1. I’ve got that Rider Pride, that feeling deep inside, it’s Rider Pride, Rider Pride!

We’ve got that Rider Pride, you know we just can’t hide that Rider Pride!

2. Green is the colour,

Football is the game,

We’re all together

and winning is our aim,

so cheer us on through the sun and rain,

Saskatchewan Roughriders is our name!

****Just a tidbit of what you might be hearing Sunday at the Grey Cup Game or anywhere around town for that matter.  Memorize the lyrics and join in on game day.  Especially for all those Stamps fans out there - you should be cheering for the West!!!!!  Go Riders!

So the deed is done.  Monday morning before practice I was eating breakfast and watching my favourite breakfast news show - Breakfast Television, and they announced that the H1N1 vaccination clinics were open to the public.  There is a clinic on campus, so after practice I walked over to see how long the line was.  It looked non-existant, so I went up to fill out a form.  I got a wrist band and I thought that that meant there was over an hour wait, but to my surprise I was ushered straight to a nurse who gave me the shot within 5 minutes of arriving.  There was no line, so easy!  I felt totally fine all day afterwards, but for one exection - my arm.  Wow was it sore!  I think I mentioned how sore it was about every 5 minutes.

In the end, I faltered about if I should even get it, again, but then I thought about how I would feel if I had the flu during Olympic trials and there was no doubt in my mind.  Anyone else go in and get it?

A long time ago I decided that I would retire after the 2010 Olympics.  Now that time is fast approaching and Arne and I have been planning on what we will do post speed skating.  The transition from amateur athlete to the “real world” is never easy but from information gathered through retired athletes, having a plan makes it way easier.  My group recently had a meeting with a legend in speed skating, Johan Olav Koss (founder of Right to Play - look under favourite links).  He won three gold medals and broke three world records at his home Olympics in Lillehammar, Norway.  If you remember those games, he was the speed skater in the shinny all red suit.

Johan Olav Koss 1994 Olympics

That is a big Olympic memory of mine.  Anyways, he said that a year and a half after you retire you start to get depressed.  You may even want to return to your sport.  Lance Armstrong, anyone?  He said that having something else that is important to you can keep the depression to a minimum.  So, now I can tell you that Arne got awarded a PhD position at the University of Delft in the Netherlands!  You may remember a post I wrote about our trip to visit Delft when Arne did a presentation and interview.  It is so exciting because we will be moving there in April.  I guess my new focus will be learning Dutch

This summer my friend Justine taught me how to crochet.  Now, most 28 year olds might not be attracted to that sort of thing, but you’re talking to a girl who can’t get enough of learning/trying to perfect new skills!  I especially love broadening my creative side since I spend most of my day broadening the size of my legs.  Since that fateful day, crochet has caught me and never let go.  I even have joined a crochet website www.ravelry.com and subscribe to a crochet youtube channel called The Art Of Crochet.  The projects are limitless.  I have learned single crochet, double crochet, treble crochet, shell stitch, V-stitch and front or back post double crochet.  I haven’t mastered them all, but have been trying.  I hope everyone likes homemade Christmas and Sinterklass gifts!  Please let me know if you are into crochet or knitting.  I would love to learn of new websites or good places to find yarn.

To Me!  Yesterday was my birthday and I am offically 28 years old.  For some reason I always looked to this birthday age as a guage to where my life is and/or going.  When I woke up in the morning of my 28th birthday it came to me that I was really happy!  I have accomplished all the goals I have set for myself including: making the National Team, going to the Olympics, getting a degree (ok not quite yet, but I did just apply to graduate in June), find a life partner and have a small idea of what is to come.  Now who wouldn’t be happy with that!  I hope all of your birthdays bring thoughts of achievement and happiness to you also

At our house we’ve gotten into a bit of a routine when it comes to dinner.  I cook after training just as Arne is coming home from school. Then after dinner he does the dishes.  For some reason last week he declared that he was going to cook dinner Saturday night.  I thought it was because I was racing Saturday and Sunday and he wanted to give me a rest.  This was just partly true.  He had big plans for a special Halloween Dinner.  Blood died spaghetti with brain sauce, sprinkled with fresh mozarella eye balls!