Costumes and Choreography and Giant Flames...

I don’t know what you’re doing tomorrow night, but I’ll be making an imprint of my ass on the couch as I take in the Opening Ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. I am literally rabid with excitement. Li’l Sis and I are even ordering Chinese take-out for dinner. We love a themed dinner party!

My expectations are very high… no one does pageantry like the Chinese, so I’m very interested to see what they’ve come up with. I’m looking for color, movement, and synchronization. How do you say, “Make it Work!” in Chinese?

Also, I’ve made a wager with myself that I can cut two miles off my next jog if I can make it through the torch-lighting ceremony without crying… something I’ve NEVER been able to do. I’m such a sucker for ceremonial flames and the lighting thereof. Gets me every time.

Most people tune out during the Parade of Nations, but I am OBSESSED. For one thing, the outfits are fantastic. If you thought last night’s Project Runway episode was full of Fug, wait until you watch an entire parade of national sportswear designed with varying degrees of taste. Now that’s entertainment. It’s also a geography lesson. Watch with your laptop nearby so you can look up every country you’ve never heard of on Google Maps. Learn something!



Admittedly, I am a little disappointed that this will be a Hamm-less Olympics. If you haven’t heard, both Paul and Morgan Hamm have dropped out of contention due to injuries. Of course, I will still watch the Men’s Gymnastics competition, and maybe this will give us a chance to focus on the other amazing male sex machines athletes on the U.S. Team, like Raj Bhavsar (pic below). I will miss the twins, but hey, we’ll always have Athens.