Beginner's Luck

Jill had jotted down a higher number than the one she saw elsewhere as the male Canadian driver's dressage score, but she couldn't understand what the judges didn't like about the performance.  Was it the dramatic slowing of pace for the circles?   There was nothing else so different than the prior rider that she could recollect…

Jill carried on as the German women behind her left, between horses.  After all this, you're not even going to stay for the last ride, the woman???!!! And they laughed and swooned, sweaty in the heat as their excuse, as they did indeed depart. 

During the woman's drive there had been much head bobbing in the audience, especially from Jill's new American more-than-she-driver-expert friends about the head bobbing in the ring.  Eventually the worst of the leaders steadied out, and the other one just faded away.  Jill commented, "There's no sparkle, but at least they seem solid."  Her pals thought that was a good way to put it and loaned their camera for her to snap pics they promised to email if she reminded them.  After that, people in the bleachers behind her had comments for the first time the entire competition, "there's no flash." etc. 

He wondered why she would shy away from a stable pass, and it was true that Jill did not approach any of the competitors for comment or discussion of their sport whatsoever.  Not because she didn't want to, or see the access or because she doubted her ability to engage them in meaningful dialogue, and not so much because she believed the hoopla about the need for media passes and the media blackout even for those with credentials, but more because if she actually managed to obtain quotes and write about them, she would make herself so resented sooooo much more, by soooooo many…

And besides/after all, she didn't even have an outlet nowadays.

*

Once she realized that she didn't even KNOW the guy, her crush stopped running away with her and she was able to send a text like she would to any potential friend she was hoping to get to know a little better, making her 3 for 3 that day with many overdue hello's and hi's here and there, ha.

"I've been seeing your hair around the last few days.  Its fantastic!"

*

Beginner's Luck meant she missed the Canadians in the cones phase, not realizing their order of go would be based on scores (Duh!).  She was lucky to get in without a ticket, quoting someone who had said she could get in with her Closing Ceremony ticket and hoping for charm and goodwill to open the gates.  Therefore watched most of the event from beside the announcer in the car parked in the corner, although she did also claim a patch of shade by the entrance for a time too...  His commentary to whatever media he was speaking for was quite educational, although it was not a good spot for photos.

*

Trying to find the bridge to Canada in Detroit was a nightmare.  The exit the signs said to take, at the last minute, was marked closed.  She took the next one and she was glad to be doing in the light of a bright sunny day.  Why hadn't she gone all the way to the Port where she had come across in the first place?  There were construction/detour signs, but they had been graffitied over and it lead Jill to think how easy it would be to just post some of those of one's own.  The GPS was going crazy telling her to turn around and every time she reached the left turn of the detour route the road would again be closed.  It was nerve wracking, but eventually she caught up with some other confused traffic and took a spot in line for the $4.00 toll, in order to cross the bridge that was so majorly under construction.  Only on the other side, in the huge line for the customs officials could she relax, ha.