Hej!
I'm beginning to speak some "Swenglish" these days - kinda funny actually if I were to listen to myself I bet, but I'm picking a word each day to try and get into knowing how to speak more of their language here. It's quite a fun challenge that I put myself up to each day - Today was "Tjejer" - sounds like "shea - yar". Meaning "young woman/girl/tough girl"...slang for "girl" basically. So, it's fun to hear the team mates saying "Bra Tjejer" - meaning "Good job Girls!" Our first home game was exactly that - "Bra"!
The weekend started out with a great run on Friday through "Haganparken" - I was told that it is a beautiful park, and that it is. Lots of open space, and Reese will just LOVE it when she gets here. On my run through part of the park, I see that there is actually quite a bit of history - but I need to take a translator with me to understand everything. As I was running through the park - I had a map in my mind that would be a big loop that I could do many times if I wanted to stay to a 30 minute run - this was an "off" day of training after all...but I came to an interesting map that showed how I could run around this 'lake' that is in my neighborhood. Ahhh, what the heck!? The sign says it's only 12 km around the lake on this trail...only 7.5 miles...shouldn't take me more than...65 minutes?? So, I take 
off on this trail. I imagine that if it hadn't been raining, the sights would have been more enjoyable and the trail less muddy - but none the less, it was an amazing run! I came up on some random "cafe" in the middle of no where (or what seems to be the middle of no where) and it smells delicious! I will have to walk there with Thom and Reese when they get here! As I looked closer at the map, I realized that I ran from my apartment to the bandy rink, around the other side of the lake, back to my house. Not bad! 63 minutes later, I'm back to the place where I started from and I know how to get home from here...whew...that was quite a run! I loved it! The pictures I took cannot do it justice!
Saturday I waited for my couch to be delivered! Yeaye! I can sit on something other than my bed...er...mattress. Until it came, I decided to stickhandle in my living room...something to do besides sit there and read, or look at the walls. When the couch arrived, it was an easy installation, and then I was off to explore Stockholm. I walked and walked, aimlessly, just wandering and taking it all in. Of course, I was taking some mental notes of sites I came across and streets I was wandering down so I could find my way back home...but, I went without a real destination in mind, and I saw lots of neat stuff. 
I made my way to the streets where Thom and I had been exploring with the US Bandy team in February, and that brought back some good memories. I strolled in front of the Royal Palace and happened to be there at the time that they did the "Changing of the Guards". That wasn't quite as bone chilling as the Changing of the Guard of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington DC, but it was quite an experience that words cannot portray the level of respect you feel for the Guards as they go through the routine. I tried to capture some pictures, but as night was falling on the city and my camera is a point and shoot, the flash just made the picture too dark - so you have to look at my "shakey" hands as they tried to hold the camera long enough for the shutter to let in enough light. 
I found some cute clogs that I will have to go back and get --- they didnt' have my size at the time that I was there. DARN - looks like I have to go back!??! ;) (ok, twist my arm).
After wandering around for a couple of hours, I decided it was time to head back. Gave Thom a call and surprised him by hearing my voice, then called mom and dad. Talked with them while I walked home, to the grocery store, and into my apartment to cook some dinner, and then took time to relax the night before the first home game. The walk was very enjoyable and I love the way the city is basically in my backyard, as is a lake, a trail to run, a mall....ahhhh, yes....I'm enjoying the location very much!
The first home game was moved from Saturday to Sunday, and that was actually unfortunate for the weather and outdoor bandy. Rain was falling all sunday morning, and by game time, slushy snow/rain was falling from the skies above. Oh well - if we are playing in the 'bad' weather, so are our opponents. Lace 'em up and deal with it.
First half, the ice was covered in about an inch of slush/snow stuff, making it hard to carry the ball. Well, hard for everyone but the slow one on the ice (that's me!). Our team resorted to the chip shot method to get the ball from one end to the other, and lots of little flips from teammate to teammate. It was quite effective, and had the other team sitting back, waiting on our attack. At one point, the ball came to me as I was curling back in our zone, and I pulled my head up to see LOTS of open ice in the middle....so.....remembering the tactics and plan of attack I went over with our strategy coach, I took to the middle of the ice, carrying the ball, almost coast to coast. Ha! The other team was sitting back, waiting for a chip, and I got to carry it. That was nice until 4 white jersey's converged on me....I should have "Cheese Doodled" back...I started to, but was too late on the decision to do that. I learned lesson #1 of the day - don't wait to cheese doodle. First half ends with us up by a few goals - I think it was 3-0 at that point, and the snow was starting to taper. The zamboni was
out on the ice as we stepped into the locker room for a brief strategy session and re-fueling of the bodies. Taking to the ice in the second half, I did a bonehead move and curled in front of my half back instead of behind her - Lesson #2 for the day - don't do that! I caused a pass to hit my skate and potential danger --- lucky for me, they weren't able to do much with the ball, and my teammates recovered for me very well. Duh! Ok...lesson learned...not to be repeated again!!! I continued my game plan of the strategies that the coaches and I had talked about before the games and I kept finding the open ice very easy to find --- so I kept occupying space. Finally, we were in their zone, I was occupying the white space, the ball was being bounced around to the right of the net, I was standing left center --- and what's that??! The ball pops out of the scrum in front I take a shot (on my BACKHAND!), and put the ball just about 3" to the inside of the post!!! I SCORED!!!! WOW! I was like a kid that just unwrapped a bike at Christmas and I threw my arms up in victory and jumped around like the earth was on fire below my toes! That was an amazing feeling.... Patience paid off. The studying I had been doing of our strategy, paid off. I think I'm getting somewhere with this bandy thing...
So, I sit here in my apartment, on a couch, and reflect back on where I started and where I am now - started out with dryland training, the area unknown to me, the language so very foreign. I pushed myself so hard, trying to 'get it all' in the first day of training - trying to train my body and my body retaliated and told me I had pushed too hard, and had therefore hurt my quads. Today, I have an apartment, I can find my way around Stockholm, Solna, Taby, and Bergshamra (4 different areas of "Stockholm" and suburbs). I have my own dryland training areas, I know my own limits on the physical challenges I put my 'old' body through. I have learned enough words to understand some of the concepts in the locker room, and my game is already 5 steps ahead of where I was just a month ago. I'm getting it - - I'm figuring it out, and I love it. I fear I may be settling into a routine I may not want to get out of...again, just missing 2 components - - Thom and Reese. (32 days until Thom and Reese get here! yeaye! but who is counting??) I love this life.
I'm beginning to speak some "Swenglish" these days - kinda funny actually if I were to listen to myself I bet, but I'm picking a word each day to try and get into knowing how to speak more of their language here. It's quite a fun challenge that I put myself up to each day - Today was "Tjejer" - sounds like "shea - yar". Meaning "young woman/girl/tough girl"...slang for "girl" basically. So, it's fun to hear the team mates saying "Bra Tjejer" - meaning "Good job Girls!" Our first home game was exactly that - "Bra"!
The weekend started out with a great run on Friday through "Haganparken" - I was told that it is a beautiful park, and that it is. Lots of open space, and Reese will just LOVE it when she gets here. On my run through part of the park, I see that there is actually quite a bit of history - but I need to take a translator with me to understand everything. As I was running through the park - I had a map in my mind that would be a big loop that I could do many times if I wanted to stay to a 30 minute run - this was an "off" day of training after all...but I came to an interesting map that showed how I could run around this 'lake' that is in my neighborhood. Ahhh, what the heck!? The sign says it's only 12 km around the lake on this trail...only 7.5 miles...shouldn't take me more than...65 minutes?? So, I take 
off on this trail. I imagine that if it hadn't been raining, the sights would have been more enjoyable and the trail less muddy - but none the less, it was an amazing run! I came up on some random "cafe" in the middle of no where (or what seems to be the middle of no where) and it smells delicious! I will have to walk there with Thom and Reese when they get here! As I looked closer at the map, I realized that I ran from my apartment to the bandy rink, around the other side of the lake, back to my house. Not bad! 63 minutes later, I'm back to the place where I started from and I know how to get home from here...whew...that was quite a run! I loved it! The pictures I took cannot do it justice!
Saturday I waited for my couch to be delivered! Yeaye! I can sit on something other than my bed...er...mattress. Until it came, I decided to stickhandle in my living room...something to do besides sit there and read, or look at the walls. When the couch arrived, it was an easy installation, and then I was off to explore Stockholm. I walked and walked, aimlessly, just wandering and taking it all in. Of course, I was taking some mental notes of sites I came across and streets I was wandering down so I could find my way back home...but, I went without a real destination in mind, and I saw lots of neat stuff. I made my way to the streets where Thom and I had been exploring with the US Bandy team in February, and that brought back some good memories. I strolled in front of the Royal Palace and happened to be there at the time that they did the "Changing of the Guards". That wasn't quite as bone chilling as the Changing of the Guard of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington DC, but it was quite an experience that words cannot portray the level of respect you feel for the Guards as they go through the routine. I tried to capture some pictures, but as night was falling on the city and my camera is a point and shoot, the flash just made the picture too dark - so you have to look at my "shakey" hands as they tried to hold the camera long enough for the shutter to let in enough light. I found some cute clogs that I will have to go back and get --- they didnt' have my size at the time that I was there. DARN - looks like I have to go back!??! ;) (ok, twist my arm).After wandering around for a couple of hours, I decided it was time to head back. Gave Thom a call and surprised him by hearing my voice, then called mom and dad. Talked with them while I walked home, to the grocery store, and into my apartment to cook some dinner, and then took time to relax the night before the first home game. The walk was very enjoyable and I love the way the city is basically in my backyard, as is a lake, a trail to run, a mall....ahhhh, yes....I'm enjoying the location very much!
The first home game was moved from Saturday to Sunday, and that was actually unfortunate for the weather and outdoor bandy. Rain was falling all sunday morning, and by game time, slushy snow/rain was falling from the skies above. Oh well - if we are playing in the 'bad' weather, so are our opponents. Lace 'em up and deal with it.
First half, the ice was covered in about an inch of slush/snow stuff, making it hard to carry the ball. Well, hard for everyone but the slow one on the ice (that's me!). Our team resorted to the chip shot method to get the ball from one end to the other, and lots of little flips from teammate to teammate. It was quite effective, and had the other team sitting back, waiting on our attack. At one point, the ball came to me as I was curling back in our zone, and I pulled my head up to see LOTS of open ice in the middle....so.....remembering the tactics and plan of attack I went over with our strategy coach, I took to the middle of the ice, carrying the ball, almost coast to coast. Ha! The other team was sitting back, waiting for a chip, and I got to carry it. That was nice until 4 white jersey's converged on me....I should have "Cheese Doodled" back...I started to, but was too late on the decision to do that. I learned lesson #1 of the day - don't wait to cheese doodle. First half ends with us up by a few goals - I think it was 3-0 at that point, and the snow was starting to taper. The zamboni was
out on the ice as we stepped into the locker room for a brief strategy session and re-fueling of the bodies. Taking to the ice in the second half, I did a bonehead move and curled in front of my half back instead of behind her - Lesson #2 for the day - don't do that! I caused a pass to hit my skate and potential danger --- lucky for me, they weren't able to do much with the ball, and my teammates recovered for me very well. Duh! Ok...lesson learned...not to be repeated again!!! I continued my game plan of the strategies that the coaches and I had talked about before the games and I kept finding the open ice very easy to find --- so I kept occupying space. Finally, we were in their zone, I was occupying the white space, the ball was being bounced around to the right of the net, I was standing left center --- and what's that??! The ball pops out of the scrum in front I take a shot (on my BACKHAND!), and put the ball just about 3" to the inside of the post!!! I SCORED!!!! WOW! I was like a kid that just unwrapped a bike at Christmas and I threw my arms up in victory and jumped around like the earth was on fire below my toes! That was an amazing feeling.... Patience paid off. The studying I had been doing of our strategy, paid off. I think I'm getting somewhere with this bandy thing...So, I sit here in my apartment, on a couch, and reflect back on where I started and where I am now - started out with dryland training, the area unknown to me, the language so very foreign. I pushed myself so hard, trying to 'get it all' in the first day of training - trying to train my body and my body retaliated and told me I had pushed too hard, and had therefore hurt my quads. Today, I have an apartment, I can find my way around Stockholm, Solna, Taby, and Bergshamra (4 different areas of "Stockholm" and suburbs). I have my own dryland training areas, I know my own limits on the physical challenges I put my 'old' body through. I have learned enough words to understand some of the concepts in the locker room, and my game is already 5 steps ahead of where I was just a month ago. I'm getting it - - I'm figuring it out, and I love it. I fear I may be settling into a routine I may not want to get out of...again, just missing 2 components - - Thom and Reese. (32 days until Thom and Reese get here! yeaye! but who is counting??) I love this life.
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