Olympic Fever

Every two years they come along and every two years I am mesmerized. I LOVE the Olympics. I don't know why exactly but I always have. I watch sports that I would NEVER in a million years watch under most circumstances including sports that I didn't even know existed... Trampoline?? Seriously??? But if they put it on (particularly in Primetime) I'll watch it.

There are some sports that I definitely prefer over the others and swimming and diving are at the top of that list. I have to say I have become a serious "Phelps Phanatic" over the last week. Sure I remember Michael Phelps from the Athens games and the record number of golds he didn't quite reach. And I remember being disappointed in him when he got arrested for DUI sometime between now and then... but I was completely drawn back in this year. His ridiculous athletic ability combined with being the little kid who got picked on and didn't fit in and add to it his obvious closeness to his mom and sisters and I was once again hooked.

I watched every race with rapt anticipation and was on the edge of my seat when it came time for the eighth gold on Saturday night. I was jumping around the room and clapping and screaming. The dog thought it was a great game... either that or he just thought I had lost my mind. It's been a bit of a let down this week now that swimming is over... but diving is picking up so that's exciting.

I have asked the dog if he wants to change his name to Michael Phelps and he seems somewhat in favor of that. Seriously... I asked. I'm not sure what it sounds like when I say "Michael Phelps" but he gets really excited. Maybe he just remembers the swimming from last week and how excited I got... but really he doesn't watch that much TV.

I'll keep you posted on whether or not I give him a new name. :-) It wouldn't be the first time it happened in our family. We have a dog that now lives with my parents who I named Rory. She's a girl dog but no one calls her Rory anymore... she goes by Ken Schrader. Sad but true. There was a NASCAR commercial several years back that is based on the premise of how big of a fan are you... and one of the questions asked, "Do you name your pet after your favorite driver?" In the commercial there is a little chihuahua type dog biting the mailman and the owner is saying "Down Ken Schrader!" So that's where her name came from.

So... we'll see. We may stick with Brun... but he doesn't really seem to answer to either name all that well. I'm off to watch some more of whatever sport is on at the moment.

The Past and the Desire to Relive It

The past couple of weeks I have thought a lot about how I would love to go back and relive my college days. Not because I want to do them differently but just because I want to live them over again and enjoy them again. The six years I spent in school (particularly the four I spent in undergrad) were some of the best years of my life. I know you can't go back and there is no chance in the world I am thinking about going back to school, I just miss it sometimes.

I guess there are a few reasons I have had this on my mind. The first being that I pulled out a scrapbook from college a couple of weeks ago to help settle a debate among my college friends on Facebook as to what year a party was held that I attended. As I flipped through the pages, so many great memories and people I had not thought about in years came flooding back. I used to kid my friends in college (as I toted my SLR film camera everywhere) that ten years from then when they couldn't remember what we did in college, I would have the pictures to help them remember. It's funny how quickly I've forgotten and how much I remember just from looking at those pictures. For those just starting school, I'm so glad that digital cameras are everywhere and so many more people are taking pictures at every memorable and not so memorable moment they experience...

But I digress...

The other reason I think I have thought so much about reliving my college days is the fact that we just sold the house where I lived in college. This was my grandparents house and the greatest house a college kid could ask for. While this is not the house I lived the first 18 years of my life in, I did a lot of growing up in that house in the six and a half years I lived there. College was a great time for me, sure there were hard times and sad times and moments I would prefer to forget, but most of them were great and wonderful and I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

To see the house totally empty a couple of weeks ago was sad. I haven't lived there in almost five years, but it holds a lot of memories from the time I was a little girl until now. It's hard to think that there are now a bunch of college boys living there who will start school tomorrow. But I'll save some of that mushy sentimentality for another post.

Catching Up

Hello? Is this thing still on? Anyone still reading? Probably just those of you who stuck me in your bloglines or those of you who I emailed to tell you I finally blogged again. I can't believe it's been so long.

I won't say there hasn't been anything blog worthy... I've just been too busy and not in the mood to blog I guess. I have a few blog posts floating around in my head so I will try to put those together sometime this lifetime (one is already done and will be up later tonight... it won't change your life so don't wait with too much anticipation).

While I've been away here is some of what you missed:

• Work (my current job)
• Work (my old job I'm still doing work as a contractor for... I even went to Wyoming a few weeks ago for them)
• And more work (my monogramming "business" that keeps me busy - hopefully more about this sometime soon)
• I bought a new car (I love it... It's an Acura and it is probably the sportiest car I will ever have)
• My neighbors called the police on a scary car parked in front of my house (that was interesting but nothing happened)
• We sold my grandparents house which was the house I lived in while I was in college and the house my dad grew up in
• I got a haircut (Which has been blogworthy in the past... but it is just the same ole haircut)
• I got a new iPhone and I'm not sure how I survived without one (in fact I am writing this post from my iPhone)

So life's been busy and it hasn't left a lot of time or energy for blogging. I have blog posts written in my head for some of those things so I hope to get to them one day.