Love and Bruises

The more I break into my skates the more I love Derby. My first night of skating in my brand new skates was the toughest, amidst 20 or so girls it felt like I was all alone because of the discomfort of new skates. The hard leather backs dug into my ankles and every lap it just got worse, my arches started this fire burn and then my toes went numb. Every lap it felt like skating on fire-numbing-ankle pinching-glass shards. Why is this fun?

Again this is a blog about me I swear (cross my heart) even though the last two posts are mostly about Indy this one will be about me, I promise!

So Indy in her cute way grabbed my new skates and much to my horror took out this tool and started tinkering with the nob on the bottom of the thing that the wheels attach too. Later I found out what she was doing was checking my trucks and tinkered with them because they were tightened all the way down for zero motion. Rule #1 Check Trunks.

Rule #2 Laces and Toe Box. My toes are going numb and not a happy I can’t feel them type of numb, it’s the tingly needle pricking numb that makes your eyes water if you think about it for too long numb also my the arches of my feet burn. So last night I started experiment with different shoe lacing strategies to prevent the arch burn so we will see how this goes. And for my toes I have to look at the toe box because there should be room for toes at the front of the shoe and also from side to side this might be why my toes are numb. Experiment with laces check toe box.

I was under the great impression contact sport meant contact with other girls. I was sadly mistaken when my first “contact” was with the cold hard floor. Yes I took my first epic fall last night and hard. I was practicing turn cross overs in derby stance when I crossed my right skate into the wheel of the left skates in motion causing a complete stopping type of action. How do I know this is what exactly happened? Because I was looking at the floor when I should have been looking forward but I was in derby stance so I did not do the chicken arm flaying thing and could tuck and landed on my side, my shoulder hurts but it could have been worse. Rule #3 Look up.

Photos by: Mr Ego, AKA Jason Santti



Why Derby?

I had a couple of people ask me why Derby?
I wanted to join Derby the moment we met Indy at my first Bout, watching girls lambaste each other in cute skirts and skates? Hell’s-yeah! Where do I sign up?... but occasionally I do trip over the respect I have for people, in this case because this was Indy’s thing I did not want to intrude and take “Thunder” away from her. (Hay, it’s called respect) Although I did show up at Jakes Halloween party dressed as a derby girl and was a little abashed when Indy also showed up wearing her actual derby outfit.

I reservedly talked to Indy about joining the league in January, but sadly this did not happen because I severely and randomly injured my back so I missed the opening…
Then became intimidated as only I can do to myself.

But as destiny would have it April 7th The Recreational Roller Derby League started their new 12-week Session. So I bought all my gear from Allie at the Hollywood Connection Pro Shop and with Indy’s sanction and the fact she smacked me around my head for ever thinking she was the Derby-Possessive-Thunder-Holding type of girl I joined!
(Insert Loud Triumphs of Music Here)…
then almost drowned in my own adrenaline rush, I have the feeling Indy will pull me out of one or more scrapes in this go round world of Derby.


Also I made up a line to a song to the tune of "Barbie Girl" by AQUA
I'm a Roller girl, in a Derby world
Wheels of plastic, it's fantastic!

Freshmeat

I’m the first to admit lately I’m not friendly, like a kicked dog it takes me a moment to warm up but I wanted to try to shake off this cold shoulder I have for people and meet new friends, get fit, and have fun, Honestly I wanted to skate. I think almost any girl who was a teenager in the 80’s wants to do nothing but be a skating super star minus the neon legwarmers, colored bangles and banana clips also it’s not much fun skating alone! So with the continuing presser of Indy I showed up to the Freshmeat Class all geared out and I was terrified – I even sat in the car outside the derby depo trying to talking myself out of it. Then another girl pulled in the parking stall next to me and I felt silly so I walked in, behind her... like a stalker hiding, but as I walked in Indy and the entire atmosphere of girls just embraced me. I think I'm going to have great fun in a Girl Smashing Derby kinda way! ;)

Trash Talkin’ Derby Blog

Okay I have been out of this Blog loop for a while now, and recently I have noticed some of my friends have blogs and it's fun to read and see what my friends are up too. So I posted a few days ago on our blog about our new lake in the basement, I think it went well and I have a little pride in posting. But I was still unsure of what I wanted to blog about until I started reading my friend IndyGo Wylde’s derby blog. She gave me inspiration to create this one and I love to give credit where credit is due so Great Appreciation and one Thank You Indy you’re an Awe-Derby-Inspiring Wonder Girl. So now I’m undertaking my own “Trash Talkin’ Derby Blog” for all my derby experiences.