I get on the field again

Monday 29th and Tuesday 30th

Monday was the rest day for our grade and I did indeed have a restful day. I spent the morning just reading, watching TV etc until my appointment with the physio at 1pm. Most of the others went to watch a couple of games.

The physio said my pelvis was still straight which was good and worked some m ore on various leg and back muscles. Quite painful at times. I bought a resistance band and was given a set of exercises walking both against and with the stretch.

We then went to the the movie Mamma Mia at a cinema a bit out of town. This was the nearest that had it on at a time that didn't clash with the game watching or the dinner.

The tournament dinner was a gourmet barbecue. General opinion was that is was not what one expects for $70. We did have free beer, wine and soft drink for 3 hours but you needed a lot of drinks to make up the value. It was held at the hockey centre, outside under the patio and some tents. The latter were gone today so they were obviously only their for the dinner. We had some plates of wontons, sausage rolls etc once we'd sat down. A good thing too as, despite being right next to one of the BBQs and salad tables, we were the last table to be served. By then food was running out and not everybody got everything. We had to get salads from one of the other tables.

It was a chance to catch up with friends both in the other WA teams and from interstate including the Australian team from NZ. There were the usual group photos of girls from particular clubs and our buddies from the other teams. The band started up about 9 but I thought that no-one would be impressed if I re-injured myself dancing so I gave that a miss. It was about 10 when we got home and I did my walking exercises be fore we went to bed.

This morning I stayed in bed reading while my roomies went for a walk. The team meeting was at 10-30 and Bev was presented with a Fireman calendar to celebrate her setting of the fire alarm with some burnt toast the first day.

We played SA and I was picked in the starting 11. I did the warm up runs without problems although I skipped a couple of the exercises that potentially could have strained my injury. I played high most of the time I was on. I was probably on the field for about half the game, in 4 separate runs. We scored 2 goals, both of them from rebounds off my shots at goal. Unfortunately the also score twice, once on a short and again on an against the play big outlet hit from out attacking area. It was deflected high and wide of the full back to a high striker who had a one on one with the goalie. We were a bit disappointed not to win since we again had most of the play.

Tonight we hosted the 35's at a BBQ by the pool, proving that you can put on a BBQ for less than $70 per person. I wasn't overly involved in the organisation but someone had streamers and balloons to decorate the area and we had a glowing shot glass, smiley badge and a glass of champagne waiting for each of our buddies. They in turn gave us a tournament souvenir stubby holder and a tag for a phone.

4 of them, including their male coach wore the "virgin" dresses as well as make up and wobbly eyes to look like aliens. Dinner was good and we got to know the younger WA players.

I did my exercises with the resistance band before getting to bed relatively early.

Saturday 27th, Sunday 28th (results added)

I was still sore in the morning and called a Physio recommended by Meg and was able to get a 9am appointment. He said my problem was caused by my pelvis being twisted and worked to straighten that and release the muscles and tendons on the right leg. This was causing the left leg to be over stressed and hence the strain. He worked on just about every muscle from my knees to shoulder blades.

Our coach Bev asked me to wear my gear so that the opposition didn't immediately realise I wasn't playing. I didn't do the running but hit some balls to warm up the goalie.

We were doing alright until they took a free without stopping or taking it back to the correct spot. Everyone else stopped, waiting for that to happen but they were effectively allowed to play on, and scored a goal. This upset our team who didn't play as well as we could have after that. In the second half ,Bev asked me to go on and take the short corner strikes. I still had to put in my contacts which took longer than normal since one was torn and in the end I just left it out. I was subbing with the half back, going on when we were in attack and off when they got the ball. I did take 2 corner shots, getting both away. The first missed by a foot on the left and the second was too high. In the end we lost 0-2. We were disappointed with ourselves and annoyed with the umpires who were interpreting the 5 metre rule differently, which made it hard to work out what to do.

We headed back to watch the 6 o'clock game for the 50's and the 40's after that. Like a number of the girls I got fish and chips from the palce we bought the crabs from. the 50s won and the 40's drew.

A couple of the girls came back to our room for drinks afterwards. I still hadn't got anything so I was just on soft drink.

On Sunday morning we left at 7-30 for a practice run on the high school soccer field near the stadium. I wasn't required to to the drills so was getting balls back. It seems hard to belive we played on surfaces like that only a few years ago.

We all headed out at 11 for the South Bank markets. We started at the Eagle pier and took the City Cat (a catamaran ferry). We ate lunch at the fafe area then wandered through the market stalls. Alene and I got temporary tattos. Mine is the Scopion.

We returned to Eagle pier, where they also had market stalls, before heading back to the room for a rest before tonight's game.

Later

The game was at 7pm and a was a lot cooler than for the previous 2 games. Queensland scored an early goal off a short corner. It appeared to have been a shot on goal that went left where the pusher managed a deflection. This time we didn't drop our game and continued to have most of the play but could not score before half time. When we were still scoreless half way through the second half, Bev asked me to go on. I found I could run a bit, as long as I shuffled and only took small steps. We soon got a short corner. There was a mistrap so I didn't get a shot away but Helen pushed it back towards me. I tried a reverse stick shot which was not hard or straight enough but Karen pushed it passed the goalie and in a scramble pushed it in. I subbed off straight away. After that I subbed on when we went into attack and off again afterwards. This confused the reserve umpire who wanted to know what was going on. A manager said she'd tell her - on Saturday. I had only just stepped on the second time as they made a run for goal and Betty pushed one passed the goalie to go 2-1 up. That was the final score and we all went home feeling MUCH better than the day before. That will I think put us second over the team we played, based on goal difference.

Here we go - a groin

Thursday 25th and Friday 26th

The view from our balcony is quite good in the daylight as well, with views of part of the river.

We had our training run scheduled for 2pm so there was no rush this morning. This is a big improvement over previous years where they seem to delight in giving the WA teams early morning slots, either through malice or stupidity, ignoring the jet lag factor. Obviously better organised this time.

I headed to the supermarket and bought some water, soft drink, staminade, milk and cereal, as the other 2 were off on a walk. Later we returned for a bigger shop.

Later in the morning, I set off with my laptop looking for an Internet cafe where I could access a wireless network. There is one near by but no wireless and you can't plug in your own laptop apparently. I then wandered all around and eventually up to the mall with various directions from people including the visitors centre and finally found a travel agent/ internet cafe that looked promising. They were offering 1.25 hours for $5 (better then the 15 mins in the hotel) but there was n't enough time before the meeting to take it up. By the time we got back from training it was too late as well.

This was the first time we were all together, since Alene lives here and some of us, including myself, had not been able to get to the training sessions. Unfortunately, in one of the early exercises I over stretched and strain a muscle in my groin. I was able to continue training but some movements were painful.

That night 7 of us went out for dinner, wandering first down to the pier, where the restaurants were too expensive and fancy for us and finished up in the mall at an Irish Pub. It was quite reasonably priced and had a decent variety from grills to pies, fish and pasta.

After we got back we watched some episodes of Heroes that I'd bought on DVD.

I was up early the next day and at 8 we met downstairs for a walk. We headed down to the river and walked through the park to the board walk over the mangroves, then back along the pathway towards the Story Bridge. Then back past the restaurants at the poier we saw last night and then back to the hotel. On the way we passed the 40's with 4 of their "virgins" doing their stint in the dresses. This is a tradition for the state teams.

It was just before 9 when we got back and I headed for the travel agent to get on the Net. Unfortunately they don't open till 10 so I again chased down other options. The Starbucks had wireless but it was a pricey as the room ($7 for 30 mins) so I decided to buy a week's worth at the hotel instead. At least it's now available full time.

Our manager, Marg, has bought a netball trophy called Eliza and a netball skirt as a daily "award" for something outstanding, good or bad each day. She gave it to the captain, Macca, for the first day without any reason a]other than she was to lead from the front. Macca followed up by getting lost in the car park, so in fact deserved the first award. The skirt is to be warn during the warm ups.

Our game was at 1 against the second Queensland side. This is presumably the weaker of the two and appears to be older as well. I was told they are trying to get a 60+ division started and these girls would be the Queensland team. I started on the right and my groin went in the first few minutes when I ran down the side and into the circle. I stayed on for a bit longer, but couldn't really run. I did have 2 short corner shots. The first hit the goalies pad and the second went in. I then subbed myself off and didn't play again. We had most of the play but could not score in the rest of the first half. In the second, Macca scored off a short corner and then Betty deflected one in after a cross from Lorraine. Alene who was in goals in the second half said she touched the ball once. Jessie didn't have much more to do in the first half. We had most of the play and should definitely have one but I wonder if 3-0 will turn out to be a low score against this side.

I had a massage after the game which didn't do any harm but I'm not sure if it helped much either. I was last into the showers and missed out on the fruit.

On the way back Bev and Marg stopped at the fish market and I bought 4 large crabs for our room. We cleaned then and cracked the claws then packed them in disposable containers to take to the game. As usual tasty and messy. We watched the 40s in a very good game against Tassie which they won 2-0 then the 50s who went down 2-3. Jillie scored both but the second was a brilliant deflection from a hard hit into the circle.

Our 45s played early and lost 0-2 and the 35s had a bye.

Leaving, on a jet plane

My day began (sort of) when I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t remember where I was for a few seconds – At home I realised – and what was happening today – going to Brisbane. I then went back to sleep.

I took a taxi to the airport and arrived just after our target 10-30 time. There was already a huge queue of our girls plus a South African masters soccer team also checking in at the group counters. It was certainly a different situation from my recent business class check-ins. However we all got through in plenty of time but by the time we all boarded it was 25 minutes after our departure time. I also couldn’t register my trip for frequent flyer points because I was booked as Kymberley and my card still has Kym.

I sat next to Jane who I play with in vets during the season. There was quite a lot of getting up and walking around so watching the film wasn’t really an option. It was one I’d seen going to Bangkok but had missed the start. I watched the start more or less to where I’d seen it last week and then gave up.

It was still a longish flight and it was about 7 when we landed. There were 2 large buses waiting for us and we were soon on our way.

The hotel rooms are very nice, with a kitchenette and also a balcony, 2 bedrooms, each with 2 single beds, and 2 bathrooms. We are on the 26^th of some 43 floors and have a nice view of the river from the balcony. I’m sharing with Macca with the en-suite and Alene one of our goalies has the other room. I have played with both of these girls at different clubs and in the state team before.

Alene is now living in Queensland and had arrived earlier. Once we’d bought our bags up, all the teams went to the smorgasbord pasta meal at the restaurant downstairs. It was $22 and perhaps a tad overpriced. The pasta was rather bland.

After realising I had to deselect the specific internet addresses I needed for The Pan Orient connection I was able to get through to the sign up page to use the internet in the room. However it’s rather overprices so I’ll probably go to the nearby Internet café instead.

A guest star in my own house

Monday 22nd

It has been a busy year for travelling.

In May, I was in New Zealand playing hockey for Australia in the Trans Tasman Masters, followed by a week driving around the North Island.

In June, I went to Thailand for business for 2 weeks and in the end, stayed for a month.

In August, 4 weeks later, I was in Houston for a different job and did some sightseeing in San Francisco and Hong Kong on the way back - 2 and half weeks.

Just a week after that, I was again in Thailand for a follow up and stayed for a week.

I got back last Saturday and have only 5 days at home before I head off to Brisbane. The Australian vets hockey championships run through till the following weekend and I then plan to visit 2 different friends in Queensland for 4 or 5 days each, then my parents in SA. After that it's off to Tasmania for the Mensa conference. I'll get there a few days earlier to dod some sightseeing first. It will be over a month away this time, taking my days away from home to 110 for the 6 months.

This time I'm paying, so it's back to cattle class on the plane.

I was out at dinner on Saturday night and when I was talking about something that happened in Bangkok, I had to keep pausing and think, yes that was only yesterday (or the day before) that it happened. My life seemed to have become very dense the last few days.

Yesterday I slept in till 10, stayed in bed till 11-30 and then did very little for the rest of the day. Today I've been to the dentist, who decide not to do anything and leave the temporary filling in till I get back. It looks like the root canal will still be needed. Something to look forward to.

It hardly seemed worth while unpacking and I left my suitcase in my room rather than put it away. I'll start repacking tomorrow. Life isn't dull, that's for sure.