Mine were glued on Mrs. RWP.
Today is her birthday, so instead of staying home and watching the opening ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics from start to finish, we went out to Longhorn’s for dinner. She had the shrimp and I had the rainbow trout. We both had the baked sweet potato. While (Brit. Whilst) there, we did manage to catch part of the ceremonies on the big-screen telly in the bar area from our table, which was clear across the room on the other side of the restaurant.
My personal favorite of the few glimpses we had: The descent of multitudinous (and quite Disney-esque) Mary Poppinses like paratroopers into the stadium.
By the time we returned home, the parade of nations was in full progress. I’m just sorry to have missed the entertainment portion of the big show for the first time since 1964.
I expect, though, that I’ll become better informed about what transpired through (a) the news media and (b) the kind efforts of my blogging friends who are closer to the action.
Rule Britannia! Britannia rules the (air)waves, for the next fortnight, at least!
[Editor’s note. Yorkshire Pudding came to mind when the announcer announced, “Alex Turner and his band, Arctic Foxes, I mean Arctic Monkeys, from SHEFFIELD!!!” This hands-across-the-sea moment would never have happened if I hadn’t started blogging. --RWP]
Happy Birthday Mrs B. Sounds like you had a nice celebration.
ReplyDeleteWe arrived home from the markets in time to see the lighting of the cauldron which was quite spectacular but I'm sure there will be lots os snippets on TV in the next day or so to fill us in on the highlights. Did you know that even though Mary Poppins is such a symbol of everything English, the author of Mary Poppins was an Aussie ?(http://www.mary-poppins-birthplace.net/)
The time difference makes watching the Olympics live an occupation of sports fanatics (of which I am not one).It will have to be news bulletins and highlights for me.
Cheers
It's looking good so far :)
ReplyDeleteNothing like an Olympics to bring out the nationalist in all of us.
ReplyDeleteIt was quite a show, even for an old cynic like me!
ReplyDeleteI can tell you, the factory chimneys that grew upwards then belched smoke while five golden rings were being forged before our very eyes, was a masterpiece of staging! What a pity you can't get BBC iPlayer to watch a re-run...
ReplyDeleteHelsie, we are four hours behind the UK here on the east coast of the US, so we're watching delayed rebroadcasts as well.
ReplyDeleteLady in BC, if anything important happens, I will send you a wake-up call, eh?
Elisabeth, ain't it the truth!
Shooting Parrots (Ian), the best thing about the Olympics, in my opinion, is that it does quiet the cynicism for a couple of weeks every four years. (Not yours, the world's in general.
Jinksy, we got home in time to see all the bicyclists with their flapping dove wings circling the blue-lit stadium. And the lighting of the torch was spectacular. I'm just sorry I missed Her Majesty arriving by helicopter. Loved Mr. Bean.
i didn't think the british had it in them...the corogrhapie was stunning...the ideas were fab<><>bob, even the medical scene show a little class although i wondered the purpose although when you think about medical coverage for everyone leggallly it is quite a statement..happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear mrs... plague,, happy birthday, happy birthday to you, we hope you have a happy day, a happy day, a happpy day, we hope you have a happy day and do not break your leg....
ReplyDeletePutz, corogrhapie? Oh, wait, I get it. Choreography. Mrs. RWP thanks you for the inspiring tribute in song.
ReplyDeleteIt was fab, I thought! A really fantastic occasion. I'm a natural cynic but it did away with my cynicism, too.
ReplyDeleteHappy belated Birthday Ellie! Sorry I missed it.
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