August 10, 2008

Blowing My Nose with a Pancake

One of my favorite Simpson's episodes involves Bart and Lisa working for Kids News. Lisa desperately wants to be a real news anchor, but Bart steals the show by doing puffy human interest stories. Lisa decides to try the same idea, saying, "I'll pump them so full of sap they'll have to blow their nose with a pancake."

Every Olympic year, I get pumped full of sap. Today, I got teary at a commercial celebrating the Fosbury Flop (one man changed an entire sport!), a Nike ad featuring a favorite Killers' song (I got soul, but I'm not a soldier), another repeat of the darling little earthquake survivor from the opening ceremonies (he was the hall monitor!), the 33-year-old weightlifter from the US with an autistic son (she was taking him the Panda weightlifting toy!), the Thai woman who won the weightlifting event . . .

I could go on and on--of all the things that move me, the intensity of Olympic competition never fails to bring me to chills and tears and celebration. The focus, the dedication, the sacrifice, the patriotism--excuse me, I need another pancake.

Currently Watching: Men's Beach Volleyball (USA! USA! vs. Netherlands)--prior to that, I was able to catch some Water Polo, where USA! USA! defeated China.

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