Christmas times!

I’m SO sorry I’m so lazy! Honestly, you’d think me not posting forever just means I’ve been super busy but that is not the case. I’ve been pretty relaxed. However I was waiting for photos off Lisa’s computer to post but then it exploded so it looks like I’ll have to find some alternative photos.

So what have I been doing...well I sung and played with my percussion class at our schools Holiday Notes concert. The concert itself was good but my performance was certainly NOT a highlight. And yes yes I know thats what they all say but honestly...it was shameful. I was silly and went with a song our choir accompanist chose for me. I really liked the song but it was way out of my range and I could not get hang of the breathing. I think I sung better at my grade 5 talent contest. The start and the end of the song went rather well but the middle...oh the middle... I sounded somewhat like a shrieking harpy. Imagine a shrieking harpy ’singing’ the words THE JOY THE JOY THE JOY. Not very bloody joyful if you ask me. I wanted to rip my own ears off and it was coming out of MY mouth. BUT I’m putting it behind me, moving on, bouncing back and all that crap. It’s over now. Thank Oprah.

Moving on from my humiliation...

American Christmas was a blast. The day before Christmas eve, the family and I headed up to Kearney to the Ramada Hotel where we met up with Lisa’s entire family. Lisa is my host mum for those of you that don’t know. We had a wild night. Presents, food, games, the whole lot. Things got kinda crazy...ANYWAY. I’ll have to explain in person. There are things that I might get in trouble for posting.

Christmas eve was spent at Jeff’s parents house. We opened a few presents, took a few photos which I don’t think exist anymore, and we made some general chit chat. Lovely christmas. Having presents 4 days in a row was pretty flippin sweet. I say 4 days because on Christmas day we got prezzies from ‘Santa’ and on boxing day we exchanged all the gifts from each other! It was wonderful. My host family rules. Sadly, I did not get the white christmas I’d hoped for. I mean there was snow around....but it was all patchy and depressing. In fact, it was a little bit shit. Poor form snow. Get your act together.

I’m so ready for my 6 week break now. Sadly it’s only 2 weeks because America is crazy town. Right now it’s new years eve and my boy Adam decided to bugger off to New York and leave me in the pathetic snow in Nebraksa to run suicides with coach Ball Buster at 8 in the morning. Thanks pal. Times square is poo anyway! I didn’t even wanna go..so you can just....GET MUGGED! Ha! :D :D :D

I found some Christmas time photos!! I’m sick of talking to you people. All our conversations seems so one sided. Some participation would be nice. Gosh.

Nate, Lexie, Lacey and I

Jon, Nate, Lexie, Lacey, ME and Kaleigh

WHOLE FAMILY. Jeff has a lovely smile

I got hold of some binoculars... 

Flippin cold snow and flippin hard basketball.

Oh good grief it’s freezing. I do love the snow but I don’t love the cold. I do believe the coldest weather I’ve ever experienced in Australia would probably be around -5 degrees Celsius. Here I have experience NEGATIVE THIRTY DEGREES CELSIUS. Not a fun time. Luckily a big feathery coat came in the mail today from some domestic goddess, otherwise known as MUM. It’s not all bad news though. Playing in the snow it good fun. Especially when Lexie bends over to collect some snow to throw at me but she ends up splitting her jeans instead. Just split em. Right down the cheek. Brilliant. This is the kind of thing that happens when you mess with an Aussie.

So as you already know (I think you do anyway), I joined the school basketball team. And let me tell ya, it’s a bloody disaster. I’ve never in my life been in a constant state of confusion but in basketball...well thats pretty much it. SCREEN, PRESS, FALLOUT, OUTPUT, CUT KJDGNSJNDGKGNDFNG. I don’t have a clue, and they all make it look like common knowledge. I’m getting rather sick of feeling like the team bafoon. All I’m good for is getting a laugh out of the girls by saying things like ‘bugger’ and ‘you bloody champion’. You can’t say bloody hell though, or you’re in deep doo doo. My Basketball coach doesn’t even allow you to say ‘sucks’ or ‘stupid’. You have to say silly or she’ll make you run suicides. I had my first game the other day (we lost) and I honestly was not prepared for our big pre game prayer. Begging baby jesus to win the game and whatnot. Just another thing I’ll have to get used to :D

Americans do things very differently when it comes to sports. Everything is just like the movies. It’s do or die. Incredibly intense. You don’t get a drink until your told, you never question the coach and you NEVER complain. Whenever we run suicides every time we touch a line we have to say something encouraging like ‘we can do this!’ or ‘keep pushing!’. I felt kinda silly at first, because you’re CONSTANTLY cheering everyone on but after doing it for a while, I can’t imagine not being constantly cheered on. It’s the only thing that really gets you through the tough practices. Coach is just a nicer way of saying slave driver. Usually after we run seven thousand suicides I wish I had a diary just so I could write nasty things about that coach in there. 

In Australia, if you don’t like what the coach is having you do, you tell them. Well at least on my soccer team we did. We didn’t call our coaches ‘coach’ either. You just call them by their first name. You can muck about, have a laugh, go get a drink when you want, swear, and not take anything too seriously. I asked to get a drink in practice here the other day and coach gave me a look as to say ‘you’re kidding me, right?’. It’s TOUGH. My boys soccer team would NEVER be able to do what Broken Bows girls basketball team does. It’s mental. As tough as practice is, I always have the support of the girls though, which is nice. More than nice actually. Even when I pass, shoot, and dribble like an absolute retard they still have my back and tell me I’m doing a good job. 

On completely different note, weird American things I’ve noticed recently:

1- Americans don’t have Honeycomb

2- They never say ‘reckon’ when they mean think like we do

3- I told Lexie I had a parcel from Mum coming in the mail and she laughed for a really long time before asking ‘whats a parcel?’

4- When you say you got absolutely flogged in a game or in practice, that means jack over here. Woopsie daisy!

5- Trying to explain to an American what Hedgehog is, is REALLY hard. I mean, how do you explain it? “Umm...it’s like a chocolate slice with biscuit and icing.” They don’t say slice, biscuit, OR icing. So what the good gravy do you say!? Don’t know. 

Thats it for now then I spose. Ciao!