MANY THINGS HAVE HAPPENED...

Today is Friday, I think... once you get into a tournament mode or into a season, there are only game days, practice days and off days... no such thing as Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or even a weekend ... We are in Kosice (Slovakia) now... our last stop in this summer's Euro Qualifier.
...let me try to summarize the last two weeks of no-blogging.

GREAT START IN THE UKRAINE:
We started with a big win in a sauna-like environment in Kiev. I can honestly say that have never played in such a hot and steamy gym like this before in my life...(not even in the Bahamas).
The only upside to that situation was that it was fair game: also the Ukrainian ladies had to fight the steam.
With endurance and fighting we were able to come out on top.

Funny story: many of you might know that I have a hearing loss of about 60% in my left ear due to tinnitus, which has tendencies to increase when I work out... so while we were playing in those tropical temperatures all I heard was the crown shouting: "SUPA-LIN-DA".
At the end of the game I asked my teammates i they had heard that cheer as well... everyone just shook their head and said that it was "UUUU-KRA-EEEEE-NAAA".... lol... hey, whatever floats my boat!!!

ALMOST A DREAM COME TRUE:
In Wolfenbüttel a very  special guy joined the team.... my husband!!! He was able to take some time off from work to cheer us on during our 3-game-Germany-tour. For our first game, he was joined by one of my sisters and my mom, who took the 3 hours-roadtrip in the middle of the working week. For the first time ever, my husband and family united at one of my German national team games. A dream come true... well --almost-- because in my dream we also won the game... but that day we didn't. England was able to get the upperhand :(

HALLE/WESTFALEN:
What a bath of mixed emotions. Arriving in Halle we were in awe about the facility and the hotel that was presented to us and FOR US... mixed emotions, because we knew that this royal treatment was only possible, because we were about to play a double-header with our mens team.... Then a win against the then-favorite Slovakia washed all that away, because at the end of the day... winning that's what it's all about ;)

BACK TO REALITY:
After a 5-hour bus trip we finally arrived in Berlin at around 1am... better that way, because who wants to be on the bus on their day off, right? Well that's what I thought. Now looking back, I wouldn't have minded to stay another night at a 4-star hotel in the shadow of the men's team.
From being treated like royalty during our one night in Halle/Westfalen we were thrown right back into our reality... all I say is youth hostel "hotel"...oops, did I say "youth hostel"... well, I meant it. The hotel was shocking and to tell you the truth I was embarrassed to host any team in a place like that. Due to dirty plates, "crunchy" lettuce, and filthy rooms diarrhea, headaches and sleepless nights weren't far.
Nevertheless, it wasn't an excuse enough for our bad performance against the Ukraine... just like IN THE UKRAINE a couple days back, it was a even playing field, and unfortunately the other team was stronger this time.

YESTERDAY IN LIVERPOOL:
Don't want to lose many words about the game (we lost).
It was my first time in England and I must say that I was delighted... I would definitely like to return... next time for a little vacation rather than a butt-whooping.

OUR RECORD NOW: 2-3

THE FACTS:
#1: we will have to win on Sunday against Slovakia to give ourselves a chance to directly qualify
#2: Ukraine has to lose against Great Britain

I want to close this post with one of my favorite songs... which are so fitting for this occasion.

AUF GEHT'S DEUTSCHLAND- I BELIEVE!!!!!!

FIRST CLASS

Legroom on the train to the airport... Gotta love it... One of the few times being tall actually turns out to be a disadvantage.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

MADE IN GERMANY... THIS IS GERMAN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL 2010

This is a teampicture we took in Borken... aren't we cute?
And look how tiny I am... I should be in the front row... lol.

The Final Roster for this year's qualification has been set:
# 4:  Roli-Ann Nikagbatse (ohne Verein)

# 5: Anne Breitreiner (Club Athletico Faenza/Italien)

# 6:  Dorothea Richter (TSV Wasserburg)
# 7: Lisa Koop (BC Pharmaserv Marburg)

# 8: Sarah Austmann (evo NB Oberhausen)
# 9: Stina Barnert (TV Saarlouis Royals)
#10: Romy Bär (TV Saarlouis Royals)

#11: Margret Skuballa (BC Pharmaserv Marburg)

#13: Linda Fröhlich (Ros Caseres Valncia/Spanien)
#15: Petra Gläser (ohne Verein)
#21: Birte Thimm (evo NB Oberhausen)# "gosh, I'm not sure...sorry Kat": Katja Bavendam (Hondarribia/Spanien)

Because there are only 12 players allowed on a roster, we had to say "see you later" to Katarina Fikiel and Tina Menz.
As for me, it was a pleasure meeting them, and I am sure that in the future they are going to be great players who will represent Germany.

We missed them very much, and girls: will be fighting for you, too!
MIT HERZ UND HAND!!!!

WHILE WE WERE MINDING OUR OWN BUSINESS...

... at the airport in Cologne. So did they: Jeffrey Atkins and his crew.
You wonder, 'Who is Jeffrey Atkins?'

"Holla Holla"... yo man, Ja Rule!

At the conveyer belt in Bucarest we met up and "Ja" recognized us ;) and asked us to take a picture for a keepsake.... he wanted to come and watch us play, but he had a gig lined up in another city during that time... oh well, maybe next time, Ja!

AIRPORT IN COLOGNE

This morning we left our hotel in Mettmann to move to our final destination in this preparation phase: Bucharest.

We'll be playing two games against the Romanian nationalteam there and I'm actually really excited about it, as I get to see some friends from last season again :D
Well, at the moment we have some time at the airport to spare... To be exact 2 hours, which our travel coordinator thought to be a good enough buffer for a domestic flight.... Geesh!
Here are the different ways we utilized this spare time:

Liso is studying

Peti is wide awake...

Coffeebreak for our odd couple Stina & Kat (one is the shortest and the other one the tallest).
And Nine-A, our physiotherapist is looking cute

Tinchen is relaxing and reading a book

Ex-DBB-President and now director of operations, Roland Geggus and watching the funny bunch from afar

The "Bear" is hibernating

Our Sku-Balla already finished a little powernap

a pilot who had the audacity to wake our bear from hibernation... well, he got what he deserved: stanky-feet-in-da-face

Annie Bananie taking a quick trip to La La Land

You might think they are glued together... this picture doesn't help to prove otherwise
Birah (Birte & Sarah) reading some high-quality news

Roli-Ann Andarina Edward Ogharanemeye Nikagbatse is stretching her back

"M" to the "E", to the double-"T." ... Mettmann. Mettmann

So many things happened in this city where my favorite German Comedians Hape Kerkeling has danced the samba before.

In big fashion, our visit started with an invitation at the mayor's house, where were welcomed by the leader of the city who gave us an insight into the "specialty" of Mettmann. It's the city of the Neanderthal... most of us didn't know that about that city, so it was definitely educational. The mayor and the organization staff showed a lot of enthusiasm about the upcoming event and made us feel very special.


In the end, we were allowed to signed our names into the city's guestbook, and took a picture with the proud mayor.

Signing the guestbook in Mettmann

Somehow we managed to "serve" the mayor a shirt that was a tad bit too small... but he showed to be a great sport and sported it the next day at the game against Belgium.

WHERE'S LINDA????? can you find me?

Unfortunately we weren't able to win against Belgium, not at home  on Saturday (in Mettmann) nor on Sunday in Sprimont, Belgium.

Maybe it was still the fluke that I had brought onto our team at the day of our away game in the Netherlands... I had painted my fingernails in German flag colors: red-black-gold.... BUT... I messed up with the order in which I painted them... I lined them up like the Belgium flag... no wonder Belgium won twice... I had secretively had been their supporter. Shame on me! I am sorry ladies.

But hey, that's what this preparation phase is all about: to get all types of the little faux-paux out of the way. That's why it's called PRACTICE GAMES!

Speaking of practice, here are two pics from us riding back to the hotel after practice... in our Escalade team bus ;)

THANK YOU METTMANN for a great event.
Thanks for laying out the wooden floor... especially for us!!!!! For athletes, that's like rolling out the Red Carpet.

Now we are off to București (Bucharest, Romania) tomorrow morning.

Photos at the Mayor's house: courtesy of Dietrich Janicki