suzanne's journal :: couric, barfoot, and pattycake

2.13.02
Bob is going to the Olympics next weekend. We have friends in Salt Lake who extended an invitation, but I don't have any leave accrued at work and can't go. But that is no reason Bob can't go and represent the family, and besides, it's his birthday weekend, and what an awesome present! We're both excited.

My friend John: Suzanne, Peekaboo came in 16th. SIXTEENTH! They don't have a medal for 16th, you know. Not even tin or paper or anything. I think you should change your name to Pattycake and go into the Olympics. You could do the Halfpipe and get interviewed by Katie Couric. Then you could tell people that you're really a writer and get all famous for being Pattycake, the Olympic Halfpiper who's really a writer.

My friend Henry: Cherie and I refuse to watch the Pot Smoking Events. You know, anything involving snowboards or extreme freestyle aerial nonsense.

(This cracks me up, because my maiden name, Barfoot, is also the name of a guy and his snowboard company. Chuck. Chuck Barfoot. He is actually one of the inventors of the sport. I don't know him, but he has a fine last name if there ever was one.)

My friend John: I know that I saw Katie Couric try to snowboard while interviewing this guy who is about my age and is supposed to be the god of snowboarding because he invented snowboarding about 20 years ago right out of college. Is that Chuck Barfoot? Are you related to him? Did you know that I went to college with Katie Couric?

My friend Henry: What's a halfpipe?

Good question. He's right. It does sounds druggy. When I was growing up my mom didn't like us to use the expressions "freaked out" or "spaced out," because to her, they were drug culture phrases. She's right, of course.

Henry asked if I snowboard, what with the Chuck Barfoot connection and all. I'm still wiping tears of laughter out of my eyes. My center of gravity tends to suggest I was created to sit and watch others.