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The Sweet Life	By : jai Category: Individual Celebrities > Athlete/Sports Misc Views: 8241 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. I do not know the people written about in this fanfiction. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 35
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- 37
July 20, 2012 Philadelphia, PA

Michael barely restrained himself from skipping into his room. He wisely waited until the door was closed before breaking into a little dance. He was free! Although training camp was not supposed to end until tomorrow, Bob released him early as long as Michael promised to swim two hours a day.

He was going home! Michael didn’t waste any time pulling out his suitcases and cramming his few possessions into them. The only items that were handled carefully were his pictures and the little toy car that Harry had given him the last time he was home. The rest was stuff in and twenty minutes later, he was ready to go home!

He was going home to Chloe, Robbie, Harry, Jamey, and Liam and most especially, home to Ian. Oh wait. He was in training; the Olympics started in a week and he’d be swimming in second day. Dammit.

“What’s wrong, Phelps? It looks like someone just told your dog died.” Colby Tillman said with a fake tone of concern as Michael came out into the hall with his bags. His crony, Vince Atchison, snickered as they both stopped.

“Actually, I’m going home.” Michael said, trying to ignore both of them as he continued down the hall.

“Really? What, did you blow Bob so you could go home early to your little man-wife?” Vince asked, following behind.

Michael paused for a second but kept walking, not wanting to engage them.

Colby elbowed Vince in the ribs. “Oh, don’t make Mikey mad! He’s Bob’s special little friend.”

The two continued trying to get a rise out of Michael all the way down the stairs and into the lobby where several other swimmers were hanging out. Michael handed his key over to the desk monitor and signed out on the sheet while Colby and Vince kept going.

Michael waited until he was at the door before turning back to look at the two ‘jokesters’ and was going to say something when he spotted Bob and two other members of the coaching staff standing behind them. Bob looked more pissed off than Michael had ever seen him. Well, now he could just leave and avoid the fallout so that’s what he did but not without throwing a cheery, ‘See you later, Bob!’ over his shoulder.

Ten minutes later he was on the road and didn’t even remember their names. He checked the car clock and smiled. He would probably be in time to feed the boys.

He pulled into the driveway at four thirty and saw Chloe and a whole bunch of her friends out in the garage so he walked on over to see what they were doing.

“Wow, Chloe. Is this all for your yard sale?”

“Daddy! What are you doing here?” Chloe asked as she dropped her clip board and ran over to him.

Michael gave her a big hug, “I thought I lived here.”

“Papa said you weren’t coming home until tomorrow night. Did Uncle Bob let you come home so you could help tomorrow?”

“What’s tomorrow?”

“The yard sale!”

“Chloe, did you ask Uncle Bob to let me come home?” Michael asked, suddenly suspicious of his good fortune.

“No. I told him about the sale but I didn’t say anything except that I wished you could be here.”

Michael looked down at her and realized that she was giving him the puppy dog eyes! Hey, that wasn’t fair. He hung out a few minutes more and got the tour and introductions to some of her friends that he hadn’t met before heading into the house. The first thing he saw was Liam sitting all by himself by the baby gate in the sun room trying to open it up but not having much success due to the lock.

“Hi Liam.”

“Da!”

“How are you?”

“Beo up!”

Michael stepped over the gate and picked him up. “Hi little man.”

“Da fee.” Liam said, pointing to the outside.

Michael looked around and saw Ian and the other boys snoozing on the mat in the sunshine. “You’re supposed to be taking a nap, aren’t you?”

“No. Fee!”

“Um. How about we leave a note for Papa and go play outside?”

“Oo?”

“Yep.”

Michael wrote a quick note and then went out back, a squirmy excited Liam in his arms.

Forty minutes later, Ian opened the door for Harry, Robby and Jamey to crawl out. “Hi love.” Ian said as he leaned down and kissed Michael.

“Hi baby. I liberated Liam.” Michael said pointing to their son who was busy bouncing in one the springy baby swings.

“So I see. What are you doing here?”

“I can’t prove it but I think Chloe finagled my freedom with Bob. Want to put the boys in the other swings or is it dinner time?”

“They have time to bounce for a while.”

They got the boys situated and Ian sat down on Michael’s chaise lounge, pulling Michael down between his legs.

“Whoa.” Michael said before he cozied up to Ian. “Hey. How have you been?”

“I’ve been okay. The kids have kept me busy. How’s camp been?”

“Eh. I missed you, I missed the kids.”

They sat quietly for a while until the boys got restless and started wanting their dinner.

&&

That evening after the kids were in bed, the pets were settled and they were both yawning, Michael crawled in beside Ian and wrapped himself around his husband.

“Bob Bowman is a very evil man.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I was all excited about coming home and fulfilling my marital duties but-”

Ian snorted. “Marital duties?”

“Yeah. But it’s only nine and I’m already falling asleep. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Not that I don’t miss uh, having marital duty with you but you’re swimming next week. Don’t worry; I have many many plans for you after the Olympics.”

“Oh good.”

Ian was going to say something else but realized that Michael was already asleep. He grinned to himself and snuggled in. Just having Michael in the same bed was nice enough for now.

&&

Chloe’s yard sale was scheduled for seven am but her posse was in place at five thirty to get everything set up. Ian, Grant and Pieter provided muscle power while Michael did less strenuous work – since no one wanted him risking an injury. Gail had house duty since the boys were still asleep and Margaret and Ken were drafted to be cashiers. There were cars circling the block by six but Chloe had it all under control.

At seven, she walked down to the end of the drive and put up the sign and it was like the gates of hell were unleashed. By nine, the larger furniture was gone; at noon it looked like locusts had been feeding. At four pm the last of the stragglers were walking down the driveway with their booty.

Ian flopped down onto the front step and rubbed his eyes. He felt something nudge his arm and looked over to see Michael sitting down next to him, holding out a large glass of lemonade.

“You look tired.”

Gratefully taking the glass, Ian drank almost half of it before replying. “I’m knackered. Our daughter is a slave driver!”

“She really is. How many people do you think came through here?”

“I have no idea but there was a lot of money in the cash box. We should make a run to deposit it tonight. By the way, I told Chloe that we’d donate half of the money to the ASPCA, half to Springside and buy her a laptop and a printer.”

“Ah. Is that what she wanted?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a good thing then.”

“Well I think she could have afforded a laptop with her share but now we’ll get her one that will last for a while.”

Michael looked over at Ian. “Gail said she’s got the boys under control. Pieter went down to Osaka to get dinner so why don’t we go inside and clean up?”

“Have I mentioned how much I love Pieter?” Ian asked as he stood up.

“Not lately but I’m sure he’ll appreciate the sentiment.”

July 24, 2012 Philadelphia, PA

Michael stuffed the last piece of luggage in the overhead compartment and was pleased that door actually closed. He checked the bungee cords holding the other luggage in the back compartment and even peeked into the small bathroom to make sure there was toilet paper, just in case. The minibus was gassed up and they just had the oil changed so he checked the last item off his list. Now all he needed was people.

“Dad, are you ready for Flannel?”

“Yes I am. He goes right up here. Do you have him?”

Chloe nodded and hefted the caged cat into the bus. “Here he is. Nana’s getting Gizmo and Gadget’s beds and Papa is checking the house.”

“Thanks sweetie. Oh, don’t forget the power cord for your laptop. I didn’t see it in the case.”

“Thanks Dad!”

Michael followed Chloe off the bus and passed Grant and Pieter coming out with Harry and Robbie.

“You guys want some help?”

“I think we’re good. Do you have the ice chests on board yet?”

“Yep. I’m going to see if Ian needs help.”

He went inside and had to squeeze by Ken and Gail who had Liam and Jamey. They also waved off any help and Michael finally found Ian as he came up the basement stairs with his check list in hand.

“Hey Baby.”

“Hi. Every door and window is locked. The timers are on and the security company has been alerted. What else do we need to load?”

“Margaret, the dogs and us. Oh, and Chloe. She forgot her power cord.”

“That would have been a tragedy. What am I missing?”

“Are we turning off the water?”

“I turned off the house main but the sprinklers will still work. The trash is out?”

“Yes.”

They both turned as Chloe came thumping down the stairs with the cord in hand.

“Chloe, did you turn off your light?”

“Yes and I unplugged my TV too in case there’s a storm.” Chloe said as she ran through.

Michael and Ian exchanged a look and Michael went over to their big TV and pulled the cords. They were on power strips but it never hurt to be cautious.

“Ian, do you have the tickets?”

“Maureen has them and she’s coming over for lunch tomorrow. Did we put the EZ Pass in the bus?”

“I did it yesterday. I think we’re good. I’ll go get the dogs and send Margaret out.”

“Okay.”

Twenty minutes later, they were on the road to New York after a final bathroom run. Ian slipped on his sunglasses and checked the map. Not that he needed a map to get there but he wasn’t sure how the roads would be and wanted to make sure they had alternate routes. The passengers in the back seemed quiet and Ian could only hope that their plan to leave a half hour before the boys’ midmorning nap would work out.

“Ian, don’t kill me but how are we getting into the house?”

“Gwen is meeting us. I just need to call her when we’re a half hour out.”

“Oh good.”

“What time do you have to check in?”

“On Thursday around noon.”

“Have you finally decided what races you’re swimming?”

“The 200M Free, the 100M and 200M Fly and the 200M and 400M Individual Medleys.”

“No relays?”

“Not so far. I am on the back burner for the 4x200 Free but I hope I don’t have to swim it.”

“What about the opening ceremony?”

“I’m definitely going and I already know where you’re all sitting so I’m going to wave my arm off.”

“Good. I’ve got plenty of memory sticks for the cameras. Now enough about you, let’s talk about me.”

“My favorite subject!”

“I know. Anyway, Chris and David are moving. To Toronto.”

“Really? Are they happy about it?”

“Yes. It’s another promotion for David, he’s getting a vice presidency of some whole section.”

“Wow! That’s awesome. How does Chris feel about moving the kids again?”

“Surprisingly, she’s fine with it. She says that as long as they’re back in Australia in time for the kids to remember they are Australian, she’s going to enjoy the experience.”

“So what does this mean for your parents? They’re not going back to Sydney are they?”

Ian snuck a peek back at his parents who were snoozing like the boys were. “Actually, I’d like them to stay on if you don’t mind.”

“Why would I mind? You know I love Margaret and Ken.”

“Good. I just wanted to make sure. I think they’ll be going up to Toronto more often than they went to London. Should we maybe offer them the basement apartment?”

“I have no objection to that but this sort of ruins my plans for Christmas. I’m not starting work until January fifteenth so I thought we’d go to Sydney during Chloe’s school break.”

“Hang on a second. I thought your job started in October.”

“Nope. There’s this funding thing and they can’t budget me in until next year. I offered to work without pay but HR said it mess up the insurance stuff.”

“When did you find this out?”

“A couple of days ago; it was that letter you brought down. Uh, why? Does it bother you that I’ll be home for five months?”

“Heck no! Now we can invest in that jumbo pack of lube from the warehouse place. Speaking of jobs, David asked me if I was interested in taking a small but lucrative assignment during the Games.”

“Really? On TV?”

“No, MSNBC wants me to do a log for their website.”

“A web log?”

“Yes. I’d write something every day, which is good because I can do it at the house and won’t have to leave the boys.”

“That sounds like something you could have fun with.”

“Then you don’t mind if I do it?”

Michael looked at Ian briefly. “Why would I mind?”

“Well, I’ll be writing about us and the kids and all.”

“I trust you. Besides, it’ll be fun to see what you’re doing while I’m across town.”

“We’re going to the swimming events.”

“I know but what if one of the boys walks?”

“I’ll call you immediately but I see your point however I don’t know if they want that kind of stuff. I think they want me to write about swimming and all that.”

“Is that what you want to write about?”

“Not really. I guess I’ll have to clarify that with Martina.”

&&

Gwen was waiting in front of the townhouse with several large men when Michael double parked in front of it.

“Hey guys! Charlie, Alan and Kyle will help you unload and then I’ll show you where to park.”

Gwen’s helpers were efficient to the point of impressing Ian and the bus that took Michael two hours to pack up was unloaded in less than twenty minutes. While everyone else went inside, Gwen hopped into Ian’s seat and directed Michael down a block and over two streets.

“Sorry this isn’t more convenient but this is the closest secured lot.”

“Hey, it’s no problem. We weren’t planning to take it out once it’s parked anyway.”

“That’s it up there on the left and there’s Phil. He owns the lot and the restaurant down the street. He’ll want a picture and autograph, just to warn you.”

“Not a problem. Thanks again for arranging all this, Gwen.”

“To tell you the truth, it was a lot of fun and you really didn’t need to send me that lovely gift basket but you can’t have it back.”

Michael and Gwen walked back after promising Phil that Michael would return to eat at Phil’s restaurant with his family.

“So, Michael. Are you excited?”

“Sort of. I’ve just been so eager to get here and get it over with so I can have my life back but now that we are here, I’m starting to realize that it’s all going to be over. Did that make any sense?”

“I think so. Did Tim ask you about carrying the flag?”

“Yeah. I really want to do it but I already got to carry the flag at the closing ceremony in Beijing. There are a heck of a lot of athletes competing who also deserve it and I don’t want to be greedy.”

“Well that’s a nice sentiment but if they asked you wouldn’t turn it down would you?”

“Only if I thought Chloe would never ever find out.”

Gwen gathered up her minions and left a few minutes after they got back to the house and Michael finally had a chance to explore the place. Chloe had already put her stuff away in her room and was helping Grant and Pieter haul baby stuff around.

Ian and Gail were in the basement, getting the cribs set up while Margaret and Ken were in the living room with the boys. Gwen had said that she arranged for the house to be baby-proofed and Michael was happy to see gates across the stairway openings on the floors the boys would be spending time on.

He continued up to the master bedroom on the fourth floor and after some maneuvering, got the travel cribs set up in the small office next to the bathroom. There was no door between the cribs and the bed area but there was one at the stairs and on the bathroom so the boys should be pretty safe. He went downstairs, found one the baby showers and started to hauled it up along with a couple of packages of diapers and one of Ian’s suitcases when he discovered the elevator. Cool!

By three the house was in a condition Ian could live with for now, the boys were fed and after a session of supervised discovering, down for another nap in their basement digs.

“Gail, will you be okay here with them for a half hour? We need to get groceries and take the dogs for a walk.”

“Sure. Take your time. I think all the excitement has worn them out.”

The rest of the household saddled up with leashes and tote bags and set off for the park.

“The house is very nice, Michael.” Grant said. “Thanks for inviting us along.”

“You’re welcome but I had nothing to do with the house so thank Gwen the next time you see her. Ouch! Ian, why are you pinching me?”

“Because you are a big fat liar. Chloe, the pool we’re going to use is right now that road.”

Michael rubbed his bottom as Grant and Pieter snickered. Damn that man.

The dogs had a nice romp in the park and with Ken and Margaret installed in a nearby café that allowed dogs at the outside tables, the men and Chloe went into the grocery store. They weren’t able to do their normal routine but with Ian’s list, they soon procured the basics for survival over the next three days until the delivery Ian signed up for arrived.

With Margaret and Ken restored by their cups of tea, they walked back to the townhouse and put the groceries away before separating to their rooms and getting the rest of their things unpacked. After the boys awoke around three, they were brought up to the living room in the elevator and given free reign to crawl and roll around in the room as they saw fit.

“Ian, what time are Chris and David getting in?”

“Around seven tomorrow morning; David already arranged for car service so they’ll get here around eight.”

“Good. What about Anna?”

“She’ll get here Friday around noon.” Ian said as he helped Harry walk around. “Gail’s friend Sheila is stopping by tomorrow after lunch. Will you be available to meet her?”

“I should be. She’s going to be helping in the mornings with the kids?”

“Yes. She seemed nice on the phone and Gail’s worked with her before.”

“Are you not sure about using her?”

“No, I’m sure it’ll be fine. I’m just not sure how the boys will react to Daniel and Iona and vice versa. Six children are going to be a handful.”

“Did Gail say she and Sheila could handle it?”

“Well yes.”

“Then stop obsessing over it.”

Chloe came into the room and sat down on the floor next to Michael who was watching Liam, Robbie and Jamey on their play mats. “Are we eating dinner here or going out?”

“I thought we were eating in but why are you asking?” Michael said, draping his arm around her shoulder.

“Uncle Grant wanted to know. He and Oom Pieter want to go out for a run and they said they could pick up something on the way back.”

“Oh. That’s nice of them. What did they feel like getting?”

Chloe sighed and started to get up but Michael reached for his cell phone and autodialed Grant’s phone.

“Michael? Why are you calling me? I thought you were downstairs.”

“We are. What do you feel like picking up?”

“Ah. We were thinking Indian. Hey, why didn’t you use the intercom?”

“Because I’m tired and I don’t want to get up.”

“Well staying up all night having sex will do that to a guy.”

“Hey!”

“Are you denying it?”

“Well no. Hang on.” Michael pulled the phone away. “Ian, they want to get Indian.”

“That sounds good but why don’t we just get it delivered?”

“Grant, did you hear-?”

“Yes and I forgot we weren’t at home. I suppose there are more than three places that deliver here.”

“Yes there are. There’s even a binder of delivery menus in the kitchen.”

“Okay then. We’ll stop down there before we go out.”

“Michael Frederick Phelps! Did you just call someone who was three floors away?”

“Why yes Ian James Thorpe, I did. Wanna make something of it?”

Chloe started giggling which set all the boys off although they had no idea what was so funny.

&&

July 25, 2012 New York, NY

Michael woke up at five thirty and wrenched himself out of the warm cozy bed a few minutes later when his mind started lingering on the expanse of golden skin next to him and how good Ian smelled. Argh. Training really sucked. He took a thirty second shower in very cold water, brushed his teeth, pulled on his sweats and shoved his feet into a ratty pair of sneakers before checking his swim bag.

“Michael?” Ian said sleepily from the bed.

“Yeah? Hey I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” Michael said as he came over and perched on the edge of the mattress.

“You didn’t really. I heard the shower and thought I was dreaming. Going to the pool?”

“Yeah, I’ll be back in a couple of hours. Do you want me to put the coffee on?”

“Yes please and if you run across a bakery on the way over, can you bring back bagels or something?”

“Will do.” Michael said as he leaned down and gave Ian a quick peck. “I’ll leave a note on the fridge if Chloe’s coming with.”

“Okay.”

&&

After swimming, the rest of Michael’s day turned into a whirlwind with seeing Chris and her family again, meeting Sheila, going out to Brooklyn with the whole tribe to check Ian’s transport plans and then coming back for dinner and meeting Anna. Michael was not ashamed to crawl into bed shortly after he and Ian got the boys down but Ian must have been surprised because he came in a half hour later.

“There you are! I looked all over the house for you. Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay just tired.”

“We did do a lot of running around today.”

“We did and you know how irritated I get with taper. I’m tired of trying not to snap at people for things I normally wouldn’t snap at them about it.”

“Ah, the itchy in your skin thing. Well you’ll be safely away from us tomorrow and can settle down at the village.”

“I don’t want to go away.”

“I know love. Here, let me sit down and put your head here on the pillow.” Ian said, waiting for Michael to comply before running his fingers through Michael’s hair. That must have done the trick because Michael was asleep ten minutes later. Ian placed a kiss on Michel’s forehead and slipped away downstairs.

&&

Olympic Blogs – Ian Thorpe

Australian Ian Thorpe had an illustrious swimming career starting with his debut at the 2000 Sydney Games through to the 2008 Beijing Games. He retired from professional swimming in 2008 after winning nine gold medals, four silver and one bronze and still holds several World Records.

In the past four years, he has received a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Michigan, married to his long time partner, US swimmer Michael Phelps, adopted a daughter, swim in the 2010 Gay Games, received his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania – Wharton and is the full-time parent of Chloe, 10, and identical quadruplet boys born October 2011.

Ian has graciously agreed to submit a daily log through these games exclusively for MSNBC.com.

Thursday July 26, 2012 10:22 PM Day -1

We’ve been in New York for a few days and as the Opening Ceremony nears, the city seems to be gathering itself in anticipation. I’ve been visiting New York for many years and it’s been interesting to see how things have been spiffed up for the visitors but it’s still New York underneath. Gritty, fast paced and unimpressed by all the fuss.

We met Michael’s family for brunch in Brooklyn and then Michael was off to check into the Village. He called an hour later to report that he’d made it safely and to give me his contact information before having to dash off for the traditional press conference. He thought he’d have a little more time to get settled but we had a development that required our immediate attention – Harry waved bye-bye to Michael as he was leaving! Our first wave! And all the grandparents were there!

The whole gang went back to the house we’re renting to watch the press conference and talk about all the swimmers. With six former swimmers and a load of swim parents in the house, we had a good time picking apart what was asked by the reporters and how the answers were phrased.

The three big swimming teams are going to be the US, Australia and South Africa which shouldn’t shock anyone but there will be a few surprises and upsets from other countries.

Pieter [van den Hoogenband] hopes that the young Dutch swimmers can put it together again for another win in the men’s 4x100 IM relay like they did at Worlds last year but we shall see. Grant [Hackett] and I are not so hopeful for Australia’s women. The doping scandal last year is still echoing through their ranks even if it only turned out to be three swimmers who never ranked higher than fourth at an international meet.

Since I’ve never been able to not comment on doping in the sport, let me just say that the fact that those three swimmers all had the same coach isn’t surprising. Swimming is big in Australia and coaches get almost as much press as the swimmers do. The time to talk about doping was when three previously unknown and unranked swimmers suddenly started winning not after they’d been winning for a year.

Anyway, we also watched the US team do their thing and of course Michael handled himself well. We also enjoyed the part with Miles Foreman, the US team captain. We are hosting his fiancée, the lovely Anna Scarpella of Seattle, and let’s just say she took our teasing of El Capitan well. (Miles is and has been a great friend and we only tease him because we like him).

That’s it from NYC tonight.

Friday July 27, 2012 2:15 PM Day 0

We’re getting ready to leave for a round of receptions at Olympic Stadium followed by the Opening Ceremonies. I just realized that we probably won’t be home until very late so I won’t be posting about it until tomorrow.

Saturday July 28, 2012 8:04 AM Day 1

On the ride to the stadium yesterday, Grant brought up the fact that he’d never been to an opening ceremony as a ‘civilian’. Come to think of it, neither have I and neither has Pieter. As an athlete, you never do get to see the ceremony since you and your fellow competitors are part of it.

If you’re lucky, you get to watch part of it on TV while you’re standing around waiting but the full scale of the presentation is lost on you until you watch it on tape weeks or months later. Then again, being part of the Parade of Nations is an experience you’ll remember for the rest of your life.

The spectators were warned to be in the stadium early to get their instructions for the audience participation portions of the event and there were rumors that the traffic was going to be nightmarish as eighty thousand people all tried to get to the same place at the same time. Craftily we left four and a half hours early and spent several pleasant hours eating great food and schmoozing at receptions hosted by various major sponsors – Roots, Speedo, Omega and Visa.

The stadium staff very kindly set aside a large room for anyone who came early with the ‘official guests’ but who didn’t want to socialize on the run – like my parents and the boys and Michael’s sister Whitney. This was a very thoughtful gesture and my mum is now after me to get her one of those comfy chairs.

I ran into Mark and Suzy Spitz at one of the events and Mark complimented Chloe on the two age group records she set earlier this summer. (Did I mention that my daughter set two age group records? Good thing I have some self-restraint or it’s all I’d talk about!). Also had a few minutes with Alex Popov (here with a Russian TV channel). Alex is a top-flight guy and it was good to see him again. Inge de Bruijn, Amanda Beard and Geoff Huegill were at the Visa area and all have TV jobs this week. Amanda was glowing and Inge gave me a picture of her new (four months old) daughter – who is gorgeous. Geoff was his same funny self and I’m all caught up on who has been up to what back home.

Then it was time to take the last bathroom break and head down to our seats. Speedo arranged those for Michael and the combined crowd took up one whole section – thirty six seats! Very generous of Speedo and much appreciated by the huge Phelps/Callahan/Thorpe clan who attended.

The entertainment portion of the ceremony was dazzling but it’s not surprising for a town famous for its stages. (We set the DVR before we left and I’m wondering how it played on TV but that will have to wait until later.) Of course, the part our section was waiting for was the athletes.

One difference between watching on TV and being there live is that the teams are walking slowly so there’s plenty of time to look at the outfits and try to pick out people. The Australians looked spiffy in their khaki pants and green jackets (someone finally realized yellow made everyone look jaundiced!). The white suits with blue and orange scarves the Dutch team wore were a bold choice but they certainly were easy to spot.

It was very impressive to watch as the inner portion of the field started filling up with a riot of colors and the roar of the crowd when the host country entered was deafening (and woke up Liam). Michael was a little hard to spot at first but he was near the back and yes he knew where we were sitting and that’s why he was waving like that.

The torch was passed from oldest to youngest around the stadium – very effective and moving. Then came the moment that shocked and surprised us. Michael was chosen to light the caldron!! (Can you tell I’m still in shock?) I’m so glad we were taping it because I could hardly believe it. We’ve already watched it twice this morning and we gasped each time he stepped out of the shadows.

And don’t mistake my amazement for not thinking he deserved it because he absolutely does. Michael has the most career medals, most career golds, most single game medals and most single game golds. These were records previously held by four different people and he’s not finished yet. It was still very unexpected and a tremendous gesture. Good thing I stowed away some tissues in the diaper bags because we all needed them except Chloe who was busy taking pictures. The rest of the evening passed in a blur for me and we hurried to meet our driver (thanks Gwen!) for the trip home.

Speaking of Chloe, she just reminded me that we need to be leaving shortly for Australia vs. Japan at the softball venue and there are things I need to do around the house. More tomorrow!

Sunday July 29, 2012 2:20 PM Day 2

Huzzah for the Australian softball team! What a great game! I was biting my nails in the last inning but they pulled it off with a smashing (literally) homerun and won 3-2. On to the next round! Chloe and I barely had time to scoot back to Manhattan to the Javits Convention Center to see individual fencing – women’s epee.

What an exciting sport! It’s hard to follow at first but the drama, the roars of victory at the touch (which aren’t always victorious). We were lucky enough to sit behind Phillipe Omnes, who won the men’s gold in foil in 1992 and he was happy to explain the finer points of the sport to us although most of it was over my head. During a short intermission, the women from the French team came over and let Chloe examine their weapons and Mlle Tonia Debusse kindly gave Chloe her helmet to try on.

(Chloe reports that it was not as heavy as she expected but it was hard to see through the screen)

We stayed through the quarter finals but had to leave to return to the house to get ready for the evening’s swimming events. We barely had time to eat before we were packing up the children and dashing off for the subway.

Anna was so tense from the morning heats – Miles finished out of the semifinals in third place. She hasn’t gotten a chance to see Miles swim at this level before but we did our best to calm her nerves. Michael didn’t swim the morning heats but he’s swimming four times tomorrow. Ouch.

The first race of the evening was the finals for the men’s 400M Free and I really didn’t want to watch. Grant said he’d hold me down if I felt the urge to go running up there (what a friend!) but it wasn’t necessary thank goodness. Daniel Hudson did a good job and at least the gold will be going back to Australia for another four years. (Yes it’s silly to think a race belongs to me but it was my race for twelve years so I’m giving myself permission to be silly)

There was a huge sigh of relief in our section when Miles finished in first place in the 100M Breast – way to go El Capitan! Anna and Miles’ parents were sitting several sections down and we could hear them cheering from there.

The US team’s section was way across the pool and I didn’t expect Michael to be there last night but I got a text message from him during the women’s 100M Fly semifinal. We waved at each other and spent the rest of the evening texting back and forth when we weren’t watching the races. (The big news – Robbie is now waving too!)

The morning, we sped back to the Aquatics Center to watch Michael swim in the first heats for the 100M Fly and the 200M Individual Medley. He swam very well and seemed pleased with his performance. Bob [Bowman, the head US coach] looked pleased too and stopped by to visit for a minute as we waited for the crowds to move out. Then we hurried home for lunch before I sat in front of the computer.

Martina, the very nice lady who edits this log, said that they were getting emails from people reading my entries and asked if I wanted answer some. Of course I would!

What are age group records, how do you get them and what ones does Chloe have?
Jana Z from Tennessee

Jana, aside from the ‘elite’ level of swimming (like the people who swim in the Olympics), all records are set according to the age of the swimmer. In Australia, the youngest official group is 13 and under (13/u). In the US, the national standard starts at 10 and under (10/u). It’s not enough that you swim fast in a pool one day; you have to swim at a properly accredited event that is recognized by a national sports organization. Chloe currently has the 10/u age group records in the US for the 200M Fly (SCM) and the 100M Fly (LCM). The initials stand for Short Course Meters (SCM) and Long Course Meters (LCM). The oldest age group in the US is 100-104 so swimming really is a lifetime sport.

Do you still swim?
Tim R. from Montana

Yes but not at the training level (4-6 hours a day). Most days I swim for an hour or two depending on the boys’ napping schedule. We (Michael, Grant, Pieter, Chloe and I) all swim on Sundays for one to three hours and the boys also ‘swim’ for ten or fifteen minutes. Well, the boys get swished around in the water and we won’t teach them to swim until they’re four or so but they enjoy splashing.

You mention Pieter van den Hoogenband and Grant Hackett in your entries, are you good friends with them and do they really live in your basement?
Katrina S. from California

Pieter and Grant moved next door earlier this summer so not only are they our closest friends geographically they’re also our best friends.

I saw you at the opening ceremony on TV and you were holding a baby; did you really bring your little boys to that?
Jennifer A from Maryland

Yes all five of our children were there along with several of our nieces and nephews. Can you imagine what kind of guilt trip we’d get in fifteen years if we didn’t bring them?

That’s all for now.

Monday July 30, 2012 4:20 PM Day 3

Michael finished in first for the 100M Fly semifinal so he’ll be starting tonight in lane 4 at 7:40. He swam the first heats for the 200M Free and the 200M Fly this morning so it will be another long day for him.

The Australian women have not been performing well and the men’s team has also had some disappointments. It’s sad to see such a fine program falling apart at a big meet and it’s only the second day but the men barely qualified for the 4x100 Free. I could blather on for days about why I think this is happening but I’ve been out of the program for four years so my opinions aren’t worth much.

The big surprise of the morning was the young men from Great Britain qualifying in fourth place for the 4x100 Free. No one seemed more shocked than they were that they won their heat and good for them. I’ve heard that they’ve been training hard and there’s the proof.

More questions:

I know why there are heats and semifinals but why not just have everyone race once against the clock?
Karen P from Ontario, Canada

Although it would be easier for the swimmers it wouldn’t be very exciting for them, the spectators or the TV audience. There is nothing like the feeling of making your last turn with the field around you and knowing the wall is approaching. Even better is being in front of the field!

What were your favorite Olympics?
Riley D in Washington DC

They’re all special in their own way. The 2000 Sydney Games were exciting because they were my first Olympics and they were in my own country. The 2004 Athens Games were special because that’s where Michael and I got together. 2008 in Beijing was bittersweet; I knew I was retiring and I was trying to savor the experience but there was so much going on. These Games are the most fun so far because I’m not swimming!

I heard the TV people refer to Michael as ‘Dr. Phelps’. Is that some sort of nickname like ‘Dr. J’?
Ken R in Texas

Michael really is a doctor; he graduated this year with a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Arcadia University and has passed his state boards. He can’t write prescriptions and he does not use his title socially but if you can track down the November issue of PTMagazine, you’ll be able to read his article on Hydrotherapeutic Recovery.

Do you still box?
Ellen W from Australia

G’day Ellen. I have not boxed for a couple of years but I was just starting Judo lessons last year and we’re going to a couple of Judo events here which will be very exciting. I hope to take Judo up again after the boys are a little older.

How many hours does Michael train each day, does he still eat all that food and what’s his favorite meal?
Kitty in Mexico

Michael trains from three to six hours a day. Most of that is spent swimming but there’s also jogging, walking, weight training, aqua yoga etc. He still has a high calorie load (7,000 to 10,000 calories per day) but he burns it all off. I don’t think Michael has a favorite meal but his favorite quick snack is two to four avocados (pitted and peeled) with a couple of spoonfuls of salsa and squirt of lime juice. It’s a really high calorie snack (1500+) but he can afford it.

That’s all for today – Michael’s swimming tonight!

Tuesday July 31, 2012 12:32 AM Day 4

We’ve just gotten home from Brooklyn and I’m sure that most of you know that Michael won gold in the 100M Fly and has qualified for the 200M semis and the 200M IM too. I’m still wide awake from the excitement of it all. Tomorrow will be another long day for him but he said he felt good and he looks good too.

The stands at the swimming venue were buzzing about the “Shirt-Gate” or whatever it’s being called. The Swedish B team in beach volleyball was disqualified for changing their shirts. The team they were playing, Canada A, were also changing their shirts but were not disqualified. The DQ was quickly overturned (thanks in part to the Canadian team’s protest) and the match was resumed.

The captain of Swedish A, Simon Nygaard, has been rather outspoken about the disparity between the men’s and women’s uniform standards in beach volleyball so the DQ can only be seen as a public spanking by their governing body. Well, that’s what it looked like anyway.

I’m having a little trouble sleeping so I’m going to reach into the mailbag now.

Aside from swimming, what sport would you have liked to compete in?
Emma from Wisconsin

I would have loved to be a good enough rider to compete in show jumping or cross country. As it is, I can sit on a horse and make it go places but jumping a fence? Too scary!

Do you have any plans to continue your education?
Margaret in New York

Hi Mum! (That has to be my mum!) Yes, I do want to continue my education but I’m still deciding what direction to go. In the interim I would really like to attend some sort of law program – not with the intention of being a lawyer but because I think it’s important to understand how the law works.

What sport would you most like to see included in the Olympics?
Dan in Las Vegas, NV

There are so many great sports that it’s hard to narrow it down. If I had to choose just one, it would be orienteering. It teaches valuable life skills (map reading and using a compass) and it doesn’t require special equipment or venues. I’ve never been to an Orienteering event but it sounds like fun although I don’t know how it would be as a spectator sport. For that, I’d choose Ultimate Frisbee.

You mentioned going to see softball and fencing, what other sporting events are you going to?
Lowell in Boston

We’ve got tickets to badminton, judo, individual show jumping, archery, diving, track & field and modern pentathlon. I think I’m missing one or two but we’ll be very busy next week.

That’s all for now because I really need to get some sleep.

Tuesday July 31, 2012 5:10 PM Day 4

I took a nap so I’m running a bit late. The morning heats went well for Michael and he’s just where he needs to be. We’re leaving in a half hour for the Aquatics Center and Michael has two finals – the 200 Free and 200 IM. I was severely chastised for being up so late last night/this morning so I won’t be doing that again.

The Australians are still having a bad meet – for the first in many years an Australian man didn’t qualify for the 200 Free finals; very disappointing.

There is great news for Oz today in the person of Jamie Wakely – the new silver medalist in men’s 69k weightlifting. We watched it this morning on tape and what a great effort he made in his final lift.

No mailbag until tomorrow.

Wednesday August 1, 2012 8:40 AM Day 5

Michael won gold medals 2 & 3 last night in two magnificent swims. He looked a little tired at the second medals ceremony but he planned to sleep in until eight am so he should be okay. Yes, we spent a couple of minutes on the phone after his press conference yesterday and he was so excited to find out that there are now four wavers in the family and that the boys all now say bye-bye when they wave. They haven’t quite figured out the timing issue but that’ll come.

Nicholas Sprenger of Australia, got the bronze so congratulations Nicky!

Chloe is having a blast and she just left for a water polo match with her Aunt Hilary, Uncle Craig and Uncle Trent. Michael’s sister Whitney is here to hang around the house this morning and Pieter and Grant are ready to leave. More later.

Wednesday August 1, 2012 3:18 PM Day 5

Twelve races down, three more to go for Michael. The 200 Fly final and 400 IM semi final tonight then the 400 IM final tomorrow. I’ve heard the rumors that Michael might be swimming in the 4x100 Medley on Saturday but I have no inside info and they won’t make a decision until Friday anyway. Michael is supposed to be on the late show tonight and I’ve already set the DVR since we’ll be in between the venue and the house.

Mailbag questions:

Where do you keep your medals?
Karen in Chicago, ILL

Until Michael and I were married, my medals were sort of scattered around. The Sydney medals were at my parents’ house, the medals from Athens were with my agent, Dave Flaskas, and the Beijing medals were in a safety deposit box in Michigan. Now all of them live with Michael’s in a Philadelphia bank box which is where the medals Michael wins this time will go too. We almost forgot to bring home our medals in 2008. We were getting off the cruise ship when Michael suddenly remembered we didn’t pack them.

What happens to an athlete’s medals when they die?
Calvin R in Los Angeles, CA

It depends on the athlete but I believe most are inherited by the medalists’ family. I know that some have been sold or donated to charitable causes but those have mostly been participation medals. The only sold medals that spring into my mind were those of my fellow countrywoman, Shirley Strickland de la Hunty. She sold her medals in 2001 to protect old growth forests.

Do you collect pins?
Dora in New Orleans, LA

Not really but we (Grant, Pieter, Michael and I) all ended up with several hundred of them somehow and Chloe now has a fine collection! She brought all of the duplicates with her and she’s been trading like mad.

Would you ever consider selling one or all of your medals?
Matthew in Alaska

I would never want to sell them but if it was a matter of sell them or one of my children would suffer in some manner, then I would sell them in a heartbeat.

You have fourteen medals, how do you tell them apart?
Greta in Heidelberg, Germany

It’s easy to tell the difference between Sydney, Athens and Beijing medals since they have different designs and although I can’t remember for sure, I believe the event each was awarded for is engraved on them somewhere. I asked Grant and Pieter but they don’t know either. I’ll have to go and check.

I know the athletes get a lot of stuff (clothing etc); did you keep yours?
Greg in New Jersey

I have the formal uniforms from all three games carefully packed away. I wear the t-shirts from various events around the house and I still use the kit bag from Sydney to carry my gear to the pool – although it’s looking rather dingy.

Have you ever gotten a letter with one of your stamps on it?
Rhonda in Boston

I have and it’s very weird. As a joke, I used to send letters to Michael with the Athens stamps but he made me stop because it freaked him out.

Do you keep the gifts your fans have given you?
Kim in Great Falls, Idaho

Unfortunately I just don’t have the space to keep everything. Anything that is appropriate for children (stuff animals and the like) is donated to a local charity. Most of the paper goods are scanned and stored on disk before being shredded. There are exceptions and I do appreciate the gesture but the house can only hold so much stuff.

What’s the best way for a fan to approach you and/or Michael?
Allison in New York

Come up and say hello. We’re usually very approachable although if we’re with our children, we do ask for people to understand that childcare takes precedence. (Diaper changes especially).

I’m running late again so more tomorrow.

Thursday August 2, 2012 6:10 AM Day 6

What a night! Michael won his race by a large margin and broke his own world record to boot! Although I believe in his abilities, being a spectator is so nerve wracking! Debs and Mum have spent most of this meet laughing at me since I’m having a hard time staying in my seat. Luckily, I have four little boys who like walking with their papa so it doesn’t look like I’m pacing – sneaky of me!

(Because I know Michael is reading this – no the boys aren’t walking yet! You haven’t missed it.)

I’m up early today because Chloe just left with her grandfathers for the Dressage Horse Inspection. They’ll catch up with us at the pool later but they’re trying to go to five events today. I told them they were crazy but do they listen to me?

Back to the swimming – we had a semi-reunion last night of the Australian 4x200 Free team last night when Michael Klim stopped by right as we got to the Aquatics Center. I haven’t seen him for several yeas but he’s doing well, living in Poland for the last six months and here to cover swimming for a Polish TV channel. He is here with his wife, Otylia Jedrzejczak, who swims Fly for Poland. They have the cutest little daughter and we have made plans to meet next week for lunch.

(Nicholas Sprenger, the fourth swimmer in our relay is here too but he’s been a bit busy so we’ll try to get in touch with him about lunch next week. Good luck tonight Nick!)

A few questions from the mailbag before the boys wake up:

You don’t write about swimming very much – don’t you watch any other races aside from Michael’s?
Diane in New Hampshire

I do watch them but the results are usually posted in millions of places before I write here. It seems redundant to repeat information. Also, after watching swimming for so many years I don’t look at them the way 99% of people do. I look at the boring technical stuff; stroke counts, turn efficiencies and if swimmers are in their lanes.

Because Michael has so much experience and great concentration, you’ll rarely see him swimming out of his lane. He is a dominating racer and you can tell the most of the swimmers are always aware of him. If you have the 100 Fly heats on tape, watch the walk out in heat 3. Check the body language. Half of the field lost to Michael before they touched the water because they were out of their lane before the race started.

Now aren’t you sorry you asked?

Do your sons watch the swimming events?
Donna in Richmond, VA

They’re only ten months old so not really. They do react when a race is over because the rest of us are reacting but they don’t really know what’s going on.

Your daughter swims and now you have four sons; do you hope they’ll swim too?
William in Des Moines, IA

I hope no one is surprised that the first thing out of Michael when our sons were born was ‘relay team’. We are going to teach our sons how to swim but they’re going to have to decide for themselves if they want to swim competitively just like Chloe did.

How many languages do you speak?
Beatrice in Tucson, AZ

I’m fluent in English, French and Japanese. I can get by in Mandarin, Russian, German, Italian and Spanish.

Do you ever regret retiring at such a relatively young age?
Greg in Lincoln, NE

I do on occasion but I don’t miss the training and the endless laps, that for sure! I may have only been twenty five but I was ready to move on with my life.

The boys are now awake and demanding my attention. More later.

Friday August 3, 2012 1:20 AM Day 7

What a great night at the pool for Michael. Not only did he win his fifth race but there was such a wonderful crowd response when he was announced at the medals ceremony. He’s made no secret about the fact that these are his last Olympics and it was very touching to see his accomplishments honored like that.

It was an exhilarating but exhausting night (and I wasn’t even swimming!) yet I’m having a hard time getting to sleep. It doesn’t help that all four boys were too wound up to sleep on the way home so they just got to bed a half hour ago. That means they won’t wake up until late but since I’m taking tomorrow morning off, that’s fine with me.

More later –

Friday August 3, 2012 4:20 PM Day 7

Oi, it’s been a rough day. I’ve gotten so used to getting up early that my eyes sprung open at six thirty and I couldn’t get back to sleep. HJLR slept until almost ten so I did get some things done around the house but I’m knackered.

We met Michael for lunch at the Village; this is a big deal because normally non-athletes aren’t admitted but Bob arranged it so Michael could have some time with us. The boys were very well behaved and Chloe was in awe. Oh boy do I miss him. He may only be across town and I see him every day but it’s not the same.

All right, I’ll stop being pathetic and move on. Normally Michael would have checked out of the Village but Bob still might need him on Saturday for the relay. So yes that puts a different perspective on our lunch but I’m not complaining. Bob is a great coach and he knows how hard this is on us so he’s doing what he can to help.

Michael is so worried that one of the boys is going to start walking while he’s not there. They’ve been standing for a couple of months and sometimes it looks like one of them is going to try but nope- not yet.

Yes, all this blathering means I didn’t go to the Aquatics Center this morning and I’m not going tonight either. We all need a break and the boys have already been out and about today. Chloe’s also staying home tonight and since Anna’s family is in town and they needed tickets, it works out well.

The mailbag is brimming with questions but I’ll have to skip them today and investigate the possibility of a nap.

Sunday August 5, 2012 3:20 PM Day 9

No posting yesterday because I woke up at seven am Saturday with a migraine. It was so bad I couldn’t get out of bed. I have no idea what the morning was like but it all started getting better when Michael appeared. No one will fess up to who called him but he’s got a way of making my migraines go away (no not like that).

He couldn’t stay long because Bob needed him back. Andrew Urbansky, who was supposed to swim the Free in the 4x100 Medley got food poisoning (not from food at the Village) and had to withdraw from the relay. Guess who got to swim in his place?

There was a weird kind of symmetry happening last night and while Michael left to warm up, I was left explaining what was going on to the parents who arrived a short time later. The rest is history and there will probably never be another swimmer like Michael in the sport so I hope plenty of people were watching his final appearance.

This morning, Michael had a round of interviews to do so the kids and I went out to an event the boys could really enjoy - trampoline! Chloe enjoyed it too but the boys were like those head bobbing things; very funny.

Speaking of the boys – they’re ten months old today! To celebrate that event and the end of a great week, we fed the boys lunch, put them down for a nap and snuck out of the house to have an late lunch/early dinner at a terrific restaurant nearby. Don’t gasp – there was proper adult supervision at the house.

It was very nice to spend some time together (and that’s all I’m going to say on that subject).

On to the mail bag:

What are swimmers doing right before they come out for a race and what happens after?
Chris in Denver

Different swimmers have different rituals but most are making sure they have their goggles and cap (if they’re not already wearing them) and at big events like the Olympics, you also check that you’re wearing the right gear for the walk out. Most international meets run on a rigid schedule so once an official lines you up, you know you’ll be heading out shortly.

After the race, the top three finishers are immediately whisked away for drug tests. Your support team will also be there to do other tests, like taking blood samples. Some people call this the ‘poke and pee’ which is apt.

When and where did you get your tattoo?
Jasmine in Vancouver, CAN

I got it back in Michigan in 2006 a couple of months after Michael got his. The tattooist was Donna Marshall in Ann Arbor. She’s a fantastic artist.

What events do you think should not be Olympic sports?
Belinda J. in the Bronx

Oh, I’m going to get into a lot of trouble here but Rhythmic Gymnastics and Synchronized Swimming. Not because they aren’t sports (Synchro is hard!) but because they are open to women only. Yes, for a long time the Olympics had sports for men only but reversing that trend is not the answer.

There’s one more week to go. We’re off to the Olympic stadium for an evening of track and field. Keep those questions coming and I’ll be back tomorrow.
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The Sweet Life