Salt Lake

I am in Salt Lake now and still taking a break however I have managed to strain some muscles maybe from sleeping weird on planes I don't know. I really expected to feel great taking a break but I have to say I dont. Salt lake has been great to far I have been a little bored some days when Ben is at work but that will all pass once I start working out again! I went up to the mountain yesterday to hang out in the morning while Ben skied and I really love it up there. It was really cloudy in the valley but up on the mountain it was sunny and clear blue skies! I freaked out a little when my lungs were slightly burning after walking up the hill to the car. It is at like 16 000 ft elevation and we were walking through lightly packed snow uphill I was still getting a little worried. It has been a while since I worked out and even longer since I worked out at altitude.

Home sweet home!

I know it has been a while but after spending a few months in front of the computer I thought I would take a little break from it so I am back to posting now!
My travel day was long it began at 530am when I had to get up and drive my car back to the dealership (I am happy to report no incidents) and then get picked up to drive to the airport. We had to leave really early because rush hour in Brussels is bad but this meant that I was at the airport 3 hours before my flight left. As soon as I got my ticket I found out there was a "no fly zone" in London and our flight was delayed so the panic began to creep in that I would miss my connection since I didn't have my second boarding pass because I was flying BA first leg and AC second leg they aren't partners. The delay was about 45 minutes so once we boarded nad were ready to leave there was a "no fly zone" in Brussels airport! Really rotten luck as this was the first time in my flying past that I have ever heard of a no fly zone, and then it happens twice on the same day! We landed at 1105 and my next flight left at 12. I had to switch terminals with buses and clear security again I realized that I had to run. I always feel bad for the people running through the airport but I also can't help but chuckle at the sight of them half running half speed walking with all their luggage faces flushed. I was one of them, I started out walking fast you know trying not to look like I was sprinting but then I said I just want to be home and broke out into an all out run. I arrived at the Air Canada gate at 1130 only to find out they close the gates an hour before the plane leaves so no I could not catch my flight. I wound up being re-routed through Toronto and then onto Vancouver. What would have been just one 8 hour flight became a 7.5 hour flight and a 5 hour flight. I did wind up making it home in one piece with my luggage and I was picked up at the airport so I guess I don't really have grounds to complain.
I am trying to take a break now which means 2 weeks with no working out... not even cardio. I have been fourtnate to get into some physio and massage appts. I had a massage the other day and just like that my shoulder that was bugging me to raise it was cured in half an hour. I went to physio the other day and tried to actually diagnose my foot that has been having good days and bad days since I recovered from the sprain in the summer. All winter I have been told that it is tired and nothing was wrong but there would be days when I couldn't walk on it and then there were days when it was fine. My physio figured out the problem in about5 minutes my post tib muscle was not working at all. All the bones it helps out in the foot weren't working properly. I have some excercises to sort it all out and re-train my muscle again.
I went to my cousins playoff basketball game the other night they lost but it was a close one!
That is about all I am off to have coffee with a friend!

Last time from Belgium!

One last Belgium update for everyone! I had my final game last night it went well we smoked the other team I didn't play the whole first half and then the coach asked me at half if I wanted to go in ( I had 2 minutes to warm up and our gym is freezing) I was like well yes if you need me if you are just doing it to be nice it is okay! The thing is did a little something to the knee in practice two days ago what I am not sure what nothing serious just a little hyperextension (all my own diagnosis). I will play through almost anything however my knees scare me, and since we were up by 40 at the half I thought it wasn't a bad idea to be a cheerleader for the rest of the game. Not to mention I couldn't have warmed up in 2 minutes! Michelle and Jen I am sure had a blast as it was quite an entertaining affair 50 point blowout and I wasn't playing! They found ways to amuse themselves, at halftime they got themselves a little wine and toasted me sitting on the bench. They were trying to act like the locals and fit in, they did great! After the game I said all my goodbyes and signed of on my contract when I turned around they were gone. Again in their attempt to act like the locals they went to the little stand outside of our gym and got some fries with curry ketchup (curry ketchup pretty good by the way). It was great to play for Dexia and I really loved the town, and fans. I did learn that apparently in Belgium it is 3 kisses for goodbye, imagine my confusion when all of the sudden there are 3 instead of 1. It is also sometimes awkward because I always want to go in for a hug when I say goodbye and here that doesn't happen. Sometimes this results in an uncomfortably close kiss or for the other night 3 of those!
This morning I dropped the girls off at the airport and headed back home to clean. I mean I clean my apt whenever it gets dirty so normally vacuum about 3 times a week. I never really move the furniture and vacuum or mop the whole house so when cleaning day comes I always regret this. While I live in quite a small apt it still took me 2 hours to clean it all and I have to say I am quite embarassed by the amount of dust that accumulated under the bed. Who knew it was all down there, never looked before today! It was such a gorgeous day out again today that I took one last little stroll by the river and then took a quick shower and relaxed.
Had a great dinner with a teamate tonight wish I knew about this place earlier it was this fantastic bbq chicken shredded and put in a pitta with veggies... fantastic. We went back to her place and watched a movie and now I am so excited to go home I can't sleep! Next time you hear from me will be back in BC!!!

Holy Chocolate!

Well I don't know what is more exciting the fact that I have my last game tonight and leave in two days or that I attended my first ever chocolate market today and it was more than I ever could have dreamed of. I woke up early this morning and we caught the train the Brugge (this was my first ever train ride in Belgium) everything went smoothly had a few naps took in the scenery a nice way to travel in all, minus the smells of cigarettes, food and B.O. When we got to town we headed straight for the market this was a first time ever chocolate market in Brugge and so the chocolate makers in town got together to create one the largest chocolate hearts in the world. We took a little picture by it paid 2 euros and headed inside. Folks there was free chocolate everywhere you looked! It was amazing they were handing out hot chocolate, there was chocolate cake, swans, sea shells, plain chocolate. We really didn't eat that much chocolate but because everything was so rich we had little sore bellies after so we headed bought some goodies for home and left the market place. The rest of Brugge was not quite as exciting we did all the touristy things it was a gorgeous day out we lucked out! We came back early so the girls could pack and I could get ready for hte last game here in Namur!
It has been great here but the thought of finally going home is really exciting! I could not sleep last night at all despite using mom and dads first class aroma therapy spray on my pillow! The instuctions read "spray generously for a cradle deep sleep" I sprayed about 5 times and my pillow was soaked and the whole upstairs smelt a little funky. Michelle thought this was hilarious but how else would you interpret generously last time I checked it meant use a lot.
I also appear to have a leak so I reported it to the landlady and now I have a hole in the bottom of my bathtub and a window taped open upstairs! Good thing I am leaving soon.
The girls had a great time in Paris had wonderful weather (which was good because it was pouring here in Namur). They took a ton of pics and had some good stories!
I have to head off to the game I don't think I am playing much so if I do it will be a surprise and interesting as I can't say I really rested much today because I was told I wouldn't play a lot!

update

Well as I sit here typing this Michelle and Jen are living it up in Paris! I am not going to lie I am a little jealous as I am laying in my bed icing my rapidly aging body!
Jen got in on Saturday night so Michelle and her got to spend the night in Brussels as I was not able to pick her up because we had an away game. I wasn't supposed to play a lot because coach wants the team to get used to playign without me but 3 players fouled out and I was the only one left! We won the game so two games and two practices left and that is all! Michelle and Jen had a good time in Brussels Jen had her first Belgian waffle experience I was so proud Michelle even got a picture of her with chocolate all over her face (Michelle is a fast learner and already knows the rules of Belgian waffles) they got a picture of a creepy painted man who looked like he was a little too comfortable, they explain that story a little better though. The next morning they took the subway ot meet up with me, I didn't even attempt to find downtown and their hotel after so many faield attempts I gave up and met them a little outside of town. We spent Sunday in Ghent, a really cute little town one it was my first time there as well so we bought a little tourist book and headed out. We explored a really cool old castle that had all the old torture methods used for witches and public shaming. Definetly would not want to be accused of a crime in the olden days. There was even a guillotine that had the original blade in it, kind of nasty thinking how many heads that blade had chopped off. We walked aroud took some pictures, a few jumping ones although they didn't really turn out we are still trying to get that down. Some funny pictures in hte process. We split a waffle for the walk back to hte car and Michelle went to rip a piece off and the choclate may have splattered a little bit all over her white jacket. It was probably something you had ot be there for kind of like mom getting popped on it was funny.
I have another game tomorrow night the girls get back from Paris on Thursday night and who knows what the rest of their time here holds.
I will update everyone later on how their trip to Paris was!

Words can't express.......

The other day Michelle and I were in the grocery store debating over which baguette to buy when an elderly man in his 70s with a few front teeth came up and asked where we were from, we said Canada BC and he was like ohh not Quebec thats why you are speaking in English. Asked why we were here, had to switch over to French because he was not understanding that I was basketball player in English and then he appeared to leave only ot turn around and serenade us with a victory song. Thats right the words were something like victory, victory hallelujah repeating these and each time we thought he was finished he got a little louder and walked back towards us. Michelle asked if this happened a lot over here, but it was definetly the first time for me.
If that story wasn't weird enough for you just yesterday we decided to head to my practice a little early so that we could vacuum out my car we arrived in town and were the second car waiting ot pull into the round about when all of the sudden 15 tractors pull in and block off all the exits. No I am not kidding imagine just sitting in your car driving and all of the sudden all you can see is these giant tractors. We both just started laughing Michelle pulled out her camera to capture this because at this point we were thinking this would never happen again. Our laughter turned into pure shock when all the drivers got out and were sharing beer, then one policeman on his motorbike came up and there was about 20 angry tractor drivers yelling at him. Things cleared up (all lasted around 20 minutes) the men got back into their tractors with their beers and took off. Since we had sat boxed in for so long I decided we should head straight to practice joking that you never know what could happen at the next round a bout. Well the same thing was happening and police had blocked off the road so everyone was pulling illegal turns to go down a different road but everywhere we turned we couldn't go there were more tractors, and police road blocks, even some people walking around with flags drapped around their necks. Finally after 45 minutes of navigating the back roads we made it to practice (drive takes 10 minutes) The whole event seemed so surreal asking around apparently there is a new mayor or something and the farmers want more money who knows. It was some serious excitement in that town for the day.

Jen gets in tomorrow so her and Michelle are going to meet up in Brussels and I have another game.
I am so excited that it is February and I will be back home in only 11 days!

In Flanders Fields...

We won our last Belgium league game the other night in convincing fashion it was pretty fun we only had 6 players and htey were our rivals also from the city of Namur. Michelle came into town the day before so mom, dad and Michelle headed into Brussels to show Michelle the train system and Brussels as well.
Yesterday was a day off so we were headed into Ypres Belgium to check out Flanders Fields. The drive takes about two hours so the family wanted to leave at 9. If someone told me I was leaving at 9 theday after a game I would wake up around 850 and be ready to go by 9. However there were runs and showers so the alarm was set for 645! I was in a mood in the morning I takes me a long time ot fall asleep after games so this meant I was going on about 5 hours of sleep adn I would be the driver... never good. I had a little coffee and we were off by 850, impressive. Dad was the co pilot and everything was good until we got into town where the directions faltered a little bit and we wound up getting a little lost but finally found the town and parking. Went into a little bakery to grab a snack and headed for the tourism office, the actual museum was closed during December and January so we coudn't go into that but we bought a driving map for 2.50 which was really good because without this we would not have found anything! We turned out hte wrong way in town and I was driving around a round a bout multiple times waiting for someone to tell me where to go (stressful driving when you have no idea where you are) I followed some signs a British Commonwealth War Graves and we were about to turn around when we were smack in front of our first cemetry. We got out took pictures and set out to find the real route. What we were about to find out is that there were so many of those little cemetries all over the surrounding towns and people just built farms or houses around these graves it was wild. Most didn't even make the map of things to see.
We got all turned around in town trying to figure out how to get to the right exit out of town and stopped in for gas and the man set us on the right route. After almost passing the first stop we pulled an illegal u turn and were at Essex Farm Cemetry the site where John McRae wrote the poem in Flanders Fields. There was a plaque commemorating him around 1200 burials headstones and soem bunkers that you could go into. The second stop was the German cemetry and there was tv screens that gave a little history to the land and the quote "Enemys in life, Friends in death" the cemetry was wild there was 44000 buried in the cemetry 24000 were in mass graves it was all so much to take in. Another highlight of the trip was the Tyne Cot Cemetry and memorial it is the largest of the British Commonwealth Graves with 12000 buried there and 8000 unidenitfied.
There was many other sights along the way the Menin Gate where the names of 54000 Commonwealth soldiers all have their names inscribed.
It was a really neat expereince overwhelming for sure!
Dropping mom and dad off at the airport later today, Megs we wish you could have been out here with us.
Pics take a really long time but I am going to try to post one of the Tyne Cot Cemetry just to see.