Lessons learned

I posted a few notes over at DomestiKat. Fortunately, I didn't lose my eyebrows. Phew.

On a completely unrelated note, I am a sucker for the Olympics--from the sappy sob stories to the serious competition. I'm an addict.

I consider myself a smart girl, and like to fool myself into thinking that I'm more clever than marketers, but when it comes to the Olympics, I'm not. I totally buy into the formula; and I know that they are going to keep teasing me with swimming finals telling me they are less than an hour away (when in actuality, they've already happened), and then they are going to force me to sit through judo, or race walking, or rhythmic gymnastics until they get to the prime time action that every other apple pie loving American and I are waiting for--the swimming and gymnastics finals. The events that the marketers have carefully manipulated us into wanting to wait for them.

And they know me, in fact they probably made me the way I am and they know it. They know that I am going to sit through the sports I'm really not all that interested in, especially when you give me a gut-wrenching emotional piece about the unbelievable adversity this person has overcome to reach elite athleticism. Cue the emotional swell of music. And then all of a sudden I'm a fan of synchronized diving. And I'm drinking a coca-cola, and buying a GM car, all on my Visa. And looking around for a big "Thank you" from Morgan Freeman.