Olympic Observations

When the US women's gymnastic team talks to the press, they speak in motivational clichés and fortune cookie quotes. They're young, and lovely girls, so it's okay with me. It's just so funny!

Why do the female swimmers hug and kiss and congratulate each other after a race, while the guys don't even look at each other? The girls are always so supportive of one another afterwards, even swimming across lanes to tell someone "That was amazing!" Finally, for the first time, after yesterday's Phelps win in the 100m butterfly, he collected hugs from silver medalist Chad le Clos of South Africa on one side and the guy on the other as well. Way to go, men! Hug it out!

Chad and Michael. Photo from ESPN

Saturday 9: Meme 250 - Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

1. Do you ever feel like you are nowhere?
Whenever I drive through Buda.

2. Do you keep your cool no matter what is going on around you?
To an extent. If it's a medical emergency and there's blood involved, I usually have to leave the area at some point. If it's something where people around me are freaking out or pissed off, I outwardly appear to be keeping my cool, but Jeff will hear all the mumbling under my breath and know that I'm not cool at all.

3. Do you feel that career should be more important than your love life?
I moved to Austin to marry my college sweetheart, completely forgoing a big nuclear engineering career. So no.

4. In what way do you feel that you are unique?
As the US women's gymnastics team would say: I am unique in every way... and in no way at all.

5. Do you feel that there is a part of you that you need to hide from most people?
The part that sings show tunes at the top of my lungs while I'm doing the dishes and no one's home.

6. Have you ever held on to a relationship even though you truly knew it was already over?
No. None of my serious relationships had that sort of path, where you know it should end, but it hasn't yet.

7. Would you say that you are a winner in this game of life?
I've survived two types of cancer and ended up with a wonderful family. If that isn't winning, I don't know what is.

8. Can you tell us about a time when you were broke and yet still happy?
College! I've never been completely broke, but I lived on a very minimal amount of money then. I'm actually very good at it, and could go back in a second if I had to. College is a good time to be broke, because everyone is broke right along with you.

9. Do you think staying celibate between relationships important?
What degree of celibacy are we talking about? When I was dating, I didn't get super-intimate with anyone unless we were in a relationship. It was important to me to never have regrets in that arena. Did I make out with guys I went out with once or twice? Sometimes. But nothing where I would have been embarrassed to have seen them the next day at the mall.

Can you tell I was 22 the last time I dated? :)