Figure Skating. >->

I have gone crazy. I am obsessed with figure skating. It's not because of the Olympics - I've been watching all season, since the Campbell's Classic in the fall. It's because of Sasha Cohen: beautiful, artistic, full of energy and attitude, she rocks my socks!!! She won nationals for the first time last month, but she had the flu, and was slow. So there I was yesterday at work, casting furtive glances behind me and to the sides, pulling up the Torino 2006 window that automatically refreshes itself every time new marks are posted (Italy, of course, is 9 hours ahead of us, which I'm sure NBC regrets very much). Just my luck, Sasha was the last to skate, and someone strode by as the second-to-last lady was about to take the ice: "Editorial meeting! Editorial meeting, everyone!" So I sat in the meeting, laughed at the editors' jokes (which are quite witty, actually), and twenty minutes later, what do I see but Sasha's in first place, above Miss Russian Perfect Gold Medal Favorite. YAY! I try to remain dignified (fortunately my boss is finishing a story and is firmly ensconsed behind his frosted-glass door).

Because the overpaid executives over at NBC (who I'm sure are all fat. Ha.) decide to intersperse the most popular Olympic event with really thrilling sports like bobsledding and, get this, curling, Sasha didn't come on until after 11 pm. But wow! Woweeee! Spectacular! (Video at nbcolympics.com). So now I'm gearing up for the same tomorrow, only much more pressure, because it's the long program, and will decide everything, and Sasha doesn't have a triple-triple jump and the other top ladies do. But I will still be at my desk at the magazine, heart beating like mad, refreshing the Olympics page every few minutes. As long as she hangs on to those jumps - and skates with abandon - anything can happen. That's right, folks. And now, the end of my little figure skating hoopla. I am so busy right now (task force editing - six papers to do! - introduction to write, history paper to write (UGH)) but I can't help but be caught up in this competition.

GOOD LUCK SASHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!