I've Got the Fever

I love the Olympics. Especially the Summer Olympics. I love seeing people who have mastered their bodies through so much hard work and discipline perform at incredible levels. I love how the world comes together even though everyone wants their own country to win. I love the competition! And I love having a DVR to watch (or choose not to watch) the Olympic events.

(Except tonight - when it cut off right at the end of one of my favorite events - the Women's Gymnastics Finals - but we won't go there).

As a kid, I remember my sisters and I playing Olympic gymnastics in the living room. We had an entry way that led right into a cleared area in our living room, so we would do the whole raise-your-arms-when-you-are-ready thing and then bust out our best floor routines of cartwheels and round-offs to be judged by our siblings. (With the 1 - 10 point scoring system, I might add). Then we'd get really creative and make a "beam" from two jump ropes placed 4 inches apart and do beam routines. And, of course, we had the vault, as well. We'd start back in our hallway and run to our loveseat and flip over the arm of it. We'd even go so far as to have each of us represent multiple countries, so if we didn't want one of the countries we had to represent to win, we'd purposefully make a mistake or not do our coolest moves.

When I was on my mission in England, I remember the second summer I was there the Olympics were on. I never had a problem keeping the "no outside influences" rule of not watching TV, except during that time. We'd go into people's houses and the Olympics would be on and I couldn't help being enthralled. It took a lot of will power to ask them if we could turn it off while we were there.

Big J was born during the 2000 Summer Olympics. So I don't remember much of those. But I do remember the 2002 Winter Olympics when they came to Salt Lake City, because we lived in Utah at the time. We were there when the torch ran by and we got to go to one of the skiing events, which I honestly don't even remember what it was, but it was just so cool to be in the ATMOSPHERE of it all. It was electrifying, and this wasn't even an event I cared about. I remember I was freezing to death but thankfully one of our friends was working security at that event and gave me some of the foot warmers they gave the volunteers so I could put them in my shoes.

I don't know where I was the last Olympics, because I hardly remember anything about them, but this year I am addicted. Here I am staying up late again to watch them. The other morning I watched the events from the night before for 2 1/2 hours! I never do that. Never. Ever. I don't even watch TV for 2 minutes during the day, and here I was sitting in my pajamas at 10:00 in the morning watching - and making my kids watch the stuff I thought was super cool! And then I felt all empowered or something and went out and ran for an hour - without my Ipod, because it needed to charge. Yeah, I am so tough like that because I watch the Olympics.

So far my favorite thing to watch has to be the Men's 4 X100 swimming relay where the Americans, or should I say, Jason Lezak, pulled it off at the very end. I seriously started crying. That was amazing. Everyone's singing Phelps' praises (which they are well-deserved - history in the making!), but in my opinion, that last leg of the race swam by Lezak was the greatest swim in history. Ever. That was the epitome of mind over matter and the definition of giving it your all. SO AWESOME.

My second favorite thing has to be the Men's Gymnastics team getting a bronze. Two of their stars down and all Olympic virgins and nobody thought they could do it. I love underdog* stories and they didn't disappoint. I loved the determination in their eyes.

*Speaking of underdog stories, and totally off the subject of Olympics, I saw the most awesome movie called Facing the Giants. I am going to have to get it to add to my sports underdog movie collection. Has anyone heard of it? Such a great movie! For those of you who have seen it - can you say death crawl down the football field?!? I was bawling. And contrary to what it may seem like - I am not like my sister and cry at every clip of anything on TV. (Just kidding, sis!)

And I have to say one of my most favorite singular moments was when that last Chinese gymnast (who I swear is 10) did her uneven bar routine and did that funky flip-over-and-grab-it-backwards-and-then-go-back-into-another-flip thing. If you saw it, you totally know what I am talking about. I had to rewind it and watch it in slow-mo it was so full of awesomeness.

I also have to give two cheers for the opening ceremonies. I didn't even watch the entire thing, but holy cow!!! The Chinese know how to put on an incredible show. I loved those drums at the beginning.

I am really looking forward to the next week of sleep-deprivation and unproductive hours. You just have to do it, though. It's the Olympics!