Let's Get the Weekend Started!

[rusty_armour]

Well, it seemed to take, like, a whole week, but Friday is finally here. As Monday is a holiday, I got out of work at 12:30, so my weekend started even earlier. :-) Not only that but my weekend includes lots and lots of CHOCOLATE! My family gave me a whole bagful last weekend for Valentine's Day and then I received this lovely little package of nine Lindt chocolates from Redcliff (the company that owns the building I work in) this morning. I'll probably eat the Redcliff chocolates tonight as my mom left three notes on the family Valentine's Day supply telling me to keep out until the 14th. Well, actually, the first note said the 14th. Then she wrote a second note saying the 13th would be okay. Her third note informed me that I could open the bag on the 12th if I got desperate. With my Redcliff chocolates, I think I can hold out until tomorrow. I would totally wait until Valentine's Day, but I'll be over at jackycomelately's place and far away from my chocolates.

It will be nice to watch the Opening Ceremonies tonight. I boycotted the last Olympics, so I don't think I've seen one in about four years. A part of me thinks it's great that the Olympics are being held in Vancouver and a part of me is nervous. There's been so much build up and propaganda with commercials about how Canada is going to show the world how good it is, etc. In my opinion, Canada + hubris = massive failure. Canadians aren't supposed to brag. It's unnatural. I just have this horrible feeling that we're going to fall flat on our faces. Of course, I'm a pessimist and I worry about everything. If I fear the worst then there's a good chance it won't happen. It's a kind of insurance plan I've invested in my entire life and it works. *g*

Is it too early to start digging into my chocolate yet...?

Comments

[lazigyrl.livejournal.com]

Plan for the worst, hope for the best and life lands somewhere in between. My life's philosophy.

The opening ceremonies won't be the spectacle that Beijing threw. but I think it will be enjoyable. Still I am mostly wanting to know who lights the torch, it's been hotly debated on several sites I tend to surf which has pushed my interest up greatly. (Am I a bad Canadian that I don't want it to be Gretzky?)

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

Plan for the worst, hope for the best and life lands somewhere in between. My life's philosophy.

Great philosophy! It's a good balance between pessimism and optimism! :-)

The opening ceremonies won't be the spectacle that Beijing threw. but I think it will be enjoyable.

Well, Vancouver won't have some pretty little girl lip-synching, but I'm sure it will manage somehow. As I didn't watch any of the Beijing Olympics, I won't be able to make any comparisons. *g*

Still I am mostly wanting to know who lights the torch, it's been hotly debated on several sites I tend to surf which has pushed my interest up greatly. (Am I a bad Canadian that I don't want it to be Gretzky?)

Well, if not wanting it to be Gretzky makes you a bad Canadian then I must be one too because I don't want him to light the torch either. I actually have no idea who it will be, so I'm hoping it will be a pleasant surprise.

Love your Olympic icon btw! :-D

[bakerybard.livejournal.com]

I dunno... I tend to see Canadian patriotism less as "we're number one!" and more, "y'know what? I like us." As long as we stick to that, we should be fine. :)

...and it's never too early for chocolate.

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

I dunno... I tend to see Canadian patriotism less as "we're number one!" and more, "y'know what? I like us." As long as we stick to that, we should be fine. :)

Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against Canadian patriotism and I agree with your views on it. I just feel as if some of the commercials for the Olympics have been heading in the "We're number one" direction. Of course, they're trying to get people to watch the event, so I guess they would want to turn it up a notch. And the commercials aren't really a reflection of Canadian patriotism, so I'm not sure why I'm being such a drama queen about it. *g*

...and it's never too early for chocolate.

I'm happy to hear it because I've already eaten three. ;-)

[grondfic.livejournal.com]

*Icon love*

Yay for the Master!

Looking forward to the (pitifully inadequate) BBC coverage of the Olympics.

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

*Icon love*

Yay for the Master!

Oh, thank you! :-) I wasn't sure if anyone would like it. I've had the idea in my head for quite a long time and finally decided to sit down and create the icon.

Looking forward to the (pitifully inadequate) BBC coverage of the Olympics.

I'm sorry the BBC doesn't provide better coverage of the Olympics. If you can wait two years, I'm pretty sure the BBC will be providing much better coverage in 2012... *g*

[karen9.livejournal.com]

Lindt chocolates! Yum! I agree that's its never too early to eat chocolates. They're good with tea for breakfast.

You're right, Canada is not a bragging nation. It feels wrong and forced.

I hope the Olympics go well.

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

Lindt chocolates! Yum! I agree that's its never too early to eat chocolates. They're good with tea for breakfast.

Oooooh! That does sound good! I'll have to try that some time! It could be the new breakfast of champions! *g*

You're right, Canada is not a bragging nation. It feels wrong and forced.

Well, there you go. Even outside of Canada, it seems wrong. I mean, it's one thing to be proud, but I think Canada is entering dangerous territory if it goes beyond that...or maybe I've just been brainwashed into thinking that. *g*

I hope the Olympics go well.

Yeah, I hope so too. It started off on a very sad note with the death of Nodar Kumaritashvili. I found it very moving that the Georgians chose to be in the opening ceremony. That was very courageous of them. I'm also glad that there was a moment of silence for Nodar Kumaritashvili.

On a happier note, I thought of you when I saw South Africa in the parade of athletes. I'm guessing South Africa isn't exactly known for winter sports, but I hope your athletes do well. :-)

[sublunarfields.livejournal.com]

Too early for chocolate? It's never too early for chocolate! :)
About your strategy of worrying as a sort of insurance plan - I do it too! Mostly it seems to work. When bad things hit me, I usually never saw them coming at all.

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

Too early for chocolate? It's never too early for chocolate! :)

Yes, I thought the exact same thing last night when I was stuffing my face with them. *g*

About your strategy of worrying as a sort of insurance plan - I do it too! Mostly it seems to work. When bad things hit me, I usually never saw them coming at all.

Unfortunately, it doesn't always work. As you've pointed out, bad things often happen when you don't see them coming at all. However, when you think the worst, you can often be pleasantly surprised when things don't go badly - or as badly as you thought they would. *g*

[boobamiaow.livejournal.com]

I've been crap so far-was all excited and then missed the replay of the opening ceremony today and then have watched crap tv instead!
I was so upset to hear of the death of the Georgian Luger-what a tragic start to the games :(

My bro was telling me that in the run up, the Canadians haven't let any other teams on the track until they had to, giving them an unfair advantage. So we decided if true it's bad sportsmanship! (not a dig at Canadians-just to clarify :O) )

And I'm in agreement on the pessimism side-I'm dreading how we'll do in 2012!

I have satellite and Eurosport are showing a lot of it I hope. I'm sure I'll catch up with some of it tomorrow.

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

I've been crap so far-was all excited and then missed the replay of the opening ceremony today and then have watched crap tv instead!

I'm sure I would have managed to miss the opening ceremony too if my sister hadn't specifically reminded me. As it is, I haven't caught any actual events yet. Well, I saw a tiny bit of the women's hockey game, but that was it.

I was so upset to hear of the death of the Georgian Luger-what a tragic start to the games :(

It was extremely upsetting. While it's not much of a consolation, I think the tragedy may have brought the athletes closer. I found it very touching when the Georgians were brave enough to march in the parade of athletes and received a standing ovation. I was also glad to see that there was a minute of silence for Nodar Kumaritashvili during the opening ceremony.

My bro was telling me that in the run up, the Canadians haven't let any other teams on the track until they had to, giving them an unfair advantage. So we decided if true it's bad sportsmanship! (not a dig at Canadians-just to clarify :O) )

I could be mistaken, but I think people were being kept off the track while the investigation was being conducted and that wall was being constructed along the area where Nodar Kumaritashvili had his accident. I assume that if athletes were being kept off the track, the Canadian team was included on that list. However, I haven't been following the story that closely, so I could be wrong.

I have satellite and Eurosport are showing a lot of it I hope. I'm sure I'll catch up with some of it tomorrow.

If nothing else, I would think that satellite and Eurosport will show highlights. I know that some events were pushed back (and possibly cancelled) because of weather conditions, so you may not have missed as much as you think.

[bakerybard.livejournal.com]

Prior to the games, the Canadians got a lot more time on the course than anybody else did (this is normal; the home nation always gets the home field advantage). People are pointing out that the Canadians have logged hundreds of training runs down the course, while sliders from other nations have had something like 30 or 40. I feel the need to point out, though, that this tragedy happened on Kumaritashvili's 27th run. Everybody who got more runs also had early runs and survived them, so I'm not sure of the validity of the argument. I thought the lowering of the Canadian and Olympic flags to half-mast at the Opening Ceremonies was a lovely gesture.

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

Oh, I see. This could be what boobamiaow's brother was referring to. However, as you've pointed out, the home nation would naturally have the home field advantage. This is nothing new. And if other nations have had 30 or 40 training runs, it doesn't sound as if the Canadians are keeping them off the track. I hadn't realized that Kumaritashvili's accident happened on his 27th run -- not that this minimizes the tragedy. I have to admit that I got kind of pissed off when I read that human error was being blamed for the accident and that a more experienced luger wouldn't have been killed. Maybe I'm completely insane, but shouldn't the track be safe enough for any experienced luger to use, not just the super human and super efficient variety? Even the best athletes in the world make mistakes, especially if they think they're flying down a death trap!

I'd forgotten that the Canadian and Olympic flags were lowered to half-mast during the opening ceremony. That was a lovely gesture. :-)

[boobamiaow.livejournal.com]

Yep-that's what my bro meant-in the months/weeks prior the the games,apparantly.

Yep I was pissed off when I read they were blaming it on human error-as if they're saying 'oh he f****d it up, not our fault he got killed'

I watched some of the luging at 2am this morn and instead of enjoying it, I was tense the whole way through. 2 of the lugers went so high on the last bend they bumped into the wood (this is where the luger died) and the commentators were saying 'another one safely down.' I know they have to make it challenging/exciting-but I didn't enjoy it at all.