Olympic notes, part 2

Can you tell I'm a fanatical Olympics geek?

Last night the s.o. and I stayed up super-late, which is the only way to see Olympic coverage that's not completely U.S.-centric. As a result, we got to watch Argentina pull out an incredible men's basketball win over Serbia & Montenegro. Really enjoyed that.

Today it is my duty to report that one of our men's beach volleyball teams has had its clock cleaned by a pair of Canadians. Hundreds of miles of California coastline, and this is the best we can do! Ouch. But to give credit where it's due, the Canadians were fantastic blockers and apparently have a great new coach.

Observation: Indoor volleyball is a noisy sport. Lots of screaming and shouting and buffetting of bodies, like basketball. It reminds me that back when I taught geology classes at the University of Iowa, I had a student named Themba Aikens who was on the volleyball team. She was about 6'2" and had some of the most incredibly styled hair extensions I've ever seen in my life. She was not one of the top students because I think her athletic schedule demanded a lot of her, but she was really involved and active in the class. I liked her a ton. For years I've hoped to see her on TV or hear her name out there, but she's probably, what, 29 or 30 by now, which is oldish for an athlete. Best of luck to you, Themba, wherever you are.

And...BREAKING NEWS FROM THE POOL...the Greeks have just won a well-deserved gold medal in men's synchronized diving!!! I can't remember the last time I saw anyone so happy. One of the guys was so excited that he broke the eternal rule about running by the pool and nearly fell down. Kudos to them!