I am soo ready to get back in the pool!  Almost two weeks ago I had double arthiscopic knee surgery (not as bad as it sounds really), I'm doing great, but I can't swim yet.  Swimming has always been my favorite thing to do.  It has also been that has given me great comfort.  When I'm in the pool, swimming my laps, nothing else matters. The rest of the world falls away.   No wories about work, school, bills, gas prices.  I don't have to think about how others see me, what they think of me.  My world for that time being consists of two lane ropes and the black T down the center of the lane.  Whenever I'm stressed, upset, or even happy, I like to go do laps.  All my worries/cares fall away.  When I'm swimming, its like no one can touch me.  Its like my own little bubble of peace; my sanctuary ifyou will.  That's one of the main reasons I love swimming.  The water is my element, and I love everything about it; sight, sound, and smell (its a swimmer thing- likeing the smell of chlorine).  Its a little escape from the harshness of this world; and I am chomping at the bit to return to it.  I can't wait to get back; I really want to work on my butterfly.  And after watching the Olympics I think I have an idea how to fix.  My main two problems with fly are 1) my kick stops when I pull (bad), and 2) too much of my upper body is coming of the water when I pull.  I think I know how to fix this but I always welcome advice.  

In the meantime (while I can't swim), I'll have to settle for doing some of my other fave things; reading, singing, listening to music, watching Cardinals baseball, watching movies, and playing w/ my puppy (very carefully). 

Hi I'm Jenny, I live in St. Louis, Missouri.  I have been swimming my whole life, 13 of those years competitvely.  I love the water.  I'm new to this whole swim room.  I love swimming, and try to swim as often as I can.  I love going to the pool and doing laps.  I still do drills that I did when I competed in high school.  I find doing the laps soothing and invigorating.  When I'm not swimming, I'm thinking about when I can go swimming again.  Seriously.  I love to sing (sang in choir until sophmore year in college) , dance (I can salsa, merengue, waltz, fox trot, cupid shuffle, electric slide, cha-cha, cha-cha slid... let's just say I know how to dance), read (big bookworm), watch baseball (Go Cardinals- my fave team), watch football (Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers), workout, hang out with my brothers from Alpha Phi Omega (a National Co-ed Service Fraternity),travel, and play with my puppy (Loki) and cat (Phantom).  I am 25% Puerto Rican and extremly proud of my heritage.  My great-great grandmother came to NYC, NY in 1930 with her husband, her daughter, her two grandsons.  My great grandma was pregnant with my grandfather at the time, and a month later Milton Gonzales was born.  Gonzales was originally spelt with a "z" but Ellis Island changed it.  I am pretty close to being fluent in Spanish.

 Swimming is growing in popularity and the things that have been happening in the past few years to improve the sport are amazing.  Michael Phelps won 8 gold medals in Bejing.  Dara Torres came back after missing two Olymic games and at age 41 won 2 Silver Medals.  Not only is she an amazing swimmer, she has great sportsmanship.  Before her heat on the Womens 50M, the swimmer from Sweeden ripped her suit :(, Dara went over to one of the officials and told them what had happened and didn't wan to start the race without her.  She then told the other competitors what was going on and that they would start when the Sweedish swimmer was ready to go!  Amazing!  Hopefully, in light of what happended at the Olympic games more people will acknowledge swimming as a sport.  Which is obviously is.  I am looking forward to what the future brings to the sport. 

Keep swimming!

Jenny