Weekly Wrap

A Chick at the Olympics #2

In case you haven't heard, Chick Karin's husband, Phil Housley, is a member of the United States Olympic Hockey team. Karin and her family headed to Salt Lake for the games and is filing a sporadic report from the city. See Report Index.

Hello from Salt Lake City again! It's 7:00 a.m. and I can't sleep. I've been up all night with a sore throat so I just decided it was better to write than toss and turn. Wilson is sleeping next to me, and thank goodness he is zonked. He went to bed with yet another fever. We've been battling this cold/flu/sore throat for five days now that today we're finally going to go to the doctor. Are Mormons allowed to become doctors? We'll soon find out. I'll bring the camera.

First of all... WOO HOO!! Yee Haa!!! Team U.S.A. beat Germany!! The score ended up being 5-0, but was still enough to keep your stomach on edge until the end of the second period. The U.S. is slow out of the gate, barely scoring in our first periods, but then we really turn things on after that. Let's hope the trend continues, because what is left, ain't easy. We have to face Russia again on Friday. We previously tied them last Saturday night in the first round in what was our toughest game. With a re-vamped coaching staff and some fired-up Bure brothers, we have to dig deep for some Herbie magic to win this one. I'm not going to go into the 22-year Anniversary of the Miracle on Ice game, you can read that everywhere else in your papers. I have enough to get me sick right here in this hotel room. It's getting down to the nitty gritty, and I get so nervous. It had to be heartbreaking for Sweden yesterday losing to Belarus. Never in Sweden's history have they had such an upset in a sporting event. Thank God it was them.

Elsewhere in our Olympic day....

One of the best parts of this past week has been seeing all of our old friends from being in the NHL twenty years. We've run into the Bure's, our friends from the Calgary team, the Nuuminen's and the Selanne's, our friends from the Winnipeg days, the Nylanders, our friends in Chicago, and the list goes on. Not to mention all the U.S. and the Canadian players that we haven't seen in years. And then there are all of the retired players and agents hanging around the arena. I'm paying $250 a ticket and sometimes never make it back to my seat from the bathroom. I'm even hanging out with Chick Susie during the games. (She and her family have been here since Opening Ceremonies.)

Anyway, the highlight of the trip for us has been meeting up with the Barrasso's. Tom Barrasso (Team USA goaltender) was drafted by Buffalo in 1983, a year after Phil was drafted. Tom and Phil are two of three guys in NHL history to be drafted right out of high school. (The other was Bobby Carpenter.) Tom's girlfriend, Megan, moved up to Buffalo and went to college with me at SUNY/Buffalo. We were best friends for six years and then -- POOF! -- they were traded to Pittsburgh. We lived next door to each other, we went to each other's weddings, we built our homes together, we graduated together and we had our first babies together. We were like salt and pepper. Megan and I hadn't seen each other since their moving truck left Buffalo in 1989.

And now, here in Salt Lake, just like old times, we're inseparable... only there are seven children added to the mix. The kids have been hanging out together since they dropped the puck against Finland last Friday and Megan and I just keep rehashing life in the NHL. Her husband currently plays for the Carolina Hurricanes. It's very funny how the kids have meshed, already exchanging clothes, shoes and homework.

Anyway, as you've seen in the pictures (in which my oldest Taylor was in charge of the camera), the kids are having fun. They went to the Coca-Cola exhibit downtown yesterday and tried their talent at the bobsleigh, the luge, and curling. (Wilson and I stayed home to rest.) The events came complete with medal ceremonies. The Barrasso's brought home the gold while the Housley's silvered. I'm sure we'll hear about that for years... just like Megan got an A in Statistics and I got a B. No biggie, I'm much prettier.

Then we went to the game, said goodbye to Germany and met up with Phil for dinner. Taylor and Phil's dad, Leroy, went on to the Canada/Finland game with Chick Susie's family while we ate at the upscale New Yorker. Avery had buttered noodles and Wilson slept in the booth. So much for trying to bring some class to Salt Lake. I tried to drink a glass of red wine, but my throat hurt too much. Poor Phil, there isn't any celebrating with his family, just nose blowing and coughing up flem. No worries, the Mormon doctor is going to change all that.

Tonight we have tickets to the figure skating finals. Go U.S.A. I hope nobody gets their knee taken out. After that we are going to head down to the Medals Ceremonies where, get this, our good friends the Moffatts from Canada are opening for Alannis Morrisette!! My two favorite bands in the whole world! (The Moffatts have changed their band name and some members and are now called Pusch). It should be a good day... as soon as I get some antibiotics!

I promise to take get some better pictures of our Roots gear. The kids are wearing the sweatshirts in the arena picture, and I've got on the only beret we own, the one from Phil's Olympic bag. I must show you the coat, it's to die for. I'll get the picture today with the doctor. Me in my Roots, he in white.

Getting out of bed now to shower... til tonight...

Chick Karin