Olympic victory

“It is in the compelling zest of high adventure and of victory, and in creative action, that man finds his supreme joys.”
-Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Did you stay up to watch last night? If not, I bet you wish you did.

Rob and I sat in front of the television all weekend, carefully planning our dinner and lunch outings around breaks in the Olympic coverage. We were a bit disappointed with ourselves that we had sat on the couch all weekend, but after staying up late last night to watch the men’s 4x100 relay. It was all worth it.

Before the race began, I reminded Rob that the U.S. wasn’t supposed to win.

Image from AP found via Welt Online

As Michael raced, we were concerned that he was leading off, instead of rounding off the four. Then we coaxed Weber-Gale across the pool. “Come on! Come on!” We were on our feet by the time Cullen touched the first wall. And, as Lezak completed the fourth and final leg of the relay, we were screaming and jumping up and down.

Image from AP found via SI.com

We’re just two people in a tiny little apartment, 7190 miles away from the action, with no real ties to the sport. But we were absolutely ecstatic. We were proud to be Americans. What an amazing victory! And we can say we saw it live.

We have no regrets about watching TV all weekend.

Image from Getty Images by Mike Hewitt found via Boston.com

Day after day

“A successful marriage is an edifice that must be rebuilt every day.”
-Andre Maurois

Here’s the timeline of what goes through my head every afternoon and evening:

3:00 pm—“There can’t possibly be two more hours of work until I can go home. I just want to go home and hang up out with my husband.”
3:30 pm—“My husband is absolutely amazing. How lucky I am to have found (and kept) him!
4:00 pm—“We’re actually married. Are we actually old enough to be married? Do we actually know each other well enough to be married? I guess we’ve been together for almost six years, so yeah, I guess so. This is all just so surreal!”
4:30 pm—“What can I do tonight to show my husband how much I love him? What will I make for dinner? What chores can I squeeze in before he gets home?”
5:00 pm—“Better pick up those last minute ingredients on the way home. He’s worked hard all day, and I want to make sure that he doesn’t leave the dinner table still hungry.”
5:30 pm—“Maybe Rob came home early today to surprise me. And, maybe, just maybe he already has dinner made.”
5:35 pm—“ Well, he’s not home yet. Let’s just hope he’s not staying super late tonight.”
6:05 pm—“Come on, honey, call me and tell me that you’re headed home. I’m ready to see you. I’m ready to tell you about my day and hear about yours.”
6:15 pm—“Oh there’s the phone. Yay! Rob’s coming home!! I get to see him soon.”
7:15 pm—“There’s two minutes until dinner is ready. Where is he? He better not be late, or our supper will be cold.”
7:18 pm—“I think I just heard the key in the lock. Perfect timing. Looking forward to the kiss that he’ll give me when he walks in the door.”
7:22 pm—“Why couldn’t he have waited until after dinner to take a shower? Now the food is going to be really cold. I guess I can be setting the table and getting the drinks ready, so all we have to do is sit down and eat.”
7:30 pm—“I guess it’s nice that he wants to eat dinner without the TV on, but I was watching that. Couldn’t he have asked before he shut it off?”
7:35 pm—“He’s just pushing his food around his plate. Maybe he doesn’t like it. I’m not the greatest cook, but I tried. He could at least try to eat it.”
7:38 pm—“He’s staring right through me as we chat. Wait, a sec, he just grabbed the calculator. His mind hasn’t left work!! No wonder I can’t hold a conversation with him.”
7:45 pm—“He’s nitpicking about how much money I spent today. It was his prescription from Target, and the food that he’s eating right now from Kroger. So, yes, those expenses were necessary. And, no, I’m not going to defend every cent I spend. Just not going to do it.”
8:15 pm—“I hope he finds something else to do tonight because I don’t want to have to entertain him. I hope he just leaves me alone to do my own thing. Why in the world did I look forward to him coming home so much? He’s always in such a foul mood when he gets home.”
8:45 pm—“Who in the world is he calling now? Oh, work stuff. Seems like a Post-It note might work just as well as bothering the night shift with a phone call.”
10:25 pm—“I can't believe that he's still storming around here. Is he mad at me? You think he’ll have the nerve to sleep in the guest room tonight?”
10:35 pm—“He’s brushing his teeth, maybe I’ll start getting ready for bed, too.”
10:37 pm—“Oh, wait, he’s joking with me now. Maybe he’s not mad after all.”
10:48 pm—“Hope he hurries up and gets in bed. After a night like this, I’m more than ready to cuddle with him.”
10:55 pm—“I’m so lucky I get to put my head on his chest as he tells me all about his day. About why he was so grumpy earlier and about all of the headaches he’s had to overcome today. And yet, despite all of the negativity, I can hear it in his voice: he really loves this job and is working really hard to perform as best as he can.”
11:06pm—“It can’t get much more perfect than this. Curling up together, sharing about our frustrations and our dreams, joking around together. And finally, falling asleep together.”

Happy Sister's Day!

“A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost.”
-Marion C. Garretty
Let me take you back to a day about 17 or 18 years ago. My younger sister and I were huddled over a small calendar—you know those 6-inch square calendars that come “free” with a larger version. This one probably had photos of adorable kittens or playful puppies. But more important than the monthly images were the words scribbled on the grid of days.

That day we had decided to take it upon ourselves to create new holidays. If there could be a Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, what else could be celebrated? What about Children’s Day, Baby Day, and I’m sure, given my sister’s obsessions of the time, a Celebration of the Moon, Duck Day, and maybe even Radio Tower Observance? We filled each month with celebrations, honoring those things that were important, interesting, and amazing to us in our youth.

Later we found out that there already is a Children’s Day (it’s often celebrated on the second Sunday in June), and that there were no more babies in our immediate future. The only one of these new holidays that stuck around was Sister’s Day. Sister’s Day was strategically placed in August, a month that traditionally lacks a lot of celebration. August 6th to be exact. And, wow, that’s today. Callie-girl, we’ve come a long way!
To the bestest sister a girl could ever have (besides me, of course!)—I’m constantly amazed by your spirit, your wisdom, and the way you view the world. I treasure our conversations online, over the phone, and in person. You’re the only person I can talk to who truly listens, who I know will listen from my point of view. You inspire me to be the best me I can be, you encourage me to take risks, to question tradition, and yet to honor and respect where we’ve been. Dearest sister, your gift is in the mail. Love you lots. –J

Ain't no mountain high enough

“Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way.”
-Dr. Seuss

We have a hike planned for the morning of the day that we spend at the Grand Canyon. We’ll take an early, early morning shuttle ride to the other side of the park and begin our trek back towards civilization. Although this is one of the more moderate hikes, neither too easy nor too difficult, we wanted to make sure we were prepared. We want to enjoy the hike, not painfully plod through it.

So yesterday we headed out to Stone Mountain for a trial run (or trail hike to be exact). A trial run for our bodies, our new hiking shoes, and our new digital SLR camera. We packed a cooler, laced up our new shoes, and sprayed ourselves with sunscreen. After being on our to-do list for five summers, we finally made it out to the park. Rob had the camera around his neck, ready to capture it all. I brought my sketchbook along, so I could scribble every time he stopped to snap photos.
We made it one mile up to the top, and I was huffing and puffing. After resting up for a few minutes, we head back for the mile down the mountain. We got to the bottom and decided to go back up again. Crazy, I know. But the second time was much easier—we knew how far we had to go, where to stop along the way, and that we could refill our water bottles at the top.
All in all, we had a blast. It was great to be outdoors, exercising, and enjoying each other’s company. Twenty days until Arizona!!!

7.5% Cheaper than Normal

“Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping.”
-Bo Derek

So we got our money’s worth over Tax-Free weekend. We were really good until Sunday afternoon, and then we just went on a spree.

We each bought a pair of shoes at REI, including this stylish pair for me.
Rob also got five shirts from REI and Target, a pair of flip-flops from Sam’s, and four pairs of shorts from Target. He said he needed them for our Arizona trip. Including this rather trendy pair that I’ll bet stays hanging in the closet.
I bought two shirts for myself, and I’m arguing that they’re for Arizona, too.

[BTW... it's time to celebrate!! This is my 100th post!!]