New Orleans

The sport science conference was at the convention center right next to the New Orleans River Walk on the Mississippi River. I actually didn't go out and about too much while I was in New Orleans because I preferred to spend my free time back home with my family. Luckily, there's a satellite site of Cafe du Monde right in the River Walk, so I managed to get my beignet fix a few times without having to go all the way to the French Quarter!

Of course, a visit to New Orleans just isn't complete without a walk down Bourbon Street! The last night of the conference, a few colleagues and I went to a great restaurant recommended by my Uncle Doug who lives in the city. We ate at GW Finn's right off Bourbon Street where we had some scrumptious seafood dishes for supper. It was more of an upscale restaurant so I refrained from pulling my camera out and taking pictures of the food like I usually do. OK, actually I was too into the food to stop and take a picture of it!

Not exactly fine dining, but Lucky Dogs have been on Bourbon Street for as long as I can remember. Since I was frequenting Bourbon Street well before my 18th birthday (18 was the drinking age back then), it's been at least 20 years! The joke back then was that you'd better like the looks of the Lucky Dog because chances are you were going to see it again before the night was over! I don't remember how many of these Lucky Dogs came back up over the years, but quite a few of them went down before I became a Dietitian!

Our stroll down Bourbon Street inevitably ended at Pat O'Brien's! For those of you who haven't been to New Orleans, Pat O'Brien's is a famous bar that serves a drink called a hurricane. This flame is part of the outdoor patio that connects St. Peter and Bourbon Streets. The picture of me, April and Jay T was taken in the piano bar of Pat O's. The bar of the dueling pianos is great fun! You write down a song, ANY song, on a napkin and pass it up with a couple of bucks to the pianists and they will play and sing your request. People request everything from Neil Diamond to Guns and Roses!

Part of the entertainment in the piano bar is the "thimble man." I don't know what he's really called, but that's what I've always called him. Back when I used to frequent Bourbon Street often, there was an elderly African-American man who we called the "thimble man." He was tall and skinny and wore dark glasses and stood between the two pianos and did his thing. He wore thimbles on all his fingers on which he balanced a metal tray with coins on it. He would strum and tap his fingers under the tray and make the coins bounce in rhythm to the music. He always had a grin from ear to ear and was quite entertaining. I heard that the original thimble man didn't survive hurricane Katrina. The guy in the picture between the pianos is the "new" thimble man and he was just as entertaining!

Unlike most nights I've known on Bourbon Street, the night ended fairly early and with very little alcohol. Hey, things change as you get older, what can I say?!

Family

One of the great past-times while I'm at home is sitting on the swing and visiting. The definition of visiting by ole Mr. Webster "to pay a call on as an act of friendship or courtesy" just doesn't capture the ease in which we converse and laugh while sitting on a swing in the shade! Family news relayed, stories told, recent happenings discussed, memories relived, future dreams shared- now that is the true definition of "visiting". The characters in this visit on the swing is my nephew Andy and his girlfriend Lauren with me and my niece Julia.

Sometimes the swing is too arduous and we're forced to recline in the hammock while visiting! In this picture are my nephews Gavin and Philip hanging out with Philip's girlfriend Jessica. My brother, sister & I gave this hammock to my dad as a father's day gift a while back, but I think he has to fight for time in it!

Every summer, my mom allows a section of grass in her yard to be sacrificed for the kids' pool. I think this is the biggest one my brother has brought home yet! It took two days to fill it with the hose pipe (yeah, we call a "garden hose" a "hose pipe" down here!). The kids swam in it quite a bit, but it never got warm enough for us adults (and I use that term loosly!) to go for a dip.

OK, so you're probably wondering if I actually attended the conference or if I just hung out at my parents' house for the week! I commuted back and forth from Houma to New Orleans during the conference. I'll make the next post about New Orleans just for proof!

Muddy Waters

Last week, the USOC saw fit to send me to a national sport science conference in New Orleans!!! As soon as I stepped out the airport with my parents, the glorious heat and humidity of south Louisiana enveloped me in a blanket of southern familiarity. The dry and chill of my Colorado residence started to escape from my pores and was replaced by the moisture and warmth of the Gulf Coast. This first picture is of a magnolia flower (picked from the tree in my Momma's front yard) and has always represented the easy, sweet way of life my home state is known for.

The second day I was there, I spent the afternoon on my brother's Harley-Davidson Road King with our friend Eric. We logged over 200 miles throughout the afternoon. It was amazing to ride in short sleeves for a change and be perfectly comfortable! We cruised along the Mississippi River on what's known as River Road. This corridor hugs the levees of the Mississippi for about 70 miles between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Interspersed along the River Road are some beautiful old sugar plantation homes set on the greenest lawns you've ever seen (yards to us Southerners!) and surrounded by Live Oak trees dripping with Spanish moss. This picture is of a patio behind Madewood Plantation. Notice the screened in porch behind the sugar cane syrup kettle fountain.

From there, we rode to Killian and the Tickfaw River. The Tickfaw River is a popular place in the summer. As you can see from this picture, there are houses and camps along the river with lots of people in boats and on jetskis. There's a landin (AKA "boat launch" to you Yankees!) with a bar and dance hall that's on warfs over the River called Tin Lizzy's. I had never been there before, but it was quite the hoppin place! This last picture shows that Cajun's have a great self-depreciating sense of humor (and apparently a lot of money)!

I tried to spend as little time on the computer and as much time with my family as I could while I was at home, so I'll be posting about my trip to Louisiana now that I'm back at my house in Colorado. Stand by for a few more posts!

Southern California

Last week, work took me out to Anaheim and Los Alamitos. I stayed for a few days after to start looking at areas to live. Yes, you read right, I'm moving to California! This last winter in Colorado pushed me over the edge! This cajun girl was built for flip flops and shorts, not for mountains and snow skis! I've endured being called a "wimp" for four years when it comes to the cold and I've had enough! By the way, for all my winter-loving friends out there, why don't you come run a 10K in Baton Rouge in August with me and we'll see who's the wimp then!

Anyway, I've been granted a transfer to our Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA which is just south of San Diego. I don't know for sure yet when I'm moving, but I wanted to get a feel for different areas while I was down there. I don't know if the universe in general has a sense of humor, but it was chilly and overcast most of the time I was in southern California! I kept hearing the phrase "May gray, June gloom." The first picture is from the pier in Pacific Beach in northern San Diego. Figures I go out there when it stays in the 60s! Still, 60 degrees is better than 40. . .

One of the many benefits of having been in the military is that I have freinds EVERYWHERE!!! In what was a major coincidence, two of my good friends that lived in the same apartment building as me back in Rota, Spain are now stationed in San Diego! I spent the first couple of days hanging out with Whit & Kathie, then stayed with my friend Stephanie and her family. Whit was taking classes for some architect exams he has to take, so Kathie and I drove all around San Diego looking at different areas.

I've been very fortunate that I've gained some really close friends when my Navy buddies have gotten married! I don't know how or why, but Kathie and I hit it off immediately when Whit first introduced us and we've been like sisters ever since. We were quite productive and looked at just about every area in San Diego that could potentially be a new home for me. We got some playing in there too though. We all went to the IMAX movie Hurricane on the Bayou which parts of were filmed in Houma, LA!! It also features a native Houma Blues artist, Tab Benoit that I've previously done a post on. I highly recommend the movie when it comes to your town. We also went to an exhibit called BODIES. It's an exhibit of human cadavers that have been meticulously disected and preserved. Even as a physiologist, I had never seen such a complete and educational anatomy exhibit. I realize this probably sounds gross to my non-science friends, but it was truly amazing.


After hanging out with Whit & Kathie, it was time for me to head south to stay with Stephanie in Chula Vista. Stephanie's husband is the XO of a ship and Stephanie just recently became a civilian. Her parents were also there visiting with her and their two kids, Grace and Homer, Jr (AKA Gunner). We just couldn't believe that it had been 10 years since we lived next door to each other in Spain! The last 10 years have seen 4 college degrees, 2 kids and many foreign countries between the two of us. We joked about what the next 10 years might have in store for us!


Stephanie's dad, Gary had read an article in the San Diego Union Tribune about a scenic drive that circled all of San Diego county. It seemed like a good idea, so we loaded everyone up into two vehicles and headed for the desert. Even though the universe thought it would be funny to keep me chilly in southern California, it relented and gave me some nice hot temps while in the desert in my rented Mustang (a snafu at the rental car place put me in a Mustang for the same price as the economy car I had reserved!!). In the picture is Stephanie and the two kids with her parents Gary and Lynn.


Along the route, we encountered a pink ice cream stand (with your choice of chocolate or vanilla only!), the Hot Rod Cafe, Desert View Tower Oasis and some scenery that could've been mistaken for southern Spain!

It was a great trip and I'm looking forward to going back permanently. I'll keep everyone posted on when the big move will happen. In the meantime, I'm heading to Louisiana in two days to attend a conference for work in New Orleans and to recharge my batteries in Houma! Hopefully the next post will include pictures of seafood and family!!!!

Tailgating at work!

Today was a fun day at work- we tailgated out in the parking lot! Over the next few days, the U.S. Olympic Committee is hosting several disabled military veterans as part of the U.S. Paralympic Military Program. So, to show our support, USOC employees dressed patriotically and decorated trucks while BBQing for the veterans participating in the program.

Since 2003, the USOC has been hosting programs that introduce newly, severely disabled military veterans to sport. For individuals who are used to being very physical and leading active lifestyles, injuries resulting in physical disabilities can turn their lives 180 degrees from where they thought they'd be at this point in their lives. During programs like the one going on right now here in Colorado Springs, elite disabled athletes are showing the veterans that not only does life go on, it can be quite rewarding and competitive.



One of the attractions during the BBQ was the CNN Warrior One. This Hummer was used by embedded CNN journalists in 2003 to cover the war in Iraq. It came back pretty beat up, but was customized by TLC's "Overhaulin" and Chip Foose. It was auctioned off to benefit Fisher House, an organization that donates homes built on the grounds of major military and VA medical facilities where families can lodge while their loved ones are receiving care. Warrior One is now on a national tour sponsored by RE/MAX to help raise awareness and money for severely injured service members.


The group of people you see on this truck are my coworkers. We make up Performance Services of the USOC. This group represents the components of Performance Services which are Sports Medicine (Certified Athletic Trainers and Docs), Sports Sciences (Biomechanists, Physiologists, Performance Technologists, Dietitians & Psychologists), Coaching Education, our leadership & administrative support. We have a great group and as you can see, we like to have fun! Our group won the "Most Original Decorations" award. I think the judges just really liked the fact that we left the BBQ pit in the back of the truck to cook!

One of our administrative assistants, Sara made these cookies. Not bad! All in all, it was a fun day with good food for a good cause. Hopefully this event helped these veterans in the process of reclaiming their lives and maybe even inspired them to train for one of the sports they are being introduced to. Most importantly of all though, I hope that you are reminded that freedom is not free. No matter your view on the war, please remember that those are real people out there with real lives that are sacrificing for our ability to do whatever it is we want to do back here in the States- even tailgating at work!

A gorgeous (and warm) weekend!

What a great weekend!! We actually had temps in the 70s yesterday and today!! After the snow we got last week, this feels like heaven!!! Feeling like a kid who had just been let out for summer vacation, I didn't want to waste a minute of this warmth and sunshine. Here in Colorado Springs, you never know if this 70 degree weekend will be followed by snow and hail! So, my outdoor adventures this weekend revolved around doing the incline and riding my Harley around.


You might be asking yourself What's an incline? It's basically a natural stair-master! Railroad ties are layed horizontally along the 1-mile length of roadbed that used to service a cable car that took people up the eastern face of the Rocky Mountains. The average grade of the incline is just over 40% with the steepest section being 68%! There is 2011 feet of elevation gain with it ending at around 8600 feet. The first pic is taken from the bottom of the incline and the second one is taken from the top looking back down along the length of it.


I've done the incline many times over the four years I've lived in Colorado Springs, but the first one of the season is always intimidating! I jog three miles several mornings a week, but that doesn't really prepare you for an hour's worth of stair climing!

The land that the incline runs across is owned by three seperate entities and is private property. The prospect of opening the incline to the public has been hotly debated for many years. There are "No Trespassing" signs posted, but it is a widely known fact that most of Colorado Springs incorporates the incline into their fitness routines. As you can see in the group picture of me with Lisa, Kelly and Robyn, I wasn't the only law-breaker this weekend! Actually if you look at the picture from the top looking back down, you'll see a bunch of other people out trespassing too!


With my workout taken care of, I spent the remainder of yesterday afternoon riding my Harley around with Suzanne & David. I got new handle bars on my bike and it is soooooo much more comfortable. It looks a bit like a chopper now with the "mini ape-hangers", but it fits me much better (I can sit upright now). And no, I don't have full arm sleeve tatoos, it's just the shirt I'm wearing!


Today, Suzanne & David and I rode up to Cripple Creek. It was a chilly ride up- the town of Cripple Creek is at an elevation of 9494 feet! The winding, scenic roads out and back made it worth the chill today though! The town was an old gold mining camp back in the late 1800s, but today it's a gambling tourist attraction. I really don't understand how a bunch of people can sit around a smoky, dimly lit room pumping money into electronic gadgets while drinking booze at 10:00 a.m. and think it's fun, but I'm sure a lot of people don't think that some of the things I do for fun make sense either! So, not one to judge, I opened my mind and my wallet and fed a whole two dollars into a slot machine and tried gambling. Yep, I still thought it was stupid after my effort, but to each his own!!! We stayed in town long enough to have a bite to eat and for David to take this picture of Suzanne & I in the town.

This great weekend ended with a BBQ at David & Suzanne's place that included a vacation-planning meeting. Me and a bunch of the folks I ride with are riding up to Custer, South Dekota at the end of June for a holiday. We've rented a couple of cabins and will go sightseeing at Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Devil's Tower, Sturgis and the Black Hills. I'm really excited about the trip and can't wait to make the ride on my Harley!

That's it for now. I'll be heading out to southern California in a couple of weeks for work, so maybe I'll find some mischief to get into while I'm there. Stay tuned!

Down in Texas!

Finally, something fun to post about! Last week I got out of Colorado before the snow started falling again and went down to Austin, TX for a conference. I arrived in time for a couple of days of 80 degree temps before the cold front moved in and dropped the temp about 20 degrees for my last few days in Texas.

I took a day of personal time to take a look around Austin since I had never been there before. The city itself has some great eateries and sculptures along the river. Austin is also known for it's Blues music scene. I didn't get to go out at night and listen to any Blues, but I did happen across this memorial to Stevie Ray Vaughn that was kinda cool.

Austin also has all these awesome guitars scattered around downtown and along the river. They are painted up all different and are pretty unique. I was trying to take my friends back to a great little Italian gelato place I had found and kept saying "it's by the guitar sculpture" before I realized the guitars were everywhere! No fear, we still found the gelato shop (you know I can always find good food!).


On my little sightseeing excursion, I went to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. I had to call my mom while I was walking around the gardens because I knew she would've loved to see it. The bluebonnets and tons of other wildflowers were in bloom. I must've walked around for 3-4 hours before I finally drove down to San Antonio where I was to give a presentation at Fort Sam Houston.

The presentation for the Army RDs went well and I really enjoyed being back on a military base (I know, I'm such a geek!). During the conference in Hawaii last year, I was randomly introduced to a woman named Ann. Someone heard that I was in the Navy and said "hey, do you know Ann, she's in the military too, in the Army I think." It's so funny how civilians think that everyone who's in, or ever been in, the military must know each other! Anyway, from this random meeting I was invited to come down and speak to a class of students going through an Army M.S./ Dietetic internship program. I now have a new friend and a great collaboration between our organizations. Ann was a gracious host and I had a great time meeeting her team of staff and students.
It was a good conference and I got to spend time with shakers and movers of the Sport Nutrition world. As you can see from this picture of Susie, Peggy, me, Ann and Nanna, we also fit in some eatin!

Hopefully the weather will straighten up and fly right pretty soon so I'll have something to post more often. So watch the weather and tune in when the weather looks nice!