Tuesday Round Up

As a whole I am pretty optimistic. Happy even. Funny sometimes. But there is just this one thing. One little bit of gloom in my otherwise sunny existence. And that little bit of gloom is Tuesday. Weird, right? I know. But since the beginning of my professional career four years ago, Tuesday is simply a day I don't enjoy. Some people (most people) feel this way about Monday. But not me. For me, it's Tuesday. Tuesday is the day I can't get out of bed, the day I can't find anything to wear. The day I accidentally miss my subway stop because I was reading an Entertainment Weekly recap of The Bachelorette, and have to go down to 42nd Street and turn around. True story. It happened this morning. 

Needless to say, on Tuesday I look for a little something to brighten the day. And usually, I find something fun. So starting today, every Tuesday, I am going to start sharing these little bits of excitement.

So what, you may ask, is brightening my today?

First, a story. 

In a few short weeks, London will host the 2012 Summer Olympics. I am, quite literally, counting the days until the opening ceremonies. I love the Olympics. Every two years, in a burst of patriotic pride, I am glued to my TV for the better part of two weeks. I devour news stories about Team USA, and regularly check the medal count. I cheer for ice skaters, gymnasts, runners, swimmers, skiers, and even for the athletes in the more obscure sports like shot-put and bobsled.

I'm not exactly sure where this complete obsession with all things Olympics started. It might have been when I was in fifth grade in the Winter of 1994 and stayed up way past my bedtime to watch Nancy Kerrigan's silver medal performance at the Lillehammer Games. Or it might have been in the Summer of 2004 when our family vacation was cancelled due to hurricane, and we instead spent the two weeks at home, watching on our brand new HD TV as Michael Phelps swam to six gold medals in Athens. But whenever it was, at this point, I am well and truly hooked.

And while I love all Olympic games, the Summer Games are my bread and butter. So I am completely psyched for London.

So what does this have to do with shining a bright spot on my otherwise mundane Tuesday? Well, I discovered something recently. I discovered that a few weeks before the Olympics, there are  Olympic Trials to determine which hopefuls will represent Team USA come the end of July. I always knew, of course, that these Trials happened, but I never watched them. Until this year, that is. And let me just say, I have been missing out. Because watching Olympic Trials is nearly as exciting as watching the  Olympics themselves. I held my breath last night when Ryan Lochte beat Michael Phelps in the men's 400 IM final. And I celebrated with Elizabeth Beisel and Caitlin Leverenz as they made the  Olympic team in their own 400 IM final. It's like watching the  Olympics twice - once in June and once in July. A huge, extra-special bonus for those who know to watch. 

Well, this year, I'm in the know. As I type this, my DVR is recording six hours of swimming and track and field semifinals, and will record another hour of prime time swimming coverage tonight. And that's just for today. Obsessed? Perhaps. But I'm good with that.

If you, too, are looking for a lift to your Tuesday, I suggest you check out these videos from nbc.com of the 30 greatest olympic moments. And then tune in tonight to find out who we will all be cheering for in July. I promise you, you won't be sorry.

Happy Tuesday!