A long week...

After the chaos and excitement of dance performances all last weekend, I am had strangely recovered by organising to take 9 14 year-olds away for 5 days to the Volleyball Junior National competition. Lucky today I am just chilling out and recuperating. The week wasn't physically exhausting for me, just a mental game of support and re-grouping after every win or loss to play another game with a fresh head.
The girls did well, although not as well as we could have done, had there been stronger resiliency in the team. We beat several teams in sets by at least 15 points, but then would lose the 2nd set and then panic into the third set. They got themselves sorted by the end of the tournament, but it was too late to prove their potential by then. Ah well. It was a good learning experience for them (and me) and they won there last few games to put the spring back in their step before coming home.

The best things of the week: fun silly team games at night, one of the girls falling through the side of a trampoline (she was totally unhurt), and the extremely funny competitiveness of my assistant coach when making up games with two couches, a ball and a Canadian.

On the drive home we noticed a big scrub fire on the side of the road. We called the fire department and then proceeded to drive past the fire (as we had seen several other cars doing). It was extremely hot and smoky as we drove past as the flames were crossing into the actual road. We drove on about 100 metres and noticed another fire on the same side of the road up ahead. We stopped because we saw police cars and fire trucks up ahead beyond the fire. About 6 other cars had also followed us and were now trapped in between the two fires on the road. We were safe, but stuck in the heat of the day (gorgeous weather here!) with all the girls getting louder and louder with no way get any cool breeze due to so much smoke. Not too comfortable. Exciting though. Delayed us about an hour.





So home and relaxing and enjoying the summer weather. 19 more sleeps till Mom and Dad arrive!