Olympic Fever

I'm sick. I'm very, very sick. There aren't many things that make me teary, but honestly, there is just something I absolutely love about the Olympics. I can't get enough - for the most part, but there are a few gripes I have that I need to get out.

1 - For all you complainers out there (BK - are you listening?), these are the GREATEST athletes on the planet. The BK was upset the other night that the news media was blowing Michael Phelps achievements out of proportion and that he isn't really all that. Okay, I get it, he can swim, and I agree that it isn't like he is swimming, running, biking, playing basketball, soccer, etc. for each of those gold medals, but seriously, this is one of those situations where I think if you can't find anything nice to say, don't say anything at all, or at least bring home one gold medal of your own before you say one unkind word. (PS - I love this pic because he totally looks like a frog).

2 - China has done a phenomenal job with these games. Sure there have been some minor mishaps, like pulling the original singer, planting a cuter body double and playing it off in front of the whole world. Not condoning, just commenting that the only difference here is that we just don't let people sing at all if they are unattractive. I don't want to post of pic of the girls involved, so I am posting a pic that I like.

3 - The US women's gymnastics team blew it. I'm not saying they would have won the gold if Sacramone would have performed well, but at least they wouldn't have lost by a landslide. That said, I find it really annoying that the press seems to be trying to overshadow this loss by raising suspicion about the actual age of the Chinese gymnasts. Lame. Sure they look like they are small enough to be mingling with the Pre-K crowd, but even so, shouldn't that make it more embarrassing that the US team with international experience couldn't pull it together?4 - As for women's volleyball (I REALLY wish NBC would do at least some replays of soccer - men's or women's, I am not that picky), could these women put some clothes on? Seriously. Yup, we get it, you have great bodies, but this is the Olympics, could we set the sex aside just once? In the pic below, can you honestly justify the bikini as practical sportswear? These guys need a shower after every play more than the divers if you ask me.5 - NBC's coverage is terrible. I have never seen so many commercials, and I feel very strongly that the winner of the bid to air them should be required to show the Olympics 24-7. Are Oprah reruns and soaps really more important? It's 2 weeks, and I am sure that they pull in plenty of money from sponsors who would still pay top dollar for commercial slots.

Mosaic

I've chosen to be tagged (I am still trying to get in enough good books to do another one). The above mosaic is the result of me answering a few questions. For those of you interested in doing the same, a full explanation of how to create your own is at the bottom, and leave a comment letting me know if you plan to do one.

1. What is your first name? (Jenn)

2. What is your favorite food? (oatmeal cookies)

3. What high school did you attend? (Logan)

4. What is your favorite color? (blue)

5. Who is your celebrity crush? (Ashton Kutcher - in What Happens in Vegas)
6. Favorite drink? (sparkling lemonade)
7. Dream vacation? (Africa)
8. Favorite dessert? (oatmeal cookies)

9. What do you want to be when you grow up? (wise)
10. What do you love most in life? (love)
11. One word to describe you. (chameleon)
12. Your Flickr name. (email****)

If you want to play too, type your answer to each of the questions into a Flickr search. Using only the first page, choose your favorite image, then copy and paste each of the URL’s into the mosaic maker (3 columns, 4 rows).

Girls Camp

So I just returned from spending the night at girls camp as an adult. Gaggling girls and lots of drama seem to be a consistent element of girls camp throughout the years, but it was nice to bring all the repressed memories from my youth to the surface. Lots of bugs, substandard sleeping facilities, giggling, singing, crafts, and substandard restrooms were par for the course. Luckily it was just one night. I was quite impressed with the creativity of some of the YW in our ward, and thought this Fresh Prince reprisal was rather amusing. Brought to you by the creative minds of the Diva and Ducky.

Keeping Portland Weird: Bow Staffs & Rodeos

I realize there are weird people in Portland, most of whom are proud to be called such, but sometimes, you just have to wonder. The LG and I were walking on somewhat secluded trail at Mt. Tabor park the other day, when out of nowhere a man in a robe with a bow staff suddenly appears on the trail. Yoda he wasn't, weird and scary he was. As he slithers toward us I have images of him weilding his bowstaff to fling us off the ravine and into the woods. I pick up the pace a bit, put on my "I'm not as nice as I look" face and pass him as he slowly leans against a nearby tree and folds his arms over the bowstaff. I would have taken a picture, but I thought that would have only gotten me closer to flying through the air.

Speaking of flying through the air, we decided to go to the Clark County Fair to see the rodeo. The BK has never been to a rodeo and was quite skeptical, but oh how I love me some rodeo so he conceded and we took a little jaunt north for some good cowboy fun. Tight jeans, muffin tops, wife beater tees, popcorn, funnel cake, horses, cowboy hats, shiny things that go on peoples pants, carnival rides, skinny long-legged teenagers with fake tans. These are some of my favorite things. Truly, however, one of my favorite things is mutton-busting. If you don't know what this is, you should google it and watch some videos - with some Depends nearby. Even the BK, who can be a tough audience sometimes, was laughing like he did before we got married and had a baby. He couldn't get enough, and we all had a great time watching grown men place their manhood on the back of a 2 ton animal that is irritable and bred to have bad manners. Good times.

He Peed! And Other Dirty Topics

It's official, we are now on the path to potty training. This morning he said poopoo, we walked to the bathroom, he sat on mini me potty and peed. Do I care that there wasn't any poop? Nope. Not one bit. Previously, the mini me potty caused a wee bit of trepidation, not this morning. He had on his game face, and was ready to let loose. I realize that it could be a year before I post another similar success, but I will take what I can get.

On to other dirty topics. I can't believe I made it through life as long as I did without knowing about the miracles of OxyClean, but we used it on our beautiful white couch (it has removable covers) that we had to cut apart (the couch, not the covers) yesterday in order to finally move it from the LGs room where it had been sitting since we moved into the basement where it belonged and wouldn't fit. That was fun. But thanks to OC, it is clean, good smelling, and ready to get dirty again from us molesting it with our dirty feet, food, sweaty bodies, baby bodily fluids. Eeeww.

Finally, I can't believe I haven't posted about this yet, but a month or so ago, I received a box from Sabon in the mail. For those of you who are just now joining the P Pod, or have forgotten, this is the company that makes the most luxurious and divine smelling salt scrub that I absolutely covet. Who was it from? I almost didn't care about that, only that miraculously, here it was on my doorstep! My mother-in-law, ohhhhhhhhh I will love her FOREVER! I didn't even think that Sabon shipped it in the mail so I had been saving the remaining amounts of my only jar on a high shelf where I would only look and worship from afar. It would be too much to bear if I was left entirely without any. This whole scenario is bringing to mind thoughts of a Seinfeld episode where Elaine begins to hoard a particular type of birth control that will no longer be available. Anyway, with a fresh jar of Apple Lavender Salt Scrub now available, I happily used the remainder to my heart's delight. Oh, to be clean, smooth and good smelling all at the same time.

Sweet Ride

We have become suddenly envious of all the bikers in Portland who tote their toddlers around in little pods behind their bikes. The BK got so excited he overlooked the fact that a pod should probably be a precursor to a helmet. Not in this family! By golly, we must have helmets, and helmets we now have!!! We also now have a bike for the LG which I picked up from the garage of a good friend for $10 (still no pod - or a bike for me incidentally). We don't do baby things in our family - we jump straight from sit-on-my-back-and-honk-me Mater to a bicycle. Brilliant. Aside from finding him standing with both feet on the seat and his fanny way up high in the air, I have done a pretty good job of closely supervising to prevent imminent disaster. I had to remind the BK that the LG isn't even 2.

First, please don't notice the pile of bushery sitting on our deck. We are excusing ourselves for the next year from any culpability with regard to the state of affairs in the jungle. Secondly, don't notice the fact that I am wearing smurf blue socks with gold shoes because what I really wanted to highlight are a few interesting tidbits regarding the helmet so I am providing a closer head shot below.

TIDBITS:
1- The LG has a HUGE head - inherited from his mother I am afraid. The toddler size was too small. I like to think it is because he has a big boy brain.
2- Adding to the already enormous circumference of big head can have severe effects on equilibrium such as running your mushroom into the refrigerator, couch, chairs, piano, etc. Luckily the helmet actually works.
3- Helmets can really mess with your yoga routine. Getting that noggin out of a downward dog position with a helmet on, particularly for a toddler, is practically impossible.
4- The new look of this somewhat permanent attachment (he would probably sleep with it on if I let him although I can't think it would be very comfy) constantly brings to mind quotes from So I Married an Ax Murderer.
5- "Head. Move. Now."

Faded Paper Figures

I don't profess to be any type of music critic, or into anything hip or artsy that qualifies this next recommendation, but I just really like this music. The band is Faded Paper Figures and you can check them out on their website. As a side note as to how I found them, a long lost highschool friend, who has a great blog which is hip and artsy, is married to one of the band members. I just love it when people do what they want and love to do. I really admire all of the work it must take to put all of your creativity into such a HUGE project like an album. I'm also VERY envious of that level of creativity. It seems I am surrounded by super creative folk, and yet not much has rubbed off yet.... don't worry, I plan to keep trying to get dirty.