Monday, August 13, 2012

Post-Olympic Blues

You've probably noticed things have been quiet here on the blog the past two weeks. I promise it's not because we are lazy (though that is certainly true), but for my part it's because I have been sitting on my couch watching pretty much nothing but the Olympics.

Every year in the lead-up to the Olympics I always think, "Oh whatever, the Olympics. I hate sports! I'll just have to find something else to watch." And then the Opening Ceremonies come along, I get sucked in, and I spend the next two weeks not only watching sports but enjoying it.

 
 I mean, how am I supposed to resist a giant Voldemort being defeated by 40 flying Mary Poppins? I CAN'T. 

And from there, it's off to the races. Literally. You wouldn't catch me watching anything like football, basketball, or baseball but for some reason during the Olympics everything becomes fair game. Judo? Love the grappling! Table tennis? Amazing! Rowing? Yes, please, especially in those shorts. And don't even get me started with the gymnastics, diving, running, swimming, biking, etc. etc. etc. OW MY BRAIN. 

I think the biggest surprise for me in terms of loving the sport was women's beach volleyball. I don't think I had ever heard the names Kerri and Misty before the games started, but I watched each primetime match with bated breath, and by the time we got to the gold medal game with a USA vs. USA match-up I was a mess. I was pulling for Kerri and Misty to get their third gold and it was serious edge of the seat action. When they ended up winning...not gonna lie, I cried. And cheered. And then cried some more.

Well done, ladies.

I'm also kind of a mess during the gymnastics competitions. It's so stressful! I have to peek from between my fingers (especially on the balance beam) because things can go horrible wrong in less than a second. Ditto on the vault. And while the men had a disappointing performance, the ladies really hit it out of the park. Go, Gabby!

All in all, it was a spectacular Olympics for the good old US of A. And I even loved watching the other countries (especially Great Britain, Jamaica, and China) have their moments. Sure, it's a competition, but there's nothing like good old fashioned sportsmanship to bring the world together. I know there have been a lot of complaints about NBC's airing of the games, but as someone who only watched in primetime I didn't have too much to complain about. Until I saw that they cut Muse from the Closing Ceremonies broadcast. I mean, WTF?

But let's try and remember what the Olympics are really about.


Hello, boys.




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