Two things this past weekend.  One, the Olympics are officially over, which leaves us at a loss for what to do with our time.  Even if it was over the television, it was nice to come together as a family over something every day for two whole weeks straight!  We’re bummed it’s over.  My husband is concerned in general about the state of the Olympics.  He worries about the IOC’s apparent reluctance to allow the Olympics to be held in any US city in the foreseeable future, and has of course gotten me worried as well.  With that attitude from the IOC, the cost of putting together an Olympic bid package, and the economy, there aren’t a wealth of US cities interested in putting together a bid to host the Olympic Games at this point.  It’s bad.  It makes us sad to think about it.  My husband is good for informing me of these types of depressing yet significant stories he squirrels out of the news.  He’s always got me thinking.  It’s not enough that I have to worry about the state of the planet and our little piece of it on behalf of myself and my children, now I have to think about the state of the Olympics.  You wouldn’t think that the fact that the Olympics won’t be held in the US would really be of any consequence since it is supposed to be a world stage, but the games do need to be fiscally viable for the IOC (as far as I can tell, correct me if I’m wrong), the host city and/or country, and the network who pays the IOC for broadcasting rights, and we are living in an increasingly commercial society (globally, not just in the US) so I could see it being a problem.  Viewers = sponsors = dollars, and dollars talk, especially here in the US.  Americans can also be fickle, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out.  Will Americans continue to watch if the US bids continue to get dismissed?   To me it is troublesome that US cities are not able (willing?) to justify the expense of a bid to host the Olympic games.   So that’s what I’ve been chewing on for a day or so.  Fun, right?  I don’t want to think about  the Olympics or its sell-out commercialism potential any more today.  Let me tell you, for the record, that loving sports for two weeks straight is enough, I am certainly going to enjoy the break for the next couple of years.  You know, because normally I am not what you would call a sports lover.

Second, while we were still in the midst of the Winter Olympic games, and its coverage, and our increasing awareness and sadness that it was coming to an end, we got a punch to the gut of a more personal fashion on Saturday.  My daughter’s beloved pet rat, Diamond, was found to be in an awful state of health suddenly and unexpectedly Saturday morning.  I know that some may not exactly love rodents, but my daughter holds love for all animals, most especially this one.  It was the first and only pet that was “only hers.”  She doted on and cared for and loved that rat more than even I had expected, and in turn Diamond shaped up to be one of the best pets we have every brought into our home.  It came when she called, it sat in her arms to be held and petted and loved, it walked on a leash, and, along with its rat sibling Bean, it excitedly licked her hands like a dog whenever she was kind enough to reach in and take them out of the cage for fun.  This was often.  We spent the weekend tending to Diamond, losing sleep and checking on her incessantly, hoping to see a turnaround in her condition that never came.  Early afternoon Monday we had to come to terms with the fact that we were selfishly allowing her to suffer in hopes of a flicker of a glimpse of recovery and we had to put her to sleep.  A horrible tragedy in an 8 year olds world.  Being social animals, it’s not out of the question for me to believe that Bean is also experiencing loss in her own ratty way.  She did lick my daughter’s hands especially voraciously today when she brought her out of her cage.  I expect she is lonely for her sister, her sleeping companion and cage mate.  Yes, I realize that she was “just a rat” but no there are no “disposable pets” in our world.  We’re gonna miss that rat.