I Went on a Date With an Olympian

You would think it would have occurred to me a long time ago that I went out with someone who had the potential to be an Olympic athlete, but no, it didn't hit me until about 11:00 this morning.

I went to a school with a highly ranked volleyball team, so it's no coincidence that two grads and one of the coaches (that's a separate story, noted here) are involved with the US Men's Olympic Volleyball team.

Anyhow, I was at the gym, watching a bit of NBC when the USA vs. Japan game came on. Lo and behold, there was my date: Rich Lambourne.

I don't remember who arranged it or if we even had a good time. I do remember it had something to do with the fact that he spoke Japanese, and apparently the person who introduced us assumed that I did too. Slightly awkward.

I'm tempted to Facebook friend him and write on his wall. "Hey, Rich, remember me? I'm that girl you went disco skating with in Orem sometime between 1996 and 1997. How's it going? Oh, and good job blocking that spike."

-SM

Grammar Issues

I'm really picky about grammar. Like really picky. I get upset when people don't know the difference between

whose/who's
there/their/they're
to/two/too
your/you're
its/it's

It also makes me cringe to hear things like, "I could care less." (If you could care less, then please do. It wouldn't bother me that you cared more or less about whatever it is you care about, because by now I've moved on.)

So when I watch sports, this gets on my nerves. It's the word "winningest."

The winningest coach.
The winningest Michael Phelps.
The winningest team.
The winningest Chinese athlete.
The winningest basketball player.

Are we Americans that lazy that we can't say, "The coach with the most wins," or "Michael Phelps is superhuman and a freak of nature?"

Well, I did some research. To my surprise, it's in the dictionary. But let me tell you, it's in there as an "informal" word. So if it's informal, why are we reading it in headlines?

For crying out loud.

-10-key princess

New Olympics event

Urban Gymnastics.



-JT

My Induction into NASCAR

To this northern urbanite, NASCAR has always seemed like a redneck sport. I'm used to Wrigley where most people are bandwagon fans and aren't even there to watch the game. So imagine my shock when I, along with about 20 co-workers and our friends, rolled up to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday to take in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard NASCAR race. I was in sensory overload, so I tried to snapped a ton of pictures throughout the day.

I mean, these race fans are Hard Core, with a capital 'H' and 'C.' They don't just root for their favorite drivers, they bleed for them. Some literally. One of the women with us, who happened to be an admin at my office, has a tattoo of the number 3 car on her ankle in homage to Dale Earnhardt Sr., who died in a wreck during a race five years ago. Besides her ink, these guys caught my eye, or lense, I suppose.

Two of Nascar's finest.

The race itself was fun, despite the heat, which made it feel like I was melting in the stands. Luckily, though, since we were there because of our involvement in the ad campaign, we had passes to the Allstate hospitality tent. It featured food, drinks and free A/C. It was a frequent destination for all of us posers.

Jimmie Johnson ended up winning the race, which made me $125 richer. On the way down to Indy, a bunch of us decided it'd be fun to put the top 25 drivers' names in a hat and randomly pick one for $5 a pop. If your driver wins the race, you win the pot. In case you haven't figured it out yet, I pulled Johnson's name. While this doesn't make up for Memphis choking during the NCAA Final Four Championship Game, it was still nice to win. And in true Indianapolis Motor Speedway form, the race winner always kisses the row of bricks. Since it's tradition, I followed suit.

I may or may not have slipped in some tongue.

At the end of it all, I left with more of an appreciation for NASCAR. It's the fastest growing sport in the U.S., and the fans definitely know how to have a good time. They party from about three days before the race starts until well after the race is over. This was my inaugural race, and since I know how exhausted I was after coming into town the morning of and then leaving that evening, I feel these people's pain.

This guy was out like a light - immediately after the race was over.

And so was he. His friends, not so much.

An overserved fan being consoled by her boyfriend, who can't use two hands because then he'd drop his beer.

I just hope they all got home eventually. Or maybe even to next week's race track. And if you expect me to know where that is, I apologize. I'm not that big of a fan. Yet.

-JT

Stream of consciousness

Rather than blog about one specific topic tonight, I decided on a brain dump after having a stressful week (month, maybe?). Here are some happy, philosophical, sad and irreverent thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head recently. Ready? Take a deep breath...

I believe the Cubbies rule more than most people, but even I think it's ridiculous that Carlos Marmlol freaking made the All-Star team after the way he's pitched this past month.

Are ideas ownable? When do they become yours? My boss took an idea that the Chief Creative Officer (CCO) of our company had for a new business project I'm working on and is trying to pawn it off as his own. How do I know this? Because I overheard my boss telling someone else that he had a meeting with the CCO who had a suggestion for a TV commercial. Lo and behold, when my partner and I presented work a day or two later, our boss was like, "That actually kind of works with an idea I had," and then proceeded to tell us the exact idea that the CCO told him. Shady. It makes me wonder how many of our ideas became his ideas when he presented them to the clients.

AVP beach volleyball is awwwwwwesome. I wish my beach skills were 8.31% of the skills of the pros on that tour. But at least all 5'9" of me got to meet and take a picture with 6'3" Kerri Walsh, who's the #1 women's beach volleyball player in the world. Take a look below. It wasn't awkward at all.


To keep my celebrity encounters rolling - on my way to catch the bus to go home after watching the AVP all day, I was walking on the bike path. I happened to look over my left shoulder, and right there next to me was Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith on his bike. I was like, "Hey! Lovie Smith." he was all quiet with a quick, "Yeah." I asked if I could get a picture with him. He obliged and got off his bike. Then he walked his bike in front of me to get on my right (not sure why), and, of course, ran over my flip-flop outfitted foot with his front tire. Luckily for me, he was walking his bike. Luckily for him, he apologized.


Today was my company's summer outing - a scavenger hunt/trek downtown, kind of like the Amazing Race, that ended with a barbecue. It was an absolute blast. We had to complete missions using problem-solving, video, photography, bartering and good old-fashioned charm. I might could have enjoyed it more had I not been called back to work, but it was still fun.

One of my friends from childhood passed away yesterday after a battle with pulmonary fibrosis. We had grown apart as we got older and he went to a different high school, but I've run into him on many occasions at some of the neighborhood festivals over the years. He had been on a waiting list for a double-lung transplant for the past few years, which unfortunately didn't come through in time. Even though he had been sick for a while now, the news still came as a shock. Death has a way of doing that.

Ok, you can breathe again. Goodnight. Sleep well.

-JT

Scenes From My Kind of Town

For the loyal readers of understandbetter, I present to you the "Best of Chicago - Summer Scenes 2008 Edition."

Creative advertising by Dominicks. Or maybe I just have a dirty mind.

A million billion people rushing the loop after fireworks.

Note to self: always look at myself from all angles before leaving the house so I don't end up on someone else's blog for looking like this. (Sorry, I couldn't resist taking this picture.)

Ah. Wrigley Field. The Cubbies rule (2004).

Whoever the ad agency was that came up with the Pillsbury Doughboy deserves a gold star.

I love this city and its people.

-10-key princess

What a homer

Up to now, I've thought that the entire Chicago White Sox ad campaign was stupid - and that has nothing to do with me being a huge Cubs fan. It has to do with the fact that the ads, both on tv and outdoor, have been cheesy. And that some don't even make sense in a baseball world. But as much as I hate the White Sox, I can't help but laugh at the latest commercial from the campaign that's airing in Chicago.

Anyway, this new commercial stars A.J Pierzynski, the notoriously annoying and hard-headed White Sox catcher. It involves the cardboard signs that are prevalent throughout the entire campaign (which is a big part of what I think makes the campaign dumb). In the spot, Pierzynski's being told to bunt by both his third base coach, who he shakes off, and then by manager Ozzie Guillen, who he also defies.

But then, the camera cuts to a fan in the stands holding up a "Bunt" sign, and it's none other than Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, who's never hidden his love of the White Sox. When Pierzynski sees the order from the Mayor, this time he obliges and puts down a bunt. It's funny. It's unexpected. And it shows who Chicago's boss really is. It also marks the first time Daley, who I happen to be a big fan of for what he's done for this city, has ever appeared in a commercial that wasn't political.

Youtube won't allow me to post it anywhere, so click here if you'd like to watch it. Even this Cubs fan has to admit that it's good.

-JT

P.S. I know there were questions as to whether this blog was dead. I thought about it, and I intend to continue contributing. I hope the same goes for 10-key princess and SM.

A 5.2? And That's News?

A 5.2 magnitude earthquake "rocked" southern Illinois today (102 years to the day since the Great San Francisco Quake) and made headline news.

California born and raised, I guess I just find that funny. I was around when the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake rocked the Bay Area - the quake that interrupted the Battle of the Bay World Series, caused the Bay Bridge to collapse, and made overpasses crumble into pieces. I grew up having an earthquake drill every other week, knowing how to duck and cover, hold onto the desk with one hand, and cover my head/neck with the other. I still never hang a heavy mirror or picture frame above the bed. We have a flashlight and spare shoes by the bed in case windows start to break and we have to make a quick escape. I learned at age 10 how to turn off the gas and water supply lines to our house.

That said - with all of these practical skills, I still don't know what to do when a tornado siren goes off. Anyone?

-SM

Kansas didn't win; Memphis lost

It's taken me a day to recover, but now that I'm good, I thought I'd share. I'll start by saying that I love March Madness. Best sporting event of the year.

And every year, for about the 10 years, I've joined an NCAA Tournament pool that's run by a doctor that works with my mom at a hospital in the Chicago suburbs. This pool isn't your typical $5 entry fee, $100 payout. This is serious business. The guy gets over 200 entries, each at $20 a bracket (plus $10 if you buy insurance, which I won't get into). There are payouts for the leaders at the end of the 1st weekend ($200), at the end of the 2nd weekend ($400) and then for 1st through 5th place once the tournament is over. The breakdown is as follows:

1st place - $1800
2nd place - $900
3rd place - $650
4th place - $425
5th place - $350
last place - they get their money back

Well, going into Monday night's championship game between Memphis and Kansas, yours truly was in first place by 1 point. If Memphis wins the game, I take the $1800. But if they lose, I drop out of the top 5 (to somewhere like 16th place) and win nothing. Needless to say, I was a little amped at work on Monday.

I thought it would be entertaining for my friends to see me hang on every single play as it unfolded, so I invited a bunch of them to come watch the game with me at a neighborhood bar. And believe me, they were entertained. Just like the game, I was up and down - elated one minute, head in my hands the next.

Memphis was up nine with two minutes to go, and it was looking good. But from that point on, they played tentatively when they could have been aggressive and finished off the Jayhawks. And Kansas came back, forced OT, and Memphis lost. Which meant I lost too.

I was bummed. And then my mom, lovely lady that she is, calls me the next morning to talk about the game, which had to have been the first basketball game that I didn't play in that she watched from start to finish. We're talking, she's sharing in my pain, and then she drops this on me - the person who ended up winning was an 8 year-old girl who plays on the same basketball team as the son of the doctor who runs the pool. A freaking 8 year-old girl!

I just started laughing. "Of course she was," I said. My mom's retort, "Well, Jon (the doctor) says she's a hoops nut and that she picked all the games herself."

Wonderful - that makes me feel a whole lot better. Maybe I should consult little Miss Olivia next year before filling out my brackets.

-JT

Science Saturday - II

For a bonus, a lesson on second order polynomials.

Riding Favre off into the sunset

Growing up as a life long Chicago Bears fan, I was conditioned to hate the Green Bay Packers. And I did. I hated them when Charles Martin picked up Jim McMahon and slammed him into the ground in 1986. I hated them when, in 1989, Packers QB Don "Magic Man" Majkowski cheated and crossed the line of scrimmage to throw a game-winning touchdown pass against the Bears. I hate (still do) those stupid cheeseheads their fans wear to games.

But while I've hated so much about the Packers over the years, the one thing I could never hate was Brett Favre. Yes, he sliced and diced the Bears throughout most of his career. But he was one of the most enjoyable players to watch on a football field in my lifetime. He was one of the few athletes who realized that he was an adult playing a kid's game, and it showed. No matter the situation, he was always having fun. It was refreshing.

Well, today Brett Favre announced that he was retiring from the NFL. Take a look at the shot of the front page of today's Green Bay Press-Gazette:


Favre played 17 magical seasons, and after last year, it looked like he still had a few more good ones in him. But he was tired, and from what I've seen and heard, it was more mentally than physically. Think about this - during Brett Favre's career, which began in 1992, the Chicago Bears have started 21 different quarterbacks. 21! That's absurd.

It's too bad Brett Favre is retiring. He really was one of the good guys of the NFL. And the one Packer I'm not ashamed to say I enjoyed watching play football.

-JT

Who We Are

We have a readership! I've gotten a few random e-mails and comments from blog readers asking us who we are. I thought we could do a little Q&A to appease our (small but growing) fan base. (This reminds me of those slam books we used to do in middle school. Does anyone else remember those?)

In the meantime, here's a bit about us: 10-key princess, Janos, JT, and SM (the Suburban Mommy).

Hit us with your best shot.


10-key princess








Janos







JT







SM





What's the best advice you've ever given?
10-kp: To my little brother: "Don't drop out of college, idiot."
Janos: Telling one of my high school best friends to quit being a waiter and get a real job. He became an engineer for Lockheed Martin 3 months later.
JT: "Um, guys. Guys. Guys!" (Said while pointing up in the air) to two of my friends sitting next to me in the bleachers during batting practice before a baseball game. They were being stupid, throwing peanut shells at each other. All of the sudden, thwack. The batter crushed a ball, and it was heading directly at them. They have no idea as they're still playing around, and the ball's getting closer. I start pointing in the air as I'm like, "Um, guys. Guys. Guys!" Finally, they realize I'm talking to them, look up, can't find the ball and just scatter. And about 2.438 seconds later, the ball comes crashing down right where one of them was sitting. Luckily for his future wife, whoever it may be, I was paying attention.
SM: I told my husband on 9/12/01 while working in the airline industry, "Look for a job IMMEDIATELY."

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
10-kp: Tahiti. They speak French. It's an island. Perfect.
Janos: Costa Rica. Imagine being a 2-hr drive from the Atlantic, the Pacific, mountains, rain forests, volcanoes, warm weather, and LOTS of bikinis.
JT: Australia. Kangaroos and koala bears. Enough said.
SM: Marin County, CA - or, my husband prefers Berkeley Hills. But that's too liberal for me.

What is your deepest fear?
10-kp: Clowns. Admit it. You're scared of Ronald McDonald, too.
Janos: Failing in front of people I know.
JT: Getting a papercut on my eye. Just writing that makes me shudder.
SM: That someone I know will get Alzheimer's.

If you could meet one person, dead or alive, who would it be?
10-kp: Dalai Lama, probably
Janos: There are so many...Pablo Casals is one of them.
JT: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The footprint he left on this world makes my life seem insignificant.
SM: My great-grandmother. I hear she was a great storyteller.

What is your favorite food?
10-kp: Pomegranates
Janos: Almost anything from any small hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant, preferably in Italy.
JT: A nice juicy steak. I'm a meat and potatoes kind of guy.
SM: Louisiana Chicken Pasta, Cheesecake Factory - yum!

Favorite song today?
10-kp: No One - Alicia Keys (again, thanks, Philip)
Janos: Calling - The Clash
JT: Circus by Craig Cardiff
SM: It seems all I listen to is Little Einsteins classical selections these days

Do you have any pets?
10-kp: Not right now. I can barely keep my houseplant alive.
Janos: Not since I moved in 2005
JT: Define pets, please.
SM: Almost got a goldfish last night, but then decided to let a teenager adopt it. Was that a good idea? That poor goldfish.

What is the last book you read?
10-kp: Eat, Pray, Love. An Oprah book club book.
Janos: As I Lay Dying - William Faulkner
JT: Finding Fish. It's Antwone Fisher's autobiography.
SM: The Friday Night Knitting Club

Do you like to cook?
10-kp: Not for myself. But I like hosting dinner parties.
Janos: Not unless it's for people. I'd rather do dishes!
JT: Yes. When it's something I know how to make, at least.
SM: I prefer it if my husband cooks. He used to have a chef as a roommate. I don't mind cleaning in exchange for a good meal.

Are you married or single?
10-kp: Joyfully single, apparently.
Janos: Not married but "it's complicated"
JT: Married. I think.
SM: Married, almost 8 years

Do you have brothers and sisters?
10-kp: 2 older sisters, 2 younger brothers
Janos: One older brother and one younger sister
JT: An older sister. Living in DC. Trying to save the world. She's great.
SM: Only child

Do you live alone?
10-kp: Yes. But I have a Taser. And mace. And self-defense training. ;)
Janos: Sure.
JT: See the answer to "Are you married or single?"
SM: Husband and son live in the same house. Interesting concept, huh?

Have you ever lived in another country?
10-kp: Switzerland, France, Belgium, UK (briefly)
Janos: Once or twice. I am right now.
JT: No.
SM: Long term? No. I did a study abroad in Europe during college.

Have you ever met a famous person?
10-kp: (not including sports or concerts) David Schwimmer, Angelina Jolie, the Olsen twins, P. Diddy (or is he just Diddy now?), Tom Brokaw, Jay Leno, Angelica Huston, Vanessa Paradis, Jessica Biel, Christian Bale, Katie Holmes, Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, Caroline Rhea, Clay Aiken, Barack Obama
Janos: Define "famous". On numerous occasions I've embarrassed myself in front of Nobel laureates. I once spent an afternoon with Hillary Hahn.
JT: Forest Whitaker. Jewel. Shigeru Miyamoto (created Super Mario Bros. and other Nintendo characters). The band Cheap Trick. Mayor Richard Daley. Robert Randolph and the Family Band. Hillary Clinton. Ms. Pac-Man. Toni Kukoc. Glen Phillips (solo artist and former lead singer of Toad the Wet Sprocket). Chris Brown. Jen Scheff and Andrew Firestone (from the Bachelor). Mario, Luigi and Zelda (the official ones, not people dressed up for Halloween). Warren Brown from Cake Love (Oprah loves him). Otis Wilson. The band Collective Soul. Harry Caray. The Marlboro Men. The band Good Charlotte. That's who I can think of right now. And yes, a lot of them are musicians and characters - it's one of the job perks.
SM: I did get my picture taken with Steve Young when he was a top QB... my other friend was also in the shot. I conveniently enlarged the pic and cut her out of it when I framed it. But his arm was around me, not her!

How old are you?
10-kp: 28
28
JT: 28
SM: 29

Are you religious?
10-kp: Christian
Janos: Not at all
JT: Jewish but not religious.
SM: Christian - Mormon/LDS

What's your political stance?
10-kp: Morally Republican.
Janos: I'm for human rights and well-educated decisions. I guess that makes me a left-libertarian communist fascist hippie, depending on how you interpret that.
JT: Democrat
SM: Moderate - Republican

What do you think you'll be doing five years from now?
10-kp: married, kids, house, a dog named Marley, Volvo station wagon, working, traveling
Janos: Hopefully married and beginning a career as a research professor
JT: Five years from now, I'll still working at an ad agency, although it's hard to say where. Wherever it is, I'll probably be sitting at my desk, notebook in hand, writing for whatever assignments I'm working on at the time. Oh, and I'm guessing I'll be scrambling to put a Valentine's Day present together.
SM: My son will be in 2nd grade! YEAH!!! And, yikes! I'll probably go back to work.

Are you a morning or night person?
10-kp: Late night, early morning. I tend to work best during those hours with few interruptions.
Janos: Night person
JT: I'd say I'm more a morning person than a night person, but I'm adaptable. Like a chameleon.
SM: Neither. I like my sleep too much.

Sunrises or sunsets?
10-kp: both
Janos: Sunsets
JT: Both. For different reasons.
SM: Sunsets on the beach in San Diego.

Do you like bananas?
10-kp: yes - they're easy to eat, peel, and clean up
Janos: Not particularly
JT: Yep. Especially after going on a run.
SM: They're the dream food for a mom. No prep. Convenient packaging.

Flip flops or sandals?
10-kp: flip flops
Janos: Sandals
JT: Flip flops. I mean, they flip and they flop. How could anything be better?
SM: Both, all year round.

Tell us about your first kiss.
10-kp: 8th grade after school... my "boyfriend" and I had been "going out" for about 2 weeks. He told his friends he wanted to kiss me, and they told my friends. So that's how we communicated that it was going to happen. We gave each other a peck by the science lab. Then, our parents came to pick us up. It was so hot. ;)
Janos: I was 16. It was at night on a big rock at orchestra camp with the cute redhead. She smelled like shaving creme and neither of us had ANY idea what we were doing.
JT: A bunch of us were at this one girl's house in eighth grade, and after getting bored with watching TV, we decided to be a little randy and play a little spin the bottle. This smoking hot eighth grade girl was up - I'm talking hairsprayed bangs and different colored braces - and when the bottle stopped spinning, it was pointing at me. So we both leaned in, over the center of the players' circle, and pecked the lightest, fastest kiss in the history of PDA. My heart never pounded as hard.
SM: Junior Prom. It was magical. Hold Onto the Nights. Richard Marx. Dancing.

What did you study in college?
10-kp: Finance, then MBA, and a bit of slacking off in between
Janos: Physical sciences and cello mostly, with some dabbling in government, econ, journalism, soviet history, and early cinema.
JT: Got my undergrad degree in advertising, and then I went to portfolio school to put my book together.
SM: International Studies, Global Economics. Totally useless these days with a toddler. Maybe when he goes to kindergarten, I can get him started with the concept of market equilibrium or at least some basic cultural geography.

The game or the commercials?

Which do you prefer on Super Bowl Sunday?

We're subjected to two weeks of intricate analysis...We interrupt this blog to announce that Tom Brady's wearing a boot!...with all the talking heads practically having an orgasm about every little story...To confirm our earlier reports, Eli Manning is indeed Peyton Manning's younger brother!... and when it's all over, the game is a blowout and all we have to show for it is the extra 7.84 lbs of Chex Mix, pigs in a blanket and chips and dip that's stuck to our ribs. No wonder there are so many obese people in the United States.

On the other hand, we have the commercials, which, as I explained a few days ago, have seemed to garner just about as much attention. I've even had my mom call me before kick-off to ask me which commercials were made by the company I work for. Probably so she can show off to her friends. And just like the game, many of the commercials fail to deliver.

So, in homage to day that rarely ends up living up to the hype, I share with you Gawker's list of the 25 Most Memorable Super Bowl Ads.

Enjoy - it'll probably be more entertaining than anything else on TV today.

-JT

Cell Phones to the Rescue

An exceptionally passionate football fan restrained his seven-year old son with tape for over an hour on Saturday, forcing him to wear his local team's jersey.

While the $186 fine might have been a significant enough consequence, the mother called the police two days later, had her husband arrested, and had the tenacity to capture the abuse on her cell phone camera - and turn it in, along with subsequently filing a restraining order.

Is it any wonder this guy's a Green Bay fan?

-10-key princess