I just one hour, I will be parked in front of the television to see something I have been waiting four years (and 12 hours) for: the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics.

This year's event takes place in Beijing, China, and -- politics aside -- I couldn't be more excited.

I love all the spectacle of the opening ceremonies, from the procession of the athletes to the lighting of the flame from the torch that's made its way around the world.

Although NBC has chosen to run the ceremony in prime time, it began at 8:08 this morning -- 08-08-08 -- in Beijing. The number eight is lucky in Chinese, but I thinks it's just plain cool.

You may wonder why I chose to blog about this before I have seen the opening ceremonies. The truth is that, with 4.5 hours of coverage scheduled, I'm not 100 percent sure I'll make it to the end without falling asleep. So, post-event blogging is out of the question. Tune in tomorrow for all of my thoughts on the opening ceremonies.

That is, unless I fall asleep.