Shanghai, Smanghai

Well, we played Netherlands. One of the four teams....we came out a little nervous, but very steady. We won the first game 21-13. I think we were shocked it happened so easily. Came out in game 2 knowing we had to step up our game. We played well. It was a close game, point for point. We were leading most of the game...then it came down to the last few points......we lost 24-22. So, we begin the third game. Now in 95% of cases that go three games, the team that wins the 2nd usually wins the 3rd.........so, we had to play better than we did in game 1. Well, in fact we ended up losing 15-12. Disappointing!

Now we are back in our hotel.......winding down and watching a bit if SCRUBS. Yes, we have four seasons of this stuff. Its a good laugh anytime you need it.

Starting off in Shanghai

So, it has been a while since I have blogged simply cuz I cannot remember every single password and username for every single account I have for everything. So, I had lost all my info, thought about getting a new blog page....then, thought better find out how to log in and keep everyone updated. I think its going to work this time. We will all see, huh?

So we are at the Seagull Hotel in Jinshan District in China. We arrived Friday, April 25 at 9:30 am. We tracked down a $100 cab ride to our hotel, which was about 2 hours away-or so it seemed. But, we are here. We started off at the Jinshan Hotel, lasted less than 24 hours before we checked out. We really got what we paid for. $58/night equals no internet, no carpet, squeaky floors, a terrible view, and a scary night sleep. Not really, but we heard everyone else was staying at the Seagull. So, we switched and that is how I can blog right now in my hotel room. Shanghai is great, It is cheap, there is a Pizza Hut, McDonalds, and KFC....and many other Chinese food places. We have eaten in our hotel and Pizza Hut, that's it. It's different here.

The shuttle bus takes us to the VB courts everyday where we practice and get ready to redeem ourselves. Feeling great. Waking up at 5 am and asleep every night by 830pm, just like a farm kid. We really cannot sleep in past 5 am, which stinks cuz breaky is at 630am. We are almost finished with Season 2 of Scrubs. Yes, we have gone through season 1 already and have 2 more before we ran out. All is good, Chad has his air mattress. We are a big happy traveling group. Tata for now!

PLAY TODAY

So, we awoke this morning to find it had poured all night. It is windy and cold. We will start the qualification this afternoon following all the country quota matches. heidi and I should be a top ten seed. We will find out about 1pm today. All is well and we are excited to start off the season.

Down Under in 2008

So we have begun. Well, not yet, but soon. Heidi and I are in Adelaide, Australia. Arrived Tuesday, training everyday and sunshine mixed with wind. This is a quaint town. Not much to do, so we have been hanging in our apartment with the Dutch girls. Marlooes and Marleen are from the Netherlands, we met them a few years back in Korea. They had a reservation for a 2 bedroom apartment and asked for us to join. Its great. Kitchen, bathroom, washing machine, tv, and we all have a bed.
We will be here in Adelaide until March 29. We begin the event next Wednesday. That is Tuesday for you back home.
A great friend of mine from college lives here with his wife and 6 month old baby. Axel, Catherine, and Xavier. We bbq'd with them last night and had coffee this morning. It was great. So, more to come, but this is the start.

SD-Yuma-Vegas in a Day!

Started off Friday morning leaving North county at 730am, trying to get to Mission Beach by the 8 am departure. We(Bil, Jayden and me) were headed to Castlerock, Colorado by truck through Yuma, Arizona. I intended to go along for the ride and help keep Jayden busy and assist Bil with driving if needed. We made our way out of Mission Beach by 9:40am with the truck and shell top full. We headed first to Trader Joe's cuz Bil does not have one in Colorado. Next, across the street to WAl Mart. Then back on the freeway. About 5 miles later in El Cajon, we had to get gas. Also, Bil did not have breakfast, so we found an Alberto's for breakfast burrito. Now, we are on our way.....it is 11:30am. We're driving, driving, smooth.....Jayden has Geo Tracks on. Just passed El Centro,I had to pee. We stopped just past the quads playing in the sand. I got out, went to the bathroom and came back to Bil being on the phone with the trailor rental people( We needed the trailor to pick up the couch and chair from Yuma)The rental company said "Where are you?" Bil said El Centro. They said" oh, you're about 6 hours away" Bil said no, we are about an hour away. They said we are in Fortuna, California near Eureka. We needed the rental off Fortuna rd in Yuma....since our phone service came on and off, we had to wait for the 30 minute conversation to finish. Fortunately, the rental company in Yuma had plenty of trailors. Arrive in Yuma, rent trailer (takes 45 minutes...it is 2pm now). We head to storage unit to get couch. couch is in the back of the unit. So we unload everything. Bil and I and Jayden helped. Piece of cake. On the road by 3:30-after picking up KFC for lunch. Where we were headed next was a mystery until we decided to go through Vegas so Jayden could see the Polar Express 4-d film. The drive to Castlerock through Arizona and New Mexico was 16 hrs. The drive through Vegas was 17 hours. No biggie. Well, we were on a 2 lane highway for most of the drive, with a trailor attached. Going no more than 60mph. In fact we headed West a bit before driving north to Vegas. About 2 hours before getting to Vegas, Bil decided he was tired and it was too far to get to the hotel he had reserved in Richfield, Utah (this was 3 hours past Vegas). So, we pulled over, called Orbitz and cancelled our reservation. No problem. But, we had to reserve a hotel in Vegas......after some coercing, we got one....Holiday Inn express. So we get to Vegas and call the hotel...."Holiday inn Henderson" she says. Henderson, the town we passed 25 minutes ago. Wow....this is a long one.........TBC

Home for the Holidays

So I have been in the US since Dec 17. I am officially enjoying an off season with no stress of training or touching a volleyball. But it is a short off season. After the new year, things will be back to normal. For Christmas, my entire family was in San Diego. My parents stayed at my sister's house, my brother, sister in law and nephews stayed in a beach house in Mission Beach. Drew and I stayed in our homes; however, we frequently congregated at the beach house. Over the course of the Christmas week, I rode the bumper cars at Belmont Park, played some catch with Ryan and Bil, opened a teddy bears belly to find a BEAUTIFUL sapphire and diamond necklace inside, played with Jensen and Jayden, got a game of Catchphrase in there, and spent some great time with my family. At the tail end of the week, my Hawaii grandmother surprised us all and came for a visit....on Friday, December 28 I decided I was going to drive to Colorado with my bro to help with Jayden........but it turned into a HUGE adventure...TBC

Home via Bangkok

Since the last match in Korat vs. Indonesia, I have obviously not kept up with the blogging. To be brief about it, we headed straight to Bangkok on a bus the morning after we lost. We stayed at the Alexander hotel for 3 nights and had a blast. Bankgok is certainly a busy, fast paced city. We shopped, ate tons, saw the Grand palace, and went to the floating Market..........We really experienced some things that no other place in the world could match. Then we headed back to Los Angeles. And, we were very ready to be home.