Highlights of the XXX Olympiad

I am sad that the Olympics are over, yet it's also a relief. The sleep debt I have accumulated by staying up until the end of every primetime broadcast - and then watching even more clips online - was starting to have a negative effect on my health.

But I will miss emailing/texting/talking to my brothers almost every day about great Olympic moments, and I will miss having an excuse to go over to friends' houses almost every night. I organized an Olympics watching schedule for my group of friends so that we had different places to gather to watch together during the 17-day event.

We kicked off our rotation with an Opening Ceremonies party where I went as the 80's track star Flo Jo - colorful long fake nails included. (They made me want to rip my hands off.)

Here are some of my favorite moments from London 2012. I recognize that these reflect what I was able to experience through the tyranny of NBC, its producers and its commentators, but I willingly submitted to their attempts to manipulate my emotions, and I loved every minute of it. (NOTE: Unfortunately not all the video links capture the entirety of each moment that I describe.)

• Alex Morgan's winning goal in the 123rd minute of overtime in the semi-final game vs Canada.
• Manteo Mitchell running the first leg of the men's 4x400 relay with a broken leg.
• The swim team's Call Me Maybe lip synch video.
• Missy Franklin greeting her parents after the medal ceremony and asking her mom if she was wearing a new shirt.
• Aly Raisman starting to cry (min 1:40) before she finished her floor routine because she knew that it meant a team gold.
• Aly Raisman's parents in the stands.
• The sportsmanship shown in the bib exchange (min 3:30) on the track between Pistorius and Kirani James, the soon-to-be first gold medalist from Grenada.
• Serena Williams saying "it was probably flying to come hug me" when the US flag fell during her gold medal ceremony. 
• The look on wonder on Nathan Adrian's face when he won gold in the 100m free, and the shot of Lochte and Phelps cheering him on from back stage.
• The look on the judges' faces and the commentators' reaction when McKayla did her near perfect vault.
• Soni breaking the world record in her semi-final breaststroke race and then breaking it again the next day in the final. 
• Every time a Brit won a gold medal, especially when Andy Murray did it. He cried when he lost to Federer a month ago at Wimbledon. He cried when he beat him. (min 3:55)
• The defection of the Cameroonians.
• Carmelita Jeter pointing at the world record clock as she broke the world record and crossed the finished line in the women's 4x100m relay.
• The Target commercial showing kids getting accepted into college. It makes me tear up every time.
• The Coke commercial that made me feel great about every Diet Coke I have ever consumed.
• The Onion article mocking Andrea Kremer's horrible pool side interviews.
• Flint, Michigan's reception of their home star 17-year-old Clarerssa Shields, women's boxing gold medalist.
• Quote from our Closing Ceremonies party: "I can't tell who that is because he's wearing clothes. I only recognize him by his chest." 

Til Rio 2016...where you should keep your eyes out for me and my brother Jeffrey as the first ever co-ed synchronized swimming duo. We will be resurrecting a routine originally choreographed in a lake in the late '90's.