I realized that it's now been two weeks since I did an honest to goodness post. Egads. I blame the Olympics. The glorious, wonderful, exciting and xantastic Olympics. So since it's been a while, I'm going to do a bullet list. Not that much actually happened.
• The Olympics. I miss them. Was Beijing the best Olympics ever? It's entirely possible. China was a great host and I found the sportsmanship on display to be absolutely inspiring. I teared up more than once. It's something I can only begin to imagine, what it must be like to be there for that grand event. Those people train for so long to make it to that point and there it is. It's certainly nothing I could ever accomplish. There were so many highlights of these games I cannot even begin to list all of them.
First and foremost, a young man I enjoyed the heck out of starting four years ago and continue to enjoy so much it makes me darn right giddy. Yep, Michael Phelps. I literally jumped out of my bed and jumped into the air when he got his gold medal.
The entire US swim team as a whole. We've always had a close group that has a great relationship with each other but it seemed to be even more present this year. They were all on each other's side, rooting for everyone to do their best.
An enormous amount of team spirit seemed to be present over the games this year with various athletes attending events that weren't even theirs just to take part and cheer on their fellow Team USA members.
Despite the controversy surrounding gymnastics I think everyone involved did an admirable job of not paying attention to the controversy and questions surrounding their sport. They rose above it all and did beautifully. And even though I was definitely rooting for Nastia Liukin in the All Around, I am so pleased that Shawn Johnson got herself a gold medal. I'm sure we'll see her in London, barring disaster. Jonathan Horton as well. He's a good guy, good athlete and you could certainly tell he was having a ball.
Seeing the US track relay teams rebound after the disaster in the semis was nice, as well (what happened, Tyson Gay?!). They had such enormous pressure on them not to drop the blasted baton.
While I previously enjoyed beach volleyball during the Olympics it wasn't until the trials this year that I really began to get into it and now it's one of my favorite summer Olympic events. Maybe it's due to how awesome it is to watch Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor basically annihilate everyone else. Yet they remain genuine, they know they have to work hard and they know they have to earn those gold medals.
I found opening ceremonies more impressive than closing. But the sound seemed a bit off during closing. Either way, I don't think Leona Lewis should ever sing Whole Lotta Love ever again.
I miss the Olympics. Monday at 8PM I went to sit down and watch them and then stood in front of the TV wondering what to do since there were no Olympics. I now eagerly await 2010 and 2012. Luckily the Olympians are still in the spotlight a bit. I've watched Nastia Liukin on Leno, Misty and Kerri on Letterman and tonight will probably watch Natalie Coughlin on Leno and Aaron Peirsol on Conan O'Brian. It's nice the Olympics are still around a bit. And there's still Oprah's Olympic-palooza on September 11th!
• We went to a baseball game on Sunday afternoon. The Angels played the Minnesota Twins. The Twins scored early in the 1st inning and then it was 3 - 1 for the Twins and the Angels didn't really do a whole lot until the 7th inning. Then we won, it was a good game. When dad and I got there they were playing The Sweet Escape over the sound system. The Sweet Escape seems to be a good sporting event song as it is also played at hockey games and beach volleyball tournaments. When I heard it I mentioned to dad that it was Gwen and he asked where as apparently he thought I'd seen her in person and he did not feel it was that far fetched as she is from Anaheim. I told him that I did not see her as she recently had a baby and also if I had I would have been more excited. I know this having seen her previously.
• Had a weird moment last night. I bought some new red hand towels for the bathroom. Dad and I were talking about how when we moved out here and mom decided to decorate the house in red it was hard to find things in red. So hard mom painted and decorated many things on her own. This is how we have a red paper towel holder and red light switch plate covers. Anyway, when I told dad how easy it is to find red now he said that mom would be in heaven and then realized what he had said and then we both got kind of quiet.
• Registration for the winter semester at school opens on October 1st. So, I'm pretty sure the morning of October 1st I'll be going down to school and registering for classes and making appointments to meet with a counselor to map out a plan for me and take my assessment tests. I'm nervous. I haven't had to think for school since I graduated from high school seven years ago. And even then, I didn't really have to do a whole lot of studying and whatnot in high school. Just with math classes and chemistry (because that's basically science with a whole lot of math). Everything else I could do just by paying attention in class. So, needless to say, I'm a little rusty. I'm nervous. But it's time to get started with my life. What also makes me nervous is that when I used to try and go to school while still taking care of mom I was only ever able to finish one class. I know I'll feel better after finishing one semester. Then I'll know I can do it.
• Nothing looks terribly interesting as far as fall TV goes. Nothing new, that is. It feels weird getting back into the habit of a regular TV season after the strike. It hasn't been normal, really, for all of 2008. Isn't that weird? I am most looking forward to Chuck, The Office and FNL. I am really, really looking forward to Chuck. It must be pretty awesome (totally the adjective of choice for Chuck) for NBC to order the back nine without the episodes airing but on the merit of the six episodes filmed already. I redid the episode guide for the fanlisting and that got me excited for it as well. I hope Ugly Betty can be a bit better than last season. I still loved last season, I just know they can do better and hope they do. The promo looks promising.
• For the first time in years I don't find anything worth tuning in for on All My Children. It's sad. I really think they should kill off Ryan Lavery. He's been dull for years and frankly, I think they'd get more story out of his death than his life and since it's a soap, he can always come back. Also, I don't care about Frankie and his hooker. Nothing about the two of them makes me want to tune in and see them take care of her pimp and fall in love. I just don't care. Really? I was enjoying his scenes with Colby even though there's an age difference. Adam would have gone through the roof, which is always fun. Also, I don't want to root for Jake and Taylor just because the show tells me to because Ricky Paull Goldin and Beth Ehlers were so popular on Guiding Light. I didn't watch them on Guiding Light, I watch them on AMC. I like them both, I just don't feel a need to root for them as a pairing. I see potential with Jake and Amanda and she could use a good love story having never actually had one. Taylor I would like to see interact with Tad because Michael E. Knight works well with everyone and I like Krystal with Adam. I'm hoping Mario Van Peebles is out soon. Samuel Woods and his son Dre are boring. In fact, I find Samuel condescending. On the subject of things I do like? Carmen, Erica's cell mate. Carmen is fun, she should hang out with Myrtle and Opal. Petey! I loved last time they had Petey on canvas and Kendall was his nanny. I'd love to see 18 year-old Petey see her again and call her "Nanny Kendall". Either way, the kid is still a lot of fun.
• The DNC has been really good this year. Filled with really fantastic speeches. Hillary was great and I'm watching Barack now. Got to say, though, I wouldn't want to be in the stadium. Too big.
• I have decided that from now on if Billy wants to hang out or do something he's going to have to call. In fact, I have no intention of calling him until he calls me. It's his turn to work at the friendship.
Ricky has taken to abusing the dogs, by the way. Just the one, actually. Princess. When he went to work on Monday he tied her to their computer desk with her leash. Their computer desk is this trendy looking monstrosity with a bunch of bars and legs it doesn't need. So, she could easily have gotten herself tangled and choked. He left her with no water and no food and she was like that for over 12 hours. Around 12 hours, I think. She actually chewed through the leash and in retaliation destroyed the blinds in the apartment. Rock on, Princess. Rock on. Billy now has the dogs, no idea if Ricky will ever get them back.
• The sunset coming sooner now has me anticipating cooler weather. I'm ready for fall and winter. I like the cold. I like wearing my scarves and sweaters. I took two of my sweaters into the dry cleaners to prepare. Dad and I have made plans to buy me jeans. I haven't had new ones in over four years and only own one pair without holes.
• While Pushing Daisies is not my favorite show on the air and I don't love it, I am considering going to
this. Why? Free pie. Also, I could use a pie cutter. And it's at Disneyland, so parking will be free. Also, free pie!
• On Tuesday I went to find Sports Illustrated with Michael Phelps on the cover. By the time I got to Borders, they had only one left. When I paid the guy said that I either got the last copy or the next to last copy because he knew that morning there were only two left. As there were none behind it when I picked it up, I take it I got the last one. I almost waited a day to go, so glad I didn't.
• Was perusing a few other magazines. Does anyone else find they wish they sometimes had a table of contents to find the table of contents in some magazines? Or they could hit ctrl+f? The picture in Nylon of Zach Gilford and Minka Kelly is really nice but it's kind of weird seeing them together since Matt and Lyla have never spoken to each other. Entertainment Weekly seems to have had the same reaction to The Women as I did. Eva Mendes in a role Joan Crawford played? Really? That being said, she fits the femme fatale thing. And I think Eva in a Crawford role is possibly better than Adam Sandler in a role Gary Cooper originated. I can't say for sure, though, having never seen Mr. Deeds and I will probably not see The Women because it doesn't look interesting to me. Speaking of Entertainment Weekly, they're smoking some bad crack. Last summer they suggested a remake of The Thin Man with Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon. If you're not familiar with The Thin Man, please take my word for it, those two are terrible choices. Reese, slightly better than Jake. But neither has the sophistication needed for those characters. The book and the subsequent movies both were very sophisticated. Then EW went through and listed sequels they wanted to see and suggested a sequel to Casablanca following Rick and Louis and their beautiful friendship. No. Leave it be. Some hack author already tried it, let's not go there. I'm kind of glad I don't collect magazines anymore.
• All that hullabaloo over Warner Bros. and their decision regarding Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I find the studio's decision for the Superman franchise so much more upsetting and stupid. Because I'm not upset about HBP. I get it (it really is about the strike). But this Superman thing? Not cool and also it feels kind of lazy. They had a great starting off point for future Superman movies off of Superman Returns.
• Apparently, I had a lot on my mind. Whoa. Tags.
![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
chaotic4life - YAY! ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small}
