Cultural Phenomenon Number Two

Ok, I don't really know why I'm writing about this.....well, actually, I do --- it's because this show absolutely fascinates me summer after summer. Before you roll your eyes and think to yourself, "Oh my gravy, she really watches this rubbish," --let me tell you why it's so great. CBS chooses thirteen people, give or take a couple, each summer to spend three months living together in a dog-eat-dog type of competition in which the "houseguests" are completely cut off from every outlet of the outside world: no phones, no TV, no internet, no visitors in or out, no emails or letters from home--NOTHING. Can you imagine being put into that situation? It really is the ultimate social experiment. They take out all of the elements from the outside world and strip these people of everything but their character and then let them evict one person each week, until the last person standing is ultimately rewarded $500,000 after a vote from their peers. They all go into the house knowing nothing about any of the other people with whom they are about to spend 24 hours a day with for who knows how long. One person wins a competition to be head of household, which means they get their own bedroom, special amenities, and the decision of which two people to nominate for eviction. Then there is a veto competition, and whoever wins that can change one nominee or leave it the same. Then the houseguests vote at the end of the week, and the person with the most votes leaves. Throw in some crazy competitions--especially the food ones....if they lose they have to eat the disgusting Big Brother slop.....and you have yourself what I consider to be a sociologist's masterpiece. I find it so interesting to see how the people relate to each other, form relationships, break them, and lie, cheat, and steal to get to the top of the pile. It's just great. I can't describe it...you just have to watch for yourself, and you'll be hooked. Trust me--if I can get my husband to watch it with me and start making predictions about the next evicted houseguest and what their strategy should be, anyone will like it.

This year, I'm rooting for the Michigan boy, Dan. He's been America's player, so he had to vote to evict the person America wanted out, which totally turned the house upside down, and he's been the swing vote the past two weeks as well. He doesn't really have an alliance, he just has a way of knowing when to be vulnerable and when to be strong, and he isn't really seen as a huge threat. I hope he goes all the way......I really respect his game.

Ok, enough lame-O reality TV talk.....bring on the weekend!!!

Cultural Phenomenon Number One

So as most Americans are at this time of year every four years, I have been basically glued to the television watching hours and hours of the NBC coverage of the Beijing Summer Olympics. This has proven to be quite challenging for me this time around for two reasons:

1) Beijing is 12 hours ahead of us (they're in the future, if you really think about it. Their tomorrow is our today. Weird, but I digress). I am an internet news junkie. Newspapers have basically gone by the wayside in my little world, and in their place, I read the news headlines (and celebrity gossip) on the computer numerous times a day. This makes life difficult, because news reporters report stories in real time as they happen, not on the 12 hour plus tape delay that NBC has been forced to use for this Olympics because most people in their right minds are not able to stay awake to watch the events live without paying a hefty price the next day at work when they have to keep their eyelids propped open with toothpicks. I can't tell you how many events I've looked forward to watching in primetime coverage and then lo and behold, I get online to read the news, and there's a link right there in my face that says, "U.S. Women's Volleyball team wins gold." Crap. I DVR'ed that to watch tonight because it didn't come on until almost midnight. What's the point now? I know the result now. The same thing has happened to me with some gymnastics, diving, and track and field events. So frustrating. If they have to post the news as it happens, that's fine, but at least make it so you have to click into a spoiler section so you don't just come across it like I have so many times. Annoying. Frustrating. I could prevent it by not reading the news, but that's my livelihood. It keeps me going during the day and makes me feel connected to the world. Maybe that's geeky, but it's true. I like to be "in the know."

2) I don't live in the United States, I live in Canada. Let me elaborate a bit. The first day of the Olympics, I go to turn on the games, and of course, both of the two channels that we get that are U.S. channels are televising the BUFFALO BILLS PRESEASON FOOTBALL GAME. WHHHHAAAAAT??????? The Bills?!?!!?? I don't care if we are close to Buffalo, it's preseason, big deal, and they can barely keep the team in their city, so why are they letting them monopolize BOTH NBC channels. Ludicrous, I tell you, just ludicrous. So, I decide to give the Canadian channel, CBC, a chance. Well, that lasted for all of five minutes, the guy on there has a Ben Stein voice, only he's more dry and boring, and the big event of the day was Equestrian stuff. ALLLLLLL day. Yikes. All I have to say is that I really appreciate Bob Costas more than I ever thought I could. Thank goodness I only had to put up with that for one day.

ANYWAY---enough of that. Stop and think about the Olympics for a second. Think about what goes into that. Think about all of the different countries that show up, how hard all of the athletes have had to work to get there, how many different cultures and backgrounds and beliefs and environments they come from.....but yet they're all in one place with one common goal--a gold medal proving that their country is the best in the WORLD. That's a pretty big deal. Think of all of the venues that must be built, all of the planning that is involved, all of the people that it takes to work the events and judge the events and cook food for the athletes and all of that. Yes, there was a stabbing there this time, but for the most part, everyone comes together and gets along. That's a pretty awesome thing if you stop and think about it.

Now, for the all-stars:
MICHAEL FREAKIN PHELPS---8 gold medals....INSANE!! And the finishes to a few of those races were just ridiculous. It was cool that in the end he had to rely on a team to achieve a personal goal. I liked that. And his mom is hilarious, so that made watching even more enjoyable.

This was my favorite: the photo finish against Cavic from Serbia in the 100 butterfly. CRAZY!

Misty May and Kerri Walsh---wow. Double golds in volleyball, something like 108 consecutive matches won. I wish I could be them.

And, as much as I hate his showboating ways, Usain Bolt of Jamaica. Two world records that were thought impossible to beat and he beat them both in a matter of days.

Cheaters, cheaters: CHINESE GYMNASTICS---no way some of those girls are 16!! But what sucks is, that when they investigate this and figure out that their ages are in no way legitimate, they probably won't revoke the medals, and even if they did, I would not want to win a medal because someone else cheated. It just taints the whole competition...ugh.

The gymnastics judges are smoking something too.......so inconsistent and biased, even though bias is not supposed to happen because of the way it's set up....it totally does, and I think everyone can agree with that. When you bring Bela Karolyi to tears, something's up. Poor Alicia Sacramone. First she falls on two different events at the team competition, then gets screwed out of a bronze by horrible judging on the vault final. Bummer.

More to come......

It's been a long time......

Wow!!

I have been majorly slacking at updating this blog.....a lot has happened since I was last on here! Some life-changing events have occurred, well, only one, I guess, but it's a biggie! Gary and I got married, as most of you probably know. Two days after the wedding, we drove back to Toronto and embarked on our 10-day honeymoon to Italy, which was absolutely fabulous--I couldn't have asked for a more amazing time with the love of my life in one of the most romantic countries in the world. We did so many things and saw so many unforgettable sights...it was just great. We actually kept a journal (you know, on paper, like the days before the invention of blogging) on an almost daily basis to remember what we liked and didn't like, what we ate, where we went, and just any little tidbits that anyone we know might need if they ever travel to Italy. I received the journal as a wedding gift from a co-worker. She had kept a journal on a family trip through Europe about 20 years ago and just came across it recently and she said it brought back a lot of awesome memories. I think it will be something that will be really special to us in the years to come, and we can show it to our children and grandchildren. I'm not going to post any wedding or honeymoon pictures on here because there are websites that house them all, so here are the addresses if you haven't seen them already:

http://www.lucasmcdonough.smugmug.com/ (Our photographer's site-go to Day/Ruppert Wedding link)

www.public.fotki.com/garinruppert (Honeymoon photos mostly, but I want to update the account and start keeping all of my pictures on there, it's a great site because you can order high quality prints directly from them for cheap!)

http://www.danhester.fotki.com/ (go to Day/Ruppert wedding folder, the password is Erin)

So there you go. Probably more pictures of us than you'd ever want to see, but you only get married once, and being that I'm a huge shutterbug, I took as many pictures and had as many pictures taken of us as possible!

Since then, not too much has gone on. We went to a first birthday party for our nephew in Ohio and got a real genuine Ruppert family picture (a rarity with seven kids in the family ages 6 and under, let me tell you..) Here it is....

Pretty good, only one kid isn't looking!!

We made a trip to Lake Wawasee and went to a wedding one weekend, and we also headed up to the cabin in Northern Michigan one weekend, which was great because the deer were out like crazy! I'm forecasting a great hunting season!!! Bring on the wall mounts and deer jerky!

Look closely, antlers are sprouting!

Oh, and there were these bear tracks, too.....we could definitely use a bearskin rug!

Two weekends ago, the Parents Ruppert came up to visit us for the first time....we visited the Cathedral in Markham and the CN Tower......it was lots of fun! There they are at lunch in the 360 restaurant at the top of the tower, it is always rotating, so that was an interesting meal.

We took them to Cathedraltown as well, here it is at sunset.

We had the company picnic last weekend and our first Rock Band party too (which by the way, if you've never attended one, is a riot. There's nothing better than adults who can't carry a tune attempting to sing, play drums, and play guitar---all while enjoying alcoholic beverages.)

Our picnic had a pirate theme, hence these two photos:

My fabulous co-workers and me at the registration table.... Gary at Simeon Lake, which is part of the private Magna park where the picnic was.Emma & me with our first raw oysters during the Rock Band party at the Sims residence...FUN! Mat, Gary and Emma rocking out at Rock Band....Emma even has the poses down.
This coming weekend, our buddy Matt is coming up for the weekend and we're gonna get good wings and see a Kid Rock/Lynyrd Skynyrd concert!! More to come!!!