Re: [QUAD-L] ..,olympics

[Tod E. Santee]

Hey Tony, I've been a huge fan of the women's (girl's) gymnastics since I was a HS Frosh!  I remember seeing some girls practicing at school and thinking "Damn... that's gotta hurt" when their hips/pelvis would slam into the bars on the unevens.  I've admired them ever since.  (Then I noticed some were pretty darned cute, too!  Eh, but that's another story.) I used to follow all the major countries all year... Romania, Russia, China, USA of course... but then came college and a job and more to do at home... yada yada... and now, I look at these girls and think "Damn... that's gotta hurt," PLUS  "Geez, I'm old enough to be their father, now!  Where's my Brandy Johnson?"         Now that really hurts!! I was a swimmer/diver before my accident. I swam in middle school but then they decided not to have a swim team and I moved when my folks split up.  I did manage to get a 1st in backstroke and 3rd freestyle competing against those 2 vyears older than me, though... Something that makes me wonder now ... "What could I have done if..." Diving was just unofficial cliff diving from 75-100ft cliffs into a slate quarry in PA.  I NEVER could have done the stuff they do in competitions.  I tried in the pools and for me just trying a simple single flip off a 3 meter board gave me more red bellies, red backs, and headaches than I care to remember... and ... uh... yeah, "those twins" hurt too if ya land wrong. ("Keep your legs together," wasn't just reserved for the girls, ya know... We fellas heard it at the pool.) I do wish I would have had the chance to keep at it.  Who knows.... Santee wins the gold in 2004  (Ok... Silver in 1996.  Better?) Ok... so who brought up the "What If / Regrets" thing a while back?  I guess now I can answer.  Unless, I got sent to Iraq or Afghanistan... Army 82nd Airborne was my goal before my accident... though, I'm thinking that might fit in the "Regret" column right now had it actually happened.  Who knows.  One thing for sure... my whole philosophy on life would have probably been different if "this thing" hadn't happened.  Weird thoughts... hmmmm. Best to All! Tod <-- who'll be missing the girls tonight because of the "this thing" and Magic Bullet party "Tony Starez" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: ....the girls were amazing to me, and what i loved the most was watching Annia Hatch's incredible sportsmanship...never taking it TOO serious, like i saw so many of them do.  Hatch took a silver, i think, in the vault, and she's been so vibrant and friendly throughout the whole competition... I also LOVED the men's 100 meter...Gatlin comes out of obscurity to steal the gold from the Jamaican and Green (USA)...he was soooooo EXCITED!!  I just love people overcoming... -tony