My ride

Just came back from Poland... we lost another euroleague game and again it was close and we could have won so dissapointing. I finally had an okay game though which was good I am starting to get back to the ball hog I was freshmen year! The internet is so great to have at the house I am so thankful that it is working. I didn't get to see too much of Poland they had some crazy fans, and our hotel was really nice but other than that. This morning before we left I woke up a little early and got my lift in... may have been the first one this week (Allison and Mike don't get mad!) it is really hard to fit it in with Euroleage travel. Anyways after my lift I found out that we weren't leaving until later so since I was awake I decided to talk a walk on the beach. It was cold (nothing like Megs is dealing with) but so pretty we were right on the Baltic Sea and it was so peaceful this morning except for the man in a speedo (although this is quite normal here) running up and back, swinging his arms not sure what he was up to but he entertained me a little. On the subject of mens clothing, a few of us tried to go to the hotel spa last night and boy were we surprised when the man in the jacuzzi was not wearing anything... yikes!

I have included pics of my car from all angles... Michelle I hope you now see the possibilities for the Viper.

Finally!!!

I finally have internet... I feel connected to the world now! My Christmas flight has been booked I have my trip to Salt Lake planned, I can't wait. We leave for Poland tomorrow really early so I don't have time to play on it. It feels good to know I am back online!

Slow week

I get to fly home on the 22nd I was pretty excited when coach told us although he will not budge on coming back on the 28th. I am now trying to plan a flight to Salt Lake to visit Ben... I can't wait!
This week is going by really slow I think because 1- I don't have my internet and I thought I would. 2- my parents sent me a package and I can't get it because I have to sign for it but I am never home so now I have to wait until Thursday and hopefully my neighbour can sign for me. I am working on my note in French tomorrow! My body is just a little tired as well, I did something weird to my shoulder not sure what but it has been a pain. My knee bursa broke the other day and I spent a good 20 minutes with the other Americans trying to explain an ace bandage it all got lost in translation so I think I may take a picture of one and see if we can figure out the french word for it. It could be that they don't use them in Belgium though because our coach and players who speak English and French were also confused, who knows somedays it feels as though we are playing charades. We play the stacked team in Europe Thursday a bunch of the WNBA all stars who all have European visas somehow??? We are trying to put together an American Thanksgiving the day after the game although Turkeys are not easy to find around here, unless maybe at the market where you can pick them out from a cage and take to your backyard to slaughter them. I understand it happens I just find it so disturbing I can't even walk through that part of hte market on Saturdays without wanting to run through and let them all free.

Is it December yet?

The countdown to Christmas is oficially on and I can't even explain how excited I am to go to Christmas markets and do all that fun stuff. It also means I get to go home and hopefully Salt Lake. I ask my coach daily if I can go home earlier as he is trying to change the game on teh 23rd to the 21 which would mean I could come home on the 22nd!
The internet is still not working and from what I hear I may be offered a new apartement but it has yet to happen and so I think I will be waiting unitl the 27th now. It is scary though because who knows if they can even get it figured out by the 27th.
The body is kind of holding up I am taking full advantage of our days off when they come I do nothing basketball related!
The drama on the team has maybe calmed down I don't know I just try to avoid it all! We had a Belgium league game the other night and these girls were some hacks. For some reason the refs do not like our team or our coach so we had a few technical fouls and the foul count was really one sided despite them being complete hacks. I am a little black and blue it is so funny these girls guard me like up in my shorts when the ball is on the other side of the court I just want to help them out ask if htey have ever heard of help side because they are gettign scored on but it is all about the one on one D!
I found out today that my tiny couch thing can pull out into a bed... pretty exciting.
We went out to eat last night and I have now learnt that you should never go out to eat in Europe if you are actually hungry because it takes like 3 hours to get fed.
The team gave us this big old jacket that is not in the least bit flattering but I have been pulling it out as temperatures are dropping I hate scrapping off the car! Everynight this week they have salted the roads I don't know if they are expecting ice or snow or they just take good care of hte roads I am hoping it is the latter.
For some reason they give us these tiny uniforms and giant jackets that are 10x too big.

Are you serious?!?!?!

Alright so no internet yet... ya I am so upset, I actually had severe road rage driving over to my teamates house to use the internet once again. The little man Michele that takes care of the houses told me that it will be on the 27th now I almost slapped him and his freaking pipe smelling poodle that follows him around everywhere.
In other news we lost our euroleague game we should not have so that was a little dissapointing but ohh well. Then we had a little team meeting... all sorts of drama going on with the team I feel like I am back in high school, she wouldn't pass the ball to her because they are trying to protect their own country people talking crap in crazy languages... so much fun!

Well I have to run to practice again!

I am in Slovakia today big euroleague game tonight! Slovakia is not a really pretty country it appears to be really vandalized and a little on teh dirty side but I will ahve time for some more exploring tomorrow. Here are some pics from Brugge Brussels a cool little town. Our yellow game jerseys... there is such a thing as too much yellow and we are it.
Internet it supposed to come to my house today but apparently it may not work because they have to download a program on my computer what is this!!

Free advertising

Well I forget to tell you all I did get my car, she is beautiful. I am having some problems without the camera cord but I will keep trying to post pictures. Anyways it is silver, quite small but decked out with stickers of everything from basketballs to radio contact stickers! People know I am coming down the street, the unfourtanate thing is it is a beast on gas 67 euros to fill up and doesn't last that long. When I picked it up I actually got lost and was 10 minutes late and they closed of course nobody from the team was there or anything so it was just like good luck finding it and if you dont not our problem. The next day I got my car and it is a semi automatic which basically means really bumpy ride fom 0-50. They gave it to us on empty as well I was praying I could get to a gas station... I made it. Good news is that I think I can get gas paid for if I drive to games so I drove ot the last one.
Sunday was a day off so we headed to Brussels actually it was a little town outside of Brussels and had a display of mini europe it was really cool, little tiny displays of all of Europe.
We saw a little of Brussels downtown not a lot saving it for another day as well.
LEave for Slovakia tomorrow another euro leage game, hopefully internet when I return!!!

Hey all so we had our first euroleague game last night and we won! We played Valencienes a team from France and they brought some rowdy fans with them. It was a great atmosphere as we had a bunch of drunken old men... good times! I was matched up against Gomis one of the top wings for the French National team so it was good to play against some competition. I hit a couple of outside shots so now the president is convinced he coached me well! His kiss on the cheek came awful close to the lips.
I re rolled my ankle the other day just as I thought it was getting better! I am thankful I was still wearing the ankle brace or it may have been really bad.. I guess I should still be walking around in the aircast... Ree I hope you are wearing it!

Heart to Heart with the Pres

Alright well first off it is Tuesday and no cars!! Surprised you shouldn't be that is the way it works but apparently today at 430 we can go and pick them up... he said don't forget. We were like are you serious we have only been waiting 4 weeks for the cars. Many things have happened since the last post we lost a Belgium league game... we played really bad but in our defense I don't know what on earth was going on with the balls and the rim but the ball wasn't going in! I only scored eight points so this promped our president to have a heart to heart with the whole team. He told us in his version of English that we can't blame the coach this year the last couple of years yes but this year he is good and teaches modern basketball... we can't be stuck in the 80s basketball way we have to listen to what he says. THen I got pulled bakc in the room I guess after scoring only eight points I needed a pep talk. He said probably because I didn't play in the summer I have no confidence and I need to make everyone around me better. "You are a good shoot but you don't shoot to make it... you need to shoot to kill" I should listen to him because he knows he was a player and a coach... when he was in shape! I didn't know if I should laugh or slap him both thoughts were running through my head at the same time.

I had my first Belgium waffle on the weekend... it was amazing something I really don't even think that I can describe. They are on the streets and you can get them dipped in chocolate it was so good, and surprisingly fulling.

Sunday we had off despite the loss thank goodness we scored 0 fast break points and I think the reason may have been because nobody could run! Sunday a couple of the girls and I headed into Brugge a really beautiful city with a river running throught it. We walked around, climbed 366 stairs to the top of a bell castle and took a boat ride all in all a really great trip. I will post some pictures later of the waffles and Brugge.

I

New car Monday???

The countdown is on until I get the internet I can not wait! The manual cars are also supposed to arrive on Monday! The car I am driving now is awesome... the gas gauge is definetly broken and has me going to the gas station every couple of days to put in 10 more euros because I keep hearing "the cars are coming". The car has no radio just a tape cassette player I have asked around and nobody seems to have them anymore. The heater is on 24/7 even when it is off which isn't bad because it is kind of cold here the brakes make all sorts of noise which can be heard by pedestrians on the street, I thikn they are all jealous for sure!! I am excited to get the decked out Dexia Namur car complete with basketballs and sponsors everywhere!! We play tomorrow night against the second best team in Belgium so I guess it could be a good game... I don't really know. Sunday is a day off thank goodness we played 5 on 5 pretty much all practice today... we seldom do drills in practice only playing. I never thought I would have missed drill work.