-- Did my first time trial last night. Five laps in 55 seconds. Which comes in neatly under the regulation WFTDA time of one minute. I could gripe about the dusty floor (it was) and my dirty wheels (they were). Bottom line is that I was happy to make the cut time but hope to do better next time.
-- It is official! The Bone City Rollers are bouting in 25 more sleeps! ACK!! I have exactly 10 more practices to make a derby player of myself. Holy crap. We are scrimmaging every practice and I am hurting in all sorts of places. I currently have a heat pack on my shoulder and could really use a good back massage and cracking. I have an assortment of ass-bruises and a deep purple welt in the shape of a skate wheel on the back of my calf. My collarbone got slammed by someone's wristguard last night and it's also a lovely shade of Bruise. My leg muscles have not gotten a break in weeks and I think I might have a case of derby leg. (That would be when your right leg muscles become more developed than your left leg from constantly skating counter-clockwise) Must add some extra training for my left leg... poor thing. Oh, and our coach is adding some killer off-track training these last weeks before the bout.
-- Our annual General Meeting is this weekend and I'm running for a position. I'd like to say that I'm not sure if I'll get it, but currently, my name is the only one posted for voting. So, yeah... I might be the new Inter-League rep. Which I just found out last night means that I would be representing our league at the National RollerCon in Las Vegas. Can you say SUH-weet? Totally.
-- My lingerie drawer is loving derby. My pocketbook not so much. Thankfully, Mr. F. is happy enough to foot the bill for fishnets and thigh-highs and ruffle panties. :D I guess if I'm gonna pick an expensive sport to play, it might as well appeal to the baser instincts of the Husband.
-- I love that these past weeks, I've not felt like Fresh Meat anymore. I'm taking hits, I've landed some solid ones, too. I'm booty blocking and anticipating the plays. I've even jammed in some scrimmages and surprised myself against some more seasoned jammers and better skaters. The game is starting to make sense in my head and my skates are starting to feel like a part of me. Sure, I still have off-moments -- and some that are embarrassing (at least in my head they are). But generally I feel like I'm hitting the mark and perhaps slotting in as that solid player that -- mostly -- won't let her team down. I'll probably never be a derby star... but that's OK. I'll be Me and I'll have fun and that's enough.
5.05.2009
The Hammy Chronicles; pt 1
Morning is not my favorite time of day. Actually, I like morning just fine... I just don't operate well in it. Unless there's coffee or nookie involved, I generally wander through the first half-hour after waking in prime zombie style. Crooked gaze of the undead? Check. Halting, stumbling steps? Check. Unintelligible mumbling? Checkity check check.
A shower greatly improves my clarity. So, apparently, does being told by the Princess that Hammy the hamster is no longer inhabiting his habitat.
In fact, those words pretty much jumpstarted this zombie heart.
My first reply might have been, "You're joking." Then again, it might have been something slightly more sailor-ish. I couldn't tell you, cause my brain was left somewhere on my pillow whilst my body ran full tilt towards the habitat.
I saw the little den door. It was open. O-PEN. Open. Holy crap, it was open.
No sign of the little furry monster anywhere in his luxurious little two story, four bedroom Hamster Habitat. This was not good. My brain raced with all the possibilities. 1700 square feet of two-story, three bedroom People Habitat... where would a little hamster go? Why oh why are my kid's rooms such a mess? (And seriously? I ask that every day. Just that this morning it was a question completely transformed with new significance as I realized that "mess" equals "never, ever, ever find the hamster again".)
SHITE.
The family room was the cleanest and nearest locale and a quick search cleared it. No Hammy to be seen. I sent the Princess to her pigsty... errr... ROOM (I admit that I may have milked the "messy room/never find Hammy again" message a bit at this point. I am a cruel, cruel mother.) and I considered whether to turn my attentions downstairs or to the remaining bedrooms. I was just about to wake up the Kid in order to search his room when I heard Mr. F. call my name.
See, this whole drama was unknown to him, being in the shower while it unfolded. So, he was suitably surprised to open the shower door and meet the beady-eyed gaze of a certain rusty-colored hamster peeking around the bathroom door before waddling off back into our bedroom.
"UH, FLUTTERBY!? What is the hamster doing in our room?"
Which was actually incredibly good news to my ears. Hammy had been spotted. I cordoned off the room (which is to say, I closed the door...) and within seconds Hammy's fat little body was spotted trucking off into the corner. After a few snatch and grab attempts, I had the little spaz in my hands.
Hammy was not appreciative. All the Cool-Girl-Flutterby vibe was gone in an instant and he went a little berserker on me. Perhaps the term "Vibrating, Spinning, Clawing Tasmanian Hamster-devil" may be a close description. He even chattered squeaky little hamster-swears at me; which, had I not been trying to mitigate bodily harm, might have been a little bit cute. But all considerations of the word "cute" disappeared once he peed on my hand. (I know. So gross.) I managed to hold on to him long enough to deposit him unceremoniously back in his habitat and inform a tearful Princess that Hammy had been found.
All participants have been debriefed and the Kid is on some serious probation (being found guilty of leaving a particular den-door open after saying "goodnight" to the Rodent). Hammy is totally on lockdown. And I am having a hard time feeling the hamster love at this point.
On the other hand, the Princess has cleaned her room.
Maybe the Rodent can stay.
A shower greatly improves my clarity. So, apparently, does being told by the Princess that Hammy the hamster is no longer inhabiting his habitat.
In fact, those words pretty much jumpstarted this zombie heart.
My first reply might have been, "You're joking." Then again, it might have been something slightly more sailor-ish. I couldn't tell you, cause my brain was left somewhere on my pillow whilst my body ran full tilt towards the habitat.
I saw the little den door. It was open. O-PEN. Open. Holy crap, it was open.
No sign of the little furry monster anywhere in his luxurious little two story, four bedroom Hamster Habitat. This was not good. My brain raced with all the possibilities. 1700 square feet of two-story, three bedroom People Habitat... where would a little hamster go? Why oh why are my kid's rooms such a mess? (And seriously? I ask that every day. Just that this morning it was a question completely transformed with new significance as I realized that "mess" equals "never, ever, ever find the hamster again".)
SHITE.
The family room was the cleanest and nearest locale and a quick search cleared it. No Hammy to be seen. I sent the Princess to her pigsty... errr... ROOM (I admit that I may have milked the "messy room/never find Hammy again" message a bit at this point. I am a cruel, cruel mother.) and I considered whether to turn my attentions downstairs or to the remaining bedrooms. I was just about to wake up the Kid in order to search his room when I heard Mr. F. call my name.
See, this whole drama was unknown to him, being in the shower while it unfolded. So, he was suitably surprised to open the shower door and meet the beady-eyed gaze of a certain rusty-colored hamster peeking around the bathroom door before waddling off back into our bedroom.
"UH, FLUTTERBY!? What is the hamster doing in our room?"
Which was actually incredibly good news to my ears. Hammy had been spotted. I cordoned off the room (which is to say, I closed the door...) and within seconds Hammy's fat little body was spotted trucking off into the corner. After a few snatch and grab attempts, I had the little spaz in my hands.
Hammy was not appreciative. All the Cool-Girl-Flutterby vibe was gone in an instant and he went a little berserker on me. Perhaps the term "Vibrating, Spinning, Clawing Tasmanian Hamster-devil" may be a close description. He even chattered squeaky little hamster-swears at me; which, had I not been trying to mitigate bodily harm, might have been a little bit cute. But all considerations of the word "cute" disappeared once he peed on my hand. (I know. So gross.) I managed to hold on to him long enough to deposit him unceremoniously back in his habitat and inform a tearful Princess that Hammy had been found.
All participants have been debriefed and the Kid is on some serious probation (being found guilty of leaving a particular den-door open after saying "goodnight" to the Rodent). Hammy is totally on lockdown. And I am having a hard time feeling the hamster love at this point.
On the other hand, the Princess has cleaned her room.
Maybe the Rodent can stay.
5.03.2009
My daughter, the Jedi.
I am just gonna come right out and say this.
There are good reasons why this household does not have pets.* Really, really good reasons. Reasons which are reasonable and make a whole lot of sense.
1.) Mr. F. has some crazy allergies to most furry creatures. And generally dislikes the furry creatures he is not allergic to.
2.) We're really not home that much to properly care/train/love/attend to the needs of a living creature which needs large amounts of time devoted to caring/training/loving/attending.
3.) We travel often. Which would generally mean mucho kenneling expenses and very sad furbabies when we are gone.
4.) Let's face it, the grommets are not of the most responsible ilk. On the compass of life, their true north aims more towards the free-wheeling, charming AVOIDANCE of responsibility. And yes, I do what I can to fight it all the way, but seriously? Adding one more battle to the agenda is not high on my list. And frankly, I need things added to MY chore list like I need a roundhouse kick to the head.
5.) We have a bad history with pets. Like the kittens that had to be re-homed once Mr. F. discovered that with the onset of his asthma he also became the unlucky recipient of furry-thing allergies. Or the boxer that we dog-sat in hopes that perhaps we would become it's new family despite Mr. F's dislike of dogs. Or the SIX goldfish that got flushed one after the other despite herculean efforts to save them, resulting in one abandoned fish tank and involuntary shudders from the Princess at the mere mention of "goldfish". (Seriously, it was really that traumatic. I will never allow another goldfish in my house, ever.) Or the incredibly sad encounter with the world's best and most beautiful puppy that I will ever know and not get to love.
See? Lots and lots of really, really good reasons why we do not have pets.
So why can I look over my shoulder and see a Habitrail OVO hamster habitat and hear the rummaging of little rodent feet?
"Why is that?" you ask? Let me tell you. I have no idea why. No. Idea.
Somewhere between the pleading eyes of my offspring and their wheedling voices and shared YouTube videos demonstrating the adorable features of hamsterdom (Curse you, YouTube, and your broccoli-nibbling hamsters!), I caved. I allowed a thought, a mere wisp of favorable consideration enter my mind and the rest was accomplished through pure sorcery and Jedi mind trickery, I assure you. Clearly, I have underestimated the Princess' unity with the Force.
And thus, Hammy has come to live with us. And I have to admit that he's a cute little crapper, with his rusty, fluffy fur and perky round ears and shiny black eyes and sniffy little nose... and fracking sharp teeth. Yes, I have encountered the teeth. (Hammy almost "encountered" the wall.) But we're OK now, Hammy and me. I fed him some cucumber and he's figured out that my finger is not food and that I will not kill, maim or otherwise harm him. In fact, I think he maybe even likes me a bit. At least, he seems to be sending out the "You're pretty cool, Flutterby-chick." vibe. Not that I speak fluent hamster or anything.
So, for the next few years, Hammy's gonna be hanging out with us.
Any bets on who will be cleaning out his habitat??
* Drippy the Bettafish doesn't exactly count as a pet. The little dude thrives on neglect. He's spent the past two years chillin' in his puddle of fishy filth. I don't know who feeds him. I don't. I do clean his tank every month (or so) and he thanks me by making nice little bubble nests. He is a happy, happy fish.
There are good reasons why this household does not have pets.* Really, really good reasons. Reasons which are reasonable and make a whole lot of sense.
1.) Mr. F. has some crazy allergies to most furry creatures. And generally dislikes the furry creatures he is not allergic to.
2.) We're really not home that much to properly care/train/love/attend to the needs of a living creature which needs large amounts of time devoted to caring/training/loving/attending.
3.) We travel often. Which would generally mean mucho kenneling expenses and very sad furbabies when we are gone.
4.) Let's face it, the grommets are not of the most responsible ilk. On the compass of life, their true north aims more towards the free-wheeling, charming AVOIDANCE of responsibility. And yes, I do what I can to fight it all the way, but seriously? Adding one more battle to the agenda is not high on my list. And frankly, I need things added to MY chore list like I need a roundhouse kick to the head.
5.) We have a bad history with pets. Like the kittens that had to be re-homed once Mr. F. discovered that with the onset of his asthma he also became the unlucky recipient of furry-thing allergies. Or the boxer that we dog-sat in hopes that perhaps we would become it's new family despite Mr. F's dislike of dogs. Or the SIX goldfish that got flushed one after the other despite herculean efforts to save them, resulting in one abandoned fish tank and involuntary shudders from the Princess at the mere mention of "goldfish". (Seriously, it was really that traumatic. I will never allow another goldfish in my house, ever.) Or the incredibly sad encounter with the world's best and most beautiful puppy that I will ever know and not get to love.
See? Lots and lots of really, really good reasons why we do not have pets.
So why can I look over my shoulder and see a Habitrail OVO hamster habitat and hear the rummaging of little rodent feet?
"Why is that?" you ask? Let me tell you. I have no idea why. No. Idea.
Somewhere between the pleading eyes of my offspring and their wheedling voices and shared YouTube videos demonstrating the adorable features of hamsterdom (Curse you, YouTube, and your broccoli-nibbling hamsters!), I caved. I allowed a thought, a mere wisp of favorable consideration enter my mind and the rest was accomplished through pure sorcery and Jedi mind trickery, I assure you. Clearly, I have underestimated the Princess' unity with the Force.
And thus, Hammy has come to live with us. And I have to admit that he's a cute little crapper, with his rusty, fluffy fur and perky round ears and shiny black eyes and sniffy little nose... and fracking sharp teeth. Yes, I have encountered the teeth. (Hammy almost "encountered" the wall.) But we're OK now, Hammy and me. I fed him some cucumber and he's figured out that my finger is not food and that I will not kill, maim or otherwise harm him. In fact, I think he maybe even likes me a bit. At least, he seems to be sending out the "You're pretty cool, Flutterby-chick." vibe. Not that I speak fluent hamster or anything.
So, for the next few years, Hammy's gonna be hanging out with us.
Any bets on who will be cleaning out his habitat??
* Drippy the Bettafish doesn't exactly count as a pet. The little dude thrives on neglect. He's spent the past two years chillin' in his puddle of fishy filth. I don't know who feeds him. I don't. I do clean his tank every month (or so) and he thanks me by making nice little bubble nests. He is a happy, happy fish.
4.27.2009
Cause That's How She Rolls.
This past weekend the Princess finished off her Rock 100 experience with a concert performance. There were approximately 15 "rock bands" that were performing a song or two each, and her band was first on the list.
Being her first really Public Performance, I was expecting her to be nervous and full of butterflies (as I would be...) but she surprised me and stayed calm and composed. Quite the cool cucumber, I guess. Their band performed "About a Girl" (of the The Academy Is variety, not the Nirvana tune.) and I have to say that they did very well. Their volunteer producer was one of the best that we saw that night and her hard work in leading the band paid off. There was only one or two groups that, in my opinion, did better -- and they were all older kids. Needless to say, I was pretty proud of my lil girl.
We had lots of fun getting ready for the concert. We don't do Halloween around here, and so I'm always happy to go the extra mile for other fun dress-up events. I promised the Princess she would be Rockstar... I think we did it.
Being her first really Public Performance, I was expecting her to be nervous and full of butterflies (as I would be...) but she surprised me and stayed calm and composed. Quite the cool cucumber, I guess. Their band performed "About a Girl" (of the The Academy Is variety, not the Nirvana tune.) and I have to say that they did very well. Their volunteer producer was one of the best that we saw that night and her hard work in leading the band paid off. There was only one or two groups that, in my opinion, did better -- and they were all older kids. Needless to say, I was pretty proud of my lil girl.
We had lots of fun getting ready for the concert. We don't do Halloween around here, and so I'm always happy to go the extra mile for other fun dress-up events. I promised the Princess she would be Rockstar... I think we did it.
4.24.2009
A-Z also known as TMI)
A
- Available: Nope.
- Age: 33
- Annoyance: commercials
- Animal: in theory, there is nothing cuter than a hamster.
- Actor: Mark Wahlberg
- Adidas / Nike: Adidas
B
- Birthday/Birthplace: November 11, North Battleford, SK
- Best Friends: I am lucky to have a few people I treasure.
- Body Part on opposite sex: ummmmm... that spot where hipbone meets waistband. Me likey.
- Best feeling in the world: playing Tickle Monster with my kiddos or nephews/nieces.
- Best weather: I love a rainy afternoon. But mostly sunny works for me.
- Been in Love: Yes.
- Been bitched out?: Also, yes.
- Been on stage?: Lots, actually.
- Been beaten up?: Not any Real violence; but I have taken a few at Krav.
- Believe in yourself?: I'm trying!
- Believe in life on other planets: hmmmmm... I guess it's possible.
C
- Favorite candy: is chocolate considered candy? if not, then Jelly Belly beans.
- Color: aqua like the ocean.
- Cried in school: probably.
- Chocolate/Vanilla: vanilla
- Chinese/Mexican: Chinese
- Cake or pie: neither are my favorite, but I'll go with Pie
- Country to visit: Would love to go to Israel.
D
- Day or Night: I'm a night owl.
- Dance: Yeah, baby!!!
- Dance in the rain? Sure, why not?
- Do the splits?: It kills me just to think about it.
E
- Eyes: blue
- Everyone has: a bad habit
- Ever failed a class?: I don't think so.
F
- First crush: new kid in class. short-lived.
- First thoughts waking up: "already?" "how quick can I get ready? Snooze button?"
- Food: fresh strawberries
- Feel Sexy?: depends
G
- Greatest Fear: outliving my children.
- Giver or taker: Giver? I think?
- Gum: probably cinnamon gum.
- Get along with your parents?: Yeah, they're great.
In guys/girls
Eye colour: whatever color
Hair: Kinda like that whole shaved head w/ wicked facial hair thing.
Clothing Style: urban, a little bit Rebel.
H
- Hair Colour: light brown naturally, currently various shades of blonde and brown.
- Height: 5'5
- Happy: Most of the time! :)
- Holiday: Someplace beachy and tropical, please.
- Hate: being cold. brrrrr.
I
- Ice Cream: DQ soft serve.
- Instrument: piano.
J
- Jewelry: Don't often wear it.
- Job: I like mine.
K
- Kids: supercool
- Kickboxing or karate: kickboxing.
- Keep a journal?: does blogging count?
L
- Longest Car Ride: North Battleford, SK to Jasper, AB
- Love: My family
- Laughed so hard you cried: Yes, and snotted and peed and snorted as well. Not all at once, though. That would be unfortunate.
- Love at first sight: Sure, why not?
LAST PERSON WHO..
1. Slept in a bed beside you: Mr. F.
2. Saw you cry? Don't know. maybe Mr. F.
3. Went to the movies with you? my husband and kiddos
4. You went to the mall with? my bestie, J
5. You went to dinner with? my husband and kiddos
6. You talked to on the phone? derby girl, D
7. Made you laugh? D Ablo and Anna Filatic (derby girls)
8. Person you hung out with? girlfriends, J and A
M
- Milk flavor: white milk 1%
- Movie: I love (thoughtful) comedies. Not sophomoric, crass ones, though.
- Marriage?: yes!
- Motion sickness?: sometimes. urrrghh.
- McDs or BK: can I say A&W? BK is gross and McDs usually makes my tummy sick.
N
- Number of Siblings: one brother
- Number of Piercings: 3
O
- Overused Phrases: I say "dude" and at my age that just isn't cool.
- One wish: Really?
- One phobia: Moths. *shiver* They freak me out.
P
- Place you'd like to live: acreage or farm with dogs and horses.
- Perfect Pizza: pesto, spinach, red pepper, red onion, mushroom and feta.
- Pepsi/Coke: either
Q
- Quail: Never had it.
R
- Reason to cry: life sucks.
- Reality T.V.: So You Think You Can Dance
- Radio Station: can't stand radio -- I hate commercials.
- Roll your tongue: not sure. Lemme try. Yup.
S
- Song: There's no way I can pick just ONE!!
- Salad Dressing: maple balsamic
- Sushi: veggie only. Don't really like it.
- Scent: GoodSmellingGuy scent.
- Skipped school: Yes. Not much, though.
- Slept outside: Like tenting? Yes. Like on a park bench? No.
- Seen a dead body?: yes
- Smoked?: No
- Shower Daily?: twice daily -- sometimes three times. Ridiculous, I know.
- Sing well?: passable.
- Swear?: trying not to. But sometimes.
- Stuffed Animal? I had this sock monkey that I really, really loved. It had velcro hands and feet.
- Single/Group dates: both
- Strawberries/Blueberries: Strawberries~!
T
- Time for bed: 11:30 on a good girl night.
- Thunderstorms: Love, love, love storms of all kinds!
- TV: don't really watch much. The Office, UFC, Chuck
- Touch your tongue to your nose?: Is that even humanly possible?
U
- Unpredictable: maybe somewhat
V
- Vegetable you hate: I don't know. Swiss chard looks pretty vile.
- Vegetable you love: Peppers.
- Vacation spot: Anywhere!
W
- Weakness: Jumping to conclusions
- Which one of your friends acts the most like you: I'm not sure.
- Who makes you laugh the most: my kiddos!
- Worst feeling: knowing something bad is going to happen
X
-X-Ray: knees, sinuses, skull, spine
Y
-Year it is now: 2009
-Yellow: submarine?
Z
- Zoo animal: penguins!!
- Zodiac Sign: scorpio
- Available: Nope.
- Age: 33
- Annoyance: commercials
- Animal: in theory, there is nothing cuter than a hamster.
- Actor: Mark Wahlberg
- Adidas / Nike: Adidas
B
- Birthday/Birthplace: November 11, North Battleford, SK
- Best Friends: I am lucky to have a few people I treasure.
- Body Part on opposite sex: ummmmm... that spot where hipbone meets waistband. Me likey.
- Best feeling in the world: playing Tickle Monster with my kiddos or nephews/nieces.
- Best weather: I love a rainy afternoon. But mostly sunny works for me.
- Been in Love: Yes.
- Been bitched out?: Also, yes.
- Been on stage?: Lots, actually.
- Been beaten up?: Not any Real violence; but I have taken a few at Krav.
- Believe in yourself?: I'm trying!
- Believe in life on other planets: hmmmmm... I guess it's possible.
C
- Favorite candy: is chocolate considered candy? if not, then Jelly Belly beans.
- Color: aqua like the ocean.
- Cried in school: probably.
- Chocolate/Vanilla: vanilla
- Chinese/Mexican: Chinese
- Cake or pie: neither are my favorite, but I'll go with Pie
- Country to visit: Would love to go to Israel.
D
- Day or Night: I'm a night owl.
- Dance: Yeah, baby!!!
- Dance in the rain? Sure, why not?
- Do the splits?: It kills me just to think about it.
E
- Eyes: blue
- Everyone has: a bad habit
- Ever failed a class?: I don't think so.
F
- First crush: new kid in class. short-lived.
- First thoughts waking up: "already?" "how quick can I get ready? Snooze button?"
- Food: fresh strawberries
- Feel Sexy?: depends
G
- Greatest Fear: outliving my children.
- Giver or taker: Giver? I think?
- Gum: probably cinnamon gum.
- Get along with your parents?: Yeah, they're great.
In guys/girls
Eye colour: whatever color
Hair: Kinda like that whole shaved head w/ wicked facial hair thing.
Clothing Style: urban, a little bit Rebel.
H
- Hair Colour: light brown naturally, currently various shades of blonde and brown.
- Height: 5'5
- Happy: Most of the time! :)
- Holiday: Someplace beachy and tropical, please.
- Hate: being cold. brrrrr.
I
- Ice Cream: DQ soft serve.
- Instrument: piano.
J
- Jewelry: Don't often wear it.
- Job: I like mine.
K
- Kids: supercool
- Kickboxing or karate: kickboxing.
- Keep a journal?: does blogging count?
L
- Longest Car Ride: North Battleford, SK to Jasper, AB
- Love: My family
- Laughed so hard you cried: Yes, and snotted and peed and snorted as well. Not all at once, though. That would be unfortunate.
- Love at first sight: Sure, why not?
LAST PERSON WHO..
1. Slept in a bed beside you: Mr. F.
2. Saw you cry? Don't know. maybe Mr. F.
3. Went to the movies with you? my husband and kiddos
4. You went to the mall with? my bestie, J
5. You went to dinner with? my husband and kiddos
6. You talked to on the phone? derby girl, D
7. Made you laugh? D Ablo and Anna Filatic (derby girls)
8. Person you hung out with? girlfriends, J and A
M
- Milk flavor: white milk 1%
- Movie: I love (thoughtful) comedies. Not sophomoric, crass ones, though.
- Marriage?: yes!
- Motion sickness?: sometimes. urrrghh.
- McDs or BK: can I say A&W? BK is gross and McDs usually makes my tummy sick.
N
- Number of Siblings: one brother
- Number of Piercings: 3
O
- Overused Phrases: I say "dude" and at my age that just isn't cool.
- One wish: Really?
- One phobia: Moths. *shiver* They freak me out.
P
- Place you'd like to live: acreage or farm with dogs and horses.
- Perfect Pizza: pesto, spinach, red pepper, red onion, mushroom and feta.
- Pepsi/Coke: either
Q
- Quail: Never had it.
R
- Reason to cry: life sucks.
- Reality T.V.: So You Think You Can Dance
- Radio Station: can't stand radio -- I hate commercials.
- Roll your tongue: not sure. Lemme try. Yup.
S
- Song: There's no way I can pick just ONE!!
- Salad Dressing: maple balsamic
- Sushi: veggie only. Don't really like it.
- Scent: GoodSmellingGuy scent.
- Skipped school: Yes. Not much, though.
- Slept outside: Like tenting? Yes. Like on a park bench? No.
- Seen a dead body?: yes
- Smoked?: No
- Shower Daily?: twice daily -- sometimes three times. Ridiculous, I know.
- Sing well?: passable.
- Swear?: trying not to. But sometimes.
- Stuffed Animal? I had this sock monkey that I really, really loved. It had velcro hands and feet.
- Single/Group dates: both
- Strawberries/Blueberries: Strawberries~!
T
- Time for bed: 11:30 on a good girl night.
- Thunderstorms: Love, love, love storms of all kinds!
- TV: don't really watch much. The Office, UFC, Chuck
- Touch your tongue to your nose?: Is that even humanly possible?
U
- Unpredictable: maybe somewhat
V
- Vegetable you hate: I don't know. Swiss chard looks pretty vile.
- Vegetable you love: Peppers.
- Vacation spot: Anywhere!
W
- Weakness: Jumping to conclusions
- Which one of your friends acts the most like you: I'm not sure.
- Who makes you laugh the most: my kiddos!
- Worst feeling: knowing something bad is going to happen
X
-X-Ray: knees, sinuses, skull, spine
Y
-Year it is now: 2009
-Yellow: submarine?
Z
- Zoo animal: penguins!!
- Zodiac Sign: scorpio
4.14.2009
Smell Ya Later!
My latest bottle of fragrance is nearing it's last few splashes and I'll soon be looking for something different. I always find shopping for perfume (ewwww... isn't that just the most horrible sounding word for something so lovely?) a bit overwhelming. I know that many women have sort of a signature scent... they pick a certain fragrance and stick to it with tenacity and verve. My moms is one of those people and to this day every time my kids catch a whiff of Elizabeth Arden's "Red Door", one of them is bound to exclaim "GRANDMA!!" before I can count to three through the smiles in my brain.
Me? I'm not really a signature scent kinda girl. But I am a monogamous scenter. I don't ever have more than one scent in my possession... So, in a way I try to claim the "ideal" of a signature scent, but without the commitment.
Yeah... I just lost respect for myself, too.
Anyhow, with the prospect of finding my newest fragrance Love in the near future, I thought it would be... uhhh, how you say? APROPOS... to take a brief look back at all the lovely (and some rather unfortunate) frangrances I have called my own.
1.) Ahhh, first ever perfume... your name has been long forgotten but I will remember you always. One in a package of five tiny sample bottles that my Mom didn't want, I chose you first because your name was something like "Sea" or "Paradise" and smelling you made me think of clean, clean water and sunshine. Unfortunately, our love affair was short as there wasn't much of you in the bottle and I soon found out that "Real" perfume costs more money than an eleven year old can concieve of.
Which led to my brief affair with cheap, stanky perfume that was adored by pre-teen girls and featured in Seventeen on every third page.
2.) Love's Baby Soft. My first issue of Seventeen sent me spiralling down the deep dark vortex of Advertising Targetted to PreTeens. Who wouldn't want to be like one of those perfectly perky collegiate babes, posing with their side ponytails and scrunchy socks? They had clear skin and big earrings and surely they must smell really, really good and be wanted by everyone! OK, so technically I didn't OWN this one, but beyond coveting it, I regularly borrowed a spray or two from my friend who was (dubiously) lucky enough to own a bottle of it and freely let me partake of the LOVE that is the Baby Soft.
3.) Exclamation. Honestly, I didn't really even like this one. But every single SuperCoolGirl(tm) wore it and I was phasing through that rough, but necessary "I really want to be Super Cool" patch. From our spiral permed hair teased within an inch of it's life to our Asics Tigers volleyball trainers, IKEDA baggy sweatshirts and tight jeans, teenage girls of that particular vintage were barely discernible from one another.
4.) Colors by United Colors of Benetton. There was a few different varieties of this one; my first "real" fragrance. I was fondest of the clear bottle with the black top and stuck with it for a few years. I was also allergic to it at first. Which meant I got a bit red and itchy around all those pulse points you were supposed to dab at. My allergy eventually subsided, though and this is probably the closest I became to being a "signature scent" girl. I think I used at least two or three bottles in succession... a record no other scent has come close to.
5.) Eternity by Calvin Klein. I really liked this one, as well. "ETERNITY, inspired by the ideal of lasting love and intimacy, is a romantic floral fragrance. This harmonious blend of both classic and contemporary scents is a perfect combination, created to reflect timeless quality and modern style. I think it's the low notes of sandalwood and patchouli that hooked me (don't get me started on those two... a am a certified sandalwood junkie) and kept me lovin it until the bottle was finished. Ummmm... the sexy beach ads didn't hurt, either.
6.) CKOne. It was a Christmas gift and it didn't quite hit the mark. I had first sniffed it out on a friend and actually really liked it. This was my first experience with the First Rule Of Fragrance "What smells good on someone else, will not always smell good on you". I'm sure there's some scientific reason involving skin chemistry and other such factual stuff. What matters is that it smelled really rather fake-ish and one dimensional on me. For the record, though... I did try to use it all. Waste not, want not, right? Besides, it was a gift.
7.) Hemp. Sandalwood. Patchouli. For a while I nixed the fragrance search, opting instead to become a human incense stick. Well, I wasn't that noxious... it was really a very subtle thing. It's not like you can go out and buy Hemp-scented perfume. Well, maybe you can. But I preferred the body lotion and shower gel route. Hydrated skin is happy skin!
8.) Curious by Britney Spears. Seriously... I hated that this was in any way, shape or form associated with Ms. Spears. I just happened to be flipping through a magazine and the sample strip fragrance hit me and it was kismet. Having learned my Chemistry lesson well, I took this one out for a tester date and it was love at first sniff. My skin + Curious. Heart! Arrows! But I hid the bottle and didn't let anyone know what I was wearing. Cause, ewww, pop princess... *shiver* But, yes... the sandalwood wins again. "The fragrance is a white floral scent. Its notes are Louisiana magnolia, golden Anjou pear, lotus flower, tuberose, star jasmine, pink cyclamen, vanilla-infused musk, sandalwood and blonde woods."
9.) Euphoria by Calvin Klein. This is my current fragrance. With an ingredient list that sounds as delicious as exotic, how could you not love this one? "The main notes are rose hip, Japanese apple, green leaves, Lotus, black orchid, red woods, black violet and amber." And look... no sandalwood! It's dark and sensual and fun. And almost empty.
And so the search begins. Any suggestions?
Me? I'm not really a signature scent kinda girl. But I am a monogamous scenter. I don't ever have more than one scent in my possession... So, in a way I try to claim the "ideal" of a signature scent, but without the commitment.
Yeah... I just lost respect for myself, too.
Anyhow, with the prospect of finding my newest fragrance Love in the near future, I thought it would be... uhhh, how you say? APROPOS... to take a brief look back at all the lovely (and some rather unfortunate) frangrances I have called my own.
1.) Ahhh, first ever perfume... your name has been long forgotten but I will remember you always. One in a package of five tiny sample bottles that my Mom didn't want, I chose you first because your name was something like "Sea" or "Paradise" and smelling you made me think of clean, clean water and sunshine. Unfortunately, our love affair was short as there wasn't much of you in the bottle and I soon found out that "Real" perfume costs more money than an eleven year old can concieve of.
Which led to my brief affair with cheap, stanky perfume that was adored by pre-teen girls and featured in Seventeen on every third page.
2.) Love's Baby Soft. My first issue of Seventeen sent me spiralling down the deep dark vortex of Advertising Targetted to PreTeens. Who wouldn't want to be like one of those perfectly perky collegiate babes, posing with their side ponytails and scrunchy socks? They had clear skin and big earrings and surely they must smell really, really good and be wanted by everyone! OK, so technically I didn't OWN this one, but beyond coveting it, I regularly borrowed a spray or two from my friend who was (dubiously) lucky enough to own a bottle of it and freely let me partake of the LOVE that is the Baby Soft.
3.) Exclamation. Honestly, I didn't really even like this one. But every single SuperCoolGirl(tm) wore it and I was phasing through that rough, but necessary "I really want to be Super Cool" patch. From our spiral permed hair teased within an inch of it's life to our Asics Tigers volleyball trainers, IKEDA baggy sweatshirts and tight jeans, teenage girls of that particular vintage were barely discernible from one another.
4.) Colors by United Colors of Benetton. There was a few different varieties of this one; my first "real" fragrance. I was fondest of the clear bottle with the black top and stuck with it for a few years. I was also allergic to it at first. Which meant I got a bit red and itchy around all those pulse points you were supposed to dab at. My allergy eventually subsided, though and this is probably the closest I became to being a "signature scent" girl. I think I used at least two or three bottles in succession... a record no other scent has come close to.
5.) Eternity by Calvin Klein. I really liked this one, as well. "ETERNITY, inspired by the ideal of lasting love and intimacy, is a romantic floral fragrance. This harmonious blend of both classic and contemporary scents is a perfect combination, created to reflect timeless quality and modern style. I think it's the low notes of sandalwood and patchouli that hooked me (don't get me started on those two... a am a certified sandalwood junkie) and kept me lovin it until the bottle was finished. Ummmm... the sexy beach ads didn't hurt, either.
6.) CKOne. It was a Christmas gift and it didn't quite hit the mark. I had first sniffed it out on a friend and actually really liked it. This was my first experience with the First Rule Of Fragrance "What smells good on someone else, will not always smell good on you". I'm sure there's some scientific reason involving skin chemistry and other such factual stuff. What matters is that it smelled really rather fake-ish and one dimensional on me. For the record, though... I did try to use it all. Waste not, want not, right? Besides, it was a gift.
7.) Hemp. Sandalwood. Patchouli. For a while I nixed the fragrance search, opting instead to become a human incense stick. Well, I wasn't that noxious... it was really a very subtle thing. It's not like you can go out and buy Hemp-scented perfume. Well, maybe you can. But I preferred the body lotion and shower gel route. Hydrated skin is happy skin!
8.) Curious by Britney Spears. Seriously... I hated that this was in any way, shape or form associated with Ms. Spears. I just happened to be flipping through a magazine and the sample strip fragrance hit me and it was kismet. Having learned my Chemistry lesson well, I took this one out for a tester date and it was love at first sniff. My skin + Curious. Heart! Arrows! But I hid the bottle and didn't let anyone know what I was wearing. Cause, ewww, pop princess... *shiver* But, yes... the sandalwood wins again. "The fragrance is a white floral scent. Its notes are Louisiana magnolia, golden Anjou pear, lotus flower, tuberose, star jasmine, pink cyclamen, vanilla-infused musk, sandalwood and blonde woods."
9.) Euphoria by Calvin Klein. This is my current fragrance. With an ingredient list that sounds as delicious as exotic, how could you not love this one? "The main notes are rose hip, Japanese apple, green leaves, Lotus, black orchid, red woods, black violet and amber." And look... no sandalwood! It's dark and sensual and fun. And almost empty.
And so the search begins. Any suggestions?
4.13.2009
Finally!
I wanted to give my sis-in-law time to make her announcement on her own blog before I popped up over here and shouted it all over my own blog. And so I've been sitting on my hands and biting my tongue for the past few days, waiting to announce this:
Finally, after months and months and endless months (And, yes, I fully realize that it was far worse for the lovely pregnant mommy... but I'm not the patient sort, either) my beautiful niece, Samara, was born on April 9th at 10:56pm.
AND SHE'S GORGEOUS!! (Of course! Just look at her parents...)
Just look at those beautiful blue eyes! And those lips! Auntie is SOOOOO smooching those lil lips!
*squeee!* And now the countdown is on until Mr F and I and the grommets can make the trip to go visit. (Don't worry, JJ, we'll give you some time to recover!)
A big hug and high five to my lovely sis-in-law, JJ -- GOOD JOB, MAMA! I'm so proud of you. I know this was a long time coming, complete with undue drama and concern. And I suppose Big J deserves some credit, although... seriously... we all know who did all the work. :) May she bring happiness to you both!
Finally, after months and months and endless months (And, yes, I fully realize that it was far worse for the lovely pregnant mommy... but I'm not the patient sort, either) my beautiful niece, Samara, was born on April 9th at 10:56pm.
AND SHE'S GORGEOUS!! (Of course! Just look at her parents...)
Just look at those beautiful blue eyes! And those lips! Auntie is SOOOOO smooching those lil lips!
*squeee!* And now the countdown is on until Mr F and I and the grommets can make the trip to go visit. (Don't worry, JJ, we'll give you some time to recover!)
A big hug and high five to my lovely sis-in-law, JJ -- GOOD JOB, MAMA! I'm so proud of you. I know this was a long time coming, complete with undue drama and concern. And I suppose Big J deserves some credit, although... seriously... we all know who did all the work. :) May she bring happiness to you both!
4.08.2009
I Know, I Know... Enough With The Change Thing.
Here we go again...
So far, my foray into the workaday world has been rather splashy and, frankly, ridiculous. I am a person who enjoys change, but I am finding that this is one area that I'd rather remain a constant.
Regardless of what I would wish or like, it was becoming clear that my Front Desk Gig was not going to work with my other Makes Me No Money At the Moment (But Nevertheless Could Really Pay Off Sometime Soon) Gig.
*aside: it's really silly to use the word "gig" isn't it? Kinda reminds me of the old Archie comics for some reason.* Carry on.
The end result being that conflicting hours (and not enough of them, for that matter) and a shady manager was enough to lay the ax to that tree. Bye, bye, front desk and ever-vacillating-double-talking-crappy-scheduling boss.
I handed in my notice the same day that I was hired at my other job. Which was totally a fluke as I certainly didn't expect to get hired the moment I passed my resume across the desk. But, thankfully things seem to have worked out. I am now occupying my position as *ahem* Front Lead (thank you very much...) at a spiffy car detailing joint here in Fluttercity.
Which means that I spend a lot of time outside greeting customers as they pull up, schmooze them and arrange their cleaning packages, and kind of oversee the front bay stations. I already have a head start on a tan thanks to the warm sun today (OK, so it's just a bit of pink on my cheeks and nose, but... after an endlessly long winter? I'm exercising my right to call it a head start!) and am really enjoying the people I work with. The owners are a very tight family and the place has a great feel to it, it's nice to spend the day laughing with people and endearing yourself to elderly customers and generally making people feel glad to be spending horrendous amounts of money to not have to clean their own car.
I lied -- Our packages are actually very reasonable and your car will pretty much roll over; panting and doing that involuntary dog-leg thing while it's being worked over. Cause that is some sweet, sweet car lovin' that goes on in there. Rocket got a complimentary exterior job this morning and my heart may have skipped a beat or two when I saw him, all dressed out with the tire and rim shine, freshly waxed and glistening in the morning sun.
And that put a smile on his face cause I think he may have been a bit worried. See, I also get to drive each and every car that comes through the shop. I slide behind the wheel of most of them without even a sliver of temptation... but there are some, I tell you, that have made me a little bit weak in the knees after hearing their high-performance engines growl throaty, nasty things in my ear. And the occasional over-the-top beefy monster Hummer or Escalade has been known to rev my motor a little bit in appreciation. Especially when said monster slicky folds down a sweet rivetted steel running board for my dainty sneaker-clad foot upon opening the driver's door and automatically adjusts the driver's seat. That, my friends, is treating a lady like a lady. It is also a bit freakishly futuristic and I would be lying if I didn't say I was about to freak the crap OUT if the vehicle started to talk to me (a la KITT) next.
I've also driven some cars that ought not to be set foot in by any person with even half an intact nasal passage. And I've found that people are a bit weird about their icky spilly stuff. It's not enough to just acknowledge it. To say that, Yes, I Smell That, Too. No, they want you to get your nose right in there... right THERE where it's the worst so that you can be familiar with the Source of the Stench. Some even want you to touch it and then smell your fingers -- I presume to establish the fact that there is Residual Grossness. Ohhh, people, please do not do this to your smiley, happy Front Lead. She is more than willing to just take your word for it and would rather her fingers not smell like rancid Butter for the rest of the afternoon.
But the number one truth that I will now, with authority and vehemency, proclaim as the greatest crime against your vehicle and the lovely Front Lead who will regrettably have to pilot it through the shop.... is chewing tobacco. Particularly the watery, spitty, stinky bits that mindless, heartless degenerates actually spit into the floor carpets of their vehicles and then expect you to clean that STANK ARSE CRAP out for a paltry price. Some things are beyond my understanding.
But it's enough to send me running over to my squeaky clean and lovely smelling Rocket with a smile on my face.
So far, my foray into the workaday world has been rather splashy and, frankly, ridiculous. I am a person who enjoys change, but I am finding that this is one area that I'd rather remain a constant.
Regardless of what I would wish or like, it was becoming clear that my Front Desk Gig was not going to work with my other Makes Me No Money At the Moment (But Nevertheless Could Really Pay Off Sometime Soon) Gig.
*aside: it's really silly to use the word "gig" isn't it? Kinda reminds me of the old Archie comics for some reason.* Carry on.
The end result being that conflicting hours (and not enough of them, for that matter) and a shady manager was enough to lay the ax to that tree. Bye, bye, front desk and ever-vacillating-double-talking-crappy-scheduling boss.
I handed in my notice the same day that I was hired at my other job. Which was totally a fluke as I certainly didn't expect to get hired the moment I passed my resume across the desk. But, thankfully things seem to have worked out. I am now occupying my position as *ahem* Front Lead (thank you very much...) at a spiffy car detailing joint here in Fluttercity.
Which means that I spend a lot of time outside greeting customers as they pull up, schmooze them and arrange their cleaning packages, and kind of oversee the front bay stations. I already have a head start on a tan thanks to the warm sun today (OK, so it's just a bit of pink on my cheeks and nose, but... after an endlessly long winter? I'm exercising my right to call it a head start!) and am really enjoying the people I work with. The owners are a very tight family and the place has a great feel to it, it's nice to spend the day laughing with people and endearing yourself to elderly customers and generally making people feel glad to be spending horrendous amounts of money to not have to clean their own car.
I lied -- Our packages are actually very reasonable and your car will pretty much roll over; panting and doing that involuntary dog-leg thing while it's being worked over. Cause that is some sweet, sweet car lovin' that goes on in there. Rocket got a complimentary exterior job this morning and my heart may have skipped a beat or two when I saw him, all dressed out with the tire and rim shine, freshly waxed and glistening in the morning sun.
And that put a smile on his face cause I think he may have been a bit worried. See, I also get to drive each and every car that comes through the shop. I slide behind the wheel of most of them without even a sliver of temptation... but there are some, I tell you, that have made me a little bit weak in the knees after hearing their high-performance engines growl throaty, nasty things in my ear. And the occasional over-the-top beefy monster Hummer or Escalade has been known to rev my motor a little bit in appreciation. Especially when said monster slicky folds down a sweet rivetted steel running board for my dainty sneaker-clad foot upon opening the driver's door and automatically adjusts the driver's seat. That, my friends, is treating a lady like a lady. It is also a bit freakishly futuristic and I would be lying if I didn't say I was about to freak the crap OUT if the vehicle started to talk to me (a la KITT) next.
I've also driven some cars that ought not to be set foot in by any person with even half an intact nasal passage. And I've found that people are a bit weird about their icky spilly stuff. It's not enough to just acknowledge it. To say that, Yes, I Smell That, Too. No, they want you to get your nose right in there... right THERE where it's the worst so that you can be familiar with the Source of the Stench. Some even want you to touch it and then smell your fingers -- I presume to establish the fact that there is Residual Grossness. Ohhh, people, please do not do this to your smiley, happy Front Lead. She is more than willing to just take your word for it and would rather her fingers not smell like rancid Butter for the rest of the afternoon.
But the number one truth that I will now, with authority and vehemency, proclaim as the greatest crime against your vehicle and the lovely Front Lead who will regrettably have to pilot it through the shop.... is chewing tobacco. Particularly the watery, spitty, stinky bits that mindless, heartless degenerates actually spit into the floor carpets of their vehicles and then expect you to clean that STANK ARSE CRAP out for a paltry price. Some things are beyond my understanding.
But it's enough to send me running over to my squeaky clean and lovely smelling Rocket with a smile on my face.
4.01.2009
No Way.
There are things that never cease to amaze me about the internet.
One of them is getting the occasional email from someone regarding my blog from phishers when content on my blog matches their search criteria. It's a short list, really. My little blog doesn't make that big of a dent in the blogosphere. (Oh, little blog, I had such high hopes for you...)
Some of the more memorable phishes:
- An organization that petitions against circuses (circi??) and their poor treatment of animals following my post saying that I was not attending the local Shriner's deal for the same reason.
- A couple emails requesting product reviews after I posted about a similar product.
- The Lukas Rossi fan club which put out an open call on their forum to comment on a post on my blog. Which made no sense cause my post about him was really positive. I have no idea why they were harassing me about it. I was, like, "He's great, I totally am crushing hard." And they were, like, "You must crush harder. This is offensive." This one? I could see how phishing can go horribly wrong... I think I shut down comments for a bit after that.
But my latest phish takes the cake. Just cause I Never. Saw. That. Coming.
I mean, you would reasonably expect that an animal rights organization or marketing board or celebrity fan club exists.
But, when I got an email from a member (#1 championship contender, no less...) of the...
...wait for it...
Pillow Fight League
I was all, "No Way."
But, being the curious cat that I am, I checked out the link and yes... it does exist. And it actually looks kinda cool. I can see why derby has adopted it as a past-time. Their girls look pretty kick-ass, too.
I'm still kinda all, "No Way." about it. But thought I would post the link here all the same, just cause she complimented my blog. Which I know is the blog equivalent of putting out on the first date, but still. ("You have beautiful eyes, baby." "OK, you can touch me.")
Seriously, that conversation NEVER actually happened. I'm totally pulling that out of the air. Totally.
So, here's a shout out to the girls of the Pillow Fight League. I might have to go watch some of those crazy bouts to get a leg up on my competition at the next derby after-party.
One of them is getting the occasional email from someone regarding my blog from phishers when content on my blog matches their search criteria. It's a short list, really. My little blog doesn't make that big of a dent in the blogosphere. (Oh, little blog, I had such high hopes for you...)
Some of the more memorable phishes:
- An organization that petitions against circuses (circi??) and their poor treatment of animals following my post saying that I was not attending the local Shriner's deal for the same reason.
- A couple emails requesting product reviews after I posted about a similar product.
- The Lukas Rossi fan club which put out an open call on their forum to comment on a post on my blog. Which made no sense cause my post about him was really positive. I have no idea why they were harassing me about it. I was, like, "He's great, I totally am crushing hard." And they were, like, "You must crush harder. This is offensive." This one? I could see how phishing can go horribly wrong... I think I shut down comments for a bit after that.
But my latest phish takes the cake. Just cause I Never. Saw. That. Coming.
I mean, you would reasonably expect that an animal rights organization or marketing board or celebrity fan club exists.
But, when I got an email from a member (#1 championship contender, no less...) of the...
...wait for it...
Pillow Fight League
I was all, "No Way."
But, being the curious cat that I am, I checked out the link and yes... it does exist. And it actually looks kinda cool. I can see why derby has adopted it as a past-time. Their girls look pretty kick-ass, too.
I'm still kinda all, "No Way." about it. But thought I would post the link here all the same, just cause she complimented my blog. Which I know is the blog equivalent of putting out on the first date, but still. ("You have beautiful eyes, baby." "OK, you can touch me.")
Seriously, that conversation NEVER actually happened. I'm totally pulling that out of the air. Totally.
So, here's a shout out to the girls of the Pillow Fight League. I might have to go watch some of those crazy bouts to get a leg up on my competition at the next derby after-party.
3.30.2009
Booty Boot Camp.
After much hyperventilating and insane running around to complete a gazillion last minute things; it was finally time to leave for the boot camp. Rocket the WonderCivic was loaded full of fellow derby girls and crammed full of gear, suitcases, snacks and music and we were off. And even pretty much on time.
There were the usual pitstops in podunk towns for bathroom breaks; and one memorable stop at a small town bar (the only place open at 11:30pm which had a bathroom) where we were treated to an astounding -- and I'll let you interpret that as you will -- rendition of Johnny Cash's "Fulsom Prison Blues" which had us giggling well past the next town on the map. The miles added up and we talked (loudly) and laughed (madly) and sang (badly) the whole way to The 'Peg. We arrived in stellar fashion at about 1am and after first attempting to check in at the wrong hotel (there was Two along the same long stretch of road in the city, we stopped at the first one...) we finally laid our heads down.
Well, we could have, but we had to paint our names and numbers on our scrimmage shirts. Sleep could come later.
2am and the last shirt was hanging to dry, leaving us a precious 5 hours of shut-eye before it was up and off to the Military Rec Center where the bootcamp was to be held.
There are some girls I don't look forward to "running into" on the track. Girl in Blue is one of them. What she lacks in skill is more than made up for in sheer size. Man in Black was one of the conditioning coaches.
This is a pic of me with my roomies from our league. L-R: Curly Mae, Crash Override, Knotty Knox and ME!
I am usually pretty vain about pics that I post... but frankly had to get over it, cause there's not a single one from the weekend of me that passes muster. Here I am five hours into the day, not a shred of makeup on and had passed the point of Sweaty and Vile a good two hours earlier. Hope you all still love me. :)
I've done some tough workouts in my life; I've weathered hour after hour of Krav training, pushed through an afternoon of testing for my ranking... and I have to say that this bootcamp kicked my butt something fierce. Kicked us all. We started out with an hour of plyometric drills. Frog jumps, Power skips, one-leg squats, jump squats, star jumps... basically 60 minutes of every variation of pain that could be visited upon one's lower body. Enough that we all had the dreaded "Rubber Leg Syndrome" for the rest of the day. Which is usually bad enough... but we still had six hours of skating and derby drills to get through. And, as you can imagine... skating on rubber legs? Not real fun. At all. But, we all learned a ton. Coach P. is a real, live derby legend, he literally "wrote the rules". One of the founding members of WFTDA and a truly great guy to boot. He loves and lives this sport and it showed. He had a great way of explaining skills, breaking stuff down and just generally getting across to us what we needed to do, and how to it better. And, he made us wish we were better. Cause we are frankly rank beginners (would it sound bad if I said, "Especially the other League"???) and a lot of his expertise was wasted on us at the moment.
Eventually, we hit our last hour of training and lugged our gear back to the hotel where hot showers and pizza got us through to the after party.
I'm learning more about derby culture and the After Party is one of those things that is legendary to the point of being tradition in Derby. Some things you may expect to see at a derby after party? Live music, strange contests, 50/50 tickets bought by the "Butt, Boob or Leg" length, pillow fights, giant pyramids of empty beer cans... the list goes on.
This particular after party was held at a little hole in the wall pub, not lacking charm entirely, but a little bit rough around the edges. Maybe I was just tired. OK, I was super tired and super hurtin. In fact, this is me... almost falling asleep despite the din of noise and crush of people.
Problem was, I was on the pillowfight roster. I needed help. One RockStar energy drink to the rescue, and things were looking better.
Which was really good, cause the pillow fights were nasty. Nasty, nasty fun.
I was second on the board, slotted to fight a 'Peg girl. I was warned she would be feisty, but didn't know what to expect. We're just standing there trading blows, right? That's what the first round fighters did. I've never seen a pillow fight before. And here is where I will let the pictures do the talking. (I'm in the grey tank.)
Yeah, you saw that right. That sh&# got taken DOWN to the FLOOR, people! I reversed the takedown and we ended up totally up in each other's binness which apparently makes the crowd a little loud and rowdy. Unfortunately I lost the fight when I lost grip on my pillow during the scuffle. (Another rule I wasn't aware of, else I would've been holding tight to that thing, I tell you. I didn't flash my back fat to the whole bar of derby fans to walk away without winning. True that.) I will humbly say that I dominated that ground game, but I will give Little Miss 'Peg props cause she was mad feisty and wily. But, I will not be so naive next bout. Game on!
Next up were The Magnificent Sevens. Don't ask me why they were called that, there were only five of them. I don't really know how to classify their style... maybe Rockabilly Bluegrass might come close. They were surprisingly good and I really enjoyed their first set.
But the tiredness was hitting us all pretty hard. It was 2am and we pretty much all just looked around the table at the weary eyes and said, We're outta here.
I don't know what all other derby goodness we missed, but I'm sure I'll see it again somewhere else, some other time.
(Coach Pauly with a few of my derby girls; Gates of Hell, Bunny Slugga and D Ablo.)
The next morning we overslept and rushed to make check-out before heading to a much looked-forward to destination. An old school roller rink, complete with disco ball and DJ. We skated. We fell. OK, well, I fell. I was tired, OK? It was a humbling experience all around. We danced to "YMCA", played Pick A Wall (I was one measly round from winning the coveted concession token) and generally tried to work out some of the stiffest, sorest, tiredest muscles before we crammed all back in the vehicle for another 5+ hours to get back home.
And with that, my first Roller Derby Boot Camp came to an end and I am now left trying to recover some crazy sore legs and backside; nothing left but to look forward to the next one.
The girls in our league found out that our names won't clear the roster for a few months, so in the meantime, we've just decided to go ahead and NameUp. Hopefully everything works out and I won't have to change anything.
So, for now? Kitty Killswitch is In Da House!
There were the usual pitstops in podunk towns for bathroom breaks; and one memorable stop at a small town bar (the only place open at 11:30pm which had a bathroom) where we were treated to an astounding -- and I'll let you interpret that as you will -- rendition of Johnny Cash's "Fulsom Prison Blues" which had us giggling well past the next town on the map. The miles added up and we talked (loudly) and laughed (madly) and sang (badly) the whole way to The 'Peg. We arrived in stellar fashion at about 1am and after first attempting to check in at the wrong hotel (there was Two along the same long stretch of road in the city, we stopped at the first one...) we finally laid our heads down.
Well, we could have, but we had to paint our names and numbers on our scrimmage shirts. Sleep could come later.
2am and the last shirt was hanging to dry, leaving us a precious 5 hours of shut-eye before it was up and off to the Military Rec Center where the bootcamp was to be held.
There are some girls I don't look forward to "running into" on the track. Girl in Blue is one of them. What she lacks in skill is more than made up for in sheer size. Man in Black was one of the conditioning coaches.
This is a pic of me with my roomies from our league. L-R: Curly Mae, Crash Override, Knotty Knox and ME!
I am usually pretty vain about pics that I post... but frankly had to get over it, cause there's not a single one from the weekend of me that passes muster. Here I am five hours into the day, not a shred of makeup on and had passed the point of Sweaty and Vile a good two hours earlier. Hope you all still love me. :)I've done some tough workouts in my life; I've weathered hour after hour of Krav training, pushed through an afternoon of testing for my ranking... and I have to say that this bootcamp kicked my butt something fierce. Kicked us all. We started out with an hour of plyometric drills. Frog jumps, Power skips, one-leg squats, jump squats, star jumps... basically 60 minutes of every variation of pain that could be visited upon one's lower body. Enough that we all had the dreaded "Rubber Leg Syndrome" for the rest of the day. Which is usually bad enough... but we still had six hours of skating and derby drills to get through. And, as you can imagine... skating on rubber legs? Not real fun. At all. But, we all learned a ton. Coach P. is a real, live derby legend, he literally "wrote the rules". One of the founding members of WFTDA and a truly great guy to boot. He loves and lives this sport and it showed. He had a great way of explaining skills, breaking stuff down and just generally getting across to us what we needed to do, and how to it better. And, he made us wish we were better. Cause we are frankly rank beginners (would it sound bad if I said, "Especially the other League"???) and a lot of his expertise was wasted on us at the moment.
Eventually, we hit our last hour of training and lugged our gear back to the hotel where hot showers and pizza got us through to the after party.
I'm learning more about derby culture and the After Party is one of those things that is legendary to the point of being tradition in Derby. Some things you may expect to see at a derby after party? Live music, strange contests, 50/50 tickets bought by the "Butt, Boob or Leg" length, pillow fights, giant pyramids of empty beer cans... the list goes on.
This particular after party was held at a little hole in the wall pub, not lacking charm entirely, but a little bit rough around the edges. Maybe I was just tired. OK, I was super tired and super hurtin. In fact, this is me... almost falling asleep despite the din of noise and crush of people.
Problem was, I was on the pillowfight roster. I needed help. One RockStar energy drink to the rescue, and things were looking better.
Which was really good, cause the pillow fights were nasty. Nasty, nasty fun.I was second on the board, slotted to fight a 'Peg girl. I was warned she would be feisty, but didn't know what to expect. We're just standing there trading blows, right? That's what the first round fighters did. I've never seen a pillow fight before. And here is where I will let the pictures do the talking. (I'm in the grey tank.)
Yeah, you saw that right. That sh&# got taken DOWN to the FLOOR, people! I reversed the takedown and we ended up totally up in each other's binness which apparently makes the crowd a little loud and rowdy. Unfortunately I lost the fight when I lost grip on my pillow during the scuffle. (Another rule I wasn't aware of, else I would've been holding tight to that thing, I tell you. I didn't flash my back fat to the whole bar of derby fans to walk away without winning. True that.) I will humbly say that I dominated that ground game, but I will give Little Miss 'Peg props cause she was mad feisty and wily. But, I will not be so naive next bout. Game on!
Next up were The Magnificent Sevens. Don't ask me why they were called that, there were only five of them. I don't really know how to classify their style... maybe Rockabilly Bluegrass might come close. They were surprisingly good and I really enjoyed their first set.But the tiredness was hitting us all pretty hard. It was 2am and we pretty much all just looked around the table at the weary eyes and said, We're outta here.
I don't know what all other derby goodness we missed, but I'm sure I'll see it again somewhere else, some other time.
(Coach Pauly with a few of my derby girls; Gates of Hell, Bunny Slugga and D Ablo.)The next morning we overslept and rushed to make check-out before heading to a much looked-forward to destination. An old school roller rink, complete with disco ball and DJ. We skated. We fell. OK, well, I fell. I was tired, OK? It was a humbling experience all around. We danced to "YMCA", played Pick A Wall (I was one measly round from winning the coveted concession token) and generally tried to work out some of the stiffest, sorest, tiredest muscles before we crammed all back in the vehicle for another 5+ hours to get back home.
And with that, my first Roller Derby Boot Camp came to an end and I am now left trying to recover some crazy sore legs and backside; nothing left but to look forward to the next one.
The girls in our league found out that our names won't clear the roster for a few months, so in the meantime, we've just decided to go ahead and NameUp. Hopefully everything works out and I won't have to change anything.
So, for now? Kitty Killswitch is In Da House!
3.26.2009
I Am Really Just a Big Kid Pretending To Be An Adult.
That annoying squealing noise you've been hearing all day? That one that makes you want to scrape out your eardrum with a toothpick?
Me.
Yep. I've been revving at 5000 today. Way too excited for my first derby road trip EVAH.
The Fun Train(tm) starts tomorrow at 5:30pm. I'll bring back lots of pics and hopefully some good derby bruises to show off how HARD CORE I am. *snicker*
"You're not hardcore (No, you're not hardcore)
Unless you live hardcore (Unless you live hardcore)
But the legend of the rent was way hardcore!"
Just a little Jack Black for you, there.
Anyone want to pour me a drink? I think I may need one.
Settle. Down. *sigh*
See you all on the flip side.
Me.
Yep. I've been revving at 5000 today. Way too excited for my first derby road trip EVAH.
The Fun Train(tm) starts tomorrow at 5:30pm. I'll bring back lots of pics and hopefully some good derby bruises to show off how HARD CORE I am. *snicker*
"You're not hardcore (No, you're not hardcore)
Unless you live hardcore (Unless you live hardcore)
But the legend of the rent was way hardcore!"
Just a little Jack Black for you, there.
Anyone want to pour me a drink? I think I may need one.
Settle. Down. *sigh*
See you all on the flip side.
3.25.2009
Spank You Very Much.
If I was that kind of blogger, this could be a post about last night... *wink* But instead, it's going to be a post about something else not nearly so interesting. But perhaps easier to stomach, cause really, who actually ever really wants to get all up in the KnowingOfTheFlutterLoveLife? Yeah, didn't think so...
So, today I was working at the hotel, doing my little Front Desk Routine. Normally, I'm working by myself but today I was brought on as Le Assistant a la Manager. (that's Lackey to do General Crap Work for the non-French among us. Wait, that's likely all of us. Sweet. I hate translating.) And as such, was given various and sundry odd jobs around the office. Some phoning, some filing, some bookwork, some more filing. OK, so, really... gobs and gobs of filing. As a former library employee (and I will KILL you if you call me a Librarian... just saying) I rock the alphabetical filing. I also am pretty dang good at numerical filing. This is a talent, people... let no one tell you otherwise.
Is it clear, yet that I'm not sure where I'm going with this? Give it a minute.
Let's just say that it was the filing that almost got my manager sucker-punched.
Cause here we are, two people working in this insanely small and stuffy office. Fan is running and there's barely room to move in the one corner where his desk is and the filing cabinets are mere inches behind his chair. And I'm scooching and trying to generally be inobtrusive while I try to get at this one particular file. Very frustrating. But, I think if I just move over an inch or two, I can get the drawer open far enough and maybe get at it without bumping into his chair. I scooch a bit more and...
SMACK! SMACK!
I jump. The voice in my head screams "Holy Sheepdip!!" and I question for a split second whether or not my manager just spanked my rear and what the appropriate response is to such a freaky occurence.
A moment later my brain reengages and I have the presence of mind to glance behind me and see that I've just managed to back my booty right up into the waiting blades of the room fan. It's sittting there behind me, spinning away happily without. a. front. safety. grill.
Cause that's the kind of classy place I work in, people. Some places charge good money for that kind of excitement. Here? It's all free, baby.
Which sorta makes it a bit like last night. Only without the filing.
So, today I was working at the hotel, doing my little Front Desk Routine. Normally, I'm working by myself but today I was brought on as Le Assistant a la Manager. (that's Lackey to do General Crap Work for the non-French among us. Wait, that's likely all of us. Sweet. I hate translating.) And as such, was given various and sundry odd jobs around the office. Some phoning, some filing, some bookwork, some more filing. OK, so, really... gobs and gobs of filing. As a former library employee (and I will KILL you if you call me a Librarian... just saying) I rock the alphabetical filing. I also am pretty dang good at numerical filing. This is a talent, people... let no one tell you otherwise.
Is it clear, yet that I'm not sure where I'm going with this? Give it a minute.
Let's just say that it was the filing that almost got my manager sucker-punched.
Cause here we are, two people working in this insanely small and stuffy office. Fan is running and there's barely room to move in the one corner where his desk is and the filing cabinets are mere inches behind his chair. And I'm scooching and trying to generally be inobtrusive while I try to get at this one particular file. Very frustrating. But, I think if I just move over an inch or two, I can get the drawer open far enough and maybe get at it without bumping into his chair. I scooch a bit more and...
SMACK! SMACK!
I jump. The voice in my head screams "Holy Sheepdip!!" and I question for a split second whether or not my manager just spanked my rear and what the appropriate response is to such a freaky occurence.
A moment later my brain reengages and I have the presence of mind to glance behind me and see that I've just managed to back my booty right up into the waiting blades of the room fan. It's sittting there behind me, spinning away happily without. a. front. safety. grill.
Cause that's the kind of classy place I work in, people. Some places charge good money for that kind of excitement. Here? It's all free, baby.
Which sorta makes it a bit like last night. Only without the filing.
3.23.2009
"Who's Your Ack-Tore?" and Answers To Other Questions You Never Thought To Ask.
OK, I am left with no choice but to bust out the Totally and Utterly Random Post up in here. Hang on for the ride.
************************
I did the math for the weekend coming up. 12 girls + 5 hours on the road + 8 hours of derby drills and spills + 2 hours of scrimmage + "X" hours of cabaret/pillowfights/general mayhem + 2 hours of fun skating at an old school roller rink the next day + 5 hours back home = Class 1 Road Trip. :) Can't wait! I'll take some pics of the carnage, I'm sure.
************************
Things are crazy icy around Fluttercity today. I witnessed so many close calls on the road today and can't believe that people aren't more careful (So says the girl who ran through a red light at 10pm on Friday night...oops.) The funniest thing is seeing the really little kids trying to walk on it. Cause they all have that invincible feeling that you get when your hand is safely holding onto a parent and they just let their legs FLY. Crazy cute.
************************
I had a super great weekend... went for what was supposed to be a birthday supper for a derby girlfriend and we ended up getting hooked up with free passes to a concert by This little Canadian group, which was super fun and all kinds of loud. The next night found me getting my karaoke on at another birthday party, which is always good therapy for the inner rockstar. I love birthdays!
************************
You can all mark your calendars today as the Day That Flutterby Starts Her Rise to Hollywood Stardom. Or something like that. Fluttercity actually has a burgeoning Film and TV industry and today I was asked to send pics to a casting agent for a TV show. It's just one episode and technically is an "extra" bit part, I believe... but I still think it's cool, if only to experience a day or two on set and make some mad money. Mostly, it's just a chance to meet some of the "playas" and maybe get some connections for some other work down the road.
************************
The Kid has lost two more teeth, one of which he pulled out himself. Which seriously about made me fall over in shock, cause just a month or two ago I had to be all TrickyToothPullingMom with him and fake him out just to get at the two teeth that had been languishin in Wiggly World for weeks beforehand. My boy is growing up. And, curiously, he has subsequently decided that he should eat salad now. Salad. It doesn't get more random than that, people.
************************
I did the math for the weekend coming up. 12 girls + 5 hours on the road + 8 hours of derby drills and spills + 2 hours of scrimmage + "X" hours of cabaret/pillowfights/general mayhem + 2 hours of fun skating at an old school roller rink the next day + 5 hours back home = Class 1 Road Trip. :) Can't wait! I'll take some pics of the carnage, I'm sure.
************************
Things are crazy icy around Fluttercity today. I witnessed so many close calls on the road today and can't believe that people aren't more careful (So says the girl who ran through a red light at 10pm on Friday night...oops.) The funniest thing is seeing the really little kids trying to walk on it. Cause they all have that invincible feeling that you get when your hand is safely holding onto a parent and they just let their legs FLY. Crazy cute.
************************
I had a super great weekend... went for what was supposed to be a birthday supper for a derby girlfriend and we ended up getting hooked up with free passes to a concert by This little Canadian group, which was super fun and all kinds of loud. The next night found me getting my karaoke on at another birthday party, which is always good therapy for the inner rockstar. I love birthdays!
************************
You can all mark your calendars today as the Day That Flutterby Starts Her Rise to Hollywood Stardom. Or something like that. Fluttercity actually has a burgeoning Film and TV industry and today I was asked to send pics to a casting agent for a TV show. It's just one episode and technically is an "extra" bit part, I believe... but I still think it's cool, if only to experience a day or two on set and make some mad money. Mostly, it's just a chance to meet some of the "playas" and maybe get some connections for some other work down the road.
************************
The Kid has lost two more teeth, one of which he pulled out himself. Which seriously about made me fall over in shock, cause just a month or two ago I had to be all TrickyToothPullingMom with him and fake him out just to get at the two teeth that had been languishin in Wiggly World for weeks beforehand. My boy is growing up. And, curiously, he has subsequently decided that he should eat salad now. Salad. It doesn't get more random than that, people.
3.22.2009
Rad To The Power Of Sick.
Long boring hours at the front desk beg for some relief from the monotony and today I found myself alternately laughing until my spleen hurt and being captivated by some of the most poetic lyrics I've heard in a long time. His name is Matt Nathanson and he's got the wildest schtick; some crazy funny bits and a great satirical humor added to this mad connection with his audience.
I will warn you that his vocabulary during his bits is pretty Colorful, so choose carefully where you watch this.
Conversely, his song lyrics are incredibly insightful and beautiful; poignant turns of phrase and an amazing esthetic that will leave you just a little stunned in the wake of it all.
If you lived and loved through the Jon Bon Jovi era of rock n roll, you can't help but enjoy this. Totally cracked me up.
Just a couple examples of some great songwriting and performance. Enjoy.
I will warn you that his vocabulary during his bits is pretty Colorful, so choose carefully where you watch this.
Conversely, his song lyrics are incredibly insightful and beautiful; poignant turns of phrase and an amazing esthetic that will leave you just a little stunned in the wake of it all.
If you lived and loved through the Jon Bon Jovi era of rock n roll, you can't help but enjoy this. Totally cracked me up.
Just a couple examples of some great songwriting and performance. Enjoy.
3.20.2009
Spring? Is That You?
I'm not sure what the weatherman would say about this; he may, indeed, have other stories to tell us of one more snowfall or a dip back into the deepfreeze temps.
I really don't care.
Cause as far as I'm concerned? Spring is here. I know this cause the Official Flutterby Spring Dectector never fails.
I just bought fresh strawberries, cheap. Not the ones that are eleventy hundred dollars for a pack of six moldering berries. But a big clamshell, measured in pounds, for the price of a coffee. Well, a coffee at Starbucks, but still.
And they are beautiful and red and juicy and you Know I will be trying my best to make them all mine!
Spring, I love you. Never, ever leave me, again.
I really don't care.
Cause as far as I'm concerned? Spring is here. I know this cause the Official Flutterby Spring Dectector never fails.
I just bought fresh strawberries, cheap. Not the ones that are eleventy hundred dollars for a pack of six moldering berries. But a big clamshell, measured in pounds, for the price of a coffee. Well, a coffee at Starbucks, but still.
And they are beautiful and red and juicy and you Know I will be trying my best to make them all mine!
Spring, I love you. Never, ever leave me, again.
3.15.2009
Now I've Really Gone and Done It.
There are rare moments of inspiration in which I hit hard upon something big, something impressive and grand. And sometimes, on occasion, those moments hit back.
Like this morning.
I’ve been searching for some time to create an opportunity for the Princess to be involved in some sort of athletic endeavour. She really is not one for team sports and the pressure to perform that comes with it. The few times we’ve enrolled her in a league have not gone particularly well and we’ve long since dropped the topic. Still, I think it’s important for her to be active and enjoy the pursuit of something physical -- perhaps even be able to develop a passion and interest for something that will not only keep her fit and healthy but also be a source of confidence and accomplishment that she can enjoy and grow through for many years.
And here’s where things get Good and also Bad in one fell swoop, all starting with a quick morning glance through the weekend flyers while I munched my Kashi.
Step #1 -- Flutterby spots flyer for the annual “I Love Fluttercity 5K run”
Step#2 -- Flutterby thinks what a natural the Princess is at running, always placing in the top three in her age at Track events at school. What long legs she has! What easy grace! How she enjoyed those races and was proud of herself for placing well! YES!
Step #3 -- Flutterby notices the date of the race is just two weeks after Mother’s Day and thinks, “What better way to celebrate than to run with the Princess?“ whilst imagining heart-warming scenes of crossing the finish line together and donning our matching race T-shirts while we clink our Gatorades in celebration.
Step #4 -- Flutterby quickly references the FluttercitySportGuide and finds a children’s training camp which fits right in before the race.
Step #5 -- Flutterby pitches the idea to a bright-eyed Princess who jumps at the chance. Flutterby mentally scores grand and glorious Mommy Points and feels rather pleased with herself.
Step #6 -- Flutterby rests in the knowledge that she is a spectacular Mom who is in tune with her little Princess’ skills and talents and desires and…
Step #7 -- Flutterby gasps and sputters and basically chokes on her own tongue as she realizes she just signed herself up for a 5K race and she has never, ever ran a race in her life.
************************
It appears that I’m going to take one for the team, here.
Now, I realize that 5K isn’t exactly the Eco-Challenge. I know that many people -- even many of YOU readers -- have run far longer distances. And run them regularly. For some of you 5K is just a warm-up I’m sure.
But, regrettably, I am not one of you. Nor have I ever been.
It’s not that I’m not fit. I’m just not really built for distance. In a field of horses, I am the cheetah. Throw me sprint intervals. Make me work till I puke and barely recover and then make me do it again and again. Everything about me is built for the short-term balls-to-the-wall, hellish burst of energy and the quick recovery. I have a very respectable VO2max. I have a killer instinct for pushing hard beyond what I think I can do -- for a short period of time.
What I don’t have is the ability to just… Jog. Step after plodding step. For minute after minute, lap after lap. It’s boring. It’s uncomfortable. My feet hurt and my breathing gets all uncoordinated. And for some reason I always hit that point where my killer cheetah instinct becomes a docile, sleepy puppy that just wants to find some shady tree to curl up under and sniff at warm grassy smells while it closes it’s eyes, just for a minute.
So, yeah… this is going to be a challenge. Honestly, it’s a challenge I’ve been talking about taking on for a bit over a year, now. Maybe it’s good that I’ve taken this leap with the Princess. We have plenty of time to prep and really, I think it will be fun to go out running with her the odd evening -- maybe this will become “our thing”, who knows?
Regardless, it will be a memorable Mother’s Day gift from my little girl. One that I hope will stay with us for many years, a memory to look back on with at least a smile, if not a high five. And with any luck, it may just be the thing the Princess needs to put some wings under her in one area that she is blessed with some natural talent.
And that will make it all worthwhile.
Like this morning.
I’ve been searching for some time to create an opportunity for the Princess to be involved in some sort of athletic endeavour. She really is not one for team sports and the pressure to perform that comes with it. The few times we’ve enrolled her in a league have not gone particularly well and we’ve long since dropped the topic. Still, I think it’s important for her to be active and enjoy the pursuit of something physical -- perhaps even be able to develop a passion and interest for something that will not only keep her fit and healthy but also be a source of confidence and accomplishment that she can enjoy and grow through for many years.
And here’s where things get Good and also Bad in one fell swoop, all starting with a quick morning glance through the weekend flyers while I munched my Kashi.
Step #1 -- Flutterby spots flyer for the annual “I Love Fluttercity 5K run”
Step#2 -- Flutterby thinks what a natural the Princess is at running, always placing in the top three in her age at Track events at school. What long legs she has! What easy grace! How she enjoyed those races and was proud of herself for placing well! YES!
Step #3 -- Flutterby notices the date of the race is just two weeks after Mother’s Day and thinks, “What better way to celebrate than to run with the Princess?“ whilst imagining heart-warming scenes of crossing the finish line together and donning our matching race T-shirts while we clink our Gatorades in celebration.
Step #4 -- Flutterby quickly references the FluttercitySportGuide and finds a children’s training camp which fits right in before the race.
Step #5 -- Flutterby pitches the idea to a bright-eyed Princess who jumps at the chance. Flutterby mentally scores grand and glorious Mommy Points and feels rather pleased with herself.
Step #6 -- Flutterby rests in the knowledge that she is a spectacular Mom who is in tune with her little Princess’ skills and talents and desires and…
Step #7 -- Flutterby gasps and sputters and basically chokes on her own tongue as she realizes she just signed herself up for a 5K race and she has never, ever ran a race in her life.
************************
It appears that I’m going to take one for the team, here.
Now, I realize that 5K isn’t exactly the Eco-Challenge. I know that many people -- even many of YOU readers -- have run far longer distances. And run them regularly. For some of you 5K is just a warm-up I’m sure.
But, regrettably, I am not one of you. Nor have I ever been.
It’s not that I’m not fit. I’m just not really built for distance. In a field of horses, I am the cheetah. Throw me sprint intervals. Make me work till I puke and barely recover and then make me do it again and again. Everything about me is built for the short-term balls-to-the-wall, hellish burst of energy and the quick recovery. I have a very respectable VO2max. I have a killer instinct for pushing hard beyond what I think I can do -- for a short period of time.
What I don’t have is the ability to just… Jog. Step after plodding step. For minute after minute, lap after lap. It’s boring. It’s uncomfortable. My feet hurt and my breathing gets all uncoordinated. And for some reason I always hit that point where my killer cheetah instinct becomes a docile, sleepy puppy that just wants to find some shady tree to curl up under and sniff at warm grassy smells while it closes it’s eyes, just for a minute.
So, yeah… this is going to be a challenge. Honestly, it’s a challenge I’ve been talking about taking on for a bit over a year, now. Maybe it’s good that I’ve taken this leap with the Princess. We have plenty of time to prep and really, I think it will be fun to go out running with her the odd evening -- maybe this will become “our thing”, who knows?
Regardless, it will be a memorable Mother’s Day gift from my little girl. One that I hope will stay with us for many years, a memory to look back on with at least a smile, if not a high five. And with any luck, it may just be the thing the Princess needs to put some wings under her in one area that she is blessed with some natural talent.
And that will make it all worthwhile.
3.13.2009
Things I Don't Understand But Am Fascinated By.
Really. If I hadn't seen it, no WAY would I believe it. 3.5 lbs of dog food? One flush?
It may be powered by toxic sludge or unicorn fur. I don't care. I want it. Even though the Kid is long past his creative flushing days. Even though I have no Real need for Quattro technology.
It entertains me.
3.11.2009
Next Stop Derby-ville
Almost eight weeks ago I laced up my first pair of derby quad skates and boarded the derby train. They were shiny and new and I loved them.
They aren’t looking so new anymore. I’ve had to start taping my toes and cinch straps because they were getting gouged and burned by the sport court and other girls’ skates. They are lovingly scarred and a good bit worn already and I think I love them even more. I’ve logged close to 100 hours on them.
They may smell just a little bit funky. But I love my Pirate Skull hockey tape.
Last night marked the very last hour that they were ever worn by Derby Fresh Meat. Cause today I got the email I was waiting for. --my Fresh Meat days are done. On Thursday I receive my team placing and position.
WOO-FREAKING-HOO!
All of us Fresh Meat worked our butts off for this, and, whether or not everyone made the cut, I’m so proud of every one of us. We are gonna be a force to be reckoned with, given a little bit of time and seasoning. We are a hot mess of Crazy Tough and I can’t wait to see how things gel once we start practicing as a team and testing out the track in some bouts. There’s a couple travel dates on the agenda this summer and our own Derby version of the Labour Day Classic that we’ll be hosting in the fall… I can hardly believe that people will be buying tickets and coming to watch us (...Me! *ACK!*) compete. Just thinking about skating out onto the track with the girls... music pounding and the announcer shouting our derby names as we burn that first lap around the track... goosebumps.
I’ve got my derby name submitted to the international roster, and when I finally get the OK, I’ll have to give my persona an official introduction here in the blogosphere. Stay tuned!
The other day I came across this gem of a video from ESPN, a bit of a feature on derby and what it’s all about. Enjoy.
They aren’t looking so new anymore. I’ve had to start taping my toes and cinch straps because they were getting gouged and burned by the sport court and other girls’ skates. They are lovingly scarred and a good bit worn already and I think I love them even more. I’ve logged close to 100 hours on them.
They may smell just a little bit funky. But I love my Pirate Skull hockey tape.
Last night marked the very last hour that they were ever worn by Derby Fresh Meat. Cause today I got the email I was waiting for. --my Fresh Meat days are done. On Thursday I receive my team placing and position.
WOO-FREAKING-HOO!
All of us Fresh Meat worked our butts off for this, and, whether or not everyone made the cut, I’m so proud of every one of us. We are gonna be a force to be reckoned with, given a little bit of time and seasoning. We are a hot mess of Crazy Tough and I can’t wait to see how things gel once we start practicing as a team and testing out the track in some bouts. There’s a couple travel dates on the agenda this summer and our own Derby version of the Labour Day Classic that we’ll be hosting in the fall… I can hardly believe that people will be buying tickets and coming to watch us (...Me! *ACK!*) compete. Just thinking about skating out onto the track with the girls... music pounding and the announcer shouting our derby names as we burn that first lap around the track... goosebumps.
I’ve got my derby name submitted to the international roster, and when I finally get the OK, I’ll have to give my persona an official introduction here in the blogosphere. Stay tuned!
The other day I came across this gem of a video from ESPN, a bit of a feature on derby and what it’s all about. Enjoy.
3.05.2009
I Don't Know How To Put This, But I'm Kind Of a Big Deal...
The past few days have been a whirlwind of activity. I attended my first sales meeting with my new employer -- a Fluttercity building contractor. Received a crazy amount of information in the form of three 3-inch binders; hundreds of home plans, standard specs, land inventory, contracts and agreements, etc.
And, I now have my own hard hat. It's white. It's hard. It sits atop my head in an odd, hard-hattish manner that I have yet to get used to. Which is to say that it makes my head look about four inches taller than it should normally look. Very flattering, I can tell you. You doubt?
And, I now have my own hard hat. It's white. It's hard. It sits atop my head in an odd, hard-hattish manner that I have yet to get used to. Which is to say that it makes my head look about four inches taller than it should normally look. Very flattering, I can tell you. You doubt?
I've also added some tech-ey things, namely a laptop and a calculator that does metric conversions for me. Cause I'm not good with math like that and our home plans are in imperial measurements and land inventory is in metric. Why? I may never know. But, it would seem prudent to know whether a certain-sized house is OK to place on a certain-sized lot. You know, so as not to break municipal laws and what not.
What can I say? I aim to please.
Yesterday, I toured the site of our new showhome and learned a bit of the lingo. Most of which I was actually familiar with, I guess. But it was still a neat experience and I learned a lot. It's currently being plumbed so there was lots of structural stuff to see and learn about. "Structural stuff" is obviously not an official term. But it's all I got at the moment and don't want to bore everyone with a review of footings and engineered beams and web trusses and steel support beams and floating concrete slabs. All of which I find fascinating but probably will make everyone else yawn and click to another site.
And this is all very cool to me. I've been able to sit in a showhome with my sales partner (really, "trainer") for the past two nights and on Saturday I go it on my own. Hopefully, if this nice weather hangs in here, I might actually even have some lookey-loos come by.
But, by far the coolest thing is that, today? Today I'm picking up a Builder's key. Which means I'll have access to over 60 homesites in Fluttercity. As in, I can drive along and see one of Our homes and grab my trusty little hard hat and saunter on in like I own the place.
Which makes me kind of a big deal. :D
Well, at least I'm four inches taller with my hard hat on.
3.01.2009
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes.
It seems that lately the only thing constant in my life is change. I suppose it's just a phase, and soon things will settle into normalcy; the staid, steady plodding of life.
But, for the moment I feel like I'm riding some pretty crazy waves round this little life of mine.
And while the adrenaline rush is always fun, there are moments I feel pretty seasick.
In two days, I officially start a new job. Correction -- a second job. It is an actual career move, a job that will show well on my resume (sad, outdated, pathetic piece of paper that it is) and perhaps even help out my bank account in time. But, it's a straight commission job and as such, I'm going to be chained to the front desk job for a while longer, yet. I'm training night audit in a few weeks as it may be the only hours I have left to make some money in... and can I just tell you how much I LURVE the idea of staying up all night?
Granted, there are a few things that I will unquestionably stay up all night for and most of them can't be mentioned here. But, seriously? Sitting in a deathly quiet office under flourescent lighting doing books in the dead of night is not one of them. Not even close.
With any luck... I'll be lucky. And maybe my resume, bank account and my nocturnal sleep patterns will all come out the winner.
One can only hope.
But, for the moment I feel like I'm riding some pretty crazy waves round this little life of mine.
And while the adrenaline rush is always fun, there are moments I feel pretty seasick.
In two days, I officially start a new job. Correction -- a second job. It is an actual career move, a job that will show well on my resume (sad, outdated, pathetic piece of paper that it is) and perhaps even help out my bank account in time. But, it's a straight commission job and as such, I'm going to be chained to the front desk job for a while longer, yet. I'm training night audit in a few weeks as it may be the only hours I have left to make some money in... and can I just tell you how much I LURVE the idea of staying up all night?
Granted, there are a few things that I will unquestionably stay up all night for and most of them can't be mentioned here. But, seriously? Sitting in a deathly quiet office under flourescent lighting doing books in the dead of night is not one of them. Not even close.
With any luck... I'll be lucky. And maybe my resume, bank account and my nocturnal sleep patterns will all come out the winner.
One can only hope.
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