Monthly Archives: August 2008

Olympic Addendum

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I also should add that I am seriously cheering for Kirsty Coventry in addition to my American swimmers because her medals and her Olympic performances are actually building unity in her homeland of Zimbabwe.

I’m also cheering for Canada because they are our neighbors (and I’m fairly close to the border — close enough to hop over for lunch) and for the underdogs in many categories.

In terms of the women’s team finals, I don’t think Alica Sacramone was necessarily the reason they got second.Â? Yes… she fell on beam.Â? So did the captain of the Chinese team.Â? Yes, she went out of bounds on floor and fell.Â? Nastia and Shawn also went out of bounds.Â? She did her best and I think she was really too hard on herself.

Getting Caught up on Olympics

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So… I just finally got to watch the all-around in the women’s competition and my homegirls Nastia and Shawn made me proud.Â? My homeboys on the men’s team overcoming all the naysayers and getting the bronze made me happy too.

Then… I get off TIVO and the IM relay is on live and I see Michael Phelps get his 8th gold medal.Â? That boy is goooooooood.

The leadership of my country might suck but my athletes are making me proud to be American today.

iTunes Needs Some Classification Lessons

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Realizing that I need something stimulating to listen to while working, I decided to see what iTunes had to offer in the way of audiobooks. The answer: nothing I really ever wanted to read or haven’t already read.

First of all… they’re overpriced! A hardcover version is less expensive than some of these audiobooks are! (I know… I know… they’re normally more expensive than regular books are.)

Secondly… since when is 26 erotic tales from Penthouse magazine considered “history”? I can so see the book reports done on that one…

Lastly… since when is Ann Coulter considered “history”? Shouldn’t she be categorized under “fiction” or “comedy”?

The travel section really was the only one that yielded anything I’d consider paying to download and even then, it would be for an airplane trip to visit Kara in Kyrgyzstan or something really long and drawn out.Â? The kids/young adult section would also probably be a blessing to me… if I didn’t have the Harry Potter books memorized already.Â? (I. AM. HERMIONE!)

Conclusion: buy the book or find a site with free audiobooks. I saw some linked during Day of Blogs — they do exist.

Kiva Loan Paid Off

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I received word on Monday that one of my Kiva.Org loans had been paid off.Â? (For those not in the know, Kiva.Org allows you to lend as little as $25 to people in third-world countries to help them to start small businesses.Â? They partner with microlending institutions and they have a really high success rate.)

I am really proud of Hagigat Kurbanova and of her repaying the loan and I feel blessed that I was able to be a part of making it happen.

So… I had the choice of having my $25 investment returned to me or… I could re-lend it out again.Â? I totally chose to re-lend it and this is my new loan from that money.Â? (This person also needs another $175 lent to her at the time of me blogging to make her loan complete and I think there’s a 2 day deadline coming up for her, so she’d be a prime candidate if you want to get involved.)

I also have two other loans out: one for a dressmaker in Lebanon that is 25% repaid and another that I made today to a Lebanese grocer.

Grace in My Day

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When I got to the post office tonight, there was a really sweet note in my box from a lady in the area updating me on family news and also telling me that she hoped my foot was doing better.

Then, I saw the package key and so I retrieved the package from the box and took it home to open it.

Oh. Em. Gee.

It was the most beautiful handmade quilt with a backing and side edging in purple and blue batik-prints and a front panel with all these different kinds of sunbursts on them.Â? I mean, it’s professional-level quilting.

I am soooooo not worthy!!!!

(And I am writing the thank-you note as we speak.)