Quad or Bust

I get that people mock men’s figure skating. Really, I understand that, based on some of their—how shall I put it—outlandish outfits, mockery is inevitable really. But, as I stated earlier, I love watching the skating. And it truly requires amazing talent and athleticism to perform at this level. This year, the men’s skating is the most exciting because the US actually has a couple contenders. Granted, they are going up against this Russian dude who is scary good and can do a QUAD. If you want to play a drinking game and get smashed during the Olympics, here is one: Drink every time they say quad during the men’s figure skating. “Plucshenko’s landed the QUAD/triple craziness!” “But Lysacek may not have the QUAD, but he’s got the total package” “Can you win the gold without the QUAD?!?”, “That guy fell 3 times, good thing he didn’t attempt the QUAD”…you get the point.

Anyways, while the skating itself was interesting to watch, I stumbled across people who were live blogging/twittering it. This greatly enhanced my experience watching an already entertaining event. And if you don’t enjoy the men’s competition, find a humorous blog, grab some beer and you will. Ah the power of social media.

A couple observations about last night:

• NBC made Pluschenko (Russian-gold-QUAD man) out to look, uh, a little crazy in their pre-program interview/Russian dictator statue montage. I mean, sure the man is undoubtedly cocky and a trash talker, but he’s allowed, I suppose. He can do the QUAD AHHH.
  
• France’s Brian Joubert is HOT. Of course I immediately Wikipedia-ed him. Found this interesting little tidbit. Keep in mind this dude does wear sequined outfits for a living. Just sayin’…. “Joubert has been considered somewhat of a heartthrob in his native country, France. This reputation has been contributed to by Joubert's short relationship with former Miss France, Lætitia Bléger. He later brought a lawsuit against Bléger for 40,000 Euros for insinuating that he was homosexual and that their relationship was arranged to hide this.”
  
• Canada’s hopeful Patrick Chan didn’t do that great, but he is still super cute! Come from behind kid.


• Johnny Weir reminds me of a gay Edward Scissorhands. I’m a fan.


• Some dude, don’t even remember his name, wore a scary, sparkly skeleton costume. I understand wanting to present a complete presentation, outfit and all, but really dude? This was just hideous, even for this.


• My roommate walked in when Evan Lysacek was skating. Here was our interaction. Roomie: “His outfit looks like a Lady Gaga ripoff” Me: “Um, his costume is tame compared to the others!” Roomie walks away like I’m crazy. (Good job Evan!)


• To the other American, Jeremy Abbott – better luck next time. And by next time, I mean in four long, long years.

So those were some of the highlights. Check out this hilarious blog that I followed during the broadcast for more in-depth analysis. I’m sure she will be doing it again Thursday.

QUAD.

Sweetest Love Affair In All of Sports

The Olympics always get to me. While I love the swimming and gymnastics that come with the summer games, I’ve always been the biggest fan of the figure skating during the winter Olympics. I remember watching competition after competition as a little girl. I was a fan during the days of Kristi Yamaguchi, Nancy Kerrigan, Brian Boitano, Kurt Browning and Scott Hamilton. I thought I was Kristi Yamaguchi’s biggest fan. Yes, I had a poster. Yes, I wrote her a fan letter. Yes, I brought flowers to her on Stars on Ice. But enough with my obsession. I even took ice skating lessons. After breaking my wrist, I realized ice skating wasn’t my calling. But I still love watching it.

I just finished watching the pairs skating, and again, I am in aw by the beauty and power of this sport. And I love seeing the pairs that are actual pairs in real life. In honor of Valentine’s Day this past weekend I stumbled across this article with some of the best on-and-off the ice figure skating pairs.

My most vivid memory of a real life pair were Russian gold medalists Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov. They were and are arguably still regarded by some of as the best pair team of all time. And then they fell in love in real life.

"They were partners in the sweetest love affair in all of sports. They were a real-life Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Only better. No credits rolled across the screen at the end of their eye-pupping performance. No cameras and lights were broken down and taken to another place. The greatest pair in pair skating was a total pair, 24 hours a day, every day..." Sports Illustrated, December 4, 1995

Look at them. They are both GORGEOUS! And they had a beautiful little daughter Daria. I remember them performing with Stars on Ice when I was young. And then, tragically, Grinkov died suddenly from a heart attack at the age of 28. Apparently Gordeeva has happily remarried (the'98 men's gold medalist!) . But their story always comes to mind as I watch pair skaters.

I'm Back!

I’ve been a bad bloggy. I started this blog about a year ago because I loved reading blogs and wanted one all my own. It was supposed to focus on books and the publishing industry. I started with good intentions, but as the warmer months settled in, my life got crazy and busy. The blog started straying from books and publishing—to be honest—these weren’t the most important things in my life. And some of the posts became a pain, rather than a fun and open place for me to express my inner voice.

So I stopped completely at some point. But I miss this blog. I thought I could define my life and interests into a tidy little compartment. But if the past year has taught me anything, it is that this is far from the truth. I’ve learned so much about myself, my interests and life in general in the past year. And that’s what I want to share in this blog. I still love books, and always will. But I’m also becoming very interest in environmental issues. I have grown to love the city of D.C. and the group of friends I am blessed to know. I even have some (alright, a lot) of funny, and sometimes, sad dating stories. I want to share all of this so that one day, I can look back, remember and hopefully laugh, at this exciting time of my life. Welcome back to Between the Pages.

It's a Living Book

I stole this from another blog...but had to share:

"It's a living book, this life; it folds out in a million settings, cast with a billion beautiful characters, and it is almost over for you. It doesn't matter how old you are; it is coming to a close quickly, and soon the credits will roll and all your friends will fold out of your funeral and drive back to their homes in cold and still and silence. And they will make a fire and pour some wine and think about how you once were . . . and feel a kind of sickness at the idea you never again will be.

So soon you will be in that part of the book where you are holding the bulk of the pages in your left hand, and only a thin wisp of the story in your right. You will know by the page count, not by the narrative, that the Author is wrapping things up. You begin to mourn its ending, and want to pace yourself slowly toward its closure, knowing the last lines will speak of something beautiful, of the end of something long and earned, and you hope the thing closes out like last breaths, like whispers about how much and who the characters have come to love, and how authentic the sentiments feel when they have earned a hundred pages of qualification.

And so my prayer is that your story will have involved some leaving and some coming home, some summer and some winter, some roses blooming out like children in a play. My hope is your story will be about changing, about getting something beautiful born inside of you, about learning to love a woman or a man, about learning to love a child, about moving yourself around water, around mountains, around friends, about learning to love others more than we love ourselves, about learning oneness as a way of understanding God. We get one story, you and I, and one story alone. God has established the elements, the setting and the climax and the resolution. It would be a crime not to venture out, wouldn't it?"

- Donald Miller, Through Painted Deserts: Light, God, and Beauty on the Open Road

Long Time No See

It's been way too long since my last post. I've been caught up in a whirlwind of life, that is quickly slowly down finally. Instead of writing out my thoughts in this forum, I've bugged the crap out of my friends - they are the best for putting up with me! But I started this blog as a creative outlet for myself and I should use it.

I never wanted to get too personal on this blog, but books are not on my mind right now. I saw this quote on a friend's away message and thought it was pretty fitting of my state of mind right now:

Our ages are awkward. We dont really fit in anywhere. We arent in school, we arent really professionals yet, we arent supposed to be randomly hooking up, but we arent supposed to be married.

I'm in a funk right now and this quote really applies. I need a new job, yet I ponder if I should go back to school. But what is most tugging at me right now is boys. Yes, I said it...boys. Since my last relationship I've been pretty closed off. Lately lots of things have been happening in my so-called "love life" (ha i laugh even saying that). And without even knowing, I opened myself up. I opened myself up to something I never expected to progress, and only did so because I thought I had every reason to - would never if I was unsure or had any doubts of it being reciprocated - only to be sidelined and find out, actually, maybe you shouldn't have been so sure.

"I see you lean in, you're bound to fall, and I dont wanna be that mistake" - classic Kenny Chesney!

Anyways I'm not asking for advice or trying to give any either. Because clearly I am a little clueless when it comes to matters of the heart. Just needed a place for a little expression, thank you for listening to me dear friends :)

Books Bring People Together

Books bring people together. That is how this little story begins  almost 2 years ago....But today is a sad day. Today is the day that a co-worker, turned great friend and "partner-in-crime" leaves DC for good. I met this person about 2 years ago when he started working at our office. I remember sitting in our office kitchen, finishing up my lunch and reading "This Side of Paradise." I can't recall the exact conversation, but my now-friend-at-the-time-stranger walked into the kitchen and started inquiring about what I was reading, telling me he really liked Fitzgerald too. I do distinctly recall thinking, "New guy, I'm trying to read, shhh." Little did I know that 2 years later, I would have made a great friend and had so many crazy memories to recall.

Things not to forget:

1. moving

2. kennedy bus

3. losing people in alleys

4. heart-to-hearts over martinis

5. grand plans of writing a screenplay

6. labor day party and toilet puking

7. roommates (HA)

8. texas cut-outs

9. sketchiness

10. pre-date wine drinking

11. clarendon house

12. shot gunnin' beers

13. frisbees

The list could go on and on...Last night we toasted our good friend for the last time and just moments ago we had our last work lunch with him. But he is on to bigger and better places and things, and I wish him all the best! 

CU on the OL my friend, CU!

Ass in the Sand

I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand
Not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand
Life is good today. Life is good today.

The past month of this summer has been crazy. Lots of highs and lows, ups and downs. But everything seems to be coming to a close, just as the summer is quickly drawing to an end. This past week I got to put all this behind me and escape to the Outer Banks with my best friend and some other great people. For an entire week, I did nothing but eat, drink and lay on the beach. I threw in a little boogie boarding and paddleboarding action, but overall, I was a vision of laziness. And I loved it!

I also finished 2 books at the beach and was told I was a fast reader, why thank you! The first was Thanks for the Memories by Cecelia Ahearn. She is the same young, Irish author who wrote P.S. I Love You, and my personal favorite, If You Could See Me Now. Thanks for the Memories was a fun, light beach read, but wasn't my favorite of her books. The premise is a little far-fetched and somewhat cheesy, in the end, but like all her books, they contain a magical, hopeful quality that only leaves you feeling happy.

The other book, which I finished in 2 days, was Emily Giffin's Love the One You're With. There was a reason I finished this book in 2 days....I couldn't put it down! It was a little slow at first for me, but as in her other book (Something Borrowed), she sucks you into the plight of the main character and you feel like you are part of the story. You begin to relate to the main character as you question what you would do given their situation. Another light beach read, this novel was much more satsifying in the end than Thanks for the Memories.

Now, for the first time in a while, I am not currently reading anything. What should I read next? If only I was still laying on the beach reading it, anything would do.