The Olympics, SCA Style

For someone who is not a big sports fan, I sure am an Olympics junkie. And, oddly enough, I am a WINTER Olympics junkie.

I don't ski. I don't ice skate any more and never was very good (the broken ankle at the horse ranch pretty well fixed that!) I don't even like cold weather because of my eczema, and my husband can barely walk in it. You will drag me kicking and screaming to a colder locale this time of year. Yes, snow is beautiful on the trees and on television, and I enjoy your Facebook Photos (but especially the one of the snowman hanging himself due to being housebound for too long, I guess). I am a 10 minute snow person. Give me 10 minutes in it and I'm done for another year. Yesterday I even kept on my pjs and slipped on some shoes (since I didn't want to get my boots wet and have no waterproof ones); went outside and took a picture of the snowman that my kids could build frantically in 10 minutes without help from Dad (who was WORKING of course). I think I really said, "Hurry up and finish that snowman--mommy's feet are getting cold!"

(Since I'm a scrapbooker, the snowman is facing our house, not the road. That way there is a pretty house with snow on it in the background instead of two snow-covered vehicles that won't fit in the garage! I've been doing this scrapbooking thing just a little too long--the snowman and the kids have coordinated scarves that will go with some scrapbook paper I already own. My friend Wendy of Scrappin' Memories, the group that I do retreats with, would be so proud).

Well, can't write for long today (so, Greg Burbo, no reason to speed read--just enjoy your caffeine!!) At 6 am I have to start getting ready to go to Kingdom A & S, packing the cooler, loading the car, etc. and hopefully leaving about 8 am. Of course I spent most of yesterday getting ready, getting the MOC stuff out, etc., including deciding to re-hem my dress from 12th Night (I had done kind of a hash job on it last time because I ran low on time after making a Boar's Head centerpiece out of rice krispy treats). However, the Olympics are great for people in the SCA because you can sit and sew and sew and sew and you don't have to look up all that often, especially during the opening ceremony buildup, because it's all commentary. So I am looking forward to many nights of sewing over the next two weeks or so because of the Olympics coverage!!! Sorry kids, can't help with the homework--they Olympics are on!!!

Anyway, ten reasons why I love the Olympics: (1) individual sports and drama; (2) sports I don't usually follow during the other four years, like curling (I actually LOVE to watch curling--it's very dramatic if you have the right attitude. Kind of like watching shuffleboard on ice)--Did you know that curling originated in Scotland, just like Golf???? If global warming continues to result in these harsher winters, it could become the New Golf. (3) figure skating, including the controversy and judging scandals(when the officials took their oath last night to be fair and judge the competition properly, my husband and I added, "except for figure skating, in which we will endeavor to do all in our power to screw the United States!") (4) ice dancing in particular, where there are rarely Amerian competitiors but the costumes and the pageantry are so over the top--they damn well better show it this year or I will be writing a nasty letter to NBC; I don't care if it is only Russians who win. And when you see those lifts and things that they do in it, don't tell me it's not athletic!!! It's Dancing With the Stars on ice, only both of them can actually do the moves; (5) Little tidbits of info that come out in the commentary--the Canadian poet located on You Tube who was in the opening ceremony, the fact that ice skaters now go to icepartner.com to find partners, etc.; (6)seeing old athletes that I remember seeing live, which reminds me that we all age but some of us are still great no matter what; (7)the fact that the only team sport other than curling is hockey (not a huge hockey fan but I can live with two team sports--and hockey always reminds me of the 1994 Olympics when my two bridesmaids and I beaded lace for my wedding dress during the Americans' game, only I don't remember how the game came out or even if it was for a medal); (8) seeing great stories on lone athletes from places that have never won a medal, and seeing their joy at just being there and maybe having a shot at a medal...one day! (9) Litchenstein has a smaller population than my town here in North Texas; 10) It's so much shorter than the Summer Olympics so all the sports get better coverage, and even though the Americans do well, smaller countries are contenders too, so it seems to be a more global experience. And it's not frustrating when certain sports are left out and not covered at all, like with the Summer Games. They cover EVERYTHING at the Winter Games, even the ice scupltures in the park.

I always remember where I was and what I was doing when the Olympic coverage of figure skating took place. I remember the year that Katerina Witt won the gold and the American Debbie someone (Taylor orThomas, first well-known African American figure skater from the US) came in third (I think she's a doctor now, so it all worked out). The guy I was dating then had just taken the bar exam and was sure he had flunked it, and when the American "choked" or got robbed by the judges or whatever, he was really upset--it was like a premonition (he actually passed but he had flunked it before). I remember when Oksana Bayeux, whose name I can't even spell any more and I don't think anyone has heard from her in years, beat Nancy Kerrigan, who got the silver (Tanya Harding had a meltdown during her long program that year). Nancy then ruined her career with Disney by making snide comments on their float later that spring. If there's one thing you should never be snide about, especially in public, it's Disney when they are paying you for a public appearance. (Robert refers to the Disney stars as being on the "Dizzy Channel," and it will indeed make you dizzy if you try to keep track of them these days). I believe that was the year I was in San Franciso on business and contracted stomach flu, and was literally running down to the front desk for medicine at commercial breaks and trying not to throw up during the key routines. I remember the flight home too, where I never actually threw up but always had a bag right there in sight just in case. This was when I was returning from a big conference of Credit Card Bank Attorneys, which is banking law and credit card law combined. The cab ride to the airport, shared with other attorneys, was particularly rough as I tried not to throw up on my new "networking" contacts and hoped that they would realize that I really was sick, not just hung over like the rest of them. By God, I love the Law!!!

One thing that I really hate about the Olympics this year, however--the death of that poor luger from Georgia (not the US Georgia--the Russian Georgia for those of you who don't follow sports). I don't think I remember anyone getting killed doing his or her sport at the Olympics. In fact, other than Munich and Atlanta, I don't recall any deaths at all (and in Atlanta I think it was just one person in the park due to the bomb). I wonder what this means for the future of luge. My husband said that the luger hit an unpadded pole and I am thinking, as an attorney, why wasn't the pole padded? That was just a tort waiting to happen! Of course I don't know where the pole was in relation to the course or anything and I bet someone was out all night padding the poles for today's competition--but how terrible and tragic for him, his team, and the whole Olympic movement to have such a sad thing happen, especially on the very first day of televised coverage. His teammates just looked totally stunned, but bless them for marching anyway to honor his memory. Personally, I think they should consider cancelling the competition but I bet they don't. Hope no one else gets hurt.

Well, that's one video I hope doesn't get posted to YouTube. There are certain things I just won't watch, and that's one of them.

Looks like if I quit writing now I can still maybe go make those chocolate covered strawberries that I threw the towel in on last night at midnight, when I was falling asleep at the keyboard etc. So have a great day and pray that we don't hit any ice and that the foggy conditions abate as we venture off to Athens, Texas for Kingdom Arts and Sciences!!! And pray that it is warm enough that the kids can go outside and run around during part of the Ministry of Children activities.

Pleasant Valley Mom, also known as the Minister of Children for the Barony of the Steppes