Extraordinarily talented athletes also possess extraordinarily large hearts

I am so impressed, touched and in awe of the camaraderie that is evident between many of the American athletes competing in Beijing. In particular the swimmers - their attitudes and phenomenal outpouring of team support have rendered me almost speechless. I guess because many of them do not train together or have a past team affiliation on which to build a particular bond, it is refreshing to see such a collection of talented people come together as a force to be reckoned with, especially when one teammate is courageous enough to divulge the details of a very personal battle with cancer. I am still bummed that Eric didn't final in the 200 breaststroke, but I congratulate him on a personal best time, and even more so because of the fact that his semi-final swim time would have placed him 7th in the final!

While on a much more amateur level, I suppose the Olympic team is a bit like the Zone teams I participated on in my teens. Similar to the Olympic trials, the Zone team members were selected based on athletes' performance at the state Junior Olympics. The top 5-7 performers were selected to participate on a team representing the state (for me, North Carolina).

In the case of Zone teams, most of us actually did know each other pretty well. While we certainly didn't all train together, we spent many weekends competing against each other across the country and formed friendships along the way. In fact, I'm fairly certain that I was far more acquainted with many of my swimming competitors than I was with most of my classmates.

I have recently reconnected with several of my former swimming peers. As stated in my previous blog post, I'm sure the ongoing Olympics is fueling my nostalgia, but I must admit that for the first time in a very long time, I'm finding myself missing the swimming pool. However, the key bit of info is that I don't miss training, but I'm only missing the connection I shared with some fabulously talented athletes - those who pushed me to try harder, picked me up when I failed, congratulated me when I succeeded and carried me through a 15-year underwater career.

I was never an Olympian, but I was a 2-time high school conference MVP, a state finalist in the 200 I.M. and 200 free and I qualified for Y Nationals in the 400 I.M., 200 I.M., 200 free and 100 free.

And to attest for the power of support, I must say that I felt most successful after swimming the 200 freestyle my senior year at high school states, with my dearest friend Kerry cheering me on. In and out of the pool, she has always inspired me to be a better person.

As for the Olympics, I will now focus my attention on the women's marathon, directing all of my good thoughts to Blake Russell, the sister of my friend Blair Phillips. Kick A$$ Blake! We are all behind you!

Quote of the day

"Think big thoughts, but relish small pleasures."

-H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

My life as a swimmer

As most of my dearest friends are aware, I spent a great deal of my childhood and early adolescence in a swimming pool. To be exact, I began my "serious" competitive swimming career at age nine and didn't come to a full stop until my junior year of college at age 21. (Of course the nostalgia is running rampant with the ongoing Olympics).

The early years were fun and full of fresh adventure, but soon after my fourteenth birthday the novelty was a distant memory and bitterness set in. I hated swimming. I hated that I had to go to practice every day while my peers led their carefree lives. I remember my coach giving us a speech, telling us that while we might think of our lives as boring and regimented, surely there were hundreds of kids who would have preferred to be in our shoes. I still beg to differ.

In spite of my misery and bratty disregard for the sacrifices my parents made to support me in my athletic endeavors, I was afforded reasonable success. Nevertheless, extenuating circumstances and life-challenges ensued, bringing my rise to stardom to a screeching halt. But to this day, my greatest friends are those I met while swimming. For them, all that was endured was more than worth it. Kerry, Mark, Susan, Caroline and Scott - you are my treasures, gifted to me perhaps for enduring the Bob practices we grew to hate. You are all forever close to my heart.

Quote of the day

"One does not see anything until one sees its beauty."

-Oscar Wilde

The Eye of the Beholder

Beauty, love, admiration. These things truly are subjective, varying in degrees from person to person. It is these variations that maintain the balance between conventional and eccentric, conservative and liberal, middle of the road and leaps beyond.

While this post might seem to be heading down a rather existential path, all I'm really getting at is that I personally find my tiny terrier, Zoe, to be irresistibly cute. My dad insists that she is weird looking, abnormally boney and an all-around pain in the A$$. OK, yes, when wet she closely resembles an anorexic Chihuahua, she can't stand to be away from me (meaning she barks and paces non-stop until I appear before her once more), and she has a tendency to bite (especially the rear end of dark-haired males who come within two feet of her). Don't we all have our faults? I feel entirely reasonable offering the disclaimer, "Approach with caution and at your own risk." I too value my personal space, so far be it from me to force Zoe to tolerate encroaching intruders.

In all seriousness, Zoe has managed an astonishing improvement in her behavior since I adopted her in November of 2005. She has almost completely ceased biting, she's far less skittish around strangers, and she's developed an impressive tolerance for "youngster curiosity," meaning that she doesn't really mind Abby poking her, picking her up, petting her with a bit too much force, squeezing her, etc. (Good girl, Zo, keep it up!)

**Note: not so much in the last photo, but Zoe has a tendency to resemble the "Heat Meiser" from "The Year Without a Santa Clause." I add this note in honor of my old friend, Heat!**

So, back to "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." I bring that up because I realize that quite possibly, it is only a mother who could adore the face pictured in the following photos. Rat-looking, boney, demon-eyed - what have you - Zoe is my baby girl and her face is one of the most beautiful I lay my eyes on every day. May you all find yourselves as lucky as I am to have found TWO of the most amazing canine companions, with whom I gladly share my life. Bailey and Zoe: you RULE!

Quote of the day

"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity."

-Dorothy Parker

A Tribute to Fuzzpa

After Abby was born, nobody had given a great deal of thought as to what the nicknames of her paternal grandparents would be. At the time, I still had (2) living grandmothers: Grandmommmie and Nana. So mom became Grammy, but dad was a bit more reluctant to come up with a name for himself.

While I don't know all of the details, apparently on some road trip, mom and dad noticed the personalized license plate, "Fuzzpa." Since dad has had a full beard and mustache since he left the Air Force, the name Fuzzpa seemed entirely appropriate and Abby enthusiastically adopted it as the name for her beloved grandfather. Dad is now Fuzzpa to us all.

So while dining at Provision Company on Holden Beach this summer, I noticed the license plate pictured above and knew it must be photographed in honor of dad. Although we don't know exactly what Fuzzpa meant to the driver of the car carrying the Fuzzpa tag, we think of our Fuzzpa as the one and only!

Quote of the day

"Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you."

-Maori proverb

Holden Olives

Olive Shells (those I found this past week pictured right)
Family: Olividae. Number: about 400 species.

These small glossy gastropods are found in tropical and warm seas. Shaped like pointed olives (more like torpedoes to me), they have been used for jewelry and ornaments since prehistoric times. Each shell has its own color and design, due to a dye the animal secretes continuously over its lifetime. Using its large foot to pull its prey down, the olive snail feeds on worms, bivalve shell animals and crabs. Olive shells are popular with collectors because of their almost limitless range of patterns and colors. Most markings in olives consist of zigzags, chevrons and small tent-like (inverted V) markings.

The shell of the lettered olive, Oliva sayana, is the state shell of South Carolina in the United States. The shell coloration can vary from cream to a greyish exterior with reddish-brown zigzag markings. The common name of this species is derived from the darker surface markings that sometimes resemble letters. (See shells below darker center shell and to the left).
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In case you're wondering, I've included this brief informative entry on Olive shells because we became absolutely obsessed with finding them. So help us, we even planned some of our activities around the possible "prime Olive shelling" times. Maria is a pro. Honestly, I felt like a beach-combing virgin trying to keep up with her.

Interject: Phelps just CRUSHED the World Record in the 400 I.M. I don't miss swimming, but WOW, that kicked ass. Go U.S.A!

So, since it was our last morning today, Maria and I rose at 6 a.m. to search for the last of the Olives. While the beach wasn't loaded with the treasures for which we searched, we did find enough to make the trek worth it. Of course the champion of the week was Abby, who on Thursday found a fully intact Sand Dollar, almost without any effort at all!

Maria, double-fisting the caffeine while I snapped her photo under the pier

Saturday morning's sunrise

Me at sunrise (at this time in my life this is a RARE sight!)

Probably more latent Holden news to come. We had a smashing good time!

Quote of the day

"The beach was crowded, people tossed like ripe corn, buttering
themselves as they went..."

-Anne Sexton

Greetings from Holden Beach

Mom and I arrived safely at Coastal Living on Saturday night. We were both exhausted, so after catching up with everyone else, we all retired early. Sunday morning we decided to go to the beach for a while and then head out to the Tanger Outlets for the last day of tax-free weekend. Grammy (mom) was supposed to come down to the beach soon after we left, but she never came. We all wondered why but assumed she just decided to skip it for the day.

When I got back to the house, I found all of the rugs hanging from the back porch railing and all of the furniture relocated to the other end of the house. Grammy was in the shower. When I asked her what happened, she screamed from the shower, "Oh I've had SO much fun since you've been gone!" I thought she'd just gotten a wild desire to clean. I was very wrong.

When she came out she said the washing machine "exploded." All of the clothes remained in the overflowing machine and my mom spent the early afternoon frantically searching for a mop and then feverishly sweeping the river of water out the door. She was all alone in her quest, and not happy about it! It is the following morning and the rugs are still not dry.

This morning, my dad who cannot sit still, decided to weed and mow the lawn. He just cut the cable cord with the lawn mower. Abby is now facing a week without Sponge Bob. What else can go wrong?! Hoping my next report will be more positive.

Photo 1 below was taken Sunday, Todd and Abby body surfing.
Photo 2 is Abby (morning hair extraordinaire) and Maria, taken today.

Quote of the day

"We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry."

-E.B. White

Coastal Living

Later today, mom and I will be heading to Holden Beach (Supply, NC) for a week with the family. The name of the house we rent is "Coastal Living" and we absolutely love it. The owner is a friend of dad's, so Casey and Zoe get to come, too. Bailey isn't allowed because he will bolt if given the opportunity, and a beach house with two main entrances and a six-year-old occupant (the niece, Abby) is highly likely to provide him with many chances to escape. I really don't think "escape" is his intent, since he always appears to be relieved when I find him hours into his free venture, but that is a story for another time. Anyway, I truly believe Bailey would rather spend the week with the Burleighs and his pal Emma than to sweat it out at the beach.

Holden is an amazing family beach - very quiet, no large hotels, clean and close to other areas of interest: Kure Beach, Fort Fisher, Southport, Myrtle Beach and more. Our favorite restaurant nearby is Fishy Fishy in Southport. Not only is the food fabulous, but the atmosphere is perfectly relaxed (great for kids but you don't feel like you're at Chucky Cheese), and the dockside location offers a view of fantastic sunsets. If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend giving Fishy Fishy a try.

The photo of Zoe hanging out by the dock in the back yard is from the summer of 2006. I'm sure I'll be posting current pics upon my return. And remember to always wear sunscreen!

Happy trails...

Cheese and rice!

I read a blog entry yesterday from on my pole about misheard song lyrics (funny stuff!) and it reminded me of the humor my assistant and I find in movies that have been edited for television. While I'm sure it can be challenging to make certain movies acceptable for the general audience, it is apparent that there isn't always a lot of thought put into the words that are substituted for R-rated material.

Some of Jen and my favorites are below. I did not include the actual lines because that would require quite a bit of profanity, but I don't think anyone will have trouble figuring out what the real lines are.

"You can wipe that my pits don't stink look off your face."
Max to Ray in I Know What You Did Last Summer

"Judas Priest!"
Chris MacNeil in The Exorcist

"Your mother sews socks that smell!"
Regan MacNeil in The Exorcist

In The Faculty, when it is revealed the Delilah is an alien and she takes off, Zeke screams "Fooey!"

"This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps!"
Walter to Larry in The Big Lebowski

"Yippe-kay-aye, Mr. Falcon!"
John McClane in Die Hard

"Hand me the keys you fairy godmother"
McManus, Dean Keaton, Fenster, Todd Hockney & Verbal Kint in The Usual Suspects

"We bury the funsters!"
Sgt. Martin Riggs in Lethal Weapon

Quote of the day

My dear friend Kathy gave me a magnet that portrays the following message (of course I substituted photos of my "children")

"To you he's a dog. To me he's an adopted child who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly. I have no problem with any of these things."