A Graduation in the Tooth Department & Spectacular Weather
Thursday, February 16, 2006
[6:33am] Collette awoke that morning to discover that Estonia’s Kristina Smigun had won her second gold and that Norway had pulled even further into the lead, adding another silver and bronze from women’s cross-country to make a total of thirteen medals.
[19:21pm] Thursday afternoon brought beautiful winds and spectacular weather, storms, and palm & beach temperatures. As Collette crossed Highway N to get the mail, her hair whipped in the mid-winter winds. And then the temperature dropped thirty degrees, and she thought there was a taste of snow in the air.
But there was sad news for the American team in the Olympic men’s figure skating – all three pushed into 4th, 5th, and 7th place. But, alas, such was the flavor of the Olympic games. And yet, there was a gold for the American men in snowboard cross, which was the latest most dangerous sport added to the games – but one of the most fascinating.
Meanwhile, at work, Ivy brought in the remainder of her big red heart box of Pot ‘o Gold chocolate from Nicodemus for Valentine’s Day. In addition, Mt. Sinai was interested in having Ivy certified as a notary public, which might aid the church in various capacities. Ivy was not wild about having the office budget supply 171 dollars for her to obtain such a certification. And Rosemary brought in a new lamp for Collette’s desk which was much-improved from her crumbling dust shade. She set aside the shade for the dumpster as the rain began to fall, and placed the rest of the oriental lamp in the basement aside the shelves of nuts and bolts.
Collette was greatly surprised Wednesday evening upon receiving her late Valentine’s Day gift from OLief. Upon entering the apartment that night and turning on the lights, she found that he had cleaned the entirety of their home-sweet-home and had vacuumed. For this, he received a kiss and several hugs.
In other good news, Collette visited the surgeon for the final time, she hoped, that fair Friday morning. After having had her gum dressed six times, she was given a high-power syringe for salt-water and a handshake from Dr. Ivey.
“You graduated,” he congratulated her.
And Collette, did indeed, hope that she truly had. Although there was something ironically calming about sitting up there in the surgeon’s waiting room. The window to the outdoors, three flights up, the quiet halls and curved brick walls on the stairs. Something almost peaceful and good about sitting there.
“Sooner than your pots can feel the
heat of thorns
Whether green or ablaze, may he
sweep them away.”
– Psalm 57:9 (meaning of the Hebrew, uncertain)