Notes on the Weekend

1. The Olympics--amazing. The opening ceremonies Friday night were a pageant befitting the country that gave us the Parthenon and Homer’s poems. I watched in awe, the dreamt that night of moving half-human statues. The events themselves are stunning: equestrian and swimming and women’s weightlifting (teeny Japanese and Thai women with giant necks, lifting twice their weight like prize-seeking ants!) and women’s gymnastics and men’s soccer and and…I began to wonder if there’s a set amount of athleticism in the world, and the Olympians drain ours as we sit affixed before the flickering TV, channeling the energy we would expend at the gym to perform Herculean feats. Michael Phelps, sadly, lost his shot at 8 golds with the men’s relay, but perhaps he will enjoy the competition more now, with less pressure. TV Guide reports that the 19-year-old swimming superstar consumes 8,000-10,000 calories a day and swims 50 miles a week. Meanwhile, Brendan Hansen, men’s 100-meter breaststroke swimmer from Texas, earned a silver yesterday on his 23rd birthday…but I could tell that he didn’t feel he earned the silver so much as lost the gold to his rival, Japanese swimmer Kosume Kitajama. This morning, Aaron Peirsol, a member of the U.S. team, gracelessly accused Kitajama of cheating with a “dolphin kick”. Meanwhile, I missed the synchronized diving, which everyone says was a stunning event. Luna, the kitten, enjoys watching soccer.

2. Friends and food. Had a nice dinner with some friends Saturday. G. and I prepared a tasty and nutritious dinner, including tomatoes Provencal (a tribute to Julia Child, of course), salad, grilled shrimp, and spinach-feta foccacia. We had a grand time, dining, chatting, and mini-golfing. We’re lucky to know such great people. Friday night, G. and I tried a local Indian bistro—dee—licious. I experienced dosa for the first time, a sort of Indian crepe made of lentils and rice, I ordered mine stuffed with chicken and potatoes. It was spiced to perfection.

3. Books. Sorry, Austen fans, I couldn’t do it. Not only was I not reading Pride and Prejudice, I wasn’t reading anything else because I had to read Pride and Prejudice. I just couldn’t get past Austen’s style. I returned Ms. A. to the library Sunday, and, because the library was closed, I indulged myself in browsing through the local bookstore and choosing a book to purchase. At a friend’s recommendation, I picked up Possession by A.S. Byatt. The cashier exclaimed that she loved the book. I’ll let you know.

4. I also had an adventure to a Chinese apothecary. Maybe more on that later.

5. Finally, sorry that this post, which should be link-rich, is utterly devoid of links. This Mac doesn’t allow for easy linkage the way a PC does.