Lord of the Rings.

Well slap my knee and call me Picabo! It's Olympics time again! (Cue fantastical Olympic song here!)

I am all too thrilled to be on maternity leave during the Olympics. You can bet your wallet that I will be firmly planted in front of the tv watching as much of the coverage as they want to show me. Curling at 4 a.m.? Yes, please! Synchronized skiing at 2 p.m.? Hell yeah!

I've always been a fan of the Olympics. I love the competition. I love cheering for my country. I love hearing athletes' stories via Bob Costas and his heartwrenching journalism. These athletes have trained their entire lives for these moments. Families pick up their whole lives to move half way across the country and eat peanut butter and jelly for dinner just so these kids can be at the ice rink everyday at four in the morning with the hopes of maybe one day making it to the Olympics. There is so much riding on them to succeed. And sometimes it comes down to two minutes of competition. And one small flub and it's all over. Ugh, so emotional! It's intense and I just love it! (So sad about that Georgian luger. Wow. How tragic.)

I know some people have a preference as to which Games they prefer - the winter or the summer. But for me that'd be like choosing my favorite child. Can't be done. I have love for both equally. (Yeah, I know I only got one kid right now, but someday I may have to choose between more than one and at that time I wouldn't be able to do it.)

Opening ceremonies are tonight and the fun won't stop for the next two weeks. Hooray! Lemme know if you want to come hang out and experience them with me. Bring nachos.

P.S. How awesome does Vancouver look? I could live there.

P.P.S. Let's share. Tell me your favorite winter Olympic sport. Mine would have to be ice skating or downhill skiing. I took an ice skating class in college, so I know how difficult it is to do what they're doing. And believe you me, I was of Olympic caliber. And I just love how fast the downhill skiers go, it's flabbergasting.

P.P.S. I hope no one is upset with me for not talking about the real Lord of the Rings. I'm afraid you've come to the wrong Hobbit house if you're looking for conversation on that.

Have they decided whether or not to include a DISLIKE option?

I've spent a decent amount of time looking at Facebook since I've been on maternity leave. It's my way of keeping in touch with people while being couped up in the house - thank you 10 inches of snow and recalled Toyota! And I've come to a conclusion. It's probably not going to be a popular conclusion and there's a good chance that I'm far more angry about it than I should be, but, I do not like it when people have their children's photo as their profile pic*.

DISLIKE!

"Oh, but my kid is so cute and funny! Look at him with food on his face and a funny hat on!" While this may be a true statement, the fact remains THAT AIN'T YOU! It's your kid. He can post that pic on his own page! Why not post a photo of your goofy, drunk uncle dressed in drag at Halloween if you're not going to post a photo of yourself? It's just as funny and equally ambiguous.

Now, I have no problem if you want to post a photo of you with your kid. That's completely acceptable because you are actually in the photo. I'm friends with YOU, so let me see YOU. How else do you expect me to judge how much you've changed over the years?

Trust me, I'll be snooping around your photos plenty to look at the ones of your kids. As well as your vacations and your Holiday celebrations, and I promise to take special note of the ones where your kids are wearing funny hats with food on their faces. I may even leave a comment on how cute I think they are.

But I'm taking the stance that your profile pic should be of you. I may even try to start a "Become a Fan of having your own photo on your profile" page for it.

Please note that I love my kid and I feel that she should be highlighted doing funny things and I fully intend to take photos of her wearing silly things and looking messy, but you will have to be my friend and click on the "Stella" photo album to see them. You gotta do some legwork to see the cuteness! I think this is fair. I don't want to give away the goods for free.

*Also applies to pets. Again, not you.