Not Good

It’s been a shitty few weeks.

Our injury problems keep getting worse, with Lasse and Henkka added to the infirmary.  We also only got one point from the first 3 of our six games this month.  The fixture congestion is hurting us more than any other team, but more on that another day.  And now my computer is causing me problems which is why this post wasn't up days ago. That means no pictures until I can figure these problems out [edit: pictures up]. The only silver lining is that we probably only have to get through the rest of May with the small squad that’s remaining.  After that we should hopefully be significantly more healthy.

I’ve had a weird month, with bright spots but also some terrible low points.  I played a really bad game against HJK, then a good game against Jaro, and followed that up with another really bad game against KuPS, though I salvaged that by scoring at the end.  My inconsistency these past few games bothers me more than any fan might be bothered by my bad games.  It’s frustrating because I was going well in the preseason and the first few Veikkausliiga games, but in the MYPA game last month I hurt my hamstring and since then I’ve really struggled to find my form again.  If we had the squad for it, I probably would not have played these last few games.  My leg feels better now, but I’m still not close to 100% healthy.  I wish my body would have allowed me to show better in my starting role so far this season.

I kind of glossed over the fact, but I scored my first goal of the season in the last game!

I’m aware that I’m not everyone’s favorite player on the VPS roster, but I hope people at least respect what I bring to the team.  The KuPS game was probably more representative of what I am for VPS than any other.  I played the entire 90 minutes on an injured hamstring, one that if I injured it worse could doom my career since I rely on my speed and a torn hamstring could take that away.  I played 75 of those 90 minutes in a position that is not my preferred spot because the team needed me to.  I had a horror show in that position and made mistake after mistake, but I like to think that I never stopped working for the team.  And then in the end I scored a sloppy goal after missing a handful of chances earlier.  For those hoping for me to go away, it's not gonna happen anytime soon after the last result!

The fact that I got the 3 “Lions” medal after the game almost made me laugh, since I was as aware as anyone that my game as a whole was awful.  I guess a goal cures everything.  Being a striker has it’s perks!

Off the field, I’ve been enjoying myself this month.  Vaasa went from spring to summer then back to winter since I last posted, but now we’re having spring again.  I’ve stuck to my pledge to get out of the house more, mostly because I no longer have a roommate and just get so bored at home.  It’s done wonders for my morale, especially when the team is having a rough moment in the season like we are now.  I remember around this time last year we had a game in Helsinki against HJK.  The night before the game we went down to some small town hotel outside of Helsinki and I decided to take a walk.  During that walk in the woods I sat down (in the rain, no less) and almost broke down crying thinking of how much I wasn’t enjoying myself.  The sheer length of the season that still remained weighed down my spirit.  I sat there for like an hour listening to music and just feeling sad, like some emo teenager.  I’m happy to say now that I’m in a totally different mindset.  I just realized a few days ago that I’m 25% through my contract and I don’t miss America at all at the moment.

I’ve also been immortalized in lego form thanks to VPS’ fans!  I know I said not everyone rates me, but I definitely think I am well-liked as a personality.  I also think the novelty of my hair had a big part to play in my selection to be re-created as a LegoMan.  I actually bought three of them: One for me, one for Celia and one for my niece.  I’ll eventually give the one I’m keeping at my house to my mom or dad if they want it for their desk.  I’ve got to thank everyone who voted for me.  You guys (or let’s be honest, with a face like this it was probably the gals :) ) are awesome!

The meme: