"I'm going to San Francisco!

with flowers in my hair...."

The actual, physical I'm-getting-on-a-plane part of my journey begins today. Bags are packed, passport is in my pocket and it's happening.

My wife and I were joking last night that I'm so relaxed and not running around like a chicken with my head cut off at the last minute trying to get things done that absolutely have to be done before I leave. You know, stuff like getting a haircut, smogging my car, printing out pictures of my son to take with me, washing my socks. The important stuff. She marveled how smoothly things were going.

Then I woke up this morning. Jinx! Hah!

My flight to San Francisco has been canceled. I tried to check in to my flight to San Francisco and it wasn't showing up on my itinerary. Canceled. Gone. Not going to Beijing after all. Say what?! I called the United Olympic hotline and was put on hold for 30 minutes and had to leave for the airport.

When I got there, they told me that I have no flight to San Fran and I am scheduled to leave a day earlier to Beijing than planned. My brilliant plan to fly to San Fran, see friends and family for a day, get in one last good workout, then fly out on Wednesday was canceled, too. Hmph.

But I'm rolling with it. The USOC got me on a flight in a few minutes to SFO. They may be able to straighten things out. And if not, then I get to Beijing a day early. Relax, send letters to my friends in San Fran that I didn't get to see, and begin the adaptation to time zone, heat, humidity, and smog a day early. It's all good.

(reporting from the San Diego airport)

Update! I'm safely in San Jose and have gone through the first, lengthy part of US Olympic Team Processing. Lots of fun, saw the entire US Olympic tennis team, and have some more meetings later. All's well.