Conroe, so much fun

For the past couple months, have made my way to Conroe as I could, to work with a brand-new team (literally, so new we don't have 10 girls yet so we can scrimmage amongst ourselves). We're at a skating rink with a gorgeous floor and a clean (AND AIR-CONDITIONED) atmosphere, the girls are a ton of fun and so friendly, and I'm learning a lot and having a blast, and you know I am because I wouldn't make a 100-mile round trip if I were not.

Tonight, hope to go. If the rain lets up, I will!

In other news:

• heading to New Orleans tomorrow for the weekend, to be a Rollerbull
• next weekend, the 21st, combat auditions for Renfest - I'm slated for at least two fights, so I gotta do good
• weekend after, the 28th, the wedding!
• weekend after, August 4, move the giant trailer to faire site
• August 11, rehearsal begins, and then I officially have no life until after Thanksgiving.

At some point, there will be custom costuming work done, and a hair piece made, and fights to be written, and AAAAAAH it's been six years since I had a new character to figure out.

Things is good right now.

Furbiscuit!

Tonight, Copperhead and Angie Christ were the bosses of us. After warm-up laps and stretching, we did pack drills and hitting / blocking.

First, we got into three large packs, and nominated a jammer to get through our pack and through the other two back to us. I need to learn to block with my butt; my legs are long enough that I can get the needed lean on.

Next, we played Whack-a-Mole. We were in groups of six; one skater would be the whacker, and the other five skated around her and stood up or squatted randomly, and when one stood up the whacker would move to her and hit her.

Now cometh the Furbiscuit. It's a - well, it looks like a cross between a Furby and Gizmo the proto-gremlin, but only about six inches tall. We played a game with it that was a hybrid of touch football, keepaway, and proto-derby; two teams, four girls each, one team takes the Furbiscuit, the other team tries to knock the holder down or out of bounds, and if that happens, ownership of Furbiscuit changes teams. Also if you drop it, other team gets it. That thing was SMALL to see where it was, and it showed us how vital it is to talk to your team. At one point, I got on the bottom of a four-girl pile-up ... my biggest wreck yet. Yay? But yes YAY that we all got up and kept going!

All in all, another practice I left smiling. Fun. LOTS of fun.

and, it got better

I'm over my funk. Practice went GREAT the week after F&F, and last week. I didn't get to go last night because of work (special project, and since I only have to work late like once a year, I figured what the hell).

We've done some more blocking and hitting work. I don't know if it's the personalities, or the chemistry, or just that I marginally know my way around the track better ... I'm getting a lot more out of practice than I did this time last year. The past two weeks, I left rec league smiling.

Tomorrow, one hopes, I'll get to do cheap skate. No speed class Saturday - going to Galveston overnight. HRD bout Saturday evening, so the Hostessa of Awesomenessa will bring derby love, fun, beer, and a minimal knowledge to the masses at Bayou Place. Come out and watch the bout if you have nothing going on Saturday night! Doors open at six, festivities commence at seven, girls are hot, beer's cold, venue has AC, and it's all good.

we had our Friends and Family bout tonight

I got to skate in two jams. Total track time, less than 90 seconds. I got pulled at the half for, well, sucking. I don't think I'm ready to scrimmage, and I don't think there's any way I could have known that, so I wish I'd been told before the thing that I should have manned the merch table.

I am depressed and discouraged and demotivated. Why am I skating Tuesday nights, if not to be able to show my friends and family what we do? I know I'm not a strong skater yet. I am well aware of that. But Jesus, if I suck so much you literally can't let me on the track but a couple minutes a night, well, it does make one wonder what I'm doing there in the first place.

baby's first scrimmage

... was this past Tuesday, March 6. Mark it down as the night I lost a LOT of fear. I played blocker 1 (the one who hugs the inside line) four or five times. I was at the bottom of a three-girl pile-up, and some chick fell over my leg, and I have a giant bruise on my hip and I DON'T CARE.

Scrimmaging is so damn fun. Kiva was right. Once I got hit a couple times, it was like, "Hey, so that's what it's like to be hit, no big deal." When the pile-up happened, it was like, "Okay, dogpile, could have been worse."

Grrl Friday was our HRD trainer that night, and she is so helpful and encouraging. That's one thing I love about HRD and the Betties ... no matter how much you (I) suck, they're always full of kind words and spirit and trying to jazz you up. Truly, our ladies rule.

First bout of the season is next weekend. I haven't found out much about hostessing, beyond what I learned at the production meeting in early February ... but my two Derbyskinz skirts are on the way, as is my darling little top hat, and I got my funky-ass tights and my white patent-leather boots so I just need a jacket or sweater or wrap or something cute for my torso.

Excitement! Trying to talk myself into cheap skate tonight. I need to go. My legs hurt, but so what?

I'm back! and I have a derby JOB

Last night - my first night on skates after a five-month LOA - was wonderful. Just wonderful. Since I wasn't sure I had any mad skills left, I skated with the newbies, who are all sweet as can be, and who are all frankly better than I was my second week. Turns out I remember a lot, and I got to work on turnaround toe stops for quite some time. Kiki Mojo worked with us, and in addition to being darling, she's encouraging and helpful and keeps an eye on strange things new girls tend to do.

I did not eat it once, except when scheduled to do so. My falls felt really good, especially the baseball slide, and I didn't sit on my skate while doing so. Note to self: work on dropping onto the left knee. For some reason, my legs rebel against that and don't want me to do it. Gotta fix that!

Next week, I hope to be back on the track with the intermediate 1 group. My insurance isn't in effect yet, so I don't want to do contact drills quite yet ... but I'm getting there.

So my derby job. I will be an interleague hostess - sort of like a concierge. I am to meet the traveling (opponent) team at Verizon (after scheduling a meeting time and providing directions), show them the venue, inform them of any rules, keep them watered during the bout. It is MADE for me. I'm already tall, loud, visible, and addicted to pumping up the crowd. Note to self: gotta have an HRD fascinator by March. Other note to self: work on that derby cutaway coat! It could be cute in a venue that has functioning AC.

I'm back! and I have a derby JOB

Last night - my first night on skates after a five-month LOA - was wonderful. Just wonderful. Since I wasn't sure I had any mad skills left, I skated with the newbies, who are all sweet as can be, and who are all frankly better than I was my second week. Turns out I remember a lot, and I got to work on turnaround toe stops for quite some time. Kiki Mojo worked with us, and in addition to being darling, she's encouraging and helpful and keeps an eye on strange things new girls tend to do.

I did not eat it once, except when scheduled to do so. My falls felt really good, especially the baseball slide, and I didn't sit on my skate while doing so. Note to self: work on dropping onto the left knee. For some reason, my legs rebel against that and don't want me to do it. Gotta fix that!

Next week, I hope to be back on the track with the intermediate 1 group. My insurance isn't in effect yet, so I don't want to do contact drills quite yet ... but I'm getting there.

So my derby job. I will be an interleague hostess - sort of like a concierge. I am to meet the traveling (opponent) team at Verizon (after scheduling a meeting time and providing directions), show them the venue, inform them of any rules, keep them watered during the bout. It is MADE for me. I'm already tall, loud, visible, and addicted to pumping up the crowd. Note to self: gotta have an HRD fascinator by March. Other note to self: work on that derby cutaway coat! It could be cute in a venue that has functioning AC.