I spent my third consecutive 4th of July in Atlanta this year, visiting Katie and enjoying some much needed pool time. This year was different, however, as I decided to run the Peachtree Road Race rather than just spectate. So, running a 10k in 80-degree heat in too-tight cotton shorts while hungover, out-of-shape, and nauseous is basically the worst idea ever, in case you were wondering. But I finished. So I guess that's all that matters. And three-days too late I finally ordered my desperately needed new running shoes. So there's that.
We had fun as usual. I got to know some of Katie's friends a bit better and also since she is the only person who shares my obsession for Vincent A. Larusso (Google him if you don't know who he is) we watched D2 last night.
The night before the race, Katie & Sarah wanted to watch 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, which I've never seen, and incidentially still haven't as I fell asleep about ten minutes in. I don't have a taste for old movies but should probably develop one - like I've seen Casablanca once and was like whateves, not for me.
But watching D2 got me thinking about the life lessons you can glean from this Disney gem (because I'm all about the life lessons. Disclaimer: not to be taken seriously):
1) It's all about money until a ninth grader brings you back down to earth: Gordon Bombay (what a horrible name, P.S.) agrees to coach Team USA for the junior Goodwill games only to be given a huge salary, house in Malibu and tons of press time and endorsements. Ignoring the fact that none of this would ever happen in reality, old Gordo doesn't come back down to earth until Iceland crushes his team and he once again has an epiphany thanks to Jan and Charlie feeding him some self-righteous bullshit about how hockey shouldn't be all about winning, even though it ends up being all about winning.
2) Recycling old story lines is easy and preferred: We as humans are all about routine. I didn't realize how much I appreciated my routine until I didn't have one. So basically D2 is the original Might Ducks on hormones: take a team that needs to overcome physical and mental obstacles to beat a superior one that would probably beat them 9 times out of 10 (think 18-1 Patriots vs. Giants) but because the inferior team can use Jedi Mind Tricks, they win.
3) Being cocky is never the answer: Admit it: you love seeing cocky athletes get knocked off their high horses (applies to people in general too, not just athletes) and if you know me you know I throw a party every time Roger Federer loses. And I'm sure it does your body good when Duke loses - admit it, a little part of you enjoys that Coach K and Dick Vitale are crying in a dark corner together somewhere in the Raleigh-Durham area. D2 thrives on this: Team USA is cocky until they can't be and then they turn the tables on Iceland.
4) The hottest men on the planet are from Iceland (unless they're from Latvia): Props to the casting crew for making the villainous Icelanders massive eye-candy. So even though they bullied those poor Ducks, they were nice to look at.
5) I guess in the end, everything turns out okay - As cheesy as it sounds, Disney got one thing right: life always goes on.
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