Another One for the Books

I'm glad this year is (almost) over. It seems like it's lasted for two. For a while there, I was actually wishing the whole Mayan calendar thing was true, because this was turning out to be one of the worst years of my life. You'll notice the date and content of my last post and easily figure out why.

That, and I was stuck in a job I didn't want with a dysfunctional business strategy guiding not only my team but the other teams with which I closely worked. On top of that, I started thinking my particular age might be the magical turning point where everything was downhill from here. Not in a good place at all.

Good news is it looks like life is on a upswing. I've been in a new job for a little over a month in a great location, with great people, tons of challenges, AND (not that it's important, but...) more money. The challenges aren't all going to be easy and maybe not even winnable, but in the end, it's going to be something I can stick in my back pocket and every now and then pull out and say, "I did that!" Now when I leave work, I don't feel like drinking my life away and I actually try to work out a little bit. My daughter starting up sports has helped too. In fact, her first basketball game ever was this week, and while the gang of fourth graders she runs with didn't score any points against the fifth and sixth grade rivals, they did something even better.

Yep, that sucker's stuck. Hilarious. And yes, the other team scored 24 and they scored zero. It was still fun (straight from the horse's mouth)!

Something else that helped put a big smile on my face was spending time with my husband in Nashville earlier this month. We honeymooned there fifteen years ago, and I've always wanted to go back, especially since my sister and a group of our friends go every year to see the Texans beat the Titans. Oh, now you see what the smile is from, you say. Well yeah, how could I help but smile when this was my view?

Yep, life is good. Now let's hope all that hype about the Mayans really isn't true.

Who Needs Christmas?

Big things are already happening in December with Christmas still a week away.

First, the Wii that I was excited to get online on Black Thanksgiving Night was stolen off our front porch as soon as UPS delivered. I know this because my husband heard the doorbell ring, ignored it, and then got mad at me when I got mad at him as he explained this to me. He immediately went and bought one full price. Sucks to be him. Sucks to be me, too, but relatively speaking, sucks more to be him.

Second, my husband somewhat redeemed himself by doing something fun with his wife on a school night. Here we are tailgating at our first ever Monday Night Football game!

We really didn't drink enough to be leaning like that...he just tries to distance himself from the crazy in public. I know he's very proud of me, inside.

Lastly, I was officially named Knowledge Manager of my company this week while my supervisor works on a six-month strategic project. Not as important as it sounds and I was actually already doing most of the work anyway, so I'm way more stressed about everyone's eyes on me as I am about doing the job. I'm not going to let in ruin my holidays, even though I'll be working through my two weeks of vacation.

So really, who does need Christmas when life can be a curse or a treasure every single day?

UPDATE: My summation of this post might be construed as my ignorance of the true meaning of Christmas. As a Christian, I do know the true meaning of Christmas. I was commenting on the secular view of the season and how we, as a society, put so much energy into what Christmas now represents, when we should be living our whole lives with a reverence for the balance of give and take. Thanks for understanding.

My Very Own Derby Revolution

Crude City Roller Derby's last home bout of the 2010 season has been cancelled.  The team we were scheduled to play is having issues, reorganizing, or something of the like that befalls most fledging derby leagues, and we couldn't scrounge up enough girls to get a mixed scrimmage going.  Bummer.

So that brings me around to some thoughts I've had since My Day One in derby...why can't derby actually be a sport?  When I say sport, I mean a game that has been organized, specifically with a defined season and predetermined competitors.  (I'm not even going to get into rules here; that is a can of worms I will never open.)  Yes, WFTDA has done a fine job of organizing and defining on a very high level with regional tournaments leading up to a national tournament and the member leagues that have the opportunity to compete at these tournaments, but something is missing.  The ranking system that precedes these tournaments is completely arbitrary (with not all the teams ever having played each other, or even half of the teams ahead of them in the rankings). You might be a team in the Eastern Region that can kick everybody's ass in the South Central, but for some reason, you don't even make it to the national tournament. (And I know that can happen in any sport, but it's more apt to happen when there is no cross-regional competition outside of a tournament.)  I can ramble on and on and never make any sense about this, and hell, maybe nobody will ever make any sense about derby as a sport, but I've got to get my idea out of my head.

There are many, many derby leagues that will never be able to compete in WFTDA as it now stands, my current league being one of them.  I really don't want to have to worry if I'm actually going to get to skate in a bout once a month; hell, I would love to bout every freaking weekend (believe me, it is much easier on your body than putting it through four grueling practices a week).  What I want is a set schedule that comes out at the beginning of the season and sets my team and any other team on the schedule up for having a win-loss record that will determine standings going into playoffs.  To make this happen, maybe we need to start thinking small.  Maybe all these Texas teams that either aren't in WFTDA or will never make it to a regional tournament can organize a season?  Crude (Corpus) has played teams from Central Texas, Amarillo, East Texas, even one from Louisiana, this year.  Why not get all these teams and anybody we missed and say, "Hey, could we all decide to play each other twice this year, one home and one away, and then have a playoff tournament in October/November where we all get together and compete for FLAT-TRACK ROLLER DERBY CHAMPION OF TEXAS/LOUISIANA."?  Sounds like a great idea to me.  Would anybody else out there want to get behind an idea like that, where you could actually identify as a fan to your city's roller derby team and want them to knock the socks off that other city you hate?

Well, I could certainly relate to that and feel like I'm actually playing a sport again, just like I did when I played basketball in college or women's professional football or even when I went down to the sand volleyball courts for some co-ed action and we beat every other team in our league over a six-week period to win a shirt and some free beer.  Maybe I should just quit there, keep living in the glory days, and just be thankful I have the opportunities I do.  Nah, I'm going to keep thinking about how to make the flat-track revolution actually happen.

I'm Not Only Old...I'm Also a Loser!

Two days ago, I gave up on my quest to write a poem a day in April, and yesterday, I turned 39.

It's only right after the weekend I had that I should admit defeat. I mean, the weather in southern Maryland was downright perfect, the drinks were steadily flowing, and the number one derby team in the country kicked some serious butt with me watching. How can I top any of that with a poem on Monday and a birthday on Tuesday? Nope, I can't.

Might as well lay down and die now. ;)

A Sad Day for Houston Sports

I cannot believe it. The Comets, Houston's WNBA franchise, are being disbanded. Their wikipedia page has already been updated...geez, people, the body isn't even cold yet. ;)

This is just a shock to me. I was in the Compaq Center for their championship games...even drove from Austin to support my hometown team (and you're lucky I didn't say The Summit instead of Compaq Center because I saw my first concert there back in the early '80s). When my daughter was old enough, I wanted to show her yet another reason why she can be anything she wants to be.

This does not bode well for women's sports in general...let alone the perpetuation of the problems with Houston sports teams. What the hell is wrong with this place?

Always Look on the Bright Side of Ike

It's been a week since I stated that I was eager to make more hurricane memories, and I can truly say I have been blessed. Good things that came from Ike include:

• My husband now realizes we need to fix the skylights that leaked all over the atrium and that I've been telling him to fix for six years. Maybe he will get it done before the next hurricane.



• I got to see a bout on a Monday night - TXRG vs. Madison - and totally free!



• I spent a whole uninterrupted week with The Kitten - until I dropped her off with Gramma about an hour ago.



• I finally got the new barstools I've been needing for six years (see above...we moved in six years ago!).


• 
  The 2008 Season page was updated to the best of my ability - hadn't done that since the HaRD Knocks season went down the tubes in June.

Yes, it has been a good week because our yard only looked like this...



and we had another little visitor who only stayed for a few minutes...


I'm still using Ike as an excuse to drink heavily, and I just noticed my long, tall vanilla vodka and coke is empty, so I'm sure this post does not make a coherent summary of my awesome week.

April Annihilation

I almost forgot to post April's bout flyer, but then again, we (HRD) almost forgot to print them. Drama, drama, nobody wants to hear the derby drama. I have a feeling the bruised but brazen Brawlers will make a beautiful showing this bout. Have I ever mentioned how much I adore alliteration?



I started to post about how much more I love NASCAR now that I have actually been to a race, but that will have to wait (until I find my USB cable, not because the flyer is that much more important).

How to Have Fun after Surgery

I've found the perfect way to make the time fly by...watch videos of the most gruesome sports injuries! Conveniently, someone dugg this story on SI.com today. While Sports Illustrated provided only ten links, there are plenty of extra links in the comments at digg and at the bottom of the SI article.

Once again, you have to listen to me complain about the fact that there is no evidence of Catazon's ankle flopping around anywhere out there! What is wrong with you roller derby fans? Don't you know great Internet fodder when you see it?

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

If you don't hear from me for a while, please don't worry. Rodeo starts tonight! I'm already off to a good start, kicking my own butt at the cookoff on Saturday (not necessarily news to anyone since even my neighbors have heard about it already) then staying out way past my bedtime on Sunday to see the Nacogdoches Rollergirls first bout this year. My friend, Madame Furie, has an excellent synopsis of Sunday evening on her blog.

Anyway, George will keep me out late tonight, then tomorrow I have travel team tryouts till 10:30pm, Brawler practice on Thursday night, and maybe I'll get to sit down for 45 minutes and watch this week's episode of Amazing Race on Friday afternoon before I head up to the rodeo again. Wheeeee! I'll see you in April.

I thought it would be fun...

to post while in pain that cannot be reduced by Darvocet.

Yesterday, the compound fracture in my left ankle was repaired using four pins and a plate. They must have been on fire when my ankle was sewn up because I can feel all of them burning away in there now. I should be used to it by Sunday, so I can make it to Austin to watch the Stars Across Texas tournament.

I can't take Vicodin. I did after my knee surgery, and I saw wild dogs run into my bedroom and attack my knee. When I told my husband to get them off me, he said I was crazy. He says that alot, though.

MySpace post on the same topic:
Update
The surgery is done. I'm recuperating at home with my mother-in-law cleaning every inch of my house. Isn't that cool? Glad I'm not as anal as I used to be.

Anyway, I'm starting to feel the pain, but I should get used to it in time to head up to Austin around noon on Sunday. We'll stop by the farm to turn on the window units (good news for those of you that need a place to crash), then I'll put in an appearance at Stars Across Texas. :) Meaning, the team I was supposed to captain will just have to do with my loud mouth on the bench. Aw man, I think my soul is hurting more than my ankle. :(

Kinky Likes Roller Derby!

Everybody else is blogging about it, albeit for many different reasons, but I might as well give a shout-out to Kinky Friedman for giving a shout-out to roller derby. Just in case you don't want to read the article, here's the clip:

"I don't like basketball and I don't like women's basketball," he grumbles into his cellphone. "If it was roller derby, it would be different."

Kinky's referring to a promo he was asked to tape for the Houston Comets 10th anniversary. Now I must say that I totally respect the Comets, and I was even at their first three WNBA Championship games (good stuff!). In fact, I played against Sheryl Swoopes when I was in college. So I don't agree with him there. I do wonder what it would take to get him to do a promo for roller derby, though. Hell, forget the promo! Show up at a bout, such as the Stars Across Texas event that TXRG is hosting in September.

What a Wonderful Weekend!

The Brawlers kicked off the holiday weekend with a pool party at Tawdry's house.  The Kitten (Catazon's spawn) enjoyed it for the first few hours, then I dropped her off with daddy for some bonding with my team.  That move ended up spoiling the rest of the weekend for bonding with my husband (same song, 1 millionth verse), but I didn't let it affect the rest of my extracurricular activities.

It looked like Sunday was going to be tough with the hangover and the nagging, but I was able to put that noise behind me once we got to the farm and Jule B. Sorry and her crew showed up.  Remember...I mentioned earlier that I would be attending my first roller derby bout over the Fourth of July weekend.  I think I enjoyed the halftime band more than the bout (I added a song to my myspace page).  I don't even want to talk about the afterparty, because that kind of fun is indescribable.  Jule and I (along with a few more HRD representers) shut the place down.

The rest of the holiday was pretty much uneventful but most definitely relaxing and a welcome change from the hellhole (a.k.a. library) in which I slave away the days.  I highly recommend a Central Texas getaway every now and then, even if I couldn't stand to live there again.

Time for a Break

Time for five glorious weeks off between bouts, in the middle of which is a holiday! I know my whole team needs the extra time to regroup after the Bettie beating. Not that we get a break from derby altogether, because we still practice at least three times a week, but it just feels better to have five weeks between bouts rather than three. See details on Bout #5 in the next post.

Speaking of the July 4th, my plans include watching my first roller derby. Doesn't that sound weird since I've already played in four bouts? Honestly, I haven't sat down and watched a full bout in person, and I will be going to see the Texas Rollergirls in Austin on July 2nd. I can't wait to see who I'll be putting on the floor at the next national tournament.

Excellent Article on Derby

This came across my Bloglines roller derby search feed this morning...

"How Roller Derby Works"