Two losses and a win.

Coming back from the holiday we were ready to give the teams we had been beaten by before a run for their money. First up was Gislaved, an away game at their house. With 2 weeks of training under our belt we were ready. There was nothing more we could have done to prepare ourselves for that match. We took the first set from them but that was all. Unfortunately we lost in 4 sets. It seemed Gislaved caught on to our game plan and executed theirs better. We could have taken them to a 5th set but it was a little to late for us.

Match two was against Sollentuna. They had recently lost one outside and libero but had brought on a bunch of lower level players to pick up the slack. They put up a good fight and were tough in defense but in the 5th set we prevailed and won! It was a great feeling although I don't think we needed to take it to a 5th set. We could have finished them off in 4 for sure. But we did what we had to do in a tough situation and over came. I was very proud of the team that night and excited that Jet (our new setter) was able to get a win on her first home game.

Match three was up against Ljungby. A division one team who qualified to get into the league last year. They have a really good middle, an outside that if there is no one up on her can make points and thats pretty much it. They are not a strong passing team if there is any sort of serve pressure on them and they are also not that great of a blocking team, if you dont hit directly in their block. Defense wise, if you hit right to them they will get it up but if not its a struggle. So we went into the match feeling good about our chances against them. I was excited because I knew what we had to do to beat them and so did everyone else. We won the first set pretty easily, only letting them in a little. The second set was not very good but once again it was little things that we had to do in order to win, they were not doing anything special. We were following the game plan which was to get the good middle out of the hitting line up and to get them off balance. However they took the next 2 sets off us winning in 4 sets. We gave them the match. We were the better team in this situation, but we ended up making to many mistakes and dropping the serve pressure in the end. The chance for a turn around was to late.

We have talks in the locker room after the match and everyone was disappointed more because we all knew that we should have won that game. It was right in front of us. I mentioned during the talk that we need to stop waiting for points to be given to us and instead take them from the other team. No one is going to give us anything in this sport or any other sport for that matter. We need to stop playing safe and to go for it. At least at the end of a match, where we all knew we really went for it, we wouldn't be as disappointed in losing. In the Sollentuna game, there was a sense of fighting on the court. Last night when it was down to the last couple points, it felt as if we had been there a million times and that was just what was supposed to happen to us. It was routine. We can't be afraid of losing because then all we will do, is lose. Something needs to change within all of us on the team, we need to stop waiting for someone else to do our job and to just go for it. What have we got to lose really? INGET.  I'm not going to give up, there is still a lot more season to go. So lets get to it then!

Christmas Time in Stockholm

Once again it is that time of year, the most wonderful or most stressful time of the year (whichever way you look at it), Christmas. This year, I would have to say, was more wonderful then stressful. The only thing I had to prevent myself from doing was seeing something that I knew someone would like and just spending, spending, spending. I had to hold back but I still got a bunch of gifts, even after the holiday! (Sales, duh!)

The past 2 years I have been lucky enough to enjoy the holiday that is Christmas with my best friend's (Sara Pettersson) family in Hestra, Sweden. I appreciated and enjoyed the time I spent with them and how they welcomed me with open arms into their home, traditions and family. However, this year I was headed to Stockholm with Jake to meet up with my parents! I was very lucky to have them coming to Sweden for Christmas this year and I am so proud of my mom for letting go of our normal traditions back home to enable us to be together on that special occasion.

We all arrived in Stockholm on the 20th of December. Jake and I took a train in while my parents flew from London (they were visiting my sister and her husband while on their own vacation). Jake and I arrived at the Hotel Rival (owned by one of the main singers from ABBA!) before my parents, so we were able to check in and take a nap before they arrived. We also decided to pick up some wine, cheese and crackers, grapes and an apple for a little welcome gift for them when they got there (well the wine for my mom of course). Unfortunately they had missed their connection and had to wait for another flight an hour later. Anyone who knows me would understand my reaction when I woke up from my nap a little freaked that they were still not at the hotel an hour after they were supposed to be. So I called them, their room, the front desk but came up with no answer. Jake had calmed me a bit so I decided to give up for the moment when the hotel room phone rang, it was them, thank God! Jake and I went down to their room to greet them with open arms. I was so happy they had finally gotten there. My mom came up to our room to have a drink before venturing out for food while my dad stayed in on a 4 hour long conference call with his company. He works too hard sometimes but he definitely gives himself rewards for the work he puts out, so I am glad he gives himself a break every once in a while.

After having a few glasses of wine, cheese and crackers, Jake, my mom and I  decided to leave the comforts of the hotel and try to find a good place to sit down and have dinner on that snowy night. After waltzing up and down one street, we ended up stumbling upon the "Stor Viking" a couple blocks from the hotel. The food was decent and we left all happy and full. Back at the hotel,  my parents were quickly asleep I am sure since jetlag was still vastly upon them, while Jake and I had other plans. Earlier that day we bought candles to light for Chanukah, being it was the first night. Jake set up a make-shift menorah on one of the window sils in our room. He then said the prayer in what seemed to me to be perfect hebrew while I read it after in english. After the lighting of the first candle he proceeded to read about the word "Faith", his families tradition. Each night a new word is introduced and is highlighted throughout a short reading. I really enjoyed listening to him read about the 8 different words (Faith, Freedom, Courage, Love, Integrity, Charity, Knowledge and Peace) each night. I wasn't aware of this but you are not supposed to blow the candles out but let them burn through the night. It was nice to wake up every now and then and see a gentle glow coming from the window sil and the stars from the sky behind. However, I will also say that I was a little worried at times that a curtain was going to catch fire while we slept although nothing like that ever happened, we were careful about it.

The next couple days of our trip were speckled with amazing sites and awesome finds. We saw a lot in a little amount of time. However to fully see Stockholm you would need at least two weeks. We were able to roam the streets of Gamla Stan (Old town) almost everyday since we had to walk through there to get back to our hotel. That area was probably one of the top things we did on our trip. The changing of the guards goes on in that area as well since the Palace is located on that island. Now, the changing of the guards is no where near as much of a spectacle as the one in London, but its something to take a glance at. Old Town also hid away a small Christmas market in one of its many squares. Some stands sold candles and candy some sugar coated roasted almonds and hot chocolate. We waltzed through these streets window shopping and peeking into the many art galleries the Old Town was home to. Tourist shops were abundant and surprisingly cheap.




Walking across a bridge you will find yourself in the center or main island of Stockholm. It was the hub of all big shopping malls and boutiques. There was even a street that reminded me somewhat of Rodeo Drive. Might as well been, all the shops were pretty pricey, Gucci, Prada, etc. While we were walking around, there was also another Christmas market and an ice skating rink. The ice skating rink is something Jake, my dad and I decided to tackle one night after dinner. Unfortunately my Dad was disappointed about how he skated claiming he thought he was going to be better at it. I don't blame him for being shaky, the skates we used were stiff, the blades were dull and the ice was packed with people. Another day we settled into plush chairs and people watched at the Grand Hotel along the water, over a glass of wine and coffee. We also checked out the Ice Bar on the main island. The Ice Bar was located in the lobby of a hotel (the name has slipped my mind) near central station. While we were there, they put you in these hooded ponchos and send you into the ice cold freezing bar for 45 minutes. You get a ice glass and a drink that is included in the price. There were also non alcoholic drinks as well for children and people who did not drink of course. My mom, Jake and I decided on a drink called the Wolf Paw. The bar tender said it was a strong drink and my mom responded with "exactly". If we were only able to get one drink in the price of our ticket, better make it a strong one. Smart lady. My dad settled on a cranberry juice concoction that tasted good as well. Being an ice chewer I tried to chew on my glass which was made out of ice but it was to dense. Almost everything was made out of ice. The seating, the walls, the bar and the cups. It was amazing and super cold! My feet were like icicles! When we were about to leave, Jake decided to take off his shirt and bear hug one of the ice sculptures for a picture. So funny!











There is an island that if you continue past the Grand Hotel, called Skeppsholmen. To get to this island you have to cross over a small bridge with a kings crown on the middle point of the bridge, painted gold. I was told by locals and the internet to get my picture taken here, so I did! There wasn't a whole lot to do that day on that particular island since a lot of things were closed. However the modern art museum had some of its exhibitions out on the lawn in front which were interesting but not curious enough to get us inside the building. We walked further down to the old military barracks that were now converted into a 5 star hotel. We went inside for a little bit mostly because my mom and I had to use the bathroom but also because my dad had told us he was considering having us stay there. I am glad we did not stay there, Skeppsholmen was a boring island and the walk into town or to any other restaurant besides its own was a trek. It was cool to walk around on but that was it.

A couple times we took a water taxi 10 minutes to Djurgarden. This island is popular for the oldest theme park in Sweden, the Vasa Museum, Skansen (the oldest open air museum in the world and home to Stockholms only zoo) and the Nordic Museum. As a family we visited the Skansen, my moms favorite site on the trip, and the Nordic Museum. Skansen is the worlds oldest open air museum, highlighting historical swedish living and also entertains a zoo with owls, lynx, birds, monkeys, seals, wolves, horses, moose, etc. Being that it was very cold, some animals were inside for the winter and the bears were in hibernation. My mom loved this part of the trip, even though our feet were like ice cubes, walking around looking at old houses that once housed poor farming families, windmills, pig pens, and stables was great to see. In the summer time the park comes to life with employees dressed in colonial style dress, acting out what their daily lives would have been like in the olden days. The Nordic Museum was also a great way to see how Swedish people lived from colonial times to the present (or close to it). On display was anything from a Doll house from the 1600's to how people celebrated Christmas.

Unfortunately my parents were not able to see the Vasa because it was closed for the holidays. However Jake and I were lucky enough to be able to go the day we left. The ship was so big that pictures online or from my camera do not do it justice. The whole ship was poorly designed and in a hurry which is why it met its demise all to soon. The ship set sail from Stockholm and with in 25 minutes had sank completely. They say that if the hull was built a meter wider it would have been one of the most dominant fighter ships in the world at the time. 300 hundred years later in the 1960's, a Swedish diver discovered the ship and decided to dig it up from the muddy ocean floor and reconstruct the ship for viewing. If any of you ever get the chance to go to Stockholm, the Vasa should be a must see for sure.

We enjoyed Christmas Eve dinner at the hotel. We dressed in our best clothing that we brought on the trip. Jake wore his new suit and I wore my black dress and heels. My parents were very impressed with Jakes attire and said that we both looked very nice. Jake was and still is very proud of his suit. He looks amazing in it.

It was Christmas night and we were looking to have a nice dinner with the 4 of us. We finally landed on a restaurant in Old Town. It was an Italian restaurant with cozy tables, big windows out to the street and candles on each table that looked like the wax drips had been collecting for ages. We made a reservation for 7pm later that night. I don't myself or my parents, or Jake for that matter have ever had Italian food for the holidays. What I think we should have done was to find a Chinese food restaurant and ordered duck from the menu like the scene in the "Christmas Story" movie. Regardless the food was great and the company was even better. Even though Christmas dinner was a tad unorthodox, it didn't matter because we were all there to celebrate Christmas day together.

Speaking of Italian food, I was asking some Swedes of good places to eat in Stockholm and a couple suggested this place called Vapiamo's. After we were walking for what seemed like forever, we finally found it on Gamla Stan (Old Town). What you do is the host gives you a sort of credit card. You take this card around to each station you want food from, you tell them what you want, swipe the card and move on to another station until you have everything you want. There is even a bar that has the same system as the food stations. At the end of your meal you go back up to the hostess and she swipes your card and tells you what you owe, genius! The food ended up being just what we wanted and needed that night. Mission accomplished.

Both my parents, Jake and I had to leave the 26th. My parents left early in the morning but not before saying goodbye to us. In order to keep my mom from tearing up, I mooned them before the elevator doors closed, they both laughed. Don't worry though we were on the 5th floor and it was 5:30am so no one was around. That day they traveled to Amsterdam for a couple days before heading back to the States. After saying goodbye I went back to sleep and we woke up later around 9, had breakfast and then headed to the Vasa museum. After the Vasa, we walked along the boulevard into the shopping area where he bought me my Christmas presents! A pair of cute slippers and new tights (same style as ones I had ripped earlier in the trip, oops!). That day there were so many people it was nuts! Jake said that it was one of the most crowded shopping days of the year because of sales and returns. I believe it, I have just never experienced it before.

Jake and I were back in our respective towns by 5 pm that night. I missed my parents already however I had gotten an email saying that they had made it to Amsterdam and were having a great time, so that made me feel better. I also missed Jake too as corny as it sounds, but spending that much time with him was amazing since we don't get to do that a lot. I am so glad that I got to spend the holidays with my parents and Jake in Stockholm. I really couldn't have asked for a better gift this year then that. It was a wonderful time and I will never forget it.

REAL New Year's Resolutions 2012

New years resolutions, real or just something to write down and look at occasionally, but really you will never do? 

Side track story time: Since I was a little girl my dad has had a sit down my sister and I to talk about our resolutions for the year. He would have us write them down and then see if we were following them through out the year. They were usually things like: don't get into fights with Ashleigh my sister, clean my room, pick up my toys, do the dishes, help mom, feed the dog, work hard in school and volleyball, brush my teeth twice a day, etc. Little things that could be easily accomplished, but what happens? I get into a fight with Ashleigh 4 or 5 days later about borrowing clothes I didn't ask for, my room looks like a bomb went off in it, the dog is still waiting on its food. school is a struggle, I need to get 4 teeth pulled and the list has some how disappeared but then reappears 4 months later...Anyway, back to what I was saying before. 

I will admit I am somewhat of a culprit to writing resolutions down and either looking at them for the first month or loosing the list all together. However, some years I have really tried to stick to them, but have come up short. Why? is the big question here. Why do we instinctively make resolutions only to break them a day, a week, a month or more down the road? Why not follow through with what you resolutely want to do? There is a simple answer really...it's because you make resolutions that are RIDICULOUSLY impossible to achieve for any one person. Here is a common resolution among a large portion of the American population: "Work out more/ Get a gym membership and use it/ Eat healthier". I mean honestly, how many people actually go through with it?! Not that many but bravo if you did hang in. If you belong to a gym I would suggest doing home workouts for a week after NYE because I guarantee the gym will be packed. Surely enough, people drop off towards the end of the week claiming they will cut it down to a 3 day a week work out instead of everyday like they originally planed, blah blah blah. Finish what you start, it feels so much better when you do. Quitting or making excuses sucks! Feeling like you have accomplished something is a huge weight off your shoulders and calls for bragging rights (if thats what your in to). 

I think I have figured out a way to make resolutions, feel confident about finishing them and to make them rational resolutions. So below I have my own resolutions, one, because I don't have Word processor so I can't write them and then print them out easily, and two because I look at this blog more then I would look at a piece of paper laying on my night stand. I have categorized them into short term and long term resolutions. I hope that if anyone sees this they keep me to my resolutions, everyone needs a little encouragement now and then (me especially). 

Short Term Resolutions:

Save ($$) as much as possible every month. 

Help recycle and take the trash out. 

Water the plants at least once a week if not more. 

Vacuum once a week 

Drink at least 1.5 liters of water every day, or more.

Shut computer down at 10:30pm every night. 

Read (book, newspaper, article) more. 

Write blog once a week or after a match. 

Take more pictures. 

Be patient. 

Get up before 10am (days with out morning practice) 

Try to improve something at every practice or gym visit. 

Walk to practice (when it starts getting warmer) 

Try to learn something new in Swedish everyday. 

Take mascarra off 3 times a week. 

Be a leader. 

Floss. 

Wear sunscreen everyday. (no more burns!) 

Long Term Resolutions: 

Learn more about and do do more with my camera. 

Try to speak more Swedish then listening and responding in English. 

Get things done myself, don't wait on others to do it for you. 

Spend less on things you want and more on things you need. 

Learn how to pay taxes. 

See a concert in the Hollywood Bowl in the summer. 

Reconnect with an old friend US or abroad. 

Be healthier (drink less alcohol, ingest less sugar/candy etc)

Help out more. 

Don't sweat the small stuff. 

Take up Yoga again. 

Rest more. 

Catch up with relatives more often then not. 

Travel. 

Create something awesome. 

Go on more hikes.

Try to narrow down a career path for the future. 

Set up my own website highlighting my photography. 

Read 10 books or more a year. 

This list may seem long but some of the stuff on here I can accomplish with out noticing sometimes. Getting into a routine with some of these resolutions is the plan. I hope that I can accomplish these things with in a years time. However I know some of the things on the list will take a little over a year to achieve so they will likely drop down to the list I will have next new years. However, let it be known that this list will be completed as best as I know how to. I ask you to keep me honest with these resolutions and know that I may add some more later on this year. Day one, begin! Got to go fill up my water bottle ;)