Knitting Sandwich

top five holidays that should be invented

Hello all!

Happy February! It's time for the top five again! (sorry I'm a little late, oops!) In spirit of the month of February, home of the invented holiday of Valentine's day, we thought we'd come up with a top five list of other holidays which should be invented? 

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Here's Lindsey's list:

1. Chocolate appreciation day.  Chocolate for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and afternoon tea.  What better way to celebrate the world's most perfect food?

2. A day of personal reflection.  I know I don't sit and regroup and reflect enough.  I'd like a special day set aside to do just that. 

3. International day of creation and creativity.  A day dedicated to celebrating creativity, whether you take the day create something yourself or appreciate others creations.  Knit, dance, see a play.  You might choose to be creative in how you celebrate -make a friend....make a baby.

4.  Hedonism day.  Delight in pleasure. 

5. Acquaintance appreciation day.  Since we are getting rid of valentines day here is a holiday that Hallmark can use to keep selling those cards.  Give a card to the acquaintance that brightens you life.  From the guy at the office you bum cigarettes from to the employee at the dry cleaner who always remembers you.

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And Melissa's list:

1. “i like you day.” it’s just a day where you tell people you like them. you don’t buy a card, you don’t buy flowers or candies or take them to dinner, you just spread some kindness by telling them, “i like you.”

2. “international fatten up your squirrels day.” this one should be obvious. give the squirrels in your yard extra food today. (and if you’re like kate and (gasp!) don’t like squirrels, or like louise and (gasp!) don’t have squirrels on your island nation, i would also accept feeding gophers or rabbits or groundhogs or whatever yard critters you do like/have access to.)

3. “old fashioned communication day.” no texting, email, cell phones or even ravelry pm-ing. if you want to contact someone you need to do it old-school, write them a letter. phone calls will be permitted but only if the phone is attached to the wall with a cord.

4. “guilt free lazy day.” again, this one is obvious. it’s a free pass. you get a day to be lazy and you are forbidden to feel guilty about it. don’t even think about tidying up first.

5. “pancakes for dinner day.” i love pancakes for dinner. why not make it a holiday?

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And cmv's list:

1. blackout day:  a few years ago NYC had a blackout and actually it turned out to be a spectacular experience.  when you have no computer/tv/cellphone lines/light, you are forced to rediscover the art of conversation and revert back to the classic ways of communal living.  people were out on the streets, walking throughout the city and making all sorts of new friends they'd have never met any other way. 

2. handmade day: everyone has to make something from scratch.  anything!

3. international photography day:  everyone on earth takes one photograph to show a moment in their lives.  then they all get posted together and you can see what life looks like on the same day from someone else's perspective.

4. thank you letter day: the day you sit down and write thank you letters to all of those people that you normally take for granted or forget to thank. not a card (because that would just be another bump for the greeting card industry and then people cheat and just sign their names to pre-printed messages), but some paper and a pen and some sweet words of thanks for your garbageman, your train driver and all of the other people who help keep your life going smoothly.

5. mom's night off day: every mom needs a night off!  

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Do you have any ideas for holidays which should be invented? We'd love to hear them!

Happy February, everyone! And thank you to you all for following our blog and sharing all of your wonderful work and ideas with us too!

- the sandwich

 

 

 

top five holiday treats

Happy Holidays all! 

It's time for our top five list again and we thought it only fitting to dedicate it to all those scrumptious treats which soon await us as the holidays make their arrival.  Yum! Isn't this a fabulous time of year for eating?!

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Here are Melissa's picks:

1. cocoa streusel cheesecake bars (from the penzey’s christmas 2003 catalog) i can’t tell you how yummy these are!! and so easy to make! i make some every year for the holidays and for other various times when i need an easy yet impressive dessert.

1 3/4 C flour
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
1/2 C cocoa powder
2 sticks butter (cold)
1 8oz pkg cream cheese (softened)
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract

preheat oven to 350 deg
combine flour, sugar, an cocoa. cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. reserve 2 cups for topping, press remaining mixture into ungreased glass 9x13 pan.
bake crust for 15 min
while it’s baking - beat cream cheese until fluffy. gradually beat in condensed milk until smooth. add egg and vanilla - mix well.
pour over crust, sprinkle reserved cocoa mixture over top.
bake for 25 min, until bubbly.
chill, cut, and store in refrigerator.

2. scalloped corn (from claire’s wonderful family friend renee) i had this one year when i went home with clarie for thanksgiving and loved it so much i insisted that renee give me the recipe right then and there. i recommend doubling the recipe so that you can have warmed up leftovers the next day. yum!!!!

1 can whole kernel corn
1 can creamed corn
2 eggs
2/3 C evaporated milk
1/4 C butter
2 tsp minced onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 C crushed soda crackers

drain and save liquid from whole kernel corn.
beat eggs in large bowl. stir in corn, 1/4C liquid, cream-style corn, milk, melted butter, salt, and pepper - mix to blend.
fold in crackers.
bake at 325 deg for one hour, or until set. serves 6.  

3. christmas braid bread (from the angry chicken’s blog) this bread is fun to make and smells divine while cooking. i usually make two loaves and give one to our lovely neighbors.  you can find the recipe online here  

4. turkey noodle casserole (from food network/rachel ray) this is a delicious way to use up any turkey leftovers you may have lying around after the big meal. i think it was from when rachel ray had her 30 minute meals show, but it always takes me longer than that, but really it’s so yummy it’s totally worth it!  you can find the recipe online here

5. seasoned pretzels (from my knitting friend april) my friend april brought these pretzels to a rav-meetup last year and they were so fabulous we could not stop eating them. i think they’d be the perfect snack to tide the family over during an extended gift-opening session or whilst waiting for the big dinner to come out of the oven!

2lbs pretzels
2 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 pkg ranch dressing powdered mix
1 jar/bottle orville reddinbacher butter oil

mix oil an seasonings together. pour on pretzels and keep mixing until oil is absorbed.

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Here are Lindsey's picks:

1. Cornbread dressing.  Nothing says thanksgiving to me more than cornbread dressing.  I could forget the rest: we have phased out the green bean casserole, I can take or leave the potatoes, even the turkey is negotiable.  Just don’t mess with my cornbread dressing!  And yet every year my mom taunts me with suggestions of making changes to the recipe.  Add sausage?  Jalapenos?!!  Has she no shame?  This is one recipe I do not deviate from:

• The day before make (or buy) some cornbread, break it up into chunks and dry it in the oven. 
• Also dry out 4-6 pieces of bread
• Butter a 9x12 glass baking dish
• sautee 3 cups of diced onion and 3 cups of diced celery with 1 tbs olive oil and 1/2 lb butter (mmmmmm butter)
• Pour sauteed veg over the dried bread in a big bowl and mix it with your hands breaking up the bread into smaller pieces
• slowly add 1 tbs poultry seasoning and 3-4 cups warm chicken broth
• taste often
• put mixture in the 9x12 and bake covered in foil for 40 to 60 minutes. 

 

2. Chipotle Cranberry sauce.  Like regular cranberry sauce (boil cranberries, water and sugar) just add chipotle raspberry sauce.

3.  Torrone -Italian nouget that only comes out at Christmas

4. Panettone -a light bready christmas cake.  My favorite is the chocolate hazelnut flavor

5.  Dark chocolate cranberry something or other.  This is a new tradition.  Last year I made cookies, this year I made bread.  I was inspired by Melissa's zucchini bread recipe and a whole bowl of leftover cranberry sauce (apparently everyone loved the chipotle variety and had no room for the plain stuff).
[Here is the link to MLM's zucchini bread post http://knittingsandwich.typepad.com/sandwich/2010/01/chocolate-chip-zucchini-bread.html

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And here is my list (you can tell from my lack of included recipes that I'm not as much of a holiday baker as I am a holiday eater):

 

1. Mom's German christmas cookies.  Though she is Portuguese, my mom has been making the most fabulous Christmas cookies since marrying a German.  They are chocolatety and nutty and spicy and wonderful!  Christmas wouldn't be Christmas at our house without them.

2. I totally second Melissa's scalloped corn nomination!  My favorite part of the Thanksgiving spread (and I get to have Thanksgiving with the Renée original!)

3. mulled wine.  mmm, need i say more?

4. peppermint cheesecake.  this one i actually do make but i can't seem to find the recipe anywhere (sorry!)  i promise to post it as soon as i find it.

5. angel food.  it's pure sugar but man is it good!

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Do you have certain foods that you love to spend the holidays with? Any special well-worn recipes you'd like to share?

We'd love to hear your top five!

Wishing you all a warm and wonderful holiday season!

-cmv & the sandwich

top five things we're listening to

Hello all!

It's that time of the month that we indulge in our list-making pleasures.  This month we have decided to list the top five things we're listening to these days. 

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Here are melissa's:

 

1. gregory alan isakov

i got a copy of this album from a friend and it is just amazing. so mesmerizing and etherial and magical.

2. david gray- foundling

this is his latest album, and i just can’t stop playing it. especially the second disc. oh david gray, i love you.

3. mpr- morning edition

kathy wurzer is how i start my morning. well, her and a cup of coffee. i listen to minnesota public radio every day. i think i would get twitchy if i didn’t.

4. patty griffin- impossible dream

i love this album. it seems to always find its way into my cd changer. year after year i just keep playing it.

5. lily

i’m not kidding. the girl never stops talking. she has reached that phase in the lifecycle of a little girl where she is constantly talking. there are days where she gets up in the morning and doesn’t stop chattering until she’s through the door and into her classroom. and then when i pick her up she’s chittering away again until i put her in bed. she does a lot of singing too, mostly making up songs about what she’s doing, “now i’m brushing my hair… hair…. hair…. brushing…” most of the time it’s charming, but i’ll admit to sometimes tuning her out.

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Here's Lindsey's list:

1. NPR Morning edition and All things considered, a way to get a news update on the way to work
2. My folk Pandora station has a combination of John Denver, Mamas and the Papas, James Taylor, CSN&Y, Simon and Garfunkel etc.

 
3. Democracy Now The War and Peace Report hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez.  I Love them and what they are doing.
4. 104.1 KRBE, the pop music station in Houston.  My guilty pleasures: Katy Perry and Ke$ha.
5. Silence.  Ever since reading this article about the link between ADD and young kids watching tv we have turned it off while Sabrina is awake.

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And cmv's list:

   

1. Bon Iver moves me like no other music ever has.  It is like soul music.  Completely magical.   Justin Vernon was going through a rough time, shut himself in a cabin in Northern Wisconsin and created the most fabulous and magical music ever. The full story is here. 

2. I am a big NPR fan too, and I'm completely convinced that Wisconsin's version is the best.  I think Jean Feraca has the best voice on the radio.  Love her and her show.

3. I can't get enough of Radiolab. This podcast is both wonderfully entertaining and jam packed with incredibly fascinating facts and insights about all sorts of science topics.  And who couldn't love stories about the 'goats who stand on cows' phenomenon? This is an especially great episode.

4. Lindsey was actually the person who first turned me onto the podcast of The Moth and it is so incredible!  Wonderful true stories, told live and never less than incredible.

5. Quiet time is one of the most soothing and vital times of the day for both my Kindergarteners and me.  We have enjoyed Putumayo's various dreamland CDs so much that the kids can actually sing along (despite them being in different languages).  My favorites are Asian Dreamland and African Dreamland.

 

So what about you?  Do you have any favorite things you are listening to these days? 

-the sandwich

 

 

top five reasons for autumn love

It's fall! woo hoo!  Here at the sandwich we are loving it!

It's been a while since we've put up a top five list and we thought that the arrival of fall would be the perfect reason to.  Here are our top five reasons we adore this autumn season:

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melissa's list:

1 & 2. putting on corduroys and a sweater and walking through the leaves. 
3. fall beer.  bring on the octoberfest!  i love the darker beers that appear with fall's cooler temps.
4. pumpkin carving - my absolute favorite thing about halloween.
5. fall light - the shadows grow longer, the light takes on an other-worldly hue, it makes you appreciate every moment of the dwindling daylight that much more.
6. thanksgiving.  it's my absolute favorite holiday.  i love it so much that i apparently never take any pictures of it.  so here's the fabulous ms. martha with her thanksgiving bird.

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Lindsey's list:

1. Cool weather. 
I absolutely love the break from the heat that fall brings.  It hasn't been in the 90's for days!
2. Everything pumpkin
Pumpkin risotto, pumpkin latte, pumpkin carving, I can't get enough pumpkin.
3. The food
I love soups and stews, shepherds pie, chicken pot pie, all the hearty foods that just seem right in the fall.
4. The clothes
sweaters, corduroy pants, tights.
5. Energy
Each fall I get a boost of energy.  I want to play outside at all times.

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cmv's list:

 

What about you? Are you a fall lover too?  What are your top five reasons why?

Warm autumn wishes to you all!

- the sandwich

the top five takes a vacation

we're checking in early for the july top five, mostly to tell you there will be no july top five.  summer has gotten the best of the sandwich and so we decided to send the top five on vacation until next month.

claire's heading to london for a wedding and then on to other points of interest in europe.

melissa's heading to little pine lake, mn to relax with friends.

and lindsey (who has the best deal of all) gets to spend the last month of her maternity leave taking care of this sweet, sweet, perfect babe.  

we hope that you are all enjoying your summers as well!  let us know what y'all are up to!

-melissa & the sandwich

top five summer perks

So sorry that our top five list is so late this month- it seems that all of us sandwich members are in our own wonderful whirlwinds of new babies and new beginnings.

With no further ado, we thought that our top five list for June should appropriately chart our favorite things about the coming summer season.

Here's Melissa's list:

first let me say that summer is my least favorite of all the seasons.  so i was more surprised than anyone when i came up with a top6.  call me a cheater, but i couldn't pick one to cut out...
1. gardening - you can't grow a garden without the summer.
2. county fairs - i love love love a county fair!
3. parades - i love love love parades too!
4. swimming in the yard - even though it's hot, i like it because i get to sit in the shade and knit while lil swims in the pool.
5. campfires - fun for so many reasons, the least of which is getting to sit by a campfire and knit.  i should also mention s'mores and bratts.  yum!
6. road trips - woot woot road trips!  put me in a car and let me go!  i love to go on a road trips!!

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Lindsey's list:

I have to admit summer is not my favorite season.  I think it just lasts too long and gets too hot in Houston.  However, there are some things I LOVE about summer.
1. mango popsicles
2. afternoon thunderstorms
3. flip flops and sandals
4. picking blueberries on the forth of july (in the 95+ degree weather the blueberries are warm, more go in my mouth than in my bucket)
5. defrosting in the sun after coming out of a cold movie theater

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cmv's list:

Weatherwise, I am a big time winter-lover and summer-loather... but as a teacher summer can't help but have a mountain of perks:

1. The day we get to put up the June calendar is just about every teacher's dream come true.

2. Finally coming to the bottom of the 'day count grid'!

3. Travel time!  All of my family, with the exception of my parents, is in Europe so I am very lucky that every summer I have the excuse for some international travel (with free lodging!). And then there's the cherished nyc-wi road trip for lama and I!

4. Sangria.  Mmmmm

5. Fireflies. Magic!

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Funny how none of us sandwich members are big summer fans. Are you a summer lover?  What are your top five favorite things about the upcoming season?

-the sandwich

top five words of wisdom

Do you know what today is????

Not just Cinco de Mayo!  And not just time for the top five... it's Lindsey's actual due date day!!!

Baby has not yet arrived and may still need a few days to get herself good and ready, but seeing as how it's such a special day and such a wondrous event is about to occur, the sandwich decided this month to dedicate the top five list to the darling little girl we're so excited to meet.  As she prepares to begin her brand new journey, we decided to share with her a few things that we've learned as we've traveled along the winding paths of ours.  

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Here is the list from her beautiful mommy, Lindsey:

1. 1 Corinthians 13:13 is a great guide to life: And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.  With all three, anything is achievable.
2. If you become passive, you will find yourself restricted, regardless of how free the environment is in which you live. Conversely, if you maintain a positive, proactive attitude, you will find yourself free, no matter how restricted your environment.
3.  The misfortune of others is our misfortune. Our happiness is the happiness of others. To see ourselves in others and feel an inner sense of unity with them represents a fundamental revolution in the way we view and live our lives. Therefore, discriminating against another person is the same as discriminating against ourselves. When we hurt another, we are hurting ourselves. And when we respect others, we respect and elevate our own lives as well.
4. Your mother might not always be right, but she always wants the best for you.  Listen to her, her goal is for you to learn to judge for yourself. 
5. Drink water.

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And from honorary Auntie Melissa:

1. always be confident in who you are, it’s good to be an individual.
2. when you feel upset, first take deep breaths.
3. tell your mom and dad they can always clean up later… they should play with you now.
4. learn to knit (or some other creative outlet - a good place to start is crayons.)
5. take as many vacations as possible to minnesota.

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And from honorary Auntie Claire:

1.  Deep breaths always help.
2. Try to leave things a little bit nicer than they were when you got there.
3. Don't be afraid of putting yourself in uncomfortable situations.  Those are the ones we learn the most from.  Don't put yourself in dangerous ones. 
4.  The only guarantee we have in life is that everything is temporary.  So completely relish in life's good moments and just breathe through the bad ones. 
5. Take time every day to be grateful.  Once you start appreciating all that life has to offer, you'll be amazed at the beauty surrounding you.

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We'd love it if you'd share some of your own words of wisdom with the lovely little girl who is about to arrive!

-cmv & the sandwich

top five suitcase stickers: places we've been

Hello all!

So terribly sorry about the delay in posting the top five list this month, I'm going through a complete computer nightmare over here.

Since last month we focused on the places we dream of going to, we thought it appropriate to focus this month on the favorite places we've been.  With no further ado, here are our lists!

Melissa's list:

1. vancouver island - we went here on our honeymoon, to victoria and tofino and oh, i just loved every second of it!  the country is beyond beautiful... words can't really do it justice.
2. florida keys - i'm usually not a beachy kind of girl, but the keys just called to me.  it was such a wonderful trip - so relaxing and with just a touch of quirky fun.
3. new orleans - we went to celebrate brian's 30th birthday, and celebrate we did!!  new orleans is such a grand old city, there is always beauty around every corner.
4. fairy lake, mt - i used to live in bozeman, mt and fairy lake is about a 45 minute drive up into the mountains.  besides being stunningly beautiful it's where brian and i got engaged, so it will always have a special place in my heart.
5. nyc - claire, i am so thankful that you live in nyc because i get to come and visit so often.  i love this city.  i could visit a million times and there would still be more to experience and see.
6.i'm obviously not as well-traveled as the rest of the sandwich, for example, here's a picture of me the first time i saw the ocean.  i was 24.

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Lindsey's list:

1. Tobago - Michael and I went here on our honeymoon.  It was so beautiful and relaxing, we had so much fun playing in the waves.
2. Shanghai China - I spend a semester in Shanghai and loved everything about it: the language classes, clubs, food, travel, even the calligraphy classes that I did horribly in.
3. Game parks in Kenya - growing up overseas I was amazingly lucky that my dad's company sent the family to America every year.  Our best trip home had a 'stop over' in Kenya for a photo safari.
4. National parks, Utah - I can't pick just one, I loved exploring every park we visited and want to go back to see more of them.
5. Preikestolen, Norway - My parents moved to Stavanger when I went to college.  What an amazing country.  This was my favorite hike.

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cmv's list:

1&2. Lisbon, Portugal- Most of my family is in Lisbon so I was lucky enough to spend most of my summers there as a child. Besides the emotional connection, I really can't think of a more beautiful place on earth.  Even the walls and the floors around you are covered with incredible charm and artistry.
3. Barcelona, Spain- Besides the amazing color and culture, you have the astounding works of Gaudi architecture.  Love it.
4. Salvador de Bahia, Brazil- When I decided to live in Brazil for a few years (many years ago) I wanted to go to Salvador.  Instead I ended up in the absolute polar opposite place, a small German town in the middle of nowhere.  Which of course only made the visit to the incredibly vibrant, colorful, musical, artistic land of Salvador all the more wonderful.
5. Berlin, Germany- Oh I love Berlin.  The powerful history and diametric opposites, all before your very eyes.  Wonderful.
6. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil- It just doesn't get much better than Rio.  A city overflowing with life  (good AND bad) and stunning natural beauty.

There are so many incredible places in this world both close to and far from home-- what are your favorite places you've been?

-cmv & the sandwich

suitcases ready! top five travel dreams

So sorry to be a bit delayed this month, but low and behold we are back with our top five!

This time we decided to make a list of the top five places we dream of going someday.  

Here's Melissa's list:

1. new zealand.  more sheep than people and gorgeous scenery.  what more could you ask for?  even though they don't have squirrels it is still my dream to go here.
2. nova scotia.  i just think it's gorgeous, and i am intrigued by life so close to the sea.
3. banff national park - look at those mountains.  need i say more?
4. iceland.  because iceland is awesome.
5. austria.  i want to take the sound of music movie tour.
6. i hope to god i get to ride in this bus!

And Lindsey's list:

1. Guilin China - the geology, language, culture and food call to me.
2. Everest Base Camp - what an adventure.  I don't want to go all the way to the top but base camp is doable.
3. Machu Pichu - There are so many amazing places i'd like to visit in south america, this would be a great place to start.
4. Tahiti - it is just beautiful and looks so relaxing.
5. Antarctica - I've always wanted to visit every continent.

And cmv's list:

1. Alaska!  I think my all time biggest dream location. 
2. Iceland- can you tell I like cold places?
(the Northern lights is a 'must see' in one of the above)
3. Cuba- the color!  the culture!  the music!
4. Japan- a visual and stylistic paradise, both ancient and modern.
5. Greece- those glorious blues and whites!

So where is it that you'd most love to escort your suitcases to?  Can you share with us your top five?

-the sandwich

olympic fever- top five version

The Sandwich has a major case of Olympic fever.  Not only are we all big Olympic fans but we're actually going to BE TOGETHER for the Olympics this year!  Woo hoo sandwich meetup!

In the haze of anticipatory excitement, we decided to devote our top five this month to our favorite things about the winter Olympics.

melissa's list:

1. 1988 - the battle of the brians oh my, the battle of the brians…. even just mentioning it now makes me swoon - the buildup, the anticipation, the perfect boitano performance…. orser bobbled a landing… boitano takes the gold!!! i was 12 during the ‘88 calgary games and this is the first time i can remember being swept up in a specific olympic competition, i loved all the media hype and hoopla surrounding the two brians and was glued to the television during their skating!

2. olympic curling during the 2006 turino games i was home with baby lily and watched almost every olympic curling match! i was completely obsessed!! talk about drama, i totally fell in love with curling and am proud to now reside in minnesota home of the majority of the team usa olympic curlers! (i’ve even eaten at dave’s pizza in bemidji which is owned by 2006 team usa skip and bronze medalist pete fenson!)

3. 1998 nagano games in the blaisdell 3rd floor lounge claire and i both lived on 3rd floor blaisdell our senior year of college and so it became olympic watching headquarters. we spent countless hours glued to the television reveling in the olympic games. remember our disappointment and complete outrage when michelle qwan was defeated by tara “horse-face” lipinski? oh the memories….

4. 1998 team canada’s awesome roots outfits oh! remember when team canada marched into the opening ceremonies wearing those amazingly awesome outfits? the hip berets, the awesome letterman-esque jackets? everyone wanted to be that cool! (i’d like to add the the u.s. has spent every olympics since trying to chase that “canadian cool” and we just never seem to pull it off - we copy them and they just come up with something better! “oh canada…”)

5. parade of nations - opening ceremonies i love the opening ceremonies, but more than the spectacle itself i love the parade of nations. i love watching each country march in - what will they be wearing? who will cary their flag? seeing all the athletes, from all around our globe standing together sets the absolute perfect tone to start the games. i love it!

Lindsey's list:

                          

1. Eddie the Eagle Edwards - I love an underdog!  I lived in England during the 1988 Calgary Games and he was an absolute rock star!  He was everywhere, every paper, every tv show, they even made a pop song about him.  How can you no love a celebrated last place contestant?

2. Jamaican Bobsled team - Did I mention that I love underdogs?

3. Biathlon - The apparent randomness of this pairing is just great.  Skiing and shooting?  Why not sledding and knitting?  (We may have to do this!).  

4. Rivalries - the one I'm watching this year is between Lindsey Vonn and Maria Riesch.  They are best friends, they are closest competitors - oh the drama!

5. Alpine Skiing- They just go SO FAST!  I want to be able to ski like that but I doubt I'll ever get off the easy blue runs.

cmv's list:

1. The Olympics simply wouldn't be the Olympics without the commentators.  I mean, how can you resist a spectacle of athletes when each and every one of them seems to have the story to end all stories.  Maiming, orphaning, cast out of homelands, death of every family member, bludgeoning, coming back from the dead.... you name it, they've got it!  And people like Scott Hamilton are just people to dish out every last detail of the Olympic soap opera!

2. Oh downhill skiing and the cast of characters that accompanies it-- yes, he's quite possibly the most pompous man to have ever lived. But you can't help but love Alberto Tomba and all his downhilling, slaloming compatriots!

3. Moguls!  Just watching them makes my knees ache but man are they fun to watch!

4. I don't think my childhood would have been complete without the year of Brian Boitano and Katarina Witt.  I believe that was the year I truly fell in love with the Olympics.  And then after the Olympics they skated together in this ultra-cheesy tv special.  I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

5. Olympic fashions!  Where else or when else is it socially acceptable and encouraged to wear things like gold lamé, fake skin, poofy sleeves, feathers and sequins all at the same time (well, other than in the village, perhaps)?  It's so worth watching just to see the fashions that these Olympians come up with!  Remember the year that the Swiss men's downhill ski team wore bright yellow cheese uniforms?  Please say you do because Google has not a trace of them and I'm beginning to think I dreamt it!  And, in the end, thank goodness for Michelle Kwan who was always a beacon of style amidst the sparkle and bird headdresses of her ice skating peers.

So there we go-- excited and ready for Olympics and Olympic Sandwich meetup!

What about you?  Are you excited too?  Do you have five favorite parts?

--cmv & the sandwich