US Curling Nationals in Kalamazoo, MI

After mom and dad got back from Costa Rica Tuesday I called them up and asked if they missed the kids.  My mom, totally on to me asked, "why?" then I sprung it on them I was looking for a babysitter for 4 days so I could watch the majority of the games Paul was playing in leading up to the US Nationals.  After getting some sleep, she agreed.

Paul's parents flew home Wednesday, Paul flew to Chicago then drove with his team to Kalamazoo (after realizing they had flown into Midway and he was at O'Hare).  I babysat Friday night, then Saturday morning went to the airport to fly to Chicago.  I then got a rental car and drove into downtown to meet Kari who works at the Sears Tower

Then I talked her into taking me to go get Giordano's stuffed pizza.  YUMMMMM.  Then we walked around Michigan Ave and found the cutest jewelry store. 

Then I had to head back to my car to drive to Kalamazoo in time for the 8:30pm game.

Got to Kalamazoo, checked into my hotel (across town from the stadium and the hotel Paul and Larry were at-Larry had driven down from Ontario) and raced to the game, which the guys won 5-4.  Then slept pretty much until the Saturday noon game.

Saturday noon game they also won, 7-4.  Then for some reason they decided to get more agressive for points and change their strategy, which did not work since the next games were lost 2-6 and 4-7.

Saturday in between the midday game and the night game, I met up with Diane, my friend off my scrapbook message board.  She took me to the Tractor supply store where I not only found the cow bells that Larry had requested, but something to help the curlers with their chafing...

After the Sunday noon game, I drove up to East Lansing to meet my friend Kristy who I had not seen in several years and had lunch with her and her future sister-in-law.  By the time I got back, Linda had driven down.  Then we watched an incredibly disappointing game:

If you can see through the glare, that's the other team with 10 points, us with 1 and yes, that was the final score!

We had something to eat and the guys regrouped.  The next set of scores were much better.  Tuesday they had one game and won it 10-3 after 7 ends.

Wednesday I watched online at work to watch them win two more; 9-6 and 8-5.  Not only did they win, but many of the scores were in ends where they did not have the hammer (advantage of throwing the last rock).

Thursday was the final game to get to the semi-finals.  They lost 3-9 after the other team scored 4 points in one end.  But they achieved their goal of not only making it to the Nationals, but also winning more games than they lost.  The other team members had all been to Nationals before, and some  to Worlds, but this was Paul's first time at Nationals.