The BlogOlympics are here!

I recently found a new blog through Problogger's 31 Days to a Better Blog project, actually I found a bunch of new ones, but my point is, the one I'm referring to. Anyway...MamaBlogga is hosting the BlogOlympics! I'm going to try and participate, and just see how I do. I have no illusions that this is a huge money making blog or anything of the sort, I do it for fun, and hopefully someone will like something and it will make their day. Man, I'm just a wordsmith tonight huh?

Back to the point! She has the guidelines posted like this:

"How to Participate

• To earn a medal, you must complete one event at that medal level:
  • To earn a bronze medal, complete one event from the bronze list below.
  • To earn a silver medal, complete one event each from the bronze and the silver lists below.
  • To earn a gold medal, complete one event each from the bronze, silver and gold lists below.
• There are several events that overlap between the levels (for example, the bronze level of commenting is commenting on 5 new blogs; the gold level is commenting on over 16 new blogs). Completing this event at a silver or gold level counts as only one event—to earn a silver or gold medal, you must also complete a different event at the lower levels.
• The events must be completed over the course of the next two weeks (on or before August 24).
• To be an official participant, you must also link to this post.

The Events
This list may grow over the course of the BlogOlympics.

Bronze

• Comment on up to 5 new blogs
• Subscribe to a new blog
• Submit or vote for a post you like on someone else’s blog on a social networking or bookmarking site
• Add a blog to your blogroll
• Overwrite old draft posts that you’re no longer going to use

Silver

• Comment on 6 to 15 new blogs
• Participate in a blog carnival
• Participate in a group writing project
• Subscribe to 3 new blogs
• Submit or vote for a post you like on someone else’s blog on a social networking or bookmarking site three times
• Contact a blogger about guest blogging on their blog
• Add three blogs to your blogroll

Gold

• Comment on 16 to 25 new blogs (and over)
• Sign up to host a blog carnival
• Host a group writing project (or plan one)
• Subscribe to 5 new blogs
• Submit or vote for a post you like on someone else’s blog on a social networking or bookmarking site five times
• Review someone else’s blog on your blog
• Interview another blogger
• Send a completed guest post to another blogger
• Write two “pillar articles” or pieces of “flagship content“
• Come up with a system to keep track of your blog drafts

Receiving Medals
Once you have completed your all events, please comment (or ping/trackback) on this post to let me know so you can be included in the Closing Ceremonies. Don’t forget to include what medal you’ve earned. Also, please take a badge at your participation level (and include the link back here or to the Closing Ceremonies) to show off your Olympian-ness.

You don’t have to go into great detail (ie telling me which new blogs you commented on or subscribed to), but feel free to share which events you completed! Since the Olympics are about individual excellence as well, this will be on the honor system—I’ll believe whatever you tell me."

I thought this would be a great challenge as I know I am SO bad about lurking on the many blogs I love. As you'll notice if you come directly to my page instead of through my RSS feed, I am working on tweaking some things. I'm trying to get all my links in order with the blogs I read and such. I'm hoping to find a nice template soon, I really don't like the basic Blogger one I am currently using. So if anyone has any hints or tips on how to custom do one without a) learning a WHOLE BUNCH of code or b) spending a fortune, please let me know! Thanks and let me know if you participate in the BlogOlympics as well!