Valentine's Day, Mardi Gras and the Olympics make for a wild week

Tired after a long week? Figuring the weekend provides the perfect excuse to clean out closets or catch up on your sleep?

Think again.

By some happy twist of fate, the next few days serve up so many reasons to celebrate you'd be hard-pressed not to live it up.

It all starts tonight with the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. So think of the coming days in sports terms: more a marathon than a sprint.

With planning - and pacing - this week might just offer the most fun (not to mention food) you've had in ages.

OlympicsSports fans will have more than two weeks to revel in the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Tonight, it's all about the pageantry. The opening ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Games broadcast on NBC starting at 6:30 p.m. And really, who can resist the emotion-packed parade of nations?Most of us will never see an Olympic podium let alone stand on one, but we can mark the festivities with favorite international foods and a little outdoor activity. Eat it: Sure you could go to a sports bar to watch the games, but why not party at home at least one night with an Olympic-themed potluck? Have each family pick a country to represent and bring an appropriate dish. Maybe empanadas for Brazil, tapas for Spain, salmon for Norway, chocolate croissants for France ... the ideas are endless. Don't forget about beverages. Put beers and sodas (World Market has a global selection) on ice.See it: The Olympics are first on the list, of course. But don't forget Olympics-themed movies. The 2005 drama "Munich," based on the shocking murders of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 games, is a solid choice - though clearly not a mood-lifter. For something more celebratory, take a peep at 2004's "Miracle," starring Kurt Russell as Herb Brooks, coach of the American Olympic hockey team that waxed the supposedly unbeatable Russians during the 1980 games. Oops. Did that spoil the ending? Do it: Average American couch potatoes can't replicate soaring ski jumps or tough triple axels, but that doesn't mean they can't give winter sports a try.Skating, skiing and hockey are all options. Snowboarders should check out the Raging Buffalo Snowboard Ski Park in unincorporated Kane County near Algonquin. It's open most weekdays from 4 to 10 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 10 or 11 p.m. on weekends. Admission varies, but daily passes range from $32-$45. Call (847) 836-7243 or visit ragingbuffalo.com.Valentine's DayRomance is king on this day, a favorite of such notables as Cupid and the folks at Hallmark. Here's how you can spend your Valentine's time well come Sunday.Eat it: Rekindle the spark with your significant other in one of the most romantic restaurants in the suburbs, Le Vichyssois. The country inn in Lakemoor provides an elegantly appointed, yet cozy spot where you can enjoy Champagne, foie gras with brioche, roast duck with sherry sauce, decadent pastries and other French specialties. Lovers have cuddled over chef Bernard Cretier's salmon en croute for decades. If you can't snag a reservation at this intimate hideaway, order dinner to go. (815) 385-8223.See it: How can you go wrong with Northwestern University grad Garry Marshall's new movie "Valentine's Day," with a cast that includes Taylor Swift, Shirley MacLaine, Jessica Alba, Bradley Cooper, Patrick Dempsey, Jamie Foxx, Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Queen Latifah, Ashton Kutcher, Topher Grace, Jennifer Garner and George Lopez? Just don't rent last year's "I Hate Valentine's Day" or the 2001 horror opus "Valentine."Do it: For an impressive night out just hours before Valentine's Day officially begins, consider the Lyric Opera of Chicago's critically acclaimed production of Donizetti's romantic comedy "The Elixir of Love" ("L'elisir d'amore," to be exact). See what happens when country bumpkin Nemorino puts his trust in a "magical elixir" (actually just cheap wine) to help him woo the smart and savvy landowner Adina.The ticket prices may not be cheap ($33-$207), but opera provides the perfect opportunity to get dressed up for a romantic night on the town. "The Elixir of Love" is sung in Italian with English surtitles, and plays 7:30 p.m. Saturday at 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. Call (312) 332-2244 or visit lyricopera.org.Chinese New YearSunday's Chinese New Year ushers in the Year of the Tiger. Celebrations stretch on for 15 days, so you have plenty of time to party. Eat it: Lucky us; you can't toss a fortune cookie in the suburbs without hitting a great neighborhood Chinese restaurant. Head to your favorite Sunday to celebrate. Pass on the moo shu pork in favor of dumplings, whole fish and dishes full of long noodles to bring good luck and good fortune in the new year.See it: Since 2010 is the official Year of the Tiger, you can make a weekend of looking at movies about this majestic creature. For those seeking action, there's the Oscar-winning "Gladiator" with that great tiger vs. Russell Crowe battle. Want laughs? Check out the outrageous comedy "The Hangover" with its tiger-in-the-hotel-room gag, or any of the more family-friendly "Ice Age" animated comedies featuring Denis Leary's saber-tooth tiger. Pop "Rocky III" into your DVD player just to hear the song "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor, featuring local talent Jim Peterik.Do it: Ring in the Lunar New Year locally, where it comes accompanied with a big celebration: Chicago's Chinatown. A special Lunar New Year's Day Parade featuring marching bands, floats, lion dancers and more stretches from 24th Street to Cicero Avenue in the heart of Chinatown along Wentworth Avenue at 1 p.m. Sunday. And don't forget about other family activities that begin the same day at 11:30 a.m. Call the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce at (312) 326-5320 or visit chicagochinatown.org.Mardi GrasThe big Mardi Gras bash isn't until Tuesday - and you'd have to head to New Orleans to get the full flavor. But who's to say you can't start early?Eat it: Let the good times roll Tuesday at Heaven on Seven in downtown Naperville. They'll be serving up the official drink of Mardi Gras, the Hurricane, as well as Abita beer from the Big Easy. Crescent City favorites, such as spicy jambalaya, gut-busting gumbo and catfish po'boys rule the menu. The Pat Smillie Band plays from 5 to 11 p.m. (630) 717-0777.See it: Now's the time to re-examine the 1969 counterculture classic "Easy Rider," about two nonconformists riding their motorcycles from the West Coast to attend Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Or you could catch the 1996 documentary "Cutting Loose," about the liberating effects of Mardi Gras on New Orleans denizens. (Caution: Stay away from "Mardi Gras Massacre," a 1978 cheapie horror tale. Unless you're really desperate for Mardi Gras murder movies.)Do it: OK, Chicago's suburbs in no way resemble the hedonistic French Quarter in New Orleans. But you can at least get a family-friendly taste of the fun along Pheasant Run Resort's Disney-esque Bourbon Street (which includes the Big Easy-themed restaurant Jambalaya). A special Fat Tuesday celebration is from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday along with Zydeco music from the band Steamin' Baracudas from 7 to 11 p.m., at 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles. Call (630) 584-6300 or visit pheasantrun.com.False20001481It's your call: You can watch Olympic snowboarders on TV or give the sport a try yourself in Algonquin.Associated Press photoFalse