Big life change

Goodbye Austin, hello again Portland!
GoViks.com

PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland State head women's basketball coach Sherri Murrell has announced the hiring of Kate Benz to her coaching staff.

Benz was a two-time honorable mention All-Pac-10 forward at Washington State, where she graduated with a degrees in communication and history in 2007. Benz garnered Pac-10 All-Academic first team honors in each of her final three seasons and left Pullman with a 3.82 grade point average.

"It's great to be back on the court with Kate. I could not pass on the opportunity to hire a former player who brings such amazing qualities to our program here at PSU," said Murrell, who coached Benz at Washington State from 2003-2007.

"I love that she is from Portland, and her energy and knowledge will help us continue recruiting great Northwest talent."

After a standout prep career at Central Catholic High School where she was the Mt. Hood Conference Player of the Year and a first team all-state selection as a senior, Benz went on to become the all-time leading rebounder in Washington State women's basketball history. She became the first Cougar to lead the Pac-10 in rebounding when she did so in 2005 and 2006. She averaged over eight rebounds per game in her career and tallied over 1,000 points to finish 11th on the school's all-time scoring chart.

Since graduating from Washington State, Benz has been working as an online producer at a news station in Austin, Texas. This will be her first coaching job.

"I'm thrilled to have this opportunity from Coach Murrell," said Benz. "I don't know if I would have felt as excited or as comfortable if I was going to be working for someone that wasn't my college coach. I really look forward to being a part of the Portland State staff and using my experience as a former player to help out the team."

Benz will serve as the graduate assistant at PSU while she pursues a master's degree in writing.

---
The Oregonian clip

Americana summer '09

Summer is the best time of year, especially when you live in Central Texas. The sun stays out so long you forget what time it is, and everyone is ready for adventure at any given time.

These are a few of my favorite things (Summer 2009 edition):

Roping: I love to watch Rocky rope. I can tell how much he enjoys it by the way he saddles his horse and fiddles with his rope. He and his sister are quite a sight on their fast horses, headin' and heelin' and whatever else they do. I haven't had the chance to see him reel 'em in that much, but I sure love it when I do. Now, on the other hand, attending team roping events is extreeemely boring. You sit around all day long to watch your cowboy attempt to throw a rope around one steer. I'm sure this is exactly what my parents felt like when I'd play in volleyball or basketball tournaments ... but then again, those matches and games actually lasted more than 8 seconds. Hmm.

Rocky and Jigger "my" horse.

The Ranch: No, not the bar where I met Rocky (although that is one of my favorite things, too!)--Rocky's family ranch. I love it. I can't wait to go back. This summer we went for the Fourth of July. It was so Americana. We rode around town (by which I mean we drove into town, turn around and drove back) in his Model A truck, and we laughed the entire way as our knees were jammed into the dashboard. His parents invited all their friends over for a huge cookout. We're talking about Dutch oven cookin' here, folks. Mm. Mm. Mm. I am licking my lips just thinking about the steaks, potatoes, and all kinds of fixin's. Oh baby. The food was amazing, and the locals brought a homemade canon to celebrate the holiday.

The cowboy and the toy truck.

Dutch oven apple pie. My mouth waters just looking at this photo.

Home: When living states away, nothing's better than a trip home. I was fortunate enough to witness the wedding of my good friend Mindy and her new hubby Jacob. I also made a trip to Seattle to see my favorite friends. Summer in the Northwest is gorgeous.

Can't believe my high school point guard is a wed woman!

Baby shower: Fernanda and John had a huge party at an amazing Italian restaurant in Austin. It was the coolest "baby shower" I'd ever attended. It was a big belated celebration of their marriage and a pre-welcoming for their baby boy, Antonio. Good people. Lots of love and laughs. One of the most fun nights all summer.

Fernanda, a giant margarita, and me.

Concerts: Randy Rogers Band, Roger Creager, Xavier Rudd, the Radney Foster birthday bash, the free concert series at Hill's Cafe and the list continues ... we saw some great shows this summer, and I can't hardly imagine life without the influx of music I've been exposed to in the Live Music Capital of the World.

Two of my best Austin girlfriends, Andrea, Jenny, and me at the Xavier Rudd concert in June.

One of my favorite photos of Rocky and me ever--taken at the Radney Foster birthday bash at Hill's Cafe.

Races: What's a summer without running a few good races? The Trail Foundation's Moonlight Margarita Run continues to be my all-time favorite race. I didn't win this year, but I still had an absolute blast.

SeaFair Torchlight Run with KVH and Em in Seattle. We decided to have two beers each and share a round of French fries before running an 8K race. It wasn't smart, but we did share a lot of laughs running around downtown Seattle and happy hour-ing it up in our sweaty, bib-sporting post-race attire.

Swimming holes and lake days: Rock and I attempted to find some of Central Texas' best swimming holes (and watering holes!). Hamilton Pool has to be one of the most spectacular swimming holes in the area (aside from the wasp sting I received there). Nothing's better than lounging on a floaty in the middle of the water on a hot summer day. Well, that's kind of a lie. Soaking up the rays with a cold one on the bow of our friends' boat might take the cake. Either way, we sure lived it up this summer.

Hamilton Pool.

Out on Lake Austin with the gang.

Happy Anniversary!

Rocky and I celebrated one year together this summer. Whodathought?! He bought me my very first flower and we opened a special bottle of champagne. Rocky surprised me in December after a long day at the Brady ranch and took me to an awesome vineyard/winery outside of Marble Falls. We sampled a lot of amazing wine with the owners, and, knowing my affection for the bubbly, Rock bought me a bottle of their almond champagne, and I held onto it until we celebrated our one-year.

Cheers to many more!

I'd like to say thanks for your outstanding patience and acknowledgement of the fact that I am a cranky, unmanageable mess when I don't eat every few hours. You are a true horse whisperer, and your incredible talent in numerous arenas of life and learning astound me. You're amazing.

Rewind to the big purchase

A single girl buying her first car ... January '09