Sorry for the delay - here's a recap on the week!

So, I last posted on Monday, and I've been trying to get back to another blog to update everyone ---sorry, I've been doing double shifts for work; Swedish hours and US hours.  Oh well, a small price to pay for the things I'm doing.

So, Monday was a day off, as was Tuesday, except I decided to do a "lactic acid relief run"

and hit the pavement for a bit with some of the playlists that Thom made me, thumping in my ears :).  I have some pictures posted here that I took on that run around the current neighborhood.  It was such a peaceful run, even though it was raining and a bit dreary outside.  Where I am, there is a lake near us, and the little town rolls up and down some hills.  I really found it peaceful at the top of the hill, just looking out over the water.  I'm currently NE of Stockholm Centrum (the center).  I would love to be in the heart of the city, but rent is hard to find and afford, so here I am at a former AIK players house, on the hunt for a place to rent.

Tuesday was a typical Swedish Autumn weather day - not my favorite season here I think.  It's too wet.  At least at home in autumn, it seems that we have a few rainy days, but here, it has been raining every day for the last week and a half.  I've been told that this doesn't always happen, but it's not uncommon either.  It doesn't rain all day, but most of the day.  Anyway...

Wednesday we took to the hockey rink and had an "easy" practice because some of the gals

from the team (7) had been playing with the Swedish National team against Russia in 2 more matches after AIK took the World Cup home.  My legs were thankful as they are still in some pain.  What I've drawn as a conclusion on my legs is this - my hips are tight and my fast twitch muscles were under trained.  When I was doing my sprints, I tore some of the muscle fibers in my quads that are the 'rapid fire' pieces.  Yowie, this hurts, but it will heal in time.  I need to keep stretching my hips and my quads and all will restore itself eventually - I just need to lay off of the sprints, which is hard since that is the same motion you use when you do quick starts in skating.  Oh well...time.  

Thursday we had another day 'off', but again, I did a nice 4.5 mile jog around the neighborhood and enjoyed the crisp October air before a rain came down.  

Today, Friday, was a whirlwind tour.  I received an email earlier in the week from a coworker here in Sweden that said she had an apartment lined up for me to go look at.  It took me a while to figure out the public transportation that I needed to

 take from this Eastern Suburb, but I finally figured it out, made it to the train station, got off at he right stop, and hopped onto a bus to the apartment.  My first wrong turn was once I got off of the bus...I didn't know where to find the building.  Luckily, I have a working phone ;)  Never leave home without it!  

 Once I got to the apartment, I took a look and wow - um, yeah, so I have some shoe boxes that are bigger than this place.  Yikes!  I did a small debate in my head of "do I commit or not?"  As I made my way home on the bus, then the train, I decided that I'd wait to see if the search I've had people on would turn anything else up.  I get home, send off an email, and a couple of hours later, I'm told that I need to be at another location by 2:30 --- and it's 1:15 right now, it takes 15 minute to get to the bus stop and an hour of transit time --- you do the math - that's cutting it close, assuming I even know the bus stop...which I found out I didn't know.  I call the host family I'm staying with, they swing by, pick me up and drop me at the next stop where I pick up my 2nd connection.  (Mental note, still need to find Bus Route 618!).  I get the next 2 transfers right and show up at the place.  Much more spacious...and by "spacious", I mean that the whole place is the size of the main floor at home.  It's for 5 months, I can manage.  What's even more interesting is that the kitchen is smaller than the bathroom!  The fridge is the size of mine from college, the stove/oven is 2 burners deep, 1 wide, and the sink is 'normal'.  I have to take pictures of it if that is where I end up because I still can't believe they can call that a "kitchen".  I have some debates to do on this now --- it's close to downtown (read 1 bus for 5 minutes, or even the "tube" --- subway), there is a veterinarian just about 3 blocks away, there are food places within walking distance, and it is in a 'medical college' area...meaning "students", meaning that I hope things are less expensive.  The down sides --- it's 30 minutes to practice and 30 minutes to work...a bit of a haul, but in the middle of the 2.  There is no microwave...guess we'll have to figure out how to fit a pizza in an oven 6" x 10" - one piece at a time?  there is no furniture...so, I have to rely on the friends I have made to help me out.  I guess there is a lot of green space nearby - I think about this because I wonder where will we walk Reese?  Where will I go for my "off day" runs?  

All in all, it's coming together, one piece at a time.  It truly was an adventure today taking on the new transit system without much help (thanks for the ride to the 2nd transfer!!), and sloshing through the rain and puddles; today's weather was probably the worst we've had, and I had to be out in it - - - icky.  It made me, as well as others, wonder "and you came to Stockholm for winter because....????"  Yes, because of Bandy.  I shall come back some day in the summer time and spend time enjoying the city, not walking briskly and missing things as they pass by.  

I have a list of some things that I will do while I am here -

1) Shop at the real Ikea

2) Shop at the outlets

3) go to the "Ice Bar" and have a drink

4) go with Thom to the "Ice Hotel" and stay the night --- we'll have to figure out what to do with Reese....

5) see the Vassa ship

6) learn the transit system without a map!

and of course, these go without saying: 

enjoy the adventure, learn more of their culture and language, WIN the championships with AIK.

And since it is Halloween - here is a fun tid bit about Sweden and how they celebrate Halloween:

It used to be a holiday where people would go to their loved ones graves and put a flower or candle on their grave site.  That is less and less common as time and tradition changes.

They don't always do the "American Traditions", but some kids do go out trick or treating - I told the host family about how mom sometimes makes kids she knows do tricks....so, they tried that here tonight and they got some funny looks in return....guess the American ways aren't fully brought over here yet.

We always do Halloween October 31, no matter the day of the week --- they, however, do Halloween the last Friday/First Friday of November (whichever it falls on --- if today ha

d been Nov. 1, they would have done it today)  

They also take 1/2 day holiday from working here! (I think that's the part of the Swedish tradition we should adopt!)

So, there are some fun facts about the things I've been doing and learning.  This weekend, we will go to a party tomorrow night (whoo hoo!), and Sunday, we will go watch AIK Futbol as they play their last home match of the season.  I guess everyone sings the "AIK" song...I know some of the words (when they say "Ah-eee-koh" for AIK...but that's it).  Then it's back to business as normal.

Hope everyone had a great Halloween and the kids made out with a lot of loot!

Keep on keepin' on....still putting one foot in front of the other,

KP

"Professional Athlete" - we're all in the quest for something

I've never seen an "indoor bandy rink" before in my life...ok, so I've really only seen maybe a dozen bandy rinks total in my life. For those of you who don't know how big a bandy rink is, imagine a soccer field. Yep - that's the size. Imagine flooding that with water, then enclosing a building around it. Quite massive and very impressive. I have finally seen an indoor rink; I must say it's awesome!

We were on our way to Edsbyn Sweden in the quest for the World Cup in Women's Bandy, 2008. Edsbyn is a town of about 5,000 people, and is ALL about bandy - even the Pizzeria is called "Pizzeria Bandy". AIK is a defending champion of the cup, so it's quite a big deal. The team this year has a lot of new players on it, so the tournament being this early in the season makes it quite challenging and can help define where the true talent lies - (there is no natural ice outside yet - heck, not really any artificial ice, so there is no way to really practice on the big rink, rather we go into a hockey rink and practice there). With such a new team, we really had to mesh together and understand everyone's role on the ice in order to be successful. Thanks to my friends on the team, they went over a few plays in a notebook with me on the van ride on the way there! whew - I learned some of the plays before I had to take the ice!
Upon our arrival, I was told that I'd be playing midfield in the first game against another Swedish team - wow! Um, yeah, ok! My legs were still sore from the training we did on Sunday the 19th - I REALLY pushed myself that day in our sprints. I realized that I was in "good enough" shape --- good enough to allow me to push myself, but not bad enough to tell me when to stop. That's a problem. Oh well, I laced up my skates and put on my new uniform and new number 9. (it's a 6 upside down, right?? ;) I love my #6, but this will do!) I took the ice for the first time to play a game of bandy as an AIK member; an awesome feeling went through my body as I took those first few strides...then a feeling of pain and disappointment came across me the first time I tried to push myself across the ice. Crap - those dang legs. Oh well - it's just the quads at this point, less likely to pull anything than if it were my hamstrings; I will survive. I made a few good plays during the game - ones that I can be proud of anyway - and then there were a few where I felt like "doh! I am showing my lack of experience on the ice!" My timing needs to improve, and I need to work on my defensive steering in addition to many other fundamentals...it will all come in time I'm sure - this is why I am here! We win the game and now it's time to head back to the "old school" where we are staying for the weekend. Game 1 is behind us, we have 4 more to go.
We arrive at this old schoolhouse where they have set up bunk beds, have a kitchen, and a little lounge for us. This old school has a Bandy museum in it! I can't believe all of the bandy stuff I see! I found this book among the many that talks of bandy in 1978 - what a great year! I saw many things like the first design of the bandy ball, which was more of a basket weave of material around some other materials. I saw some really old bandy sticks, skates that were like my dad's old hockey skates, and many old jerseys, awards, and memorabilia. Way cool! After we tour the school, we all grab a bunk, make our beds, then we head out as a team to do some grocery shopping. Then it was time to go back to the school to relax and hang out for the night of watching Swedish Idol, discussing the game we played and the days events ahead of us. Then it was lights out because we had an early game the next morning - 7:00 AM - and that game was against one of the better teams in Sweden - Sandviken AIK. Whew - I was going to sit that game because of my legs and the fact that we had so many extra players, someone had to sit! I watched our team play in that game and learned a lot just from watching the team. Such talented people, and I'm honored to be able to skate among them - another win! After the game, it's back to rest at the school, grab some food, rest some more, then take on our 2nd game at 5:30 - that game, I was skating again! I lace them up and hope for the best...my legs feel pretty good, but still not 100%. I did pretty well - about the same as the last game, but got frustrated that my legs didn't want to carry me like they normally do. We skate to yet another victory! We head to dinner after the game, back to the school, we do strategy sessions, play some Team Building (FUN!) games and off to bed! The next day was much like the first - we skate early in the morning for the Semi Final game and I get to skate again...but much to my dismay, my legs weren't having any of it. I laced them up, had a pretty good first half, but my legs just couldn't hang. I skated less in the 2nd half, and knew that I wouldn't be skating in the final match. I am ok with that though - I saw this as an opportunity to watch the 2 best teams in the tournament face eachother - a chance for me to watch from the stands and analyze the play!
Between our Semi Final match and Final match, the Men's World Cup had to come play in the indoor rink because the ice that they were skating on an hour north was too soft, the weather was too wet, and the winds were awful --- so, I got to see some elite athletes play bandy. Let me just say - their passes are harder than ANY of my shots will ever be! They are so incredibly fast and strong, it's almost super human! I was in awe at the skill and speed of the guys that were out there. I found out that the men in Sweden at that level (yes, pretty much the same level as the team I'm playing on) make enough money to live on! The men in Russia make VERY good money -more than a Swedish bandy player would. The only problem is that it's all men that get paid - not the women. Some day I imagine that will change - I hope I could be playing at that level when it does! :)
The final match was a nail biter! I sat in the stands as we started the game and felt pretty good when we were up 2-1, then 3-1 and holding as we played "Record" from Russia - basically the Women's National Team from Russia. 5 minutes left to go in the game and one of our better players gets her 2nd penalty of the game, resulting in a penalty shot (again!) Linda - our goalie had already stopped one of the penalty shots, but Russia has some excellent shooters, so it was nerve wrecking to see them take position for that shot and then they scored. A minute later, another penalty against us, and another penalty shot resulting in a goal - it's tied 3-3!!! UGH!!! Over time - 2, 5 minute Sudden Death periods, followed by a shoot out - Play goes on for 9 minutes, and then the skater from our team who had 2 penalties makes up for that time in the box and puts the game winner into the net! Whew! We just won the world cup in women's bandy, 2008!!! I didn't realize it, but the winner --- they receive a check for the team! wow! How cool is that?!?! So, technically, I got paid to play --- I will benefit from the win as it will go towards sticks, balls, etc, for the team expenses this year. How cool! After the match, I ran down to the team and I was handed the cup to hold onto...what an awesome feeling!

As I was holding the cup, I realized that this was only the beginning; the real competition is going to heat up during our season. I can't believe what lies before me - it's really starting to set in that "bandy season his here", and here I am on a team of elite athletes, we are all on the quest for winning a championship at the end of the season. There are many games and practices between now and then, but there is a common vision among the team members - to work together to achieve the goals WE have set as a team.

Looking back at the weekend, I realized how cohesive the team is. Everyone works together, and when we don't we fall apart on the ice a little bit, and the other team, if they stay together, will catch us when we are weak. It's important to stay together as a team, and AIK does a great job of it --- we played a team building game that brought us all a little closer, we did warm ups together and brought us closer together, we won our games as a team, bringing us closer together. Looking ahead, I see a lot of time together with my teammates - one of them is having a party this weekend that we'll go to - but then there is all of the practice time we have together too. It's going to be a lot of work, but it's going to also be a lot of fun...after all, looking at the feelings felt by winning a tournament so early in the season, it's going to be amazing to experience the quest to the final match where the final cup will be won. My quest started out just to live in Sweden and play bandy --- it's evolving to much more than that now; I will learn more culture, I will experience bandy at a level that I've never experienced it, and now, I'm meeting new people that are much more than teammates. Yep, this quest is just beginning --- I have started to ask myself - "what will you aim for after this???" I realize it's too early to ask that question right now --- I need to enjoy the rest of the ride on this journey first! We're all in a quest --- mine is to enjoy this adventure and enjoy the awards along the way!

One foot in front of the other

That's how I'm focussing on walking today! ha!
If you would have asked me 3 weeks ago "Do you think you are in great shape?" I would have said "I think I'm in 'good' shape, not great shape." And I honestly would have believed that! Now...ask me what kind of shape I'm in!!!

You would think that after a season consisting of a marathon, triathlons (including a 1/2 ironman), 1/2 marathons, and duathlons, and frequent trips to the gym to lift and work with a personal trainer, one would be in "good" shape. Yeah...you'd have thunk it!

Let me tell you, that until you do lifting like I've been doing, or running like I've been doing - fitness will remain at a 'moderate' level in perception. I now have a new outlook on 'fit'. (Sorry Thom - this may mean more time at the gym upon my return...I'll never want to lose this because it's painful to get it back!) Luckily, I'm not the only one that is sore --- many of the other gals were a bit sore last night too as we embarked on our "hill run". So, we modified a bit. Instead of sprinting up the hills, we...well, we sprinted the whole damn thing! Ok, not like we were doing on Sunday morning, but really, we ran a course of what I was told is about 12 - 13 kilometers (yes, yes...conversion for you English Unit folks: about 7.5 - 8 miles)in an hour. Ok - so that's about an 8:00/mile pace if we ran 7.5 miles, about 7:30 if we ran 8 miles. It was on all different types of terrain - we started off road for the first 20 minutes through mud, rocks, tree roots, dirt...you name it, we probably stepped on it - and perhaps some dog poo (I know some of you thought that!). That was a bit of up and down - nothing too terrible. Then we spent the next 40 minutes on pavement, going up gradual, long hills, and up more gradual hills...maybe down a little, but back up....and keeping a 7:30 pace. I managed to keep up with the first 3 runners in front of me - that made me feel pretty good. There were quite a few behind me, but inside my head, I kept telling myself "there are still those 3 in front of you!". We got back to the locker room and stretched a bit, and then it was a night.

Today, (tuesday), we had the day off. I got up at a 'normal' time - 7:30 (sleeping in a house with twin 2 year olds - you don't sleep much past 6:00!), and then started the work day... I had to make sure to get up once in a while to walk around so my legs wouldn't seize up on me. They hurt like the dickens - and what's this? Tomorrow at 6:00 - "POWER"?? then skating at 7:00?? oh my - I hope my legs are back to normal by tomorrow morning! (Power is a lot of plyometric work where we will do lots of jumps, side to side lunges, etc. Lots of leg work!) I will survive...what doesn't kill me makes me stronger.

Friday morning, we are leaving for the tournament - 8:00 AM "mini busses" roll out and we are off to a tournament where we hope to be competing in the championships on Sunday night. I don't know how much ice time I'll get - being the "newbie", but I'm excited to see "ice" bandy played indoors! I'll be sure to take some pictures and post those!

Besides the bandy - I've seen a lot of different fashion as I sit at the desk in my room and work during the day. There is a day care down the road where moms/dads/nannies can go and socialize with their babies. There always seems to be someone walking down the road pushing a stroller, riding a bike, or just taking their pooch for a walk. Golashes are big here (the weather is rainy this time of the year), and tight/skinny jeans. No one ever looks shabby when they are out and about - in fact, there is no way I'd survive wearing some of the shoes they wear walking. All about fashion! I haven't had much of a chance to get out and see much more just because when it's daylight, I'm logged into work, and then at night, I stay logged into work...or go to practice. I hope that when I move to the apartment near downtown, I'll get to see much more.

But, I guess I'll just have to wait until then.

For now - it is 11:00 PM here and I'm going to call into a work call, then take a nap and do it all again tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll have a bit more mobility tomorrow! I know my pain is minimal in comparison to mom's at this point - by the way - for those of you who are reading this and know the family - she is doing very well! She's a fighter --- taking it one day at a time... as I take it one foot in front of the other.

Owie! Is this what it's like to be a pro?

Ok, so I've always said "I want to train like a pro" - well, I had my first opportunity to that, and dang it - I'm "S"-"O"-"R"-to the "E" today! I can hardly move it seems like. Ok, so my fears of the gym were adequate, and here's the story of a "typical work out". (and I crap my pants thinking that it's "typical")

I moved to one of the AIK coach's houses on Saturday, so Saturday night was a nice night chilling with the coach, his girlfriend, and the couple I'm living with (and their twins), as well as another set of their friends. I got to do a real "Finnish Style Sauna" (Miska - the coach is from Finland), and just relax. That was great because then I was actually able to fall asleep at a normal time that night. I slept until about 7:30 AM on Sunday when I realized that it was a day I was afraid of - Training at the gym with the Swedish Bandy Players. I already knew they were strong --- but wow!

So, we head to this "Gym" - which I find out is a "Professional Athlete Training Facility". (Wow!) They had every type of training going on there - track and field (including pole vault and high jump!), wrestling, tae kwan do (sp?), floor ball (or "innebandy"), fencing, and who knows what else! We started out with running for about 20 minutes. And yes, I said "Running" for 20 minutes. I'm used to an 8:00/mile or 7:30/mile pace if I'm going to run for 20 minutes...I think we started out there, but ended at 7:00 or less/mile. Anyway - then it was onto the short sprints. We would lay down on our belly or back, or sit indian style or kneel, or whatever --- anyway - a series of these different starting positions was gone through. You are in starting position on the line, and someone claps so you can't see them doing it, you have to respond based on sound. You get up as fast as can be, then you sprint about 50 yards! Yeah, we did that for 45 minutes straight! Between each sprint, you got about 15 seconds rest. I am very happy to say that I did hang in there with most of them (there are a few girls on this team who are ripped and like Speedy Gonzales!)

After we did the sprints, my hammies were screaming at me, but we weren't done! Oh no - now it's onto the 100 meter dash and 200 meter dash! we did the 100 meter dash 8 times and the 200 meter dash 6 times!

That was pure running for about 2 hours. Then lunch in the cafeteria. Many different things to have, including beer! yep! including beer! I thought that was odd....didn't see anyone taking any though.

Down to the weight room. I am SO weak! We did a series of back and leg exercises as well as some tricep and chest. Then, I actually amazed myself and did 10 pull ups with VERY little assistance! I was quite proud of that accomplishment! However...today (Monday), I'm a wee bit...er, a LOT sore! I can hardly walk!

Tonight, we are going to do "hill intervals" of running. I don't know if I am going to survive this first week! Once we are done with hill intervals, we are going to do some core work. That's "it" for tonight, then we have ice practice on Wednesday - oh, but before we do ice practice, we have "power" training. Meaning we are doing a series of jumps and hops for our legs and their power for an hour before we get on the ice for an hour and a half!

This weekend, we are off to Edsbyn, Sweden (NW of Stockholm) for a tournament. Crazy cool. There will be 12 teams - 1 Finland, 1 Norway, 2 Russia, and 8 Sweden. I heard that we might have some extra games after the tournament against Russia, but I'm not sure. Thank goodness we have 20 people on the team so we can sub in and out for games!

So, this is mentally challenging because I see all of the work that lies ahead of me physically, and mentally, I try to focus on work during the day (I mean real work for SJM!) I could see being a pro and being paid to train like this...yeah, I'd dig that, but really, wow! This is nuts! I'm loving it...never said I didn't like something that was physically challenging! It's a good pain I'm feeling now. I just hope that I can run up the hills tonight!

Here's to the hills you are climbing today mom - - - and the mountains you are having removed today. I'm thinking of you, saying my prayers, and counting our blessings!

Hej Da (said like "Hey Doh") for "Good Bye"
KP

I have some ideas of things I need to do when I get home

Ok, the entrepreneur in me is saying I need to do a few things - so I'm jotting them down here so I don't forget.

1) Daim Blizzards - Ikea has the candy, but I'm going to bring home the little ball shaped pieces of candy to sell to DQ.
2) This "soda" bottle thing - ok, you can take a bottle of tap water, put it in this little thing and it infuzes carbonation into the bottle. I would drink SO much more water that way. You can also get flavors for it. If I can't export them, I'm at least bringing one home for my house!!!
3) Bandy sticks - that's a given! Just the importing process of it all (oh, and bandy balls)
4) Day care outdoors year round! Yes, you read that - they do it here. The way they do it reminds me of this week long camp I went to as a kid - Rothke Day Camp. It's outdoors, a big field and a big "forest" as they say. Think about it - if kids aren't sharing the same toys - they don't get sick as often. Also, they are tired more when they get home (great for the parents), and as the days get shorter, you at least know your kids have been outdoors and you can do some quiet activities - puzzles, read, etc. - with them when you get home.
5) A training program for the on and off season of bandy. We have a chance to really pose a challenge to some of these teams if we just trained like them!


Those are the top few for today. It's getting late here and I have to go to the gym tomorrow with the gals --- that means interval running for an hour, and then weight lifting for the afternoon. I'm quite nervous about the whole thing ---


On that note - "God Natt" - meaning "Good Night"

KP

You don't know what you've got...

Until it's gone...
I miss my TW and Reese B. I didn't think it was going to be this emotional and this tough on me, but it has struck me hard. I think that most of it has to do with how Thom reacted when he was getting ready to take me to the airport. I've never been loved (by anyone other than my parents) like this. To see him sad, and to see him cry because I was going off to a new place, that hit me hard. I cried most of the flight on the way over here to Sweden, and I catch myself thinking about him and tearing up once again. I have 61 more days until he gets here...we can make it.

The first day here (yesterday), Oscar picked me up at the airport - Oscar is my coach for team "AIK" - or as pronounced in Swedish - ah-ee-koh. My sticks did not make the same trip as me, rather they were sent to Copenhagen before arriving in Stockholm. I don't know why that is, but I have had them located and I hope that they arrive today. My phone did not work when I got here - so that was frustrating, but Oscar lent me a phone that he had that was extra so that he might get a hold of me if needed. I am dropped off at the house, unpack a little - the room I was showed to is about the size of the entry way that Thom and I have at the townhome, but it had a bed in it and that looked really nice at that point! So I layed down for a bit - until about 3:00 in the afternoon. I forced myself to get up and went to sit on the couch and read in the living room. That lasted about a half hour before I realized that my eyelids were heavy and I dozed off again until about 5:00. Oscar was on his way to pick me up for the team meeting and dinner at that point, so I started to get ready. The strategy session was interesting with everyone around me speaking in Swedish, but some taking the opportunity to practice their English. Anna - aka "Micro" - was kind enough to be my interpreter for the night. We skated at 10:00 PM on a hockey rink last night - that was great to get out there and test my abilities. My shot sucks! Ok, I already knew that and that's part of the reason I came here. My legs felt a little tired and tight, but I'm sure that's because of the trip here.

I had tried to get online earlier in the day to let my admin. back at work know that my phone was not working - but that was not successful, so when I got back at 11:00 last night, I was able to email her a little bit finally and let her know what was happening. Luckily for me, she was still working (bless her heart) at 5;00 on a Friday evening, and within a couple of hours, we had the whole thing resolved. I have not made a phone call on it yet, but I know who I'm calling when I do - it will be so good to hear his voice. So, I was up until about 3:00 AM with all of that, and finally fell asleep. I only slept for a couple of hours until 6:00 AM - was awake for 30 minutes, then fell asleep until 10:00 AM. Awake for about an hour, then fell asleep until 3:00 PM when I forced myself to get out of bed. I figured if I kept it up, I wouldn't be sleeping tonight. What is interesting is that 3:00 PM here is 8:00 AM at home - I probably would have been forcing myself out of bed at 8:00 AM at home too! I figure that if I can sleep through the night tonight, then I could be on schedule again.

I'm sitting here waiting for my coach to pick me up so I can move to the other coach's house for a few days while we still hunt for an apartment for me. I think it will be nice to live with someone who can help me learn my way around the public transit system a bit and help me figure out where I'm going when. I feel a bit helpless at this point - I haven't been able to grocery shop or anything like that, so I'm kind of glad that I've been so tired that I've slept through most meals. I haven't eaten since our team dinner - that's one time in 2 days.

We have a team practice on Sunday morning - tomorrow. I guess we will do an hour of interval running and then we have a team lunch. After lunch, we will go to the gym and do some lifting. They do this all summer long. Definitely something that Team USA will need to think about if we want to compete at the level these gals are.

Yep, you don't know what you've got until it's gone - someone who really cares and loves me and who I love to spend all of my time with. The cute puppy who just wants to lick my face every time she sees me. The ability to know where you are going effortlessly. The ability to participate in conversations and understand why everyone is laughing, but you are not because you don't get what was just said. The ability to wake up and have a diet coke at hand because you haven't been grocery shopping. The ability to pick up the phone and just call home because your SIM card was never recognized.

So many "little" things are so big.

The biggest is the sadness of missing my best friend.

Love you TW.

Stress...headaches...deep breaths...

It's been a whirlwind.
I'm stressing out as I don't have a Work Permit or my Visa yet. ACK! What am I going to do???
Here's hoping that within the next 6 days, someone can make a decision to get the info back to NYC so they can process my application and get me my passport back...and FAST! If not - I fax a request to NYC to get my passport, go to Sweden for a couple of weeks, come back, get a stamp (upon approval of at least a Residence permit), and maybe fly back with Thom and Reese. "Everything happens for a reason", right? Yeah, I'm the biggest prophet of that phrase...time for me to actually "practice what I preach". crap!

So, here I sit 10 days before take off. Have I packed? nope! Have I made a list at least? nope! Ok, what have I done??! I've gotten my international drivers license! I have contacted the insurance company about my car (and saving money - no, not a geico ad --- just about stopping collision coverage while I'm gone), and I have a ton left to do - I have a car appointment for tomorrow morning, I have a hair cut on Wed., I have a dentist appointment on Thursday, I have to call the internet and cable companies to save some more money, I have to get to the bank to see what they can do about helping me with an account in Sweden, I need to figure out how to "do taxes" or get an extension, and I need to find a place to live!??!?!? what? Yeah, well, I still don't have an apartment to rent just yet. I have a place that I've checked out as far as a room to rent, but it's only temporary according to the land lord. Oh well. Once I get to know my co-workers and team mates, things will fall into place. Everything happens for a reason.

It's amazing the things you don't think of if you don't have to do a move like this...or if you have to do a move like this and work covers you completely - all of the things that they do for you.

I'm fretting about missing my honey for a couple of months and the pooch that always makes it all ok when I get home from a day at work. I'll be OK...it's temporary, but it's just a weight on the mind and a tug on the heart. I look at Reese and realize how much she has to worry about - sleeping in the cargo area of a plane and worrying about barking Swedish commands at us..."Voof!" Yeah, she's got it great!

I did manage to get out and skate with the men's bandy team this past week - that was definitely needed and great! I realized how out of shape I am. There is this Men's US Bandy tradition that whenever a team member heads over seas, they send the player around the rink to lead 6 laps around the ice (once per hour time difference??? I don't know the significance...) But, when the coach was announcing this, my buddy Nellie opens his mouth and says "because she's a girl, she has to do 8, right?" (thanks Nellie!) Yes, the coach made me skate 8 laps around the rink with guys coming and going as they please within those 8 laps (they could skate 1, fall out....join in 4 laps later, skate 1...etc)...I thought I'd puke at lap 6, but my buddy Nellie kept encouraging me, telling me the last 2 are easy...it took me back to the day when Paul told me that finishing the last 13 miles of the Ironman run were "easy". Suck it up, keep going, mental note "you are NOT in shape!". Better to find that out now instead of when I get to Sweden. Those "buddies" are the ones that you want to hit during the moment, but want to hug them when they have pushed you to your limit - thanks guys!

When I get there, I have a tournament to look forward to...I'm really excited about that and can't wait to put all of the planning and logistics behind me. I just want to enjoy the fruits of all of this labor!

Everything happens for a reason....(everything??)....yes, everything. What doesn't break me down, will make me stronger. Mentally, emotionally, and physically; the survival of the fittest.

10 days and counting....