A Time of Pride and Tears

This is a time of great pride for Canadians. We enjoyed watching the Olympic torch make its way across the country in the longest domestic torch relay in Olympic history. It was carried by proud Canadians from all walks of life and cheered by thousands in every city and town. My children's school took the kids to watch it go by and they came home absolutely beaming with excitement. It made me a little jealous that I was stuck in the office that day. They get to do all the cool stuff :(

I came home yesterday in a great mood, it was Friday after all, and excited to watch the opening ceremonies. That smile turned to tears so very quickly when I turned on the news. The death of Georgian luge athlete, Nodar Kumaritashvili, was at the top of the news; as incredibly sad as it was shocking and left me in tears. These young men and women shed blood, sweat and tears for years to attain the chance to compete in the Olympics. Nodar was taken away on the eve of that dream coming true; a cruel fate that sent us all reeling.

This wasn't the only time my eyes were wet last night though. When the Georgian athletes arrived with their black armbands, when the Canadian athletes proudly marched in (okay, wet eyes AND a big, goofy grin), when the national anthem was sung and even when the cauldron was lit, despite the technical difficulties.

I even had a few good laughs following my friends' tweets during the broadcast. Even when I'm watching an event alone, I'm never quite alone when I'm tweeting. No matter what event, Grammies, Super Bowl or Olympics, there are always some great one-liners and lively conversation zinging back and forth; almost as much fun as the event itself. I'm quite looking forward to the Oscars!

It was a night of emotions that went from one extreme to another in a very short period of time. The Olympics seem to have that effect on all of us whether we are into athletics or not (in my case, not). I suppose that it's a matter of national pride. I don't mean the "national pride" that people drag out when debating hot-button topics but the kind that we feel when we see the fresh, young faces of our athletes coming together with their counterparts from other countries to compete for glory in their chosen sport. This is something that's worth holding your head high for.

Kat

Caution: 40th Birthdays May Lead to Hangovers!

My morning greeting

A couple of drinks into the evening

Me and DJ Chick

PC showing me his talented tongue! (no it doesn't stand for Politically Correct; far from it!)


Yes, I know, I resolved to do a post-a-week and I failed that last weekend. In my own defense, I spent half of last weekend hung-over from my Friday night birthday celebration. I had way too much fun!

I don't usually do much for my birthday but, since it was my fortieth, I figured that I should mark it somehow. My coworkers/friends thought the same thing. I arrived at work that morning to a sign on my computer screen and I was surprised with a cake and a chorus later on. I even received a couple of nice gifts (smelly stuff and a gift card for my favourite book store). I don't tend to seek the spotlight. As a matter of fact, I'm usually the one in the corner as far from the spotlight as humanly possible. I could feel my cheeks burning the whole time but still loved it!

Anyway, I marked the event by inviting everyone to join me for drinks after work where my SIL, DJ Chick, and her friends D and Elvis joined us. Well, a few drinks turned into getting home at 2:30 am but it was a blast. It was DJ Chick who gave me a kick in the ass and got me to do something for my fortieth and I'm eternally grateful to her for it. We had many shots, made fun of the poor band (not their fault; lousy sound system), learned how to "tongue" the alphabet from PC and mocked a couple of the more arrogant bar patrons. Would you believe that there was a guy who looked like Fabio - a much older Fabio, mind you?! Ew!! There was even a guy who asked DJ Chick to feel his package (no not Fabio). I didn't get that lucky (*rolls eyes*) but I guess I can't have everything.

I am very lucky, though; I've got friends and family that make life worth getting out of bed for. People that will gladly come out and drink a toast (or two or three) to me, an ex-husband who, without hesitation, gave up his Friday night to take our kids as well as DJ Chick's daughter (his niece) so that I could get out and celebrate, a mother who makes me a bit crazy but is always generous and there for me, and the list goes on.......

The next day, I asked on Twitter if anyone would believe me if, given how I was feeling, I said that I would never drink again. The answer was an emphatic "NO". Yeah, you're right, I don't believe it either.

Kat