I came across this, this evening (clicking on it will take you to the site of origin, as well as a larger image):
A more spatially-correct chart than this image, making the viral rounds:
Draw whatever extrapolations from this that you will, I just found it interesting.
Here are a few of yesterday's purchases.
From Hallmark:
I have the whole Demdaco's Willowtree Nativity Set, but needed an angel for the manger-top. I also wanted a second set of stars, to balance out the backdrop. In addition, I picked up a few Christmas gifts while we were there. :D
From Bath & Body Works:
I've got scads of lotion from this place and many others. If anyone out there who is reading this is considering purchasing a bath set or body lotion for me for Christmas... I beg you, please don't! It'll take me 5 years to use up what I have...if not longer. So I spent the gift card on an oil warmer, at Pete's request.
From Ross:
A $10 pair of Reebok football cleats. That apparently are the "comfiest I've ever owned," according to the hubs. I almost got a Kenneth Cole handbag... but the Ross price tag was missing and they said it would be $65. Now, from $159... that's a really great deal! But I still can't bring myself to pay that much for a purse I'll only use for a year. (I get tired of my purses after 6-12 months. But maybe that would change if I had a well-made one.)
From Linens N' Things:
A drying rack, Hercules Hooks, and a broken digital cook-timer that I have to return.
And, from Claires, a darling green owl necklace, some jangly bracelets and several toe rings. (None pictured - obviously. I couldn't find a photo of them online, so I'll just have to photograph them myself.)
And, on a separate note, we filled out the registration to vote today, to be mailed tomorrow. I can't figure out how to embed a video in my blog yet (still learning!) so here's a link to a cool 5 minute video.
Is this how it always is? Someone is in the media's spotlight and suddenly the whole world is an expert on the matter? Acting like they care? Like now that it's a hot story and the subject is himself hot, everyone loves him and is buzzing about him?
Photo courtesy of www.telegraph.co.uk
I mean, come on. Michael Phelps was completely and stupendously awesome before Saturday when he won his 8th Olympic gold medal in a single Olympics...in case you were under a rock for the Games thus far. (Which by the way was such an amazing thing to witness, I have to say.) But now everyone thinks they know a thing or two about swimming.
But if that brings attention the the often-ignored sport, then maybe I should be ok with it.
I swam for 9 years. Age 9 to 18. I was never good enough to go past the state levels in club or sectionals in high school, but still, I was alright. I wish I had stuck with it. While I had talent, which I admit, was probably from my complete immersion in it at an early age; as time went on, I grew a little tired of it. Some of the people involved were petty and hard to deal with. And I was getting a little bored. High school came along which jazzed it up a bit. But even then, I had a lot of social activities outside of the sport. It didn't help that my parents were really the only ones who cared (which helped me stick with it as long as I did). Because I wasn't involved with a "fun", "exciting" or "easy-to-watch" sport, no one would come to see me swim my little heart out. While I am the first to admit that if you don't know the times someone is swimming, an all-day meet can get exceptionally challenging to sit through. It's hot, crowded and uncomfortable to sit on the bleachers for the whole day. But in high school, the meets are only two hours at most. The pace is faster, there are more teammates cheering, there are team cheers at the beginning, there is a winning and losing team (instead of individual places and times). But still, it was rare that we had non-parent spectators. Even my grandparents didn't care much for it. They were more interested in their local high school volleyball team (with none of their own grandchildren on it) than in my swimming. My dad was a timer at most of my early meets, then he started running the things, and finally officiating them. He still does. He runs the state meets, and sometimes even bigger ones than that. Swimming is in our family. I need to get back to it. Looking back, I think if my focus had been a little different, I could have been something more. Nothing on the Olympic level. No no. But still.
(That's me on the far right. Laughable if you've seen me anytime recently. I was thin and had muscles!)
I guess what I'm trying to say is that swimming has been around for a long time and people haven't really cared much about it. If you only support the Olympians, people may not have the encouragement to get to that level, when you don't pay attention to the little guys. The eight year-olds bumbling down the pool, as adorable as can be; the eleven, twelve and thirteen year-olds who are uncomfortable with their own bodies in swim suits, but do their best anyways; the first timer swimming in high school, using all their courage to try out for the team; the senior who may or may not ever swim again. They all need representation. Not just the fabulous people in front of the cameras. Please don't be fickle.