Olympics

I have seen fewer seconds of this year's Winter Olympics than I have fingers and toes, but you can't really avoid it entirely. Not that I'd want to.

It's something that, given a lot of time and nothing to do, I'd love to indulge in. But who, short of someone doing time in a hospital bed, has that? So I haven't seen much.
There's one Winter Olympic sport, though, that's a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. Aside from the ice skating, of course -- that's everyone's guilty pleasure.
I like to check in on the hot curling action now and then.

Why curling? I'm not really sure. I think I'm drawn to the simplicity of the sport. It's for perhaps the same reasons that my favorite Atari game was Breakout -- first of all, I was good at it, and could zone out and play and carry on a conversation. In fact, I think I'm better at some activities when my mind is engaged elsewhere. Curling seems like one of those things. Someone sends the stone gently gliding down the ice, and two or three little friends set to work furiously brushing ice shavings away -- or into? -- the path of the stone. Intending to get it to land in just the right spot. Like a more engaged form of shuffleboard.

There's a beauty in simplicity. In not having to remember which types of tackles will result in penalties, and when; in not having to know how many timeouts a team has left, or which form of defense they are employing. Or whether the volleyballers are in a 2-6 formation, or a 1-5. Has the setter poached position? I mean, I love those sports, too. Heck, I actually PLAY those sports. I've never "curled." But I find it oddly fun to zone out to.

(here's where one of you northeasterners can explain the intricate rules of curling, and how I've missed the whole point somehow.)