It's All About the Love Story

Since we’re talking about the Winter Olympics this week, I’ll let you in on a little secret childhood dream of mine: to be half of a pairs figure skating team. I suppose I should also tell you how utterly ridiculous this dream was, considering I can’t skate. At all. The ice is not my friend. In fact, in the few times in my life I’ve been skating, I’ve probably spent nearly 99% of that time in a heap on the ice, after continuously falling. But nevermind that.

When I was 13 or 14, my best friend and I were obsessed with the movie The Cutting Edge. Maybe you’ve seen it – we watched it about a gazillion times until we had every line memorized. It’s the story of a stuck-up figure skater and a washed up hockey player who end up getting stuck as a pairs team, hating each other, going to the Olympics, and oh yeah, falling in love. And that right there is what I always get caught up in with pairs skating, the romance, the love story. In real life, I am sure there is a lot of work, sweat, tears, etc., but in the movies (and in my fantasy world) pairs figure skating plays out like romantic comedy. That’s where it always gets me.

And then there are the real-life stories about the couples in the Olympics. I was capitivated by Jamie Sale and David Pelletier’s story at the 2002 Olympics – both on and off the ice. I may have been shrieking just a little bit when the coverage of pairs skating the other night cut over to them in the announcer’s booth. I may have even Googled them to see if they’re still married.

I guess you can tell that I’m not too much of a sports nut. I’ll skip the luge and the skiing and the speed skating – but give me a good love story, and I’ll watch it every time.

And now to finish up some business from last week – I used random.org to pick the winner of my giveaway, and the winner is Michelle (who commented on Maureen’s post last week.) I’ve sent you an e-mail, so make sure to respond with your info so I can get your book out to you!