dear you…inspired by the olympics

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Dear Francis Scott Key,

Thank you for writing the words that would eventually become our national anthem. As I’ve heard the music over and over during these Olympic games, I have realized just how much I love it. I don’t know many other countries’ national songs/anthems, but I don’t know that I would think any were nearly as inspirational or inspiring as ours. I am truly proud to be an American and feel blessed to live in a country with the heritage that ours has.

Sincerely,

Chloe

Dear Alain Bernard,

Don’t you know that trash talking before an event is the surest way to jinx it. I have to say that watching your French relay team lose was one of my favorite moments of the Olympic games thus far, second only to watching the American team win. I don’t feel bad for you at all. Maybe next time (should there be one) you’ll think before you make comments of the trash talk variety.

With much disappointment,

A girl who actually loves France and the French

Dear Bob Costas,

While I’m not a huge fan of Alain Bernard, I do believe that a commentator should at least attempt to pronounce the guy’s name correctly…especially when everyone around you is able to do it. It makes me insane. Seriously. They should fire you for that. It rhymes with “van” not “vain”. What the hell are they paying you for?

Sincerely,

A girl who wishes she could tell you to your face how annoying that is

Dear Michael Phelps,

You have been so fun to watch. Congratulations on all of your medals! You are seriously an inspiration.

Good luck in the rest of your races,

Chloe

Dear floor commentator for swimming,

I don’t even know your name, but you really bug me. I mean, the majority of commentators bug me (it’s the main reason I don’t like watching sports on TV…ever), but you have one the most annoying commentator award, hands down. You ask the dumbest questions. And then, when someone obviously doesn’t have anything to say on the topic, you just keeping drilling them with questions. A) This makes you look dumb. B) This is not political coverage, you aren’t trying to “get to the truth” or anything like that. This is sports. Get over yourself.

These poor swimmers generally are swimming in multiple events, the divers have to do multiple dives, and you just waste their time (and ours) by asking such lame questions. “So, what were you thinking about as you made that dive?” “I saw you doing that dive in warm ups. What do you think went wrong?” And the list goes on. I wish I could remember the exact exchange between you and Michael Phelps that bugged me so badly, but I can’t (I try an block annoying things out), but trust me, it was irritating.

Sincerely,

The girl who mutes the TV every time I see your face

Dear Dara Torres,

Wow! You are amazing. You are an inspiration to any woman who things that she is too old to live her dreams. So, most of us won’t be swimming in the Olympics as 41-year-old mothers, but if you can do that, I’m sure I can still be running marathons.

In complete awe,

Chloe

Dear Ryan Millar,

You and I went to the same church our freshman year of college. I’m sure you don’t remember me, but I remember going to volleyball games over in the Smith Field House and thinking I was “cool” because I “knew” you. Funny how I haven’t outgrown those dorky feelings. Good luck tonight again Bulgaria!

Sincerely,

A girl who feels like a dorky freshman all over again

Dear Chinese female gym coaches,

You’re not fooling anyone. That doesn’t change the fact that your girls are great gymnasts, but really, it’s too bad you can’t just play by the rules. And I know that Amanda Borden (who was very nice in person the one time I met her) said that people wouldn’t be focusing on this if our team had won the gold, but I don’t agree. No, our women didn’t deserve the gold with all of our errors, but that doesn’t change the fact that you are cheating and that you are teaching these young girls that lying and cheating is okay.

With sincere disappointment,

A girls that’s proud of our silver medal winning women

Dear Olympians,

You are amazing people. Yes, some of you may not have done your best in these Olympic games, but you made it. You are there living your dreams and inspiring others to live theirs. And really, watching you just makes me so grateful to have a body. It is amazing to watch what our bodies can do (maybe not mine, but someone’s). Thank you for being such great examples of dedication. It is seriously fabulous to watch.

Love,

Chloe

P.S. This does not apply to those of you who abuse your bodies with drugs or any other means. You guys make me kind of sick actually.

children suck your brain

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I haven’t posted in the last two weeks because I’ve been very, very busy. I’m in Arizona helping my sister and her husband with their 13-month-old little girl and newborn baby boy (he was born last week and is an absolute joy!). They are also in the middle of a move. It’s been a little hectic, to say the least.

Now to the post.

So, with all of this going on, I’ve been a bit sleep deprived. I’m sure you mothers out there know what it’s like. Yes, I’m often sleep deprived, but the exhaustion children cause is like nothing else out there.

Anyway, my sister, niece, nephew and I are driving through the drive-thru at Sonic the other day. It was happy hour, so we had a long wait. The two kids are happy in the back, my sister is making phone calls, and I’m checking my email on my phone as I inch the car forward (I’m a safe driver, I swear). We continue like this, all happily doing our things. La la la.

Suddenly, my sister looks at me, after hanging up with some idiot contractor, and asks, “Did you order?”

What? I look to my left and see that I have passed the little order station. In fact, it’s two cars back. And no, I didn’t order.

I have never felt like such a dumb blond in my life. Ever. (Justin, if you can think of others, I don’t want to hear them). So, we get to the window, I tell the cute little 16-year-old what happened and he took our order. He was very sweet, but you could tell he was laughing at me inside. Thankfully we were at Sonic, where they are used to bringing your food to your car, so it was no big deal to pull the car out of the way and wait for him to bring us our drinks.

My sister just looked at me and said, “I’m glad I’m not the only one who gets her brain sucked by children”.

Speaking of children, the munchkin has caught on to the fact that I’m leaving her in her highchair extra long so I can get this post out. Time to go!

ETA: Just got back from our (almost) daily trip to Sonic. This time it was just me and the munchkin. I did it AGAIN! How spacey am I??? Those blasted lines make you think that you have time to get things done, but noooo. This time, though, the line was short enough that I just drove around again, putting my phone away and leaving my window rolled down. Nothing like the AZ heat to remind you why your window is down. I’m such an idiot.

my second mom

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Yesterday, I got to spend the day in my hometown and I got to spend a good chunk of time with Sydne, (my mom’s bff), Hillary, and Ashley (my partner in crime throught my childhood) and a few of their kids (which was super fun as I had never met some of them).

Speaking of low maintenance friends, these women are the best. I love them all dearly, I enjoy keeping up on their lives through their blogs, and I would do anything for them…and yet, we probably talk once or twice a year, and only see each other when I manage to make it back here and all of our schedules workout.

Anyway, when I got to Sweet Affair yesterday (this fabulous bakery with the most amazing sandwiches) and saw Sydne, I ran over to her (literally) and got a big hug and just started to cry. I kind of forget sometimes how much it sucks to not have a mom, but one visit with the Sydsters (as I like to call her) is enough to get me through an entire year. Seriously. Next to my own mother (yes, I actually wouldn’t have traded my mom, even with all of her quirks and crazyness), if I could hand-pick a mom, Sydne would be it.

She is hands down the best listener I know. Maybe it’s because she loves us, maybe it’s who she is, maybe it’s a little of both, but seriously, I feel like a new person. My favorite thing about how she listens is that she just listens. As I think back on the conversation yesterday, not once did she give me advice. She didn’t judge. She just listened and loved. And when she does have something to say, it is always the perfect thing…just exactly what I need. I think of all of the years of wisdom she has and yet it’s never about her and her being able to get her two cents in. Sydne is probably the most selfless person I have ever met.

Okay, I’m sure she has her flaws. We all do. But I’d be hardpressed to come up with any…maybe she’s a little too forgiving, but is that really possible?

Getting to have a relationship with Sydne as an adult is probably the closest thing I will have to knowing what it would have been like with my own mom, so I am especially grateful that she is still a part of my life. And I hope that I can be just like her (and my mom) someday. I hope that I am that person that people can turn to with their problems because I don’t judge, I don’t have my own agenda, I truly just want to help.

Yeah, I know. I’m not that person today. Don’t worry. No dillusions of grandeur here. I’ve got a long way to go, but it was nice to be reminded what my goal is.

Thanks for a fabulous day, ladies!

new friends

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This post is more of a journal entry than anything, but since this is my journal…well, you understand.

So, thanks to Danielle, I had the opportunity during my time here in NorCal to reconnect with a distant cousin (distant in relation…we grew up in the same town and our moms were great friends).

I actually ran into Jake about a year and a half ago on campus, and he was very nice and polite and told me to let him know if I wanted him to write me a recommendation when I applied the school in P-town. And that was the end of it. I knew that he was married, but I hadn’t met his wife. I knew that he had kids, but nothing more.

Well, when Danielle was in the area for work last week, we headed to Jake’s house for dinner. I had no idea what I was in for as Jake and I weren’t really friends (he’s my younger brother’s age…and that matters in high school, apparently), but I assure you that, whatever my expectations, my experience exceeded them.

Jake and Lora are absolutely fabulous and their children are darling. I managed to make it over there two more times in the last week and a half and enjoyed every minute. They fed me fabulous food (Jake’s a great cook) and great conversation.

It was one of those instant-click situations with Lora. I knew I’d like her because Danielle had great things to say, but you know when you just feel like someone is going to be a big part of your life (even if you only see them once a year). That’s how I feel about these two. Maybe it’s that we are related, but I think it’s more about finding those kindred spirits with whom I can just be myself. I love how people come into our lives at just the right time. It kind of makes it hard to not believe in God.

low maintenance

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There are a lot of things that are high maintenance chez moi, but my friendships are not one of them. In fact, I have a really hard time with friendships that are.

One of the things that has been the most fun about this trip out to California and my time in Arizona is getting to connect with old friends. And one of the things I’ve realized is how much I appreciate the low level of maintenance required to continue these friendships.

Last week I went to “coffee” with one of my high school friends and it was so much fun. I got to see her darling apartment in the city and her beautiful baby girl and we just chatted and caught up. Truthfully, it had been a little over a year since I last saw her (and almost that long since we’ve spoken) and we probably won’t talk again for a year and I’m the one who’ll get in touch with her because I’m the one who comes to town, which makes perfect sense to me. It’s a great arrangement.

I am an extremely social person. I love having things to do and people with whom I can do them, and I love knowing people, but I hate feeling obligated; it’s that feeling of dread that comes when certain friends call because you know that if you don’t have time to talk, they’ll be offended. Or that realization, after not talking to a friend for a month, or two, that said friend is going to be pissed. Or knowing that a friend who always remembers your birthday is going to be angry because you didn’t remember hers even though you live on opposite sides of the country and you never see each other and rarely talk. Or when life circumstances change thus changing the nature of your friendship, and your friend can’t handle it (like when someone gets married, or starts graduate school, or moves).

Not only do I appreciate low maintenance friends, but I try very hard to be a low maintenance friend. I think low maintenance friendships are representative of good friendships; friendships where insecurities have ceased to exist, where true understanding of each other and our natures has been reached. If I call up a friend to do something and she says, “You know, I’m just not in the mood tonight,” I’m not offended or angry, or even hurt, I just consider it a sign of a healthy friendship. Who wants to be friends with someone who a) can’t be herself around you and/or b) does things out of some weird sense of obligation. It’s like they have this “manual on friendship” and want everyone to follow it and play by the same rules.

I know there are people out there who are not like me in this way. And I’m not saying the way I am is the best way to be. It may not be..although of course I think it is, or I’d probably try to change (and there are definitely things that I need to change and I’m working on them). I guess, to me, low maintenance represents a genuine friendship, one where I do things because I actually like the person and not because I’m in fear of her getting upset.

Anyway…my point: if you are a high maintenance friend who chooses to be friends with a low maintenance one and you want the friendship to work (which goes against my personal belief that relationships of any kind should never be forced, unless it’s family), you’re going to have to just understand our low maintenance ways because chances are we just can’t be bothered.

And once again, I’m sure most of you are wondering how on earth I manage to keep any friends. I ask myself the same thing every day. Okay, not really. I actually think I’m a pretty good friend, just misunderstood sometimes. But I guess it all depends on your definition of a “good friend”.

And for my next friendship post: Why some people can’t seem to transition from full-time to part-time friend and how to best deal with it. Ha ha ha. Because I’m some kind of expert.