Konichiwa,
I promised I would write when I got home from Japan, and here it is! I know, I know ... mark the calendars: I finally wrote another entry without a month passing by.
It's actually Thanksgiving night, so HAPPY THANKSGIVING to everyone. I hope it was an enjoyable holiday with enough to feast on. I was fortunate enough to be able to come home to Houston to spend the holiday with my family. My mom cooked a wonderful meal, which I ate plenty of. I know you guys don't want to read about Thanksgiving dinner, so I will get on to the good stuff ... JAPAN CUP!
Japan Cup was a great tournament for our team. It's been a while since we’ve been on the field together, and even longer since we have played good competition. Japan and some of the Australian players are fresh off their professional season over in Japan. Now when I say fresh off of, I mean only a week removed for those that were in the playoffs. Seeing live pitching and real hitters consistently is always a plus.
It was good for us to go over there and see where we need to improve as a team. It doesn't matter how many games you play together the "perfect" game is never achievable, but you can strive to be close. Our team found ways to win. It may not have been the best performances, but when push came to shove on championship day, we didn't give in. It truly was one of the most fun games I have participated in. (Although I will admit I was disappointed in myself.)
We were one strike away from a win, and I threw a drop ball a little too off the mark causing a wild pitch. I guess that is why this is a team game. We came back to score on a Natasha Watley single, and I redeemed myself the next half inning.
I did survive this Japan trip without McDonald's. I vowed before the trip I was not going to eat McD's while we were there, and I didn't until we got to the airport to leave. I knew I would fall asleep on the plane, so I joined most of our team in grabbing a cheeseburger before we headed out.
Our hotel had a nice restaurant that had some really good food. We ate crab legs, sushi, sashimi, and some type of pasta almost every meal. I loved it! Our last night we went out to really experience a Japanese restaurant, and it was a blast. They have something called Shabu Shabu where they put a little stove-type thing and bowl of water on your table. The water boils and then you throw in very thin slices of meat and vegetables in the bowl to cook. There's a type of sauce they serve with it too, and it makes for a great dinner.
Now that I am out of school, I enjoy our trips more. I have more time to watch DVDs and catch up with some leisure reading. I have the first season of "Friday Night Lights" on DVD and I am now addicted to that show. Honestly, I had never watched it during the first season when it was on TV, even though some of my friends play some of the cheerleaders when they do stunts. After watching the whole season, I am anxious to catch up on Season Two.
My most recent book was an autobiography by Lou Holtz. He is quite an inspirational coach. I am in disbelief of how well he turned football programs around like he did. I would highly recommend this read! I am not sure what I am going to tackle next. I will probably find a fictional book to give me a break from these serious sports books I’ve begun to collect.
On another personal note, I chopped 10 inches off my hair and dyed it a really dark brown. I donated my 10-inch ponytail to Lock of Love. They make wigs for children who need them. I don't have a real reason I dyed it, other than I just wanted to try something different. It's a cute look, but I definitely am going to grow it out again, and keep it long next time!
Lastly, thank you to all the fans who have sent letters and questions to my PO Box. I want to say one more time, please be patient. My mom and dad check the PO Box regularly, but with my schedule it’s often hard to send stuff to me since right now I am rarely in one place long enough to get the packages. Not to mention, I only get to come home to Houston every three or four months. I actually just finished signing a bunch of stuff, so it's going out tomorrow. We appreciate your patience.
I hope everyone is gearing up for the winter holidays! I am about to return to Chicago and deal with freezing weather for the first time in my life! Stay warm and keep dreaming big!
Cat #8
