Update

Hi all,

Massive Day Out! Enjoy the photos below that tell the story.

Today was the last full day of activities in the wider LA environment, with Pasadena and SMCHS having both put on wonderful shows (as has the weather, with a fine collection of performances, that could simply be described as bloody warm). Tomorrow will see the boys depart early on a 6.5 hr bus ride to Hollister for the second section of the tour. Before then however, a wrap up on today:

Wed 3 October
Early start again to be on the track by 6am for interval training. The task was to complete 1x 1mile (1600m), and then 4x 800m after a warm up around the outer school grounds. With the clocks on, everyone was out to impress.
8am- After breakfast (most mummies packed the boys food in brown paper bags - too well treated here!) it was out and about for a tour of the school, checking at the amazing facilities that had our boys in awe.
10am arrival at Knotts Berry Theme Park for a day of mad rides and screams- absolutely no lines due to it being a Wednesday so there were options aplenty
3:30pm returned to SMCHS to watch their American football train (1 of 4, 3.5hr, trainings they have a week. No wonder they are state champs and Top 4 in the USA. Their offensive line is the third biggest on paper when compared to the best college (University) sides in the country. When they play a home fixture the attendance for a normal game is 7000-10000 people. Our boys on the request of their Head Coach performed the haka which was hugely popular
5:30pm Dinner at the BallPark- a family diner/restaurant/sports bar which all other groups have been to in the past as both squads conclude their time together. Then, the parents thought it was necessary to take our boys to In and Out Burgers (a popular US burger bar)- the fast food tour continues much to the boys happiness
8:30pm Off home for the final sleep in LA before an 8am departure from SMCHS to head to Hollister.

Points of note:
1. Yes, T Lorimer despite not being a roller coaster enthusiast rode the rides at Knotts Berry Farm with real determination (even when Mr Gordon chickened out)
2. Yes, when asked, Mr Jones described touring and rooming with Mr Skeen by singing the following "All the leaves are brown, and the sky is grey"
3. Yes, F Boswell pulled out the books today to study on the bus out to Knotts Berry Farm. As a photo testifies he was fast asleep within 30 seconds (who said learning is not fun)
4. Yes, after some outstanding undercover work by Mr Skeen (photo below showing Mr Skeen posing with arms crossed in rugby photo fashion with his posse of teenage girls) the following can now be declared- K Esterhuizen is the hottest guy in our squad as voted by the girls of SMCHS. Comments were as follows- he looks like Liam Hemsworth (whoever that is), "people are talking about him all over campus", "I know this girl who said her and her classmates were put off by him going past their class while they were having a test". So Kyle wins and for his prize he had to have a photo with the lovely young girls who provided me with the information- also found below (the shirt off was a request of the girls)
5. Yes, J Ellis was outed today when he passed over his iPod for one song to be played on the speakers. A quick cameo of songs from his iPod showed Josh to have a rather 'interesting' (teenage girl taste) in music. Those teasing him however, J Pallister, P Carter and R Lockhart knew every word to every song, so who should really be judging who?


So you are now updated. Everyone is in good health and looking forward to a couple of days of no running ahead of Saturday's competitive race in Hollister.

As a final note, the next blog will now come under the creative direction of other anonymous people, as this anonymous individual will be taking a personal sabbatical from late tomorrow night onwards (possibly in NZ as he has heard it is a beautiful country). Everything will continue as normal, with all urgent messages being sent to Mr Jones' email address please, or to the Hollister coach's numbers (Jesse- 0018316373066, or 0018316373077). I will continue to have my email and mobile on and will be available when not on a plane if anything is required until I'm back on the ground in the US Monday morning NZ time.

Lots of love to all (Matt Haycock told me to say that)