Texas Comes to Town

The past two weekends, I've been visited by my buddy Sean and my parents. Sean came up from Austin so that we could both go to the Denver Broncos-San Diego Chargers game at Invesco Field at Mile High. The home team lost but it was still had a lot of fun. We didn't know of anyone tailgating so we bought a six-pack and pre-gamed ourselves, Texas-style, using the unmelted snow as an ice chest.

While on his visit, I showed Sean downtown Colorado Springs, where he met half of the intern class. I took him on a tour of the Olympic Training Center. We stopped by the Air Force Academy to peak inside the Cadet Chapel. We watched the Texas Longhorns advance to 11-0 in a downtown Denver sports bar.

With Sean gone, it was a quick three-day workweek and then Thanksgiving weekend. My parents flew up and we spent the break with my Aunt, Uncle and cousins in Highlands Ranch. It was there that we ate an untraditional Thanksgiving dinner (no turkey) and watched the Horns finish the regular season undefeated at 12-0. I took my parents on a tour of Colorado Springs on Friday, complete with OTC tour, AFA drive-through and lunch in Manitou Springs. Saturday, we walked around Boulder, Colorado.

I have only three more weeks left in my internship. I hope to finish strong and see a few more sights along the way.

Click HERE for photos of Sean's visit.

Click HERE for the latest Olympic Sports Scene.

Days until the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games: 75

Texas, how I've missed you

Two weekends ago, I visited my old friend, Texas. While there, I took my first Longhorn football game, took in about 30 minutes worth of live music and ate some barbeque. My Horns dominated, the music was mediocre and the sausage poboy was delicious. Of course, it was great to see family and friends, like Sean, Roseanna, Zach and Anthony. It felt good to be back in the Lone Star State, although it went by too quickly.

Since returning, I had the opportunity to dust off the old pinstripe suit and dance. Just about all the interns took the chance to dress up and attend the way-too-early christmas charity function, the YOT (toy backwards) party. One toy and two books granted you admission and free drinks until they ran out, way-too-early. Anything for the kids.

This past weekend I spent working on the set of a hit television show. I can't reveal which one just yet but rest assured that I was able to get a picture with one of the celebrities on the show. Just another day at the Olympic Training Center.

Click HERE for photos of Texas and the YOT party.

Click HERE to see October's USOC Athletes and Team of the Month.

Days until Sean and I are watching the Broncos-Chargers game at Mile High Stadium: 4

Business Casual

Halloween was a two-day event this year. Friday I was in costume at work, my office was one of a few that actually dressed up. I've never spent a lot of money on a costume and this year was no different. I bought a dreadlocks wig from Walgreens and borrowed another intern's tie-dye shirt. That night I went to a party thrown by one of my co-workers. Outside of four other interns and one other co-workers, I didn't know anyone at the party. It ended up being really fun and I got to know two of my co-workers a little better.

Halloween day was spent watching college football all day at the house I was house-sitting. The house, owned by one of my bosses, is like a ski lodge without the slopes, complete with hot tub and a nature trail for a backyard. The worst part was climbing his snowed under front yard to get to the front door. Anyways, the Texas Longhorns defeated Oklahoma State to remain unbeaten and in the hunt for the national championship game. After the game, some interns and I headed downtown where we met up with the rest of the intern class. I realized on the way down that I had forgotten my costume. I picked up a "Math Tutor" sign off the side of the road and carried it around with me all night. Surprisingly, the costume was a hit.

Click HERE for photos of Halloween and my home for the week.

Click HERE for the latest Olympic Sports Scene.

Click HERE for Teresa's article on a triathlete racing for a cause.

Days until I am sipping Bill Miller's sweet tea in San Antonio: 3

Tap the Rockies

As part of the third installment of the Sunday Funday excursion series, some interns and I headed out to Golden, Colorado to tour the Coors Brewery. Along the way, we picked my cousin Emily and my friend John and his friend met us at the brewery. The self-guided audio tour took about 25 minutes but the free beer tasting at the end lasted nearly an hour. It was snowing and Golden seemed like a cool little town so we stopped to eat afterwards. None of us expected the snow, which slowed traffic to a crawl on our drive back to Colorado Springs. Coors light is probably my least favorite beer but I did gain an appreciation for Coors Original, or the banquet beer.

To continue the Intern Olympics, we played team handball last week and sitting volleyball today. Four former Olympians taught us handball, putting us through drills before letting us scrimmage so that we really gain an understanding of the game. The game is a mix between basketball, soccer and lacrosse. Then we were taught sitting volleyball, which is a Paralympic sport primarily for athletes with a missing leg. Much like wheelchair basketball, it was pretty difficult but also a lot of fun. Learning unfamiliar sports puts everyone on the same level, allows us to interact with the Olympians and Paralympians we live and work with, and exposes us to the venues and equipment available to us.

Click HERE for photos of the brewery tour.

Click HERE for the latest Olympic Sports Scene.

Click HERE for Teresa's article on bowfishing, which required her to take an airboat through the swamp.

Tomorrow's forecast for Colorado Springs: High 37, Snow

Sunday Sunny Sunday

Sunday's high in Colorado Springs: 81 degrees. Perfect day for a trip to Garden of the Gods. I had been once before but this time I got to see a different part of the huge public park. The strange rock formations are truly unique. I couldn't believe the warm weather, one week after an icy Saturday with a high of 30. I don't know how many sunny, mild weekends are left so I was glad to take advantage of the opportunity.

This past week I booked two plane tickets. One to Pittsburgh for Christmas and the other to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in February. I'm very excited about both trips. I have never been to Pennsylvania and the trip will also include visits to the small Italian mining town of Crabtree. I'm hoping to eat some good Italian food and maybe enjoy my first ever white Christmas.

The Olympics are more real than ever for me now. I know that I have a bed in a condo in Whistler, within 100 yards of the Whistler Media Centre. Whistler is the ski resort about three hours north of Vancouver. The Olympic sports taking place there are biathlon, various ski disciplines and the sliding sports of bobsled, luge and skeleton. I think I will be doing odd jobs, such as writing releases for the website and working events. The hours will be long but I'm hoping to have a spare hour or two to catch an event. I might be able to attend the opening and closing ceremonies.

The Texas Longhorns are 6-0, having just beat their archrival Oklahoma in rather unimpressive fashion. For any UT fan, there's no such thing as a bad win over the Sooners. The Horns now enter a tough two-game road trip at Missouri and Oklahoma State.

Click HERE for photos of Garden of the Gods.

Click HERE for my latest Team USA Going for the Gold vodcast.

Click HERE for Teresa's front page story on intramural cricket at Lamar University.

Days until my weekend trip to Texas: 18

Wheelchairs and Mountain Bikes

A few of the interns have organized the inaugural (as far as we know) Intern Olympics. The first event of the four-team tournament was wheelchair basketball. We enlisted the help of Paralympic cyclist and Olympic Training Center resident Joshua George, who was more than willing to coach us. He taught us the fundamentals and rules and then we played some games. My team was by far the least competitive but we ended up winning. Intern Olympic games of water polo and team handball are also in the works.

I rounded up some interns to spend a Saturday mountain biking. We rented the bikes and headed to the Air Force Academy for a trail that was described to us as a "Colorado intermediate." We get to the 13-mile trail and it's a little more intense than we anticipated. Three miles into the trek, my bike experiences some technical difficulties. It was unrideable, which was a bummer because A) my ride was cut short and B) the rental place might make me pay to replace an expensive bike derailer. Luckily, one of the other interns is an avid mountain biker and she was able to fix my bike up just enough to pass inspection when I returned it to the bike shop.

Friday was essentially the first day of winter here in Colorado. It sleeted Friday and flurried Saturday. The icy roads were nearly unnavigable. Today (Sunday) was slightly better. So naturally, I decided to head out to the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame right here in Colorado Springs. It was about as cheesy as I expected although the photo-ops were worth the price of admission.

In sports news, my Texas Longhorn and fantasy football teams are undefeated at 5-0. UT heads into Dallas next Saturday for its annual grudge match with the Oklahoma Sooners. It will be the first Red River Rivalry I miss in six years. The Denver Broncos are also undefeated and the Colorado Rockies are in the playoffs. I'm still hoping to check out an Air Force of Colorado College hockey game soon.

Click HERE to view photos from wheelchair basketball, mountain biking and the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.

Click HERE to view my latest press release announcing the September USOC Athletes of the Month.

Days until I am back in Texas for the UT-Central Florida football game: 28

Rocky Mountain High

This is probably the longest I've gone without posting. Let me catch up. Last weekend was marked by two major events: the Air Force football game and the Pike's Peak Cog Railway. Both of which were great. I had been dying to experience some live college football, tailgate and to see what Air Force football was all about. The AFA Falcons won and I was able to play bags, also known as "cornhole," with a beer and my intern buddies.

Their are three ways to get to the summit of Pike's Peak: hike, drive, cog railway. No way could I have survived the 13-mile ascent on my own two feet. Driving is supposedly pretty scary, so I would have had to keep my eyes on the road rather than the amazing scenery. The cog railway seemed like the natural choice. Me and four other interns went on what might have been the last warm weekend. Still there was snow at the top. The views were breathtaking and the photo-ops were plentiful.

Since last weekend, Chicago went from contender to pretender in the race for the 2016 Olympic Games. Instead, the Games will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which should be a big party. No one can fault the Windy City for losing out to the first South American city to host the Olympics. It was a surprise to receive the least amount of votes, behind Rio, Madrid and Tokyo. The bidding process is highly political and the U.S. might want to take a break from the game after coming in last two times in a row (NYC bid unsuccessfully for the 2012 Games, which went to London).

Click here and here for two photo albums, one for Pike's Peak and the other for everything else.

Click here to see my blog posting on the USOC Intern blog.

Click here for Teresa's interview with George Foreman in the Beaumont Enterprise.

Days until the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games: 130

USOC Interns: The New Class

There's a new group of interns at the Olympic Training Center. Vanessa, Ingrid (the two other summer holdovers) and I are slowly getting to know the names, hometowns, colleges and departments of each new intern. It helped that we had an intern assimilation day, which was highlighted by a crash course in judo. It just so happened that I ended up with the only non-white "gi" or judo robe. Making matters more ridiculous was that the blue "gi" was the only to have the words Big Boss written across the back (pictured above).

Since my last post, their were trips to the Finish Line for karaoke and downtown Colorado Springs. This weekend was some nationwide firefighters festival. Apparently, all firefighters are Scottish because many of them were wearing kilts and playing bagpipes. A few interns and me ran the Jack Quinn's 5k run, which starts from the downtown Irish pub every Tuesday night. To celebrate three intern birthdays (mine being one of them), we went to Bird Dog BBQ. The placed boasted of its Oklahoma-style bbq. Whatever it was, it was good.

Last night, Vanessa, Adam (my roommate) and I went over to my boss's house to watch the UT-Texas Tech football game. Two other bosses of mine came over to see Texas win 34-24. It was an ugly win but a win nonetheless. After watching USC and BYU go down to unranked oppenents, I'm happy the Horns are still undefeated.

Click here for photos of the 5K, BBQ, Finish Line, Cowboys and the Olympic Training Center.

Click here for the latest Olympic Sports Scene.

Tomorrows weather forecast for Colorado Springs: High 52, Low 36, scattered showers

My Kind of of Town

This past week I have been in Chicago helping put on the 2010 Olympic Team Media Summit, which is the first chance to start hyping up the winter athletes heading into the Winter Games in Vancouver. It was my first business trip. I worked a few 12 hour days but it was a lot of fun. I got to know my bosses and co-workers better. At the end of each day I was very tired but we still went out and saw some of the Windy City.

I was in charge of the photo sessions, which meant that I herded athletes around between 10 photo stations. I had to make sure the athletes and photographers were happy. I got to manage volunteers and hotel staff. Everything went smoothly. The trip included sangria and a big dinner with my bosses and co-workers at a spanish tapas restaurant. There were three different receptions and media happy hour. One reception included a Beatles cover band and the happy hour took place at a rooftop bar on the 27th floor of a hotel in downtown Chicago.

The event and my room was in the historic Palmer House Hilton, right by Millenium Park, the Prudential Tower and the famous Chicago theatre. The park was the only thing between the hotel and the lake. In the park was a structure that has become somewhat of a Chicago icon, the Bean (see photos). Twice I went to a nearby sleazy sports bar to watch some soccer/football. One night we went to Giordano's for some deep dish pizza then the House of Blues. Our last night we went to a really cool college bar area where we saw a U2 cover band on the same night that the real thing was performing in Soldier Field.

Switching gears, in her second week as a sports reporter, my girlfriend interviewed Shaquille O'Neal. He was in Port Arthur for a charity with East Texas-native Stephen Jackson. She has photos and video to prove it. The story ran on the front-page but has not yet been posted online.

Click here for photos of the Palmer House Hilton, Millenium Park and the Bean.

Click here for my latest press release for the USOC August Athletes and Team of the Month.

Days until my weekend trip to Texas for the UT-Central Florida football game: 53

Halloween on Wheels

Fort Collins, Colo. is home to New Belgium Brewery, which is famous for Fat Tire Beer. Once-a-year the brewery hosts the Tour de Fat in the college town. The event is also held in other cities across the country but this one is the first and foremost bike-riding beer-drinking festival in the nation. Vanessa and I made the drive up I-25 to meet up with my cousin, Emily, and her friends. The only time I've seen more bicycles, I was in Amsterdam. The only time I've seen more elaborate costumes, I was at Carnaval in Austin. But it's safe to say, I've never seen so many costumed cyclists. The trip did nothing to change my perception that Fort Collins is the coolest little city in Colorado. I am already looking forward to going back for Halloween.

Meanwhile, the Texas Longhorns kicked off their 2009 football season with a bang. Although I was not able to watch the game (it was available only on pay-per-view), I have read enough game recaps to know what went on. The word of the day was "speed" as freshmen D.J. Monroe, Marquis Goodwin and Alex Okafor featured prominently. I cannot wait for game two versus Wyoming, although I might be working in Chicago and unable to watch it. I leave tomorrow morning for the Windy City for the 2010 Olympic Team Media Summit at the Palmer House Hilton. I will be working long hours but if I can find time for one deep dish pizza, I will be happy.

Click here for photos of the Tour de Fat.

Click here for the latest Going for the Gold vodcast, featuring speedskater J.R. Celski. This is the second vodcast for which I've written the script.

Click here for Teresa's first article as a professional journalist with the sports section at the Beaumont Enterprise.

Monday's weather in Chicago: high 72, low 65, partly cloudy

My Olympic Credential Photo

This mug is gonna have the golden ticket to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. I just filled out my accreditation with the U.S. Olympic Committee. I will be volunteering with Media Relations at the Olympics in February. I will most likely be stationed in Whistler, the ski resort outside of Vancouver where half of the sports will take place. It's the opportunity of the lifetime.

After two long weekends with friends and the girlfriend, I took it relatively easy this weekend. Friday night Vanessa, Katie and I introduced some of the new interns to the Finish Line for cheap beer and karaoke. Saturday I walked around the Air Force Academy. It was a rainy day and hardly anyone else was around. The campus is amazing and very unique. It's tucked away, literally at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, and all the buildings look like they were built in the same year in the 1950s. The main attraction was the Chapel, which is a large metallic structure with a recognizable, spired roof. The coolest thing was that it was split up into four places of worship: Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Buddhist. Each was a different size with its own design. The Protestant Church was the biggest while the Buddhist room was tiny.

Sunday I volunteered with doping control at a USA Weightlifting event. After that I covered the event in place of the weightlifting PR person. I had never been to a weightlifting competition so it was very interesting. I got to interview 2008 Olympian Kendrick Farris, which was cool.

This weekend marks the beginning of the Texas Longhorn football season. The game is on pay-per-view and I plan on going to the Tour de Fat with my cousin in Fort Collins. It will pain me to miss the game, and the next one versus Wyoming in Laramie. Next week I will be working at the Olympic Team Media Summit in Chicago and probably unable to catch the game. It will be a great experience but still bittersweet.

Click here to see photos of the Air Force Academy, the weightlifting event and more.

Click here to see the press release I wrote for the weightlifting event.

Days until the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games: 162

Teresa & The Flaming Lips

Day 1: Flight delayed an hour. I pick up my girlfriend from the Colorado Springs airport and we head downtown to the hotel she picked out. Turns out the hotel was a bed & breakfast from the late 1890s, complete with chamber music piped in the rooms.

Day 2: Enjoy an excellent bed & breakfast breakfast. Take in the beauty of the Garden of the Gods. Take cliche photos next to "balanced rock". Walk around Manitou Springs, a small town separating Colorado Springs from the Rocky Mountains. Take a sip from one of the many springs in Manitou, many of which taste like bad club soda. Visit my aunt, uncle and cousin in Highlands Ranch, just south of Denver. My Uncle Mike never fails to cook me an elaborate meal and this time was no different. Tonight's menu featured home-made sushi. Head to downtown Denver and walk down the 16th Street Mall before calling it a night.

Day 3: Drive towards the mountains on the way to the Red Rocks Amphitheater. But first, a sidetrip to Heritage Square, a ghost town of an amusement park that's managed to stay open for so long because of its famous alpine slide. Seven bucks buys you a gondola right up the hill and a ride down the zig-zagging concrete track on a small cart. It was totally worth it. The slide was kind of like the opening act for tonight's main event: a Flaming Lips concert at Red Rocks. We got there early to experience the tailgating atmosphere that surrounds most Red Rocks shows. We were greeted by lots of crazy hippies and costumed super-fans. We left the parking lot to get a good seat. Watching from the sixth row, we enjoyed the two opening acts, one of which was from Austin, Texas. But there was no doubt who was the top draw. The lead singer of the Flaming Lips, Wayne Coyne, kicked off the show by walking out on top of the crowd in an inflatable bubble. There were lasers, confetti and countless balloons covering the crowd throught the show. The band is known for their live shows and they didn't disappoint.

Day 4: Toured the Olympic Training Center, ate some pizza and went to the airport. We were exhausted from the weekend. It was great spending time with my girlfriend. I miss Teresa already. It might be another two months before I see her next.

Click here to see Teresa's side of the story, on her blog.

Click here to see photos from our adventures, including the alpine slide and the Red Rocks show.

Click here to view my first Vodcast, created for the USOC "Going for the Gold" series.

Time until the beginning of the Longhorn football season: 9 days, 19 hours, 4 minutes, 20 seconds

Tony Comes to Town

Day 1: I leave straight from work to pick up Anthony and Molly from the Denver Airport about an hour and a half after they land. We drive to our hotel in downtown Denver. After checking in, we start walking down the 16th street mall. We eat at the Rock Bottom Brewery and Restaurant before walking to the bars in lower downtown, affectionately known as LoDo. It is there that we meet up with John Frias, a fellow CCHS alum who now lives in Denver. Things get a little crazy and Anthony spends part of the night on the hotel room floor.

Day 2: We all wake up on time and set out on the road to Canon City, which is where our white water rafting adventure begins. There we met up with Vanessa and Cari, two USOC interns. Once at the office, we get our gear (helmet, life jacket and paddle) and load into the school bus that will take us to the Arkansas River. We go through some level three rapids and a few level fours (out of five). The guide lets us "ride the bull," which means that one of us sits on the front of the raft and holds onto a rope between our legs as we go through some small rapids. I did not fall out during this or any other part of the trip, which was my main objective. We went through the Royal Gorge and under the Royal Gorge suspension bridge, which was very cool.

Night two was to be spent in downtown Colorado Springs. After checking into our downtown hotel, I decided we had to start off at The Finish Line, a dive bar near the Olympic Training Center (not downtown). It was karaoke night and the otherwise sleepy neighborhood bar was hopping. A few songs and pitchers of beer later and that was the only bar we would end up going to that night. Among the songs that were sung by us were George Strait's Amarillo By Morning, Billy Idol's Rebel Yell and Louie Armstrong's What a Wonderful World.

Day 3: Wake up and recap the night from our suite at the EconoLodge. Head over to the Olympic Training Center for a quick tour. Then drive up by Pike's Peak and through Manitou Springs, where we ate lunch. We drive back up to Denver where I drop off John at his place and then Anthony and Molly at the airport. It was a quick weekend but we crammed many activities and had a lot of fun. Thanks to Anthony and Molly for coming out to Colorado and to John for hanging out with us.

Click here for photos of the Denver nightlife, the Finish Line, and the Olympic Training Center.

Click here for the latest Olympic Sports Scene, brought to you by Nick and Vanessa.

Hours until I get to see my girlfriend Teresa, who is coming up to visit this weekend: 68

Stairway to Soreness

Since hearing about it a few weeks ago, I was determined to do the Incline. The Incline is about a mile's worth of steps going up Pike's Peak. And by steps I mean old rail road ties from the old cog railway. There is now a new cog railway that goes up Pike's Peak. The old train tracks have become a popular workout spot for fit Coloradans, of which there are many. I was prepared for the endurance challenge posed by a mile's worth of steps. I was prepared to be affected by the thin air. What I wasn't prepared for was how steep and unfriendly these steps would be. The railroad ties have not undergone a makeover to accommodate their many visitors. It was tough but worth it for the photos. I don't need to go back for a month or two, though.

I volunteered for the USA Triathlon Junior Nationals. It was really impressive to see these teenagers swim, bike and run the way they do. It was even more amazing to see the seven-year-olds posting better times than I could. I did lots of odd jobs for the event but the main one was marking the kids with there race numbers, which had to be on each bare arm and leg.

My roommate Isaac has gone home and I have the room to myself for who knows how long. I might get a new roommate in September when the fall class of interns show up, or I might not. The summer interns are leaving one by one, which means a few more trips to the our neighborhood bar Finish Line are in order. Its a very cozy place with some eccentric regulars.

I finally wrote my first press release, all by myself. Click here to check it out.

Click here for photos of the Incline, the triathlon, the finish line and a night out in downtown Denver with my cousin Emily and her friends from when I first moved out here.

Days until my buddy Anthony and his friend Molly come to visit me: 3

Goobers and Buffaloes

In July, right before I leave for Colorado, I see this show on the Food Network called Man vs. Food. On the show, the host goes around the country and eats unusually large or wierd foods, like a 7 lbs burrito or rocky mountain oysters. While in Denver, the host stopped at a burger joint called the Cherry Cricket. The place is known for putting just about anything on a burger, including a fried egg-and-peanut butter burger known as the Goober. I immediately added the burger joint to my list of 'things to do while in Colorado'. It took about a month, but I have finally crossed it off my list. I went with my cousins Emily, Christopher and Ana as well as my Aunt Nuni, who promised she would take me there. The burger was surprisingly good but very heavy. I will probably never order another and I will probably never consume so much protein in one sitting.

Goobers aside, I spent much of the weekend with family. After the Cherry Cricket, we went to Boulder and walked around. I forgot how nice the University of Colorado's campus was.

My internship is starting to pick-up and I am learning the valuable skill that is multi-tasking. However, there is still time to volunteer, which is a great experience and often very easy. Vanessa and I manned the pressbox at the Opening Ceremony of the State Games of America. We outnumbered the members of the media 2:1. At work, I was asked to escort a newspaper photographer around the Olympic Training Center. At the aquatic center, I got to go up on the catwalk overlooking the pool that is normally used by coaches.

Click here for the latest Olympic Sports Scene, co-written by moi.

Click here for photos of the Goober, Boulder and what not.

Days until the season opener of Longhorn football: 29

Rapids and Resorts

By rapids, I mean the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. I had never been to a MLS game and it didn't disappoint. My fellow soccer-watching USOC intern Maura and I drove out to Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Denver. The soccer-specific stadium was pretty cool looking and just about packed. It was a little wierd being around so many American soccer-fans. The highlight of the day was realizing that the head referee on the field was none other than former Central Catholic High School student/teacher/coach Jason Anno.

By resorts, I mean the world-renowned Broadmoor hotel and resort in Colorado Springs, at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. My Aunt and Uncle were kind enough to take me there for lunch. Established 1918, the sprawling resort was over the top, but classy. I imagine that lots of celebrities and maybe a few presidents have stayed there. If those walls could talk...

My first real bit of writing is now posted online. The Olympic Sports Scene is a weekly online newsletter that recaps all the past week's competitions from each U.S. Olympic sports team. From now until December, me and the other media relations intern Vanessa will be putting it together.

Click here for photos of the Rapids game and the Broadmoor.

Today's weather in Colorado Springs: High 74, Low 54, thunderstorms

One Very Granola Town

I had never been to Fort Collins, CO before. All I knew about it was that it was the home of Colorado State University and that it had a few microbreweries there. What I didn't know is that it is a very laidback, bike-friendly town. Colorado loves local beer and Ft. Collins is the beer capital of the state. Every bar offered all dozens of community beers. It seems like everyone is outdoorsy and happy.

During my 22 hours in the town, my cousin Emily and I went out to the bars, drove out to Horsetooth Reservoir and played with her dog, Indie. We were going to goto the New Belgium Brewery, famous for Fat Tire and Skinny Dip, but they were closed. I plan on returning to Ft. Collins over Labor Day weekend for the Tour de Fat, a bike-riding, costume party put on by the brewery.

Before Ft. Collins, the USOC paid to take us to a Colorado Springs Sky Sox minor league baseball game. It was $2 beer night (until 7:30) as well as Jimmy Buffett night (he was not in attendance). Then on Saturday morning, I volunteered at the International Blind Sports Federation's World Youth and Student Championships, aka the Blind Junior Olympics. I was a timer for the swim meet and I sat next to a father whose son was competing. His 16-year-old son, Darren, lost his sight suddenly a year ago. Needless to say it was all very inspiring.

Click here for photos of Fort Collins and the Sky Sox game.

Days until the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games: 206

Coors Field and the Velodrome

Since my last post, I visited Coors Field to see the Rockies play the Atlanta Braves. It was the last game before the All-Star Break and the Rockies won in the bottom of the ninth. The stadium is beautiful and the view was great, even from the Rock Pile (aka cheap seats). The tickets were four bucks and the beer was $6.50.

After work today, I made the trip to nearby Memorial Park. The inner-city park featured a big lake and a velodrome. A velodrome is an arena for track cycling, which is an Olympic sport. I had never seen such a stadium in person.

My good friend Anthony has booked his ticket to come see me in Colorado, along with two of his buddies. His mid-August trip is centered around a whitewater rafting excursion we have yet to organize.

In my internship, I'm beginning to work on Olympic Beat magazine, as well as prepare for the Olympic Media Summit leading up to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. If all goes according to plan, I will travel with the USOC media relations team to Chicago for the Summit in September.

Click here for photos of Community Day at the Olympic Training Center, Coors Field and Memorial Park.

Today's weather in Colorado Springs: High 91, Low 57, partly cloudy

Working Man

My first ever 40-hour work week is in the books. I have worked hard and learn a lot about public relations. My bosses have gone out of their way to show me the ropes and they have trusted me with some serious assignments. In my first week, I have written press releases for the Junior Olympic Skills competition and biographies for the 2009 class of inductees into the US Olympic Hall of Fame. In my first three days, I interviewed three Olympians, including skier Picabo Street and basketball player Teresa Edwards. Vanessa, the other media relations intern, has more experience in the field and has helped me along.

Four years removed from my last dormitory experience, I was afraid to go back. But thanks to Isaac, my friendly (and clean) roommate, it hasn't been so bad. I also eat just about every meal at the Olympic Training Center dining hall, along with every other intern and resident athlete. The food is surprisingly good, varied and healthy. The nearest bar is about a five-minute walk away. The Finish Line is a great dive bar with lots of interesting regulars. The other interns and I have already broken in the ancient karaoke machine.

This weekend I volunteered to help out at the Training Center's Community Day. Without asking me if I had any real experience as a photographer, they handed me a fancy camera and told me to cover it all. This included taking photos of the unveiling of a Michael Phelps statue, which was a gift from the Chinese Olympic Committee. The community day involved demos of lots of Olympic sports like judo, fencing, table tennis and shooting, all of which were pretty interesting.

Click here for more photos of the Olympic Training Center.

Days until the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games: 215

Home Sweet Dorm

Tonight is my first night in the dorm. Tomorrow is my first day of work. I now live in the athlete/volunteer/intern residencies at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO. But before I go any farther, this blog post is dedicated to the roadtrip and days leading up to today.

In two days, my parents and I drove from San Antonio to Denver, where some of my relatives live and my sister was visiting. On the trip up, we stopped in Palo Duro Canyon. The canyon in in the panhandle of Texas near Amarillo, where we stopped for the night. The canyon is a miniature version of the Grand Canyon in Arizona but it is big nonetheless.

Over the last three days, we ate, drank and watched fireworks. I want to thank my cousin Emily and her friends for showing me around downtown Denver. Thanks to Uncle Mike and Aunt Rosanne for taking me in as their replacement son. Thanks to my parents for everything else.

Click here for photos of my stop at Palo Duro Canyon.

Today's weather in Colorado Springs: High 72, Low 55, thunderstorms

Goodbye Texas

Tomorrow begins my two-day, 16-hour roadtrip with my parents to Colorado. I am currently taking a break from packing. Over the next few days, I will be spending time with my parents, Denver relatives and my sister and brother-in-law, who will be in town for a wedding. Then it's moving day in Colorado Springs. I'll have one day to get acclimated to my dorm room and roommate before I start work on Monday.

In addition to working hard, I plan to do some sightseeing during the next six months. Here are some events on my calendar:

Sunday, Aug. 9: Warped Tour in Denver to see NOFX

Sunday, Aug. 23: Flaming Lips @ Red Rocks with Teresa

Saturday, Sept. 12: UT football @ Wyoming

Saturday, Nov. 7: UT football vs. Central Florida in Austin

I also hope to catch Rockies, Broncos, Nuggets and Air Force football games. I plan to give white water rafting and snowboarding a try, as well.

Feel free to bookmark this page and check back to see how my adventure is going. I will be posting photos and links to any writing I may produce in my media relations internship with the United States Olympic Committee.

Today's Weather in Colorado Springs: High 88, Low 57, Thunderstorms