Monday Moments - Year of the Horse and Post Olympic chat

I'm late wishing you all a Happy Lunar New Year.    2026 is the Chinese Year of the Horse

Cool  looking symbol. 

So, it  began last Tuesday and I'm  still waiting for some momentum.  Ha!

Actually, I've been very busy sitting on my butt and watching Winter Olympics. Thank goodness that is now  over and our television is off.  The  Olympics are addictive and I'm rooting for everyone.  Plus the winter sports are so  exotic - like nothing I can do or will ever try.  At any time, it's as if someone could die - fall off a mountain, leap and spin a zillion times, sharp  blades on ones feet, pointy  poles flailing about.  And how about  that cross country ski run that a dog joined - except that dog looked like a wolf and probably had folks going a bit faster, as in fleeing for your life. 

Whew!  Milan Cortina looked wonderful - gorgeous mountain scenery, crisp white snow, Stanley Tucci slurping pasta, Snoop Dogg with his unique observations. Hooray for the Italian athletes - they enjoyed  home field advantage and had a good medal haul.  Congrats to  all of  the athletes - win or lose, they are Olympians with mad skills, youthful exuberance, and incredible spirit.  Ciao!

Hope everyone has a little bit of Fire Horse in  them - Cheers. 
 

Book Review: The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown is an interesting read as nine Americans rowed to an epic quest for gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. It was the Depression and the University of Washington’s eight oar crew was never expected to defeat the elite teams of the East Coast and go on to represent the United States in Berlin. But these were a tough batch of kids, accustomed to hard physical work. The author lets us meet them and feel their frustrations, fears, and anxiety. Joe Rantz in particular was abandoned off and on by his family. He truly lived hand to mouth to pay for school, and was often hungry. Rowing gave him an anchor – something to achieve, and the quest for the Olympics was beyond his wildest dreams.  

Brown paints a picture of an era and we see how the crowds gathered for rowing events. There was a huge rivalry between Washington and California schools. Up to 40,000 people would show for a regatta challenge – lining the banks of a river and cheering on their teams. As a reader, you will learn about the skill of rowing, the power and unison needed. You’ll learn about the boats – the craftsmanship needed for a fast lean line. And you’ll delve into the psychological aspect of rowing and how the coach had to blend the right personalities into a boat.  

I enjoyed this non-fiction book. I admit I skimmed a bit as I got closer to the end. I found it a teensy repetitive, and yet even though I knew the outcome I found myself eager to get to the Olympics and the big races. Oh no – the team is placed in the outer lane. Oh no – it’s rainy. Oh no – a key rower is dreadfully ill. There were so many factors against the U.S., and yet there was sheer guts and determination.  No matter what, you root for The Boys in the Boat and are giddy along with them in 1936.

 

Row, row, row your boat………..not gently down the stream, but all out muscle screaming flying like the wind.

 

Book Review: Gold by Chris Cleave

Tenths of a second have separated Zoe and Kate for years as they began to battle at age nineteen for cycling supremacy. Now at age 32, they aim for the 2012 Olympics. Each wants desperately to win gold, and each has more than a medal to lose. (book jacket blurb)

Gold by Chris Cleave is well written fiction that delves into the psychology of sport, the intensity of training, and the difficulty in coping with real life. Kate is married to an Olympic level cyclist, Jack, and together they have a daughter Sophie who is battling leukemia. As parents they are torn as they juggle her care and their workouts.

Meanwhile, Zoe is compulsive in her need to win, and at various points in her career has jeopardized her only friendship with Kate. Obsession never looked so ugly.

p. 224 You got up to the speed where the bike started humming beneath you, where the vibration through the handlebars and the saddle drew you into a trance of concentration. You noticed everything. ...Time had the quality of indecisiveness. Everything was unusually quick and unusually slow.

I enjoyed Gold and the characters are well drawn. You cheer and jeer at them along the way. As a non-athlete myself, I found Gold riveting in regards to this level of sport - what it takes to get there and stay at Olympic level. Saddle up and start pedaling. Once you start reading, you won't want to stop.

Mitten Mirth

Once upon a time, not so long ago, the Winter Olympics were held in Vancouver, Canada. Ray and Joanne watched enthralled as skiers hurtled down mountains, snowboarders leaped and twirled, and skaters danced on ice. Joanne commented to Ray, "I love those red mittens everyone is wearing. They are so cute." Indeed, the Maple leaf gloves were the hot commodity in Vancouver. Oprah managed to give some away to an audience.

Ray, chatting with a distributor in Canada, said to Joy, "We're enjoying your Olympics and my wife loves those mittens." Joy said, "I'll try to get her a pair." Ray said, "That's not necessary," but Joy insisted and persisted. However, the kingdom was bare and alas, no mittens were to be found. We exchanged "Thanks, anyway" emails and thought nothing more about it.

Winter changed to spring which lasted one day in Texas. Then summer temperatures prevailed and Joanne floated in the pool, thoughts of winter, snow, and mittens - all a vague memory. There's always one final heat blast in September, and then one cool night rain that ends pool season. Nippy air, sweatshirt weather, and crisp brown leaves drifted and clogged the pool drain. Frost on the pumpkin, the north wind blew, and Christmas lights were strung.

Ray arrived home from work on December 14th (a warm balmy day) with a yellow padded envelope from Canada. "What to my wondering eyes should appear, but"... MITTENS. Red Olympic mittens with the maple leaf logo. So warm, so soft, such a surprise and treat.

Joy had persisted and when new mittens were issued for the Christmas season, she thought of me - that crazy American who shared in Canada's Olympic glory and admired the bright warm gloves. I was overwhelmed by her generosity, and now await a blizzard.

Thus, our tale ends. A thoughtful present, global friendship (well, okay Texas/Canada), and the spirit of giving and receiving.

Thanks & Merry Christmas

Bowled Over by the World

Ray and I have logged a lot of television viewing time watching the 2010 Olympics from Vancouver, Canada and we've loved every minute. We root for everyone. Yes, Bode Miller and Lindsay Vonn are exciting US stars as well as Steve Holcomb and the Bobsled crew. (I love Italian slalom skiers, Swedish curlers, and Austrian whatever). But let's cheer the Canadian Hockey team - wow - overtime win just a teensy bit ago. The Canadian ice dancing team were fabulous. And the Canadian skater who's mother passed - damn, she took to the ice and skated like the champion she was.

(Plus note, Ray did his best to get me the way cool Olympic mittens with the maple leaf)

But, this weekend Ray and I had to get off our butts and do something active. Did you know the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame moved to Arlington from St.Louis, MO? Well, it did and it's got a beautiful facility in the shadow of Six Flags Arlington and Jerry World (i.e. Cowboy Stadium). What does this have to do with writing? - sorta nothing, but it was zany fun.


It was a gorgeous day with clear blue skies and we weren't shoveling snow like my poor father in PA. He'd better get rid of that stuff by Easter when I go visit.

The musuem had a small bowling interactive lane. Ray hit his stride and scored well. I threw gutter balls until a man said I could put up gutter guards. Well, yea!!!! Once I could bowl like any five year-old, I was throwing strikes, baby! Bowling has a lot of history - from Egypt thru Europe and on into the heyday of New York elite. I learned a few things - like support this nifty wacky museum.

Lots of history and throwback to corny. Where else can you wear bad shoes and drink beer??

From Olympics to bowling and beer to a book signing. This post has it all - told you we'd cover the world. Rebecca Balcarcel just published her book of poetry Palabras in Each Fist, a stunning new poetry collection by a talented voice. Rebecca (r), a daughter of a Guatemalan father and an Iowan mother straddles the English language with love.

I'm constantly in awe of the talent in this world. Ignore the "bad" news and support the joy of skill, whether it's sports or writing.

DFL = Rejections

Canadian historian, Jonathan Crowe, started a blog called DFL for "Dead Freaking Last" and he highlighted stories of last place Olympic finishers. "Triumph is sexy, but participation is brave," he said. So far the countries with the most losing medals, i.e. bottom three finishes in events, are Czech Republic, Canada, and Poland. (Wall Street Journal, 2/17/10)

Indeed, DFL is worthy. At least, the person tried (and if you are in the Olympics, after all, you're still better than the majority of the world). It's like sending out material and getting rejected. You threw yourself out there and maybe next time will achieve the perfect landing.

I realize these pictures have no bearing on this post, but I can't let my blizzard pics languish. Winter theme prevails in February.

Olympic Optimism

Olympic spirit prevails in this household and so does a lot of Olympic television hours. I confess I'm not writing much. I'm too busy holding my breath as some youngster flips five ways to Sunday on a snowboard and lives to tell the tale. Vancouver looks like a fabulous city and the scenic views, courtesy of NBC, of Whistler and the mountains is breathtaking.

That very first step into snow as a child is magical. How does one translate that step into a passion and ultimately a gold medal? Hard work. Perseverance. Guts. I can't imagine standing at the top of a ski jump for the very first time.

"At the moment of commitment the entire universe conspires to assist you."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

That and a loud scream.

Cheers to Olympians past, present , and future. Take that step and more.