REIGN IN SPAIN?

Hello all! I hope this mass e-mail finds everyone doing well. So let me get started by briefing you on what has been going on since the season ended.

I was able to go home to Indianapolis for a few weeks and spend some time with family and friends. It went by too quickly, but it was so nice to be able to be home and see everyone and spend some quality time in our house. I got a lot accomplished while I was there. I did some home improvement things which I am so into these days, and it was so much fun.

I shouldn't mislead anyone, though. I am really not the one doing the actual home improvement. You see, I’m not talented in a handy way, and I have to hire outside help whenever I want anything done. I am the person with the ideas of what I want done. The handy work? Well let's just say that neither my husband nor I are experts in that area. However, if I ever want to feel better about my knowledge of home improvement, I would just hang around my husband, because he is by far the worst. I think it must be a cultural thing or something, because my poor husband didn't even know how to change a light bulb one time. I am sure that he is going to be upset that I put his business out there, but I was in shock when he sat in the dark for one week while I was away because he wasn't sure how to take down the light fixture and put in a new bulb. LOL!

So anyway, eventually we both had to get up out of Indianapolis and get back to work. Things were a little crazy this off season. At the beginning of the summer, I had a plan as to where I was going to be for the winter. However, things changed, and I ended up somewhere else for the time being. I am currently in Valencia, Spain playing for Ros Casares. It is gorgeous here, and so warm. I truly lucked out on this one and I am grateful for the opportunity. I had always said it would be so cool to play somewhere warm again, so here I am soaking up the sun in Spain. I have been here now for about one month and it has been sunny and in the 70's every day. They tell me that it will get a little cooler sometime soon, but I have yet to experience it. I live in a very nice area as well. I am in walking distance to what I like to call the Spanish Bloomingdales – a.k.a. "El Corte Ingles.” You can find everything there from groceries and electronics to bedding and clothing. I also found out recently that you can walk to the beach from my house. I took a late night jaunt there, and it took me a good 25 minutes to walk. But once I got there, it was so peaceful and serene. There is something about the ocean that I love and can't get enough of. I love going there anytime of the day.

OK, enough about my city. Let me tell you a little bit about my team. So this team is really talented and very experienced. I came here like I said, sort of unexpectedly. In one week this team lost two of their centers. Of course everyone knows about Margo Dydek being pregnant! Congrats to you Margie. I am so happy for you! And also my teammate in CT and here in Spain, Erika de Souza, had ankle surgery and is going to be out for awhile so they needed someone to replace her till she is fully recovered. That is where I came in. I know what you are probably thinking. I am not a center. Indeed! But I have bulked up a lot since I left CT and now am playing a lot down low on the block! JUST KIDDING! No, I haven't bulked up, but my team here decided to go with the best available player, and I guess I was it. Also, here making my transition much easier are Evina Maltsi and DeLisha Milton-Jones. They have been great to me thus far. I have fully enjoyed having them here with me, and we have had a lot of fun together on and off the court.

So the season is still pretty early. However, we are 4-0 in Spanish League and 1-0 in Euro League. We are about to hit the road now for four straight games. I am not sure how I feel about that, but guess I am going to make the best of it. We leave this week for Mondeville, France for our second game in Euro League. It will be a tough game as they always are in Euro League, and especially on the road. Then on the weekend, we go a little outside of Barcelona and play Le'Coe Willingham's team! I am so excited about that trip I can hardly wait. I can't wait to see Le'Coe and hang out with her. She is doing very well over here and leading her team in a lot of categories. So ‘Coe we will be ready for you this weekend!!

Lastly, I have been trying my best this year to do something different. It may not sound so different, but for me, it is quite an adjustment. I have been trying to take pictures this year! I know, it sounds so easy. But seriously, I am horrible at taking pictures. Not that I don't remember my camera and all that. I am just bored by the idea of getting my camera out of the bag and snapping away. I also don’t like to ask people to take our picture. So one of my off season improvements for myself has been to try to better capture my travels via pictures.

Here are some snapshots of my experiences. ENJOY!!

I will be checking back in regularly so until next time......