so excited I might pee my pants.

TONIGHT IS THE MOST DRAMATIC ROSE CEREMONY 
EVENT OF THE OLYMPIC FORTNIGHT.

Or, at least the most anticipated and watched, according to Olympic broadcasters-- 

it's ladies' figure skating, free skate/long program, going for the podium.

And I have a special connection to the event:

(photo: Harry How, Getty Images, courtesy of TeamUSA.org)

MIRAI NAGASU!!

How?

1. Because she is a former student of Arcadia High. ("former" not because she was 

expelled, but because she obviously had to start online school or whatever for the Olympics).

She never took MY class (boo), but I did sub in one of her classes once. She goofed off the whole

time and was eating Doritos. I'm sure that has nothing to do with her Olympic performance.

(totally kidding Mirai, don't be mad... actually your Olympic performance is GREAT, maybe

Doritos should catch whiff of that and sign you as an endorser??)

2. We both used to train at the Pasadena Ice Skate Center. Sure, she has gone further than me, 

but both my 100-dollar and her 1,000-dollar boots/blades have touched THE SAME ICE. Probably 

her butt more than mine, though, I've never fallen on it (just once on my knees.) Really I'm still 

training there,just taking a break this year-- I figure I'll make it to the 2018 Olympics, because by 

then I'll have gathered enough signatures for my petition demanding a Mature Ladies' division. 

3.  She would have been a junior here right now, and I am the Junior Class ADVISOR. 

Seriously. The connections are FREAKY.

I will admit, though, that I can't do this:

 

(photo courtesy of LA Times)

I did try once... it was after skating class... I came home and, while opening the fridge to find 

something to eat (because of course I had burned major calories perfecting my "bunny hop" move),  

I started thinking about all those flexible little girls I had seen practicing their spins, and wondered 

if I could even bend that far backwards when NOT on the ice. So I stretched/leaned back as far as 

I could while holding onto the fridge door. And I ended up pulling something and my back hurt for 

like three weeks. (Hopefully that element won't be required in the Mature Ladies' Competition.) 

(Probably should get a secondary petition going.)

CONGRATS anyway, Mirai!! I love you almost as much as I love watching Ice Dancing. Please bring me back an official USA Olympic vest, I can't afford that Ralph Lauren crap. (Blogpost/rant about that, to come)