Mistletoe's Musings

Where lostakasha leads I follow. I am amused that the subtitle to my journal appears in the characterisation and, of course, it is all totally true!



In other news, as the Olympics wind down I am replete with our success. In all my years of viewing sport, and there are a few Olympics in there going back where I can actually remember events to 1968, I have never enjoyed them so much as this year. From the opening ceremony to the dodgy scoring on the taekwondo this morning it has been exciting, moving, dramatic and just plain awesome. In four years time it will be our turn and whether that bugger Beckham is involved in the hand over or not, I will look forward with renewed optimism to 2012.

Current score with more to come:
Gold 18 - our best since 1908 and that included the tug of war
Silver - 13
Bronze - 13

Total - 44 and 3rd in the medals table behind China and USA. Brilliant.

England might win the cricket too. Pietersen has been very good. Curses!!

They thought it was all over... and it isn't yet. We have actually won medals in the athletics. MEDALS plural. Yes there was another gold in the cycling. That means we won 7 out of the 10 golds on offer + silvers and bronzes. Now, against all expectation, we have won silver in the men's high jump, something we haven't done in 100 years. Earlier, Hoy became the first British athlete to win 3 gold medals in different events since 1908 and now we have a high jump silver. Unbelievable. Furthermore, Christine Ohuruogu has won Gold in the 400 metres for women. I didn't expect either of those. We now have someone in the 1500 metres as I do this who is sadly going backwards. When will we ever get back to the heady days of Coe and Ovett? Greedy, that's me.

Also boxing and kayak medals in the offing. We have more medals now than we did in Athens and more golds since 1908. 100 years. 8 is a lucky number for the Chinese and for us.

Well our successes are winding down as the sailing and cycling come to a conclusion.

Still World Record again for cycling sprint team in cycling.
Silver in 470 class sailing
Bronze at least in Super-heavyweight boxing
Bronze for the first time ever in a Gymnastics event - Louis Smith on pommel good on ya
Gold probably tomorrow in Sailing
and that's probably it.

However: Most medals since 1920 games
                  Some firsts along the way
                  Some disappointments
Overall?   I'm pleased.

Tears everywhere today, ours, Brazilians, Chinese; some are of joy but most are of disappointment. I have never seen anyone win silver medals and be so deeply, deeply unhappy as the British women's rowing foursome this morning. One was so inconsolable she couldn't speak to the prat interviewer John Inverdale (who, by the way referred to all women he interviewed as 'guys', a term I find offensive). The stroke who was winning her 3rd or 4th silver, spoke like a captain. Good for her. Then they all went into a group hug with Sir Steve Redgrave who obviously gave them some sort of words of encouragement. At the medal ceremony they were still crying. I felt so sorry for them.

In better news we did win one gold at the rowing today, in the men's lightweight pairs Zach Purchase and Matt Hunter, and 2 silvers, the other being the men's eights. There were two golds in blustery conditions at the sailing: Ben Ainslie winning his third Olympic gold in the Finn class, and the women in the Yngling. Barbara Romero became the first British woman since 1920 to win a medal in two entirely different disciplines when she won the gold in the women's pursuit cycling. She beat the other British girl Wendy Houvenaghel, who got the silver.

On the downside, Paula Radcliffe finished 23rd in the marathon. With more tears as she came over the line. She is in danger of being the female equivalent of Ron Clarke who was the greatest distance runner of his era, but never won gold in the Olympics.

So, Britain are third in the overall medal table behind China and USA and have already won more gold medals (11) than we managed in the whole of the Athens games. The best we've ever done is 14 golds. I wonder if we can match it? Technically, Michael Phelps is in 12th place in the medals table on his own.

We've certainly peaked now, and anything else we win, beyond the cycling, will be a bonus.

The decorators are coming on Wednesday so I am trying to move all the junk and rubbish important items in the living room into 2 tiny bedrooms already stuffed with other junk and rubbish interesting and unusual items. It is proving difficult, but I've cleared the table, the windowsill, most of the computer stand and the mantelpiece into 3 cardboard boxes. I have too many ornaments and too much memorabilia. That just leaves furniture to cover, larger items to shift when the parents come tomorrow and paintwork to wash down.

Out for Sunday lunch today with friends up from Southampton and it's not raining at the moment. The torrents actually woke me up during the night. Ridiculous.

e.t.a. The British team pursuit cyclists have just broken the World Record qualifying, yes qualifying, for the final tomorrow. Awesome!

4 Gold - Men's Coxless Fours Rowing, Becky Adlington 800m freestyle, Bradley Wiggins  Individual Pursuit, Chris Hoy Keirin Cycling.
1 Silver - Ross Edgar Keirin
4 Bronze - women's pair sculls, men pair rowing, Chris Newton points race cycling, Stephen Burke individual pursuit cycling.

Team GB Well Done!

9.69 the New World Record 100m and did you see how Usain Bolt stopped trying 20 metres out? It was awesome. If he ever takes it seriously I dread to think what he might run. Of course, pressure might do for him then.

83 minutes we hung on, then Fernando Torres scored to allow Liverpool to beat us at the Stadium of Light. The only cloud on the horizon of an awesome sporting day.

This is the fastest icon I have.

Day ....7? and the athletics starts. Not our forte sadly so it'll be crumbs of qualification for the most part. Elsewhere, however, GOLD! YOU'RE INDESTRUCTIBLE ETC. I can hear Tony Hadley's voice now. Anyhoo, step forward the British men's sprint track cycling team who whapped the opposition to carry off their medals. That's Staff (who was awesome on lead off), Kenny and Chris Hoy, who seemed to have all his family there. And we have the best qualifiers in the pursuit, Bradley Wiggins, while the women's final could be between the two Brits.

In sailing we are guaranteed at least two silvers while there's a chance of more to come in the swimming and rowing tomorrow. I need to savour this first week because when we get to the blue riband events there won't be much for me to cheer.

I think I've missed out TWO medals - a bronze in the individual equestrian and another silver in the cycling, this time for Emma Pooley in the time trial. Today's events at the rowing have been rained off, so that means no rest day for our girls in 3  semi-finals which will now have to take place on the rest day with the finals on Saturday - weather permitting.
That's all from your Olympic sports desk.

Still raining here too. That's three days solid which means a key top of the table clash between Durham and Nottinghamshire hasn't even started and there's only 1 day left. Pity as it means Lancashire could make a move. Isn't it a shame that the season could be decided by weather?

Pat loaned me the I'm sorry I haven't a clue CD she got off Debra and I laughed like a loony all the way down to church duty yesterday. It is such British humour based on daftness. The programme was a spoof on Radio 4 quizzes where two teams are challenged to answer questions on general knowledge or the news or to talk for a minute on a random subject without hesitation or repetition and be amusing with it.  I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue turned such shows on their heads: it has to be silly and yet taken totally seriously. 

A favourite round is called Mornington Crescent. There is no such place, but it is supposed to be somewhere in London. Players have to suggest a route to it using the London Underground. Basically they state random Underground stations as if they have some devious route in mind to get there. At random, one of the panellists announces 'Mornington Crescent' and they have won. It sounds stupid, but when you hear it they make it seem like a chess game played with arcane rules. Like this. Mrs Trellis always writes a letter.



My favourite round is singing the words of one song to the tune of another. Here's one for the audience - that's you - to try. The words of Michael Jackson's Rockin' Robin to the tune of Scotland the Brave. Hee heee. To give you an idea here's Tony Hawks to show how it's done.


Sadly, the programme had to end this year when the chairman, jazz trumpeter Humphrey Lyttleton, died. He was famous for getting away with the most disgraceful double entendres concerning Samantha, the keeper of the scores. Samantha didn't actually exist but she was always tremendously popular with the studio audience who played along with the gag.  He was utterly irreplaceable so that was that after 30-odd years, or, in the spirit of the programme 30 odd years.  It's sure to be on Wikipedia  if you want to find out more.

The rain is now bouncing off the ground and I have the lights on. It is 12.15pm. Today's archaism is forswart : exhausted by heat. They are mocking me.

What a bummer. The fireworks at the opening ceremony were from pre-recorded footage "In case the visibility was bad." Carbon footprint ignoring much?

In better news today's Medal was a silver in the C1 canoeing and does that spelling look wrong. Anyhoo, step forward Richard Florence. So now we have 2 golds, 1 silver and a bronze. I am having pizza and parma ham to celebrate as the weather is naff - even for August in Britain: it's barely 60 F, grey and pouring down in torrents. I'm pleased we got the garden done yesterday. I may have to bring the Christmas cacti back in to prevent water-logging.

Look at that! It's 2pm and I've had to put my lights on. Jeesh indeed.

e.t.a. Bronze in team Equestrian 3-Day eventing. That's the one Zara Phillips would have been in if her horse hadn't been injured.

WHEEEEEE! Another gold and it's even more historic than the first one. After we got our 200th gold medal we now have our first women's gold medal in swimming since 1960. Can you believe what it is like, you Americans, to wait 48 years for a gold medal? We have now won as many medals in one race as we won in the whole of the Athens games in the pool.

They had the winner at the Rome Olympics on Breakfast Olympics this morning. That's Anita Lonsborough- not even sure how to spell it, but at least I was alive when it was won. Black and white and deteriorated grainy film of the victory was shown and you couldn't see the medal presentation for a great big pole right in front of the camera.

So well done Becky Adlington in the 400 metres freestyle and also Jo Jackson who got a bronze in the same race.  Becky has a chance in the 800 metres too, which is her better event. Less good news elsewhere as prat-boy Andy Murray lost in  the first round to some unknown from Taiwan and our diving wunderkind 14 year old Tom Daley finished last in the synchronised diving final, won by China. They're doing really well so far. Of course we'll have to see how they go in the athletics.  

e.t.a.
Ruud Gullit has resigned as coach of LA Galaxy and Alexi Lalas has been sacked! What will Beckham do now? Poor thing (sarcasm)

Well the Games are even if Britain aren't. So, we have qualified for the next round in some rowing events but swimming, cycling, women'e weightlifting and judo have proved - disappointing. Still, I did enjoy what I saw of some tiny girls lifting 115kg above their heads. The Chinese winner was interesting. She talked to herself throughout the lifts. I wish I knew what she said. You could hear her coach encouraging her too. Tremendous.

Elsewhere, the rain ruined the cricket and the Football League season started with Kevin Phillips scoring on debut for the fourth time in his career and in the 90 and moreth minute. You can't keep a good scorer down.