Thursday, August 14, 2008

Day 9

Today started out great... eating a hearty breakfast of eggs and cereal and heading into our usual morning routine. Making sure to make a strong pot of coffee. Yes, we were able to snag a coffee pot!!! Big Score!!! Sometimes we get lazy and don't feel like walking over to the Mc Cafe!

Headed out in our spiffy blue uni's geared up ready for another day of battle! We only were able to get in 3 complete innings in due to lots of rain and storms. It hit pretty hard. In between rain delays we were able to fit in some good tunes and a couple card games including spoons. Lovie was champ at spoons! Bummed out by the final decision to post pone the game and finish up tomorrow we loaded the buses and headed back to the village. We are down 0-1 to Canada. Looking forward to finishing it up tomorrow. We play Japan tomorrow first at noon and then after that game will complete the Canada game. Tasha is up full count!

We had a lazy rest of the day saving all our energy for competition. We headed through the rain to the dining hall for some dinner. I had some pizza, salad, a few other random things like olives and then a piece of a lemon bar. As you can see I definitely have a sweet tooth and enjoy food! It seems to make my blog daily now! :) Some headed to the salon for blow outs, we are getting spoiled here! With 1 blow dryer for all of us (we have blown out the rest) its tough getting a good head of dry hair around here. The salon offers free ones so we are taking full advantage. I already lost a hair dryer and straightner... bummer up in flames and smoke. Not sure what we are doing but obviously our voltage isn't going right! While some headed to the salon, Bustos and I made our way back to the room to watch Million Dollar Baby. It finished as a tear jerker but it was a good one. We now are headed off to bed!

I was just delighted to get 8 photos of Casey and Ace posing in front of the camera. It was so very cute! So fun! Monkey faces, I love you signs, and tongues out! It brought major happiness here seeing them so happy together!

Thank goodness the rain finally subsided and we look forward to a really sunny day tomorrow, perfect for a couple to ball games! A highlight from today was this man holding an American flag at the game shouting Team USA Military! Go USA! We are all one!!! It brought chills to my skin knowing we were part of his team! Team USA! Go USA!

Good night and sweet dreams!!!
#27

11 comments:

Gobucks4 said...

Hey Jennie! I'm so pumped for tonight well in your case noon :) That is quite a time change. I've stayed up and watched every game so far. Sunday will be tough because I have school, but I don't doubt I'll stay up and support you guys. I've been a fan of yours for a long time now. It is so awesome to have a solid Christian role model for me to look up to.
I'll be praying for you and your team tonight.
GO USA! We're watching and supporting you all :)
PS Thanks for this Blog. I've always enjoyed reading up what's going on (like everyone's blow dryers not working or to hear that you played spoons in the rain delay... hilarious) It makes us feel like we're there :)

Missy said...

Finch and Team USA
Thank you so much Jennie for sharing this experience with us. I too am a mom, a mom of 7. My 16 yr old daughter is an avid softball player. She plays high school and select ball. While she is devestated that her dream of playing in the Olympics someday has been put to a halt we still hold our faith we will get it back. I know that my daughter has followed your career as well as many others thru the years. She talks about the team like she knows you gals personally. We tape all the games...heck she used to tape any game that you played in Arizona that she could. You are such a great role model. Thank you to you and your teammates for being those role models. It's so hard in todays society raising kids, but with good women as yourselves it keeps kids like mine believing. Last year my daughter had the pleasure of meeting many Lisa Fernandez, Flowers, and a few others on the PFX Tour. That experience, getting to sit and actually talk with Dot, Lisa and Tairia has to this day stuck with my daughter. Thank you.
My daughters life is all about God, family, school and softball. She hopes to play college ball and someday be a college coach as well as play in the Olympics. Know that here in Missouri we are rooting for you and Team USA. Tell Coach Candrea to keep his eyes open for a girl from Missouri in two years ;)

yang11 said...

#27,
your journal entries are spectacular! I am a big fan of you and your team. I gotta say is I love playing softball probably as much as you do and I would hate it if they got rid of softball in the next olympics. I play softball..and I play left field just like Mendoza! I've only see you and your team in person once, and that was in Stevens Point, Wisconsin when you came to play against the Wisconsin All-Stars and you ladies completely schooled them! I do have to say I'm from Wisconsin and I was so excited to see you and your team...my coach and some of the players on my teams' parents were saying that when you were batting, they wanted to see you and your "long legs" run..but you got a pinch runner instead. well good luck and i'll be trying to watch all the softball games in Beijing rooting for you and your team. your a fantastic pitcher-keep up the good work!
YANG #11
melissa_yang41@hotmail.com

(It'd be an honor to have you e-mail me back! possibly won't happen!)

Yeshua Warrior said...

Jennie,

First of all congrats on your little future major leaguer there Ace. Great name for a pitcher. Hope he pitches for the Dodgers though some day!

You girls have started out on the right foot with a great win over Australia with a no no to boot from Cat!

Thanks for being such a godly role model to a lot of young ladies who play in sports these days, continue to walk with Him.

Looking foward to hearing Team USA win again in the next day or two and go get another gold medal for USA Softball.

May God continue to bless your talents and those of your teammates and may He get all the glory!!

Anonymous said...

sending lots of positive thoughts and prayers your way. watching the Japan game as we speak and Natasha just knocked one out.. awesome!!!
god bless!

Anonymous said...

I cannot believe how much you ladies are dominating. Keep yourselves safe and healthy.

Good luck for the rest of the Olympics. I would say "Bring Home the Gold" but do I really have to?

Robin said...

Best of luck against Canada...I am watching it right now!! It's the 7th inning and you guys are leading 6-1, so it's not like we're worried. LOL. Can't wait to see you pitch again!!

nella said...

helllooo finch...congratszz from a fan here in aruba..well actually one of them..haha..now i've done watching team usa win team canada..you gals are the best..keep it up...adn btw, i've seen some pics of your little sweetheart..boy, he is soo cute, OMG..no wonder he is everyones guy..haha..well, hope that someday you gals come visit our beautiful happy island ARUBA..best wishes and i think this is it for now, cause it's like 4am..gonna get some sleep..you gals are a inspiration to all of us who love softball..buh bye..hugs and kisses from Aruba...richinella...

nella said...

helllooo finch...congratszz from a fan here in aruba..well actually one of them..haha..now i've done watching team usa win team canada..you gals are the best..keep it up...adn btw, i've seen some pics of your little sweetheart..boy, he is soo cute, OMG..no wonder he is everyones guy..haha..well, hope that someday you gals come visit our beautiful happy island ARUBA..best wishes and i think this is it for now, cause it's like 4am..gonna get some sleep..you gals are a inspiration to all of us who love softball..buh bye..hugs and kisses from Aruba...richinella...

sftblluvsme said...

Hi Jennie. I'm a very big softball fan and anjoy watching you girls play in the Olympics (and at other times too). My daughter is 10 and has been pitching for 3 years and is now entering her 4th year.
She uses your Finch windmill that we got just over a year a go for her workouts and looks up to both you and Lisa Fernandez for inspiration as a pitcher. She is currently hovering around average speeds of 50mph and pitched a no hitter at her 10u Nationals this year for her team and was 1 strike away from a perfect game, but only gave up one walk the entire week.
She had the priveledge of working with Stacey Nuveman also when she originally started out as a catcher when she attended a clinic in NJ with the NJ Breakers when Stacey was pregnant.
My daughters pitching coach, Bart says he used to travel around with your dad many years ago and he has one of your Finch windmills hanging in his training facility. My daughter has developed into both a strong pitcher and catcher thanks to many girls from your present and past Olympic team players by attending Michelle Smith's camps and the PFXtours and other camps. She has worked a little with Ken Erickson too.
Hope you blow away the other teams at the Olympics. I know you will and God Bless you and your team over there. We're praying for you. My daughter will keep training for becoming an Olympic player such as yourself because she knows Softball will come back to the Olympics when she's actually old enough to play. Because with Gods help anythings possible. Lobbying the IOC doesn't hurt either. Tell the girls, we all wish them luck from NJ. We're rooting for you and the rest of the team.
I posted a piece of one my daughter's 12u Rec games on you tube to get feedback from others in case your interested in putting a face to the comments and how well your Finch Windmill works in developing young pitchers. Here's the link (I hope) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_hijm27tQ4 Maybe you could add your comment too.
Wish you girls all the best over there and look forward to the stories on your downtime.

Melissa said...

Hi jennie my name is melissa and I play softball too.I was really excited to be able to watch you and team USA play in the olympics.good luck with everything and I hope softball goes back to the olympics in 2016.