I = Olympoholic/Olympifan/whatever you think to call me

I forget how much I love the Olympics. I even thought I liked the Summer Olympics best, but now that the Winter ones are on again, maybe I like them better. There is just something about the national comradery that pulses the nation during the Olympics. It's an event that only happens once every 4 years (or 2, now that the Summer and Winter are staggered). The sports are not well followed by the American public. The athletes are pretty unknown until the Olympics actually roll around. But, then, when that torch is lit and the Olympic rings make their way out of the horizon, we all start to fell that spirit deep within us. It is time to root for your country, listen to the Athletes stories, and even cheer those other countries on a bit. It is truly an international phenomenon. I catch myself watching it when I get home at night, taking a break to do whatever I need to get done, and then coming back to the games on the late night session. I don't want to fall asleep because I may miss on ski run, triple axle, or medal ceremony.

Since the Olympics are coming to a close, I want to list some of my favorite moments with a brief (or not so brief) commentary:

1)Lindsey Vonn wins gold in ladies downhill skiing. After sustaining an injury that could have possibly taken her out of the running, she pushed through and won the gold. Plus, she is just pretty cool because she has a pet cow. She got it as a prize back in 2005. She was supposed to trade it in for the prize money, but she insisted on keeping the cow instead.

2)Back on Sunday, the USA men's hockey team beat Canada (IN CANADA) for the first prelim hockey match-up. Awesome and a bit unexpected in my mind! Hopefully, USA can pull through in the next few days and face Canada again in quest for the gold! Team USA!

3)Apolo Ohno wins 2 more medals, making him the most decorated American Winter Olympic athlete ever.

4)Snowboarding. Its just really fun and pretty hardcore. The downside, the most of the American Olympic snowboarders (male and female) could use some lessons in grooming.

5)Evan Lysacek gets gold in men's figure skating and beats the pissed-off Russian who won in 2006. Plushenko (the angry Russian), who was one of the only men to attempt at quad tells the world that mens skating without a quad is (ice) dancing. Lysacek did not attempt a quad. I have to agree with the angry Russian on this one. I thought so many previous Olympic skater attempted major jumps....it doesn't seem that way anymore. And, figure skating without the jumps is pretty boring. More on this in the next one.

6) Kim Yu-Na wins gold to bring home the first women's figure skating medal ever for Korea. It sounded like the country would kill her if she didn't win. That is way to much pressure for one person to bear so I am very relieved that she won. I can just imagine the headlines if she hadn't. The other favorite was from Japan and she landed 3 triple axles during this Olympics. One in the short program. Two in the long program. She brought her A-game, but it was not enough to beat Yu-Na. She does now have the credit of landing the most triple axles ever in female Olympic figure skating. In fact, she was the only athlete that even did a triple axle at all. I thought back in the day (like the Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding days) that alot of the skaters attempted that jump, but I must be mistaken. However, I did not see a back flip with a one-skate landing. Surya Bonaly used to do that, and she was AWESOME. She's black, and you don't see that often in figure skating. She was also French and had a ton of personality on the ice. I long for that talent again......check out her long program at the Nagano Olympics in 1998 (backflip is around the 3 and a half minute mark).

Anthony Williams!

I love him. I think he needs his own reality show. He is the best part of this season's Project Runway, by far!

Boob job=Bullet Proof Vest?

One doctor and some LAPD officers think that this California woman's life may have been saved due to her size D breast implants. The theory is that the silicone implants slowed the bullet to her chest. It sounds possible to me, but who knows? I think this would require some scientific experiment to verify. Where is TJ Thyne (the rogue forensic scientist on my fave TV show, Bones) when you need him?

Click here to read more about how the shooting went down.

Fins Up!

So, Jimmy Buffett is coming to Nashville. I loooooovvvveeee Jimmy Buffett, much due to the total immersion I experienced in my youth. My dad was a major parrothead. I have been waiting so long for this, but now I just don't think I can make myself go.

1)It is at Sommet--INSIDE. J.B. in an indoor venue is a little ironic. It kinda spoils the mood.

2)It is the same Saturday as the Derby. I have gone to Louisville one of my best friends the last few years for the Derby, and it is always so fun!

3)I always thought that my first live Jimmy Buffett concert would be with my dad. I hate that we never got to see him live in concert together. I don't know that I am ready for this concert. Let's hope it is not another 10 years before J.B. comes back.

New product from Spanx!

Hey, I like spanx. Why shouldn't a guy with a gut? More power to ya, I say! Equal rights. Question, though: Does the men's undershirt cost less than the women's products? If so, that figures....but it doesn't make it right.

I am so fed up with airlines!

We have all heard about airlines requiring larger people to buy an additional seat or being forced to leave the aircraft due to their sheer size. Well, Southwest's latest victim, Kevin Smith did not take it lightly and stirred up a media frenzy with a vengeance. Southwest better watch who they mess with. If it happened to me, you better believe I would be seeking revenge. My thoughts on the matter are as follows:

With the ever-increasing size of Americans, why wouldn't an airline strive to cater to the needs of their customers?

Is the number of seats you can squeeze in a tiny vessel really the bottom line?

Are airlines actually diverting the blame for an inferior product to people of larger stature (I don't like to call anyone fat. I am sensitive to that word.)?

I think that if airlines truly wanted to promote safety (Southwest claims they kick big people off in the name of safety) and comfort (what their customers actually care about), they would take out a seat or two from each row and put in wider seats--and maybe even a wider aisle. They are so concerned with creating lighter-weight seats so that the aircraft flies faster and uses less fuel. The simple solution may be less seats. After all, the frame of the seat is what really makes up most of the mass. But, no, instead they design seating arrangements that are only adequate for people under 5'5" in height and under 160 lbs. Most people I know can't meet both those standards. According to airlines, no one could possibly be uncomfortable on a flight--unless they are overweight--or they are sitting next to an overweight person. I will not take the blame for an airline's inferior product. I love to fly, but these rules and attitudes make me sick to my stomach. This is yet another case of the bullies preying on the weak.

Check out these blogs for more info.
http://jezebel.com/5473679/will-airlines-ever-change-their-customer-of-size-policies

http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/travelers_check/archives/2010/02/fat_nation_kevi.html

http://jezebel.com/5472230/kevin-smith-isnt-the-first-person-southwest-deemed-too-fat-to-fly

love. this. coat/jacket.

I meant to post this photo of Lauren Conrad last week.....but I forgot, and just now found it in my saved docs. Don't you just love this canary jacket? SO PRECIOUS! Obvs, it best suits a small frame. It would look like a tent on me. I can still admire it from afar, though, right? L.C. has definitely come up in the world since she ditched the reality TV. Hasn't she seen what it did to Heidi?

Welcome Back, Wakefields!

Return of the Sweet Valley High gang! Supposedly, the new book titled, Sweet Valley Confidential, will cater toward a 20-somthing audience and update once-avid Sweet Valley fans on the lives of the twins and their posse--fast forward 10 years.

Book Review

I just finished this book on Wednesday. It was really interesting--definitely something different from what you are used to reading. It is called The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Cassie from my book club picked it out to read this month, and I actually read it! That makes 2 months in a row! This one was tough to put down. It is a fictional story that is only loosely related to the author's Southern upbringing. It takes place during the Civil Rights era and revolves around the lives of some young white women and their "help." I highly recommend this bestseller!

Whole Foods Protest.

After work today, I was planning to go to a Whole Foods groundbreaking that I have been invited to. I worked diligently for these people in helping them get their plans approved. I am starting to hate myself for even being so nice. While it is my job to review plans and get developments through the approval process at the City I work for, I am pretty sure I went above and beyond with this project. For what? To bring in an establishment that discriminates against me for my size, genetics, and my body in general?

Whole Foods recently started a voluntary employee discount program. Employees are eligible to get up to a 30% discount off their Whole Foods purchases. Who knows, that may even extend to their sister store, Whole Body....well, that sounds all well and good, right? Don't be so sure. Employees who sign up for the program are actually rated based on whether or not they smoke, their cholesterol, blood pressure, and Body Mass Index (BMI). The healthier you are, the higher discount you get. Does this seem fair or just to anyone? I cannot believe that anyone would have the audacity to pilot such a program in the name of better health.

Whole Foods promotes a healthy lifestyle and living sustainably. However, it sounds to me like they only want to cater to those who are already healthy or already sustainable. I'm not even going to get into the fact that the chain is not nearly as sustainable as they claim to be. I gotta keep focused on this sham of an incentive program they are waving in front of their employees.

Sure, all employees get a 20% discount. But, those who are naturally thin get an extra 10% on top of what the overweight ones get. Not to mention, high cholesterol and high blood pressure can be genetic. A person can eat extremely healthy and still struggle to keep those numbers down. Meanwhile, if a fairly overweight person starts losing weight, they could trim that BMI down, but will it ever be enough to get them up to the full discount. Some of us have alot farther to go than that checker on aisle 3, who is a mere 15 lbs overweight. Does this program offer me any incentive to start that long journey of hitting a perfect BMI? I think not.

I will NOT be shopping at Whole Foods (or attending a groundbreaking for the expansion of such an egregious enterprise) until I hear that they are more supportive of their employees and customers, regardless of their weight.

See the DailyNews article here.

Bon Voyage, MC!

My friend, Mary Chris leaves this afternoon for France! She is going over for a few months to teach a French teenager the English language. I imagine MC will parle tres magnifique le Francais when she returns (don't trust my French. it was never my strong suit).

As I sat at my friend's house on Tuesday night with MC, Jennie, and Roe, I felt like I should be sending MC off with some traveling pants or something. That way we could all experience the power of the pants just like Carmen, Lena, Tibby, and Bridget a.k.a. America, Alexis, Amber, and Blake. I am sure that MC loves my comparison. She is such a Bridget, and probably thinks this whole post is plain nonsense.

However, I will miss her, and I am writing this so that she knows we will be thinking about her while she is gone. I have urged her to start her own blog, but she has yet to give into my persuasion. I can't remember the city she is staying in, but I know she has an unlimited train pass and will be having quite the adventures.

To finish this post out, Roe is a total Lena. Jennie leans toward a Tibby with her creative ways. So, does that make me Carmen? I do have the biggest butt--and it is possible that I may be the most dramatic.....

Real Estate Blasphemy!

I was so pumped when I heard earlier this week (from a typically valid source--NBCBay Area.com) that the FULL HOUSE home was up for sale! All the thoughts ran through my head so quickly:

What would it be like to live in this pop culture sanctuary?
Which lucky person will end up the owner?
Will they understand the true value this home holds?
Is there any way I could raise enough money to buy it for myself?
Would John Stamos come visit me there?
And most importantly, WHY DOES THIS HOUSE NOT LOOK FAMILIAR AT ALL?

Oh, wait. That is NOT the house from Full House. Who would have the gall to start such a hurtful rumor? "How rude," as Stephanie Tanner would say.

Granted, the home only appeared on the opening credits and in a few location shots. The filming of the show primarily occured on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, CA. But, what self-respecting child of the 80's does not know what the Full House home looks like? Everyone knows that it is white--not green--and that the home is in the middle of a bunch of rowhouses--not on the corner. And, that it is not nearly as ornate as this one on Postcard Row that was rumored to be THE FULL HOUSE:

Obviously, this next house at 1709 Broderick is the actual house, and somebody just wanted to get more money on the 722 Steiner house above. I don't know who would think they could get away with such a blatant lie. I am truly appalled.

Tay moving to midtown? My sources say yes.

Supposedly, Taylor Swift just purchased a new penthouse condo at the Adelicia for $1.9 million. That just happens to be directly across from one of my FAVORITE restaurants in all of Nashville--South Street! Maybe we will have an encounter??? I hope she is nicer than I have heard. While I am not a devout Taylor fan, I have a number of friends who are. But, who doesn't love a little celebrity stalking? Taylor's penthouse is rumored to have over 4,000 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, freestanding fireplace, and over 80 square feet of wine storage. I wonder if Taytay is a wine connoisseur? Hmmmm, isn't she a little young? Not that I am judging!

Recycled Regalia

One of the best finds at Christmas Village this year was Lorraine's Designs. I decided I had to share this info with all you--I am just loving the stuff I bought so much! She handcrafts LOADS of jewelry made from vintage or antique watch parts, coins, typewriters, lockets, etc. I bought a pair of gold and bronze antique watch face earrings for my mother for Christmas this year since she is OBSESSED with watches. I also bought myself a pair of simple black watch face earrings with multi-colored neon digits as a flashback to my youth. Some of my favorite pieces were the cuffs and rings made from the watch "innards," as I like to call them! Here are some photos of Lorraine's work. You can find alot of similar stuff made by other artisans on Etsy, too. I definitely hope Lorraine's (The Jewel Medley) makes it back to CV next year! Her jewelry is so funky and unique, yet not freaky or teeny-bopperish.

sounds delish!?!

Just found this recipe on WW. Sounds perfect for when you really want some buffalo wings. I really don't like traditional lasagna, but this sounds pretty tasty to me and just 5 points per serving. Not to mention, I love that Heritage Fare buffalo sauce that has ZERO calories!

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna
12 Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles, uncooked
1 lb. Skinless Chicken Breast, cubed
3 Cups Hunt’s Four Cheese Spaghetti Sauce
1 Cup Very Mild Buffalo Wing Sauce
1 1/2 Cups Water
15 oz. Nonfat Ricotta Cheese
1/2 Cup Egg Substitute
9 Slices 2% Pepperjack Cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Cook chicken over medium high heat for 4 minutes or until almost done. Stir in sauces and water. In a small bowl, combine ricotta cheese and egg substitute. Spray a 9X13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread 1 Cup of sauce in the bottom of pan. Arrange 4 noodles over the sauce. Spread more sauce, then a layer of ricotta mixture. Add another layer of sauce, and repeat the whole process until you end with a layer of sauce. Cover and bake 70 minutes. Uncover and place cheese slices on top, then bake for another 15 minutes uncovered. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.

Serves: 9 Per Serving: 285 Cal./4g Fat/5g Fiber