roxoria.net

So I finally updated WordPress last night. I followed all of the listed instructions. Now there’s a fat lot of stuff on the dashboard that won’t load or doesn’t work. For the amount of time it takes to update wordpress and lack of themes I like, I’m tempted to go back to Blogger, where I could make the whole shebang look however I wanted, and leave it alone. Food for thought.

Speaking of blogs, here are two fabulous ones:

Look Like a Rockstar, Train Like a Roller Girl:  Our Trainer Jon’s blog. He works with us around once a week on strength and plyos-type workouts, and he knows his stuff. So he’s put together a blog that for now houses daily workout sequences that can be done whenever with minimal equipment. Add your own cardio. I believe the plan is to eventually feature interviews and the like as well.

Lipstick Kisses/Bonnie N. Collide: Charm City Fresh Meat (although not really Fresh Meat any longer) Monica Gallagher’s blog and webcomic, Bonnie N. Collide. She also has great original artwork on the website for your perusal and purchase. The webcomic features Bonnie N. Collide, a rollergirl getting through everyday office life.

The last time I posted was before the rookie scrimmage. A lot has happened since then, and I mean A LOT.

The scrimmage itself was great. My team, Team Love, won by a decent margin, and it was a lot of fun. I blocked most of the time and had some good hits. I was supposed to jam  more than once, but had three minors and was sent to the box on a cut track minor my first lap of jamming. So it goes. It was still AWESOME. My boss and some of my coworkers came, and Danthrax’s entire mom’s side of the family came. I think everyone had a pretty good time. His mom and her fiancé even got each other season tickets this year – how cool is that?!

After the game, the league draft was held. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to be a part of the league at all. But I did have my hopes up. I wanted to be a Victory Vixen. And there were hints here and there that led me to believe I’d be one. The captains and co-captains actually did the draft a few weeks before the bout, and the results were randomized as we were put into our teams in front of the crowd. Even though it was random, I was the first skater called to join the Vixens, and I screamed. I was so happy! And being called first was nice, because I suck at waiting. They gave me a bag of goodies and my blue Vixen shirt with my name and number on the back. Bliss! I watched as everyone else was drafted on, then tried on a uniform skirt and jersey. We all went out to a huge place called Side Pockets for the after party. Overall it was a great day.

Since then, we’ve been practicing as a team and I’ve been improving a lot. I’ve actually been spending some significant time in scrimmage practice jamming. In fact, Wednesday night I did nothing but jam. I’d just gotten over being sick (I say this now as I blow my nose every five minutes), so by the end I was pretty well beat, but it was a great night.  Vixenhood rocks.

I also tried out for the All Star team a few weeks ago. I didn’t intend to, mind you – I was planning on trying out later in the year, when I had more experience and confidence. But I stayed late and tried, and asked to do it for the experience and not actually be considered. The first night of tryouts, however, I was able to keep up with a lot of the veterans, and after encouragement from several of them, decided to try out for real. The Board of Directors did some talking and decided it would be ok to have me considered. The second night was mostly scrimmage, and we did it going clockwise instead of counter-clockwise – it was difficult. And somehow the universe came together and I made the All Star team. Our first stops are Omaha and Atlanta, and I am pumped.

Nicole and I were talking about it the other day, and she made an interesting comment.  She said she still had to laugh, because Cedar Rapids didn’t know what they had on their hands while I was still there. I’ve improved immensely as a skater since arriving in Kansas City, but I wasn’t bad while I was still there. Just new. And I have so far to go in order to get where I want to be as a derby athlete. But I think she had a point. I want to be a force to be reckoned with, and on the days where I don’t have the skill or the energy, I still have the heart.

Bloody Valentine this weekend. Red team will win. Love conquers all!

Kansas City is good. I like living here, I really like living with Dan. I made the Kansas City Roller Warriors, which, after leaving Iowa, was a huge concern of mine. I’d spent July of last year on basically living derby, and really couldn’t imagine life without it. Now we’re moving to our fresh meat bout, Bloody Valentine, after which we meaties will be drafted onto one of four home teams. I’m excited to play of course, but I’m also very excited about the draft itself. I think it’ll be easier to get to know people operating within a smaller group. The girls I’ve gotten to know thus far, both vets and meat, have been great, and I think this is going to be good.

Of course, there is some apprehension, me being my usual anxiety-riddled self. I’m constantly comparing myself, which is something in Iowa I tried so hard not to do. It’s an easy trap to fall into, though. The stakes are higher here – KCRW is a GREAT team (2007 National Champs, mind you). I’m incredibly honored to have made it. It’s hard to think that the vets used to skate like the meat. When I think about it like that, I feel a lot better…a lot less inadequate.

There are a few girls specifically who I’ve watched skate a decent amount, and I really try to watch what they’re doing. Watch their feet, watch stance, and soak up everything they’re telling me and try like hell to do better. I’m glad they’re there, because hot damn can they skate, and looking into the distance, I hope I can follow that path. Maybe in a year or so I’ll be working with some meatie, teaching her everything that’s been passed to me.

Cedar Rapids gave me some great background in derby. I’m definitely glad I spent time there – it benefitted me in countless ways, both related and unrelated to derby. But its a different game down here. Someone has faith in me though. They took me.

In other news, I want to go back to school finally. UMKC has an M.Ed program where I could get certified partway through and finish the rest later. I met with an advisor and she went over the whole process with me. My concerns now, of course, are about money and time. Can I quit working when I pursue this later this year? Will my schedule allow this? Can I allow myself to keep putting off what I really, truly want to do for a job I know I don’t want to do forever?

There has to be a way to make school work. I’m not good with settling for mediocrity.