I've moved

I decided to move here....

http://willjurkowski.wordpress.com/

Early Airport

Setting my alarm for 4:20 in the morning was not something I'd like to get into the habit of doing. But Dad and I got to the airport at 5:10 or so and I made it quickly through security. Westchester airport is a small, one terminal place where, while there are multiple gates, they all leave from the same room. On the first flight, from Westchester to DC, a woman told me that it was great to see a man knitting and asked if I knew that the best knitters in the world happen to be men...I didn't but listened eagerly as she told me his name (I do plan to look him up). A second woman, this time in the DC airport asked me what sport I did because I was carrying my brothers backpack from the 2008 Olympics, I said that I did track but that the bag was from rowing, earned by my brother. Needless to say that when I finally got home and Kate picked me up at the airport, I was ready to be done traveling. Even eating some donuts from Washtenaw only perked me up for a few hours before I took a nice afternoon nap. We made some pizzas that turned out most excellently, watched Salt via a thumb drive plugged in to the TV, tried on the USA gear I got for being my brothers Coach for Worlds and I'm not ready for bed. I'm scared and excited to go to my follow up with Dr. Miller tomorrow, it's been nine months since I had surgery and just want everything to be alright.

To New Zealand?

Since the plumbers left this morning after they replaced a number of pipes in the ceiling...apparently the water is hard and corrodes the pipe. Maybe that's why I'm so tough...oh wait. But anyway, we've spent the day trying to figure out when and how we're going to get to New Zealand, what flights we'll be on and how to make sure we're all on the same flight which I guess could be good or bad. I guess sitting next to my brother on a plane could work out well for him since I don't take up as much space and he takes up more, but that means he'd be taking up my space. In any case I'm sure it'll all get worked out so we can get there around the same time and then get back.

And for dinner my Grandmother and one of my Uncles came down for dinner, not an all out celebration but certainly nice to see them and toast what Ken and Julie have done and what they will be doing soon enough down in New Zealand. It's been a good day.

Rowing

It seems like the whole week I've been home it's just rained everyday, probably because it has. But even though it rained all day, the day was not without excitement. I woke up to finding out that both Ken and Julie had won this morning in Princeton NJ. For Ken this means that he is the USA M1X representative at World Championships in New Zealand. For Julie this meant that she had won one of the finals and the other girl had won the first one and that there would need to be a third final (best of three). But hours later I found out that the other girl had withdrawn (Julie is pretty intimidating) making Julie the winner. All of this also meant that they'd be up in NY today instead of tomorrow and I'd get to spend more time with them both. Ken called me shortly after I woke up and asked me if I would be his coach for Worlds, take care of everything for him so he could just focus on the rowing part. Of course. It means I'll be away from the training group...and unable to talk on the phone with Kate every night, but a trip to New Zealand with my brother isn't something I can pass up. He also told me that I got a gear package which is really exciting because now I have a rain jacket, and I didn't before...all about the little things.