Tag Archives: TV

Cheerio to the Olympics

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Jamaica’s Usain Bolt

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Our family is really going to miss watching the Olympics together.

How about you??

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We viewed the opening night ceremonies under the stars in Greece.

Slim Paley photo

It was all good… after we found the English speaking channel.

Hard to follow intense hospital bed choreography without some sort of explanation.

Just sayin.

Caught the second week, though somewhat spottily, late nights in our hotel room at Le Bristol in Paris, albeit with a decidedly British perspective, courtesy of BBC 3.

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As  fans of Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe from the last summer Olympics, we enjoyed watching him as a commentator on the British coverage this year.

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Ian Thorpe and some other hunky British swimmer commentator.

Oh wait,

I might be wandering off track…

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At this point, I must cop to being a bit of a cheater when it came time to pick a team to root for.

As a newly minted American citizen

it was very easy to step up and root for all the charismatic Yanks

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Michael Phelps paving his very own yellow brick road.

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A little music for your viewing pleasure…

Click below


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Phelps

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Decathlon gold medal winner Ashton Eaton

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6′ 4″ Destinee Hooker

and the U.S. Women’s volleyball team had me on the edge of my seat (OK, my bed) and almost convinced I should start working out more.

But then I grabbed another chocolate croissant and got real.

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Are these women unbelievable??

Kerri & Misty

All I remember from playing high school volleyball are the blood blisters I’d get on the inside of my wrists if the ball so much as touched me.

Good thing it rarely happened.

Oh…the traumatic memories of never getting picked…

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Don’t even know what he did, but damn, those are some guns.

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And what’s not to love about a face like this?!

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Gabby Douglas

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Lolo Jones

fought through unfair press to finish 4th.

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However when the Brits were dong well, my old U.K. heritage kicked in with, well, Olympic speed.

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The Union Jack is in my blood, after all :)

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British Women’s Rowers rejoice.

I think of all the miserable, cold and rainy mornings they get up so early to practice for this moment

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It makes me want to mix up a Pimms and  go out for a good curry to celebrate.

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As for Oh Canada, another place I like to call home

I found myself quietly jumping up and down whenever we they got close to any medaling

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Rosie MacLennan wins Canada’s first (and only??) Gold medal for women’s trampoline.

Sadly, it was rather a poor showing for the Maple Leafers

but

they will be kicking derrieres and taking names in the next Winter Olympics people, so watch out eh?

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And then,

there were those athletes who it didn’t matter where they were from, you just wanted them to win

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Oscar Pistorius from South Africa

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One of my favourite moments

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The Jamaican sweep of the men’s 200m led by Usain Bolt

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David Rudisha of Africa breaks the World record for the men’s 800m

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Go Oscar

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Synchronised swimmers

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What was your favourite moment of the 2012 Olympics?!

Have they inspired you to get up and jangle the molecules a little more?

I’m thinking of rubbing some chalk onto my legs and ordering a fresh wheatgrass juice at “Blenders in the Grass” tomorrow

 to have people mistake me for an athlete.

It could happen.

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OK, maybe not.

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Will you watching the closing ceremonies Saturday?

We’ll be watching in the comfort of our home once again.

omg is my husband happy to have his own remote back in his hand.

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See you there!

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oh, and you can thank Anouchka and her comment for this late addition photo;

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Hugo Parisi

:)

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Dear Abbey

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Lady Mary at the train station bids adieu to Cousin Matthew

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And I must also board a train to distant lands…

(after a plane, a car, then another plane, and one more car, but those bits aren’t so romantic)

I’m off to Sri Lanka and Burma (Myanmar) with a girlfriend for 3 weeks!!

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Cousin Matthew and Lady Mary say good-bye

but it could just as well be my husband seeing me off

(after he catches his breath getting all my bags into the car)

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I’m quite beside myself with excitement and slightly overwhelmed at what’s involved in leaving home & hearth for 3 whole weeks.

Packing is the least of it.

No, it SO isn’t, but I’ve always wanted to say that.

One MIGHTY BIG concern is the fact that I’m going to be missing the last 3 episodes of Downton Abbey, including the 2 hour Christmas Special!

I’m afraid if I do have internet access I’m going to get ‘spoilers’ coming at me left and right.

The Husband’s never been great at keeping secrets either, which means he might be banned from watching until I return.

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I’ve recorded this for him as a warning reminder;

Downton Abbey

 

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Will they get back together?

Will the cheeky chauffeur have his way with her Ladyship?

Is Robert really going to leave Downton to be in the employ of such a nouveau riche bounder?

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Meanwhile, I’m going to miss my favourite character

Lord Grantham

but I’m slightly worried about the glint he’s getting in his eye when talking to the new maid…

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Hmmm- and who might that new precocious parlormaid be??

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Impostor or the real deal?

And if dead cousin Gordon or whatever his name is can just waltz up from The Titanic’s watery depths, albeit burned beyond recognition and with an American accent, to  crash the party,  why can’t our favourite Turkish delight rise stiffly (no pun intended) from his grave to make a repeat performance??

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Who amongst us would mind?!

oh here, let me get that mud for you with the warm edge of the lace hankie I keep tucked just inside my heaving bodice.

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and while we’re at it…

Is it just me, or is Lady Mary’s fiancé Sir Richard Carlisle not  the love child of Richard Chamberlain and Peter Beard?

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Richard Chamberlain

Sir Richard (Iain Glen)

and Peter Beard

Separated at birth, no??

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Is the treacherous Thomas softening slightly this season?

I do believe I’ve almost caught a glimmer of a smidgen of a smile once or twice.

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I might I need to ask Cousin Matthew who followed me on Twitter recently

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Although he’s not exactly the chattiest follower on Twitter.

Perhaps the paralysis is migrating upwards…

Hey! Matthew! WAKE UP

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.In any case,

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 Cocktail napkins from Rue de Lillie Antiques, Summerland, CA.

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Robert: “You know, there is nothing more ill-bred than to steal other people’s servants.”

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In honor of my favourite show, I’m sharing my bells once more…

Found years ago in London

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Traveled across the seas to America

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To live silently ever after in my kitchen in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Imagine the stories they could tell.

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And how does One feel about Madame MacClaine joining the cast next Season?!

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Is there really room for two Divas?!

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Who is your favourite character?

Are you enjoying the second season as much as the first?

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PS. I hope to be able to post  and keep in touch on my travels, but it’s rather a whirlwind itinerary and I’m not sure how available internet access will be.

I’ll try to check in on FB  & Twitter

 (It’s always been my dream to “Tweet” from Mandalay :) )

If you haven’t done so already, you might like to sign up for my email alerts at the top of this page to stay connected.

(don’t forget to click on the ‘confirm’ button you will be sent-it takes 1 second)

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** Hoarder Alert;  It’s been 29 years since my last visit to “Ceylon” but I saved this 10 rupee bill (circa 1979) knowing that someday, I would return.

It’s going back with me this week.

Woo hoo!

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I’ll see you at The Abbey tonight!

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and dare we hope that Matthew felt a tingle??

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