Thoughts on the Chicago Olympic Bid

When I first heard about Chicago as a possible bid to get the Olympics back in 2007, I never thought it was possible. I mean, yeah, I love Chicago. In my opinion, Chicago is the best city in the U.S. How could you go wrong with all that history? I mean come on... we've got the Sears Tower, all of the great museums, the Chicago Style hot dogs, the Cubs... and what about that weird looking statue in Millennium Park that everyone and their brother wants to take a picture of their reflection in? 

Back then, before we even got into the final four, as I like to call it, (I apologize, it's the college basketball fan coming out in me) we still had to compete against other huge cities in our own country. We had to get past Houston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. I mean, we're talking Hollywood and History here... in my little 17-year-old, teenage, pessimistic mind, there was no way we were getting past the preliminaries. 

But we did it!

Hah. Well little did I know, that was just the beginning.

L.A. not big enough for ya?

Now we're going up against the REAL Big Dogs. 

Now we're talkin' Madrid, Rio, and, *shudders*, Tokyo.

What could Chicago POSSIBLY have to offer when the other options are:

A. the capital of Spain, and one of the very few major European cities that has not hosted the game. (Yet...)

B. the city that has full political and economic support from its country (since its country has NEVER hosted the games)

C. the favorite. (Been there, done that)

I was at the Taste of Chicago today, so of course there was campaigning going on for the 2016 games.

A lot of it.

There was a huge tent chock-full of promotional items (and don't you all worry, I got my five wristbands in, surprise surprise, blue, black, red, yellow, and green). They had games for kids (where the prizes included, you got it, more promotional items), a petition, a "buzzer" that, if you pressed on it, added another number to the tally of "supporters of the Chicago 2016 Olympics", and the only thing that would really garner any true support, how they were going to transform Chicago into a City of Champions.

After I saw that. I was sold. (Didn't take much, eh?)

No offense to the other cities or anything, but I think we've actually got a shot at this. 

In other words...

Chicago. You've got one more supporter!

For more information, and to see the plan, go take a look at http://www.chicago2016.org.

Ah, mellow music and humidity.

So I'm just sitting here listening to Ray LaMont... well okay scratch that it just changed to Wilco, but nevertheless... I love it. Unfortunately, the humidity is killing me. It's 80 degrees upstairs AND I'm sick so that's equalling a pretty bad feeling.

Luckily the music kind of equals it out and makes me feel, neutral at least. 

Anyhow, I've had a pretty uneventful week as the highlight of it so far has been strawberry picking. Plus it's been storming all week which makes it kind of hard to be outside. (Believe me, when I went to pick strawberries I all but ruined my corduroy TOMS, and yes I realize those weren't the best choice of footwear when it was so muddy.)

Although I've felt pretty bored (not to mention useless) this summer, especially compared to the beyond-busy school year I had, I still can't believe that my birthday is next week. Although I'm glad for it to come, since the day after my birthday it's straight to Pittsburgh to visit my roommate, then back home for less than two weeks and back to Philadelphia, and then only a couple weeks until I go back to school, I'm still a little bit bummed. Time really does go faster and faster when you get older, and I can't seem to wrap my head around the fact that in exactly 9 days I will be TWO DECADES old. 

On the sports front, the Phillies finished off their three-day series with the Bluejays by getting swept. They never fail to make me angry. They are SUCH a good team, and they play so well on the road, but when they come home, it's like they are incapable of the term 'W'. Luckily the Cubs won and didn't get swept by the Sox, otherwise I would have been a lot more upset as far as baseball goes. I still need to choose a Cubs game to go to in July, but I can't figure out if I should go when they play the Brewers or when they play the Braves. I suppose it doesn't really matter, it's fun to go to the game no matter who they're playing (even when they're playing the Pirates, haha). Actually, the funny thing is that I've been to two Pirates games already this year and will be going to one when I'm in Pittsburgh (mostly because the Cubs will be in town). 

But I digress...

The main point of this is, I'm just happy that summer will finally be starting soon. I'll be going to downtown Chicago quite a bit soon for the Taste and to go to the beach (because the weather is FINALLY supposed to be getting better).

I'll be updating :)

Cheers

There's no such thing as blogging...

... because if you think about it, isn't blogging just writing?

Truth.

I feel the need to write because I want to share my life, and maybe not even with other people. See, I've written blogs before, and although I posted about, hmm, maybe 2-6 entries on each of them, I can still look back on them. To me, that's fun. I have a pretty bad memory, and it's great to be able to look back on something like a journal or... a blog. 

I'm going to try something new this time, though. I'm going to try and make this last, at least until summer is over. If I don't update when school starts it's because I'm busy.

Really, really busy.

But, as I said, it is currently summer. And I'm free.

Really, really free.

Now I guess since this is an "introductory blog", I should introduce myself. (If anyone I don't know happens to stumble upon this page).

For starters, my name is Emily. I'm 19, about to be 20 (ew, I don't even want to think about that). I go to school at Marquette and am majoring in Corporate Communication and minoring in Social Welfare & Justice. I'm actually not really sure of what I want to do after I graduate, but with my major there are what seem like endless paths for me to take. I'm from a small town in Illinois. Believe me, after you get out of my neighborhood you find yourself surrounded by cornfields. I'm a huge sports nut and I'm sure I'll be blogging a LOT about sports. Phillies, Cubs, Golden Eagles, Blackhawks, Bears. 'Nuff said. (I know, I know, if you're wondering 'Why the Phillies? You're from Illinois', it's because my Dad was born and raised in Philadelphia and he is the most phanatical Phillies fan I know. He got me into them at a really young age. But don't you worry Chicago-ans, as I stated, I do enjoy the Cubs as well.) 

I also love to read. I have a slight obsession with Jane Austen which has made me a tad bit guilty of being a hopeless romantic. Also, okay confession numero uno... I kinda secretly read silly books that I don't tell anyone about. Examples of this are The Princess Diaries, The Clique, and most recently (don't judge me!) ... Twilight. Although I first read Twilight my junior year of high school, and that was nearly four years ago. So I guess I can take the smallest bit of pride in knowing that I read that silly book before the phenomenon. 

I have a place for everything, and everything needs to be in its place. Let's just say I don't do messy. During the school year, my planner is my life. It would be the one thing I would be lost without (yeah, that's including my phone, my computer, and my credit card, shocker, I know.) 

Well, I'd say that sums me up pretty well.

I'll be in touch :P

Em