Laundry Dilemma

Ugh...so what would a World Championships be without some kind of laundry dilemma...

I can't even blame this one on my slight obsession with clean clothes. We have limited laundry options...it costs two pounds per pair of underwear to have the hotel laundry service do it, there are no washers and dryers in the hotel, the closest laundromat is a bus ride away, and there are three washers and one dryer at the gym, but are available on a first come, first served basis and there are 300 athletes and staff here.

So...this was our solution and may be our solution for the next two weeks...OH BOY...so not my thing!

Day 3- USA v. Japan (10:30am), USA v. Great Britain (5:00pm)

Game Time: 10:30
Final Score: USA 60- Japan 49

Let me start by saying...HAPPY 4th of JULY!!!!

I think we are representing everyone back home well. We started our day off with a game against Japan. They came out hot and well...we started off strong, but struggled a bit at the free throw line and with our shooting. Our defense seemed solid, however. The game was back and forth for most of the first half. We made some smart adjustments and then our game changed and we got the runs that we needed. The Japanese are playing great and it is clear that they mean business. We will see them again in the first game of Pool Play of the actual tournament.

I think I had a really good game. I had a number of stops and layups and overall it was definitely my best performance to date. I don't know the exact number of points, stops, or steals that I had, but I know it was more than I normally have and I felt good leaving this game. (It's probably a good thing I don't know because that might mean I was paying too much attention to my stats...or something haha).

Game Time: 5:00pm
Final Score: USA 66- Great Britain 34

Tonight's game was a good game for us. We were feeling FREE and ready to play. It wasn't long before we were laughing and smiling and at the same time pushing our asses off (sorry kids).

We had an early lead, but built on it each quarter. Everyone played and contributed and we looked really good. Winning tonight's game was a great finish to my favorite holiday (even though there were no fireworks).

I think I had another solid game tonight. I know I am using that word a lot to describe our play, but it seems like a good choice of words. I had a couple steals and some good reads and maybe a few points. I don't really know. I do know however that I took a ball to the face and it hurt like a **!*!** (fill in the blank). I may have a black eye in the morning, but thankfully tomorrow is just practice for us.

After the game we had an awards ceremony. It was very pleasant. To add to my moments of the day...I was first in line and went to accept our trophies too early so I quickly stopped and backed up hard right into Chewy and nearly took her out and almost fell back into her lap. Not one of my prouder nor more glamourous moments.

In addition to our games, I had a ton of treatment today and because I spend so much time in ice or in treatment the team thought that I should post a couple of pictures of the time I spend in ice. No more Chinese Cupping or fun experiences like that, but there is LOTS of ICE!!!

Anyway...I hope everyone enjoyed the 4th!!...no worries we blew it up here (aka...we pretended our hands were fireworks everytime our huddle broke).

Day 2- USA v. Great Britain (Pre-Tournament Game 1)

Game Time: 10:30am
Final Score: USA 63- Great Britain 45

Sorry for the delay...I know everyone has been waiting anxiously for the next update. Unfortunately, yesterday kind of ran away from us and our Internet connection is anything but cooperative. We in fact are using a two-bar internet connection from the hotel across the street because its really the most affordable and convenient option (minus the disconnecting every other minute).

Anyway, we had our first game against Great Britain yesterday. It was a pretty good start to the day. Great Britain is getting stronger and faster every time we play them, which requires us to make adjustments. I think they may have more overall speed than most of our other opponents.

I didn't play much in this game. We ran different line-ups and everyone got a chance to see the floor. We had some great transitions and I think our back picks are looking really strong. We continued to improve throughout the game, so we only had a 30 minute shoot around. It was a refreshingly short practice, but because I didn't play much I decided to visit the local gym. There is a really nice health and fitness spa close to our hotel where I went to bike for a little less than an hour.

I made it back just in time for dinner. As I previously mentioned, we were not quite sure what to expect from the British cuisine, and as far as I can tell the one thing we can be sure of is that the British love their butter. The vegetables looks healthy and then you bite into them and the first thing you taste is butter. Not that I am complaining by any means...I mean who doesn't like a little butter??? And who knows...maybe Paual Dean taught the chefs at our hotel how to cook?? Either way...we are learning that there is butter in everything.

After dinner, it was time for treatment and bed. Natalie (my roommate) and I didn't even have enough energy to watch tv. We each read for a bit and then passed out.
Well...there you have it...not too shabby for Day 2.