This weekend was Parent’s Weekend here at training camp, which was such a nice and needed change of pace!  Not everyone’s parents were able to make the trip to the Bay Area, but fortunately I was able to spend a really nice Sunday with my family.  Even though we didn’t do anything special (just brunch), this weekend couldn’t have come any sooner.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m so grateful to be here and I know how fortunate I am to be on the Olympic team, but I’ve been so bored lately!  The monotony of our everyday routine (wakeup, breakfast, swim, kill time at the hotel, swim, kill more time, sleep) has really started to wear on me.  I normally have all sorts of things to do to keep my mind busy (my dog, cooking, photography, gardening, etc.) but here at camp my mind is constantly on swimming. 

After enjoying a delicious egg’s benedict my parents and I headed over to meet their new puppy! For those of you that don’t now me very well I’m obsessed with dogs, particularly my own Border Terrier. My parent’s Boxer passed away earlier this year and they have been looking for another Boxer to join the family.  They know a local breeder who happens to have litter of four Boxers, one that will be their own. After my family gets back from Beijing their new puppy will be old enough to leave the litter and join the Coughlin household.  Nothing could have broken up the tedium better than four five-week-old puppies crawling all over me.  These five chubby, clumsy little angels were the perfect remedy for my rut!

On Friday we'll all head to Singapore for our last camp before Beijing.  I was able to visit the facilities there last fall when I was competing at World Cup and I cannot wait to go there!  The hotel is this amazing five star resort and our pool is at this really fancy country club.  That camp is supposed to be our "resting camp" and I cannot imagine a better place to relax and rest up for the excitement of the Olympic Games!