Baby Ray!

Here's footage of Baby Ray, as promised!

For those not in the Seaman family web of intrigue, my cousin Caroline had her second baby, Ray, to join Stella, who is 2 1/2. I was there for two weeks, one of either side of the main event, and enjoyed every minute of all of it.

Home sweet home (in the US)

Hey- made it back! I was a bit of a wreck last night when I got in to Boston, though I actually had a much more restful flight than the one from Boston to Heathrow a month ago- there was only 40 people on the whole flight, so I basically had an ENTIRE row to myself. I woke up at 8am this morning and couldn't go back to sleep, so I've been very productive so far today- too much rushing around in the past month, I guess, not used to really having time to lounge around. Anyway, I'll be here till Thursday, then I'm going to Northampton for a week, then back here to work a softball camp for Tom Griffin, the Scarborough High coach. 

Hope all are doing well!

In Enköping

Hey-
So I'm almost done :) I'm back in Enköping now, and have been since 11:30 Wednesday night. I left Norrköping (which is where I was for 4 days after I left Sundsvall) Wednesday after a clinic, and it's been really nice being back in my Swedish home (which is certainly what Ingrid's house feels like to me). We've had practices yesterday and today, but other than that I've been doing job stuff, laundry, and relaxing. I went to Vidar's school for his last day before summer break, they sing and get flowers etc, I went last year as well.
Tomorrow Ingrid and I are hitting up a few stores that I wanted to get to before I left, mostly to replace the dishware I bought here last year and then proceeded to break almost immediately once I started using it this fall. I'll be doing some one-on-one pitching lessons with the girls tomorrow, but not too much since they have a game Sunday vt. Göteborg. I'll be keeping book, which is good, as it will help me remain more neutral. It's made it harder to be on any side, even Enköping's, after staying with each club and coaching their pitchers. I'm just telling people I'm on the pitcher's team, no matter which team they actually belong to.
I last updated when I was in Söder, which was a short stay, but hopefully productive. I went up to Sundsvall for three days, and was very very busy with school and team clinics. Sundvall played Norrköping Saturday, and then I drove back to Norrköping with the team, and was there for four days. I stayed in two different places, with an American girl and her Swedish husband for two nights, then another Swedish couple with a 10 month old daughter and a golden retriever for two nights. Jenny, the mom, is great, and we had a lot of fun- I felt really at ease around her, her daughter (Hilma) and her dog very quickly, which I realized was probably because it was basically a Swedish version of Caroline, Stella and Tara (minus the added blood relation thing). So it was handy, since I miss those three (and Whitey of course;) very much.
Jenny, Hilma and I went to the zoo my last full day in Norrköping, it's one of the biggest zoos in Europe, apparantly. It was very fun, the dolphin show was amazing, and even though I never feel like the habitats are even CLOSE to big enough in zoos (which is why I don't go very often, I get depressed), it was a little better in this place, at least for some animals (the wolves, tigers, and dolphins had great enclosures, the seals and elephants, not so much at ALL). Anyway, it was a fun day, all in all. I may post pictures about that once I get internet on my own computer again.
So Sunday Enköping has a game, and then Monday I head home at 12:00 noon. I get into Boston at 8:30pm, and then it's home to Maine for about a week.
I hope all is well with everyone, I miss you, and will be able to talk much more easily soon!

Jen

update from söder

Quick update- I'm now in Söder, which is just outside Stockholm, and am about halfway through my trip. It's been really busy, but I think the clinics have gone well, and the towns I've visited so far have been happy with the experience. It's been a little stressful for me because the individual clubs did not do a very good job communicating with each other or with me, so when I show up at each place I don't know for sure IF I'm getting picked up at the train station, let alone by whom, and I have no idea what my schedule is. That, combined with not staying in a any place longer than three nights, is starting to take it's toll- but the softball is still going well, so that's good! I can sleep when I get back to the US, right?
Anyway, I had a lot of the day to myself today, which has been really REALLY nice, and now It's off for a clinic, then I'm running a practice for Söder. Tomorrow I head up north to Sundsvall. They're the one club that has sent me a schedule, and they are keeping me VERY busy, so you probably won't hear from me for a few more days.

love to all

jen

schedule

Also, here's my schedule, for those who've been asking. :)

Måndag	25/5	Leksand
Tisdag	26/5	Leksand
Onsdag	27/5	Karlslund	Åker till Örebro på förmiddagen
Torsdag	28/5	Karlslund
Fredag	29/5	Karlslund
Lördag	30/5	Göteborg	Åker till Göteborg på förmiddagen
Söndag	31/5	Göteborg
Måndag	1/6	Göteborg
Tisdag	2/6	Söder	Åker till Stockholm på förmiddagen
Onsdag	3/6	Söder
Torsdag	4/6	Sundsvall	Åker till Sundsvall på förmiddagen
Fredag	5/6	Sundsvall
Lördag	6/6	match Su-No	Åker med Norrköping från Sundsvall
Söndag	7/6	Norrköping
Måndag	8/6	Norrköping
Tisdag	9/6	Norrköping
Onsdag	10/6	Norrköping
Torsdag	11/6	Enköping	Åker till Enköping på förmiddagen
Fredag	12/6	Enköping
Lördag	13/6	Enköping
Söndag	14/6	Karlslund	Åker till Örebro över dagen, bor i Enköping
Måndag	15/6	Jen åker hem till USA	Enköping ser till att Jen kommer till flygplatsen

Arrival and Leksand

Hey!

    So I got here safely, all is well, and I've been put to work right away! I got to Enkoping Thursday afternoon, and stayed with Ingrid and her family. It was like I'd never left, it was wonderful- like visiting relatives. Vidar immediately wanted me to go jump on the trampoline with him, etc. All the girls on the team were happy to see me too- I was a little taken aback by how happy they were, honestly- it got a little embarrassing after awhile, but it was really nice. 

   The next day I got up early to pitch with Ingrid, since she wanted some help before I headed to Soder that day, a town just outside Stockholm. I gave a clinic there last year and stayed overnight, plus many of the Soder girls were on the national teams, so I know them all well and it was great to see them again. The session went well, everyone said they learned a lot. I'm headed back there at the beginning of next week for two more days.

    So then Friday I went back to Enkoping after the clinic, and Saturday morning I drove with the team up to Leksand for games- though I'm not allowed to play so I just kept the book. I think Leksand is one of my very favorite places here, the people are great, and it's a really beautiful area. I'm staying with the family of one of the girls on the team who I'd never met before, they have a little apartment down in the basement. They are incredibly nice (as everyone I've ever met in Sweden has been) and have been treating me so well- insisting I have dinner and wine with them, then go in their outdoor hot tub, etc- tough life, no? They're getting their money's worth, though, I gave a clinic yesterday,  am giving one today and helping run practice, and then am going to a school to give lesson during the day tomorrow before coming back here for a final clinic. 

   So life is good! I need to do some work now, so I'm off, hope all is well!

Jen

I'm off!

Okay. I leave for Sweden in 5 hours. I will update this blog as non-sporadically as possible, which you all know may mean anything from a coupe times a week to no posts until August, two months after I get back. 

Wish me luck!