Aussie Open: You've Got Me Feelin' Emotions

Today (which I guess is technically tomorrow for the Aussies) Rafa Nadal won his first Australian Open Title over Roger Federer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-2. Vamos Rafa!!



The match was over 4 hours long and very intense. I saw about the final two hours of it live. Luckily I was able to see match point around 8am EST before I had to run off to my race in Central Park. It was a great match... until the 5th set, where for no real reason, Fed kinda gave up. I mean, "gave up" is too harsh. He certainly didn't want to lose, but after 4 hours of playing, it seemed like Fed suddenly didn't believe he would win. It's often said that the 5th set comes down to heart, and Rafa is all heart. For some reason Rafa has Federer's number. Evidence? Fed's record against non-Rafa opponents in Grand Slam Finals? 11-0. His record against Rafa in Slam Finals? 2-5. Rafa is 3-0 in the last three slam final meetings and has a13-6 edge on Federer in career meetings. It was clearly on Fed's mind as he lost serve twice in the final set.



So I went off to the race content in the knowledge that Rafa had won and that I could watch the speeches on DVR when I got back. What I was not expecting, upon return to my apartment was that Federer was totally distraught during the Trophy Presentation. He was crying! He couldn't address the crowd. The crowd went crazy for him, trying to will him into composure by showering him with cheers of love. He couldn't do it. He went back to compose himself while Rafa got his trophy which led to this awkward moment.



I felt so bad for him! Federer is a classy guy and I DO believe when all is said and done that he will get the 15 championships he wants so much. He'll have many more chances. Rafa can't win every major for the next 5 years! And Fed can beat anyone else on the planet. So it will happen. Don't worry too much, Fed!



A lovely moment at the end was when Rafa, seeing how broken up Fed was, reached around and hugged him around the neck. It seemed to snap Fed out of his emotional state and gave him the opportunity to step back up and say some gracious closing remarks. Best of luck for the season, Roger!

I love my Rafa. Champion on Clay, Grass and now Hardcourt. And on the tennis court of my heart. Rest well, young man. You've got a long season ahead of you. I'll be watching!

Rafa Down Under

Breakfast at the Aussie Open! Welcome back to the court, Rafa! I woke up and turned on the TV to check the weather, but I remembered that ESPN2 would still be showing the end of Day 2 Live from Melbourne. It's already nighttime there, so maybe the Aussies live in a world where Obama is now officially President? I don't fully understand the space-time zoning craziness that exists for the Land Down Under. Anyway I tune in just to catch the final game in the match where Rafa is CRUSHING his opponent, Christophe Rochus, 6-0, 6-2, 6-2. So GOOD! He's back in top form! It's awesome! Four unbelievable forehands in a row to end the match. Keep it up, Rafa!

2008 Review: You're The Inspiration

As we enter into 2009, and I write my first blog post of the new year, I wanted to take a moment and reflect on a few inspiring figures from '08. These people challenged me to be a better, more productive person last year. They pushed
themselves to create great things and and their work and attitude affected me greatly. I plan to keep looking to them for inspiration as I stake my claim on '09. So here we go. They are my Top 5 People, plus two honorable mentions:

YOUTH ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: LAUREN LOOSE

Lauren is totally inspiring to me. Throughout her young life she has faced so many medical challenges and has been able to meet them with resounding understanding and strength. Her courage and joy and positive attitude are felt by everyone she meets. When I determined to run the marathon this year, it was never a question in my mind that i wanted to run for her and raise money for The Children's Tumor Fund. She has the ability to make the people around her feel good and want to do good. And that's pretty damn special in my book.

FICTIONAL INSPIRATION AWARD: BATMAN

Oh Batman. My hero of heroes. Sure, you (sorta? maybe?) died in the comics this year, but who actually reads your comic anymore? No, your real sphere of influence for the past 40 years has really been in movies and TV. Your hot-n-cold latest animated series came to a conclusion this year. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't what it COULD be. But them came Dark Knight to the big screen. Holy effing cow. I love this movie. Heath's Joker is great, that's certainly true, and Aaron Eckhart's Two-Face is just as compelling. But I love me some Christian Bale as Bats. It's not a flashy performance, but it's still the anchor for the movie so that everything else can spin out into brilliance. I love Chris Nolan's take on Batman. I recently tried to watch Batman & Robin on TV. It is UNWATCHABLE. Just terrible. I don't know how i sat through it in the theater when I was in high school. True, i had lower standards then, but they weren't that low. I feel like i still should have walked out of it. At least these new movies exist to further bury crap like Batman & Robin in the public consciousness. Batman had a great year. More power to him.

And Now to the TOP 5 Inspiring People of 2008!

5. RACHEL MADDOW

Rachel Maddow got me through the '04 election loss on Air America Radio. I listened to her every morning. She then shifted around the Air America dial a few times over the years before showing up in '08 on my station of stations MSNBC. They quickly saw what a goldmine they had in Maddow and gave her her own show. Her TV show is a lot like her radio show in all the best ways. I always leave it feeling like I learned something AND feeling entertained. Her critique is thoughtful, her mind set is progressive and I think she is amazing. I look forward to hearing from her nightly. Keep up the good work, Rachel!

4. TINA FEY

"I can see Russia from my house!" Of course she can! Thank you, thank you, Tina Fey for shining an undeniable light on the idiocy of the candidacy of Sarah Palin. If not for SNL acknowledging the complete ridiculousness of her inclusion on the national stage, we might be stuck with her as our Vice-President. The very thought continues to turn my stomach. I'm sure we'll have to fight her off in future elections. But thanks in part to Tina Fey, we don't have to deal with her right now. Tina Fey brought the smarts, the funny and the sexy this year. She won 3 Emmys for 30 Rock, which continues to kick all sorts of ass on NBC. She is the Associated Press's Entertainer of The Year. She is Exhibit A against the sexist argument that women are not good with comedy. She is amazing. Happy New Year, Tina Fey. Goodnight and have a pleasant tomorrow.

3. LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA

Enough cannot be said about Lin's '08 accomplishments. First performance on a Broadway stage. First Musical he's written on Broadway. First Soundtrack CD produced. Tonys for Score and Best Musical. Grammy nomination for the soundtrack. This is just the tip of the iceberg of the accolades, but it's not the awards that are important. It's the follow-through on creating the art that's inside you that I find particularly inspiring. 2008 with all of its fun events has been a thrill-ride, I feel lucky to have been there to witness it. Lin's success is remarkable. He's been living the dream. And through it all, he's held on to who he is as a person and remained an amazing friend. I wish him the same health, wealth and happiness in '09. Wepa!

2. RAPHAEL NADAL

I love Rafa. Maybe I have mentioned this before? I would move to Massachusetts and marry Rafa Nadal if he was interested in doing that. I would learn to cook for him. I would clean. I would do whatever was necessary. He is my hero. He and Roger Federer gave us one of the greatest sports matches ever in this year's Wimbledon Final. He remained undefeated at the French Open and also won gold at the Olympics. I got to see him in person at the US Open. His knees gave him trouble at the end of the year, but what else can you expect when you play so damn hard on every point like he does? Rafa still managed to finish #1 in the world on the ATP charts this year and he's #1 in my heart as well. But not technically #1 on this list because that goes to...

1. PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA!!

OMG. With a war we are fighting in Iraq, a war we are fighting in Afghanistan, a totally collapsing economy at home, gay rights being threatened at home, an escalating conflict between Pakistan and India, an escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas, nuclear weapons issues with Iran and North Korea, and a resurgent aggressive Russia there are no shortage of ginormous world issues swirling around us as we go into '09. So why is it that every time i think of Election Night '08 i start giggling with joyous delirium? It's because I believe in Barack Obama and he makes me believe in us. Sure there are a TON of things going wrong right now, but there was one truly amazing thing that went right. We are finally saying goodbye to George Bush and his terribly run administration and saying hello to our first black president who also happens to be intelligent, eloquent, compassionate and consistent. I don't think he will magically fix everything, but i believe he is someone who can LEAD us to ways to help ourselves and make the future better. I want to tell myself not to get my hopes up. I don't want to believe it as much as i do. But I can't help myself. I cannot deny the hope i feel. We as a country did something we have never done before, and we did it because it was the best choice and we did not let fear stand in the way. Thank goodness. Barack, i will be looking to you for motivation and guidance in '09. We had Change We Can Believe In and Change We Need. Now we need Change We Can Achieve. I'm ready. I am resolute.

O's Christmas Tree! O's Christmas Tree!

Here's a pic of this year's xmas tree in my apartment. It's been a good tree! Merry Christmas to all!

Dance Dance Pics

Here are some jammin' pics from DDR. The last batch of house seats went on sale this Thursday. Now the run is completely sold out. Vexy exciting! I have to remember to tell dad how to get to the theater for tomorrow.

The dance corps in mid-flight

Vayu catching some serious hangtime.

Dance Dancers Unite! (I'm just out of frame to the left! Really I'm there!)

The Change We Got

Tuesday was an amazing day in history. We all know it. Here are a few highlights of the day:

BFF Votes For the First Time! It was great to know someone who had never voted before in a national election, who now felt motivated to vote for someone for the first time. Barack was the change she believed in. She was a little nervous and i think might have felt a little insecure about being an adult that wasn't already familiar with the ballot-casting process. But she did not let insecurity stop her! She voted and realized how painless the process could be. Brava, BFF. You fulfilled your civic duty!

I voted for Obama. I was so excited to vote for him. I was humming the "I've got a crush on Obama" Song the whole time i waited on line. Everyone there seemed so eager to vote, even though the lines were longer than anyone had ever seen them there. Afterwards, "For Now" from Avenue Q came on my ipod and when "George Bush!" got called out, I broke down in tears right in the middle of the street.

Being with friends. It was my friend Alex's birthday/election party. His birthday is such that it usually falls right around election day. It was an amazing assortment of people with whom I went to college. Lots of them are married now, but since lots of those marrieds don't have kids yet, they can still come out to play on a school night. After the total horror that was losing in 2000 when we were all at Wesleyan, i really felt like something was restored to us as a group to be able to witness Barack's win together. We've basically spent our adult lives working against a horrible, divisive, fear-mongering administration. For me, it felt almost baptismal to be with them the moment they announced that Obama had won at 11pm. It felt like so much weight and sadness had been washed away. Finally we could address these huge problems facing our world with hope in our hearts instead of anxiety and frustration. The country did what it collectively ought to have done in electing Barack Obama. That knowledge, that moment, can never be taken away from us. We did the right thing. John McCain deserved to lose for the campaign he ran. Not because he himself is awful, but because he did not run a campaign that was reflective of him. He gave control of his campaign to the wrong kind of people with the wrong strategy, and if he could do that with his campaign, he could do that with his Administration. But getting back to my main point, being able to unite with my friends in-person, after uniting with them via the internet to take a more active part in the campaign was a truly momentous occasion. For us to be a little older, a little wiser, a little more active and a lot more hopeful eight years later? That is fucking awesome.

Taking it to the streets. After Obama's amazing victory speech, we left Alex's apartment and headed for union square. You could hear people all over the place screaming and cheering. Cars and trucks all over were honking horns along with the chant "O-BAM-A! O-BAM-A!" and "YES! WE! CAN!" Union Square was a sea of bodies, all excited none really sure what to do with themselves. We danced and and cheered and hugged... and then i could not ignore the fact that i had to be at work at 9am the next day and had to go home. But the night was filled with a fantastic energy that i will not soon forget.

The next morning. I remember waking up post-election day in 2000 and 2004 and immediately thinking, "what's the use? this is a total nightmare to face the world under a Bush Presidency?" then i checked the news and the race was undecided! Both times! But then it went to Bush. Both times. It was so great to wake up yesterday - even after only 4 hours sleep - and feel the Obama Era taking hold. And I turned on the TV and it was still very clear Obama had won. There would be no court battle, no slimy feeling of a stolen election. We just had the somewhat scary, very hopeful, and totally exciting question to ponder: What Happens Now? Whatever happens, everyone needs to be a part of moving forward. I can't wait to find out what good comes from the change we got.

2008 ING NYC Marathon Playlist

Here's my Marathon Playlist. Amazingly it worked out perfectly! I charged toward the finish line to Green Day's cover of The Simpsons Theme and crossed just as the tempo picked up on Don't Stop Me Now by Queen. Here's the whole list!

Mile 1
You Can't Take No For An Answer, Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem
Happy Birthday, Bright Lights, Big City (Studio Cast)
Straight Lines, Silverchair
Mile 2
Final Fantasy IV - Main Theme
30/90, Tick, tick... BOOM!
Mile 3
Outer World Theme, Final Fantasy VII
Home, Chris Daughtry
Mile 4
Is It Any Wonder?, Keane
Lost Ones, Jay-Z
Vertigo, U2
Mile 5
Blackout, In The Heights
Breakthrough, Hope 7
Bury My Lovely (October Project), The Cardinal Sinners
Mile 6
Some People, Patti LuPone
One Angry Dwarf And 200 Solemn Faces, Ben Folds Five
When you're next to me, Mitch & Mickey
Mile 7
Cheer Up, Boys (your make-up is running), Foo Fighters
One Minute, Kelly Clarkson
Oh My, Mellowdrone
Mile 8
So What (Main Version), P!nk
Music Is The Victim, Scissor Sisters
That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed), Panic At the Disco
Mile 9
Mr Brightside, The Killers
A Little Respect, Erasure
Goodnight Goodnight, Hot Hot Heat
Mile 10
The Water Song, Julia Meinwald
The Goonies R Good Enough, Cyndi Lauper
The Flesh Failures (Let the Sunshine In), Hair
Mile 11
Your Fault/Last Midnight. Into the Woods [Original Broadway Cast]
Going Through The Motions, Once More With Feeling
BTW - Write Back, Andrea Burns
Mile 12
Invincible, Pat Benatar
Barrel of a Gun, Guster
Shoplifter, Green Day
Mile 13
I'm Lion-O, Relient K
Kansas Sky Highway, True Fans
We Are Not Strangers, Runaways Soundtrack
Mile 14
Run for Your Life, Nancy Sinatra
Blinded (When I See You), Third Eye Blind
I Kissed A Girl, Katy Perry
Mile 15
Stuttering, Ben's Brothers
Don't Waste Your Time, Kelly Clarkson
The Bucket, Kings Of Leon
Mile 16
Crush, David Archuleta
Just Fine, Mary J. Blige
Can You Picture That? Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem
Mile 17
bleeding love, leona lewis
96,000, In The Heights Soundtrack
Mile 18
Pocketful Of Sunshine, Natasha Bedingfield
U & Ur Hand, P!nk
Bones, The Killers
Mile 19
When I Grow Up, The Pussy Cat Dolls
Funplex, The B-52's
I've Just Seen A Face, Across The Universe Soundtrack
Mile 20
Boulevard Of Broken Dreams, Green Day
Looking At the World from the Bottom of a Well, Mike Doughty
All I Do Is Dream of You, Singin' in the Rain Soundtrack
Mile 21
Princes Of The Universe, Queen
Motorcycle Drive-By (acoustic live),Third Eye Blind
March of the Witch Hunters, Wicked Soundtrack
Mile 22
Take My Temperature, Kaiser Chiefs
Swollen Summer, The Bravery
Nowadays / Hot Honey Rag,Chicago Movie Soundtrack
Mile 23
Pounding, Doves
Lollipop, Mika
Bastian's Happy Flight, The Never Ending Story Soundtrack
Mile 24
Girlfriend, Avril Lavigne
Who Knew, P!nk
Saved by the Bell, Saved by the Bell Soundtrack
Mile 25
Gone, Kelly Clarkson
Eagle Fly Free, Helloween
Thundercats Theme
Mile 26
Bigger Than My Body, John Mayer
Carnaval Del Barrio, In The Heights Soundtrack
The Simpsons Theme (From "The Simpsons Movie"), Green Day
Don't Stop Me Now, Queen