How a fanatic (usually) prepares for the Olympics

This Friday– even amid wariness and being ill-prepared – I’ll be glued to the sofa, my eyes fixed on the television, and a smile will spread across my face. I’ll say to myself, “They’re here again! The Olympics are back! Yessss!”

I’m usually much more prepared than I find myself this year. Being an adult really stinks sometimes.

Here’s an excerpt from an earlier post in 2012 about how I usually prepare:

Just as the athletes train, the fanatic must also prepare. Before the age of the Internet, I relied solely on print media and television for information. USA Today’s Olympic bonus section was my Bible. Today I have all the information at my fingertips. It can be overwhelming. Tweets from the athletes, Facebook updates from sports’ governing bodies, blogs, news sites dedicated to sports. It’s almost pure nirvana, but dizzying too.

When I was a teenager, I took a two-fold approach in my strategic planning. I taped to the walls of our family den USA Today’s schedule of events, highlighting the ones that were of special interest. Then I took the viewer’s guide from TV Guide and taped it to the wall, highlighting special events being televised, cross-referencing those with USA Today’s chart.

Now well into adulthood, I don’t have as much flexibility as I once did….It drives me crazy that while I am at work there is Olympic competition going on. (Again, thank goodness for the Internet!). Just as I did in 2012, I’ll be taking a few vacation days this month to watch the Olympics live. My house is the one with the giant “Do Not Disturb” sign planted in the front yard.

Even with the Internet, I’m still printing a schedule and taping it up on my living room wall. As I get dressed for work, the TV will be on either NBC’s “Today Show,” or ESPN. Better yet, I might see if I can get a stream of CTV Sports on the laptop. Then I’ll scurry home after work to get ready for the evening coverage — unless it’s one of the days I’m staying home to watch the Olympics!

One new tradition: Now that I’m married, my husband and I always enjoy an Olympic-themed meal. In 2006 it was lasagna and tiramisu (Torino, Italy). In 2008 it we ordered Chinese (Beijing). In 2010 it was poutine and fries. 2012, Beef & Alt Hot Pot with peas or carrots, and Schooldays Treacle for dessert. This year? Hard to say since we’re trying to go gluten-free. Maybe meat and cabbage?

I’m sort of ready – are you? Let the Games begin!

Faster, Higher, Stronger