And today is the same, temperature-wise:
But temperature isn’t everything. The skies have been threatening rain all day, and we’re supposed to get more thunderstorms… and more rain… again today. Which is a great good thing in the general scheme of things, but not all that great for us lazy-assed retirees who view weather through a rather different sort of prism than other people. But I’m loving the weather we’ve had the last few days.
―:☺:―
“There have been so many greats who have come before me, and what Mark did is still amazing,” he said. “It's a very hard thing to accomplish. I think it shows whatever you put your mind to, you really can accomplish.” Photo: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
So… How about that Michael Phelps! The toast of the sports world pulled off a nearly impossible feat by taking his eight gold medals, and the magnitude of his accomplishment is nearly indescribable…although lotsa people will try. The NYT had a pretty good article on Phelps yesterday, and I liked these bits the best:
Spitz’s record lasted 36 years, and it figures to be even longer before the world sees Phelps’s successor. In 1972, Spitz swam two strokes, the freestyle and the butterfly, and none of his swims covered more than 200 meters. Phelps swam all four strokes, at distances ranging from 100 to 400 meters, and faced three rounds in each of his five individual events, one more round than Spitz had.
“I think it’s probably one of the greatest things sport in general has ever seen,” said Brendan Hansen, who swam the breaststroke leg in the winning relay Sunday. “The shame of it is other athletes aren’t going to realize how hard it is. The world is fast in swimming right now. The world was not fast when Mark Spitz did his seven.”
How fabulous was Phelps’s feat? At Sunday’s start, the Person’s
[…]
Swimmers who, by any yardstick other than Phelps, were wildly successful here, were among the awed. The individual medley specialist Stephanie Rice, who became the fifth Australian to win three gold medals in a single Olympics, said, “I don’t even know how he does it.” Rice, who, like Phelps, competed in the 200 and 400 individual medleys and the 4x200 freestyle relay, became worn down from the stress and got sick. “I just don’t even know how he holds himself together,” she said.
When Phelps’ peers…swimmers who also took gold medals… look upon him with awe you know you’ve seen something special, and something that’s unlikely to be repeated in our lifetimes. It was certainly a joy to witness Phelps’ stunning accomplishment, even if it was only on teevee.
―:☺:―
Today’s Pic: A break in the storm clouds as they blew over Beautiful La Hacienda Trailer Park, a week ago today. The sky looks much the same as I type… but there’s no rain.
Yet.
What Phelps has done is amazing!! Doing all 4 strokes is a difficult task. I know, I used to do all 4 of them (on a high school, not Olympic, level). the Individual Medley was the hardest one I ever had to do; Butterfly is NOT easy!!
ReplyDeleteIt IS nice weather!!
I normally don't get excited when watching sports events, but during that race last night, I was yelling so much that the dogs came over to see what was wrong! Michael Phelps is truly phenomenal.
ReplyDeleteNice weather you're having.
I'm a huge fan of watching the storms come in... sometimes I sit in the pklot of a beach and watch it come in over the water; or sometimes it's just nice to sit in the garage with the door open and watch it come in, thunderbumping and sizzle-crack-white flash and all! I just saw hail for the first time in my life, last week. Hard to believe? I guess I was just never in the right/wrong place at the right/wrong time?!
ReplyDeleteThe threats of tornadoes are usually overblown. Y'all be careful out there on the Staked Planes.
ReplyDeleteJenny sez: Doing all 4 strokes is a difficult task. I know, I used to do all 4 of them (on a high school, not Olympic, level). the Individual Medley was the hardest one I ever had to do; Butterfly is NOT easy!!
ReplyDeleteSo you have first-hand knowledge! I can only relate in a tangential sort of way, as I've never been a good swimmer. But, I have swam a bit in my life, so I kinda-sorta appreciate what he did.
And yeah... nice weather! Except for tonight -- I spent a little over an hour at Roosevelt County General, as a result of our tornado warning. And, like the last time we had a tornado warning, I was the ONLY person who beat-feet out of Beautiful La Hacienda Trailer Park. As I told Bob Reese in an off-line: my neighbors are either oblivious, fatalistic, or stupid. Or all three.
Becky: Your blog post about your cheering MP on was good! re: the WX... see above!
Alison: The fact you saw hail for the first time last week IS amazing! But then again, all y'all don't get too many severe storms up MA way. At least not like the mid-west and other parts of the country do, anyway. And I'm with you: I LOVE to watch storms, as long as they're not (too) violent.
Bob: You're absolutely correct about "overblown," this time. But, as I told you in my note: I'm not taking ANY chances. It might be different if I lived in a real house, with a real basement... but I don't. No sense tempting fate.
Our weather has been similar and near perfect for this time of year. With the threat of rain, the clouds have kept the temps down (not as low as yours, but nice). We did the lake thang again and it was cool and nice, but no wind for our sails.
ReplyDeleteI have really enjoyed Phelps and his swim-mates. I thought the coverage of the Women's marathon was booooorrriing!
We had a couple weeks of brutal heat eariler this summer, but for the most part our August has been very pleasant. That doesn't happen very often in Oklahoma, it's nice.
ReplyDeleteI'm a storm watcher too. I love to watch them roll across the sky.
regarding overBLOWN warnings (get it, BLOWN!? LOL!): I did hear of some rotation a couple miles south of my place, and one guy swears he saw one touchdown about 20 miles SW of my location. However, how you see much of anything when it's pitch black outside within brief microseconds of lightening is beyond me and I didn't put much faith in the reports.
ReplyDeleteYou are wise to run over to RGH. I got the kids out of bed and into the hall at one point. Your neighbors are stupid. And I'm reminded of Larry the Cable Guy's quote from the movie "Cars"--"I'm happier than a tornader in a trailer park!!"
MP is something else, but you have to have luck as well...the first relay and his 6th win were some of the closest and most exciting moments of the Olympics.
ReplyDeleteLou sez: Our weather has been similar and near perfect for this time of year. With the threat of rain, the clouds have kept the temps down (not as low as yours, but nice).
ReplyDeleteYeah... global warmi... err... climate change has been a real beeyotch this year, hasn't it? ;-)
I thought the coverage of the Women's marathon was booooorrriing!
Me, too... except for the very end, when the runners entered the stadium. It might seem somewhat sadistic, but I thought watching the expressions on the women's faces after running 26 miles was fascinating. Sometimes I have trouble getting up the motivation to DRIVE 26 miles (like over to Clovis), so I simply cannot imagine RUNNING that distance. Dang.
Amy sez: That doesn't happen very often in Oklahoma, it's nice.
I can second that, Amy, based on my (limited: two years) experience living in OKC. You just get SO sick of the heat around the middle of September...
Jenny sez: regarding overBLOWN warnings (get it, BLOWN!? LOL!): I did hear of some rotation a couple miles south of my place, and one guy swears he saw one touchdown about 20 miles SW of my location. However, how you see much of anything when it's pitch black outside within brief microseconds of lightening is beyond me and I didn't put much faith in the reports.
LOL! Good one, Jenny! But... I'm glad you're safe. All y'all were the FIRST thing I thought about when the warning hit my teevee last night... coz Floyd was mentioned as being "in the path." I agree with you: you can't see squat at night, even with the brief flashes of lightning.
re: my neighbors. I kinda sorta think none of 'em have seen tornado damage, up close and personal. I have and it's flat frickin' SCARY.
Pat: Luck did have a lil part in a couple of MP's wins, true. But I believe that ol' saying about "making your own luck." If MP didn't have the chops, the physical prowess, and the endurance he does he wouldn't have been able to stay with those guys and out-touch 'em at the wall. The same goes for Lezak.
Buck, thanks.
ReplyDeleteRe: women's marathon...I couldn't believe they broadcast the entire two and a half hours worth! Dang, they could have put highlights from other sports in from time to time. Still, I'm impressed that a 38 year old won it.
Tornadoes and trailers=bad combination!
Still, I'm impressed that a 38 year old won it.
ReplyDeleteTornadoes and trailers=bad combination!
About being impressed: you and me both. "Hope for the middle-aged," and all that. But NO hope for us Senior Citizens, LOL!
As for trailers and tornadoes... I remain amazed that my neighbors don't evacuate. Like I said, I think it's coz they've never seen a half-mile wide swath of destruction that goes on for a mile or two. That image stays with ya.
Ms. Jenny, Buck don't take movie recommendations to speak of. But if one could punch through, it might would be "Cars." Shoot!
ReplyDeleteIf you have a NASCAR fan frame of reference, there are many inside jokes. They aren't necessary, because if you have a Route 66 reference there are many more jokes and points: Car culture, the American Southwest (Radiator Springs, where is that? Peach Springs, AZ within a day's drive of Monument Valley, I would guess). Cruising, lowriders, cheesy motels, I think Buck would love it.
Loved the play on "overblown!" Didn't mean it at the time, but hey... it works.