Two Entries in One Day? You Crazy Man!

Here I sit. Rocking out to some great songs I got from the iTunes store. The house is warm against the howling wind and blowing snow outside and the Olympics play on the tv in the bedroom. The combination of the two bring back memories of watching the Olympics with my father.
I guess it was sometime back, which to an Irishman could be a few minutes or several years. It was several years. It was the 1980 Olympics. The Miracle on Ice. The boys from the USA, under the guidance of the great Herb Brooks, beat the feared Russians. The boys from the US were intense, happy, younthful, tough as nails and a hell of a hockey team. The Russians wore scowls and seemed to be unhappy in general. Of course if you played for the Red Army team. You were a) in te Russian Armay and b) training year round, never seeing your families. I'd be unhappy too.
My Dad loved hockey and I can still, and hopefully always will, see him in his spot at the end of the couch. A cold Molsonm Golden in one hand and a small dih of cheese and crackers on the end table next to him. His favorite hockey viewing snack.
I was called in for the games at nightfall. Until that point I was out in the street, going down the hill on my Flyer on my back doing my best luge run. The weather was bitter and the warmth of the house was great.
We sat next to each other and watched the winter games. Dad was a big fan of the winter games. He liked hockey and the luge. He would tease my mother when she watched figure skating. He'd often say to the male skaters "grab a hockey stick!"
I enjoyed the gentle ribbing. I remember being at our kitchen table, which was in the living room for some odd reason. Remodeling the kitchen I guess. My Dad had ventured to MacDonalds and we sat around the table cheering our countrymen to victory.
I am older now and Dad is gone. I now watch the Games with my lovely wife. We both love hockey, as you know. I prefer the luge and speed skating. I always thought I'd like to try the luge but after just watching these guys hurtling down the track at speeds near 90mph ( or 141kmh for you metric nerds) I've rethough that.
And now that I'm older I see that there is much more to figure skating and maybe the men don't have it so easy. I still think they should grab a hockey stick though.