The Rather Dry Details of Medal Counts (to Everyone but Collette) for Team U.S.A.
Monday, February 13, 2006
Annamaria’s sixteenth birthday, and the Olympics seemed to be headed in a good direction. The “Flying Tomato” had taken gold, while Norway was currently ahead of the game with seven medals (one gold), Russia had just moved up to surpass the United States with five (two gold), and the United States with three (two gold). Collette knew she shouldn’t, but she checked the medal standings throughout the day before the games were actually aired on television. Thus the advantages/disadvantages of being seven hours behind the host country. The Olympics were always about the best thing to come every two years, and Collette took every opportunity possible to watch them. It did amazingly bring out the competitive side in her, which is likely why she checked the medal standings before watching the event. She became so riled up over women’s volleyball in the Athens summer games, that she was practically gnawing her hands in anticipation, which was quite ridiculous actually. She knew nothing of volleyball or of the women competing.
[17:07pm] In other news, poor Vice President Cheney had accidentally shot an elderly attorney while quail shooting on a ranch over the weekend. But all seemed well, as far as recovery was concerned. And by the afternoon, the United States was still in third place in the medal count (Norway still leading with eight, Russia with seven, and the United States with six), although there were four gold medals for the United States (more than any other country). Medal details – boring bits, but Collette enjoyed the statistics.
Collette and Carrie-Bri spent part of the afternoon watching Quo Vadis and laughing over the ridiculousness of “Bronzebeard” (the same fellow who played “Blackbeard”) and then the late afternoon they ran errands for Frances’ birthday with Mom and chatted over many things as usual – Wal-Mart for an L.E.D. flashlight, Thro’s in Old St. Charles for a special Boy Scout pocketknife (where Carrie also considered purchasing a Boy Scout belt buckle, and Collette a Boy Scout key chain), and lastly to the Paint Ball Shop for an M-16 airsoft gun where Mom said (as they were waiting) rather loudly in a shop of only men:
“Have you ever noticed Augustus’ eyes? He has the most beautiful eyes – the brightest blue…”
“Mom!” Carrie whispered, thoroughly embarrassed. “Shhhhhh!”
“Well, he does,” Mom insisted, laughing.
“His simple heart marveled how God could bestow such inconceivable might upon Satan, that he should have given him the earth to knead it as he willed, to turn it over and trample upon it, to squeeze tears and blood out of it, to revolve it as with a whirlwind, to storm it like a tempest, to consume it like flames.” – Quo Vadis, p.279, 4th paragraph (Collette’s & Rose’s Book Collection)