Happy Mother's Day!!

To a fantabulous mom.

I love you Mummie!!

The Madness that is March

I never really enjoyed basketball at all until I filled out my first bracket. I used to think March Madness was boring and annoying because it preempted my TV. But once I'd actually picked a teams to win, it gave me someone to root for; someone to be invested in. Plus I like being right and winning (I still feel like Duke betrayed by me going out in the 1st round that year). And yes, I make some of my picks the girly way - team colours, if I know someone who goes/went there, if I think one team's mascot could beat the other team's mascot in a fight. This year I threw my job search into the equation and if I was applying to that school, or maybe even one near by/in the same state, chances are good I have you getting out of the first round at least... (Hey Pete, if I'm making picks the girly way and our brackets are pretty similar, what's your excuse?)

Question: If you're in multiple pools, do you make the same picks or do you change it up on games you feel are a toss up, choosing one team in pool A and the other for pool B?

I do try and base it on the rankings somewhat, so unfortunately (being ranked #10) I couldn't send my favourite team very far. My Fear Turtles*...

I will be a bit sad when I have to cheer against you, but for now Go Fear Turtles Go!!!

*I DO know that Maryland is actually the Terps

Olympic Fever

I heard on the radio the other day that it was 1 year until the Opening Ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. I can't wait!! I love watching the Olympics on TV. It was especially fortunate that I finished my summer semester the day the Beijing Olympics started this year. It left me with days where I could do nothing but watch Olympics. I was in heaven.

Hearing it was only a year made me think back to the day of the Opening Ceremonies of the Calgary games in 1988. I often wish I had been older than 9 at the time so I could really enjoy and experience the games, but I digress...

Hard to believe it was 21 years ago, today. Geoff had somehow gotten an invitation to go to the unveiling of the Olympic stamps at Convention Centre, so Mom took us downtown for that. But so many people had shown up we had to watch it on monitors in the lobby, since the conference hall was full. I'm pretty sure we got some free food (something that as a graduate student I have learned makes almost any event worth attending) and then left. We walked down Stephen Ave. Mall and went up to the top of the Calgary Tower to watch the Olympic Torch come up Centre Street and accross the bridge.

We went to Safeway and bought a cake with Heidi & Howdy, the Olympic Mascots, on it and took it over Grandma & Grandpa's, since it was also their birthday. We also had sparklers for the cake, that we wanted to light when they lit the torch at the stadium, but I'm pretty sure we got too impatient for cake and lit them early so we could eat it. Oh well. We tried. Happy Birthday Grandma & Grandpa - I miss you.


That day is one of my favourite childhood memories. I'm so excited for the Olympics to return to Canada!! Hopefully Safeway will be selling cakes...