Olympics Here It Comes: THE Sport of the Future

The Olympics are over, though they're still on my brain--dreaming of (wishing for) the 2016 games in Chicago.
And maybe by then the brains plus brawn sport of chess boxing will be on the schedule. I may be the last one on the planet to have heard of it (doubtful); I saw a Bill Geist bit on it on CBS Sunday Morning. And it's actually sort of appealing...and, though I'm not a big boxing fan, I'd jump at the chance to attend a bout. (Beer would be a necessity.) I am just teaching my son to play chess; maybe we could add the boxing in, too. He could become the world champ. Do you think a three-year-old has ever started training for chess boxing?
Tons o' clips on the youtube.

Losing Faith

Went to the beach today...love living in a beach town. While we were down at the water, someone stole our red rubber ball from off our beach chair. Also heard a three-year-old girl say (referring to a fifteen-month-old toddler), "That chocolate boy is fat." All the mother said: "It's not nice to say mean things." Fucking people.

August 12

Many many days ago I made a bold commitment to post each and every day for one whole year...I kept it together for about a week. But I have excuses and apologies and recommitments. You see, we went away for several days--and access to the internet was limited or nonexistent. I should have delayed the 365 declaration until after the mini-trips, or planned better...given it my all and whatnot. Nonetheless, I shall voyage onward. To make up for my faux pas I will retrace those lost days, all the while doing that onward voyaging thing. The first day that I missed, my wife and I set off for western Massachusetts with our two sons (3 and 1) to see Wilco at Tanglewood. We divided the journey into two parts: two and a half hours to the hotel room, then about one more to the show. We had decided that some down time (hotel) would be good for the boys, rather than driving straight all that way and expecting excitement once we arrived. But, less than fifteen minutes after we'd checked in, the front desk called to say that they'd received a complaint about noise--the boys were running around, nothing excessive...they'd never been in a hotel room before, and they're boys. Kinda sucked. Now I know to always request a first floor room. If that was a bit of a downer it really was no matter, especially considering the concert.
Tanglewood is heaven-like. The grounds are beautiful, with spectacular views. The vibe is relaxed and chill--the way a concert venue should be. I have been to far too many concerts where the staff were assholes or the concertgoers were assholes. Not at Tanglewood. For one, they allow you to bring your own food and alcohol onto the lawn, as well as strollers, chairs, tables. Are you kidding me? And it's not like they don't sell beer and wine and snacks. That's the way it should be. Granted, they're catering to the BSO crowd. Wilco crowds are typically cool, too, and the crowd stayed true to form. A lot of kids as well. My boys had a blast. The grounds are expansive, and Finny got in some prime dusk sprinting time--it was as though we were racing across Gatsby's lawn (if Gatsby lived in the Berkshires). And Knox spent a good part of the concert strolling around making friends. We sat, we danced, we walked, we played. And the music was grand (sorry Holden). Jeff Tweedy was his usual entertaining, humorous, excellent self. Really a wonderful night. We've decided that an annual pilgrimage is necessary, and look forward to next year's schedule to find what's most appealing.

Sleep

Why, when I am dead-tired, do I stay up for the end of Sox games?

Olympics Dos

The other day, after remembering a small detail from a conversation we'd had days before and in response to my awe, my son said, "I have a hundred of stuff in my brain." That's sort of how I feel when I try to wrap my head around the 2008 Olympic Games. Heavy on the one hand are the Chinese Government's human rights violations (horrific and bizarre) and the country's growing energy consumption and pollution, and on the other hand are the struggles and sacrifices and successes of the thousands of athletes from around the world. Do the atrocities and tragedies outweigh the inspirations? Certainly. Can I effect change in Chinese policy with a personal boycott of the games? I doubt it. One must hope that ignorance defines the allowance of abuse. And perhaps these games can reveal...and effect change. Read two articles: one (from The Boston Globe) reveals something; the other (from The Maine Sunday Telegram) does nothing.
Matt.

Olympic Fever

Yesterday I dropped HBO and Showtime from my cable package (what a waste o' money) and a second cable box--dropping my monthly bill about 40 bucks...I feel like a dipshit for not doing it sooner. I kept the DVR (how could I live without now?) and the hi-def.

I really do try to limit my TV consumption, but, like a jet flight blowing up a carbon footprint, sports (any sport) in hi-definition suck me in every time...so I was psyched this afternoon when I discovered six (6!) hi-def channels devoted to the olympics, each carrying a different event (at the time): men's beach volleyball, women's indoor volleyball, women's soccer, equestrian, swimming, and...something else.

Four years ago my wife was eight months pregnant with our first son, and we sat (lay) on the couch for two weeks watching just about everything the olympics had to offer. And I imagine I'll watch a lot in the next 16 days. We're now wishfully planning a trip to the summer games with our two boys: in 2016 (maybe ideal if Chicago wins the bid) they'll be 11 and 9; in 2020 15 and 13, of course.

The opening ceremonies were stunning...almost made me stop wondering what the fuck the olympics are doing in China.

Regurgitators Need Not Apply

This past Sunday, writing a guest column for the Globe's "The Word," Erin McKean defends the made-up word. I did my best to not correct my three-year-old son as he invented words for those he could not pronounce (Sitdo for Cheerios very early only on and Gung for Remote Control) and those he mis-identified (calling cream cheese "cream butter"). Eventually he got them right, in his own time, when he was ready. Though he still plays around with sounds and rhymes, making up nonsense words for hanging rhymes. Suess is great for kids, because he shows them the way to be creators when they talk and write...and not just regurgitators.