Visa Lounge - More Athletes

My children start each day, during the London 2012 Olympics, with free breakfast at the Visa lounge. It isn't because the breakfasts are personally made by Iron Chef Morimoto. At least I don't think they are. They are good just not the main reason to start at the Visa lounge. My children start their day there because each day there is a raffle for Olympic event tickets. Another reason is that each day there is a different American Olympic athlete at the lounge.

Over the last two days they met Summer Sanders

and Jenny Thompson

and won two swim caps autographed by Michael Phelps. Which they traded for event tickets.

Thank you Visa!


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Autographed Swim Caps Traded for Event Tickets

I got the whole story of how my children got the tickets to the swimming finals on Friday. They didn't win a raffle for the tickets at the Visa lounge, they won two swim caps signed by Michael Phelps. Not really what they wanted to win. They wanted tickets to an olympic event. The person that won the tickets didn't want their prize. They were/are related to an olympic swimmer and already had tickets to the swimming finals. I am not sure who approached whom but the autographed swim caps were traded for the two tickets. That is how they got to attend the historic swimming final events on Friday.

So, here are the youngest two holding the stars and strips at the top of the aquatic center before the events.

Here are photographs of each individually holding the national symbol. I think this is for each FB page. 

It's a good thing that flag isn't much wider than 5'3"(1.6m).



I don't think either of them will ever forget the events on that evening.

Not Missy Franklin's gold medal swim

nor Michael Phelps' historic 17th individual Olympic Gold Medal.


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Children Win Men's Swimming Finals Tickets

Received a FaceTime call this morning at 08:30 from my son. He was calling from the Visa Lounge in London.

He and his youngest sister are going to the Men's Swimming Finals tonight. Michael Phelps' last individual event of his career in the men's 100m butterfly.


I didn't get the details because he was talking at a low volume and there was quite a bit of background noise. It sounded like my son-in-law won the tickets and he and my youngest daughter were wearing swimming caps ... I'll get the details when they arrive home in two weeks.


On FB, after reading posts between my married daughter, who lives in London, and my son, I figure the following. She entered her husband's name in a raffle for the tickets at the Visa lounge. His name was pulled. He won the tickets. Since there are four of them in London they paired off, Londoners and Troopers (that is our town here in the USA), and flipped a coin. The Troopers won the toss. The two visiting Americans are going to the finals. I sensed a bit of tension between my London daughter and my son in their FB posts.

I guess two will be inside and two outside enjoying the games.


It is nice to electronically see siblings getting along so far from home. 


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Chestnut Hill Best of Philadelphia Magazine

Philadelphia Magazine

Chestnut Hill, the location of the next dativer photo safari, was just named as having the best Main Street Shopping for 2012.  Come join the photo safari on August 11 starting at 9am and experience Chestnut Hill close-up and personally. For more information about the photo safari write dativersafari@gmail.com

Or stop by Chestnut Hill's FB page to check out what Chestnut Hill has to offer.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

What to Wear at London Olympics?

Weather Underground:London

As you can see from the graphic above, the temperature rose above 70ºF only eleven days in July of this year. There was precipitation every day. What do you wear in London in the summer?

If you are Australian, fluorescent clown wigs and flip flops

If Doc Brown just dropped you off, you wear your pajamas

Kathleen, Bobby and Dennis

If you are a Bobby, a hi-viz vest.

As you do if you work in the Underground

If it rains at the Olympic, a plastic Union Jack

If you're a chilled American, use your nation's flag

If you're a proud American, the Stars and Stripes

When you're at a football match of Brazil vs GB women in a covered stadium, you wear what is proper

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

London 2012 Chase/Visa Lounge - Carl Lewis

My children are getting into the swing of the lounge. Here are all of them and my son-in-law with Carl Lewis. My son-in-law, wearing the Team Great Britain shirt, was only non-US American in the lounge.

We are a tolerant people.


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

London 2012 Olympic American Snapshots

Snapshots of interesting London 2012 Olympic paraphernalia captured by American tourists under 30 yrs old.

This is a filmstar Wenlock. A Wenlock is the mascot of London 2012 Olympics. Before the 2012 Olympics, Wenlock was a place in Shropshire, England or a geological term for rock. 

This type of Wenlock is silver and carries balls in its hands.

This snapshot and the one below are walk upon billboards with Olympic trivia 

If only President Reagan weren't so jingoistically stubborn we would measure metrically.

This floating barge looks better at night when it is lighted and the water doesn't seem as dirty

Structure that mounts Olympic rings to London Bridge. Each time the draw bridge opens the rings are tucked up flush with the mounts.

Traffic jams blocked some of the main routes into the city as the wildly unpopular "Games Lanes" took effect. The 30 miles (48 kilometers) of lanes are to operate from 6 a.m. to midnight throughout the games, and cars or taxi cabs that stray into them face a 130-pound ($200) fine.

The private firm responsible for Olympic security fell short of hired personnel. The military stepped in to help.

Courtesy of Leabank Square Neighbors' Assoc

This is just across the river from my daughter's apartment. The bike path was closed to the public and is being patrolled constantly by the military.

Urinals on the way to Hackney Wick Overground station. I understand they are a European thing.

Opening ceremony fireworks as seen from by daughter's apartment complex. It was also my son's-in-law birthday.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

London 2012 Chase/Visa Lounge - Athletes

As mentioned in my last post, my children are in London during the Olympics. While there, they have access to the Chase/Visa lounge set up at 116 Pall Mall. The visited the lounge today and came away with photographs of themselves and some Olympic athletes. Not being a sports minded person, I have no idea who are these athletes next to my children.

Luckily, there are photographs provided for signatures. That is good, because I think they forgot the Wheaties boxes.

Update - 

Top photo - Bryan Clay - - Decathlon Gold Medalist Beijing 2008

Middle photo - Alicia Sacromone - - Gymnast Beijing 2008

Bottom photo - Garret Weber-Gale - - Gold Medalist Swimming Relay Beijing 2008

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved