Giddy with Star Spangled Anticipation!

Our trek to London in 2012 for our Olympic adventure was epic in so many ways...and here we are again, 31 days from departing for Sochi!  With 5 times the tickets, we are confident this will result in 5 times the fun.  And 5 times the monkeyshines.  And 5 times the shenanigans!

We need to make sure that you are aware of something right off the bat-the Olympic Games are not being held in Sochi.  They are being held in Adler, who must be some kind of red-headed step-middle child in the order of Russian cities.  Did Adler displease Putin in some egregious way to get the location "name" stripped from them?  We may never know.  Sochi also "claims" to be the longest city in Europe.  (Is Sochi trying to compensate for something??)  Also, Sochi/Adler are located in a sub-tropical zone.  No, you did not read that wrong.  It will probably be the first time the Winter Olympics are held in a location where a heavy parka might cause you to sweat during the day, however, the mountain events (skiing, bobsled, etc) ARE being held on an actual mountain. The average temperature in January is 50 degrees.  Brrrr!


Confession:  I love the way Eastern Europeans construct their sentences in English.  I think it's adorable.  (I hope that doesn't sound patronizing).  As we've worked with several Russian folks in booking housing and attaining visa invitation letters, please allow me to share with you the most awesomely phrased communications we've received from the very nice folks in the Russian Federation.

"Unfortunately for Louis Olympia no seats.  Perhaps places will be in January. But not for the fact."

 "We note, that during Olympics not far from our hotel will take place big Fan-Zone."  (Big Fan-Zone??  Sign us UP)


"From our house to the Olympic objects by transport to go is about 2 hours."  (I think she might have used Google Translate...)

"Why do not you pay with a plastic card?"

 "We can make you Visa support."

 I'm so excited to hear these kinds of things with a beautiful Russian accent attached!

Trivia is BACK!  I am working on figuring out a way to incorporate the Risk gameboard (map of the world) into the mix, but am still a little stumped.  We are planning Trivia Night for after the USA-Russia Men's Hockey game-BEST NIGHT EVER!!  We will be posting a calendar with the events we're attending, so be sure to let us know if you spot us on TV!  (We'll be the ones voraciously shaking our flag!  Oh...too vague?  We'll be the DRUNK ones voraciously shaking our flag!)  No word yet on whether the exalted, loved, and universally adored Chase Visa VIP Lounge will be in Sochi, but we have our fingers crossed, and our stomachs empty to eat and drink up all of the rewards that being a Chase Visa cardholder can get us!  If not, we'll have to check out this big Fan-Zone that our AirBNB friend Sergei mentioned above.

Remember the Battle of the Brians?  Remember the Battle of the Carmens?  Remember when Dan Jansen fell down 2 times after he learned of his sister's death?  Remember when Bonnie Blair and her mullet dominated the speed skating track?  Remember the first time Apolo Ohno won a gold?  Remember Shaun White's balls out INCREDIBLE performance in halfpipe in 2010?  Remember the Jamaican bobsled team?  Remember that awesome Tom Brokaw report for the Vancouver Olympics on the USA-Canada brotherhood?  Remember Oksana Baiul and how she turned into a train wreck?  Remember the ice skating judging scandal?  Remember Nancy Kerrigan getting cracked in the knees?  Remember the rush of adrenaline when we beat the Soviets Russia in ANY winter sport?  So many amazing Winter Olympics memories I can name, but I know one thing-the ones I'll remember for the rest of my life are about to go down in exactly 1 month.  I have the world's greatest travel/drinking/carousing/obnoxious friends a girl could wish for to accompany me!