I hate packing!

Well I started packing again today and it sucks! I hate moving and cramming everything into two bags every few months. I guess it goes with the job so what can you do. Ben and I went up to Park City the other day to eat some dinner and walk around a little, I absolutely love the utah mountains they are amazing. I am going to miss them in Sac. It was a good dinner with Lans and one of her friends.
I had my lesson today with the little girl from the gym and she was really sweet and actually pretty good! Her grandpa had told her of the tennis ball drills and she had already practiced them. Her family was there and they were videotaping so she would have it for future reference. Now this story is somewhat embarassing but totally something that would happen to me. She was doing some tenns ball drills and dropped the tennis ball and I turned ot run next thing I know my ankle has rolled over and I am falling down to the ground! Ahh not good worst part all captured on film, it all happened so fast I was laughing can't even remember if I said something or not I certainly didnt look at the camera after it. I guess maybe I will never outgrow the klutz stage I thought I was doing so well lately...stupid ankles. I think that I should probably consider taping or bracing this summer now.
I have to get back to packing, finish it all up. Tomorrow just hanging out with Ben won't see him again until end of May which sucks. I leave Tuesday morning to get a few workouts in before camp starts. I guess we have new apartements this year no more Medicci I will update you all once I get to Sac.

Headed back to Sac!

Hey so the draft has come and gone and it appears as though I am staying in Sac. I didn't know if I was going to be traded or anything just because I don't have my plane ticket yet and I am heading out on the 15th! I am looking forward to this year while my foot isn't 100% (I don't think it ever will be again) I can play through it. I have been working lots on my shooting just trying to be more consistent and it has been feeling really good. It is pretty funny since I work out at the rec. center by the house I am staying at I have been getting a lot of people coming up and asking me where I play. There is an indoor track on top of court so people can watch you shoot while they work out. Today I had a grandfather who saw me doing my tennis ball dribbling and the other day he watched me shoot so he came down to talk with me again and asked if I did personal lessons or clinics. I said I wouldn't mind doing some and so he asked if I had some time before I left because his grandaughter loves to play and these skills would be really great for her. I said I could help her out (I am there everyday anyways) this Sunday I will be helping her out! Then he asked me what my rate was I just laughed I said well I really haven't done this before... he said he would figure out a fair rate, it really doesn't matter that much to me!

Besides meeting all sorts of new people at the rec center I have been playing a few games of pick up a week. The first pick up game was frightening I felt like my lungs were bleeding and was officially out of comission the rest of the day (we played at 1230) I may have been dehydrated and a little altitude sickness but I am happy to report that two days later we played again and all was good! I was totally fine, feeling healthy and in shape... thank goodness.

spring break and neti treatments!

Alright so I know there has been lots of time in between posts but I really don't have all that much going on right now! Still the same schedule, although last week was spring break for kids around Salt Lake this resulted in mass chaos at the gym! For many parents around this area a cheap, perhaps free if you are a member day care service is to drop your child off before you go to work and pick them up on your way home. Yes this really happens there was about 25 boys aged 8-14 running crazy around the gym. It was so packed one day that I actually had a shooting contest with a ten year old boy for a hoop! Did I feel bad... a little but he was really cocky and thought he could win so at the end of the day I put him in his place and got my own hoop. The next day Ben adn I headed up to the U to shoot in tranquility it was a very nice change!
I am happy to report that spring break is now over and the gym is all mine again.
The U girls got a really bad and not warranted 8 seed at the tourney and got knocked out on Easter. It was sad, March is the best time of year for basketball but it sucks when it all comes to an end as it did for them.

In other news my "sinus infection" (placed in quotations because who knows what is going on anymore) is still there after a round of amoxicillin. I am not sure if the Belgium dentist missed something or the fact that I have had it for 5 months means it will be stubborn to try and get rid of. In attempt to finally rid myself of this I headed to the health food store for a Neti Pot. I had heard some great things about this contraption from nurses and doctors so I thought what do I have to lose. I dragged Ben to Wild Oats and we had 2 people come up and tell us how wonderful these things were so 20$ later we headed home to see what kind of miracle this neti pot could work for me. The pic is down below and basically you stick it in one nostril and water goes all up and through your sinuses and comes out the other nostril. The first time I looked at the pic and tried to figure it out after 3 failed attempts in which I really felt like I was drowning I pulled up you tube. It is crazy how many people post videos on that thing but anyways it was a sucess I watched a few of htem and got the technique down the first time it took a while for the water to go through (maybe indicating an infection). I have been using it everyday now and quite like it I am thinking it will be fantastic after travelling and supposedly you don't get sick as much. Although it has not fared much better than the antibiotics in curing this tooth thing. Perhaps I will head to the dentist one of these days and see if he can figure it all out.

After a week of wonderful spring weather winter is back in Salt Lake I woke up to a dusing of snow this morning and was not all that happy about it!

Masters of Surprises!

This past weekend the Smith girls all met up in Calgary to celebrate mom's 50th a few weeks early! It was early because we all knew we could go that weekend and this way she would have no idea what was happening. I flew in Friday morning and thought it was rough because Ben had to drop me off before work so I had a few hours to kill in Salt Lake but Megs took the bus from Lloyd! Crazy girl I guess thats what happens when you live in the middle of nowhere but it took I think 8 hours or something like that so she was on teh bus around 2am! Michelle picked us both up and she had go back to work so Megs and I went to the outdoor courts with the intentions of shooting a little... bad idea first off Calgary is cold secondly it was really windy. We would shoot a regular shot and sometimes it wouldn't even touch the rim it would be pushed so far the left. Instead we ran some shuttles on the court with a few free throws inbetween. That night it was surprise time we decided it would be best to pick her up at the airport with all 3 of us. We got to the airport early so just waited sitting down and looking at the board which still said her flight hadn't arrived. All of the sudden I turn around and there is mom she somehow managed ot surprise us darn it! We still unvelied the beautiful sign Megs made and took some airport pics. Off to the house where we watched some movies and headed to bed. The next morning wake up call came real early for me it was off to Saturday morning spin class. We were home and showered from the gym around the time I am normally waking up I tell you what Saturday was a really long day! We made some crepes from Cooking Light and enjoyed a relaxing morning. At 2 we had a spa appt we all got massages and we got mom a facial as well. Took a little nap at the spa while waiting for mom and then we got some more movies and had some dinner. The next day everyone took off a little close encounter with Megs as we got really turned around trying to find the bus depot. After quite a few wrong turns and a couple of illegal U-turns we made it, with 6 minutes to spare before her bus left! I left later that night so it was a quick weekend but a lot of fun!

I am back to training in Salt Lake now hanging out with Ben. Hem and I are having a little baking day today for Easter!

adventures skiing!

I am back into my daily routine of the rec center! I finally kicked the sickness I think I may have been cured when I went skiing the other day. Alta has this ski free after 3 so Ben took me up there sporting almost all of Bens ski clothes (minus my jacket) I felt like a little kid all over again. He told me how to dress from the socks to the 10 layers I had on... if only he had reminded me you are supposed to go to the bathroom before you get all dressed! I had so much fun skiing again, it wasn't a great day out the snow was blowing in some spots and quite cold but it is so pretty up there and I had a blast! I really thought I was going to be terrified as the adrenaline was pumping before hand I felt like I was about to play a game thinking I was going to forget everything but it all came back pretty quick and before you knew it we were skiing hte black diamond! Okay so for Alta skiers this is not steep at all I mean it was a black diamon on the beginners chair lift however I can still brag about it! The plan is to go for a half day now when it is clear and gorgeous and go up to the top of the mountain to get hte full view of Salt Lake! I only wish basketball training had more to do with skiing as it was a whole lot more fun that working out on the elliptical.

I am getting my butt kicked trying to get back in shape I have to say I hate this feeling of not being at the top of my game but it is best for me in the long run so I guess I just have to suck it up... I could be playing on cement floors in Belgium so count your blessings I guess!

I tihnk my sinus infection is going away... I am too afraid to really test it (this means drinking or eating something cold on the other side of my mouth causing horrific pain) but if it accidentally happens the pain appears to be less. Hopefully this means that in another week or so I will be free from this... finally!

pics

I am posting some random pics of of overseas because I said I would. There is a a few of the girls on my team and I in front of the Eiffel tower, my team in the Red Square in Moscow, my parents in the Grand Place Brussels, Tyne Cot cemetry in Flanders Fields, crazy tractor day in Namur, Michelle and I in Dinant, Michelle, Jen and I at castle in Ghent, teammate Jen and I in Antwerp (note it is New Years day and those are all alcohol huts behind us many people still in previous night attire at 2 in the afternoon)!

Feeling a little better today haven't been this sick in quite a few years hopefully I will be better tomorrow! Went to the girls game tonight against Wyo, they won clinching the MWC title! It was like a mini reunion at the game a lot of fun. I got to see Jules and her adorable baby who isn't really a baby anymore Brooklyn, such a cutie can't wait to get together and play with her some more!

Winter is back out here I was enjoying the sun but the mountains are so beautiful here when it snows.

getting back into it

I figured it was about time for another post despite having ample time now to post I find myself steering clear of the computer after spending so many months with it being my lifeline. Salt Lake has been great the weather has just warmed up and the snow is melting so it is like spring weather on my walks to the gym! Yes that is right I have officially begun to "ease" my way into things. However my body is not responding as well as I would have liked, first things all of the sudden I have a cold... I took two weeks off to do nothing and the day I start running I get sick! I had to ice for a while this afternoon after having my first "sprint workout" on the ellipitical machine last night. Apparently my body is going to take a little time to get back into that zone where the pain is dulled! Speaking of my sickness I will officially begin my antibiotics tonight!!! I am already anticipating eating on both sides of my mouth and not having to cringe whenever something cold hits my tooth! My old trainer at the U was so great adn just let me see the team doc after the girls game so she just wrote me up a prescription and didn't have to worry about who is an aetna doctor who isn't how American insurance works. I guess that is all for another day! My shot feels amazing right now I am only shooting about 15 ft and in but I don't think it has ever felt this smooth I am going to stay in tight until I get my legs back from lifting and running. Overall it feels great to finish a workout lungs burning, and legs aching and I can't wait until we can get some scrimmages going!
I caught up with the coaches the other day and watched the U kick some butt setting a new school record with consecutive wins it is so great to come back and see everyone and watch the team play again. Hopefully they keep this win streak going all through tourney time.