I have spent the past few days more or less permanently in front of the TV. I exaggerate. Slightly. Multi-tasking, of course. I've never been one for staring idly at a TV screen.
But I haven't been blogging. It's been tempting. Oh.my.god. It's another Gold! Gold! Press the Red Button. Gold! Sit down, it's a Gold v Silver race. You missed a bronze while you were out. In men's gymnastics.
I was actually thinking of complaining to the BBC that they were only showing the Track Cycling Events where Team GB was medalling - or had a gold medallist riding for fun. Then the penny dropped...they had no choice! Team GB are so unbelievably good at cycling we've even got rowers winning cycling gold medals.
Actually, the recent history of GB cycling is a really good case study in Programme Management which has to be copied across other sports, and has some relevance and applicability to other spheres
How GB cycling went from tragic to magic.
I had a bit of fun at work today. Walking past people who were standing in front of TVs watching the replay of some or other aspect of the Olympic Action. Twice I caused laughter by saying "It's just another gold; how boring...". Although as someone remarked, why is there never an Aussie around when you want one. I suppose the Aussie's have a point that most of our medals were won by sitting down. But that has to be better than winning them by lying down and floating...! It was amazing one morning, I got up, went downstairs, switched on the TV (I never do that) and heard the National Anthem. Regular readers will know how much I hate the National Anthem, for several reasons, but on this one occasion, I was rather delighted to hear it.
I haven't watched so much Olympic Action since Moscow 1980. I am such a fan of the BBC interactive service - whatever time of day, just press the Red Button and choose one of six different streams. I have been swimming regularly - please note that this dates from before the Olympics. I also covet a bike and am pretty sure now what I want. That one specially made for 5'2" Emma Pooley, like I still want Dame Ellen's yacht specially made for her being 5'2". Trouble is, I have a bad knee. I have done diagnosis by internet - it seems to be Runner's Knee, which is supremely ironic. I am going for an X-Ray on Thursday. Jimmy won't let me buy a bike until I have a knee diagnosis. A colleague suggested I get a rowing machine instead - switch sports...I think I shall seek advice from Dr Little-Brother, a cycling enthusiastic.
I have a lot more to write about the Olympics. The political and social implications of it; my own Olympic dreams (short-lived and regretted!). And then, of course, the Closing Ceremony, to which I am greatly looking forward. I am not sure what I savour more: Plácido Domingo singing, or Boris Johnson tripping over the flag and self-immolating on the Olympic Flame.
