2/19/2011 Medals, Rainbows and Singing

We had our last events today but the weather was working against us. Well, at least against me.

Just after the start of this morning’s activities the wind really kicked up. Big. Time. I was doing the Frisbee throw all of my three tries landed in the yard to my right. Bob fared a little better than me because he did this one before I arrived and the wind wasn’t nearly as bad. I’m sure you have figured out that there were no medals for this event with our names on them. Lest you get the wrong idea, the medals aren’t really engraved with our names.

We both had darts next and while we stuck all of our darts on the board they didn’t stick in the high number regions. Nope, no medals here either.

Bob was done his events but I still had one to go. The Basketball Throw. I haven’t even seen a basketball since last winter’s Olympics let alone throw one. I took my four practice balls, got only one in and then took my six throws that count. I got two out of six. It was the wind! I swear it was. I was throwing into the wind and it just blocked the ball from going in. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!

We were back at the house by eleven to wait for Marv and he was right on time. Our Olympic Luncheon wasn’t until 12:30 but we got up there a little early so that we could get seats that would afford us a good view of all the goings on.

Bob and Marv in front of the window.

Special friends…..

The cake, all cut up and ready to go. This cake was sooooo good!

Last minute prep taking place. Al and Guy did all the cooking of the hamburgers and hot dogs.

Wendy Fury, activities coordinator, welcomes the crowd before we have lunch.

The lunch that was served was very good and a huge thank you goes out to the Activities Staff for all they did.

After the last hot dog was eaten, the last crumbs of cake consumed and dishes cleared it was time for the ceremony to begin. Those who didn’t attend the luncheon came in and found seats wherever they could.

Carol Winters brings in our country’s flag.

I couldn’t get a shot of Canada’s flag being brought in, sorry Canada.

This is what we all worked played for this past week.

Janet Carstensen welcomed everyone, introduced all the chairwomen of the group and then each of the game coordinators.

After singing the national anthems for the US and Canada it was time to…..

Let the awarding of the medals begin!

Basketball Free Throw, Bean Bag Toss, Bridge, Cribbage and Darts were all awarded and neither one of our names were called.

Then came Dominoes! We play Mexican Train here in Quail Run. Yep, my name was called! I took Gold in this event by getting the lowest score of the 25 participants.

Don’t ask what I’m doing in this picture, I don’t have a clue. The only thing I can think of is that I’m fluffing my hair, but I’m not even sure about that because it didn’t need it.

Me and Peg Moberg who took Bronze. The silver medal winner wasn’t at the ceremony.

Next came Euchre, Frisbee Throw and Horseshoes, once again, no medals for either one of us.

Ladder Golf was announced next and Bob took a medal. He didn’t know he had placed in the medal range and when the coordinators happened to mention it to me I asked them not to tell him. I had heard him say several times that this was the first year he didn’t earn a medal and I wanted him to be surprised. He was, when his name was called for the Bronze medal placement.

Mini Golf and Ping Pong medals were called and we didn’t hear our names for those events. I sure wasn’t surprised about that one!

Pokeno medal winners were called next and I heard my name being called. I had placed for Bronze.

I didn’t even get all the way to my seat and my name was called again. Oh yeah, medal # 3! This time for Women’s Pool. I would have had silver except when I shot the eight ball in the cue ball followed it. Stupid cue ball!

Putting and Shuffleboard didn’t have us standing on the Olympic podium. One, because we didn’t putt well and the other we didn’t even play.

So the Quinn’s took home four medals this year. One gold and three bronze. Not a bad year, not bad at all.

Special recognition was given to Jerry Weissinger by awarding him a gold medal for his tireless training for the Olympics each year when delivering our newspapers to our doorsteps every morning from where they lay when the newspaper delivery person throws them. Jerry has been the one to light and extinguish our Olympic flame since Quail Run started the Olympics.

When the flame had gone out Janet ended the ceremony with “We declare the 2011 Quail Run Senior Olympics closed.”

At this point everyone went home and Marv and Bob went to the Moose Club for Happy Hour.

Around 4p.m. they returned and Bob ran in the door yelling, “Get your camera.” Of course it is always close at hand and I didn’t even ask why, I just grabbed it and ran.

What I saw when I went outside took my breath away. Two perfectly formed rainbows. Rainbows that went from ground to ground if you know what I mean. Rainbows so big that I couldn’t get the whole thing in the viewfinder. So vibrant that none of us could believe the colors. And it lasted a long, long time.

We banged on doors and sides of rigs to get people out so they wouldn’t miss this.

And when we went out for dinner 15 minutes laters…..it was still there.

After a mediocre dinner at a local diner we came back to the park in time for karaoke night. Not many were in attendance and that was a real shame because we had a ball!

Hollywood Nights will never sound the same again.

Al Winters got up and sang a song to his wife although the title of that song escapes me as I type this. Al, not really a singer, did a pretty good job.

He even got a little “dance” in there too.

Three of us went up to be his “backup group”.

Just another fun day in Quail Run.