Another early start today and a choked down breakfast. I was in a very bad mood since it was our last day in paradise, no more Janice, and honestly I didn't want to go home for two reasons 1) Parents and all the control they bring with them and 2) 24 hours of travel to get there. Another crappy coach to the site of the Sydney 2000 summer olympic games "the green games." We got a tour of Stadium Australia which can fit over 100,000 people. It was built with private monies soit will have paid for itself in the profits it reaps and at that point it will be turned over to the local government.

We started up on level six where we could actually appreciate how large of a building it is. It has a new look for they have ripped up the old Olympic track and replaced it with grass anda rugby/soccer/Australian rules/Cricket field.

Then we moved down to level one and we could smell the grass we were so close. We sang our national anthem as our guide raised the Aussie flag which he and Janice then followed with a rendition of the Australian national anthem. We then moved on to the player's locker room where everyone prepared to do battle. The scent of tears and sweat still lingers.

We left the stadium and walked to the superdome which was home to the gymnastic and basketball vanues. It was an impressive building which can be used for everything from motocross to Eminem concerts. The floor design in the grand forier is actually made of 60 differnet creatures. The floor belongs to the olympic art collection. We bid goodbye to the Olympic park and made a b-line to the airport where we did two more questionaires, filled out customs forms and went through immigration and security to be greeted with another hour of waiting.

Finally we boarded. It's been an uneventful flight so far other than my trip to the flight deck of the Boeing 747-400 that we are flying on. I hope mom likes the necklace I purchased for her.

More Later,

James M. Connors