"COME BACK PACKERS"

So here is the update. I feel like there is a lot to say somewhat, but it is all random things. And I decided I would explain through photos somewhat. First of all, dating back to last week, I saw the infamous pirate again. So I decided to take a picture. Then that same day I saw this woman with the MOST hair I have ever seen on someones head. Like legit, curls galore in a straight poof ball a foot around her entire head. It was crazy.  My friend said she is known in Berlin as "The Hair Lady". Didn't get a picture of her though, but hopefully next time.

Kind of hard to see, but here is the pirate.

On Thursday night, I hung out with a friend who is teaching me German and he is a great teacher. He won't even explain things in English to me, he refuses and makes me speak German. Which is good, but it makes me go crazy. I need someone like that though to force me to speak German and slow down my brain. We went to his friend's house for dinner and they had an Etch-A-Sketch. When is the last time you played with one of those? It was so cool. I never realized how hard it can be. Not sure how I even enjoyed it when I was a child, but I guess I did.

This weekend was pretty busy. On Saturday, I went to Kevin's house and we ate American pancakes with maple syrup. It was a treat that's for sure. They were awesome. Then his 6 year old daughter Emily and I had a girl date to the mall to get headbands for her. It was fun. I realize how much I love kids and miss being around them. When I go to training, before we train there are little girls training and they are all in their sweatsuits that are the same as ours and it is so adorable. I really miss coaching.


On Sunday, we had a home game we won 3-1, which was exciting. We needed a good win and after our game my friend that played basketball at Drake, was here in Berlin playing against Berlin's professional basketball game. He got me two tickets, so I asked one of my teammates to come with me, but we were really late because of our game. And let me tell you we were even more late because the tickets were a disaster. We literally ran around the entire massive building because each person sent us to the next door saying they had the "Player List". Finally we were told where they were and when we got there they proceeded to tell us that they gave our tickets away and we were too late. I mean yeah it was halftime, but who gives away reserved tickets? At this point we are frustrated and standing in some workers entrance where we had already been. Everyone claimed there was no list or it was gone, which it is not like this thing grows legs and walks away. I mean it is a professional game, like thousands of people go and there are always player pass lists. Regardless, all hope was pretty much lost because we were not about to pay 16 Euros for one and a half quarters so we asked if we could get a discount. My teammate was talking in German to this random new woman that came up and she explained the situation to her. This helpful woman ended up calling someone and saying that I was a player's girlfriend from the other team and needed to get in (Which we never said gf, we said friend but it helped so whatever I guess). So this high up event manager woman came and walked us through all these secret passages and into a premium lounge area. It was sweet. After the game there was this buffet that all the Alba players come and eat at, but we figured we would be pushing our luck trying to sneak in there. So we just waited and then went back to their hotel and hung out with the players. It was refreshing and definitely nice to see a familiar face. It is crazy they can have five Americans on their basketball teams and their coaches speak English to them.

Today, I had good ole' German tutor class and then hung out with a girl from my German class. She is actually from Wisconsin and it was so funny because we were sitting in this cafe and I saw a sign twenty feet away outside that said, "COME BACK PACKERS." But it was written in yellow and green and knowing that the Vikings and Packers played last night we thought maybe it was something about that. Like the Packers are gonna make a good run this season. So my friend ran outside and looked and said there was a website that I should look at comebackpackers.com to see what the party or whatever was about. So I looked on my phone and started laughing because we realized it was a sketchy hostel sign saying "Come Backpackers!" We felt pretty dumb. Similar to last week when my teammate wrote that they were going to a Sysha bar for her birthday and we were all invited. All week I thought we were going to a sushi bar, when in all reality it was a hooka bar. Oh the time when I just assume. Makes for a good laugh that's for sure.

My family comes two weeks from Wednesday. Can't wait!!!!!