natty-natt

January 8, 2007 9:34pm

Guess I’m becoming a bit (too) relaxed about my aim of updating my blog in a timely fashion. Guess it sorta feels like life here is becoming more, oh, well routine. In a good way. Like I’m really living here and not just visiting. : ) So…

We had a game yesterday and lost. Boo. The game was about 1.5 hour bus-ride, south(ish) from here. Our team lost when we played them at home (before Erin and I arrived), and now we’ve gone and lost again. We didn’t play any defense; at least, Erin and I didn’t think we played any defense. Transition D was generally really bad and they also shot very well (9 of 13 threes!). Their post players made a good chunk of the threes, which proved to be tough match-ups for our postgame. Erin kept us in the game offensively in the first half; I don’t know why she seemed so open. She made some tough shots too. In the second half we made a run, took the lead (I think), and then they dropped back into a zone. Great call by their coach; we could do nothing against it. We had a serious scoring drought. We ended up down by ten with a few minutes to go. Somehow we gained a two-point lead with a minute left, but then totally didn’t finish the game well. Players aren’t allowed to call timeouts in the league here; and, well, let’s just say we probably could have made good use of some timeouts in the last crucial possessions of the game. Bummer. We totally could have won. They did play well, perhaps even the best they had all season. Nobody likes to lose (especially to the same team twice!). I hope we see them in the playoffs… maybe in the championship series?!!

Today was good. It was a day off from basketball and I was in lab all day. It was my first day back there since before Christmas. I’m still so happy to be there, with the opportunity to really be doing research. Aaron, my American supervisor, is a great teacher and has more time for me now that the other student he was supervising returned to Italy. I learned how to do a western blot today. Yeah. : ) It’s so much fun to learn new things! I know, I’m a nerd :) :)

I had a good weekend too (well, before the game). On Saturday afternoon I met up with a family that I may potentially begin to occasionally babysit for. The dad is Australian, the mom is Swedish, and the little boy is a charming (at least on first meeting!), strawberry-blond, 16 month-old named Liam. They don’t need a regular babysitter, but rather are just looking for help on an occasional basis. Perfect! I didn’t think I would say this while playing overseas, but I really don’t think I have the time to have a “regular” babysitting schedule. So, even if I was able to help them out even once a week, I think that would be great for the both of us! He was cute. We (Craig, Tove, and I) were all sitting up at a bar having fika and Liam kept coming over to me and asking to sit in my lap. Guess I didn’t scare him off too much ; ) Don’t know when I’ll first get to help there, but hope it’s soon!

On Saturday I also met up with a youth leader, Chris, from Immanuel International Church. Chris grew up in Minnesota and has been working at this church in Stockholm for the past four or five years. I’m really excited because the church has some good programs for its youth. And, I think I may get to start helping out. The next fellowship event for kids is Saturday right during my game, but hopefully some other times will work out. I guess there are a handful of young girls who are pretty sporty and really like basketball. Chris thinks it would be fun to have a little basketball tournament or at least some sort of clinic or open gym. That would be great! I’m just excited to be getting involved in a church community.

Tomorrow my schedule looks like this: weights in the morning, lab all day (learning another new procedure!), and then practice in the evening. Oh, I think tonight I’ll finish this terrific book I am reading… The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat by Oliver Sacks…and then, I’ll move onto reading another one of the many books I brought back from home. Don’t know which one. Hmmm.

Alrighty, “natty natt.” (like "nighty-night," but the swedish version… I don’t think Madde was pulling my leg! Hopefully not :) )