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BBL Cup Final – National Indoor Arena
None of us could believe we'd be joining the team at the BBL Cup Final in Birmingham, more over we were to dance just like we do at Braehead…! Yeee haaa…! Everyone was well up for that well except poor Claire Nimmo who couldn't get time off work, the rest of us were so excited you'd have thought we were back in Primary Two and going on a trip to the Zoo…!
On the morning of our trip we picked the mini-bus up at Phoenix Honda in Paisley. Big thanks to Kate and John. 'Mini-bus'… There was nothing 'mini' about the mini-bus. Carole Anne looked tiny in the driving seat as we drove the bus back to meet the rest of the girls, I was rolling about the passenger seat laughing my head off as we crawled along the streets with the 'Yorkie wumin' in sheer panic at the size of the 'Tonka Truck' she was driving…! Me, I couldn't wait to get behind the wheel!
 Back in Glasgow we all loaded our luggage onto our 'Tonka Truck'. I started a mini video diary then too and as usual Clayr D was hoggin the camera. Actually it is VERY funny I think she could audition for "Chewin' the Fat". So our bus ride got underway, we tucked into our packed-lunches minutes after leaving and the usual 'whistle man' emerged as we had banter with each other and other strange impersonations and accents that I won't even mention… 'init' – private joke…! I don't think anyone heard Clayr or Carrie's real voice all weekend man init… (sorry) So a treacherous 2½ hour drive with gale-force winds, hail and heavy rain took us to Carlisle where we un-bolted Carole Anne's locked arms from the steering wheel. Quick stop for some refreshments and freshen up then it was back on the road with 'Long Distance Kat' (me) behind the wheel…let's get this baby to Birmingham!
Around four hours later after taking the wrong M6 cut off into Birmingham we made it…! We arrived in Birmingham city centre, next challenge was to find our hotel. That's the easy part eh…? Aye Right…! Nearly two hours later we were still circling Birmingham, the petrol light had gone on twenty minutes prior and we had asked around 20 folk for directions…!! ARGH…! e v e n t u a l l y… We found the hotel. A French type of Travel Lodge with a girl with a fake French accent behind the desk.  MY French accent's better than hers'…! Do you know that annoys me… when folk kid on they are foreign don't you think moi petit fleur…! anyway… …checked into our rooms, showered and changed clothes, Carrie and Clary were late as per usual… but soon enough we were being dropped-off in the middle of Birmingham at an Italian restaurant. Can I just add that the streets were PACKED and I mean CHOCCA with party goers and clubbers… WAAYYY busier than Glasgow city centre even on Hogmany! The restaurant was lovely and I must say I fair enjoyed my vegetable lasagne, garlic bread with mozzarella and chips…! ahh… I think I had a wee coupla Smirnoff's with a dash of diet coke too… but can't really remember much as I think someone must have spiked ma drink… Ha Ha KIDDING. I was in ma bed for 9.30pm…!! er hum…! After the lovely meal we headed to the 'Living Room' club for a wee half hour, well it was still very early…! Shortly afterwards we were all tucked-up in bed ready for our big debut the following day. That must have been about… ehm… say… ten past ten…!!!!!!
Cock-a-doodle-doooo…… Morning…!!
 Rotten sleep I had in the hotel bed. Think I'm just too used to my own bed. After breakie (some had a healthy breakfast, some didn't and most importantly there was no tattie scones…) we headed to the NIA (National Indoor Arena). Whaow… I thought Braehead was big… this place was HUGE and that was half of the Arena curtained off. Which was good 'cos it meant we had a great big area to practise in. To be honest everyone was a tad stressed-out as most things had changed and we weren't in the same positions to run on etc… but… us being the professionals that we are just got on with it. The team were having their own stresses as we heard their basketball shoes had gone missing…! Well they weren't getting a loan of ours…! Even Laura's size 7's wouldn't have fit their big toe…!
Curtain Up and it was time for us to go on for our first pre-game. The Arena was jam- packed, and the noise was deafening as we ran on when the American commentator introduced us. Jeso… I was really nervous until I noticed over on the right-hand stand there were hundreds of travelling Rocks fans, some in kilts, some in basketball tops, some waving Scotland flags, some with faces painted and ALL on their feet screaming and cheering and waving at us as we ran on… AWWHH… It was a great feeling… and we honestly ALL deeply appreciated it. With all you's guys there it totally calmed the nerves. So our first two pre-games went really well and the crowd certainly appreciated them. Instead of running off to our normal one line we split and stood at opposite ends. Clayr, Pauline, Nicole and Karen were in one line and their 'side-line' routine and roll-offs were fantastic, they certainly put our line – me, Carole Anne, Laura, Carrie and Katrina Foran to shame… tut… I was jealous, I always get all the dummies in my line… Ha ha Kidding…!! Back on court and the game wasn't going the way we all wanted it to. It was so frustrating as we had to cheer for both teams and remain impartial. I eventually took to screaming behind my poms and watching the fans faces was unbearable as our team slipped further. I felt like running on, calling a time-out and having a word wi' Coach Swanson and the guys but don't really know if that would have helped any. I might try it one day thou'.
 I can't bear to go over every point of the game and donate a paragraph to each quarter, it was too painful so I'll fast forward to the end… Game over and our team as you know lost the Cup Final. It was heart-breaking to watch them collect their runner's-up medals while we stood and cheered for the Bears as they held the Cup aloft in their hands. The fans faces' said it all, sponsors – Kate and John McGuire in the front row with their kids, Emma and Lauren from the Rocks, Ian Reid, Celeste, Joe and all the gang… every-one were devastated. The loss put a dampener on what we thought had been a great day, our performance on court went really well and we were really chuffed with ourselves. However, the Rocks will bounce back, they have to, and we'll be there every time to support them.
So a few glum faces as one and all headed for their bus and a long journey home. Before we departed on our journey we popped upstairs to the Merchandise Stall who had took 100 of our Charity Swimwear Calendars to sell, our intention was to collect what they hadn't sold and the cash, how pleased were we when they had sold every single one…! How's that eh…? Cash For Kids and CHAS will be well chuffed…! A massive thanks to all the fans at the Birmingham NIA – we really appreciate it. Also credit to the Bears' supporters who were very supportive of us too.
Well that was us – adventure over… We headed on our way and met up with the Rocks team and Coach at the first service station where we all had stopped off for a wee bite to eat. What are they service stations like… pure £300 for a cup a tea…! After hiding from Clayr and Carrie in the Carlisle Service Station Car Park (as they were taking so long as usual) we eventually pulled into the Glasgow area and could hear Adrian Coll on Clyde1. I gave him a wee call and filled him in on the events of the weekend and asked him to play ma fave Dolly P and '9 to 5' . So we were all waiting patiently on the song coming on and then…… it kicked in…… YYEEHHHAAA…!! ROARS of cheers erupted in the bus as we all sat bolt upright clapping and cheering and started to sing… it really cheered us all up after a long weekend… THEN…… Adrian decided to put it off……!!!! after one line……!! ……there was a deafening silence on the bus……followed by AAAWWWHHH… as fandan Adrian said on-air "Well I did say I 'might' play a wee bit"… See noo if that was Suzie McGuire… She'd have played the whole lot… We need to do something with these 'self gratifying DJ's' eh…?? How much of a slap is he gonna get when we all see him…
Until Next Time… Kat over 'n' out… x x x
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