Chocolove

I found this site that rates and reviews fine chocolate, Chocopaedia . Its really cool! Ive been eating this one kind thats all over Salt Lake called Chocolove 70 and 77% thats pretty good. The reviews say its ok but I think they're kinda harsh sometimes. As I type Im eating a Dagoba eclipse with 87% cocoa. I read the reviews that say basically its ugly, splintery, and thin. And they were right! I hate its texture. But they also say it tastes like purple fruit, and we all know purple is a great flavor...haha!

They reviewed my favorite chocolate maker, Michel Cluizel and basically all their stuff rocks. I love their Grand Noir bar which is 85%. The one that got really good reviews and I have to try is the Noir Infini 99%. It almost got a perfect score! These chocolates have the best texture, appearance, and smell ive ever felt, seen, and tasted, definitely try them!

In case you couldn't tell I love dark chocolate as much as MAPLE SYRUP AND PANCAKES!

Banana Pancakes

And by the way... I went to the Jack Johnson concert here in SLC about a week ago. Had banana pancakes before I went to celebrate. Best. Live. Performance. EVER.

PS...FYI I found out that GRADE B maple syrup is the way to go.

DESERT CLASSIC TOMORROW!!!!!!

I shall attempt to make the AM Cup qualifying time which they so conveniently lowered by half a second, which is 1:43:5. Too bad I cant just take the TT out to the long track, that time would be CRUSHED!!! Wish me luck!

Im cool.

Yup just wanted to tell everyone that. This morning it was on our schedule to go to the oval and do a track workout. So I get there and im only one of 4 people warming up on the bikes. Then 2 leave (turns out they were just there to spin). So I do the workout with this skater, Emilio, and about 75% through Mike Kooreman and another long track coach turn around, theyre like "ah, the dedicated ones! How many laps left?" and gave us a smile and nod. Thats why im cool. It made my day. :)

This is my natural color.

Bike Ride

I stopped by a bike shop and got a ride guide so I wouldnt get myself all lost again, and yesterday I picked out this ride that was AMAZING. I must have stopped every 5 mimnutes to get a picture. It went by Big Cottonwood Canyon and the Mt Olympus trailhead. And the busiest 7-11 in America. :)





You can see the city in the back!

Olympics!!!

Yaaaay I made a cake for the opening cerimonies!! A MAPLE SYRUP CAKE!!! Why is this opening ceremonies so special to me you ask? Because it's the FIRST opening ceremonies Ive ever seen. Personally, I cant wait to see the mens gymnastics, mostly because so many have dropped out because of injuries, like the Hamm brothers. Thats sad. I think it was the older one that droped out 2 days ago because of an ankle injury, it killed me a little to read that this was the end of his career and last chance for the olympics. Thoes stories SUCK.

Anyway Ill try to update more since I know now that Marty made my blog his home page!! I feel special.

So I cant WAIT to move into my dorm, the family im with is really nice and have been really generous, but lets just say im glad I don't have younger siblings. I ordered this WIN sport detergant, I HIGHLY reccommend it, it smells nice and it getts the crap out of your skinsuits and workout clothes. The US Olympic team uses it too. :)

Skating/ProBars

This week will be "the easiest week we have untill after US Championships." because starting today we will have the Australian team sharing ice with us for a month. All 4 of them. Haha.
So today we did relays, relays, and..guess? More relays! Im not gonna lie I HATED relays before I got here, and I still dont like them but it's not as strong a hate. They're growing on me. They're a good workout. But I have ALOT of work to do. It makes it easier to work on relays when everyone is so nice! I was afraid they'd all hate me for missing all the passes but they're all very helpful and show me what to do.

You know how ProBars are around 5 bux apeice? I went to a local farmers market/grocery store and they were a mere 2.80!!
Jim- Will you send me your super secret probar recipe? I think I had one you made one time and it was really good or I heard about you making them and they sounded really good.

SLC

It took me 4 days to get here but it was worth it. Theyve got ice here EVERY DAY! Im still getting acclimated so I won't do the 2nd workouts till next week. But im not complaining, who wants to go ride for 2 hours in 100 degree heat? Plus Im getting a good workout from all the relays we do! We didnt do any in Rochester, here its warmup relay, drill, relay, drill, relay! Hopefully as I do more of them it wont be so embarassing.
I met Andrew Love, who told me about this interesting phase of acclimation called the "F*** you" stage, which I think he said happens after the 3rd day or so. HAHA! So im trying not to push it too hard so I don't feel like crap in a couple days. Im already so wiped I need 2 naps a day. The people im staying with have a hot tub and sauna to ease my pains, lol.

So I keep getting lost too. I print off google maps of everything, I mostly needed it to get to the oval. The street names on the directions are different from the ACTUAL street names...so I got lost yesterday on the way back and this morning on the way to practice. I also got lost on the way to the USANA Ampitheatre (where JACK JOHNSON!! is playing in Aug). It doesnt help that every time I look up directions it tells me something different.

(backtracking...) On the way here we stopped in Iowa to see the actual Field of Dreams (which is an awesome movie if you havent seen it) I even got to run through the corn field!! We stopped at a couple forts too. And Chimney Rock in Nebraska which I biked by as part of my "triathlon", bike 5 miles, run on the tredmill for 20 minutes, and swim in the hot tub! I also saw an antelope (deer on steroids??) and tumbleweeds for the first time!!

I only have 3 pictures now, but ill have the rest up in a day or two.


Johnny's Cafe is the place in Omaha we got steaks at, since Omaha is supposed to be famous for steak. (I thought it tasted just like wegmans, :P)


This was our view for about 1000 miles.


Chimney Rock


My bike was tired after that 5 mile ride!!

Life Update

I don't remember what I wrote on the last update and im too lazy to look, so heres what's going on wether ive said it or not. With the help of Don, our USANA rep, I found some nice people to crash with for a month until school starts. Theres a rumor going around (meaning my dad told me...I don't know if its true) that these people have a sauna and hot tub! Man, Utah really was meant for athletes :).

Anyway, Im packin' the bikes, skates, and my amazing Staybent sharpening frame and im outta here next thursday. (Im DRIVING btw, 3-4 day trip) hehe.

By the way, when I was in Utah last week I met up with my roommate, Shannon, who is awesome. Her mom is awesome too, she has a moose antler. So since ive decided that the dorms SUCK because they have NO KITCHEN and were not allowed to have hot plates or toaster ovens, Shannon and I have come to the conclusion that we need to bring a hot plate and a toaster oven, and quite possibly an easy bake oven, you know, just to push it over the edge. Were still working on a place to hide these items. Hey I gata do something, Ill be up and ready to skate at what, 5? The cafeteria doesn't open till 6 or 7! I just might starve to death.

Im WAAAY excited to start skating again and to train with the Salt Lake people! I hope I can have friends too, that would be nice. I have no friends in Utah now, as in my current status is friendless. So I might need a couple. (sorry I left out my roomie she counts as one, lol)

This will probably be the last blog I write from Rochester, bye everyone!!!!! (but not really since ill blog in SLC too...haha)

Outdoor Orientation

It.. was.. awesome!! I went rock climbing for the first time in Little Cottonwood Canyon where I proceeded to break my phone again and hurt my knee. Worth it? Definitely! Unfortunately all the pictures I took were on the phone so I might not have them. The 3rd day we hiked up Snowbird to 11,000 feet! THERE WAS STILL SNOW ON THE TRAILS!!!! It was crazy. I signed up for classes, I got math, writing, a class called The Olympic Games, and one called Rock Climbing! In the spring I'm taking Ice Climbing! Jealous? I know. Seriously, where else in the WORLD can you take classes like that? :) I cant believe I get to live in a place like this. Wow.

PS: A few seconds ago a new phone came out of the sky. Same number! They recovered my pictures too!! Unfortunately there are none from the hike, that was after I realized cell phones can't climb rocks.









SSNNOOWW!!!!!!!