Spring Break 2006 - Team Travel

Forty eight hours ago I was basking in the Florida sunshine. Today, I'm back at work with a balmy 38 degrees outside my window.

We flew out of Chicago Midway in the early morning hours on Friday, March 10th and by afternoon we were in our shorts. Sunshine and warm weather does so much for the spirit!!!

Besides traveling with my 14 year old and 26 year old daughters, we added an Athletic Director, an Assistant Coach and eleven players. I have now become "Mama Knight" to eleven new "daughters". By Sunday, we had added a carload of boyfriends to the mix - faithful fans who drove all the way from Michigan.

It was a fun week, full of sunshine and softball - friends and family. Just what I needed!!!!

Spring Break 2006 - St. Patrick's Day

Well, we started the afternoon with an exciting come from behind win!!! The same team who couldn't hit yesterday came alive this afternoon!!! Then, we turned around and faced the AWESOME team from Iowa. As of Friday, our record is 5 and 3.

Once I could see that the second game was not going to be pretty, I hopped in my car and headed back to Melbourne to spend St. Patrick's Day with my brother and sister-in-law at Meg O'Malleys. Felt like I was right here in South Bend on a home game weekend - complete with bag pipers. The green beer was flowing and the Irish band was playing in the street. Lots of fun and MUCH CALMER than Bike Week!

Spring Break 2006 - Melbourne Beach

While the team practiced for their upcoming games, Kelli and I spent the day on the beach in Melbourne. It was just a beautiful day - warm sunshine and temps in the 80's - but the water was still COLD!!! Not that it matters to Kelli. She won't step in that water past her toes - her shark phobia.

Now, this is from a kid who's dream in life is to become a Marine Biologist. Sometime in the next few years she's going to have to meet this phobia head on!

Spring Break 2006 - Cocoa Beach and Ron Jon

After some early morning games on Thursday, we took the team to downtown Cocoa Beach for a shopping excursion at Ron Jon and some fun on the beach - as these pictures show. They needed a little cheering up - seeing that they lost two 1-run games that morning. As of Thursday, they're record is 4 and 2.

Spring Break 2006 - Universal Studios

Wednesday was our "day off" - no games. So, after winning two the night before, we treated the girls to a day at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in Orlando. My brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew also drove over from Melbourne and met us there for the day.

The team did Islands of Adventure, but Kelli and I chose to do the Universal side with our family. Kelli's favorite was the MUMMY and her least favorite was JAWS (but that's just because she hates sharks). As for me, SHREK 4D was my favorite and I really enjoyed TWISTER too.

For dinner, we met up with the team and 23 of us visited Jimmy Buffet and Margaritaville. What a great way to top off a fun day!!!

Spring Break 2006 - Sea World

Kelli and I woke up on Tuesday morning ready for a day of fun. The team was sleeping in since they weren't scheduled to play until evening - so Kelli and I hopped in our rental and headed to Sea World for the day. She had never been, and it had been years since I had been there. It was one of our best days of the trip.

We visited the Dolphin Nursery, where we saw moms and babies. At the Dolphin Encounter, Kelli was able to pet and feed the dolphins. We were also able to see a 4 month old baby killer whale - born at Sea World in November - birth weight was 350 pounds. He was just the cutest thing - swimming along right beside his mom.

We watched the Dolphin Show and (our favorite) the Clyde and Seymore Show (seals and otters). Kelli laughed through the entire show!!

Somehow we ended up in the SOAK ZONE for the Shamu Show and they warn you numerous times that you WILL get wet. Did we listen?


Close to the end of the show, they bring out this MONSTER Killer Whale - 200o pounds - largest in captivity. His sole purpose in life is to swim slowly around this tank and splash us idiots in the SOAK ZOME by slapping his tail in the water. And let me tell you - that water was ICE COLD!

Spring Break 2006 - Cocoa Expo

Our girls played 10 games at the Cocoa Expo over a 6 day time frame. All of the games were double headers. Add to that a cloudless sky and temps in the 80's and I have now found the way to achieve a perfect Florida tan (or burn as some of the team found out). We didn't need a beach - 20+ hours of softball will do it for you. They ended the week with a 6 and 4 record (losing two games by one run). The other two losses came to the same team (a Division 1 team from Iowa that made us look like little leaguers). WOW - they were good!!!

















It was so much more relaxing to sit there and watch the games knowing that I didn't have a daughter pitching or catching, or coming to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded! Now, I have one just coaching. Easy, huh? Well on Monday morning - approximately 4 hours prior to game time, she was ready to throw up. She was more nervous to coach than she ever was to play. Once she got that first win under her belt and a phone call from her dad and former high school coach, she was in much better shape and ready to tackle the rest of the week. By Tuesday night, we were 4 and 0.

Spring Break 2006 - Daytona's Bike Week

After arriving in Cocoa, the team spent two days on the practice field, so Kelli and I drove to Melbourne to spend the weekend with my family. While Kelli bonded with her grandmother, I somehow ended up in Daytona Beach (for an overnight excursion) with my brother, his wife and their friends for Bike Week. Now, let me just say that I was totally out of my element!!! I don't drink beer - a nice glass of wine, some Smirnoff, a little "chick" cocktail - that's me. Well, this was a BEER DRINKING CROWD!!!! Now, add to this THOUSANDS, and I mean THOUSANDS of Harley Davidson riders - old and young, and then just the curious onlookers (like us).

For every ONE great looking woman (scantily clad - I might add), there were 200 overweight biker chicks wearing something they NEVER should have been wearing!!

I'm not kidding when I tell you that one woman was wearing a red thong on the OUTSIDE of her jeans. I did take a picture of that one!

The majority of the photos I took can not be shown on this website, so just trust me to say that most of it was pretty disgusting. (I'll try and find a few, just to give you an idea - but let your imagination run wild - and you'll be right there!!)

THIS TIME TOMORROW...

...we'll be soaking up some FLORIDA SUNSHINE!!


(of course - I'm not looking forward to that 3:00 a.m. wake-up call).