RIO 2016 OLYMPIC FEVER

The Olympics are back.
So I'm back.

OPENING CEREMONY

8:07 Dancing with space blankets!  Look at all the foil!

8:09 Oh.  Space pillows.

8:13 BRAZIL'S NATIONAL ANTHEM. WE ARE IN BRAZIL.

8:20 Rainforest things...

8:21 OOOH RAINFOREST DANCERS

8:23 I admit that I am a little distracted because I ordered KFC via Postmates and I'm tracking my delivery progress on my phone.  I AM HANGRY. I will have no filler commentary until I am no longer so hangry.

8:27 I like this shipwreck immigration choreo thingy.

8:32 My chicken is here!  What did I miss?

8:35 Now we're in a video game!  I dig it.

8:40 I missed a little more because I sat on my mashed potatoes and had to change my pajamas.  Cool.

8:44 GISELE!  Just struttin'.

8:45 ...Just struttin'?  Still struttin'?

8:48 YEEESSS sliding down from this street dancing set-up!  Dudes on a slide!  On a roller thingy!

8:50 So, sidenote.  I've been calling this since the women's gymnastics national competition before the Olympic qualifier.  LAURIE HERNANDEZ, right??!  Her and Simone Biles in the All-Around: a shocking upset for Aly.  Maybe?  Or if not, girl is going to continue to get some serious attention.  Love her.

8:55 I love all the Brazilians (including Gisele) losing their minds singing and dancing to this song.

9:06 Gimme my parade of nations already.

9:10 OHHH YESSS WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS 2012 RECAP / INTRO TO THE 2016 TEAM

9:14 PARADE. OF. NATIONS.

9:16 I seriously always love seeing the athletes loving this ceremony.  Cameras, phones, joyous faces, waving...it's real and exciting!

9:22 YES, Aruba!  Those costumes!

9:23 Independent Olympic Athletes!

9:29 Whoa, Barbados.  Those jackets.

9:32 YESSSS BERMUDA

9:36 Burundi is really pretty.

9:40 OHH CANADAAAA

9:42 Cayman Islands crew looks cute.

9:54 Croatia's checkerboard clothing!

10:07  U-S-A!  U-S-A!  AMERICA!  U-S-A!

10:54 I got distracted by my bunnies and my whiteboard.  Still watching!

11:07 How long until Tonga?  I'm on a west coast delay.  Shirtless dude hasn't even appeared on my TV yet, and he's already a social media sensation.

11:31 THERE HE IS!

11:43 Refugee team!

11:45 BRAZIIIIIILLLL!

SERIOUSLY?

SHAUN WHITE, YOU HAD ONE JOB.

I've obviously been watching a shit ton of Olympics. I think we should note that the new sport of Slopestyle is INSANE. Like, I cannot even with it. Both versions, snowboard and skiing, just totally blow my mind.

I get weirdly into biathlon every year and I'm super pumped to watch more.

Charlie and Meryl. NO WORDS for how amazing they are.

I post the following link for why I love the Olympics. Everyone is working together, because sports.

I'm watching cross country right now-women's sprint. No US woman has ever medaled. I'm pulling for us!

http://www.businessinsider.com/cross-country-skier-given-ski-2014-2

Feel good story man-YAY OLYMPICS

EDIT--
The same Russian skier fell down again today in the semifinals. I hope he's okay. Poor dude.

OLYMPIC FEVER! Live-blogging the arrivals.

Yeah, I'm still alive.  Apparently I only like to blog about the Olympics.

AND THEY ARE BACK.
So I am too.
(Told ya.)

This time, I am in law school at night (HEY I'M IN LAW SCHOOL NOW), so I need to figure out how to watch my primetime coverage another way.  Perhaps I resort to severely delayed videos online.  Whatever.  I'm not missing all of the Games.


8:33pm: I have nothing to say thus far.  We're on a commercial break before the Parade of Nations.   I DO have to say that I am so sad that Apolo Anton Ohno is not competing.  But I am also happy that he'll be around doing his reporting stuff.  It is not the Winter Olympics without him.  Can we also discuss my love of Jason Brown??  And Shaun White.  And Charlie & Meryl.  And J.R. Celski.  I totally choose favorites.

8:37pm: There's Greece!  We are under way!

8:41pm: "No South American country has ever won a [winter] medal."  Interesting.

8:50pm: Aww, Venezuela's flag bearer is DANCING out!

8:53pm: German rainbow uniforms!

8:56pm: Zimbabwe's first Winter Olympian!

9:11pm: Independent athletes!  They're way less excited than the group in 2012.

9:25pm: USA!  USA!  OMG there is a "marcher's eye view" camera.  IT IS LIKE I AM MARCHING IN TOO.  I spot Jason Brown hanging out with Gracie Gold!  Shaun White with the Go Pro!  Shani Davis with a creative wave! All the cellphones and selfies!

9:33pm: Are the athletes from Chinese Taipei wearing Snuggies?

9:45pm: Jamaican bobsledders!

9:47pm: Russia is entering like rockstars.  The music changed, the crowd got loud, and their fur-accented jackets are amazing.

Your Turn, Emily

So.

Long time no...nothing.

Let us get straight to the point.

Olympic time all over again. It seems like it was yesterday when we were in Vancouver, complete with singing and dancing Mounties, Michael Buble and giant beavers.

In case you thought I was kidding. (from http://www.rcinet.ca/english/illustration/htmleditor/beaver.jpg)

I'm pumped for Sochi shenanigans and we ALL know there will be loads of them.

(I'm ignoring London as those were Summer Games and while Summer Games are great, I LOVE WINTER OKAY)

I am posting from my phone because I just got the app. awesonesauce.

An entry of more substance to follow. Later.

Maybe.

Less than a year until SOCHI 2014

Then I will be interesting, and I will blog again.

*knock knock*

Anyone home?

*sneezes*

Dusty here, isn't it...

Emily's Olympic Highlights

Well, it's been 10 days since the Closing Ceremony.  I guess it's really over.

LONDON 2012, you were lovely.  Here are my official Olympic highlights.
 

Queen Elizabeth II: Bond Girl

Queenie starred in an Opening Ceremony video!  With Bond!  James Bond!



Gabrielle Douglas

This is my girl!  Loved her since the AT&T American Cup when she was only an alternate (and her scores didn't count for anything)...and outscored the actual winner.  Then she won the VISA Olympic trials.  Then she led the USA team in qualifying.  Then she was the only team member to count for every event in the team finals.  Then she won the All-Around gold.  (Then people complained about her hair? Haters gonna hate.) This is my girl!

And on that note...

USA Women's Gymnastics Team

Nailed it!  McKayla's perfect vault, Gabby's uneven bars, Jordan and Aly on floor, and Kyla to round out high numbers in each event...perfect well-rounded team.  You go, Glen Coco!

Will and Kate watching the Games

Look at them there, trying to be normal!  I am so thrilled to see them do very average things, like sit in $100ish seats rather than a royal box. Look at them being all adorable.

Plus they did the wave, and cracked me up.

 

Phelps/Lochte rivalry/bromance

It started with a bang when Lochte shocked Phelps in the 400m IM...and continued through the team's silver relay...and finally concluded with the 200m IM, when Phelps got his redemption.  Then they rocked it together in the 4x100 medley relay.



Men's Gymnastics little footie pajama pants

 

Little footie pajama pants!



"McKayla Maroney is not impressed"

 I can't hate on her silver medal smirk.  The girl is adorable.  And the meme is hilarious.



McKayla Maroney plays along!

"The pool is closed.. #notimpressed"
 
 
 
Triple Jump

Hop...skip...JUMP!  My boss actually introduced me to Triple Jump via a video shortly before track and field started.  Love it!  They're just like Super Mario in their approach.



Michael Phelps took his medals out to the club

Can you blame him for wanting to?


  
Victory celebrations

 

  
Mo Farah doing Bolt's thing, Usain Bolt doing the Mo-Bot.  I love seeing competing athletes being good sports, such as...


 
 Sam Mikulak during the vault finals

 

"I wanna see this guy!" "Dude, that was ridiculous!"  These were his competitors for a medal, but he really appreciated the talent there.
   

 
Sanya Richards-Ross's hair

LOVE that she had her hair mostly down while competing in an athletic competition.  Her little braid was like a little golden crown.  Golden, like her performance.

 
 
WE WON THE OLYMPICS...AGAIN!

#1 in gold AND #1 in total medals...USA!  USA!
 

Thank you, London, and goodnight.

Here it is - GOLD!

And here it is...
the winner of the first US gold medal/my heart is
Ryan Lochte

OLYMPIC FEVER 2012

LONDON, BABY!

It's finally here! Opening Ceremony day for the Olympics! I took the day off work (paid! full-time job perks!) and am PUMPED for the Opening Ceremonies tonight!

This is my board by the front door:

Alexa and I have been doing the Olympics together since TORINO '06, when we lived down the hall from each other in our college dorm. Tonight we celebrate another one.

Last Saturday, I met some friends at a bar in Hollywood.  By the time I got there, they had made friends with a random Australian...and somehow, the first thing I said to him was, "We are gonna KICK YOUR A** IN THE OLYMPICS!"  That was followed by, "We won Vancouver, and we suck at winter!" / "We're Australia...we don't even have winter. ...You have what, 127 million people?  We only have 26 million." / "Yeah, we have more winners! AMERICA!"

Oops.

Our medal tracker widget is installed on the blog sidebar!  My wine is ready for tonight's viewing!  I am home and counting down!

Who will be the first athlete to win my heart?  And by that, I mean the first gold medal...because remember, I love winning the Olympics.

*giggle*

This morning I read something online that also had a picture of a beluga.  Somehow, that led me to search for pictures of narwhals.  I giggled at each one I found.  Click to enlarge, giggle, find new photo, enlarge, giggle again.  They look so silly, like they shouldn't be real.  I love them.  And then I looked up other funny/cute animals.

Here's a recap of my morning:

Narwhals. *giggle*

Is it a beaver?  Is it a duck? What does a platypus think it is?

HELLO THERE, BABY HIPPO!

Baby sea turtle on a sand adventure

Alexa's chat about flowers

Alexa: I might grab some flowers on the way home. Daisies or Daffodils or something fucking cheery. Since i maintain those are happy flowers. Like sunflowers. They say "HELLO. CHEER UP MOTHERFUCKER. I AM HERE TO BRIGHTEN YOUR *DAY*".

Well this chat just brightened my day!

WE'RE ALIVE

What. happened.

So forever later...here I am!  We're both alive!

I got promoted to a new full-time position at work. I adopted the world's most adorable bunny. I registered for a half-marathon later this year, and I hate running.  Things happened.  And now we're back.

That's all for now though.  I leave you with the best photo I've seen on the internet all week:

I'm Back!

I know that I was writing (somewhat) regularly, and then this nasty little thing called "Life" got in the way.

That being said, let's take a recap from Memorial Day on, shall we?

I had the rest of my thyroid out in June, and it was a lot harder on me than I thought it would be. Recovery from surgery took weeks instead of days, and my scar is still kind of tingly sore. It also messed with my head a lot more than I thought it would, but that's because I was super optimistic as to how I would feel. I feel a whole lot better now, but it's taken nearly two whole months for that to be true.
Annoying.

I went and visited my mother in Atlanta. That was great fun-we also went over to Charleston, SC. I have photos up on the other blog.

I also went with my friend Shara to see NKOTBSB...three times. That deserves its own entry, complete with fabulous photos. I even promise to do it in a timely fashion.

The most important thing that's happened this summer? I got a job! I have been hired as one of the Graduate Assistants here at school. I'm super pumped. Not only will they pay me, they'll pay for a few classes for school! EXCITING.

So as I have class in a few, I shall leave this here and head over. Emily will keep me honest on the NKOTBSB thing...

One year until LONDON, BABY!

Okay, so Alexa and I aren't going to London...but the Olympics are!

LONDON, BABY!

ONE YEAR UNTIL OLYMPIC FEVER IS BACK IN FULL FORCE!

Only In Michigan

The last time we met, faithful reader, it was Memorial Day here in Michigan. It's June now, and it's sweltering. Of course we have gone back to it being blisteringly hot here, which I do prefer to it being cold and rainy.

A week ago today I had the rest of my thyroid out. As anyone will tell you, it sucks. Surgery blows. I'm feeling better now, and it's taken this long to get this far. Frankly it annoys me. I'm also the only one who seemed to think I'd feel better sooner.
Needless to say, I'm really rather impatient about this sort of thing.

In other news, with this sweltering weather I've whipped out the first sundress of the year. I'd post a photo, but that involves...effort. And when you have no air conditioning and it's about 80 at 10 pm, your goal is to sit in a dark room with a fan blowing on you and move as little as possible.

I hope the heavens open up and rain, so this humidity would leave.
And so I can wear pants.

Holiday Weekends

It's Memorial Day here in MI. In fact, it's supposedly May around here.
Needless to say, the weather hasn't really agreed. We've had a few really nice days mind you, but this is possibly the wettest May I remember.
Ever.
This weekend is slated to be rainy and hot, and it's just a bummer. It makes the idea of doing anything, like planting flowers, so unappealing.

I spent last week in Atlanta with my mom. At first I wasn't too thrilled to visit, but we ended up having a fabulous time. We took our car and drove to Charleston, SC and rocked that town. They had the most amazing food I've eaten of vacation as of late. It's rare that absolutely every place you eat on a vacation has stellar food, not just "kinda good".
Needless to say, I have to get back ASAP. If only to eat all of the food I didn't eat the first time, you know?

Now it's time for me to finish my glass of wine, listen to my parents bicker (lovingly) with their friends as it's card night, and take a nap. I was up too early this morning to buy flowers and stuff.

Hey look-Good Weather!

I fully admit that this is also posted word for word on my "other" blog. However, I think it's worth putting down here, as I haven't written in a while and it amuses me.

So, without further ado.

It's a truth universally acknowledged that a city, in want of some sunshine, should accept any and all nice weather that comes its way.

I know full well that I'm probably "tempting the wrath from high atop the thing" (for you West Wing fans), but I'm going to do it anyway. It's really really gorgeous out. It was cold (like, 40's) on Tuesday, which did make golf less than entertaining. However, it appears as though the heavens have finally bestowed upon Michigan something resembling Spring.

Spring tends to make us restless here in the Great White North. When it finally appears we all dash outside, preferably in questionable attire (think shorts, tanks and flip flops) even when it's only 60. Everyone stands around, or strolls, wearing their sunglasses and smiling as if to say "Hey look! Warmth! The Sun! I can get my daily vitamin D today without taking a pill!" It's something programmed into our DNA.

A plethora of people are driving with their windows down, their tops down (for those convertible owners) and music blaring as loud as possible. With luck, the bass will also be up and the earth will shake in time to Usher's "Yeah".

I suppose I'm writing this to document this gorgeous weather, as well as be grateful for the fact that I'm post B12 shots now. With this development it means I can actually enjoy this sort of thing. My energy levels are of a respectable level, I don't have weird tingly feelings in my arms, and I can pay attention long enough to recognize that fact.

So go outside all of you! Enjoy this weather. And listen to "Yeah" if you must.

HEY, remember me??

In an effort to prevent this from being JUST Alexa's blog...I'm back!

I'm really bad at blogging.  I love the idea of it!...I just tend to start a blog and then lose interest. Which sucks.

And on that note, I unveil yet another blog! My Good Adventures...which means I better start having some adventures.