Wild Strawberry's Guide to Taking It On.

It's for real now.

2010-05-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

Cripes! I finally got my gear mailed to me today... a bit late *ahem* but I will continue to support the Bruised Boutique, as they are an independent woman owned business that kicks ass on wheels AND is located in the, um, interesting state in which I was raised. Plus, they're a good deal with good stuff. Check 'em out.

Of Course, I put on everything as soon as I got home and found the package waiting on my door step. However, being 90-something degrees, I was drenched in sweat within seconds, but that didn't stop me. I attempted to skate around the house and found that all of our floors are slanted and I don't actually have to move my feet to get anywhere. Convenient, yet counter-productive.

What else... Oh, I volunteered at the Green Mountain Derby Dames double header last weekend. That was fun. I got to hang out with all the "Widowers" (significant others of derby girls) and show them how tough and sassy I am. They were were dutifully impressed, of course. (It could have had something to do with not wearing a bra in an air-conditioned building, but what eves...) Additionally, I had an amazing time afterward with Livid Loquita,( formally of the Derby Dames, now coming to the dark side) and her husband, Bruce. We went out in Waterbury and proceeded to eat, drink and clear the deck we occupied. On a fun note, Livid seems to have a knack for harassing passerby's by taunting the non-user friendly dog in nearby cars- I was partly mortified but mostly impressed She is, as she would tell you, a bez-atch and I love her for it.

We had a meeting tonight where we discussed very important business in a man-cave at a Barre bar... (6!!! flat screen tv's and leather couches... uh.....) Anyway, we discussed very importnant business that went as well as a group of very opionated women can go.... I'm just worried about the name thing. I like names... and I'm pretty sure it's not going to go my way. It's cool though- as long as I can kick ass on skates. My favorite names were: Gnarly Angels (like Charlie's Angels... get it?) and Sticks and Stones ("We'll break your bones") I came up with those two, so of course I think they're brilliant. I also like Onion River Peelers because it's witty. It seemed popular opion went to naming us after Barre- which I get, because it's so "ghetto"- but am not amazingly found of the names Barre Bruised Beauties or Barre City Riot...

Anyway- I'll let you know how it turns out. In the meantime, we have our second practice tomorrow and my first with skates on. I found out today that roller derby skates feel much different than the ones you rent at the rink and am glad for all the padding I'll have on when I wipe out 50 times at practice tomorrow.

Ok, that's all folks. Love, forever and ever....

Wild Strawberry.

this will make it a little more real

2010-05-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

I just spent my first real money on my new hobby. Thanks to Bruised Boutique I should have my new gear in less than a week. I think I did pretty well money-wise- got an extra pair of outdoor wheels so i can practice around town. Totally bummed that my wheel color didn't get properly chosen and can only hope they don't send me baby blue wheels... I think I'll have to drop them a note. Anyway. It will feel more real when they get here, but I'm super excited to start skating!
Here's what I ordered:

1 x Pro Guard Heavy Duty Nylon Bag = $32.00
Color Purple
1 x Radar Energy Wheels = $39.00
Color Red
1 x MINI Skate Maintenance Survival Kit = $34.85
1 x "The Bully" Package = $202.80
Skate Size 7
Wheel Color ...choose a color...
Helmet Color Black
Helmet Size Medium
Knee Pad Size Small
Elbow Pad Size Small
Wrist Guards Size Small
Don't Forget: Black Toe Guards
1 x Red & Tan Striped Legwarmer = $7.50
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Sub-Total: $316.15
United Parcel Service (Ground): $18.87
Total: $335.02

some people say i've done all right for a girl...

2010-05-16T17:27:00.000-07:00

Today I put on roller skates for the first time since 8th grade. It was something. It was especially something because I drove an hour south (just me and pod casts of This American Life) to the very same rink I use to skate at in junior high. On the way I succeeded in not psyching myself out too much about what lay ahead (strapping four wheels to my two feet and pushing myself around a hard floor to New Hampshire's version of music.) Instead, I listened to Ira Glasses' hypnotic voice and pondered how I was going to manage to afford my new found hobby and what colored stripped tube socks I should invest in.

About a month (or so) ago, an old friend, Amy, contacted me about starting up a roller derby. I told her that there had been some talk about it but I was too busy with my million other projects to take on a new one right now, and please let me know what she finds out in her quest. I was, in fact, interested in joining the roller derby, but I had also just recently returned to school and started a new job. In addition to that, some friends and I have been tossing around the idea of purchasing a local abandoned building and turning it into a roller rink. Amy did succeed in forming a group of gals interested in forming a team And I succeeding in taking on another project. We began meeting two weeks ago, and we are getting pretty stoked to start practicing.

You may be asking yourself (or not) why is this woman so interested in skating if she hasn't even worn skates since 8th grade. I will tell you that it has little to do with Ellen Page and even less to do with fishnet tights. All though Drew Berrymore's film Whip It is tre cute and entertaining, it's not what spurred me into the world of quads and mouth guards. Several years ago I had heard about roller derby from a woman who was on a radical motherboard with me (aka forum...). She was on a Texas roller derby team and from her pictures and stories, I knew she was totally bad-ass. Because I was incessantly afraid of everything, I lamented that I would never be that bad ass. Especially if it involved angry woman and wheels. Fast forward five years and I go to my first Flat Track Roller Derby bout. Holy Shit. Something about being there... I don't know what it did to me, but I knew that I had to be a derby girl. It seems a bit extreme for me because not only have I recently started a new job and returned to school (on top of being a mother), but I have never been a part of a sports team before, let alone a contact sport. Whatever,I said to myself, all tough now. It's not that I'm not afraid. I'm very afraid... that's why I'm doing it (well, that and the tube socks.)

When I got to the rink, I rented some skates and got used to wheels on my feet while a lovely song about a man with a tractor and a farmers tan crooned in the background. Once the other derby girls arrived, we all hoped on the rink. We managed to not totally suck, but eventually Amy showed us up by figuring out how to do crossovers.

Although I didn't learn any fancy tricks, I didn't fall down until the very end, and that's just 'cuz I was so darn tired. Time for some endurance training!

So. Here I am. I figured that I didn't have enough going on, so I should probably start a blog. Really, I couldn't just keep it all to myself. My guess this is going to be a wild ride, so I should have some cronies along with me. Don't forget your helmet.

This week's to do list:

* Buy a Rookie Starter Set and start skating around the tennis court as soon as it arrives
* Draft a letter to the Green Mountain Derby Dames asking "Pretty please can we be in your league?"
* Start next assignment for Graphic Memoir class
*Learn how to draw a C10 '71 Chevy pick-up from all perspectives
*read with Stella, even if I'm very tired
* First practice Thursday