I'm just gonna leave this here.

I know it's cliche but seriously, letting go of bullshit and reservations and just getting to it might be just about the bestest, most radest thing on the planet.

Seriously.

It works out.

Back at it.

Ok.  I'm a few weeks ahead of schedule but I simply couldn't take it any longer.   I feared the longer I was offskates the greater the chance that I would never return.

So, some new gaskets for my knees, repaired toe stops and a greater awareness of my new wheels and off I went.

AND IT WAS AWESOME!

Two months off and I managed to gain a lap AND skate a full lap from a full stop in 11 seconds.


Everything is coming up Christie!


Now, if I can only learn to knit socks my life will be complete.

There is ALWAYS an upside.

Thank Jesus for Netflix marathons during times like these.

It's a real pleasure sitting on the couch with these guys.

Only four more weeks!

All the sad feelzz

Ah boy.


I should have known that my sprain was worse than I led myself to believe.  I have been offskates now for 5 weeks.  A meniscus tear equals another 6 weeks off skates and no gardening..  Instead of taking this time to  foster relationships, read and give myself pedicures I have decided to make paper beads.  Which is great on account of the fact that I have absolutely NO use for the million paper beads I have made.  Sure my house reaks of polyeurathan and I'm pretty sure the kids are now addicted to solvants but hey, my hands are busy AND I made this amazing bead drying rack out of garbage I found in my shed.  I'm so clever!

So obviously I'm losing it.


Yeah, less bead making and more fostering relationships, pedicures, reading and filling my derby time with something equally rad.  


But jesus...do I ever miss my skates.  And fuck me...I was so goddamned close.

Sweet, sweet vacation

I knew that new wheels + loosened trucks could potentially mean trouble.   I shouldn't have been surprised that the end result was xrays.

The good news is that nothing was broken and that this facilitated a diagnosis of a minor concussion sustained the week before.   The bad news is that if the swelling doesn't go down I will have to have my knee drained...which is pretty much the creepiest thing I have ever heard.  

Anyway...this has put a bit of a wrinkle in my holiday plans as I had earmarked this week as a working holiday.  Many things I have neglected due to my new "don't give a shit about the little things" attitude.   My yard is baaaad...like I'm surprised they haven't called the city on me.   Long story short,  I have done exactly nothing but receive breakfast in bed and plow through The Mindy Project.  Tis only Tuesday, afterall.  Still have many days to catch up.  Until then I'm leaving it to the paid professionals.

And then?   Saturday?  MUSKOKA!!!! 

A glorious week away from it all.  Where a mere 30 feet separates me  from the deck and the lake.   Muskoka is my most bestest favouritist place to go.  Ever.  For realzies.   Quiet.  Lake.  Chocolate for breakfast.  Reading.  And most importantly....relaxing and recharging.


I might just explode.

The only downside of course is that I'm missing out on two weeks of training and a week of practice though I wont miss being forced to be a jammer, hammering her way between 5 vets who barely feel the hits.  I'm kinda hoping that next week I am bitten by a radioactive spider, allowing me to acquire super strength.

But I'm not optimistic.

*scowl*

This is kind of what Wednesday night league practices are like for me..

Anyhoo...I'm off tonight as I managed to smash my head into the rink on Monday's practice.  So I'm dealing with some mobility issues with my neck and I'm eating Advil.   I'm pissy and moody and sore and DERBY IS THE WORST!!ELEVENTY!!.  Naturally I've decided to bail on minimums testing again.  I want another FreshMeat session.  I am not prepared for the full league.

 
It's scary.
It's hurty.
It takes time away from my family.
It takes time away from my friends.
It makes long term dating almost impossible.  

And bruises like this make a 9 to 5 desk job VERY uncomfortable

I think that if I were younger and had a lot less going on I could manage.  But league means even more of a time commitment.   I don't know if I can/want to make that much more of a commitment.


*sigh*

On the other hand...


It makes my heart happy.
It clears my brain.
It sometimes makes me proud of myself.
I really enjoy the folks I practice with.
I really really love that feeling of FINALLY figuring out a skill.
I car Karaoke the entire ride home.
It might be the one of the best things I have done just for myself just because I could.


GAHHHH!!!!!!   Where is my life coach?!!?!?

Oh those glorious wins.

Ok.  Failing minimums is not exactly a win.   But it was for me.

This is the test.

http://wftda.com/resources/wftda-minimum-skill-requirements.pdf

Now, the 27 laps in 5 minutes is for Charter so us Freshmeat are only expected to get 25.

The first round of Freshmeat I passed all derby skills like pack work, hits, jumps which was pretty rad.....but I may have blown every skating skill (remember, I had never worn skates before)

This time?   The only things holding me back were 1.5 laps (bout 288 feet) , some sharking and those goddamned pylons I had to weave through.  My tstops also suck balls but I just got the feel of them and that certainly didn't break me.

AND THAT'S SO FUCKING AMAZING!!!!!!!!

My only goal this time was to finish and to improve.  Not only did I finish I shattered all of my expectations.  Not only that, the trainers have told me to challenge these minimums in a month as they are certain I can pass.

So yeah, I pretty much died of the happy and the feels.