The Olympics. They entertain us. They inspire us. They make us proud. They give us cause to get up off the couch and do something.
Even though the Summer Games have come to an end, there are still many conversations overheard of the gold medal winners and all those who gave their very best. No matter where we hail from, everyone who watched will never forget that smile on Bolt's face as he crossed the finish line.
Over the years, the Olympic committee decides what new sports can be added to the venue. In recent years it was rugby and golf. I have been thinking of a couple of new sports that might make the list for the games four years in the future.
The first one could be called the Down Hill Needle Run. I have mentioned before that this new place we call 'home' has many pine trees. With many pine trees, there are many pine needles that fall and blanket the ground with their self made mulch and pine needles tend to be the mulch of the South. This apartment complex has been undergoing a complete face lift. Everything from the siding to the landscape has been changed and made to look like new. I was surprised one day when I noticed the landscapers had brought in a huge pallet of pine needle bales. This seemed counter productive to me as it seemed it would be much less expensive to just go anywhere on the property and rake up as many needles as they thought they needed. Granted, they would have to sift out the pine cones, but there is still an endless supply of needles. Since they did not ask for my opinion on this matter, I watched as the workers spread the needles on a very steep embankment. I wondered to myself how in the world the needles would stay put when the next big rain came. Shortly thereafter, it did rain and the needles stayed snug on the steep bank.
As I was walking Runtly, the ever so entertaining Jack Russell Terrier, one day, he decided to descend the steep afore mentioned bank. Since he did not want to come back up, I had little choice but to go down the bank. One step, wearing flip flops with absolutely no traction, made me realize something I had never known before. Pine needles are slick....slick, like black ice. My descent became a question of whether to do down the bank on my back after my feet had flown out from under me, or run......and run I did. Somehow, I managed to stay upright and was even able to get myself stopped before I plowed into the side of the apartment building that was looming up in front of me at a rapid pace. So, with a few adjustments, rules and regulations, I think this would be a great new game.
The landscapers have laid a ton of new sod on the grounds. It is fun to watch them unroll countless rugs of grass, lay them side by side and end up with a new carpet of grass. After this sod gets established, it is beautiful. Again, while on another outing with the Runt, I was walking parallel to the parking lot on a slight incline of new sod. As I was marveling at how soft and plush it was, while wearing the same pair of non traction flip flops, I discovered that it too was slick. Without notice, my feet went out from under me to my right. With arms and legs flailing in all directions and possibly a triple turn of some kind, I managed once again to stay upright. I gave serious thought to throwing my hands up in the air since I had stuck a 6.2 landing in front of the main office building, but I quickly gathered myself and the dog and headed back to the apartment. Sod Sidewinder has a nice ring to it for 2020.
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