Purple Tinted Glasses

And so ends my four day free for all. It sure doesn’t feel like I should have to go to work tomorrow. I sure am tired of being a grown up. Today without a hangover would have been nice too.

For some reason on Thanksgiving day, Will couldn’t drive us to my mothers in the most direct path to save his life. I was accused of being contagious, what with all my absent mindedness floating about. I think I really am starting to rub off on my particularly smart and logical boyfriend (your face!).

I don’t know what all the fuss is about with the Friday after thanksgiving shopping either. We unintentionally wound up in a couple of different stores after buying our first full size, real Christmas tree for the house. Linens and Things, Pier One, Wold Market… all places I thought might be a little crazy were almost dead. Maybe we were there too late. It was, after all 10am. Most door buster deals are at 5am, so I hear.

Anyway, then the Molly Ringwalds played at Southport. Anyone who knows me well knows that even on a Tuesday night I don’t ever get home until after midnight. I strolled in Sunday morning in the wee hour of almost 5am. The show was fun. Everyone did a costume change at some point in the night. It made it interesting. Not that I need anything else to hold my interest… I just had to focus really hard on not slipping on the alcohol soaked floor in my three inch red heels.

So, 4:45ish isn’t a terrible time to roll in to bed, unless of course you HAVE to go to practice at 8am because you’re running it. No I didn’t choose this practice. I’m a TT captain and it was a TT practice, therefore… bleh. I warned the people in charge that I would be there, but I would be hung over. I totally held up my end of the deal. The alcohol didn’t start seeping out of my poors until about halfway through the practice when I started running around (off skates) to keep up with the skaters and offer feedback. I basically kicked the asses of the 15 or so people who actually showed up to practice today.

Anyway, then the Molly Ringwalds played at Southport. No I’m not repeating myself. There were no big crowds and sloshy floors. They were filming a new video and I think I got conned into being there earlier this week before I remembered that I’d be dealing with a day long hangover. It was open to anyone who wanted to come. In the end, there were more people on stage than in the crowd for the “crowd shots”. My waving and clapping hands are gonna be famous. Now if only I can find my hand twin… we’d make millions.

There was also an LSU game and a Saints game in there somewhere. Both were loses and I didn’t watch either game in its entirety anyway.

And this is where I begin to fade. I’m tired, but I thought of a clever blog title and even though I couldn’t come up with anything else clever or more meaningful to say except recounting this weekend’s schedule, I’m writing something anyway.

Now I’m going to get myself back on track with my piano practice, so nite-nite.

P.S. Completely random: I luv my puppy :) Even though I hate walking him first thing in the morning… and the sound of him licking himself grosses me out. He’s just being a dog. That’s what Will keeps saying.

The message below was sent to me which has sparked my interest in reviving my bloggy-blog thing. I can honestly say that I have not been happy with the things I have posted and the drafts that sit unpublished. I often times feel like I am forcing words on to the page just to have something to say. I guess that’s why I haven’t said much lately.

So much has been happening and I haven’t had the time or wherewithal to mention any of it. So here we go. Grab a shovel and dig in.

Accomplishments/Mentionings:

• I did the MS 150 last month. That was exciting. With hardly any training (see reason here) and on an alien blue bike, I made it through all 149 miles! Yes, I got SAG-ged for 1 mile because of a series of flat tires that nearly drove me off my rocker. I think I have finally regained all feeling that I lost in unmentionable places from that ride too. Special thanks to Will for sticking with me.

• I’ve played my first home game with my new team at our new venue, and we won.  I don’t particularly care for the new venue. It reminds me of a high school gym and smells like one too. I miss our flashy lights and being surrounded by quintessential New Orleans (Mardi Gras). We outgrew our home that all of our fans came to love. Now we just need to finish working out the kinks to get this one just as fabulous. Ibeatya painted banners, one for each home team and they are just amazing - as is she! We also need to sell tickets. They’re cheaper than they’ve ever been - $10. So, for those of you looking to do something this Sunday, Nov 9, you should come out and see the Big Easy Rollergirls’ Crescent Wenches and Story Villains duke it out. Centerpunch will be playing at half time and I have a feeling this is going to be one hell of a game.

• The house is CLEAN! It’s 30% my doing and 70% Will’s. I’m hosting some team meetings this week and next, which as Will says lit a fire under my ass to get some stuff put away.  We have company coming at the end of November anyway, but this just got me to focus on it sooner.

• I painted the back porch… all by myself! I’d like my gold star and my cookie now.

• I entered my late 20’s. This was #3 in a string of good birthdays. It felt really special this year and I have my other half to thank for the most of it. I also went to the DMV and officially became a New Orleanian. Bye bye Jefferson Parish.

• My house is rented… finally. The rent doesn’t cover the note, but I won’t be eating Ramen and mooching off friends for drinks… at least not as much as I was a month ago. The renter has also assured me that she is interested in purchasing in an undetermined amount of time. I guess I’ll save my official good riddance until then.

• I’ve been to an addition 2 or 3 Molly Ringwalds shows and have enjoyed all of them. One of them was even a festival down in… um… Well, I cant remember right now, but it was crazy and they were like rock stars out there. It was kind of weird. I had sworn off festivals because it just never is the same, but Sally and I made the trip for the sake of others’ sanity (sanities? saniti?)

• The rollergirls participated in the Voodoo Music Festival parade. We were officially “artists” for the day. Free drinks and back stage access is something that’s hard not to abuse.

• My best friend is having a BABY! I’ve been knowing forever and I’ve already been through the stages of denial: WHAT?! My friends can’t start having babies! No one can have babies! Babies are scary… but at least it’s you, not me. Ok, fine. You can have your baby, but you know the rule… Auntie Sherri doesn’t take them until they’re potty trained.

Ok, bored with me yet? Until next time… hopefully sooner than later.

(more…)

Yeah, haven’t gotten to this one:

.
— On Mon, 9/22/08, mystarla - 43 Things <no-reply@43things.com> wrote:

> From: mystarla - 43 Things <no-reply@43things.com>
> Subject: learn piano
> To: xxxx@yahoo.com
> Date: Monday, September 22, 2008, 7:25 AM
> Dear future self,
>
> I’m reminding you about your stated goal on 43 things,
> to
> “learn piano”.
>
> How’s it going?
>
> Sincerely,
> Your past self
>

I was going to describe yesterday’s 8am practice as “the worst practice ever”, but after sitting on the couch following a long day of not sleeping, I’ve decided that practice wasn’t terrible but the night kinda blew. Friday night, however, is about the most fun I’ve had in a while.

It was like I quit cold turkey… going to Molly Ringwalds shows. I’ve just been either busy or tired or broke. Well, I’m still all those things, but I gave in anyway, took a “drag” and went to Southport. The show was great. After was better and I got to see a lot of people that I haven’t seen in a couple of months (some people even longer).

Like they say, time flys when your having fun. I didn’t get home until after 4:30am. I didn’t care nor did I even realize how late it was. I swear it could have only been 2ish!

Anyway, yesterday in addition to the crick in my neck, my head hurt. Bad. I had to show my house semi-smelly (after taking a bath in the sink and quickly brushing my teeth) from derby funk and the alcohol seaping out of my pores. I got stuck in traffic between practice and the house, so I also learned how to change pants in the car while stopped at a redlight. The showing went alright. I just wish the damn thing would sell.

Today my neck STILL hurts. It’s leaving me feeling depressed and anxious. I just want to be healthy. Between the leg stitches and the neck, I haven’t been at 100% in over a month… 5 weeks to be exact, starting on week 6.

Wow, what a Saturday.

They ran, we skated and swung, then we all drank.  And all the while, people took pictures… and video… and more. I compared the rolling up of the bulls to the crowd as being chased by a mini-paparazzi. Come to think of it, it was probably a full blow one. We were celebrities in red, even if just for 5 minutes and 23 seconds.

I’m not sure how long the run actually took… it only lasted all of 12 blocks. I mean, it’s all about the Sangria! My favorite part was hearing the cascade of “Ow!”, “Oh!”, “Ahhh!” around me as the “bulls” passed. If you missed it this year, I’m sure I’ll be there next year.

So, I don’t think I made any of the AP photos all that clearly (if you look verrrry close in the background of the big photo of Lush, you can see me in the upper right hand corner), but I did make Offsides with Fletcher Mackel. I’ll take it!

Yep, it’s one of those Fridays.

Let me set the scene. I’m in a quad-cube pod and I’m the only one here, right? Even across the aisle from me, no one is here. So, I’m reading an ongoing email thread about last minute details for the NOLA Bull Run tomorrow morning, you know… where can I get horns, who else needs a bat, be on time, etc. when I come across this:

I don’t think I know what a whiffle bat is. I have a plastic bat, but when I hit my coworker w/ it she said it really hurts.. So should I get something else?

Ok, so I start laughing… snickering in my cube all by myself and someone comes back from lunch. Without getting into too much detail I try to explain why I’m laughing… and I can’t… because I start laughing harder. I finally manage to sputter something out. This is what’s acting out in my head:

Act one, Scene one

Worker one wanders into worker 2’s work space holds a yellow toy bat. She is examining it with curiosity.

Worker 1: Hey, can I hit you with this bat?
Worker 2: Well, yeah sure, why not? It shouldn’t hurt all that much, it’s just made of plastic!
Worker 1 swings the bat ( I haven’t decided if it’s to the head or leg or what)

THWACK.

Worker 2: Oww.. that hurt.
Worker 1: Hmmm, something must not be right here.

Both workers sit a minute looking puzzled and then continue on with their day.

I just picture myself walking over to one of my co-workers and out of the blue asking if I can hit them with a bat. It’s funny. It was funny… :-/

Back to work. Weekend’s almost here.

San Fermin in Nueva Orleans
Saturday, July 12
7am at the Three Legged Dog

Here’s a link to a great student piece that was put together at our last home bout against Orange County. Funny how they didn’t mention that we lost this game by 11 points.

So, can I get me some of that sisterhood? Girl’s got a house full of rooms ready for painting!

Originally posted on the New York Times Student Journal Institute website.

There seems to be a trend developing.

If -and only if- I am out of town on a derby trip do I seem to participate in the karaoke action. Tulsa was a failed attempt. No one knew the song and it’s WAY to hard to keep up with (Don’t Stop Me Now - by Queen). On this latest trip, I got back to the basics. Stinky, Diamond and I belted out Journey - Don’t Stop Believing.

The crowd in the tiny outdoor tiki room went crazy (all 10 of them). How much fun is it to crash the banked track derby league’s after party! I think we left a lasting impression. I even got us this the hook up to go try out the banked track (thanks Dixie Sanchez!), even though I couldn’t go.

As for our game, we lost.

Yes… again. What do you expect when we keep playing derby veterans of 5 and 6 years? That and we played against one of Texas Rollergirls’ home teams, The Hot Rod Honeys. Rice Rocket scored 20 points in the first jam, easy.

After the first half was over and we all got the bout jitters out of our systems, we went out there and played with perseverance and the knowledge that we were just NOT going to win (with a half time score of 29-102, I promise we were not being hard on ourselves). The mantra for the night turned into “each jam is a new jam”.

On this particular night, one jam stands out in my mind. I lined up to jam with a clean slate and guess I decided that I wanted to get through the pack - no matter what. So around the second turn, I sped up and hit their jammer. I think I might have slowed her down for a millisecond. I proceeded into the last two turns… on the outside, hitting someone with every other stride. I couldn’t catch a whip, but it didn’t matter. I skated my way past the pack on the outside and by the time the first turn came up again, I was called lead jammer. I saw our loyal league members sitting by the track start yelling and screaming and that’s all I needed to keep going. I got back to the pack, scored maybe 1 point, got knocked on my ass and called it off.

Man, that was amazing. It felt so good to get lead jammer against those girls. Small victories.

In another instance surrounding the last jam, Squirt passed the torch. I opened my mouth and said, “I’ll jam!”

Well, the score at that point was 60-166. We all joked about how I only need to score 67 points so that we’d only lose by 99. When I lined up, I looked at the opposing jammer and jokingly made this huge visual sigh. She gave me a hand tap (what are the kids calling that these days?)

I tried. I guess I decided this time that there was only a minute-thirty left and what the hell did it matter (not so much… I wanted to score that one last point so bad). I never made it through the pack and instead wound up contracting a pretty bad case of whip lash from knocking my head on the ground. I got up, skated for the remainder of the jam and remembered thinking, “No… it’s not over, oh who am I kidding. Thank GOD it’s over!”

I love this sport.

Probably time for a new helmet too.

Final score: BERG 60, Hot Rod Honeys 172

We’re halfway through the BERG Austin trip and so far it’s been pretty interesting. We’ve all been up since appx 3am (Luna, Diamond and I) and we’re all on the verge of delirium. We’ve met the opponents, raided Target, and enjoyed some pool time. On the way to dinner at Magnolia Café, Luna dropped a text book the size of Texas on the top of her foot and busted something. We’ve named the GPS device Babs (short for Barbra) and have had a love/hate relationship with her ever since.

Now, It’s almost midnight, I’ve been up for close to 20 hours and all I want to do is tell you these things that we said:

Luna: Gross Tete? In Arkansas, they would have just called it “Fat Head”
–
Bea: If I were a musical bobble head, this would be my song!
—
Diamond: My first car was a 1988 Volkswagon Fox
Luna: I can see that. Bea what was your first car?
Bea: A 1990 Honda Accord. I miss it.
Luna: I can see that too!
Diamond: What was your first car?
Luna: A Chevy S-10 pickup truck
Diamond/Bea: I can see that!!! (jinx)
–
Luna: HOV, like a hug, but of
–
Diamond: If you’re gonna live out in the middle of nowhere, you might as well have a tennis court in your front yard.
–
Diamond: Look at that developement without any homes… with a beautiful vista of the I-10 thruway.
–
Diamond: That’s Business 71. Like.. that’s business time and this is the rest of the week.
Luna: Business in the front, party in the back!
–
Luna: Who’s this?
Diamond: [insert artist title here]
Luna: Oh, it sucks.

Roller Derby makes national coverage this past week on ESPN’s Sport Center, only to be heckled… as always… and probably with good reason. One of our refs (soon to be skater, Flat Track Fever blogger) posted a link to the video only to have some reader get all worked up in a tizzy.

In his rambling comment he (she?) asks us to “TALK ABOUT THE DAMN SPORT. ‘What it takes to have explosive NRG for 2 minutes’, ‘Skills behind being a top ranked Lead Jammer’, ‘Plays’, ‘Team Strategies’, etc. Educate your interviewer. This piece of crap was done by…yes…another Roller Girl….”

“I am a fan of ‘Inception Style’, ‘WWF Style’, and the ‘New Grass Roots Revival Style’. What I hate is Roller Girl Names, Pillow Fights, A&E Roller Girl, and the hypocrisy of certain roller girls (’We dress sexy, but F you for gawking at us’).and that is IN YO FACE!”

There’s a lot of emotions that come to mind, the first one being “HOLY CRAP we’re on ESPN! Cool!”

I am also one of the first ones to roll my eyes at the pillow fights and staged brawls. As a member of the Big Easy Rollergirls, I can gladly say that that stuff is bull shit. We play by the latest version of the WFTDA standard rules and treat roller derby as a legitimate sport. We eliminated “play fighting” in our first season and call for immediate ejection in the case of any real fight breaking out. There are no jammer races — unless you’re talking about the race to be the first through the pack. Pillow fights… are retarded.

I wear the hot pants and fish nets and I don’t care if anyone gawks at me or throws a cat call to Beatrix sKiddo. We don’t get paid for this. Fact of the matter is that roller derby is not a professional sport. We do it for fun, for therapy, because it’s cheaper than a gym membership or whatever other reason you want to throw out there. My alter ego at this point has become a nick name.

I’ll be happy to talk about what it took to get there and how we still practice up to 4 days a week, 2 hours at a time. I throw in running for endurance cross training and during our off season, I’m getting back on the bike for longer rides in addition to park skating outdoors. I also try to schedule at least one personal strength training session per month to update routines and target problem areas like shin splints and lower back aches. Oh, and after two years of this stuff… I’m finally starting to have knee problems, but that’s not going to stop me from doing it.