That said, my beloved state is only represented by a whopping four athletes at the Vancouver games. Sure, sure, who’d think the Lone Star State would have winter sports? Its called indoor arenas … two sports where three of the four athletes are represented.

At least we’re represented in bobsled (an outdoor sport), cause, you know, if the Jamaicans can have a team, daggum it, there ought to be a Texan on Team USA

Cancer-stricken Shanteau makes Olympic debut

American Eller wins double trap gold–fellow Texan!!

New Zealand team has significant Pac-10 flavor

Yao has delivered, now it’s China’s turn–I never realized he was practically playing year-round. I think he’s earned the right to have the NBA offseasons as vacation time!

Olympic Balladeer’s Voice Was Dubbed

Souvenirs I’d buy if they were so darn expensive!

Domo Beijing 2008 Pin–and its the only one I spotted

ORIGINAL 1980 MOSCOW OLYMPIC PORCELAIN BEAR – MISHKA. I’m aware this isn’t from the Beijing Games, but its from the Games that were held in year I was born…

Lastly, you can all keep up with the medal count here!

400 m Men’s Freestyle relay that just occurred…wow! I have to agree with the commentators, that is probably the greatest swimming race I’ve seen in the Olympics in all these years! And sadly, I didn’t tape it Yeah, I’m kicking myself.

I miss the Thorpedo. I wonder if the Australian Postal Service will put out stamps of him anyway…I own the Gold Medal ones of him from Sydney and one from Athens.

Those Chinese girls, not all of them are going to be 16 this year. I don’t care what their passport says, and this comes from someone that is still mistaken for ten years younger than they are (it sucks to be 28 and mistaken for 18 at times…)

I think its great that Dubya’s attending the events rather that leaving like Putin did. You’d think Putin was still in office the way he hauled out after the Opening Ceremonies to help with the Georgian conflict. Oh, wait, the current president of Russia is really just a figurehead, Putin’s still in power. Seriously.

Hadn’t been to the local arboretum in several years until yesterday…it really has changed. Definitely getting a membership, for business and personal reasons.

Had a great time this morning while out there with Krystle and the kiddos…who were helping me out with a idea for a contest I’m working on a submission right now. Now I really want an adult version of Miz L’s lil argyle sweater for myself!

Back to the grind tomorrow…may this be an uneventful and quiet week!

That’s what the youngest runner–a sixteen, yes 16, year old runner ran in the 1500m semi’s just now. Not only did she qualify for the finals, but she broke a national high school record as well. She’s also supposed to compete in the junior World Championships in Poland. Needless to say, Jordan Hasey’s one to watch tomorrow night (sadly excluding me).

Earlier, Dara Torres, who’s 41, beat swimmers half her age or more in the 100m freestyle.

I scared two dogs with my cheering and then once they finished, crying.

Forget the Games, these Trials have got some of the best moments in my Olympic memory with all the record breaking and personal accomplishments to date.

Isn’t that what our parents tell us to do as children?

Then you get told, “do something that you can make a comfortable living at.”

Sometimes that means not following your dreams.

Well, these two ladies are following their dreams, and while they may not be making millions doing so, they are at least living not only their dream, but will hopefully represent their country in Beijing in a month.

Needless to say, as Dara Torres finished the 100 m Freestyle earlier, I was whooping and jumping up and down. Its not an Olympic women’s swimming competition without her…she was very much missed during the Athens games in 2004. I can’t believe she’s been competing since I was four years old (in 1984) at the Olympic level…at least it doesn’t seem like it! Only two of her competitors in the semis tonight were alive when she started back then. And time-wise, only one of them beat her in the semi’s–she set a personal best as well. I just hope tomorrow night she makes the team…now that’s the Olympic dream!

The other athlete I link I came across at Jasmine Star’s blog, her best friend in fact. I’ve read through Brianna’s blog for the past half hour (I’m a fast reader) and I’m inspired by her. And I love the verse she has on the main page of her website:

1 CORINTHIANS 9:24: Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

In a few minutes, Brianna will be competing in Oregon to make the team…and hopefully the USA network will air her jumps during their 10 pm (CST) broadcast, because I’ll be crossing my fingers, praying, and cheering her on as much as I was Dara earlier this evening, much to the dismay of two dogs who didn’t know what to think of my behavior!

Yeah, that doesn’t sound as good as the original. But pretend it does.

Anyway, I’m a huge Olympics junkie. Winter, Summer, I love them both. I tend to lean more to the Summer Games because there’s more sports I love competing. Track & Field, Swimming, Gymnastics, Soccer…and that’s the starters. I love hearing the stories of what the athletes have done to make it there. Whether its hard work, extreme adversity, they all have earned the right to get there.

I just wish I’d have been that good of a runner to get to the Games. Alas, I live vicariously through all of our fellow countrymen (and women) who are there. In fact, watching the trials for the Women’s 400 hurdles, I literally felt the pain of the woman who battled the rubberized asphalt. I’ve been there, twice. And have the scars to prove it. I won the battle, as both tracks are still flat on the ground

Watching the men’s 100 m prelim’s, I felt the pain of the guy who pulled a hamstring. Done that too, just not in a race thankfully. For the record, pulling a hamstring hurts like a beeotch. And then some. So does straining an achilles tendon.

Anyway, for the rest of the running and swimming trials (as the gymnastic’s ones are over) and then the Games themself in August, I’ll be planted in front of the tv getting my fix on NBC (as I don’t have cable to watch the 3000 or so hours of Olympic broadcast coverage). Think my email and letter writing’s slow now? I’ll catch up in September

Current Medal Standings

Grandma Luge out of Turin Games with broken wrist after crash

American pipe: U.S. snowboarders dominate again

Class Act: Kwan’s Exit from the Games

Quelle surprise! France’s Deneriaz bests Bode, Rahlves et al, wins downhill

Luger Has Concussion, No Memory of Crash