Red, white and blue tutus and the airport

Red, white and blue tutus and the airport are on my agenda for the weekend. Mark races in four days, so The Gangloff Clan is busy getting ready.

I am working today (that is, of course, when I am not blogging), tomorrow Annabelle and I will take Mark and fellow Auburn breaststroker Adam to the Atlanta airport and tomorrow afternoon will be dedicated to finishing the red, white and blue tutu that Annabelle will wear to cheer for her Daddy (again, I am a craft project kind of gal-I can't sit still). Sunday, Annabelle and I will drive to the Montgomery (Alabama) airport to pick up my parents (the babysitters). And, Monday, my parents and Annabelle will take me back to the Montgomery airport so that I can fly out to meet Mark at Nationals. Phew. I told you that this weekend includes red, white and blue tutus and the airport. Ah, the life of the wife of an Olympian... thrilling.

Last night Mark and I went on a date (go ahead, roll your eyes). We even got a little dressed up. Mark wore a pair of "pointy" shoes he bought in France. During dinner I looked at him and said, "I think this is going to be a pretty huge summer," to which he replied, "You said that last year." Well, excuse me. Wasn't last summer a pretty huge summer? That's what I thought.

After dinner I laid on the sofa in a complete haze (yesterday I turned in a big research proposal that I had been working on all summer and felt as though my brain no longer worked) and watched Project Runway (I am reality show obsessed). Mark got his ipod ready for the big trip.

If you can remember, Mark and I are big tightwads and never had things like ipods before last summer. Don't get the wrong idea, we are very fortunate and have a lot of things, but an ipod was not one of the them... until last summer. Last summer after Mark made the World Championships and was en route to Rome he called and asked me to buy him and ipod and send it to Rome with our friend who was leaving the next day. I bought him a bright orange one (Auburn orange, duh!). It made it to Mark in Rome the next day. This is one of those small and seemingly insignificant things that makes me feel as though I am contributing to his races.

Anyway, last night Mark prepped his bright orange ipod. Today we will finish up laundry (okay, he will finish up laundry--I HATE laundry), cook a big dinner, pack up and relax. Tonight is Mark's last night at home for (hopefully) almost four weeks (Nationals + Pan Pacific Games).