Overjoyed is an understatement as Hubby and I (with our teams’ season list in hand) flipped back and forth between channels watching football. There was an unending array of yells, high fives, and nail biting moments… and, this was only watching the teams coming out of the tunnels (LOL!). The thrill is, indeed, overwhelming at times (but great none the less). There was a game; however, that brought me pause.

The Kansas City Chiefs were at New England (the Patriots) and of course, the winners seemed to be an easy pick (Uh, the Patriots!)… That was, of course, until Patriots’ quarterback, Tom Brady (Yes, Gisele’s goddess boyfriend…), was injured in the first quarter-but still managed to walk off on his own… (Wow!). An opposing defender fell (Lunged… depending on how you look at it.) on Brady’s left knee… some thinking of it as a season-ending injury…

But what actually came across my mind was that nothing’s guaranteed and that although something’s one way right now, doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be that way in the next moment (Yeah, that sentence seems pretty gloomy, huh?… Stay with me, it’s positive! Hilarious!). Brady went out there and probably never imagined considering not playing again until next season. Personally, I just think when you consider everything, it’s important to really live in the moment…

So go ahead, say that thing you’ve been thinking and just haven’t found courage or take that vacation that just seems unimaginable. We should all learn to just live more and live better. What could it hurt? In all that you have to get done today (or whenever), take time out for you and commit to embracing the moment!

… Can it really be done better? As I sat back watching the most entertaining and dominant (Yes, this is open for debate.) pair in professional tennis today, Venus and Serena Williams, I wondered who was really the better competitor. I also wondered if they, as sisters, privately possessed feelings of sibling rivalry.

Photos by Anna Bialkowska and Mister-E. (CC)

Serena beat her sister, the Wimbledon champion, in the 2008 U.S. Open, killing Venus’ pursuit of remaining competitive this go ‘round… How did Venus feel?

There are so many levels of sibling rivalry and for many, the outcome is devastating. Imagine being equally talented and successful as another sibling and having your life, both private and professional, played out on television. It isn’t openly discussed, but it’s openly relevant. Imagine it on any level.

As a sibling (and obviously knowing other siblings…) it’s worth noting that sisters and brothers deal with feelings differently and no matter how successful they are (or you may be), the question of how one may be feeling is always relevant… Be sure to check!

Okay… go along with me. You’re a professional athlete and your sport’s season is fast approaching. You know you have to get in tip top shape (You were relaxing a bit during the off season!) for the regular season. What is the one food you would have to give up in order for your training to be truly successful?

Ah-um (I had something in my thought!)… I would say I would reluctantly (And until the off season comes around again… HeeHee!) give up malt milkshakes. Ugh! I love them. They call out to me… “Buy me. Buy me.”

K, the end.

Are you ready for some football?… I am! I can hardly wait!

It’s like (no, it actually is…) the best part for me of the upcoming season. It might be cold outside, but football is on. For me, football especially is a great time to hang out with Hubby. We laugh and talk and just catch up on life in general. One fun thing we do that makes our time even more special together is playing guessing games…

We print out two sets of the entire season and we both sit there with our pens (You have to use a pin. We found that out the hard way… watch that eraser!) and we guess the winning teams (with our hands over the paper while we write… HeeHee!). We have a blast with it! And, sometimes we do it for an end-of-season gift and other times we do it for the competitive rush… The important thing (even if you’re not the biggest fan of the team or the game overall) is that we do it!

Do you and your significant other have “a thing” that you do for a sporting event?… If not, feel free to borrow ours!

The 2008 Summer Olympics have come to an end, but moving stories of life, achievement, and persevering just keep rolling in…

Natalie du Toit is a 24-year-old South African amputee, who fell victim to a life-changing motorcycle accident. With a prosthetic leg and a lot of courage, du Toit went out to contend for a medal in the marathon swimming games (Yes! And, she actually did it after removing the prosthetic.). Now, she didn’t win (came in 16^th), but she was excited about actually just doing it. She said she left it all in the water.

She didn’t focus on her disability, rather she just went into the open water and sojourned. Best of all, she was an Olympian.

Go Natalie… can’t wait to see you in the 2012 Olympics in London!

Do you have a Gold Medalist moment?…

We all do. What’s yours?

Now that we’re in Week 2 of the 2008 Summer Olympics, I’m looking forward to the Track & Field games… which are you tuning in to see?

While watching Michael Phelps continue to make Olympic history, I heard a story about him that made me say ‘hmmm’…

In the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Phelps beat out his, then, rival Ian Crocker in the 400 meter medley (a.k.a. they switch swimming styles of each leg). As a rival and teammate, Phelps chose to forfeit his spot in the finals (Yes, the finals is where he would’ve picked up his gold!) for Crocker so he would have a chance to redeem himself. And guess what? Crocker brought home the gold… (Mike is something else, huh?… I may have had to think on that a bit more. LOL!).

I brought this scenario closer to home as I thought on times when I was in a position to be selfless. Sometimes it just isn’t that easy… You know, the type of selflessness that really costs you something. Well, I thought about Hubby and how someone once told me to wake up every day asking myself how I can put him first (You know, above my own selfish tendencies…)… Wait!… (I am actually cracking myself up because, Honey, some days are better than others. LOL!).

Anyway, sometimes you can find an opportunity within your relationship to give up your goals-big or small-for the one you love most. It’s a priceless feeling that builds as you await the next opportunity.

Isn’t Michael Phelps, a forerunner in Men’s Swimming, showing such skill and passion in Beijing as he competes at the 2008 Summer Olympics? It is so exciting to watch how committed he is to his sport and to his teammates. It speaks a great deal about his character and quest for gold.

Karen Blaha

What also caught my eye was how Phelps, after winning and standing there at the three-tiered podium (on the top tier of course), scanned the stadium seats for his mom. No matter what was going on, you didn’t see comfort in his eyes until he spotted “that” face.

It was the face that raised him, that encouraged when trouble was all around him. It was that face that he could rely on to be at every meet and to say just the right thing that would console him after a defeat. It was the only face that he looked for and could you blame him?

A mother’s love is as empowering as it is powerful. Go moms (And, oh, yeah, go for the gold, Mike!)!

Today is the opening ceremony for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. So,…

If your were competing in the Olympics, in which event would you win gold?

What! (Who me? You’re asking me?)… I would seriously win the gold for sleeping (The Long Sleep would be the category!).