The Ice Queens

Last night I watched the figure skating championships. I love to watch ice skating and especially when it is for the Olympics. So last night the top three skaters would go to the Olympics next month in Italy. My favorite was Sasha Cohen, and has been my favorite for years now. I can't stand Michelle Kwan. Did I say I couldn't stand her? I CAN'T STAND Michelle Kwan. She is always the media favorite, but when she has been competing in the Olympics (the last two) she hasn't done well at all. I have never thought she was all she was cracked up to be. But you wouldn't know it to hear her talk and hear the media talk about her. She lost but still gets her picture on the covers of all the magazines. Anyway, she wasn't able to compete last night because she was injured (which I wonder about). So the top three winners were Sasah Cohen, Kimmie somebody who was okay, and then Emily Hughes. Now Emily is the younger sister of Sarah Hughes, who actually won the Olympic gold four years ago (beating out Kwan). So I was kind of pulling for her to win last night too. She was really good, but she fell close to the end. So that put her at third place. Well, because they were taking the top three, and she was third, she should, by rights, go to the Olympics, right? No. Michelle Kwan has "petitioned" to go to the Olympics and just overlook that she wasn't able to try out last night. Well, too bad. That's the breaks. But, because she is "America's sweetheart" or something they are letting her go, and Emily Hughes was named as an alternate. I was so upset. But, then I heard something that lessened it just a little. Years ago when Nancy Kerrigan got hurt by Tonya Harding's thug of a boyfriend she wasn't able to compete at the finals and "petitioned" to go to the Olympics anyway, which she did. Guess who was #3 and got knocked out at that time and only went as an alternate? Michelle Kwan. What are you going to do?

Starmount vs. Supermen

I went to the ballgame tonight - Starmount and Oak Hill. The final score was something like 63-110. We lost. This team was incredible. They just played with us like cats and mice. You know when the teams come onto the floor from the dressing room and start doing lay-ups? They came out and started dunking the ball - all of them, even the short ones. And not just regular ole dunks. These were the turn around, one handed, flying through the air slams. It was a show and a half. Tommy Amaker was there. He was probably the most famous one among all the college coaches and scouts. If you don't know who he is, he played at Duke and now coaches at the University of Michigan. Carlos was there too - Starmount's very own celebrity. So, it was a lot of fun.

"I think that will probably be a source of her demise."

I was working this week, doing my transcription, and the doctor said this about one of his patients. I just thought it was a cool quote. The woman has been smoking for almost all her life, and even though knowing it's about to kill her will not stop. How do people get in this situation? And why is it so hard to get out of it? I've worked with many people who have smoked, and all of them wanted to quit, but they never even tried that I could tell. The one that took the cake, for me anyway, was a guy who worked at the hospital in Mt. Airy. Guess what his job was? Respiratory therapist. Of all the people who KNOW what tobacco does to you. And it's not just lung problems. It seems mostly to be heart problems. Anyway, that's all I have to say about that.

I just finished watching Carolina STOMP the Giants. It was a fun game to watch (if you're a Panthers fan). We're going to Chicago next week. One of the guys, I think it was Steve Smith, was talking to a reporter after the game. They were talking about how it would be cold in Chicago, and the player said he had rather be cold and playing than warm and at home. I predict we will BEAT Chicago next week and go all the way this year - if we continue to play like we have the last two games.