Photo du Jour

Celebration....

I can only imagine his feelings at finally achieving this goal. Those countless long laps, back and forth across a pool, alone at 5 a.m. in cold water. It's like waiting your whole life for your magical wedding day, dating frog after frog after frog. Or waiting those long nine months to look at the face of your child for the first time. Walking across the stage for that diploma you scrimped and scraped and worked your ass off for.

That time that seemed so endless, leading up to the day that seemed it would never come, gone by in a blink. It seems like a hundred years ago, and yet only yesterday, that you were single, childless, or walking into that first classroom. Stepping into that pool for the first time. Another person entirely, and yet still fundamentally you.

The moment is now; today is the day. You've envisioned it thousands of times in your mind, and it will be everything (yet completely different from all that) you were sure it would be. So much more amazing, so much more perfect and right.

We can all have moments like this in our life, if we reach for them. The elation I see in the photo above is how I felt when my daughter was put into my arms for the first time, and again three years later, when my son arrived.

How moving it is now, to be able to stand by and watch Michael as he has his moment, surrounded by so many lenses, so many spectators. How generous of him to share this with all of us. This is exactly why I love the Olympics so much. We can all tap into the emotions we feel as we watch the athletes experience those personal triumphs, and use them to inspire us in our own lives.

Congratulations, Michael.

Mike...

Seriously. Win tonight.

Because I've always wanted to stalk (scratch that) date (wait, I'm married) actually meet an easy-on- the eyes millionaire. And hey, us cugars (SIC, see JV,) need goals, right?

But as P made me realize, I'm being myopic.

I mean, there's Ryan, who looks pretty damn cute dripping wet.


Dry, in his official portrait, he faintly resembles Carrot Top, but I'm willing to overlook that as long as he keeps swimming and never gets any bad plastic surgery. Because he can swimmmmm. (overlook the funny face...)


And Cullen, who I might have known if I still lived in the Bronx. Well yes, I was in high school when he was born, so I might have been his BABYSITTER. ARE YOU HAPPY, INTERNET? I AM OLD NOW.

And then Jason, who might be the only one who would consider dating someone my age... and he is his own coach. I need to be my own coach more often. ("Get on the bike, Carly. Put the glass of wine down, Carly." You know, stuff like that. )



At any rate, tomorrow night when my darling (wait) stalkee (nope, bad) favorite athlete takes to the pool, I will be out whooping it up at a bachelorette party with women many many months younger than me. Cross your fingers that I don't make an ass of myself or need a taxi. But rest assured, I will be somewhere that I can point to the tv, and scream in an embarrassing falsetto (I'm an ALTO) "I love him!!!"

Dear M

Yaaaay! Seriously, it's starting to feel like this is a movie.

I rewatched the 400 relay, but in a video version showing only footage from the underwater cameras. Still amazing.

(I really have to stop drinking so much caffeine to stay up late to watch...)

Dear Michael

Dear Mr. Phelps,

Can I call you Michael?

First, I'd like to let you know that there's simply no need to file any paperwork asking me not to come within 100 feet of you. Just wanted to get that out of the way. Second, I should probably apologise to your Mom. Since, ya know, I'm about halfway between your age and hers, probably. But at least I'm not twice your age.


But damn, boy.

You look quite a lot like that paper salesman at Dunder that I adore, and I somehow I just don't think the hot flashes I'm feeling when I watch tv these days can be chalked up to early peri-menopause.

On behalf of all of the women my age who wish WE were still in OUR twenties, thank you for this (even Perez didn't write on him) :

For the "take that you French bastards" coupled with the built in game of "what's the retention strategy here, and will it fail?" I thank you, even though this picture makes me want to give you a big slice of cheesecake...


All kidding aside, REALLY, Thank you....


Good luck with that swimming thing that you're doing.

(And to any guys out there who might be thinking about giving me crap, I have four words; go watch beach volleyball. )

xo,
Carly

Daaa, daaa, da dum dum daa daa

I love the Olympics. I know that's cornball, don't care. There are so many events I am hoping to catch on tv (beach volleyball, canoe/kayak, diving, equestrian, gymnastics, judo, swimming, synch swimming, track, triathlon, volleyball, water polo... and a couple of others I skipped )

I have been going through NBC's Site and the tv & online listings (it customizes to show what's on your local station, which is helpful of course! There will be 2,000 hours of online coverage -- so I can watch some of the goofy stuff like fencing (I did that in college).

So if you want me over the next couple of weeks, I'll be watching...

Warming trends

How to warm up, a la Carly:

1. Attend a Judo tournament with Suzy. Ask several people about the rules. Make friends. This will thaw you.
2. Judo tournaments are held in rooms that get very warm and start to smell like sweaty judo students, some of whom are not hard on the eyeballs. You will get warmer.
3. Cheer for your friend when he executes a perfect throw (drop, move, whatever, it was a great move!) Jumping up and down and cheering counts as your cardiovascular workout for the day.


Now can someone ACTUALLY explain the rules to me? Mmmokay thanks.