Separated by - Olympic Edition

Separated by the 9-0 Area Code
(Phelps' swimmer pal Ryan Lochte and Jason Priestly, aka Brendan Walsh)











Separated by a Cape & Kryptonite
(Amazingly strong and fascinating Chinese rings gymnast Chen Yibing and Superman)












Separated by the Mean Green
(Big-mouthed swaggering French swimmer Alain Bernard and Incredible Hulk Lou Ferrigno)













Separated by Slightly Annoying Scoring Tips
(Gymnastics gold medalist and commentator Tim Daggett and consumer advocate Clark Howard)













Separated by the West Water Wing
(Swimmer Aaron Piersol and Bradley Whitford)

An Addiction of Olympic Proportions

Last night, I crouched in our living room at 11:45, tense, coiled and watched Jason Lezak start to overtake Alain Borden. And then I leapt into the air and whisper screamed, “Go! Go! Go!” Lezak touched the wall just eight hundredths of a second ahead of Borden, who had bragged earlier in the day that the French team would “smash the Americans.” Michael Phelps let out what could only be described as a barbaric yelp – and took home his second gold of the ’08 summer Olympics in Beijing.

This is the confession of an Olympic junkie. So far, I have watched men’s and women’s gymnastics, beach volleyball, water polo, double scull rowing, badminton, weightlifting, swimming, synchronized diving – need I go on? Events I haven’t yet watched likely just haven’t happened yet. If it’s Olympic competition, I will watch it. (With one exception – I don’t enjoy watching Kobe rock his NBA star attitude during the Olympics, so I don’t watch men’s basketball…but that’s another story.)

I love the stories – the journeys from humble beginnings to greatness. I love the unbelievable feats – 41-year-old Dara Torres already taking silver; a 33-year-old woman competing on Germany’s gymnastics team. Michael Phelps and his quest for record gold. It makes me scream and cry and jump up and down. I want to hug someone. I want to call them heroes. I want to give the world a Coke. Go World!

P.S. I'm posting this in between watching the men's gymnastics finals - at quarter past midnight!