A Pinterest Challenge

Okay, so I would like a little interaction on this blog, and one way I think I might get it is to put out a challenge.  As the title states, I want to get some stuff going with Pinterest, and I don't want to do it alone.  I want company.  I want witnesses.  I want fellow failures...to laugh with me at our horrible results.  Please fail a few times with me!

So, I'm not sure how to do this, but I figure I could post a few pins and we could have a survey of which failure to fail at first.  Should I start with something related to a season coming up or a hair-do?  I do want dudes to participate, too, so scratch the waterfall braids.  See, I'm arguing with myself right now, making sure to type it out so you can feel as though you are part of the process.  Isn't this exciting?

She is excited!

Okay, I've had more inner dialogue and have found three pins.  We'll all vote on one pin to tackle next week.  I'll give you a few days to shop, then we'll work on the winning pin starting...whenever I decide.  Do I have some participants?  Lemme know by leaving a comment.  Who knows?  Maybe the best one will win something from me.

Here are the pins [and since I don't want to get into trouble for posting pics without permission, I'm only posting the links]:

A - http://pinterest.com/pin/279997301803537680/

B - http://pinterest.com/pin/279997301803421287/

C - http://pinterest.com/pin/279997301803347504/

Yes, these are pretty easy.  What can I say?  I don't want to fail too badly right up front.  So, this should be fun!  Leave a comment with your choice of pin from above (A, B or C) and we'll get started!  Huddle up!

Vacation!

Wow!  I can't believe it's been so long since I graced the pages of my own blog.  I've been consumed with Olympic coverage and working out and summer fun with the family!

Let's start with the Olympics.  Yes, I've already given you my thoughts on some of the Olympics events, but I'm opinionated and must make noise whenever possible.  I won't make much noise, though, because I've been grumbling about the coverage since coverage began.  They had their heroes, of course, and that's who they showed.  I hate that athletes spend their lives (perhaps) training for the Olympics and the only coverage they get is a name on the screen and a satellite video with them plopping out of the starting blocks or diving into pee-water.  I also laugh at the drama of it all, since most of it is pre-recorded and we pretty much already know the outcome.

Working out!  I'm pretty excited to return to my routine.  I like bossing people around, and I work out more often if I have someone there.  They are doing 5K training on the days I'm not there, and circuit training when I am there.  I am sore every time I leave those workouts...and they aren't!  What's happening here?  I shall bring my lifeguard whistle and tweet them and taunt them!  I shall!

Anybody have any great ideas for 30 second circuit stops?  I don't want to be boring as I tweet and taunt.  I'm trying to get to Tabata-type workouts, which make me want to throw up, but I don't want to scare anyone away...plus I despise throwing up.  It's not my fave.  Lunges are my fave...

Summer fun is a great time for visitors and pools and beaches and theme parks!  We ran around town from sun-up to sun-down for a week straight, it seems.  I'll go into more detail later, but for now, I will praise the wonders of sunscreen and snarl at roller-coasters.

Olympics!

I sit and watch these Olympics, proud of everybody -- not just Americans.  I am going to give you my thoughts on stuff (and I guess that's why I have a blog, yes?).

This scene scares my windpipe.

Swimming
More power to these folks.  I can swim, no problem, but I have a tendency to choke on my own spit...and that's on dry land.  I've known swimmers, from high school and beyond, and know that the workouts are long enough and hard enough to allow them to pig out and still look like upside down triangles.  Also, my appendages are more than likely a drag to perfect streamlining.  So...I'm out.  Can't medal in swimming.

Oh, I could do this! 

Gymnastics
See, when Aly fell on her head while warming up the other day, I relived my own head-bonk from high school.  I was mid-back-flip and stopped to check the time, I guess.  Bonk.  There I went -- down to kiss the ground of my homeland.  Blerg.  I think some people gasped, as did I, so after that, I think I was too scared to go further.  That, and I saw one of my class-mates knock a woman's nose sideways while doing her back-flip.  Oh, it hurts, y'all!  It hurts!  No medals!

Not me. My laces would be out.

Cycling
I just can't cycle for more than an hour.  Maybe I'm not wearing the right padding or something.  Maybe I'm lazy and don't stand up as often as I should.  Whatever it is, I dislike my tush after my rides and curse it repeatedly.  'Leave me alone!' I say, as I shuffle to the water cooler.  'Take a day off!'  I could probably medal in a 30 minute leisure ride.  When's that event?

Badminton 
Oh, if losing gets you a medal, this is the sport for me!  Check me out!  Boom!  Right in the net!  I lose!  And by that, I mean 'Give me my medal!'  I'm just not sure how to feel about losing on purpose to get an easier competitor.  That doesn't seem like winning to me.  Seems like cheating.  Meh.  DQ.  




I'm sure I'll check some more events later this week and give more thoughts.  I will end, however, with some thoughts about China.  Right after Wu Minxia won a gold medal in diving, she was finally told that her mother had been fighting breast cancer (for a year) and that her grandparents were dead (and had been for about a year)...and the family didn't tell her because they didn't want to distract from her training.  I read an article where this information was disclosed and there was even a quote from a family member:

I don't even dare to think about things like enjoying family happiness. 

This makes me sad.  I'm all for the best winning the medals, but at what cost?  Maybe that's why I'll never medal in anything.  I enjoy my family happiness -- so I'll count that as my achievement and hang it around my neck.

Canine Agility.  Family Happiness.  Same thing.