Favorite {Photo} Friday! #9 & 08.08.08

"The Eye of the Storm"


Holy crap does it get better than this? Oh how I adore this picture of Daniele Molmenti (credit to REUTERS/Darren Whiteside). I only wish I had a better quality jpg. Obviously I'm not the only one who loves this photo, because it was in the paper! Dani sent us this photo so I don't know the name of the paper. [Edited: it's the China Daily paper!]


The title caption under the photo says "The Eye of the Storm." Isn't that cool? Dani is like our brother; Jason and I would do just about anything for him (and vice versa, I think!). So I'm over the moon thrilled that he's an Olympian, and seeing him in the paper is super cool, too! PLUS, he was chosen as one of "Eight Olympians to Watch"! He worked soo hard to overcome his injuries after his accident and that makes all this sweeter!

And here's another great photo from REUTERS/Darren Whiteside:


I miss him so much and am so excited that he's been able to stay in touch with us while he's been in China. His event, K-1 Slalom, starts at 3:50 a.m. Eastern time on August 11th! In culo alla balena, carissimo mio!!! Good luck, Dani, listen closely and you may hear us cheering from here!

----------------------------------------

The Olympics are underway! [Yes, I know that Opening Ceremonies aren't on until tonight, but after living abroad my brain is used to considering other time zones, and I'm thinking about what Dani is doing, so that means Opening Ceremonies started two hours ago (China is 12 hours ahead of EDT).] Oh how I love the Olympics! It probably doesn't come as a surprise to anyone who knows me that my favorite part of the Olympics is the human interest stories. I love hearing about all the trials and struggles that competitors fought in order to fulfill their Olympic dreams. I love seeing the desire in their eyes and in their hearts. Oh, it all just makes my heart swell! I can't wait to watch Opening Ceremonies tonight!!!

----------------------------------------

Congratulations and good luck to all of the couples getting married today! I don't actually know any, but I remember all the hoopla from 07.07.07, so I imagine that it's the same a decade and a year and a month and a day (and an hour, probably) later! Actually, I was curious so I just googled it and found out that in China--where 8 is a lucky number--16,400 couples are getting married today! So congratulations and good luck to all of them and everyone else getting married today! :)

----------------------------------------

The County Fair here starts today! My mom's friend Terri just won two blue ribbons for two photographs that she entered in her local fair, and it made me think... so on Wednesday I looked up the info and low and behold I could still enter! So I spent yesterday choosing photos and getting them printed and getting mat board cut (oh how it killed me to not be able to do it myself! I miss being a Framer!) and mounting them, filling out forms and labeling everything and then taking it to the fairgrounds last night. Like I didn't have four zillion things I should have been doing instead. I entered the maximum number of photos (10) and also my Avon Walk book, a scrapbook page, a greeting card, a pair of earrings, and a necklace, all of which I'd already made (obviously). I don't expect to win anything, but it's kind of fun to have entered, anyway. I almost didn't enter because I am a perfectionistic, worrying oldest child and feel like I don't have the right to enter a competition unless I think I have a shot at winning. But then I remembered all of my brave friends who are putting their worries aside and just going for it--Cynthia is starting a monthly scrapbook kit club, Jilliene just signed up for art school, Heather's starting her second semester of art school, and Amy submitted to Somerset Studio magazine and her project was chosen! So if they can do those huge things then surely I can enter the silly old County Fair for heaven's sake! So there you go. I'm officially a County Fair participant! Hilariously the main reason I'm excited is because as a participant I got to buy super cheap fair entry tickets, ha ha! Next year I'll have Jason enter something, too, so we can get twice as many!

Have a super weekend, y'all!