Last Voting Day In Blogging Contest

That's right folks. It has finally come. Today is the last day to cast your vote for me in the Microsoft Office Winter Games Blogging Contest!

I arrived home yesterday totally exhausted from what seemed to be an eternity- lasting road trip from Pittsburgh, PA. The actual driving wasn't bad; there was really no traffic, but the silence was making it seem longer than usual.

Gone are the days of passing the time playing "car games" with the kids; they are old enough now that those time-wasters have been replaced by the DVD player and i-pods with headphone wires snaking out of their ears. They come up for talk about every hour; sometimes it's "Can we stop soon?" or "How much longer?" (yes, this question is STILL asked!) and "Can you please change the radio station?" but most of the time it is talk of our visit and what was fun about it. This trip was different because we were all spent and they stayed "plugged-in".  Both my husband and I were so tired that our brains could barely form complete sentences, so our answers to eachother were a lot of "mm-hmm's". I drove for about 4 hours before I asked for the switch and I was barely strapped into the passenger side seat before I was off to a crick-necked slumber.  About an hour later, it was my husband's request for the car sleep-coma that put me back in the driver's seat. The last 3 hours weren't too bad after my nap, a cup of coffee and the radio.

We pulled into the driveway and my eye quickly caught a glimpse of a package that was in the door. We all got excited wondering who it was for. I mean who doesn't get excited? These days, the joy of receiving a letter in the mail from a friend is lost on emails. Now UPS & FedEx have that honor.  So, we get to the door and see that the package is for me. Woo-hoo!

I opened it quickly to find a letter (which I had already received by email, by the way) and a present! I love presents! It was a black T-shirt that read "Blogathlete" on the front and "Blogging from the Games for the Gold!!".

I am "blogging for the Gold!" Today is my last shot at making it to the finals and your votes are helping me reach my goal!

Even through tired eyes, I can see that Gold would look great on a black t-shirt, yes?

YES!

Thank you for your votes and fingers are now crossed!

A Dream is A Wish Your Heart Makes

I have been saying to myself "Please pinch me" for the past week.

 I am still amazed that I have been chosen as one of five finalists in the Microsoft Office Blogging contest. What is even more amazing is the outpouring of support that I have received from family, friends and folks that I don't even know. I wish I could share the deep thanks and appreciation I feel for the encouragement you all have given me to continue my quest to fulfill my lifelong dream of being a part of the Olympic Games.

I enjoy both the Summer and Winter Olympics but seem drawn more toward the Winter Games. Maybe I'm partial to my Uncle Bill's stories of competing in the Bobsled or the fact that I compete in another winter sport of speedskating, but regardless of these, I get excited to see each and every sport that are the make up of the Winter Olympics. I keep thinking how incredibly cool it would be to be able to compare my experience with that of Uncle Bill's. Would the Games have the same feel? Would the athlete's anticipation and excitement be the same?

To have the opportunity to see the best of the best compete in their individual sport and the experience the Winter Olympic Games is a dream that my heart has wished upon since being a young girl. To be able to write about it and share with others that story is icing on the cake.

Please let me take this opportunity to say thank you for inspiring me to keep writing and to keep chasing after my dream.

Voting continues through 11/29/09 at http://officewintergames.com/ .

Giving Thanks

Yesterday, I had the best Thanksgiving meal ever and I'm not talking about the food (well, not entirely).

There is something special that happens when we have this holiday at my in-laws. I can't quite place my finger on it, but it's a combination of perfect food (how does my mother-in-law do it?!) and perfect conversation. I love that the dining room table is the center of the universe at this house and all who enter through the door are drawn to it to share a meal or story of the past or present.

A few years ago, we decided to rotate this holiday so that travel could be kept to a minimum and to give my mother-in-law a break. We hosted last year and my sister-in-law the year before. As fun and relaxing as those were, it is just not the same as being around Mom and Dad's table.

Dinner was ready by 1:00 and all 19 of us sat down to the traditional turkey, stuffing, greenbeans and lasagna and wine. Yes, in this house, lasagna is tradition. Relatives young and old gave thanks for being together and a hearty "salute" shared by all before we dug in.

The magic at this table seems to be that 10 conversations can happen at once and yet we are all part of one big discussion. To my left, my sister-in-law, who in the spring will be traveling with her family to Italy, was practicing her Italian with my father-in-law. They would confirm with my mother-in-law who was mid-way down and across the table if they were saying the words right. To my right, talk of relatives who have passed and how unsafe visits to the cemetery are these days. It seems lately, folks are getting accosted when relatives are visiting gravesites and muggings are on the rise. So much for resting in peace. Further down the table requests for a cranberry dish are made because rumor had it from another table spot that it was de-lish. More conversations of trips to Italy and the top 5 things to see, how big all the kids are getting and days gone by.

After dinner, desserts replace the main dishes. Some folks move into the living room to watch football, some move into the kitchen for clean up duty and others remain at the table to continue conversation. More relatives and cousins stop by and seats begin to fill again at the table. Stories last well into the evening.

What could we possibly talk about for hours on end? Everything and anything and it is wonderful.

I am so thankful that I am a part of this family and have shared this magic for close to 20 years.

"Beat" of the Day

A HUGE thank you to the Parent to Parent blog written by Jennifer Gish on the Times Union.com website for sharing my story about my bid for the Olympic Blogathlete Team through the Microsoft Office Blogging contest.

Click here to see her article.

Another thank you goes to Kristi Gustafson who pens On the Edge  for sharing my info.

I really cannot thank you enough for stopping by to read and for casting your vote for me each and every day.

For once, I am "speechless".

Yes Virginia, There is A Laundry Fairy...NOT!

I have been patiently waiting for the Laundry Fairy, Dish Fairy, Vaccuming Fairy (you get the idea) to make their way to my house to help me prepare for the holiday season. They have been remiss in their visit, which must mean they are on vacation.

I have been so busy trying to keep up with the Microsoft Office Blogging Contest, that I was really hoping that they would have stopped by already.

No such luck.

So, I am off to the "Everest" of laundry piles to be placed neatly away, will wade through the dishwasher unloading and loading, vaccum and dust with a one-two, one-two and call it a day. I'm sure that is when they will arrive all happy and relaxed and ready to start with their tasks.

Um, thanks, but I gotcha covered...this time.

But....if all goes well, I will need them to come back around February as I have a chance to go to the Olympic Games in Vancouver and blog all about it! You can help me get there! Voting is still going strong until Nov. 29th at http://officewintergames.com/

The Cookie Tells All

Can a cookie really predict the future?

My husband and I went to run errands yesterday and decided to go to lunch at our local P.F. Changs.  As we walked in the door we were greeted with a hello and behind the hostess was a tray full of desserts. Oh, my! The chocolate cake seemed to have 12 layers and my stomach growled.

We made our way through lettuce wraps (one of my favorite things on the menu), soup and lunch bowls. We were so full that cake was now (thankfully) not an option. Our waitress then brought to-go containers and two fortune cookies.

I've always been one to read the Horoscopes in the paper.  I know that the daily predictions written are so vast that it could apply to anyone and anything, but did you ever read one that was spot on to your day? Like it was written just for you. I think the same thing of fortune cookie sayings.

My husband and I were discussing the blogging contest I entered last month through Microsoft Office and the US Olympic Committee and how excited we were for the possibility of my going to the Olympic Games in Vancouver and blogging about it! It seems so surreal that I am a semi-finalist!

As an athlete, I am used to visualizing the outcome of events. I visualize the track I will be skating on and the feeling of the ice. I try to visualize myself in the pack of skaters that will soon be jockeying for position. I look for the time in the race to make my pass and how my blade looks crossing the finish line. I have been trying to visualize what it will be like to board a plane near my home and how it will feel walking into the frenzied airport in Vancouver. I am so close to a lifelong Olympic dream, that I can almost taste it.

Yes, taste it. I asked my husband to turn the plate that held the cookies a few times while I closed my eyes. I wanted this to be a true test of fate. With eyes closed I reached down and felt the cellophane wrapped confection. I opened my eyes and quickly unwrapped the cookie. I broke the crisp shell in half and pulled out the narrow slip of paper which read "Nothing is impossible to a willing heart." Now, I had a 50/50 chance of getting this cookie. Who knows what the odds were as the waitress reached in to the 100's of cookies and grabbed this particular cookie that would end up in MY hand. My husband took his cookie and as he read "The love of your life will appear in front of you unexpectedly!" He jumped back, looked at me and said "Whoa! You just came out of nowhere!" (He is so amazing!).

What really freaked me out is I turned the fortune over and read the Chinese word of the day:

(e`r) (yu`e) which means: February.

So, does this help me visualize Vancouver in February? I'm going to take the approach of yes. I think this was written and meant just for me on this day, having a lovely lunch with my husband as we discussed this very topic.

You can help my dream come to fruition: Voting is still happening each day until 11/29/09. Log on to http://officewintergames.com/ and help me share the Olympic story with you!

Sharing the Olympic Dream

My Uncle Bill driving the Four-Man Bobsled

Lake Placid, NY 1980

What most of you may not know is that The Olympic Games have been in my family for a long time. My grandfather was a boxer back in the games (I'll have to ask my mother for the exact year) and his son, my Uncle Bill,  participated in the 1972 Olympic Games in Sapporo, Japan as the driver of the Four- man Bobsled team.

As a young girl, I remember looking at all of his pictures, framed and arranged in a "gallery" that hung in a hallway. The magic and excitement seemed to exude from each photograph; the beauty of the Olympic flag being carried into the Opening Ceremonies, my Uncle in his "Country outfit" with the red striped scarf and long leather coat with a beaming smile. Even team members in the cold sled sharpening "barracks" looked exciting.

 

My uncle is a retired Navy Seal and it was always evident in unspoken terms that you didn't want to mess with him. Ever.  If business needed to get done, well, it would. But, that part of him was never, ever on the surface. He is a very kind, quiet man. A gentle giant if you will. A true family man that was always supportive and full of great stories of diving days (he always brought back the most amazing shells from the ocean), travels and athletic competitons that brought him around the world.

He taught me how to strive to be the best in any sport I chose to participate in and most importantly, how to play fair and be a competitor with good sportsmanship.  It is a code that I live up to even to this day.

In preparing for the 1980 Lake Placid Games, my uncle and his team trained in Lake Placid, NY at Mt. Van Hoevenberg every weekend. Looking at these pictures, I still can't believe that they were driving these big hunks of metal with a motorcycle helmet and a track suit down an icy mountain.

Let me please preface the next sentence with  He is Okay.

Unfortunately, my uncle's Olympic dream of competing in the 1980 games came to an end about a month before the games started as his sled flipped on a training run and he broke his back. Again, he is okay. I believe that he never returned to Lake Placid after that. I've tried to get him there to see me compete in speedskating events, but he doesn't travel much anymore.

That experience fueled a lifelong athletic dream of following in his footsteps one way or another to go to the Olympic Games. I have played many, many sports and reality is I am just too old to compete at that level. I know, I know. What about Dara Torres? I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't think my family (or me for that matter) are willing to commit the time that is needed to compete at that level. It's hard enough for National level meets. I am certainly competitive and will "play" for as long as my body will let me, that's for sure.

My Olympic dream will have to happen in the form of the written word. I have a 1 in 5 shot in making it to the finals of the Microsoft Office Winter Games blogging competition where I then have a 1 in 3 shot. Not bad odds.  One in Three. I'd say that would be the difference of a Bronze, Silver or Gold Medal.

I am shooting for the Gold! You can help me get there!

Vote for Kelly at http://officewintergames.com/. Cast your vote every day until 11/29/09.

I so want to add my own picture gallery to the hallway and maybe inspire my kids or nieces and nephews the way my Uncle Bill inspired me.

Olympic Blog Contest Semi-Finalist!

Bonnie Blair is the reason I tried Speedskating.

In my post Influence, Olympic Style, I wrote about how I became interested in Speedskating. They say that some things in life come full circle. This amazing athlete inspired me to try this wonderful sport and now she is judging MY BLOG! How crazy is THAT?!

As many of you know, I posted in October that I was going to enter a blogging contest that would, if I was deemed the winner, enable me to go to the Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada and blog behind the scenes. I think at the time I said the only thing that could make it any sweeter would be chocolate and coffee.

Excuse me while I finish chewing my Hershey bar and wash it down with a sip of java!!! How sweet it is!!!

Mom Got Blog is 1 of 5 Semi-Finalist!  Now it is time to vote. Voting is open until 11/29/09.  You can vote every day, but only once per day. Bookmark this page and vote every day! https://www.officewintergames.com/vote.aspx

To say I am excited, well doesn't quite capture how jumping out of my skin I am! I would never in a million years imagine getting here.

Thanks for reading and your votes!

No Rip Van Winkles This Holiday Season

No snoozing allowed.

I thought it was pretty bad that while the Halloween costumes were being placed on shelves,  stores were secretly unpacking the tinsel and twinkle lights and putting them in the last rows hoping shoppers would not yet mosey back that far.

I must say, I used to think retailers were pushing it when things would show up near Thanksgiving. Now they have moved into Jack's (O'Lantern) territory. Yes, Halloween was a few weeks ago, I know. I hardly had time to put out my decorations, let alone pack them back up. Tom Turkey shows up in less than 2 weeks and I can't  find ANYTHING with the traditional cornicopia for harvest time. Well, that's not entirely true. I think I did find some dish towels that I could hang on the oven door. That can technically count as a decoration, right?

Do not get me wrong...I LOVE the holiday season. I can't wait to free all the red and green items, the boughs of holly and garland that have been stored away for a year or to prepare my baking list for all the yummy treats that will be shared with friends and family as well as that jolly old elf. It truly is my favorite time of year. But, on November 12th ( I remember looking at my watch just to make sure of the date!) I was seeking through radio channels when I heard the voice of Johnny Mathis singing "Silver Bells". I thought, "Already?? Christmas music is ALREADY on the radio?!"  
 
My husband is no Rip Van Winkle; he's bought into it all...the lights were hung outside (with care) yesterday.
 
I, on the other hand,  just want to enjoy my chocolate Hershey Bars and fall into a dreamy tryptophan induced sleep while watching football before I have to deck the halls.

Pasta Love

Friend 1 to Friend 2: “You sleep with ziti?”

Friend 2 to Friend 1: “What?!”

Friend Group: All in hysterical laughter.

I guess you had to be there; and I am so glad that I was!

Our family paid a visit to our old “hood” this past weekend. It’s been at least two years since our last visit and nine years since we left the sleepy little town nestled in Northeast Pennsylvania.

I once wrote that when you reconnect with an old, good friend after an absence, an ease and sense of comfort sets into your soul and it seems as though time has not passed at all. This weekend we reconnected with not just one friend, but twelve! Four could not make it due to other plans, and they were missed.

This group of couples actually feels more like family than friends. When my husband and I started our family it was hard not being close to our immediate families. We were pretty much on our own as my family was at least 3-hours away and my husband’s was a solid 5-hour trip. They say that kids bring you together and this rang true as I became involved with playgroups. Because most of us were in the same boat, we relied on each other for everything. We brought our kids together to play while we drank coffee and discussed preschools, shared recipes and story time at the local library. We even shared babysitters, which was like sharing gold.

As the kids got older, we began to have more dinner parties, game nights and wine tastings just to have an excuse to hang out more. Being a transient area, folks moved in and out on a frequent basis. We lucked out, because for a good 5 years we were all rooted in this town and I really believe this is what helped in creating great friendships. I have never laughed more than I have with this group. We had fun each and every time we got together.

I can still remember the morning I had to tell my best friend that my husband and I were relocating. I was devastated. We were doing our “5k” running course that morning (we ran and talked a lot!) and we added a little extra to the loop and went through town. It was an early fall morning-we always ran before our husbands had to leave for work- the sun coming up and the air cool. We just made our way down Main Street and were in front of the firehouse when I stopped, hunched over and started sobbing. I’m sure my friend was in the middle of a story and was wondering why I wasn’t commenting when she looked around and saw me behind her. I remember her coming up to me and placing her hand on my back asking if everything was alright. I blurted out “NO! I don’t know how to tell you this, so I’m just going to tell you; we’re moving.” She stood up and started running down the street mad as all hell. I was mad too. My comfort bubble had just burst and it was a scary thing.

Luckily, our friendship is strong and true and has lived through not only my move but hers as well. Her family recently moved back to our old stomping ground and hence a visit and party to reconnect with our group of friends. As they all began to arrive with hugs and smiles and more hugs, we all settled into our story sharing and how are you’s with ease. The laughs were constant as the birds and bees, religion, and politics were all stirred into the pot; nothing is off limits with this crowd. Since most of us have not seen each other in about 7 years, pictures of the kids were passed around and we all realized that our children are growing up too fast! What happened to the little 4 and 5 year olds we last saw? All of them are becoming young ladies and gentlemen. As for the parents? I think we all look damn good!

I have missed this group, my "friend family", very much. When I’m with them, I feel my guard is completely down and I soak in all the joy that is in the room. To quote another friend “You know, this group has always been great; I can never leave an evening without my cheeks hurting from laughing so much!”

Laughter is medicine to the soul and I’ll take that dose anytime.

C is for Cookie...That's Good Enough For Me...

I just wanted to give Kudos to the Google creative team for today's Google header! They are celebrating Sesame St. 40th Anniversary. Big Bird's legs were yesterday. I wonder who will be tomorrow?

I am older than this beloved show? **sigh**

I've started a cooking blog The Cook & The Baker on blogspot to share family recipes. I want to get all the favorite dishes written down and add stories along the way so that my kids will be able to keep tradition going. My father is a true master in the kitchen and creates DE-LICIOUS food...but none of it is written down! When I ask "How do you make that?" his answer is always "I've told you a hundred times...it's easy...and it's all up here." while pointing to his head.  Well, that does not help me in the slightest.

I've always been drawn to family recipes. I love to go through all the old cook books and find the aged,  hand written notes. Those are always the best ones because they were good enough to write down or they were modified with a personal touch. My husband's grandmother was an amazing cook as well. Not just a cook, but baker too. I love reading through her notes when we are back visiting my husband's folks.

The weather has gotten colder and it is prime baking time. It's also time to start up my "Sunday Coffee" with dad and write down all that's "up there".

My kitchen will be constatntly warm as I prepare for the holidays.

I can't wait.

Colbert Nation Sponsorship

Colbert Nation has stepped up to the plate to help sponsor the athletes of U.S. Speedskating!

DSB Bank has pulled its sponsorship of the team after announcing its recent bankruptcy situation leaving hundreds of thousands of dollars gone.

Speedskating is not exactly a "household" sport here in America.  Did you know that the most medals won during the winter games and brought back to U.S. soil are from the sport of speedskating?

Our athletes are better known on the streets of other countries for the sport in which they excel. It is great to see that a public forum which is viewed by so many will allow this sport to attain more notoriaty and have their home country cheering them on as they step up on the podium in Vancouver.  We have many medal contenders ready to take their place in the history books and with the generosity of the Colbert Nation support, dreams are still within reach.

Watch Monday's interview with Dan Jansen & Bob Crowley of US Speedskating http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/254015/november-02-2009/sport-report---nyc-marathon---olympic-speedskating.The skater shown in the clip where DSB is replaced by Colbert Nation on the hood of the skinsuit is our very own Trevor Marsicano!

Help support our American Speedskating athletes by making a donation: https://webpoint.usspeedskating.org/wp15/transactions/order/donation.asp

Thanks so much!

A New Bike Blog Added to the Paper

So sweet that a new blog has been added to the newspaper.

Check it out:
http://blog.timesunion.com/bike/

Pictures From World Cups

Here are some pictures from Milwaukee...hope you enjoy!

I do not like to fly, but how can you not enjoy this view?

Lake Michigan

The Pettit National Ice Arena

Milwaukee, WI

Banners that were around the rink

My friend Trevor Marsicano off a practice start.

Warm-ups Wednesday afternoon.

Speedskaters travel with their own bikes to keep the legs warm at any time. This was set up outside my hotel room.

Practice starts on the finish line.

Petra Acker and Rebekah Dyrud Open World Cup/Olympic Trials as the first pairing. Such a close race.

Petra Acker receiving her splits from Paul Marchese down the backstretch of 1500m race.

Chad Hedrick and Trevor Marsicano at start of 1500m. Both made the World Cup Team.

Trevor Marsicano signing autographs.