Blame it on the Olympics

I haven't made very much progress on the new YA so far. I'm blaming the fact that school doesn't start here until the 28th (and I'm tired of reading about other parents whose kids have started school and are jumping up and down about it) and the fact that they Olympics are eating up my nights. I don't usually watch TV at night. Tivo takes care of my must-see shows (What Not to Wear, Scrubs, CSI (Vegas only - the others are cheap rip-offs) and John and Kate Plus 8 in case you were interested). I'll catch one of these when I can, but usually work after the kids go to bed. Tivo-ing the Olympics feels like you're a few horses behind in the parade, even though it's not live here on the West Coast, ever.

Speaking of the Olympics, I have some issues with them:

-If we are forced to watch the women's beach volleyball played in bikinis, then the men's beach volleyball should be played in Speedos. Fair is fair.
- Why can't we have the Olympics on TV earlier here? I know they can't watch gymnastics until midnight on the East Coast, but as my first picture book is about time zones, I know that when it is midnight in New York, it's only 9:00 in San Francisco. How can we inspire kids with the Olympics if they are all in bed?
-Would the new "experts" in any sport please be quiet. I've always loved gymnastics, although my 5'10" height at age 12 put a damper on it. Now I hear people who have never watched more than ten minutes of my sport in their lives tell me "That step is gonna cost her. You betcha." I however, am now an expert in beach volleyball, handball and trampoline.
- Don't interview sprinters or swimmers within five minutes of their races. You can't hear them through the panting and I just feel bad about it. Give them time to recover for goodness sake.
- When someone falls off the beam or trips over a hurdle, get the camera off them. We don't need super-tight shots of athletes whose entire lives have just turned to garbage in that one split second.
- I love Michael Phelps as much as anyone, but I don't need to see any more close-up shots of his feet. I must be getting old because instead of having a crush on him, I just think about what a wonderful son he is.

Soon the kids will go back to school and the Olympics will go dark and I can get back to work. Right now the 3 meter springboard finals are on, so I have to go.

On this date: In 1981, Charlie's Angels ends.