The XX Olympiad - Torino, Italy - the Winter Games

Friday, February 10, 2006

[6:29am] Collette managed to spend the remainder of Thursday in a rather un-tired state, despite the fact that Ivy was also tired and Judah was a little wobbly on the stairs, according to Ivy, as he was overwhelmed, overworked, and over-spending-time-planning-a-wedding-with-a-reception-hall-that’s-not-big-enough.

And that evening, OLeif surprised her by ordering a pizza and a movie to enjoy together before hitting the hay, which was much more pleasant than washing dishes and laundry over fish and vegetables for dinner.

Meanwhile, Collette had a hankering for bagpipes that Thursday morning, for no reason in particular, and she was hoping for more snow, as the latter fall had seemed to mostly dissipate in the cold sun of Thursday.

But almost more importantly, the Torino, Italy, Winter Olympics began that evening with Dairy Queen and Opening Ceremonies at Mom’s and Dad’s, a family tradition. This time, they would be accompanied, most likely, by Magnus, Boy, Augustus, and Molly (as Joe would be out all night skiing, from seven o’clock in the evening till three o’clock the next morning).

There was news from OLeif Friday morning that Magnus had obtained his driver’s license upon his first attempt. This was good news – two days before his seventeenth birthday. Collette found it surprising just how many of her friends (back in the day) had failed their tests once or twice before obtaining their licenses. It made her rather wonder if they were actually safe on the roads. It made her wonder even more why the government now permitted 15 year-olds to obtain their driving permits. When she got her permit, all permit-drivers were required to be 15½, at least.

And Collette had seen the red-bearded father (who used to go to Kirk) of the girl who was married to Mr. Sing’s oldest son, drive out of the McDonald’s parking lot that morning while OLeif returned a video.

[10:52am] The count-down to the Olympics was currently two hours, eight minutes, as Torino was seven hours ahead of the Central Standard Time Zone.

[03:10pm] And about two hours into the Olympic ceremonies, Collette had just returned from Rosemary’s birthday staff lunch at O’Charley’s.

“Where can a dead man go?

The question with an answer only dead men know.

But I’m gonna bet they never really feel at home

If they spent a lifetime learning how to live in Rome.”

– Nickel Creek