Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Don't forget to pack your jodhpurs

Olympic Round Up Part II

1.)  I'm just going to admit it here:  I kind of love the equestrian sports.  Dressage is basically just fancy horse dancing but it's mesmerizing to watch.  And the course races where they have to leap over giant things makes me so nervous that it's exhilarating when they make it.  And Prince Phillip was there the other day to watch his granddaughter compete.  And you know how I feel about Prince Phillip (he's awesome.)

2.)  In that vein, packing for a few weeks in England with your horse must be a beast.  It's not like you're a runner and all you need is a tank top, some teeny shorts, and a few pair of sneakers.  You have to pack a saddle, a blazer, riding breeches, a crop, boots, and a top hat. And then you have to pack all of your horse's stuff too.  Not to mention you to have to get your horse over there.  How much does it cost to ship a horse to England?  And how does one do it?  Carrier plane?  Trans-Atlantic ocean liner?  Ugh, the logistics! 

3.)  The British Men's Gymnastics team was robbed of that silver medal by the hipster-haired Japanese.  I could have gotten into a better handstand position than that last guy did at the end of his pommel horse routine, and my arm strength is like unto day-old spaghetti noodles.  But didn't you just weep for the Brits that they actually got a medal?  And didn't you love how excited Princes Will and Harry were?  And the crowd was nutso!

4.)  Okay, so maybe I'm being unfair to the Japanese because I just finished that book Unbroken and this poor guy was a prisoner in a a Japanese POW camp during WWII and they were monsterous to him.  I mean appallingly brutal.  I can't shake it and well, it's carrying over a bit.  Let's hope one of them does something charming in the next 2 weeks so that I can put them back into the category of Countries I Don't Root For But Don't Necessarily Root Against Unless They Are Up Against A Country I Love.
5.)  I get really claustrophobic when I watch the white water sports.  I envision myself wearing that life vest and helmet and being tucked into the kayak and water pouring all over me and having to paddle upstream to get around the gates and suddenly I find myself taking really deep breaths. 

6.)  We could all use some sub-titles for Bela Karolyi, am I right?  But his mustache is glorious.

5 comments:

Stephanie said...

I was just thinking that about Bela Karolyi, but I love watching him speak. He gets so engaged in what he is saying that it almost doesn't matter what he says, he says it with gusto! His mustache truly is a work of art - and he is greying beautifully.

Valerie said...

Re #3: I couldn't agree more. Give me a break, judges. But it wouldn't be the Olympics without some scoring shenanigans. Ugh. Example 2, Makayla Maroney's PERFECT vault tonight, and what happens? The judges deduct points for "not being Romanian enough".

Also, I was JUST wondering how you get those crew boats to the Olympics. Maybe the same ship as the horses. Note to self: choose a lower maintenance sport, like rhythmic gymnastics. I could carry that ball on my lap during the plane ride. Or the pins could go in the overhead compartment. Easy as pie.

Wendy said...

I always wonder what part of Romania Bela Karolyi is from becauce it doesn't sound like any Romanian's accent I've ever heard. Also-hasn't he lived in the States for 30 years? I don't know how these people keep their accents...if I even have a layover in Atlanta I end up sounding like Scarlett O'hara...maybe that's a uniquely American propensity? Look at Madonna and Gweneth...

Rach said...

Amen to everything. My mom and I were watching the men's gymnastics and she said, "I think all those Japanese gymnasts are trying to look like anime characters." She makes an excellent point. Also, do you think the lady that has to interview the athletes after the swim races silently curses when they lose? Because then she has to ask them stupid questions like, "How did you feel when you did super crappy in that last race?" and "Are you going to do better in the next race?" And there's the lady that waited around for Jordyn what's-her-name to stop sobbing so she could ask her how she felt. On a different subject, I adore Bela Karolyi and his mustache. No idea what he's talking about, but I could listen to him for hours.

Andrea said...

What about that Japanese gymnast's underarm hair? Holy afro pits, Batman!