February 12th and 13th at the Olympics

Monday and Tuesday at the Olympics with Amanda and Lisa (and various other members of our growing team). There’s some good stuff here. Speed skating. Snow boarding, crashes, etc. You know, the normal stuff.

FEBRUARY 12

Amanda: It’s happening. I’m going to Korea next week to see some snow boarding!!!!

Lisa: Snow boarding!!
“Hey Mom, if they all go the same speed then no one can lose.” – Iddo, watching long track speed skating.
If I stand up while watching long track I find myself swaying back and forth while they go down the straightaways.

Amanda: She’s not wrong.
Ha!

Lisa: Showing a crazy luge crash, “This is a testament to the safety of the sport, no injuries.”
Um…

Amanda: But were injuries from the crash?

Lisa: Apparently there were no injuries from that particular crash, which means the sport is safe.

Amanda: Hmm. Okay. If they say so.

Lisa: Thank you, women’s Olympic hockey, for showing me the interesting similarities and contrasts between the Swiss and Japanese flags.

Amanda: One is a cross and one is a circle. Am I missing anything?

Lisa: White on red and red on white.
It’s kind of cool to see the two next to each other.

Amanda: Right! That’s an important detail.

Lisa: I think the Japanese goalie has cherry blossoms on her helmet.

Amanda: If there are flowers, then probably yes!
Tuning in. Watching a profile on Chloe Kim?

Lisa: Yup.

Amanda: Snowboard flips on the trampoline!

Lisa: I was wondering how they practice those things.

Amanda: It makes sense.

Lisa: She’s cute. And now I feel sexist for saying something about her looks.

Amanda: She has a cute personality too. Spunky and fun.

Lisa: I’ll make sure to comment on the looks of the next male athlete they highlight to balance it out.
I liked the juxtaposition of her with her dad. That looks like a fun combination.

Amanda: 👍🏻
Yes it does.

Lisa: I definitely like Shaun White better with his shorter haircut.

Amanda: Real possibility: I could meet Shaun White next week! Just run into him at the snowboarding.

Lisa: Tell him I like his haircut.

Amanda: Can do!

Lisa: If you do any souvenir shopping, I’ll paypal you for a patch.

Amanda: Any patch in particular?

Lisa: Not really.

Amanda: Okedoke. I will see what I can do. I’m buying a ticket and getting a ride from a fellow MilSpouse. If possible I would like a chance to buy some of my own Olympics swag, so I will see what I can do.

Lisa: Awesome! They all bowed to each other after the goal. Apparently it started as a joke ten years ago and now do it for good luck.

Amanda: The Japanese team bow at each other!
🙇🏼‍
There is a bowing emoji!
I still haven’t gotten a good look at the Japanese goalie’s helmet.

Lisa: Iddo thinks national flags are a way to say Happy Birthday because they sing the international happy birthday song in primary and the music leader uses the flags to prompt the words.

Amanda: While that’s a good way of her music leader to do it, that’s not actually how it works.

Lisa: They have three goalies so it might just be one of them. A cursory google search didn’t bring up any images.
Iddo thinks everyone at the Olympics is having a birthday.

Amanda: If you saw flowers, Sakura 🌸 is a safe bet.
Somebody probably is. But not everyone . . .

Lisa: Branches with small pink flowers.

Amanda: Almost definitely.
They have other flowers, but Sakura are the most important.

Lisa: They might not be having a birthday today, but they all have one eventually.
Something with the tiger on it.

Amanda: This is true.
That makes sense!

Lisa: Men’s half pipe live.

Amanda: Heading home so I can watch! (Also heading home because that’s where I live.)

Lisa: That’s a good reason.

Amanda: I thought so. I wish I didn’t have to leave again tonight, but I have taiko and that will be worth it.

Lisa: Definitely.
Brett said doing taiko made him feel very martial. I thought it reminded me of doing a haka.

Lisa: Kind of an “I’m powerful, don’t eve think about messing with me” kind of thing.

Amanda: Yeah, there is definitely some power to it, so I can see that.

Lisa: Interesting. They’re saying the snowboarders have transponders on their ankles that are letting the judges know how high they are getting.
That was a great last piece of advice from the coach – Have fun!
Korean boarder. Apparently “Have fun!” sounds the same in Korean as it does in English. Looks like he definitely had fun too. If I were his mom I wouldn’t have been able to watch it though. Oh I was nervous for him.

Amanda: I was curious about how they knew exactly. Eyeballs didn’t seem reliable.
Always good advice.

Lisa: I think this guy is Mormon.
Born in Ireland, lives in Park City, Russian mother, British father. He could represent any of those four countries.

Amanda: Interesting. I can’t remember if one of the Mormon guys we saw on the list was a boarder.

Lisa: Nope. Not the Mormon guy. There’s a Mormon guy skiing the half pipe next week for Ireland who lives in Park City.

Amanda: Oh. Okay.
Are you watching the primetime coverage?

Lisa: I was.
Now I’m watching speed skating.
Now I’m watching Primetime Plus.
So snowboarding again.

Amanda: Cool. Shaun White boards again in 5 minutes.

Lisa: I get nervous watching them.

Amanda: I don’t, thankfully. Shaun’s run was awesome!

Lisa: They are so high and upside-down!

Amanda: And all the flips! Repeatedly upside down!

Lisa: Yup.

Amanda: 18 feet!

Lisa: Out of a 22 foot pipe. That puts him 4 stories up in the air.

Amanda: That’s insane.

Lisa: Upside-down and backwards.

Amanda: Not my thing, but I can be impressed by those that do.
Have you seen anything with Mary Carrillo?

Lisa: I haven’t.

Amanda: Curious. I like her.

Lisa: I do too.
I could see the camera guy reflected in the winner’s sunglasses.

Amanda: Me too!

Lisa: And now I must to bed.

Amanda: Sleep well! If you can!

Lisa: Thanks!

FEBRUARY 13

Lisa: Iddo wants to know why the figure skaters can’t dance inside the track for the short-track speed skaters.
Women’s 500M decided by 22cm photo finish, kind of.
Okay, that luge crash wasn’t good. Not when the commentator used the words “crunches to the ground.”
Also using the word, “violent.” Yup, that’s a safe sport.
Here, let me do this interview before going to get my back x-rayed.
Um, priorities?

Amanda: You know, why can’t they?
I hope everyone is okay! I watched the gold medal curling match last night. I learn something new about curling every time.
From Blake: Chasing the bouncing puck sounds like a reference to drug addiction.

Lisa: “That man [Scott Hamilton] has a yellow band-aid on his finger.” – Iddo
I hadn’t even noticed. But I guess she doesn’t understand what they are talking about so she’s just going to notice the things she does understand

Amanda: That makes sense. I like that our commentary tradition, which was just us in the beginning, has grown with new and interesting perspectives from the people we’ve added to our team.

Lisa: We have a good team.

Amanda: Most definitely.
Malcolm even has feelings about Olympic events. He prefers the ones without whistles.
I’m in the waiting room at the dentist and they’re playing the primetime Olympics and my first look at Jonny Weir this year. I don’t even have words.
Walked out of the dentist and past another waiting room in time to see Shaun White’s first run of the finals. I just stood and waited for the run and the score. Very nice. Watching a profile on him now. He had a gnarly crash in New Zealand.

Lisa: I haven’t seen him yet. But I can imagine.
We just missed it. Heard him talking with his coaches and he said, “I was like oh my g—!” and Iddo heard “oh my yup” so that’s what we’re going with him saying.
Saw the Japanese guy crash though. That was bad.
“I love commercials. I want to watch them when I grow up.” – Iddo

Amanda: It’s pretty flashy.
👍🏻
Definitely missed that. Has anyone ever died in the Olympics?
🤦🏼‍

Lisa: I have no idea. But now I’m curious.

Amanda: From two hours ago! https://www.google.co.jp/amp/amp.timeinc.net/time/5155540/athletes-who-have-died-competing-in-the-olympics
I vaguely remember the Vancouver.

Lisa: I seem to remember that too.
He hit the edge of the pipe.
You know, the original Olympics were done naked and covered in grease. The guy from Tonga is just honoring that tradition.
Shaun White’s second run reaction from Shimri: He got back up.

Amanda: Truth.
Heh. How did he do?

Lisa: Huh. Shaun White had 2 open heart surgeries before his first birthday.
55.00. He fell 3/4ths of the way down.

Amanda: Ohhh. He was the one that fell. That explains Iddo’s comment. Is there a third run? Was his first score enough?

Lisa: A Japanese guy is 1 point ahead after round 2.
Iddo: I want to know how those guys got there.
Me: Got where?
Iddo: Got there from Tucson.
Me: Oh. An airplane. An airplane and a lot of practice so they’d be good enough someone would want to put them in an airplane.
Iddo: Why’d they have to practice being in an airplane?

Amanda: Heh. Good logic there.

Lisa: I love what they come up with.

Amanda: Saw the snowboarding tiger ceremony.

Lisa: I think that tiger is adorable.

Amanda: I agree.
Shaun White’s gold was the 100th Winter Olympics medal for the USA ever.
http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/johnny-weir-knows-he-looks-host-hunger-games?sf182082672=1

Lisa: As long as he’s aware of it I guess that’s okay.

Amanda: Yep!
I hope to have enough time to see this! https://www.instagram.com/p/BfJdVoih18g/
No idea how close it is to where I’ll be.

Lisa: That’s awesome!
I have an “I Speak Portuguese” pin from the Salt Lake Olympics and actually got to use it on Trax one day.

Amanda: Fun!

Lisa: I loved how Salt Lake took advantage of the mass of unofficial interpreters that live in the area.

Amanda: I think the event will end with a few hours before I have to catch my ride back to Seoul. I will definitely be using that time for hunting this center, Olympic swag, and Olympians.
Me too.

Lisa: As you should.

Amanda: Probably in this order: swag first, Olympians, this center.

Lisa: I approve.

Amanda: Thank you. I also scouted where I can buy Olympic swag in Seoul, so if it doesn’t work out at the park for any reason, I should be okay. I want a patch for you, a keychain for me, and maybe a hat or something.

Lisa: I have a hockey puck from the Salt Lake games because that’s the event I went to. And a headband to keep my ears warm because I didn’t want to spend the money on the hat everyone else was buying. I don’t know that you should get a snowboard though.

Amanda: Hmm. Probably not. I went to a hockey game in 2002 too!
That hat was SO popular.

Lisa: Insanely popular.
Okay. I need to sleep tonight. Tomorrow’s plan is to stay home, watch the Olympics, and fight germs. Ugh.

Amanda: Good luck! My plan for tomorrow is stay home, watch Olympics, and hermit well. Busy weekend ahead!

Lisa: I like our plans.
Well, except for the germ fighting bit.

Amanda: Agreed. But I especially hope that part is successful.