Month One

It's been a month here in Portugal and everything is going pretty  good.  I apologize for not keeping everybody up to date, no excuses really, just a bit lazy I guess.  I WILL get better, promise.  So far, I really can't complain about too much around here.  I didn't have internet for the first couple weeks, which was very tough.  I ditched my cell phone back in the states, and without internet, I had no means of communication to anyone.  Needless to say, when we finally got it, I was relieved.  So far, we have had seven preseason games.  I am pretty sure we started these games in a preseason tournament, and if we would have won all of them, there could have been a cash bonus.  But we didn't.  We are 4-3 so far, and I haven't done the math on my stats, but I'm guessing I'm averaging around 20 points and 10 rebounds.  I think I was named MVP of four of the games so far.  You can check out the stats at http://www.fpb.pt/ and click on VagosNorbainLusavouga at the top of the list of teams.  

Our team is very under budget this year.  Apparently one of the top players on last years team failed a drug test and we lost a ton of sponsorship money.  So, the overall talent on our team has dropped significantly.  I don't like saying negative things about any of my teammates, but some of our bench players will struggle this year.  We have a solid starting five, but after that, it really goes downhill.  I hope to help some of the guys out.  Many of them are pretty young.  A couple are super old.  The top teams in our league have very good depth.  They also have a ton of money, so the top Portuguese players go where the Euros are.  I'm not used to shooting for fourth place, but this club would be happy with that.  Outside of basketball, the guys on the team are great.  They seem really nice, most speak a little English.  My roommates, the Americans, are really cool.  We seem to get along really well.  Couldn't ask for better guys to hang with everyday.  We live in a nice house and it's a good situation overall.  We only go one two hour practice a day, and we always get a day or two off a week.  Once the season starts, we'll only have one game a week.  Living is pretty damn easy.  

We get two meals a day.  For lunch, it's a Brazilian steak house where dudes in funny get ups come out and shave a bunch of different meats onto our plates, which include rice, beans, and fries.  It sounds great, but after eating it everyday, it gets a little old.  For dinner, we go to this place where there is something different every night.  The main host is this hilarious fellow named Jorge.  He speaks worse english than I do Portuguese I think but he's always making us laugh.  He has as many screws loose as teeth missing.  But the whole crew there seems to love us and we never leave hungry.  We've also eaten some fairly exotic foods.  One night, we enjoyed some rabbit.  There has also been nights of squid, pig ears, and appetizers of fried fish, in which it looks like they caught a fish, didn't fillet or prepare it, and just dipped it in the deep frier.  I tried a bite, but even I couldn't finish the thing off.  

There are plenty of stories that I'm am forgetting to add, but I will hopefully get them in here somehow.  We have another preseason game this Friday, and rumor has it, the weekend off.  I will try to get another post up soon, until then, I miss everybody back in the states, but know that I am in good hands, having fun, and learning a lot.  In the words of Jorge, and the only English words he knows, "Take it easy".    

Pre Euro Experience

Hello to all who care to read. I'm not exactly sure how to start a blog. Some of you know me too well and some may know me only through brief conversation's in passing. Either way, I feel as though I have an obligation to let whoever I've come across in life know exactly what I am up to. Obligation seems like too brash of a word. I actually enjoy sharing my experiences so feel free to exchange that word for whatever seems right for you. I'm not an English major so please no feedback on how bad my grammer may be.
After a wonderful summer in Winona I had the honor of making it to my sister Amy's wedding. Such a great event. My brother Tommy and I got to walk her down the aisle (beach) to her incredibly cool husband Eddie. So many good people there I just can't explain how much fun it was. Everyone did such a great job putting it together. It was the first time in a while that all of my cousins from my mom's side were all in the same place. I wasn't even sure if I was going to be able to make it there since most European teams start in early September, but I was lucky enough to find a team that let me stay until Sept. 14. Amy's wedding was on the 12th so I was very grateful that this team let me stay. A couple days before the wedding I was informed that I was going to get an extra week in the states. I was super excited, mixed with a bit of anxiety, not knowing why my stay was prolonged. I'm guessing it was due to financial reasons with flights. Either way, another week (with pay) to hang out with my loved ones was an added bonus. I also got to go to Amy and Eddie's reception in Steven's Point, WI and saw a lot more of my family on the Smith side. I feel so bad not being around the Johnsburg/McHenry area as much as I should. I'm waiting for the day scientists come up with a transporting device so I can get to more places in little time. That, or till the day I make millions and can jet all over the world. Too many good people in my life to only see once in a while.
After the wedding experience, I finally had to make my departure. This was a tough one. My parents and girlfriend Laura drove me to Rhinelander airport to say goodbye. They all did a great job of making me feel like I was doing the right thing. I expected my mom to cry a bit. She did great. Only a few tears. And Laura, the love of my life, (I know, I love a girl....that's soooo gay) also held strong. Some tears and a shaky hug goodbye made me feel so lucky to say that I have a perfect girlfriend who loves me so much that she is willing to let me go overseas to do the thing that I love for a living and have faith in me to do what I feel is needed for us to live a happy and worry free life. Bill was cool as usual, but hey, he's a guy. Not gonna lie, I was on the edge of tears but kept cool. The adventure I was going to embark on was one that so many people would love to have. As they left, I tuned in to some of my favorite songs on my Ipod and journeyed through the 10 hour travel day unaware of what this place called "Portugal" would have to offer.