ARANOYAS: How to Throw an Olympics Party

Our team's turn to plan, execute, and host one of the semi-monthly JAW parties came last week. Robin suggested a Greek Toga Party but we were forced to reconsider that idea when she left Japan abruptly for an indeterminate length of time. Robin would look a lot better in toga than her teammates. To put it mildly.

But we didn't throw the baby out with the bath water or the Greek food out with the togas. We decided to stage a Special Olympics for the ladies. Mimi had tons of ideas and artifacts to contribute because her daughter Katerina is an annual participant.

Arranging those artifacts on a bulletin board was one of my assignments. My personal favorite was the t-shirt depicting paper cranes soaring out of the Olympic torch with Mt. Fuji in the background. The encircling slogan says "You are the stars and the world is watching you. By your presence you send a message to every village, every city, every nation. A message of hope. A message of victory."

Pardon me while I find a Kleenex.

We divided our guests into six teams of 4-5 people each (yellow, blue, green, red, black, and orange) and gave them hats to help them remember which team they were on. Note: there are only five official Olympic colors but we had enough people for six teams so we added orange. It's called improvising.

The four hostesses did not wear caps. We wore whistles around our necks instead. About thirty minutes into the party, I think some of the guests were ready to strangle the next hostess who blew one of those whistles. Actually, I might have been the only hostess who blew her whistle . . .

Tweet! "Please assemble at your team table. You have twenty minutes to make a team flag using whatever materials you find on your table."

The Japanese ladies used their time and materials wisely and creatively while a few sage Americans knew enough to stand back and watch the process and flowers unfold.

Tweet! The teams lined up behind the Grand Marshall - sporting a Mt. Fuji stick for a baton and my hot pink pashmina for a sash - and paraded out the door and around the apartment tower while inspirational Marine Drum and Bugle Corps' music reverberated through the neighborhood and the other members of the planning team cleared the tables. (Except for the team member who managed to lock herself out of the room when she stuck her head out the door to take this picture. The music was so loud no one could hear her beating on the door.)

After the parade, the Grand Marshall delivered a few remarks on the history of the Special Olympics and I pointed out pertinent items on the bulletin board, like letters from Nelson Mandela and the Governor of California. The Special Olympics began as Camp Shriver in Eunice Kennedy Shriver's backyard in Maryland in 1962 when she learned that special needs children had been barred from attending other camps. What I did not realize - or simply did not remember - until last week was the the first Special Olympics was held in Chicago just seven weeks after Eunice's brother, Bobby, was assassinated in Los Angeles. What a huge heart that woman had.

Katerina, second from left, at Special Olympics in Yokota, Japan

Tweet!

The torch is lit.

Let the games begin!

The Freestyle Swim Relay involved donning swim gear, "paddling" across the floor, and passing the gear to a teammate until each team had crossed the floor five times. Those flippers were tricky. At least one participant capsized.

Debbie did a victory strut when the Black team won.

Yuuko and Hisayo face off.

The Javelin Throw was next. The "javelins" were weighted with pepper corns.

The final game was a Speed Skating Relay. The "skates" are slippers intended for sweeping floors.

You might be interested to hear that Beverly, pictured at left, is a member of the Yokosuka Sushi Rollers, a roller derby team recently formed by local military spouses. They have cute nicknames, like Tuna Roll, California Roll, and Big Mouth Bass Roll (okay, I made up that last one).

All set to grab that baton, a wooden spoon.

Nagata-san took a corner too fast and landed on her fanny but fortunately did not break a hip or anything else.

The Grand Marshall handed out prizes - chocolate bars - to the winning teams and then everyone marched out to the playground for team pictures enroute to my house for lunch. Greek(ish) food, of course!