Lincoln Olympics: Water Sports

While swimming, Lincoln and Cousin Cool also engaged in sailing and some intense water polo!

Lincoln Olympics: Badminton

We tried with this one, but even with extra family encouragement, Lincoln wasn't quite ready--or maybe he just wanted to throw his match.

Lincoln Olympics: Medal Ceremony

Medals don't stay on too long around here--Lincoln runs for the thrill, not the rewards.

Lincoln Olympics: Get set for track!

Lincoln Olympics: Nerf Shot Put

Another high action event, as evidenced by the panel on the right; as well as one that makes you quite dizzy. We have had a great deal of fun shot putting around, and I have been very grateful I found a Nerf ball just the right size. I shudder to think what might have happened otherwise!

Lincoln Olympics: Tennis

Indoor tennis--it's tough to take pictures when you have to keep ducking!

(Go, Andy Murray!)

Lincoln Olympics: Judo

Olympic Catch-Up: Torch Relay-Gymnastics

So far, we have designed a torch, Olympic rings, and medals. We have fenced, lifted weights, shot, dove, and worked on our gymnastics.

A Snowboarder Challenges My Cynical Christianity

I have yet to figure out how to embed videos, so I'm afraid I'll just have to give a link to this video. Yesterday, while watching Olympic coverage, I saw an impressive interview with Kelly Clark, the 2002 Olympic Gold medalist in women's halfpipe, who won the bronze yesterday in Vancouver. She talks about how she became a Christian, and what challenged me was the fact that her journey started by overhearing someone tell an upset friend, "God still loves you." Now, as a cynical Christian, I rarely tell people, even fellow Christians, that God loves them, or that I'm praying for them. I regret that now. We never know who might be listening, and what it might mean to them.
Please watch this video. And, if you're not watching the Olympics, start!

Knitting Olympics 2010: Opening Ceremonies

Four years ago, seminal knit-blogger Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (the Yarn Harlot) started the Knitting Olympics. This year, in honor of the Vancouver games, I will be casting on the Baby Bear from Itty Bitty Toys during the Opening Ceremony. My goal will be to complete the bear before the Closing Ceremonies, and complete the challenge of knitting and seaming together a toy, which I have never done before. As the Games progress, I will give you updates on my progress!

Withdrawal

The Olympics are over. Wow--seventeen days went by quickly. I don't even know what I'll watch tonight, without the Olympic games. I just hope I can make to February 2010 in Vancouver!

I now present my favorite moments of the 2008 Olympic Games.
1. All the big, rich NBA athletes stringing their Olympic gold medals around the neck of my favorite coach, Duke's Coach K. Coach, if I can swing it, I will name my firstborn son Krzyzewski in honor of you.
2. Michael Phelps's mom, an elementary school principal, in get-ups I recognized from fellow teachers.
3. The pure excitement of the kayaker from Togo who won his country's first medal, a bronze.
4. All 4 ft. 9 in. of Shawn Johnson marching in the closing ceremonies.
5. Thirty-something Laura Wilkinson, 2000 gold medalist, cheering on all of her fellow divers. You are a class act.
6. Forty-one year old Dara Torres royally ticked that she lost the gold medal. Competitive spirit has no age limit!

I could go on and on--what were your highlights?

Courage

This video, masquerading as a Nike ad, but so much more, is going to be my theme for this year. It features the song, "All the Things That I Have Done," by the Killers, a band on my all-time favorite list. Please watch this, and wait for the end--I usually have chills or tears, and I hope you do to.

Currently Watching: Men's 100 M Dash Final--fastest man on earth time. Published while at church! (Miracles of technology!)

Running the Race Before Me

The 2004 Athens Olympics marked the 20^th anniversary of the Women’s Marathon in the Olympics. I was blessed (and I say that in a true way, not in a snarky way) to see a reply of Joan Benoit’s gold medal race in the 1984 LA Olympics. I have a picture, framed, of Joan Benoit, that I used to have by my treadmill to serve as inspiration. If you call yourself a feminist, she has to be one of your heroes. For years, the men in charge of the games thought that women would be unable to handle the marathon. They believed our bodies would collapse. Current studies and races are leading to the possibility of women being better at the marathon than men.

I then was able to see (in 2004) the complete men’s and women’s marathons. I sat on the floor, glued to the TV, weeping throughout both races. Watching these men and women complete this grueling task caused more emotion than any other sporting event I’ve witnessed. I wept when Paula Radcliffe had to drop out, and sobbed openly when Deena Kastor won the bronze medal. I found the men’s race just as impacting. I kept thinking of Paul, running the race before him. There is no more apt metaphor for life than the marathon.

Currently Watching: The 2008 Beijing Olympics Women’s Marathon—please join me if you can. They will replay it late tonight—I only hope they will play it in its entirety. Oh, no! Deena Kastor just dropped out of the race—holding her foot! No! Tragedy already.

Eat like a gold medalist

Michael Phelps says he eats 8,000-10,000 calories a day. Yeah, I'm jealous too. WebMD breaks it down, for anyone else wanting to try the Olympic Diet. Caution: May result in obesity, or winning multiple gold medals in world record beating time.

I will be back with more news from the first in-service days of the year, and more, tomorrow.

Currently Watching: My own taped all-around gymnastics from last night. Don't tell me how it ends! (I already know. Yay, USA! USA!)

My Own Olympics

Lest you think I'm just sitting on my duff watching the Olympics, I've started my first sock. Now, I can finally join the ranks of knitbloggers who photograph their socks everywhere.

My socks cheered on the 4x100 relay with Michael Phelps.


And finally, my sock closed out the night with Bob Costas.

Currently Watching: Just finished men's synchronized diving--now onto Women's Beach Volleyball (USA! USA! vs. Cuba)

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.

If You Saw the Opening Ceremonies . . .

. . . please go read the Craigslist Beijing post on one of my favorite knitting sites. Hysterical!

Currently Watching: Boxing (I don't get MSNBC or Oxygen, so I could be missing something good. )

Looking Forward to: Men's swimming and gymnastics (the discerning lady's answer to Playboy)--Go Phelps!

For the Love of Bob

When I was in high school, I had a board in my room, like most kids, where I pinned up things that meant a lot to me. After the 1992 Olympics, that included a picture of Bob Costas. I recognize that this is not the normal guy teenage girls have a crush on. I was not a normal teenage girl.

I love his wit, his intelligence, his sports knowledge--I have always loved tracking Bob's sarcasm as the games go on--and Mr. Cool has always known that if Bob Costas showed up, I would probably go. He is the one celebrity crush of mine where I have never looked up his marital status. If I knew Bob was married, it would affect me in some weird way. If you know, don't tell me.

As I listened to Bob and Matt Lauer do a lovely job of obscure nation fact one-upping last night, I was reminded of all the reasons I love him. Call me, Bob, and I'll knit you a scarf for Vancouver.

Currently Watching: Women's Volleyball--Beach (Aussies vs. Russkies) and Indoor (Japan vs. USA! USA!)