning was spent sorting through trucks to get certain pallets to the proper locations within the UEL campus (Food & Nutrition, Athlete Services, and Sports Dock) and then the hiccups of finding things that were sent to the wrong sites.  No big deal.  Our staff was great in accommodating the changes and the movers were once again very helpful.  Those guys are impressive.  They work hard and help one another so well.  One of my highlights of the day was when one called the other a "muggy" jokingly.  It's a term for someone who runs their mouth but most people don't take offense to it.  I am falling in love with the accents.  The best is when you hear little kids speak with a thick accent.  I've only ever been out of the country to countries that speak english but you still expect the local people to speak a different language and not be able to understand them yet you do and they understand you as well.  The culture is so fun! I love traveling! "Can I get some syrup to go with my pourage please." Love it!  Went back to Score to lay out the volleyball floor and put the new wood down on the boxing ring since the wood shipped got warped.  I don't think the morning lifting session helped because by the time we laid out the floor pieces I was worn down.  The perfect sunny morning turned into a dreary, cool evening on my way back home (home means UEL).  It was actually good because the others were all about staying in and it gave me time to get some blogging done.  Tis all, good night London!

Days left until Olympic Games: 15

Day 3 - More Team Processing and Score Setup

Team Processing after load-out (not including classrooms and hallways)

Well another DLR (Docklands Light Rail) ride to Stratford this morning.  I'm starting to feel like a local already communiting to work daily.  Stratford is the main station for the Games.  It is basically the closest station to Olympic Park, the Village, Sarah Bonnell, and UEL-Stratford.  Another morning stop at the 'Golden Arches' felt pretty routine as well.  It was scheduled to be a hectic day at SBS since 9 truck loads were coming in with goods and that was on top of the 4 the previous day.  Not only was the first truck delaying everyone by not being able to be opended and not having a shipping scanner but once it was unloaded it got stuck in the street preventing any other trucks from coming in.  It was actually a sight to see because the truck was spinning out due to the slope of the pavement and then about 10 of us got in the trailer on one side and started jumping to get it to grip.  It was pretty comical.  The afternoon was spent back at Score where we assembled one judo ring and then put together the steel frame for the boxing ring.  By the time we stopped back at SBS later the place was PACKED!  

Sorry Budweiser, not a sponsor

Pallets were filling the hallways.  We stopped at another bar and grill for dinner.  I experienced my first 'fish and chips' in England.  It was actually quite good.  The fish reminded me of fish back in Minnesota.  I washed it down with a Deuschars IPA.  IPA's are one of my favorite beers but they must be made differently over here.  It didn't have much of a 'hoppy' taste.  It was good nonetheless and was a solid ending to the day.  Good night London!


Days left until Olympic Games: 16

Day 2 - Team Processing & The City

Team Processing during first wave of load-out

Team Processing Rockstar, Katie

Tower Bridge

The Rings on the top of the Tower Bridge

Parliament and Big Ben

11 hours of sleep feels about right.  A morning run was calling my name.  It felt grreat to run along the water except when I got done I realized I forgot my ID card so I couldn't scan back into my room.  By the time someone came out so I could get back in I had to book it to take a shower.  Last one to roll into the 7 AM meeting.  Thank you. A group of us headed to Sarah Bonnell up in Stratford via the light rail.  With the USOC staff, volunteers, and the moving company there were probably 30-40+ people unloading and moving the shipments coming in.  It was a madhouse but somehow I got the lucky job of running the forklift.  No complaining here.  As my grandma would say, "Many hands make light work." Truth!  The funny thing is today wasn't even the bulk of the load-out.  For lunch a few of the guys ventured to a pub called The Goose.  It was my first taste of British food.  After lunch we headed to Score to help unload our equipment.  So there are two Team USA training locations.  Score is one of them and will host boxing, judo, archery, and volleyball.  Score is similar to a community center that the USOC leased out, whereas, UEL-Docklands is a university.  The sports at UEL are wrestling, taekwondo, basketball, and some others.  I will be stationed at UEL which you can guess put a smile on my face since I will see the likes of LeBron, Kobe, Durant, and Co. daily.  There are a number of locations the USOC is based and I will update them more and paint a clearer picture once I become more familiar with them. Up to this point they are UEL-Docklands, UEL-Stratford (site of the command center, near SBS), Sarah Bonnell School, and Score.  The Tube/Light Rail is quickly becoming my new friend after all this travel around the city to the different locations so a few of us figured why not become a little friendlier and visit a few cool spots.  The prison helps give London a very old feel after seeing the really busy areas where it feels much like New York.  I did see a beefeater behind the gate (No not the vodka!).  For the Olympics, the rings were installed to hang from the Tower Bridge, however when we got there they were up for the day due to the heavy traffic under the bridge and the constant raising of the bridge.  We walked across and actually had to hurry back because it was about to be raised.  The bridge is quite a spectacle.  The combination of baby blue steal with the old stone look made it very picturesque.  Even though the rings were raised it was very cool to see them on the bridge.  They are huge!  After another tube ride to Westminster I came to the edge of the tunnel and peaked my head out to see Parliament right in front of me.  We waited because of the rain but then I looked up and was shocked that I was actually right in front of Big Ben.  It was actually the closest point you could get to without jumping the fence and getting sniped (I don't really know what they would to you).  It was such a weird feeling to think I was that close to such a globally recognized structure.  I've seen so many pictures and movies of it but now could actually feel the realness of it.  The London Eye (giant ferris wheel) was located right across the Thames River from there.  It stood out quite a bit as well and I can imagine the view at night from the top is remarkable.  Westminster Abbey was located across the street from Parliament and was quite cool to witness as well.  We found dinner along the river at a Mexican restaurant.  The social time with the group was great and we all enjoyed a drink or two after the packed day.  I think it was a great idea to check the things out today like we did because as the Games get closer more people will be around making it busier and we may not have as many opportunities as well. 

Days left until Olympic Games: 17

Day 1 - Arrival

My place of residence, "The Drums"

My Room

Pre-Team Processing

I woke up today and it hit me, "The day is finally here!"  Typically, just like any trip I ever prepare for I basically had nothing in my suitcase on the morning of departure.  With a few hours of sleep I threw everything together (and did quite well I may add) and headed to the airport.  Colorado Springs --> Chicago --> London  There was a group of about 12-15 of us arriving today in the first main wave of Team USA staff.  We arrived in London somewhere around 6 AM.
The moment felt somewhat similar to when I arrived in Auckland, New Zealand 7 years ago (Wow! I can't believe it's been that long).  I was in a big group again, boarded a similar bus, it was about the same time in the morning, there was an overcast with some rain here and there, and we were driving on the left side.  O and the part about starting the day quite tired!  It was a bit of a drive through the city to the first stop where part of the team was staying.  We drove by Olympic Stadium and the Athletes' Village on the way.  I think this is when it hit me that I was officially in London and the Olympics were near.  It was surreal to see the places with my own eyes rather than the screensavers at work for the past 2 years.  The bus then brought the rest of the group to University of East London-Docklands.  This is where I would be staying for the next 5 weeks.  The buildings we are staying in are quite unique.  They are called drums and the rooms are called pods.  They remind me of some housing off something like Dr. Seuss or Mario (check out the pictures in the slideshow).  The rooms are quite quaint  but I actually really like them.  I have my own room and it has bathroom!  I'm excited about the campus.  Everything is very convenient and I can't wait to see what the Sports Docks (gyms and all) look like later.  After lunch a group of us headed up to Sarah Bonnell School to put down a carpet flooring for Team Processing.  SBS is located near Olympic Park and where we had dropped the group off earlier at the Marlin. Team Processing is where the athletes come in and get their apparel and get fitted for all their gear.  Staff will be doing a 'dummy' run through there next week before athletes arrive. I'm very confident in how that will go because of who is in charge (Katie, I thought I'd give you a shout-out ;)).  She is my former supervisor and great at what she does.  The area by SBS is very busy and there are double decker buses everywhere.  Remember to look right!  Don't tell my mom that I nearly became a bug on one of their windshields! After a pitstop at the grocery store the group headed back to UEL on the light rail.  It was quite a long day and I think I passed out around 6:30-7:00 due to the time change.  Day 1 is a wrap!
 

Days left until Olympic Games: 18