Yay! Blog!
Category: August 2008
Just some stuff [08/31/08]
- My friend Rob is going to ride out Hurricane Gustav at Crabapple Lane. He's about 50 miles north of New Orleans. Sending good luck wishes and prayers.
- I've been watching my Deluxe Edition Black Hawk Down DVD. I saw the movie once before, but couldn't tie it all together. This time, I watched it twice. Once without commentary, and once with commentary from some guys who were there. Then I watched History Channel and PBS documentaries about the mission in Somalia. Those guys were brave. It's one thing to go in, not know what to expect and get out. But to go back in again? I know I couldn't do it.
- It's a three day weekend, and I should be feeling on top of the world. Instead, I'm just sleeping, eating and crying mostly. I guess I'm okay as long as I still want to eat since that's my favorite thing to do in the world. The problem is trying to adjust to changes at work with a bit of PMS thrown in. At least, I hope there's some PMS thrown in. I hate to think what I'll feel like when that kicks in if it's not here already. Not sure if I'm going to be able to adjust to the changes at work. I need to internalize the fact that I'm not the boss of me anymore. That's a tough adjustment to make.
- On a positive note, I got my domain name problems worked out. I transferred the one that's expiring to Domain Direct. I hope they're good people. I'm not impressed with NetNameOne's or Tucows' customer service. They treat everyone like they're domain name process experts. I'm not. If I was, I wouldn't need help. Still waiting to see if the refund NetNameOne said they credited to my credit card shows up.
- I think I'll head out for some lunch. Then I should probably mow and trim the lawn this afternoon. Maybe food and hard work will snap me out of this low.
Save the Accessibility Institute [08/29/08]
The University of Texas closed its accessibility institute today. There's a petition to save it.
I heard about it yesterday in a listserv e-mail that had a series of bullets. One bullet was about Target settling a lawsuit over the accessibility its Web site and agreeing to pay $6 million. Another bullet said UT was closing their accessibility institute sending the message that accessibility isn't a priority. They should talk to Target and see what Target has to say about that.
On the subject of accessibility:
Coders and programmers can hack together html code in a way that makes it hard for disabled people to use the Web. Or they can use elegant code that makes it easy for disabled people to use the Web. To me, it's a no brainer. I produce elegant code that makes the Web page usable by everyone. But the coders and programmers who hack together ugly, non-standard code don't want to change. That's all this is about... they don't want to change.
I'll paraphrase something Sharron Rush of Knowbility said:
It would mean a lot to me if you would sign the petition.
I heard about it yesterday in a listserv e-mail that had a series of bullets. One bullet was about Target settling a lawsuit over the accessibility its Web site and agreeing to pay $6 million. Another bullet said UT was closing their accessibility institute sending the message that accessibility isn't a priority. They should talk to Target and see what Target has to say about that.
On the subject of accessibility:
Coders and programmers can hack together html code in a way that makes it hard for disabled people to use the Web. Or they can use elegant code that makes it easy for disabled people to use the Web. To me, it's a no brainer. I produce elegant code that makes the Web page usable by everyone. But the coders and programmers who hack together ugly, non-standard code don't want to change. That's all this is about... they don't want to change.
I'll paraphrase something Sharron Rush of Knowbility said:
The Internet makes many things easier for those of us who aren't disabled. The Internet makes many things POSSIBLE for those who are.It's too bad so many hack coder/programmers would rather build roadblocks than passageways.
It would mean a lot to me if you would sign the petition.
Domain Name Crap [08/27/08]
The system for domain names is confusing and frustrating. When I first got my own web hosting, the hosting company purchased my domain name for me. I thought it belonged to me, but when I decided to change hosting companies, they held it hostage. That's why I have strangesandwich.com and ssmrocks.com. I purchased ssmrocks while the strangesandwich was being held hostage. Eventually, the hosting company transferred strangesandwich to me. Now both domains point to my Web site.
strangesandwich.com is about to expire. I got an email from my domain service provider, netnameone.com, to renew it. I clicked through, and it said they were partnering with GoDaddy. I paid for 3 years and set up an account through their new interface. They sent me an e-mail with instructions and secret codes to initiate a transfer. The last step was to enter an authorization code. It said I had to get it from my old service provider. I don't have an old service provider. I've always been with netnameone.com and netnameone.com is who I'm renewing with.
So I sent an e-mail to support. They told me my domain is with Tucows, and I need to contact them to renew. So I go to their site, and it says they don't deal directly with individual domains, and that I need to contact my service provider, netnameone.com.
So netnameone.com tells me I have to contact Tucows. Tucows tells me I have to contact netnameone.com.
I'm screwed.
strangesandwich.com is about to expire. I got an email from my domain service provider, netnameone.com, to renew it. I clicked through, and it said they were partnering with GoDaddy. I paid for 3 years and set up an account through their new interface. They sent me an e-mail with instructions and secret codes to initiate a transfer. The last step was to enter an authorization code. It said I had to get it from my old service provider. I don't have an old service provider. I've always been with netnameone.com and netnameone.com is who I'm renewing with.
So I sent an e-mail to support. They told me my domain is with Tucows, and I need to contact them to renew. So I go to their site, and it says they don't deal directly with individual domains, and that I need to contact my service provider, netnameone.com.
So netnameone.com tells me I have to contact Tucows. Tucows tells me I have to contact netnameone.com.
I'm screwed.
LBJ's 100th Birthday [08/27/08]
[Holidays]
Today would be LBJ's 100th Birthday. I'm going to celebrate by:
- getting my car inspected
- going out for lunch
- decluttering my desk
- backing up my hard drive
- defragging my hard drive
- upgrading to Windows SP3
International Food Festival/Cook-off and Closing Ceremony [08/22/08]
[Office Olympics - Summer 2008]
The last day of our Office Olympics was the International Food Festival and Closing Ceremonies. 
Each country brought a main dish and a dessert to be judged in four categories: main dish taste, main dish presentation, dessert taste and dessert presentation. Each country had a placemat sized area to display their food for the judges. There were three awards in each category. Main dish winners got gold, silver and bronze wooden spatulas. Dessert winners got gold, silver and bronze wooden spoons.
Brazilian Mary Helen cooked Feijoada made from white rice, black beans, pork, and what I would call salsa for the main dish. Brazilian Lisa made Pineapple Empanadas for the dessert.
Each country brought a main dish and a dessert to be judged in four categories: main dish taste, main dish presentation, dessert taste and dessert presentation. Each country had a placemat sized area to display their food for the judges. There were three awards in each category. Main dish winners got gold, silver and bronze wooden spatulas. Dessert winners got gold, silver and bronze wooden spoons.Brazilian Mary Helen cooked Feijoada made from white rice, black beans, pork, and what I would call salsa for the main dish. Brazilian Lisa made Pineapple Empanadas for the dessert.
Countries were also supposed to bring enough food to feed all the people in their country. Everyone could walk around and eat other countries' foods, though.
After the judging and eating, the awards were to be given out for the overall medal points, the cook-off and the Spirit Award. It took so long to tally up the scores for the cook-off, though, that we had to give those awards later.
The chairman of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave out the bronze overall award to Kenya. Kenya was made up of all the managers and administrative folks plus a couple of other folks who provide training and program support. It's the first Olympics where the managers had their own team. Usually, those folks were farmed out to other countries. It gave them a chance to work together on something goofy.
The silver overall award went to Russia. Russia is a hodge podge of special project type people. When their section was formed during a re-org earlier this year, their unofficial names were "the think tank" and "the brain trust."
The gold overall award went to Germany. Germany is made up of accountants and budgetary types. They help keep track of the state's budget and produce the state's financial reports. So remember that the next time you think all accountants are stodgy.
After those awards were given, I gave out the Spirit Award. The Spirit Award is handed off from the country who won it last time to the country who won it this time. The section I work in won the Spirit Award last time (although I wasn't part of the section back then). Each country submitted a vote to me for their choice based on participation, visibility, supportiveness, inspiration and stuff like that. I had just gotten the votes in the morning, so I had to write a quick speech just before the festival and ceremony.
Russia got the most votes. They had t-shirts printed up before the opening ceremony and wore them throughout the two weeks, having a huge red presence at all the events. They chose Russian sounding nicknames such as "Boris" and "Rasputen" and "Tatiyana." They were loud. They supported the underdog teams. They were helpful at the events even when they weren't hosting. Their event was well thought out and creative (the balance bean event). They were willing to take smack just as much as they dished it out. They even had one team member who never participates in any office fun participate in three events.
After the judging and eating, the awards were to be given out for the overall medal points, the cook-off and the Spirit Award. It took so long to tally up the scores for the cook-off, though, that we had to give those awards later.
The chairman of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave out the bronze overall award to Kenya. Kenya was made up of all the managers and administrative folks plus a couple of other folks who provide training and program support. It's the first Olympics where the managers had their own team. Usually, those folks were farmed out to other countries. It gave them a chance to work together on something goofy.The silver overall award went to Russia. Russia is a hodge podge of special project type people. When their section was formed during a re-org earlier this year, their unofficial names were "the think tank" and "the brain trust."
The gold overall award went to Germany. Germany is made up of accountants and budgetary types. They help keep track of the state's budget and produce the state's financial reports. So remember that the next time you think all accountants are stodgy.After those awards were given, I gave out the Spirit Award. The Spirit Award is handed off from the country who won it last time to the country who won it this time. The section I work in won the Spirit Award last time (although I wasn't part of the section back then). Each country submitted a vote to me for their choice based on participation, visibility, supportiveness, inspiration and stuff like that. I had just gotten the votes in the morning, so I had to write a quick speech just before the festival and ceremony.
Russia got the most votes. They had t-shirts printed up before the opening ceremony and wore them throughout the two weeks, having a huge red presence at all the events. They chose Russian sounding nicknames such as "Boris" and "Rasputen" and "Tatiyana." They were loud. They supported the underdog teams. They were helpful at the events even when they weren't hosting. Their event was well thought out and creative (the balance bean event). They were willing to take smack just as much as they dished it out. They even had one team member who never participates in any office fun participate in three events.
I think my speech went well, and the Russian team was very excited to receive the award.
After the speech, the chairman of the IOC called IOC members together to break some ties in the food competition tallies. Then I was given the official results. I went back to my desk and built a Web page showing the winners. I told only a few people the results beforehand... people I could trust not to pass it on.
When the results were posted, I waited. Just a short while later, I heard a holler. "WHOOOOO!!" from Brazilian Mary Helen. Then another. Then another and another. Brazil had won an award in all four categories. Gold for main dish taste. Gold for main dish presentation. Silver for dessert taste, and bronze for dessert presentation. Brazil was the only team to win something in all four categories. It was a spirit lifter after finishing the athletic competitions tied for last place.
I got to walk around to the countries and pass out the awards. Our Mexican neighbors had won three awards, and when I gave the gold spoon to Mexican Jane for winning
best dessert taste for her Tres Leches Cake, she exclaimed, "And it isn't even as good as it usually is!" I hadn't tasted that cake during the festival, and there were leftovers, so I tried a small piece. It was marvelous.
Kenya won the gold spoon for best dessert presentation for their Mango Ice Cream.
I enjoyed the Olympics this year, and I'm already looking forward to the Winter Olympics in 2010. Maybe I'll be back on my game by then and will bring home a medal. I'm not sure what country I'll be a member of next time, but for now...
After the speech, the chairman of the IOC called IOC members together to break some ties in the food competition tallies. Then I was given the official results. I went back to my desk and built a Web page showing the winners. I told only a few people the results beforehand... people I could trust not to pass it on.
When the results were posted, I waited. Just a short while later, I heard a holler. "WHOOOOO!!" from Brazilian Mary Helen. Then another. Then another and another. Brazil had won an award in all four categories. Gold for main dish taste. Gold for main dish presentation. Silver for dessert taste, and bronze for dessert presentation. Brazil was the only team to win something in all four categories. It was a spirit lifter after finishing the athletic competitions tied for last place.
I got to walk around to the countries and pass out the awards. Our Mexican neighbors had won three awards, and when I gave the gold spoon to Mexican Jane for winning
best dessert taste for her Tres Leches Cake, she exclaimed, "And it isn't even as good as it usually is!" I hadn't tasted that cake during the festival, and there were leftovers, so I tried a small piece. It was marvelous.Kenya won the gold spoon for best dessert presentation for their Mango Ice Cream.
I enjoyed the Olympics this year, and I'm already looking forward to the Winter Olympics in 2010. Maybe I'll be back on my game by then and will bring home a medal. I'm not sure what country I'll be a member of next time, but for now...
Go Brazil!!
Balance Bean [08/21/08]
[Office Olympics - Summer 2008]
Russia's Balance Bean event was one of the most intense spectacles of the Olympics. It was the last event that counted toward overall scores. Germany and Russia were tied for first, and Kenya was within reach of a three way tie if they won the gold and Germany and Russia didn't medal.
Russia had gone all out decorating the conference room. Candroid was there, serving as flag bearer. One wall had each of the nine Olympic country's flags with tanks pointed at the countries that Russia wanted to invade (which was everyone except USA. There were extra tanks pointed toward Kenya). On another wall, each of the Russian athletes were represented by
human faced bears with their Russian names printed on their chests.
The athletes had a tough task ahead. They had to mount an 8 foot 4x4 beam sitting flat on the floor.
Russia had gone all out decorating the conference room. Candroid was there, serving as flag bearer. One wall had each of the nine Olympic country's flags with tanks pointed at the countries that Russia wanted to invade (which was everyone except USA. There were extra tanks pointed toward Kenya). On another wall, each of the Russian athletes were represented by
human faced bears with their Russian names printed on their chests.The athletes had a tough task ahead. They had to mount an 8 foot 4x4 beam sitting flat on the floor.
Once on the beam, they had to cross to the other side and turn over a card with colored dots on it. They had to memorize the number of dots of each color and head back over to the other side of the beam. If they touched the floor or one of the Russian spotters posted on either side of the beam, they would be penalized a full minute.At the other end of the beam was a bowl of beans.
These beans would melt in your mouth and not in your hand, if you know what I mean. Athletes had to pick beans out of the bowl to match the dots on the card at the other end. Then they had to go back to the other end and place the beans on the dots. If they had extra beans that didn't fit on the card, they had to place them in a bowl. Each bean in the bowl cost them another 30 seconds.German Kelley was graceful, as was Kenya Suzy.
The others were a mixture of grace and not so much, but I'm not criticizing... I sure couldn't do it. I tried before the event started, and I was glad Brazilian Mary Helen was competing instead of me. Mary Helen shook the whole time she was on the beam, bless her heart. Russian David did the best at memorizing the bean colors. On his first trip back to the bean card with his beans, he lacked only one yellow bean to complete the card and had to go back for that one. 
Before the event, I expressed to my Press Corps partner, Brazilian Lisa, that my money was on David as the surprise gold medal winner. I mean, who would suspect the guy who never participates in anything would win the gold medal in a bean counting balancing event? He would have won it, too, had he remembered that one little, yellow bean.
Once an athlete had all the right beans on all the dots, he or she was free to go to the other end of the beam and dismount. A dismount was concluded when the athlete was off the beam and had two limbs in the air. Arms, legs, an arm and a leg... whatever combination the athlete chose. There were no points given for style, though, so it was merely a crowd pleaser.
As mentioned, it was incredibly intense. There were gasps from the crowd as athletes wobbled their way across the beam. No one took a tumble. In the end, Germany won the gold, Kenya won silver, and Russian David won the bronze. That gave Germany the top spot in the overall medal scores, Russia second and Kenya third. Brazil would end the Olympics tied with Jamaica for last place with one bronze medal each. That's okay... at least we weren't in last place by ourselves.
We still had a chance at more awards, though, at the International Food Cook-off and Closing Ceremony tomorrow.
Go Brazil!!
Once an athlete had all the right beans on all the dots, he or she was free to go to the other end of the beam and dismount. A dismount was concluded when the athlete was off the beam and had two limbs in the air. Arms, legs, an arm and a leg... whatever combination the athlete chose. There were no points given for style, though, so it was merely a crowd pleaser.As mentioned, it was incredibly intense. There were gasps from the crowd as athletes wobbled their way across the beam. No one took a tumble. In the end, Germany won the gold, Kenya won silver, and Russian David won the bronze. That gave Germany the top spot in the overall medal scores, Russia second and Kenya third. Brazil would end the Olympics tied with Jamaica for last place with one bronze medal each. That's okay... at least we weren't in last place by ourselves.
We still had a chance at more awards, though, at the International Food Cook-off and Closing Ceremony tomorrow.
Go Brazil!!
Putt Putt [08/20/08]
[Office Olympics - Summer 2008]
Team USA hosted the Putt Putt event. In the Summer Olympics four years ago, there was a putting event, but they putted on the conference room carpet. This year, USA brought in some astroturf and built a green. The nine golfers had to putt five balls from 12 feet. The top five advanced to round two. The top five were determined by the athletes who putted the most balls in the cup. If some didn't get any in the cup, then they were judged by whoever got a ball the closest to the cup.
The host country painted a wonderful mural for the wall to get people in the golfing spirit.
First up was Kenya Jennifer. She didn't drop any putts, but had a ball touching the edge of the cup.
Next up was French Dean. France was the only country with no medals. Dean tested the wind. He didn't drop any putts, either, but got one within an inch of the cup. Russian Daniel was the first to putt one in. The next four golfers didn't drop any putts. Brazilian Julie went last. She got two in!! But they both popped back out. And then they kept rolling so far away from the cup that she didn't advance to the next round. Boo hoo.
In the second round, golfers putted 5 balls from 15 feet with the same scoring system.
Next up was French Dean. France was the only country with no medals. Dean tested the wind. He didn't drop any putts, either, but got one within an inch of the cup. Russian Daniel was the first to putt one in. The next four golfers didn't drop any putts. Brazilian Julie went last. She got two in!! But they both popped back out. And then they kept rolling so far away from the cup that she didn't advance to the next round. Boo hoo.In the second round, golfers putted 5 balls from 15 feet with the same scoring system.
When French Dean was up, Russian Daniel blurted out "Does your husband play golf?" which prompted giggles from the gallery while they puffed their chests out at each other.
The only golfer to drop a putt in the second round was again Russian Daniel, winning Russia the gold medal.
Russian Gary served as the ball-to-cup measurer even though it was USA's event. Those Russians are so helpful. The measurements showed France had the closest ball, and USA the second closest. That gave France the silver — their first medal of the games. I was happy for them, but then I remembered that Brazil only had one bronze, so now we were tied for last place with Jamaica. Russia's gold medal put them in a tie with Germany for the top spot with only one event to go — Russia's Balance Bean [sic].
Go Brazil!!
The only golfer to drop a putt in the second round was again Russian Daniel, winning Russia the gold medal.
Russian Gary served as the ball-to-cup measurer even though it was USA's event. Those Russians are so helpful. The measurements showed France had the closest ball, and USA the second closest. That gave France the silver — their first medal of the games. I was happy for them, but then I remembered that Brazil only had one bronze, so now we were tied for last place with Jamaica. Russia's gold medal put them in a tie with Germany for the top spot with only one event to go — Russia's Balance Bean [sic]. Go Brazil!!
Soccer Slalom Dash [08/19/08]
[Office Olympics - Summer 2008]
Today's event was Soccer Slalom Dash hosted by Kenya. Each country entered three athletes who, one at a time, had to kick a soccer ball around one of the floors of our building. The route started in Russia and headed west. Athletes took a right at Elaine's desk and then a left through German territory. They took a right at Phyllis, went past the break room and headed out to the main hallway. The main hallway was cluttered with discarded furniture and boxes from a recent move, so there were plenty of obstacles to avoid. They sprinted down that hallway to the receptionist desk where they turned left 
and had to slalom through 4 cones. Then they took a right turn and headed toward the director's office, took a right at Jennifer's desk, went past the copy machine and back out into the main hallway where they turned left and kicked it into the goal (the conference room).The team with the lowest combined time would win gold, etc.
With the course being so big, I couldn't see all the action. I sat at the turn from the main hallway to the slalom next to the reception desk to take pictures as people dashed down the hall.
Brazilian Julie was stationed in the conference room to take pictures when the athletes got to the goal.
A couple of times the ball got away from an athlete and rolled over to me, so I just sat very still and let the athlete come and get it.
It was fun to watch and the crowd was loud. The main Kenyan host kept calling out things like "Italy in the hole!!" I think that meant Italy was lined up to run the course, but I'm not sure.
Some of the athletes had changed into athletic clothing, but others played in their slacks, button up shirts and dress shoes. That's true office Olympic style!
When it was over, Kenya won gold, Mexico silver and Russia bronze. There was one controversy where the timekeeper started Russian Boris prematurely. He was fast, and Jamaican JJ before him was having difficulty, so Boris was catching up to JJ. One of the Kenyan judges called for the time keeper to stop Boris's run, and he had to do the course again a few minutes later. It was obvious to spectators that Boris' first aborted run was better than the second run, so the "what if's" going through people's minds are whether Russia could have bested Mexico for the silver.
A couple of times the ball got away from an athlete and rolled over to me, so I just sat very still and let the athlete come and get it.
It was fun to watch and the crowd was loud. The main Kenyan host kept calling out things like "Italy in the hole!!" I think that meant Italy was lined up to run the course, but I'm not sure. Some of the athletes had changed into athletic clothing, but others played in their slacks, button up shirts and dress shoes. That's true office Olympic style!
When it was over, Kenya won gold, Mexico silver and Russia bronze. There was one controversy where the timekeeper started Russian Boris prematurely. He was fast, and Jamaican JJ before him was having difficulty, so Boris was catching up to JJ. One of the Kenyan judges called for the time keeper to stop Boris's run, and he had to do the course again a few minutes later. It was obvious to spectators that Boris' first aborted run was better than the second run, so the "what if's" going through people's minds are whether Russia could have bested Mexico for the silver.
Later that afternoon, the Russian's filed a protest and even threatened invasion of Kenya. The International Olympic Committee denied the protest, and Kenya warned Russia that they had the full backing of U.S. forces (which I'm not sure is true, but sounded like some good posturing).
After the event, Germany was still in the overall lead with Russia and Kenya gaining ground. Brazil was tied for second to last place with Jamaica, and France was in last place.
Go Brazil!!
After the event, Germany was still in the overall lead with Russia and Kenya gaining ground. Brazil was tied for second to last place with Jamaica, and France was in last place.
Go Brazil!!
Der Scheibengolf [08/18/08]
[Office Olympics - Summer 2008]
Today's event was Der Scheibengolf (disc golf) hosted by Germany. I was the backup athlete since the athlete who volunteered is prone to lateness, absenteeism or just plain not-feeling-wellness on Mondays. It turned out to be a late/not-feeling-well Monday. I had practiced throwing a frisbee around my backyard over the weekend, so I felt I was ready.
The discs were of the small variety. The target looked like a disc golf goal, but it was small, too. The other equipment used were nine buckets (one for each country), an alpine hat and Heidi braids.
The first thing we did was draw numbers. This gave the order of play and the order that athletes could place their buckets around the main goal. The rules said that if you got it in the main goal, you'd get 5 points. If you got it in a bucket, the country assigned to the bucket would get 1 point. I drew number two. I thought placing Brazil's bucket right in front of the goal would be best, but then I thought bucket placement might be counterintuitive. I figured people would be veering off to the right or left, so I placed the bucket just to the right and behind the goal.
The discs were of the small variety. The target looked like a disc golf goal, but it was small, too. The other equipment used were nine buckets (one for each country), an alpine hat and Heidi braids.The first thing we did was draw numbers. This gave the order of play and the order that athletes could place their buckets around the main goal. The rules said that if you got it in the main goal, you'd get 5 points. If you got it in a bucket, the country assigned to the bucket would get 1 point. I drew number two. I thought placing Brazil's bucket right in front of the goal would be best, but then I thought bucket placement might be counterintuitive. I figured people would be veering off to the right or left, so I placed the bucket just to the right and behind the goal.
We had five discs to throw: three from directly in front of the goal, one a little off to the right and one a little to the left. And we had to use our non-dominant hand. First up was Kenya Darrell. He donned the alpine hat and threw his discs with the same style as he threw the pizzas in the Pizza Toss event. He didn't get any points, though. I was next. I put on the Heidi braids (which went with my shirt very well!), but I didn't get any points. Didn't give any away, either.
Third was German Luis. He threw like he knew what he was doing and got two in the main goal for 10 points. Wow! Fourth was Mexico Pat. Before the event, he informed those in earshot that his waistline is the same size as eight Olympic medal winner Michael Phelps. 
He proved that the country who placed their bucket last wasn't at a disadvantage as he dropped one in theirs giving Russia one point. Russia's bucket was in the back right next to Brazil's bucket.
Next up were the two countries who haven't won any medals in the game so far: France and Jamaica. French Diana was next. She didn't get or give any points. Jamaica Melissa, though, tossed one into the main goal and showed that maybe it would have been a good idea for me to put Brazil's bucket right in front of the goal as
she also tossed one into that one giving Germany a point. Like they needed another point. Now the scores were Germany 11, Jamaica 5 and Russia 1.
USA Kristalle and Italy Ly were next, but neither put any points on the board for their countries or any other country. Russia Gary was the last to go. He thought he had bronze sewed up with his one point and expressed as much, but what he didn't realize was if he dropped one in another country's bucket, he would tie up the score, force a playoff and risk losing. Or he could drop two in one country's bucket and lose outright. If he had realized that, he might have spiked his discs and assured Russia of the bronze. But he didn't.
He proved that the country who placed their bucket last wasn't at a disadvantage as he dropped one in theirs giving Russia one point. Russia's bucket was in the back right next to Brazil's bucket.Next up were the two countries who haven't won any medals in the game so far: France and Jamaica. French Diana was next. She didn't get or give any points. Jamaica Melissa, though, tossed one into the main goal and showed that maybe it would have been a good idea for me to put Brazil's bucket right in front of the goal as
she also tossed one into that one giving Germany a point. Like they needed another point. Now the scores were Germany 11, Jamaica 5 and Russia 1.USA Kristalle and Italy Ly were next, but neither put any points on the board for their countries or any other country. Russia Gary was the last to go. He thought he had bronze sewed up with his one point and expressed as much, but what he didn't realize was if he dropped one in another country's bucket, he would tie up the score, force a playoff and risk losing. Or he could drop two in one country's bucket and lose outright. If he had realized that, he might have spiked his discs and assured Russia of the bronze. But he didn't.
His first three tosses missed everything. I was really hoping he would drop one in Brazil's bucket and bring back my hopes of winning a medal. 
His fourth landed — right in the main goal. This put Russia in second place with six points. With one disc left, he could tie things up with Germany and force a playoff for the gold. His last disc didn't land, though, and Russia took the silver. Final score: Germany 11, Russia 6 and Jamaica 5.
It was a fun event, but much too quick. My defeat didn't prompt the deep feelings of agony that I had when I lost the Triathlon. I guess I'm used to being a loser now.
This event gave Jamaica their first medal in the games and put Germany out to a very strong lead overall. Tomorrow's event is Soccer Slalom Dash.
Go Brazil!!
His fourth landed — right in the main goal. This put Russia in second place with six points. With one disc left, he could tie things up with Germany and force a playoff for the gold. His last disc didn't land, though, and Russia took the silver. Final score: Germany 11, Russia 6 and Jamaica 5.It was a fun event, but much too quick. My defeat didn't prompt the deep feelings of agony that I had when I lost the Triathlon. I guess I'm used to being a loser now.
This event gave Jamaica their first medal in the games and put Germany out to a very strong lead overall. Tomorrow's event is Soccer Slalom Dash.
Go Brazil!!
Table Tennis [08/15/08]
[Office Olympics - Summer 2008]
Friday's Olympic event was Table Tennis hosted by France. It was played with a regulation paddle and ball, regulation net and regulation conference room table. Conference room tables are smaller than table tennis tables, so it was going to be a challenge for even the seasoned table tennis athletes.
Cristo Redentor was on hand to help cheer for Brazilian Dolores.There were nine athletes competing, so through a lottery process, the Kenyan athlete got a "bye" in the first Round. Round 1 was timed... whoever got the most points in each game in 3 minutes won. But to accommodate the "bye" athlete in the second round, the winner with the least points would be eliminated.
We were surprised to see cranky old Russian David in another event. If you've been following, he was a last minute substitute in the Jamaican Mind Games event and ended up winning the gold. It's surprising because, in his own words, he "hates this kind of crap." I asked him what was up with all his participation, and he said he didn't really know, but he'd volunteered for the balance beam event next week, too. He's caught the Olympic fever!!Anyway, Brazilian Dolores won her game against Jamaica! When all the games of round 1 were finished, though, she had the lowest score and had to bow out to make room for Kenya in the second round. It's true that she didn't advance or win a medal, but she's undefeated, by golly!
The Kenyan athlete was all decked out in tennis clothes complete with (fake) corporate sponsors. When it was his turn, he whipped out a tennis racquet and tennis balls. 
The French judge had to explain to him that we play with little balls in this game. That's all I'm going to say about that.
The Kenyan athlete also talked smack to the Mexico athlete before the game. That stuff was "you-had-to-be-there" kind of stuff, though.
After round 2, Germany was knocked out of the competition which was a relief to some because Germany had won medals in all the previous events.
Mexico won the bronze based on points, and Kenya and USA still had to battle it out in the final round to determine gold and silver.
USA Steve and Kenyan Jesse were tough competitors, but Kenya took the gold.
Germany is still in the overall lead, but other countries are closing in. With four more events counting toward the overall rankings, Brazil needs to get it in gear. I'm going to be practicing throwing a frisbee with my non-dominant hand this weekend because I'm the backup for Der Scheibengolf on Monday, and one of their rules is that you have to throw the disc with your non-dominant hand.
Go Brazil!!
The French judge had to explain to him that we play with little balls in this game. That's all I'm going to say about that.The Kenyan athlete also talked smack to the Mexico athlete before the game. That stuff was "you-had-to-be-there" kind of stuff, though.
After round 2, Germany was knocked out of the competition which was a relief to some because Germany had won medals in all the previous events.
Mexico won the bronze based on points, and Kenya and USA still had to battle it out in the final round to determine gold and silver. USA Steve and Kenyan Jesse were tough competitors, but Kenya took the gold.
Germany is still in the overall lead, but other countries are closing in. With four more events counting toward the overall rankings, Brazil needs to get it in gear. I'm going to be practicing throwing a frisbee with my non-dominant hand this weekend because I'm the backup for Der Scheibengolf on Monday, and one of their rules is that you have to throw the disc with your non-dominant hand.
Go Brazil!!
Balloon Soccer [08/14/08]
[Office Olympics - Summer 2008]
My country, Brazil, hosted the Balloon Soccer event today. Athletes had to kick a balloon that looked like a soccer ball through a series of Brazilian landmarks. 
And they had to wear a funny soccer hat.
The first landmark was a cardboard Brazilian rainforest with artwork created by Brazilian Barbara's two daughters. It had a tamarin monkey and a sloth on it. There were two things tricky about it. First, the hole in the rainforest was just barely bigger than the balloon, so it took a lot of finesse to get it through. Second, if an athlete kicked it too hard through the rainforest, the balloon would go out of bounds.
And they had to wear a funny soccer hat.The first landmark was a cardboard Brazilian rainforest with artwork created by Brazilian Barbara's two daughters. It had a tamarin monkey and a sloth on it. There were two things tricky about it. First, the hole in the rainforest was just barely bigger than the balloon, so it took a lot of finesse to get it through. Second, if an athlete kicked it too hard through the rainforest, the balloon would go out of bounds.
After the rainforest, athletes traveled to 
Rio de Janeiro to kick the balloon around Cristo Redentor. This proved difficult for the Italian athlete who accidently kicked her balloon out the conference room door. At the end of her round, she admonished the spectators standing in the doorway for their poor blocking skills.
Staying in Rio de Janeiro, athletes were faced with a segment of the Lapa Arches. They had to kick the ball through each of three arches before heading on to a snake infested, blue bubble wrap Amazon River.
Rio de Janeiro to kick the balloon around Cristo Redentor. This proved difficult for the Italian athlete who accidently kicked her balloon out the conference room door. At the end of her round, she admonished the spectators standing in the doorway for their poor blocking skills.Staying in Rio de Janeiro, athletes were faced with a segment of the Lapa Arches. They had to kick the ball through each of three arches before heading on to a snake infested, blue bubble wrap Amazon River.
After kicking it over the Amazon, they were home free to kick it through the goal toward the benevolent goalie, Brazilian Dolores, who looked tough, but never really tried to blocked a kick.The event was quite fun. Brazilian Jerell competed in the fifth spot and, after his round, found himself in contention for the silver medal. There were four more athletes to run the course. USA and France couldn't best him, but Russian Bruce beat his time by one second, putting Brazil in place for a bronze with one athlete to go.
After the close defeat yesterday, I wanted Jerell to win a medal in a big way. The Jamaican athlete was all that stood between him and the bronze. I held my breath, but let out a sigh of relief when Brazilian Dolores called out her time... 40 seconds. Six seconds more than Brazilian Jerell's time. Brazil won its first medal of the games.
The German athlete wore the gold and Russian Bruce wore the silver. This put Germany farther out into the overall lead with Russia close behind.
After it was over, I went through the course myself. It wasn't easy controlling that balloon, and at one point, I had to use my head to keep it from going out of bounds. I guess I got a little crazy with my kicks. Here's me with my buddy Cristo Redentor sporting his fancy banana necklace.
After it was over, I went through the course myself. It wasn't easy controlling that balloon, and at one point, I had to use my head to keep it from going out of bounds. I guess I got a little crazy with my kicks. Here's me with my buddy Cristo Redentor sporting his fancy banana necklace.
Tomorrow's event is Conference Room Table Tennis hosted by France.
Go Brazil!!
Go Brazil!!
Triathlon [08/13/08]
[Office Olympics - Summer 2008]
I competed for Brazil in today's event, the Triathlon hosted by Mexico. The game consisted of three stages, Mexican Jumping Bean, Ring Toss and Aztec Basketball (which is really Mayan basketball, but whoever made up the game thinks it's Aztec). 
For Mexican Jumping Bean, we had a supply of pinto beans (I practiced the night before with kidney beans), and we had to bounce them off a table and into a mocahete (a little Mexican bowl). When we got three in the bowl, we could move on to the Ring Toss.
For the Ring Toss, we had velvety hoops that we had to land inside the brim of a sombrero. It could go around the cone top, or it could lean, but it had to be resting inside the brim. If it was leaning on the brim, but touching the floor, it didn't count. We had three rings, and had to get two of them in the brim. If after three tries, you hadn't completed the stage, someone was supposed to retrieve your rings, so you could keep trying. As you'll see later, they should have had more rings.
For Mexican Jumping Bean, we had a supply of pinto beans (I practiced the night before with kidney beans), and we had to bounce them off a table and into a mocahete (a little Mexican bowl). When we got three in the bowl, we could move on to the Ring Toss.For the Ring Toss, we had velvety hoops that we had to land inside the brim of a sombrero. It could go around the cone top, or it could lean, but it had to be resting inside the brim. If it was leaning on the brim, but touching the floor, it didn't count. We had three rings, and had to get two of them in the brim. If after three tries, you hadn't completed the stage, someone was supposed to retrieve your rings, so you could keep trying. As you'll see later, they should have had more rings.
In the Aztec (Mayan) Basketball, we had to get a small ball through a hoop that stuck out of the wall, but the opening was perpendicular to the floor, so it had to go through sideways. The first person to get to this stage and get one ball through the hoop won.Oh... and the most important rule of all... each athlete had to wear a sombrero. If the sombrero fell off, they had to put it back on before continuing. I think I looked pretty hot in my sombrero.
It was a heated competition in that there were three heats. The winner of each heat advanced to the medal round to compete for bronze, silver and gold. The athletes drew numbers to see which heat they would compete in, and I drew number 3. I would be competing against Russian Mark and German Margaret.
The first heat ended in a tie as Mexican Hector threw his ball through the hoop at the same time as Italian Duvan. Who woulda thunk it? They had to compete again after the third heat, and Mexican Hector breezed through the stages as if he bounces beans, tosses rings and throw balls through perpendicular hoops on a daily basis.
USA's Nicole won the second heat. And then it was my turn. German Margaret finished bouncing three beans in the bowl before I did, but I was close behind. She was still tossing rings when I got to that stage. My first ring didn't make it. My second ring landed perfectly around the sombrero top. My third ring didn't make it. I was left without rings, and there was no one to retrieve my rings to let me keep trying. I believe at this point, Margaret was already moving on to the basketball hoop. I shreiked, "Give me my rings!!" I started to get them myself, but then Mexican Dayna ran over and handed me rings. I think the first ring I threw after that landed perfectly (it's all a blur), so I ran over to the basketball hoop. My first ball didn't make it. Right after I threw that, German Margaret got a ball through the hoop, ending the heat.
I'm ashamed to say that I was terribly disappointed. I pride myself in not being competitive, and generally I'm not. When I play cards or board games, I don't care if I win... I just enjoy playing. But today... I wanted a medal. I'd won a medal in every event I competed in before, so not winning was new to me. I didn't care whether it was bronze, silver or gold. I just wanted one.
Speaking of the medals, Mexico's medals were bronze, silver and gold maracas strung up with green, white and red ribbons. Very nice!
As I walked out of the game area, someone said to me, "If you had gotten your rings back quickly, you would have won." I could latch onto that idea, but then again, if I had bounced the beans in the mocahete quicker or gotten the first two ring tosses on the sombrero or gotten my first ball through the hoop, I would have won. I'm the only one to blame. But I did my very best.
In the medal round, Mexican Hector won the gold, German Margaret won the silver, and USA's Nicole won the bronze. This put Germany in the lead overall. They've won a medal in all three events so far.
Tomorrow, Brazil is hosting balloon soccer.
Go Brazil!
The first heat ended in a tie as Mexican Hector threw his ball through the hoop at the same time as Italian Duvan. Who woulda thunk it? They had to compete again after the third heat, and Mexican Hector breezed through the stages as if he bounces beans, tosses rings and throw balls through perpendicular hoops on a daily basis.USA's Nicole won the second heat. And then it was my turn. German Margaret finished bouncing three beans in the bowl before I did, but I was close behind. She was still tossing rings when I got to that stage. My first ring didn't make it. My second ring landed perfectly around the sombrero top. My third ring didn't make it. I was left without rings, and there was no one to retrieve my rings to let me keep trying. I believe at this point, Margaret was already moving on to the basketball hoop. I shreiked, "Give me my rings!!" I started to get them myself, but then Mexican Dayna ran over and handed me rings. I think the first ring I threw after that landed perfectly (it's all a blur), so I ran over to the basketball hoop. My first ball didn't make it. Right after I threw that, German Margaret got a ball through the hoop, ending the heat.
I'm ashamed to say that I was terribly disappointed. I pride myself in not being competitive, and generally I'm not. When I play cards or board games, I don't care if I win... I just enjoy playing. But today... I wanted a medal. I'd won a medal in every event I competed in before, so not winning was new to me. I didn't care whether it was bronze, silver or gold. I just wanted one.Speaking of the medals, Mexico's medals were bronze, silver and gold maracas strung up with green, white and red ribbons. Very nice!
As I walked out of the game area, someone said to me, "If you had gotten your rings back quickly, you would have won." I could latch onto that idea, but then again, if I had bounced the beans in the mocahete quicker or gotten the first two ring tosses on the sombrero or gotten my first ball through the hoop, I would have won. I'm the only one to blame. But I did my very best.
In the medal round, Mexican Hector won the gold, German Margaret won the silver, and USA's Nicole won the bronze. This put Germany in the lead overall. They've won a medal in all three events so far.
Tomorrow, Brazil is hosting balloon soccer.
Go Brazil!
Pizza Toss [08/12/08]
[Office Olympics - Summer 2008]
Today's event was the Pizza Toss hosted by Italy. Athletes had to toss 2.5 inch pizzas across the room and try to get them into a cup cut into a small platform. Getting it into the cup would earn them 3 points. Touching the cup or overhanging it would earn 2 points. Anywhere else on the platform would earn 1 point. Off the platform? Big fat zero. The first round was an elimination round to make an even number of teams. There are 9 countries, so to have a tournament bracket, they needed to knock one off. Athletes tossed four pizzas and accumulated points. The country with the least points would be knocked off. France and Brazil both had zero points at the end of the round, so they had a playoff to see who would be eliminated. Brazilian Neal squeaked by and advanced to Round 2. Yay!
Here you can see Jamaican Lori with one of her pepperoni pizzas flying through the air:
All the rounds after that were head-to-head where one athlete would toss a pizza, then the opponent would toss a pizza. 
The athlete who tossed the pizza closest to the cup (or in it) got the points. Brazil got knocked out in Round 2 by Italy.
In the first three rounds, no one got a washer in or on the cup. But in the fourth round for the gold medal, Kenya got one hanging over the cup. To answer, Italy got one close, but not close enough.
A couple of tosses later, both pizzas were on the platform and had to be measured.
In the end, Kenya took home the gold medal. The medals were macaroni necklaces with supreme pizza for gold, veggie pizza for silver and cheese pizza for bronze.
The athlete who tossed the pizza closest to the cup (or in it) got the points. Brazil got knocked out in Round 2 by Italy.In the first three rounds, no one got a washer in or on the cup. But in the fourth round for the gold medal, Kenya got one hanging over the cup. To answer, Italy got one close, but not close enough.
A couple of tosses later, both pizzas were on the platform and had to be measured.In the end, Kenya took home the gold medal. The medals were macaroni necklaces with supreme pizza for gold, veggie pizza for silver and cheese pizza for bronze.
After two days of games, Italy and Germany have one silver and one bronze medal each and are tied for first place overall. Kenya and Russia are tied for third place overall with one gold medal each.
Tomorrow, I compete in the Triathlon. I've been practicing bouncing kidney beans into a bowl. I think I'm getting better.
Go Brazil!!
Tomorrow, I compete in the Triathlon. I've been practicing bouncing kidney beans into a bowl. I think I'm getting better.
Go Brazil!!
Jamaican Mind Games [08/11/08]
[Office Olympics - Summer 2008]
Today's event was a series of word and trivia games hosted by Jamaica. During athlete check-in, Bob Marley tunes played on a boombox. 
Very close to the start of the game, everyone was there but the Russian athlete. Then Russian Elaine came in. She didn't seem to want to be there. Something about it being Monday. At the last minute, Russian David came in as a substitute. Russian David usually doesn't care to participate in fun things, but here he was anyway.
The first Round was a word search limited to 15 minutes. The 20 words were mostly Jamaican words like "ackees" and "dinki," but there were some Jamaican related English words like coffee and Red Stripe.
Russian David was pretty vocal about the words being hard to find. French Karen was the only athlete to finish within the allotted time. Russian David was surprised anyone finished and told her, "You're sick." Everyone laughed because as cranky as I make David sound, he's actually a funny, cranky guy.
Brazilian Barbara was supposed to be there for our team, but she had a sick kid. So Brazilian Neal was Brazil's athlete. He was wearing our colors and doing his best. The seven athletes who found the most words would move on to Round 2. Brazilian Neal didn't make it, but he looked great trying. Cranky old Russian David did advance, though.
In the second game, the athletes had to match the 20 words from the previous game with their definitions. I think for most, it was a lot of guesswork. The top 3 would move on to the third round. Surprisingly, the Jamaican athlete did not advance. Russian David made jokes about how he didn't even need to try because he wasn't going to get any of the words right. But he got 7 of them right, and that's all it took. In fact, the top three tied with 7 correct answers.
The third game was a trivia game. Jamaican Chris asked questions where each answer was one of the countries participating in our olympic games. For example, she asked something about which country had the first national highway system. German Melissa answered USA. Italian Macy and Russian David answered Germany. The answer was... Germany!
Very close to the start of the game, everyone was there but the Russian athlete. Then Russian Elaine came in. She didn't seem to want to be there. Something about it being Monday. At the last minute, Russian David came in as a substitute. Russian David usually doesn't care to participate in fun things, but here he was anyway.The first Round was a word search limited to 15 minutes. The 20 words were mostly Jamaican words like "ackees" and "dinki," but there were some Jamaican related English words like coffee and Red Stripe.
Russian David was pretty vocal about the words being hard to find. French Karen was the only athlete to finish within the allotted time. Russian David was surprised anyone finished and told her, "You're sick." Everyone laughed because as cranky as I make David sound, he's actually a funny, cranky guy.
Brazilian Barbara was supposed to be there for our team, but she had a sick kid. So Brazilian Neal was Brazil's athlete. He was wearing our colors and doing his best. The seven athletes who found the most words would move on to Round 2. Brazilian Neal didn't make it, but he looked great trying. Cranky old Russian David did advance, though.
In the second game, the athletes had to match the 20 words from the previous game with their definitions. I think for most, it was a lot of guesswork. The top 3 would move on to the third round. Surprisingly, the Jamaican athlete did not advance. Russian David made jokes about how he didn't even need to try because he wasn't going to get any of the words right. But he got 7 of them right, and that's all it took. In fact, the top three tied with 7 correct answers.
The third game was a trivia game. Jamaican Chris asked questions where each answer was one of the countries participating in our olympic games. For example, she asked something about which country had the first national highway system. German Melissa answered USA. Italian Macy and Russian David answered Germany. The answer was... Germany!
In the end, Russian David won the gold medal. He knew most of the answers to the trivia questions which prompted him to say, "Sometimes it pays to be old!" German Melissa took the silver, and Italian Macy took the bronze. Macy said she liked the look of the bronze medal best anyway. The homemade medals were made from shells.
Tomorrow's event is the Pizza Toss. Apparently, the "pizzas" are 2.5 inches in diameter.
Go Brazil!!
Go Brazil!!
Opening Ceremony [08/08/08]
[Office Olympics - Summer 2008]
The Office Olympic spirit was high today as teams decorated in their countries' flags and colors in preparation for the opening ceremony, a torch relay parade through all the represented countries. Here's the route:
If you know your geography, you'll see that the torch went to Brazil second to last before being deposited in Kenya to be held until the games are over in two weeks. The overall winner of the games will then proudly display the torch in their area until the Winter games in 2010.
The most notable character to join the procession was USA's Donna who wore Lady Liberty's crown and carried a torch of her own.The relay parade turned out to be a blast, walking through the halls with lots of whoops and hollers. It lasted all of about 5 minutes and really got everyone in the spirit (or those who wanted to be).
I played a dual role being in the press corps and a Brazilian team member. I had my press pass and Brazilian team badge on and my camera in hand.
Brazilian Neal carried the torch during Brazil's leg of the relay.
He handed off to Kenya Tom who spoke words of motivation and inspiration to kick off the 2008 Summer Games.
I've signed up to compete in the Triathlon which happens sometime next week. Mexico is hosting the event, and from what I understand, I have to wear a sombrero during the competition. I'd better get to practicing!
Go Brazil!
He handed off to Kenya Tom who spoke words of motivation and inspiration to kick off the 2008 Summer Games.I've signed up to compete in the Triathlon which happens sometime next week. Mexico is hosting the event, and from what I understand, I have to wear a sombrero during the competition. I'd better get to practicing!
Go Brazil!
Getting Ready for the Olympics! [08/07/08]
[Office Olympics - Summer 2008]
The opening ceremony for our office olympics is tomorrow. This year, our section is Brazil. I should have planned ahead and bought a hat or shirt in Brazilian colors (green, yellow and blue). That's something to do this weekend.
I will again be the chief photographer. My press pass will get me in to all of the events:
I will again be the chief photographer. My press pass will get me in to all of the events:
The games should prove to be highly entertaining with events like Balloon Soccer, Der Scheibengolf and Triathlon (including the Sombrero Ring Toss).
I hope you'll all be cheering our team on. Go Brazil!
I hope you'll all be cheering our team on. Go Brazil!
Gladiators, socializing and my back [08/05/08]
- My coworker's daughter Ally won American Gladiators last night! I saw her dad in the audience cheering like crazy. They shot the show back in May, so he had to keep the results a secret all this time.
- I was supposed to go to a happy hour/dinner thing tonight, but I wasn't feeling good. The truth is, I never feel like going to things like that after work. I just want to come home and relax and have some time to myself. I feel bad, though, because I told the lady who invited me that I'd come. I wasn't true to my word.
- My back has been bothering me. It hurts sometimes, but mostly it just feels like something is out of place right above my right hip. It's sore when I stretch it, and sometimes something pops in or out of place. Tonight, the muscles around that hip are tight, and I can't relax them. I ordered some Yoga for back DVDs. I hope that helps.
Garage door opener, tattooes and office olympics [08/02/08]
- The other evening, a neighbor came by and asked if I needed a garage door opener installed. I did. I've wanted one since mine died just a few weeks after I bought my house last year. He said his son installs them and offered to have him come do it the next morning. I said that I wouldn't be home, so he said, "How about right now?" Heck yeah! The reason I hadn't done it before was not about money... it was about scheduling a time for someone to come do it. This was perfect! So now I have a garage door opener that works again. It's one of my favorite luxuries.
- The son who installed the garage door opener said he was getting a divorce after 7 years. Then he showed me the tattoo of his wife on his upper arm. Whooops. He had a good attitude, though. He said she was able to tame him for 7 years and gave him three wonderful children, so she deserved a place on his arm.
- If I got a tattoo, I'd get a colored sun in yellow, orange and blue. I don't know where, though. Most of my body parts change shape pretty regularly.
- The Olympics start this week. So do our office Olympics. I'm looking forward to it. My section is Brazil, and we're hosting Balloon Soccer.
- I'll be running the internal Office Olympic Web site again this year. That probably means overtime, but it's totally worth it. Thank goodness I'm not a supervisor anymore. This is one of the reasons I wanted to step down from that position... so I would have plenty of time for Olympic press coverage.
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