Sunday, October 24, 2010
V is for Victory
I think back to a year and a half ago, June 2009, when we first faced off with the women of CRRG, I remember being so nervous, so fresh, so new. It was our second bout ever and we didn't have much of a chance against the seasoned CRRG. We were still wet behind the ears at the game of derby, still trying to figure out the game.
Last night, we came with our game face on. Adrenaline pumped strong as we took the track. We came in strong and continued strong through the entire bout. We were ready to play hard and ready to prove ourselves in the corridor as a force to be reckoned with.
Old Capitol City Roller Girls took the track in Cedar Rapids against the Helldorados last night and came out with our eighth win of the 2010 season. (We stand at 8-2 with one bout to go in 2010.)
It was a night of high emotion, hard hits and amazing strategy from OCCRG. We have been working hard at playing smart, keeping our eyes open and staying focused, which showed in every aspect of the bout last night. We had solid walls, protected our line, and made sure we were quick to react when CRRG made their moves on the track.
Our ladies in the star panties all made jamming look easy as they weaved in, through and past the pack scoring point after point. Our defense was amazing. Accurate, well timed blocks held CRRG jammers back and assisted OCCRG jammers quickly through the pack. We knew where we needed to be and we executed.
The score at the half was 39 to 107 OCCRG. As we huddled in the locker room, we knew CRRG would bring it strong in the second half with a vengeance, and they proved us right. They came out hard hitting and ready, but OCCRG continued to dominate the track. Sticking faithfully to our strategy, playing smart and uniting as a team.
In the end, OCCRG took the win at 182 to 91.
A very proud victory for all of the Old Capitol City Roller Girls.
Last night, we came with our game face on. Adrenaline pumped strong as we took the track. We came in strong and continued strong through the entire bout. We were ready to play hard and ready to prove ourselves in the corridor as a force to be reckoned with.
Old Capitol City Roller Girls took the track in Cedar Rapids against the Helldorados last night and came out with our eighth win of the 2010 season. (We stand at 8-2 with one bout to go in 2010.)
It was a night of high emotion, hard hits and amazing strategy from OCCRG. We have been working hard at playing smart, keeping our eyes open and staying focused, which showed in every aspect of the bout last night. We had solid walls, protected our line, and made sure we were quick to react when CRRG made their moves on the track.
Our ladies in the star panties all made jamming look easy as they weaved in, through and past the pack scoring point after point. Our defense was amazing. Accurate, well timed blocks held CRRG jammers back and assisted OCCRG jammers quickly through the pack. We knew where we needed to be and we executed.
The score at the half was 39 to 107 OCCRG. As we huddled in the locker room, we knew CRRG would bring it strong in the second half with a vengeance, and they proved us right. They came out hard hitting and ready, but OCCRG continued to dominate the track. Sticking faithfully to our strategy, playing smart and uniting as a team.
In the end, OCCRG took the win at 182 to 91.
A very proud victory for all of the Old Capitol City Roller Girls.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Great Customer Service
Here's the set to the scene...
I am on crutches, still. I needed to attempt a quick errand alone, as we needed a few household staples. I am getting pretty talented carrying one or two things and still managing to get from point a to b with said crutches. After physical therapy, I headed to thealways wonderful Kmart.
I entered and headed to the customer service counter. I was greeted by a lovely woman (who looked like she smokes 4 packs a day and uses the tanning bed at least twice everyday.) I politely asked if I could please have a plastic bag to put a few items in. She could clearly see, that I was "walking" with crutches and that obviously I was unable to push a cart or carry one of the plastic handled baskets. As she stood there looking at me as if it was the most outrageous question she had ever been asked, I explained to her that I needed a few things, and could not carry them all and maneuver the crutches at the same time. She replied with "I'm sorry, we don't "give" these bags away." Okay great! I'm not asking you to "give" it away. I'm asking if I may please have one, to place my items in and then pay for them and then my items can be placed back into "that" bag when I check out. She continued to stare at me, and then repeated, "I'm sorry we cannot give these bags away." Really? Really? I'm sorry, how big of a moron are you? I think the tanning bed has fried your brain cells.
I crutched through the store grabbing my toothpaste and deodorant, carrying mascara in my teeth. As I approached another woman she said, is there anything I can help you find? "Actually, yes there is. When I came in I asked for a bag"...long story above. I then noticed that she was a manager. She asked if she could "assist me with gathering the rest of my things?" Nope, a bag to carry them in would have been great, but obviously, your customer serviceemployee ogre would not give me one, so these three items will do, I will continue said item shopping at another store.
More than likely, they will NOT see my face in that shit-hole again. Why can't Target be closer to home? Oh right...because I live in the fricking ghetto.
Assholes.
I am on crutches, still. I needed to attempt a quick errand alone, as we needed a few household staples. I am getting pretty talented carrying one or two things and still managing to get from point a to b with said crutches. After physical therapy, I headed to the
I entered and headed to the customer service counter. I was greeted by a
I crutched through the store grabbing my toothpaste and deodorant, carrying mascara in my teeth. As I approached another woman she said, is there anything I can help you find? "Actually, yes there is. When I came in I asked for a bag"...long story above. I then noticed that she was a manager. She asked if she could "assist me with gathering the rest of my things?" Nope, a bag to carry them in would have been great, but obviously, your customer service
More than likely, they will NOT see my face in that shit-hole again. Why can't Target be closer to home? Oh right...because I live in the fricking ghetto.
Assholes.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
I'm a "covergirl"
Thanks Iowa Roller Derby Diaries!
IRDD Cover Girl for October/November: Toxic Sugar of the Old Capital City Roller Girls
Real name: Kimberly
Derby name: Toxic Sugar
Team: Old Capitol City Roller Girls OCCRG
Position: Pivot (mostly) but I play all blocking positions
Age: 34
Current Town: Iowa City
Hometown: Iowa City
College: Kirkwood Community College
Family: Husband is a police officer. 4 daughters: the "little Sugars" Chloe 6 yrs old. Jocelyn, Farrah and Silvie 3 yr old triplets.
Were you athletic growing up? I was a bit athletic growing up. Played softball from age 5 until my freshman year of high school, but no sports other than that.
How did you get involved in Roller Derby? I became involved in derby when OCCRG first began in October 2008. A friend of mine, called and asked me to go with her to check it out. (Fonda Cuffs-retired OCCRG)I had been at home "playing Mommy" since the triplets were born (03/07) It was time for me to find an activity that was "just for me" I went to my first practice and fell in love with everything about Roller Derby!
How has derby impacted your life? Derby has impacted my life in so many ways! Being a mom has been the MOST challenging and most rewarding aspect of my life. My daughters and my husband mean more to me than anything in the world. When I found Derby, I was at a point in my life that I felt I had lost a piece of myself. I was so focused on being a Mommy, that I forgot about myself. A happy Mommy=a happy family. I needed some time away, out of the house, doing all those everyday things, to regain that part of myself. I regained my personal confidence, my athleticism, my courage to take on a new challenge. I became part of something that is so much more than putting on skates and working up a sweat. I found my place within a group of women who are strong, confident, athletic, spontaneous, creative and hardworking. All the things that I am. A group of women, each so different, yet share a common bond, the love of the game. Derby has given me an outlet to express myself. To feel like a strong, beautiful and confident woman. A woman that can kick ass athletically and take part in all the fantastic things that come along with belonging to a team.
What is your favorite aspect of Derby? I have so many favorites about Derby. I love being hands on with so many aspects of the team. Mostly I love the game. What it stands for. Strong, Beautiful, Athletic Women kicking ass and taking names. I love the way I feel when I lace up my skates and play hard. I am proud to be a part of something so WONDERFUL. The friendships I have made will last a lifetime! Another thing that goes into the things I love about derby...the fact that we are a team of women that give so much back to the community! You can always find your OCCRG's doing positive things in the community.
Least favorite Being out injured right now. Very difficult emotionally and physically for me. I hate that injury has to be a part of something so damn awesome!
Best moments on the track: Again, so many great moments, it's difficult to pin point one moment. I always love it when we have a tight wall and are able to contain the opposing teams jammer, while ours is racking up the points, all the while holding that line and working together as a team. And of course having a spectacular block executed at the perfect time is always a proud moment. Moment that made me laugh the most...we were playing MIR and I went down with several of their skaters...I was sent to the sin bin and had lost my skate in the pile up. I had to skate on one foot all the way around the track to the box, I was almost there when I literally fell flat on my face into the suicide seats...difficult and embarrassing, I laughed the entire way there!
How long have you been away from the track? Too long already!
I blew my knee at practice on July 21st. We were working on hitting drills and I took a bad fall. It happened in slow motion I swear. I fell directly on the knee. I heard the tell-tale "pop pop pop crack crunch" and was instantly in horrifying pain. I completely ruptured my PCL and my MCL strained the ACL and dislocated my patella. I have an extremely high pain tolerance and I can say it has been awful. I went through 6+ weeks of physical therapy with no change in the ligaments. I had surgery on Sept 9th. I had the MCL reconstructed ("put back together") and the PCL replaced with a cadaver ligament, screws holding it into place (gross and kind of cool at the same time.) I am 10 days post op today. I can easily say, it has been the most difficult 10 days of my life (Blogger's Note: This conversation took place mid-September). Even more difficult than being on bed rest for 10 weeks in the hospital with my triplets! The pain is crazy. I have to remain straight legged for 3-4 weeks and cannot place any weight on it. Crutches suck! I will begin my PT this week. Very extensive from what I understand. I will not be on skates for a minimum of six months, I am told it will more than likely be closer to eight or nine for full recovery. Everyone is different, so I promise myself I will take it one day at a time.
Will you be back on the track for OCCRG? Of course I WILL! I love roller derby! It is a part of me now! It's in my blood, under my skin. Besides, I could die tomorrow...sure the risk of injury is there, but if I'm going down, I'm going down with a fight, doing something I LOVE TO DO! Besides, my daughters love TOXIC SUGAR too much...can't disappoint my biggest fans! Don't worry Sugar will be knockin' em down again soon.
As you can see, Old Capitol City's Toxic Sugar has experienced almost the entire panorama of what Derby has to offer, from the elation of a regained self-confidence and a feeling of strength to a vicious injury that has interrupted her time on the track doing the sport that she loves. She shows the dedication and the sacrifice that derby girls are willing to go through to play their game.
As a player, Toxic Sugar is one of the major bullwarks of the lethal OCCRG defense and is one of the big reasons why they are in a position to break the single season win record in the state (Currently held by the undefeated 2010 Mid Iowa Rollers at 8). Off the track, Toxic Sugar continues to have her hands on the teams day-to-day operations, serving as league coordinator, doing numerous behind the scenes activities to ensure the smooth running of the OCCRG Team.
As a veteran of Old Capitol City since the beginning, as a stellar pivot, as a woman who is bound and determined to return to her sport, and as a wonderful ambassador for the spot, it gives me great pleasure to introduce Toxic Sugar as the Iowa Roller Derby Diaries Cover Girl for October/November 2010.
To read more about Toxic Sugar's experiences with OCCRG and the derby world in general, read her blog.
Photo Credit: Emily Sherman Photography
Monday, October 11, 2010
Monster's Brawl 2010
We are getting ready for our final home bout of 2010. I still cannot believe we are at the end of our first full season. It is amazing how quickly the year has gone by. We have grown so much as a team. As individual skaters. We have made huge contributions to our community. We have establish a concrete base for our team to continue to grow and expand successfully. We have made life long friendships, and die-hard fans. It has been a year packed full of derby and the memories that come along side. We have had wins, and a few loses. We have had some amazing road trips, after the 2nd annual Monster's Brawl, we will have hosted 6 very successful homes bouts, 1 home mixer and 6 travel bouts in 2010. It makes my head spin just thinking about all of the blood, sweat and tears (literally) that went into it. We have had injuries of many kinds, from bumps to bruises, sprained ankles, banged up tailbones to broken bones and blown knees (all different levels of severity.) But we keep rolling. Lacing up the courage filled skates and pushing ourselves farther than we ever imagined possible. Old Capitol City Roller Girls are strong and here to stay.
As we prepare for our final bout of the season, we are excited as always. We take on some of our most beloved derby sisters, The Quad City Rollers. These girls have been a great support to us ever since the beginning. We played so many firsts with them. Our first bout ever (remember, the one we thought we won...oops) our first formal scrimmage and of course our first home bout -Monster's Brawl 2009- It's true, QCR has taken a lot of OCCRG cherries...
We loves skating with these girls. Win or lose...we all have a great time...every time. No matter how many time we have gone head to head, it is always new and exciting. We all OCCRG and QCR bring the A game.
Cannot wait to close the season with this event that will become a staple in the OCCRG season.
There will be a halftime costume contest for all ages with prizes of course.
Our charity organization donation will be going to the Susan Komen Foundation, in the name of one of our skaters, "Killer Baker" and my Bestie "Betty Draper" both breast cancer survivors. They are both very close to this team and close to my heart.
Tickets available now...Come check us out. You be glad you did.
Have I told You Lately?
Eight Years!
Happy Anniversary to my Matty!
What a ride it has been the last eight years.
You have been everything and more to me than I ever could have imagined.
I am more in love with you everyday that passes.
Your heart holds the key to every happiness in my life. In our life together.
You are an amazing father. The love that you give to our four beauties cannot even be put into words. You give them so much and it all comes from your huge heart.
I cherish our marriage. Everything that it stands for. Love, trust, friendship, courage, passion, family, every single part of it no matter how big or small. I even hold tight the tough times we have endured together. The loss of pregnancies. Weeks of hospital bed rest. New careers. Learning how to become parents together, and sometimes questioning the decisions we make, praying that we are raising our children the right way. The difficulties all couples go through in the quest to be good parents, better parents. Not to mention, throwing the triplet card in there, which has been a huge challenge we never anticipated. I think we are doing an incredible job. The constant financial strain of raising four children on one income. The willingness you have to provide; never complaining about overtime shifts, doing anything and everything within your power to make sure that your family is taken care of.
For the last many weeks and those to come, since my knee surgery. Being the constant caregiver to the beauties as well as to me, on top of working long hours.
All of the support you give to me in every facet of our lives together.
You are my emotional strength, my rock. You are so much more to me than my husband. You are my best friend, my love, my partner in this crazy world. My Soul.
Have I told you lately...that I love you? Because "I do" Happy Anniversary Matt.
Happy Anniversary to my Matty!
What a ride it has been the last eight years.
You have been everything and more to me than I ever could have imagined.
I am more in love with you everyday that passes.
Your heart holds the key to every happiness in my life. In our life together.
You are an amazing father. The love that you give to our four beauties cannot even be put into words. You give them so much and it all comes from your huge heart.
I cherish our marriage. Everything that it stands for. Love, trust, friendship, courage, passion, family, every single part of it no matter how big or small. I even hold tight the tough times we have endured together. The loss of pregnancies. Weeks of hospital bed rest. New careers. Learning how to become parents together, and sometimes questioning the decisions we make, praying that we are raising our children the right way. The difficulties all couples go through in the quest to be good parents, better parents. Not to mention, throwing the triplet card in there, which has been a huge challenge we never anticipated. I think we are doing an incredible job. The constant financial strain of raising four children on one income. The willingness you have to provide; never complaining about overtime shifts, doing anything and everything within your power to make sure that your family is taken care of.
For the last many weeks and those to come, since my knee surgery. Being the constant caregiver to the beauties as well as to me, on top of working long hours.
All of the support you give to me in every facet of our lives together.
You are my emotional strength, my rock. You are so much more to me than my husband. You are my best friend, my love, my partner in this crazy world. My Soul.
Have I told you lately...that I love you? Because "I do" Happy Anniversary Matt.
Oh yes...we did.
OCCRG has made the next leap! We have been accepted into the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) Apprentice Program. We are so excited, so pumped, ecstatic beyond what words can express.
We are so proud and excited to take it to the next level.
Congratulations to all the teams accepted into the apprentice program, including two of our sister teams the Des Moines Derby Dames and the Mid Iowa Rollers. Go Iowa!
OCCRG 2010 Posters
vs the Quad City Rollers.
(poster 2 of 2)
Our very first home bout.
Wednesday November 10th and Sunday November 21st, 2010. Think you have what it takes? Come check it out. Also recruiting support staff, volunteers and referees.
Saturday March 13th, 2010 vs the Paper Valley Flying Squirrels.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Looking Better
Looking better, although still looking gnarly. The incision is almost completely healed.
It has been the LONGEST 4 weeks of my entire life. I have 4 more long weeks before I can walk/put weight on/bend it, but I am getting there.
I begin physical therapy tomorrow morning. Looking forward to it, but also very nervous about it. It will also be a difficult journey so I am told by my surgeon. But everyday down is one closer to getting back to my normal life. Back to my normal activity. Back to my children, my husband, work, my home, and also...back on my skates. I miss them, and they miss me too.
BIG NEWS
Big Big News for the Old Capitol City Roller Girls today!
We have been accepted into the Women's Flat Track Derby Association / WFTDA apprentice program!
What a HUGE step we have taken as a team to be accepted! We have been working so hard.
What an amazing chapter that we have just opened. There are so many wonderful emotions going through my mind.
Also a huge congrats to the other 9 teams that were accepted into the apprentice program. Including two other teams in Iowa the Des Moines Derby Dames and the Mid Iowa Rollers.
What a Fantastic Reward for all of our hard work!
We have been accepted into the Women's Flat Track Derby Association / WFTDA apprentice program!
What a HUGE step we have taken as a team to be accepted! We have been working so hard.
What an amazing chapter that we have just opened. There are so many wonderful emotions going through my mind.
Also a huge congrats to the other 9 teams that were accepted into the apprentice program. Including two other teams in Iowa the Des Moines Derby Dames and the Mid Iowa Rollers.
What a Fantastic Reward for all of our hard work!
Monday, September 20, 2010
The Knee
After six plus weeks of intense physical therapy, there was not even a slight change in my knee. So after lots of research, talking with surgeons and many many tears, I opted to go ahead with the surgery to fix my knee.
The long recovery process went from really longer, to really really long.
I had surgery on September 9th.
I went in about noon, really nervous was an understatement. The pre-op stuff went really fast. They went over again what they would be doing. The surgeon told Matt that the surgery would last approx 2-3 hours. He explained that with knee surgery there is always a bit of a gray area and until they were in and could see the extent of things they can never say for sure. He explained where the incisions would be, and a little about what he expected. I donned that sexy hairnet, and kissed my husband and off I went. Tears flowing.
It was a four hour surgery, so I am told, I was pretty out of it when I woke. The replacement of my PCL posterior cruciate ligament was the most extensive part. PCL injuries are not "fixable, the PCL must be replaced. My PCL was removed and replaced with a "allograft" a ligament from a donor (cadaver part in my knee crazy cool and a little icky.) The graft was connected to my body by drilling into my femur and tibia to attach the graft with screws. My tissues grow and connect the graft tissue. My MCL medial collateral ligament was also a complete rupture, unlike the PCL the MCL can be repaired. My surgeon had explained that more than likely he would need to remove and use grafts from my hamstring to repair the MCL because of the amount of time that lapsed between injury and surgery, however, when inside, he was able to reconnect the tissues to themselves, saving me from yet another incision and another area to heal. Bonus! He also found that my meniscus was intact, another bonus!
After waking up, the pain was unbelievable. Those that know me know that I have an extremely high tolerance to pain. But WOW. The pain was bad. Due to the fact that my surgery was 4 hours long and that the recovery unit I was in closed at 7, an hour in recovery was not long enough for any one's comfort, so when they suggested staying the night in the hospital, there was no argument from me. Pain medicine through an iv works a lot faster than waiting for a pill to dissolve in your system.
I went home Friday early Friday afternoon. The car ride was awful, but we made it.
I am not able to put any weight on the leg at all. I am not able to bend the leg at all. If you have ever had to do either of those two things, you know how much it is almost impossible to do anything. So the last 11 days of my life have been very restricted to the chair, elevated, wrapped in the "game ready" ice machine. If you have never had to do that...you would be amazed how limiting it really is.
The first several days after surgery, not only was the knee is constant pain, even high as a kite on pain medication, but I was very sick to my stomach, vomiting is bad enough on a normal day, but when you add in having to crutch your way to the bathroom in a hurry and not to be able to bend over the potty, it's worse. Just ask Matty, who was stuck cleaning up after me. Yuck, awful. I was able to get another medication for the nausea and that seems to be helping. The puke bucket is still at my chair side though, at all times.
Showers are also a huge challenge. The long and short of that...I've had three in 11 days. I feel so damn pretty. Not. I do have to say my wonderful friend Tina came over and shaved my legs. She is wonderful for so many reasons.
I have been doing well not bending or putting weight on it. My body aches. My entire body. I hate sitting in a chair all day. I hate not being able to take care of myself. I hate not being able to care for my Beauties. My home. My normal day to day. I'm not good at letting others do things.
I meet with my surgeon in the morning. I really hope the 34 staples in my knee will be removed, because they suck.
I'm hanging in there. There have been a lot of tears shed the last 11 days. I have had a few pity parties. A few why me moments, and lots of reminders from myself and from others that I will recover and be better than ever. I will hopefully begin my physical therapy this week. My surgeon told me before the surgery that it will be a long recovery. Very intense physical therapy and that I have a lot of hard work ahead. Which I can handle knowing that I am a tough cookie and I will get through it. Full recovery and back to normal activity level is between 6-9 months, sometimes even longer depending on each individuals body and limitations.
So I promise myself to take one day at a time. One day at a time is all I can do.
Photos are 6 days post surgery. Two incisions, one very large and one small. Lots of bruising ans swelling.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
It's a-bout time
Saturday is approaching quickly. Cirque Du Slam is almost here. I am always super excited during bout week. Always. I spend every spare second making sure last minute details are taken care of. This week is the same in that I checking on everything, confirming times, menus, help and typing up vip lists.
But it is different for many reasons as well. This will be Sugar's first bout from the sidelines. Not on the track. The first bout where I am not lacing up my skates. Not pulling on stinky pads. Not nervous for that first jam of the night. The first night where I will be cheering my teammates on from the sidelines instead of communicating with them from inside the pack.
As I type this post, I fight back tears. Tears that I have little control of these days. Tears that I try to swallow during practices, watching my team/my friends skating, where I want to be too. Where I am determined to be again. Tears that come out of no where, and can last minutes or hours. I know that as an athlete, especially in such a physically involved sport, that injuries occur. They can happen at any moment. In Derby you often hear "it's not IF you get hurt, it's WHEN." I know that I am not the only one that has been on the sidelines due to an injury, but none the less, the cut still feels deep. It burns and stings to know that I will not be skating for an indefinite length of time.
I have always been a skater that values my place on a roster, my place within the team. I feel honored and achieved. I feel like a part of something big. Something great. I have always gone in with the attitude that all of the skaters that make each and every roster, work their asses off (literally) to get there. We practice hard, we prepare emotionally and we are team players. I cherish that fact that I have been with this team since the beginning. I feel honored and proud that I have skated in every bout with my sisters. I look back on how far my abilities have come since that first practice in November of 2008. When I was so nervous to fall down. I kind of laugh at being so afraid in the beginning. Comparing it now to my hard hits, the ability to absorb hard hits from other skaters and the amount of times I do fall and get my ass off the floor faster than I ever thought was possible.
That constant fear that my body is making decisions my heart doesn't agree with. The what-ifs. I know that I need to push those negative thoughts far out of my mind. I know in my mind that injuries happen. You recover, you heal, you push through it. But in my heart there is a constant fear of what if I am not able to skate again? Skate the way Sugar skates. Competitive. Hard. I have found so much for "me" in derby. So many things that make me a better person, so many things that were missing for a long time. A calming feeling within my own skin. So much more confidence than I have ever had. A place where I truly "fit in" and something that I love so much in heart, mind and soul.
I WILL be there, with my team, no matter what the outcome. On the sidelines or on the track. I will support them. Saturday will be a tough day for Toxic Sugar, and I cannot promise to keep the tears in, although I promise to try.
KILL KILL KILL! Beat those Sirens! I know you will!
And for the record...I still intend on winning the after bout party...
But it is different for many reasons as well. This will be Sugar's first bout from the sidelines. Not on the track. The first bout where I am not lacing up my skates. Not pulling on stinky pads. Not nervous for that first jam of the night. The first night where I will be cheering my teammates on from the sidelines instead of communicating with them from inside the pack.
As I type this post, I fight back tears. Tears that I have little control of these days. Tears that I try to swallow during practices, watching my team/my friends skating, where I want to be too. Where I am determined to be again. Tears that come out of no where, and can last minutes or hours. I know that as an athlete, especially in such a physically involved sport, that injuries occur. They can happen at any moment. In Derby you often hear "it's not IF you get hurt, it's WHEN." I know that I am not the only one that has been on the sidelines due to an injury, but none the less, the cut still feels deep. It burns and stings to know that I will not be skating for an indefinite length of time.
I have always been a skater that values my place on a roster, my place within the team. I feel honored and achieved. I feel like a part of something big. Something great. I have always gone in with the attitude that all of the skaters that make each and every roster, work their asses off (literally) to get there. We practice hard, we prepare emotionally and we are team players. I cherish that fact that I have been with this team since the beginning. I feel honored and proud that I have skated in every bout with my sisters. I look back on how far my abilities have come since that first practice in November of 2008. When I was so nervous to fall down. I kind of laugh at being so afraid in the beginning. Comparing it now to my hard hits, the ability to absorb hard hits from other skaters and the amount of times I do fall and get my ass off the floor faster than I ever thought was possible.
That constant fear that my body is making decisions my heart doesn't agree with. The what-ifs. I know that I need to push those negative thoughts far out of my mind. I know in my mind that injuries happen. You recover, you heal, you push through it. But in my heart there is a constant fear of what if I am not able to skate again? Skate the way Sugar skates. Competitive. Hard. I have found so much for "me" in derby. So many things that make me a better person, so many things that were missing for a long time. A calming feeling within my own skin. So much more confidence than I have ever had. A place where I truly "fit in" and something that I love so much in heart, mind and soul.
I WILL be there, with my team, no matter what the outcome. On the sidelines or on the track. I will support them. Saturday will be a tough day for Toxic Sugar, and I cannot promise to keep the tears in, although I promise to try.
KILL KILL KILL! Beat those Sirens! I know you will!
And for the record...I still intend on winning the after bout party...
Friday, August 13, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Animal Mother...skater and writer!
This is an article written by a fellow OCCRG skater, she is a great friend and a great writer!
'Roller Girls' have fun and give back to community
'Roller Girls' have fun and give back to community
The Old Capitol City Roller Girls are Iowa City's first flat-track roller-derby team. We are a group of all kinds of women — mothers you see walking with a stroller, the smiling barista handing you your latte, the woman in the cubicle next to you at work — and we all play roller derby. We are a skater-owned, skater-run, skater-coached team, and our goal is to bring unique, family-friendly, exciting entertainment to the Iowa City area.
When we started our team in October 2008, we began recruiting as many women as we could. We have served chili suppers for charity, served Jell-O shots at IC Ugli's, and played games with kids at free skate events at the recreation center. A lot of what we do is aimed to give back to the community — and help create a good name for our team and the sport we love.
Our team is composed of women ages 21 to 50. Our skaters, referees, and support staff number us at a roster of 40 or so. We play on a flat track that is marked with ropes and tape, so we can play in just about any large venue. Right now, we are proud to call the Coralville Marriott our home. Roller-derby rules are governed by the Women's Flat Track Derby Association — similar to the NBA of roller derby. It's a fun sport — both to play and to watch.
A roller-derby bout is an event that anyone of any age and background can enjoy. There's a lot of thrills and hard hits and flashy moves that can keep crowds entertained. Strategy, penalties, and fancy footwork make the game appealing to cerebral crowds as well. The Old Capitol team is a formidable opponent for any of the nine other teams in Iowa, and we are growing and learning to become competitive with the other 700 leagues in the United States.
However, we also want to be sure to give back to those who have supported us so enthusiastically. At every home game (and we usually have one a month) we give a check to a charity affecting the community — some of our donations have gone to Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Emma Goldman Clinic, and the Johnson County Animal Shelter. We want Iowa City to see us not only as athletes but also as a community organization here for Iowa City that wants the best for the place that we live, work, and play.
Being a roller-derby skater is just like being any other kind of athlete. We practice hard, carbo-load before games, spend time bickering over which wheels or skates are superior, and spend time icing down sprains and bruises. Unlike other athletes, we get to show our personality putting together names, personas, and put on an event that combines showmanship with gritty athletics. Roller derby is a sport that allows everyone to showcase her personality and unique abilities. The thing that drew me to the sport was the fact that I could play it — competitively — even though my chosen form of exercise for the 17 years prior was ballet. The most important thing with playing derby is passion for the sport — something our team has in spades.
So come on down to the next bout — we love being able to entertain and delight the people of Iowa City and love participating in such an awesome sport in the community we love. Who knows? Maybe you'll be lacing up a pair of skates with us next year.
Quinn "Animal Mother" Dreasler
Old Capitol City Roller Girls
Old Capitol City Roller Girls
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Results
The complete MRI results were given to me today.
They SUCK...but...I will have surgery and I WILL recover. I will survive. I will SKATE.
MCL completely torn. ACL almost completely torn. PCL severe strain.
So begins the road to recovery.
Matty and the Beauties took Mommy to practice tonight. I needed to say hello and get a sniff of that "derby stank." I told myself to take a deep breath, but, it was gonna happen. the tears flowed. Hugs were great. (Sweaty hugs from Deadwards always rock!) It's been a week and I am already missing my girls. They have been taking good care of me and our tummies. I we are taken care of. The OCCRG ladies can cook! Not to mention all of the verbal and emotionally support that comes with these women! I LOVE YOU!
Big THANK YOUS! It means the world to me to have such wonderful peeps in my life!
They SUCK...but...I will have surgery and I WILL recover.
MCL completely torn. ACL almost completely torn. PCL severe strain.
So begins the road to recovery.
Matty and the Beauties took Mommy to practice tonight. I needed to say hello and get a sniff of that "derby stank." I told myself to take a deep breath, but, it was gonna happen. the tears flowed. Hugs were great. (Sweaty hugs from Deadwards always rock!) It's been a week and I am already missing my girls. They have been taking good care of me and our tummies.
Big THANK YOUS! It means the world to me to have such wonderful peeps in my life!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Derby Hurts
Ask a Derby Girl, she will tell you. Derby hurts. I've had my share of bruises. Taken my share of bone shaking tumbles. Taken "Derby-Profin" by the handful after a great bout or a tough practice. I've done plenty of sweating tears. But it's all in the sport. Part of the "badge of honor" that we wear so proudly. We do it because we love the sport. We love the thrill, the game.
I took a nasty fall during practice last Wednesday. A fall resulting in instant, horrifying pain. Pain I have never felt before. Pain that left my teammates surrounding my side, carefully removing my gear, telling me to take deep breaths, whispering. I left practice in an ambulance. In the ER, I was x-rayed, given good pain meds and examined. The doctors said nothing was broken, but that I most likely dislocated my patella. It was back in place, as much as it could be with the massive swelling to the area. They told me with this type of injury to the patella, more worrisome would be the joints and ligaments that were injured along with it. I was put in an immobilizer, given a script and given instruction to rest, ice and elevate to keep swelling at bay. Most importantly to follow up with my doc. I have been following orders. Resting, icing and elevating. All the while so worried about my compartment surgery scheduled for Thursday this week. I saw my ortho doc today. He examined (twisted, turned, pulled and pushed) on my knee and surrounding areas. We talked, he ordered an MRI and then he broke the news. My surgery (fasciotomy on both lower leg compartments) would be on hold. (Yeah you know, the surgery I have been waiting months for. The pain I have been ignoring and pushing through since practice 1 of Derby.) I have no stability in the left knee, which, in turn would make recovery after the surgery "not run smoothly." Basically, it will be painful enough and difficult enough to heal and move around with the surgery alone. He was unwilling to add a surgery on top of the knee injury.
I had an MRI today.
Long story short, I tore the ACL. Repair of the ACL...SURGERY. I also messed up the MCL which can be healed with physical therapy. But not the ACL...surgery.
I feel like I was hit with a ton of bricks right in the face. I know that injury is a "part" of the sport. But really, did it have to happen a week before my leg surgery? Really?
The pain is controlled right now. I'm following doc instructions. Wearing a special brace. Icing. Elevating. Keeping weight off it. The thing is, it's not the pain. It's the disappointment. The fact that I am done for the season. The fact that I am now facing not one but two surgeries with lengthy recovery periods. The lump I feel, the tearful thought of not being able to skate for months now, instead of 6-8 weeks. The helpless feeling of not being a playing part of this team, this team that I have been with since the beginning. This team that I have put so much, blood, sweat, tears and time into. It's the fact that this "thing" in my life, something I love doing, something that I am good at, has been ripped away. It hurts. It hurts a lot. I know I'm not the only skater that has been injured, and I know that other injuries will occur. But right now, it's a pity party and I am number one on the guest list. I'm angry. I'm sad. I want to scream. There have been a lot of tears shed, believe me. I know in my brain that I will get through. I will have the surgeries. I will recover. I will be better, be stronger. But right now, it just hurts.
I took a nasty fall during practice last Wednesday. A fall resulting in instant, horrifying pain. Pain I have never felt before. Pain that left my teammates surrounding my side, carefully removing my gear, telling me to take deep breaths, whispering. I left practice in an ambulance. In the ER, I was x-rayed, given good pain meds and examined. The doctors said nothing was broken, but that I most likely dislocated my patella. It was back in place, as much as it could be with the massive swelling to the area. They told me with this type of injury to the patella, more worrisome would be the joints and ligaments that were injured along with it. I was put in an immobilizer, given a script and given instruction to rest, ice and elevate to keep swelling at bay. Most importantly to follow up with my doc. I have been following orders. Resting, icing and elevating. All the while so worried about my compartment surgery scheduled for Thursday this week. I saw my ortho doc today. He examined (twisted, turned, pulled and pushed) on my knee and surrounding areas. We talked, he ordered an MRI and then he broke the news. My surgery (fasciotomy on both lower leg compartments) would be on hold. (Yeah you know, the surgery I have been waiting months for. The pain I have been ignoring and pushing through since practice 1 of Derby.) I have no stability in the left knee, which, in turn would make recovery after the surgery "not run smoothly." Basically, it will be painful enough and difficult enough to heal and move around with the surgery alone. He was unwilling to add a surgery on top of the knee injury.
I had an MRI today.
Long story short, I tore the ACL. Repair of the ACL...SURGERY. I also messed up the MCL which can be healed with physical therapy. But not the ACL...surgery.
I feel like I was hit with a ton of bricks right in the face. I know that injury is a "part" of the sport. But really, did it have to happen a week before my leg surgery? Really?
The pain is controlled right now. I'm following doc instructions. Wearing a special brace. Icing. Elevating. Keeping weight off it. The thing is, it's not the pain. It's the disappointment. The fact that I am done for the season. The fact that I am now facing not one but two surgeries with lengthy recovery periods. The lump I feel, the tearful thought of not being able to skate for months now, instead of 6-8 weeks. The helpless feeling of not being a playing part of this team, this team that I have been with since the beginning. This team that I have put so much, blood, sweat, tears and time into. It's the fact that this "thing" in my life, something I love doing, something that I am good at, has been ripped away. It hurts. It hurts a lot. I know I'm not the only skater that has been injured, and I know that other injuries will occur. But right now, it's a pity party and I am number one on the guest list. I'm angry. I'm sad. I want to scream. There have been a lot of tears shed, believe me. I know in my brain that I will get through. I will have the surgeries. I will recover. I will be better, be stronger. But right now, it just hurts.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Countdown
The countdown is on to the 29th. Sugar will be out of commission for 6-8 weeks. Surgery on my lower leg compartments. When I began Derby in October 2008, I started having severe cramping, swelling and pressure in my lower legs. From the knee to the ankle and everywhere in between. In the beginning it was only during practice and also on long stroller walks. So, I would sit, stretch, massage and ice. Over the past almost two years, I have been fighting, struggling, and trying to ignore the excruciating pain. As my skill level has increased, so has the pain. I began physical therapy about eight months ago. Which helped relieve some of the pressure and tightness. After two months of PT, my therapist mentioned compartment syndrome. He told me (short version) what it was and to keep the thought in the back of my mind. As the pain progressed, especially in the last five months, the amount of PT also increased, my endurance level decreased, and the amount of times during practice I had to sit and remove my skates became more and more frequent. the pressure was so high that the tightness in my lower legs is crazy, there is no give at all when you push on the muscles in the sides of my legs. Not to mention the bruising. In May, he referred me to an orthopaedic surgeon. I decided to have the stress test done (which was awful) my resting pressure was more than twice the highest normal number resting and was diagnosed with compartment syndrome in both legs. Only option for relief and cure...surgery. PT wasn't working. Not only is the pain during skating, but now every stroller walk, stairs, and just walking around in general. The tension and pressure has become unbearable. Surgery it will be. they will make three 2-3 inch incisions in each leg, severing the membrane around the lower leg compartments. Yep...gonna have some sweet scars. This will allow the muscles to expand, releasing the pressure and fluid filling the compartments. (If you are into pictures and google, check it out, the pictures are creepy.)
I will admit, I have a very high pain tolerance. I tend to push myself to the limit, and this has been no exception to that. I keep hearing Tyna tell me to sit down, and not do things that my body is telling me not to. I hate feeling like I am quitting, like I am giving in to pain. But, I am so ready to not fight my body. I want to exceed my person goals, to succeed as a strong skater, to become a better athlete in general. I love derby and cannot imagine my life without it. I am really nervous. The entire thing freaks me out. Long term effects freak me out. Losing function of my lower legs, circulation problems, blood clots to name a few. Surgery is my option. I am okay with it. I know it will be more than difficult to be off skates for several months, but, the end result is what I need. It will make me a better skater. Hopefully I will be back up and running for our last two bouts of the season in October. But I feel like there will be so much I am missing. I know it will be worth it. It will be worth it. Look out...Here comes Sugar!
I will admit, I have a very high pain tolerance. I tend to push myself to the limit, and this has been no exception to that. I keep hearing Tyna tell me to sit down, and not do things that my body is telling me not to. I hate feeling like I am quitting, like I am giving in to pain. But, I am so ready to not fight my body. I want to exceed my person goals, to succeed as a strong skater, to become a better athlete in general. I love derby and cannot imagine my life without it. I am really nervous. The entire thing freaks me out. Long term effects freak me out. Losing function of my lower legs, circulation problems, blood clots to name a few. Surgery is my option. I am okay with it. I know it will be more than difficult to be off skates for several months, but, the end result is what I need. It will make me a better skater. Hopefully I will be back up and running for our last two bouts of the season in October. But I feel like there will be so much I am missing. I know it will be worth it. It will be worth it. Look out...Here comes Sugar!
Scars and Stripes Forever
Red White (black) and Blue...A night filled with fun packed Derby Action. OCCRG teamed up with QCR and divided the skaters into two "mixed" teams. Part OCCRG part QCR. I skated alongside the Belles. It was a fantastic night, a little less competitive than usual, but still carried the desire to play hard and have fun. That's what OCCRG does best. The Belles were made up of a strong group of skaters, Benzo Bang, OFX, and Trip to name a few from OCCRG. Also Mexican Monster, Lady Gotcha, El Efino and Ida Stroyder from QCR. We were pitted against some of our best skating partners, Zom B and of course Deadwards. The Belles pulled off the win. Deadwards and I seemed to be on each other's game, it was fun. In the end, I always skate better with a full roster of OCCRG skaters. We know each other, we play together, we should, right? We had a pretty good crowd considering it's the middle of summer and CRRG also had a bout that night. We are building an incredible fan base, which feels amazing. We are growing as a team of skaters, but also from the business aspect as well. the beauties were there cheering loud for Momma (and their favorite skaters...ahem Zom B and Deadwards.) My Dad was quite proud that I was not sent to the penalty box, not even once. He thinks the penalty box is funny.
Once again, the after party was also a HUGE win for OCCRG. Great times had by all. I hear there may even be some video floating around, by not viewable to the public eye. Heehee. Happy hangovers to many of us on Sunday! I LOVE DERBY!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Thanks MckMomma. After reading this I had to make my own...
If I had a nickel ever time I said...I would be a mutli-millionaire.
Please get the cat out of the laundry basket.
Please don't wipe that on me.
Five second rule...it's still clean.
No...don't touch your poop.
Yes, poop stinks.
Is ten am too early for shots?
Stop pulling your sisters hair.
Stop biting your sister.
Get off that table...table dancing is not a great career choice.
Yes those are my boobies.
It's called a baby belly, yes, you might have one someday.
If you sleep in your own bed I will buy you a pony.
Don't squeeze the hamster.
No cannot brush your teeth again.
We do not potty on the floor.
We do not spit the milk on the windows to wash them.
Desitin is not for your face, your arms, your sisters' hair or the carpet...it is for you butt.
Please don't throw your food on the floor.
We sit at the table, not on the table.
Get down.
Get out.
Do not climb that.
Don't eat dirt...or rocks...or leaves.
Shut the refrigerator.
Get out..Mommy needs to use the bathroom.
I love having my teeth cleaned...an hour of peace.
Is six pm too early for the kids to go to bed?
Don't sit on the computer.
Elmo is sleeping.
Please stay in your bed...please.
Don't eat the crayons.
Don't write on the walls.
Yes, they are all mine.
Yes, they are triplets.
Yes, I am very busy.
Yes, I knew I was pregnant with triplets.
You are gonna get your fingers pinched in there.
We have four of everything...stop fighting over it.
If I had a nickel ever time I said...I would be a mutli-millionaire.
Please get the cat out of the laundry basket.
Please don't wipe that on me.
Five second rule...it's still clean.
No...don't touch your poop.
Yes, poop stinks.
Is ten am too early for shots?
Stop pulling your sisters hair.
Stop biting your sister.
Get off that table...table dancing is not a great career choice.
Yes those are my boobies.
It's called a baby belly, yes, you might have one someday.
If you sleep in your own bed I will buy you a pony.
Don't squeeze the hamster.
No cannot brush your teeth again.
We do not potty on the floor.
We do not spit the milk on the windows to wash them.
Desitin is not for your face, your arms, your sisters' hair or the carpet...it is for you butt.
Please don't throw your food on the floor.
We sit at the table, not on the table.
Get down.
Get out.
Do not climb that.
Don't eat dirt...or rocks...or leaves.
Shut the refrigerator.
Get out..Mommy needs to use the bathroom.
I love having my teeth cleaned...an hour of peace.
Is six pm too early for the kids to go to bed?
Don't sit on the computer.
Elmo is sleeping.
Please stay in your bed...please.
Don't eat the crayons.
Don't write on the walls.
Yes, they are all mine.
Yes, they are triplets.
Yes, I am very busy.
Yes, I knew I was pregnant with triplets.
You are gonna get your fingers pinched in there.
We have four of everything...stop fighting over it.
Thoughts from Sugar
When I stop and look into my life from the outside world, it makes me smile.
I am truly amazing by all that I have accomplished. My husband, the rock who supports me so unconditionally. The one who loves me and pushes me when I need it. Takes my hand and pulls it close when I need to slow down. My hero. Our Beauties. Four incredible little girls. Each special and unique in her own way. Each watching every move their Mommy makes. Each looking for approval, guidance and love. Each learning the ways of the world every minute. I am so proud to be their Mommy. I hope that one day when I am old and gray they look at me and know I would do ANYTHING for their happiness. My parents, who have molded me, taught me and supported me even if they didn't always agree with the decisions that I made. For always being there to lend a hand, sometimes both hands. Helping so much in the last few years especially. My mother in law Valerie for also helping so much and molding her son into everything that he is. My bestie, Molly. She is an amazing woman. I love her more everyday. I look up to her for strength. I look of all that she has been through and I am so proud of our friendship. Roller Derby. I went from an out of shape gal, with four small children, shy and very insecure in my skin, and transformed into someone who is beginning to really like herself. The team that I play with is an amazing group of women. Each so different, yet all looking for something more in life. If you are not familiar with the sport, you should learn about it. It has changed my life and helped me find something within myself that I think has always been missing. I know that if you don't play, you may not understand entirely what I mean, but it is a true driving force to belong and to succeed in something so much greater than what it appears to be on the outside. The women that I skate with, have become like a second family to me, my sisters. We count on each other. We work together. We play together. We have welcomed each other into our twisted crazy worlds.
Over the last six years, since becoming a Mommy, I feel like I have changed so much. Which is good. The change from being childless with minimal responsibilities to a Mom of four daughters with arms full of responsibilities. I stopped working outside of the house. I lost contact with much of the reality going on everyday around me. Which is also okay, to a point...
It was almost two years ago (in October) that I stumbled into something. Something in it's baby stage. Tiny baby stage. A Roller Derby team. I have helped build and structure and watched this tiny team grow to over fifty women strong. If I was forced to put the experiences I have had with this team, growing into my place on this team...Roller Derby Saved my Soul. It continues to save me each and every single day.
I am truly amazing by all that I have accomplished. My husband, the rock who supports me so unconditionally. The one who loves me and pushes me when I need it. Takes my hand and pulls it close when I need to slow down. My hero. Our Beauties. Four incredible little girls. Each special and unique in her own way. Each watching every move their Mommy makes. Each looking for approval, guidance and love. Each learning the ways of the world every minute. I am so proud to be their Mommy. I hope that one day when I am old and gray they look at me and know I would do ANYTHING for their happiness. My parents, who have molded me, taught me and supported me even if they didn't always agree with the decisions that I made. For always being there to lend a hand, sometimes both hands. Helping so much in the last few years especially. My mother in law Valerie for also helping so much and molding her son into everything that he is. My bestie, Molly. She is an amazing woman. I love her more everyday. I look up to her for strength. I look of all that she has been through and I am so proud of our friendship. Roller Derby. I went from an out of shape gal, with four small children, shy and very insecure in my skin, and transformed into someone who is beginning to really like herself. The team that I play with is an amazing group of women. Each so different, yet all looking for something more in life. If you are not familiar with the sport, you should learn about it. It has changed my life and helped me find something within myself that I think has always been missing. I know that if you don't play, you may not understand entirely what I mean, but it is a true driving force to belong and to succeed in something so much greater than what it appears to be on the outside. The women that I skate with, have become like a second family to me, my sisters. We count on each other. We work together. We play together. We have welcomed each other into our twisted crazy worlds.
Over the last six years, since becoming a Mommy, I feel like I have changed so much. Which is good. The change from being childless with minimal responsibilities to a Mom of four daughters with arms full of responsibilities. I stopped working outside of the house. I lost contact with much of the reality going on everyday around me. Which is also okay, to a point...
It was almost two years ago (in October) that I stumbled into something. Something in it's baby stage. Tiny baby stage. A Roller Derby team. I have helped build and structure and watched this tiny team grow to over fifty women strong. If I was forced to put the experiences I have had with this team, growing into my place on this team...Roller Derby Saved my Soul. It continues to save me each and every single day.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Iron Diva Challenge
So you are familiar with the Iron Man Challenge, right?
What about the "Iron Diva?" Heard of it?
Last night the coaching and training peeps came up with a big twist for practice. The 1st Annual Iron Diva. Skate-Crossfit-Core. IT WAS AMAZING.
We began with warm ups outside, getting our mojo used to the paved concrete (it is very different than the polished concrete we are used to.) The contest started with 2 miles of fast paced skating. It continued into a weave line, into a full contact block, then a rules and regulations question. Next on to hopping ropes, another full contact block and right into another 2 mile fast paced skate...followed by repeating the entire first part...following me? After the final set, we transitioned out of skates and full gear and into sneakers and headed to begin crossfit. To begin, it was down and up an insanely steep hill 10 times, following by 100 walking lunges and let us not forget the burpees. 100 of those. Next transition...CORE. Crunches, bicycles, planks, side planks, push ups, cat pose, swimmers. Each exercise done 25 reps x three.
WOW. I went into it thinking I am going to give this my all, the best. Yes my my legs are killing me, just walking around doing the day to day stuff (surgery in 25 days!!) But damn it, I am going to prove that I am strong, a fighter. I am not a quitter!
I did it! All of it! It was so amazing. so raw, so tough. I was in tears several times pushing my body (mostly the legs) to get through it to succeed, and I did. I'm not sure of my ending time, guessing around an hour and 45 minutes or so. I was surely not the first, but not the last. I finished. It was a very proud night for me.
Now I am ready to crawl up in a ball and wait for surgery day to get here.
After my recovery...I will be ready to take on that beast again!
What about the "Iron Diva?" Heard of it?
Last night the coaching and training peeps came up with a big twist for practice. The 1st Annual Iron Diva. Skate-Crossfit-Core. IT WAS AMAZING.
We began with warm ups outside, getting our mojo used to the paved concrete (it is very different than the polished concrete we are used to.) The contest started with 2 miles of fast paced skating. It continued into a weave line, into a full contact block, then a rules and regulations question. Next on to hopping ropes, another full contact block and right into another 2 mile fast paced skate...followed by repeating the entire first part...following me? After the final set, we transitioned out of skates and full gear and into sneakers and headed to begin crossfit. To begin, it was down and up an insanely steep hill 10 times, following by 100 walking lunges and let us not forget the burpees. 100 of those. Next transition...CORE. Crunches, bicycles, planks, side planks, push ups, cat pose, swimmers. Each exercise done 25 reps x three.
WOW. I went into it thinking I am going to give this my all, the best. Yes my my legs are killing me, just walking around doing the day to day stuff (surgery in 25 days!!) But damn it, I am going to prove that I am strong, a fighter. I am not a quitter!
I did it! All of it! It was so amazing. so raw, so tough. I was in tears several times pushing my body (mostly the legs) to get through it to succeed, and I did. I'm not sure of my ending time, guessing around an hour and 45 minutes or so. I was surely not the first, but not the last. I finished. It was a very proud night for me.
Now I am ready to crawl up in a ball and wait for surgery day to get here.
After my recovery...I will be ready to take on that beast again!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Slow Down Sugar
Matt told me tonight I need to slow down. I need to take the time to see the small things. To take in the big picture. To take a minute and breath and try to relax. He is more right than he even knows. I really don't do that very well. I feel overwhelmed and exhausted. I feel like I work and work and work and never accomplish much. I am constantly doing. It is true that I have a busy schedule. I am a wife, a mother of four small children, I work inside the home and outside the home too. I love my life. But I do feel like I am drowning most days. Am I everything I need to be to everyone who needs me? I try to be. I really truly try to be. Does my husband know how much he means to me? Does he really? Do my Beauties know how blessed my life is because they are mine? Do they know how much I love them? Do they know I would sacrifice myself for their happiness and well being? I wish there were some easy solutions to all the to-dos. I know that there aren't.
I want to feel accomplished and successful. I want to be the best I can be at everything in my life, but most of all the best to my husband and to my daughters.
I want to feel accomplished and successful. I want to be the best I can be at everything in my life, but most of all the best to my husband and to my daughters.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Good Times
Full Metal Derby was a BLAST! We played the Stateline Divas, a team from Beloit, WI. They were a great group of ladies. Good times were had by all.
Saturday night we will be headed to Des Moines to take on the Mid Iowa Rollers.
If you live in the area, come on down to Hy Vee Hall and check out some roller Derby.
Saturday night we will be headed to Des Moines to take on the Mid Iowa Rollers.
If you live in the area, come on down to Hy Vee Hall and check out some roller Derby.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
OCCRG in the Press
Dangerous Curves
By Yale Cohn • May 3rd, 2010 • Category: Features, In the Mag I am in a large, crowded and noisy room watching a group of women on roller skates delivering powerful and cringe-inducing hits to one another and taking spills that no amount of protective padding–store bought or God-given–could ever fully protect them from.
By day, they are college professors and paramedics and stay-at-home moms, police officers, construction workers, office workers, massage therapists and college students.
But not tonight.
Tonight they are Animal Mother, Bat R Up, Fannysaurus Wrex, Fonda Cuffs, Furyis Jorge, Hitzy Blonde, Left 4 Deadwards, Joy FullPain, Ophelia Fracture, PsycHo AnalyzeHer, Toxic Sugar, Triple D. Zaster, GLADi8Her and Zom B Blokr, among others.
They are Iowa City’s Old Capitol City Roller Girls, and whatever caring or nurturing or healing or mothering instincts any of them may have were checked at the door when they arrived.
It’s bout night and there’s only one thing they’re here to do, and if it doesn’t involve the kicking of ass and the taking of names, it will just have to wait.
Founded in October 2008, Iowa City’s Old Capitol City Roller Girls are three games into their first full season (with a 2-1 record) and have grown from just five people at their very first meeting to an active roster of 20 “bout-ready” skaters and 12 women comprising their “fresh meat” group of skaters-in-training.
In this time, they’ve planted deep roots in the community, have earned a reputation as one of the most exciting shows in town and have a large, diverse and passionate fan base to show for it.
Made up of women from ages 20 to 50, the team is open to anyone willing to put in the tremendous amount of hard work necessary to join their ranks.
Tonya Kehoe, the team’s co-captain and coach of the “fresh meat” skaters says that they’ll “take people at whatever fitness level they’re at. Most of them don’t have any previous skating experience, and even if they do, this isn’t just skating in the park. It takes at least six months of training before they’re ready to bout.”
That training includes five hours of group practice each week plus assorted “dry land” or off-skate conditioning exercises skaters are expected to do at home to build up their balance, agility and core strength.
“Injuries are common,” she says, “like any full contact sport. So the first thing I teach them is safe falls and safe stops. The concrete floor is hard and isn’t going to get any softer. Our number one priority here is safety.”
Those injuries have included twisted and broken ankles, bruised ribs, broken fingers and “rink rash,” the skaters’ term for the abrasions caused when bare skin slides across hard floors at high speeds.
“But that’s what all this training is for,” she adds, “it’s like a boot camp where we get them in shape and teach them how to play. And we’ll never send anybody out with the wolves before it’s too soon–a lot of people are afraid of that.”
Watching the collisions they endure and hits they lay on each other just during practice, I can definitely see why.
In addition to the half-year commitment just to practicing before they might see action in a bout, each player has to pay monthly dues to participate and has to have insurance coverage that will cover any injuries they suffer.
The skaters are also responsible for purchasing their own “kit” (skates, helmet, wrist guards, elbow pads, knee pads and a mouth guard) that can run from $250 to $500, a considerable investment just to join the team.
“We do this because we want to do this,” says Laura Claps, the team’s bout-day captain as well as a coach. “This isn’t high school or college. Nobody is doing this for a scholarship or to fit in. Nobody was pressured into this by their parents. Our own drive is what brought us here.”
What is it that drives so many women from such different backgrounds to something so physically, emotionally and financially demanding?
Amber MacMillan, who’s been on the team for just over two months, sums it up best. “It’s the camaraderie,” she says, “it’s amazing. Really like a family. Everyone has been very welcoming and supportive even from the first day I just came to watch.”
I hear an almost identical sentiment from all of the skaters I talk to.
“All sports have a certain amount of camaraderie,” Claps says, “but the bond you make with other women playing roller derby is tighter than any of the other sports I’ve ever played. We come to practice and literally beat the living shit out of each other; we push each other right up to the brink of blowing up. That’s going to create a really tight bond.”
“That’s what’s so great about derby,” Kehoe adds, “It is a sisterhood. It’s inclusive. It’s non-discriminatory. There’s a place for everybody. Big and strong? We’ll use you. Tiny and skinny and fast? We’ll use you.”
“It can be a very tricky thing,” Claps adds, “working with so many strong and independently-minded women, but its also very rewarding.”
To play a fast and (literally) rough-and-tumble sport like roller derby requires a tremendous amount of practice, as well as a very high tolerance for pain.
At one of their practices, held at the Marriott convention center, I watched 30 women of a variety of sizes and ages skate in a circle around the track that’s been marked off on the polished concrete floor in the large empty space.
After a particularly vicious collision–of which there have been many–one of the skaters was slow getting up.
After being tended to by some coaches, she gingerly gets back on her feet and skates slowly towards me while holding her hand to an area just below her hip.
She sits down in obvious pain and picks up a bottle of water.
“What happened?” I ask her.
“I think I broke a fallopian tube,” she says between sips of water.
In all the years I’ve played or watched a variety of sports, this is the first time I’ve ever heard someone complain of this injury. But I’ve never been to a women’s roller derby practice either.
“When it’s bout day, it’s their job to knock people down, it’s their job to hit hard and it’s their job to beat you,” says Claps, “If I can prepare them for that in the most brutal way ever I’m okay with that.”
The drill she’s running, called “Blood and Thunder,” is brutal, but it’s exciting enough that I could watch it for hours.
It’s a “last woman standing” affair that involves all the skaters skating in a circle with kitchen sponges clenched under their armpits as they try to knock each other down with hip-checks. The sponges are there to train the skaters to keep their arms tucked in while they skate.
All artists practice what they perform but I’ve never seen an actor or a violinist covered in the constellations of purple and yellow and black bruises that almost every skater here is sporting.
They’re used to it though it and it shows–these are some truly tough women.
As soon as a skater drops a sponge, falls or gets knocked to the ground, they’re eliminated. But they stay right where they were eliminated, and the remaining skaters now have to skate around this ever-growing group of human obstacles. One by one, the remaining skaters fall and their grounded teammates shout encouragement to those still skating.
“Hit her so hard she pees,” one of them yells.
Mostly though, it’s encouragement. Barked orders softened with positive reinforcement.
Claps is the one of the bigger skaters on the team and one of the few remaining skaters as the drill goes on. Her teammates seem to particularly relish the chance to see her eliminated and enthusiastically cheer on the remaining skaters trying in vain to knock her down.
It doesn’t help though, and once again she’s the last skater standing.
“It’s all fun,” she says, “I’m notoriously hard to knock down.”
When I see her in their first bout, this becomes abundantly clear.
On bout night, what was formerly just a big empty space has been transformed into a bona fide roller derby arena with seating for 600 people.
One hundred percent of this transformation was the work of team members and their families who arrived at noon to start setting up.
“Some of us got here early to set up and some of us will stick around afterwards to help break it all down,” skater Quinn Dreasler tells me. “It really is a family affair. When the doors open in a bit and we start letting people in, my mom will be selling the tickets.”
When I arrive for their first home bout the crowd was numbering well into the 700s–the final tally was actually 831–and with the exception of a couple of Hawkeye football games I’ve been to, it’s the biggest event I’ve ever been to in the Iowa City area.
Although every penny the team generates from ticket sales, fund raisers, sponsorships and selling merchandise already goes back into supporting the team–no player receives so much as a dime for all their hard work–the team is working toward becoming a certified nonprofit organization.
Charitable giving accounts for a big part of their budget and at each home bout, the team presents a generous check to a local charities that have a “pro-women” mission statement in line with their own.
Past recipients have included the Boys and Girls Club, Girls on the Run and the Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP).
Before the bout begins, each player is introduced by the announcer, who reads the fictional bio each skater has created for herself, while she takes a lap around the track giving high-fives to the fans.
Adopting fictional “nom de skates” and bout night alter egos has been a part of the sport for as long as anyone can remember, and it adds a dramatic and theatrical flair to the sport not seen anywhere else except for pro wrestling.
In order to insure that no two players anywhere have the same derby name, new players have to submit their names for approval to the International Rollergirls’ Master Roster, a comprehensive list of nearly 20 thousand names compiled from the nearly 700 roller derby teams now playing worldwide.
I was shocked to learn there were that many teams in action but given the fact that derby is an exciting and fast-paced sport that provides good role models for young girls, plenty of violence and attractive women to appeal to men, and almost no team anywhere charges more than $10 for a ticket, it makes a lot of sense.
This sport is decidedly not pro wrestling, however.
“That’s a misconception a lot of people have,” Claps says, “That this is like pro wrestling on skates. That’s it’s all thrown elbows and tripping each other and kicking folks and all kinds of nasty stuff, but it’s not. Are there occasionally fights? Sure. But that’s not what we–or this sport–are about. There are still some teams like that and that’s how it might have started, but those are teams that play on a banked track not teams playing under WFTDA (Women’s Flat Track Derby Association) rules like we do.”
One skater in particular, GLADi8HER, seems to particularly relish the chance to fire up the crowd during her pre-bout intro. Her mouth guard and big infectious smile gives her a Cheshire Cat grin that the crowd will see a lot more of once the bout begins and she starts scoring points.
Claps tells me that this kind of showmanship is “something that can’t really be taught, that’s just who she is.” It works though, and the crowd eats it up.
Don’t be fooled though by their demeanor. Some of the hardest hits and most impressively graceful bits of sneaky snaking I see come from skaters that have the same calm expression on their face while they’re playing as they do when they’re in the dairy aisle at Hy-Vee.
I’ve seen them there, these are our neighbors.
Each bout has a theme. Their first home bout was the St. Patrick’s Day themed “Four Leaf Clobber,” and their second was “Malice in Derbyland.” At each bout all the players, as well as many of their fans, dress in costumes inspired by the theme, and this shared pageantry truly blurs the line between the fans and the players.
Announcers provide a running color commentary throughout their bouts, and they employ a fair amount of double entendres (“look at these naughty, naughty girls slamming into each other”) that put a smile on the face of the adults and sail harmlessly over the heads of the many children in attendance.
Sex appeal has always been a big part of the sport of roller derby, -and the women on the team do look really good in their fishnets and short-shorts, but it’s really just an added attraction, a bonus bit of flair and flash secondary to their impressive athleticism and toughness. (Even the custom wearing of fishnets and stockings had its roots in the physicality of the sport as they significantly cut down on the amount of “rink rash” players will suffer sliding across the floor when they fall.)
After their bouts they mill among the crowd talking to friends and family and pose for pictures with their fans. The ease with which they inhabit the fictional bios they’ve created for themselves even now–off the clock–makes me wonder if, for some of them anyway, the fictional bios are their real identities and it’s who they are the rest of the time that’s the fiction.
It’s inspiring to see the many young girls who approach them for autographs after each bout, knowing that they have real and local role models to look up to, rather than vacuous Hollywood celebutantes best known for leaving the house without wearing underwear.
The crowds they draw for their bouts are unquestionably the most diverse ones I’ve ever been a part of as long as I’ve lived in Iowa.
Local farmers wearing their “Saturday best” overalls and feed caps wait in the beer line behind local hipsters sporting their “Saturday best” piercings and skinny jeans, while teenage boys and girls flirt with each other while ignoring their parents who are, in turn, ignoring them.
Lesbian couples sit holding hands in the “suicide seats” (so named as these are the seats closest to the track where skaters occasionally careen into the spectators after losing control) while on either side them sit folks that are clearly some of the players’ grandparents.
With just over two minutes on the clock during their second home bout, the captain of the visiting team takes a bad fall and lays on the track for a solid 10 minutes, being attended to by coaches and medical personnel.
Although I’ve been told by a number of players that there’s “no crying in derby,” it looked like she was, but, I’ll find out later, she tore the ACL in her knee and will miss the rest of the season so who could blame her?
Everyone cheers when she’s finally lifted onto a stretcher and wheeled to the ambulance that’s on hand for all bouts.
While she’s being wheeled away she raises her hand and gives a thumbs-up signal to the crowd.
They crowd erupts even more when she does this and it perfectly sums up how I feel about roller derby: thumbs up all the way.
Once she’s healed, I have no doubt she’ll don her skates and come down to face off against the Old Capitol City Roller Girls once again, and I have no doubt I’ll be in the audience when she does.
How could I miss it?
By day, they are college professors and paramedics and stay-at-home moms, police officers, construction workers, office workers, massage therapists and college students.
But not tonight.
Tonight they are Animal Mother, Bat R Up, Fannysaurus Wrex, Fonda Cuffs, Furyis Jorge, Hitzy Blonde, Left 4 Deadwards, Joy FullPain, Ophelia Fracture, PsycHo AnalyzeHer, Toxic Sugar, Triple D. Zaster, GLADi8Her and Zom B Blokr, among others.
They are Iowa City’s Old Capitol City Roller Girls, and whatever caring or nurturing or healing or mothering instincts any of them may have were checked at the door when they arrived.
It’s bout night and there’s only one thing they’re here to do, and if it doesn’t involve the kicking of ass and the taking of names, it will just have to wait.
Founded in October 2008, Iowa City’s Old Capitol City Roller Girls are three games into their first full season (with a 2-1 record) and have grown from just five people at their very first meeting to an active roster of 20 “bout-ready” skaters and 12 women comprising their “fresh meat” group of skaters-in-training.
In this time, they’ve planted deep roots in the community, have earned a reputation as one of the most exciting shows in town and have a large, diverse and passionate fan base to show for it.
Made up of women from ages 20 to 50, the team is open to anyone willing to put in the tremendous amount of hard work necessary to join their ranks.
Tonya Kehoe, the team’s co-captain and coach of the “fresh meat” skaters says that they’ll “take people at whatever fitness level they’re at. Most of them don’t have any previous skating experience, and even if they do, this isn’t just skating in the park. It takes at least six months of training before they’re ready to bout.”
That training includes five hours of group practice each week plus assorted “dry land” or off-skate conditioning exercises skaters are expected to do at home to build up their balance, agility and core strength.
“Injuries are common,” she says, “like any full contact sport. So the first thing I teach them is safe falls and safe stops. The concrete floor is hard and isn’t going to get any softer. Our number one priority here is safety.”
Those injuries have included twisted and broken ankles, bruised ribs, broken fingers and “rink rash,” the skaters’ term for the abrasions caused when bare skin slides across hard floors at high speeds.
“But that’s what all this training is for,” she adds, “it’s like a boot camp where we get them in shape and teach them how to play. And we’ll never send anybody out with the wolves before it’s too soon–a lot of people are afraid of that.”
Watching the collisions they endure and hits they lay on each other just during practice, I can definitely see why.
In addition to the half-year commitment just to practicing before they might see action in a bout, each player has to pay monthly dues to participate and has to have insurance coverage that will cover any injuries they suffer.
The skaters are also responsible for purchasing their own “kit” (skates, helmet, wrist guards, elbow pads, knee pads and a mouth guard) that can run from $250 to $500, a considerable investment just to join the team.
“We do this because we want to do this,” says Laura Claps, the team’s bout-day captain as well as a coach. “This isn’t high school or college. Nobody is doing this for a scholarship or to fit in. Nobody was pressured into this by their parents. Our own drive is what brought us here.”
What is it that drives so many women from such different backgrounds to something so physically, emotionally and financially demanding?
Amber MacMillan, who’s been on the team for just over two months, sums it up best. “It’s the camaraderie,” she says, “it’s amazing. Really like a family. Everyone has been very welcoming and supportive even from the first day I just came to watch.”
I hear an almost identical sentiment from all of the skaters I talk to.
“All sports have a certain amount of camaraderie,” Claps says, “but the bond you make with other women playing roller derby is tighter than any of the other sports I’ve ever played. We come to practice and literally beat the living shit out of each other; we push each other right up to the brink of blowing up. That’s going to create a really tight bond.”
“That’s what’s so great about derby,” Kehoe adds, “It is a sisterhood. It’s inclusive. It’s non-discriminatory. There’s a place for everybody. Big and strong? We’ll use you. Tiny and skinny and fast? We’ll use you.”
“It can be a very tricky thing,” Claps adds, “working with so many strong and independently-minded women, but its also very rewarding.”
To play a fast and (literally) rough-and-tumble sport like roller derby requires a tremendous amount of practice, as well as a very high tolerance for pain.
At one of their practices, held at the Marriott convention center, I watched 30 women of a variety of sizes and ages skate in a circle around the track that’s been marked off on the polished concrete floor in the large empty space.
After a particularly vicious collision–of which there have been many–one of the skaters was slow getting up.
After being tended to by some coaches, she gingerly gets back on her feet and skates slowly towards me while holding her hand to an area just below her hip.
She sits down in obvious pain and picks up a bottle of water.
“What happened?” I ask her.
“I think I broke a fallopian tube,” she says between sips of water.
In all the years I’ve played or watched a variety of sports, this is the first time I’ve ever heard someone complain of this injury. But I’ve never been to a women’s roller derby practice either.
“When it’s bout day, it’s their job to knock people down, it’s their job to hit hard and it’s their job to beat you,” says Claps, “If I can prepare them for that in the most brutal way ever I’m okay with that.”
The drill she’s running, called “Blood and Thunder,” is brutal, but it’s exciting enough that I could watch it for hours.
It’s a “last woman standing” affair that involves all the skaters skating in a circle with kitchen sponges clenched under their armpits as they try to knock each other down with hip-checks. The sponges are there to train the skaters to keep their arms tucked in while they skate.
All artists practice what they perform but I’ve never seen an actor or a violinist covered in the constellations of purple and yellow and black bruises that almost every skater here is sporting.
They’re used to it though it and it shows–these are some truly tough women.
As soon as a skater drops a sponge, falls or gets knocked to the ground, they’re eliminated. But they stay right where they were eliminated, and the remaining skaters now have to skate around this ever-growing group of human obstacles. One by one, the remaining skaters fall and their grounded teammates shout encouragement to those still skating.
“Hit her so hard she pees,” one of them yells.
Mostly though, it’s encouragement. Barked orders softened with positive reinforcement.
Claps is the one of the bigger skaters on the team and one of the few remaining skaters as the drill goes on. Her teammates seem to particularly relish the chance to see her eliminated and enthusiastically cheer on the remaining skaters trying in vain to knock her down.
It doesn’t help though, and once again she’s the last skater standing.
“It’s all fun,” she says, “I’m notoriously hard to knock down.”
When I see her in their first bout, this becomes abundantly clear.
On bout night, what was formerly just a big empty space has been transformed into a bona fide roller derby arena with seating for 600 people.
One hundred percent of this transformation was the work of team members and their families who arrived at noon to start setting up.
“Some of us got here early to set up and some of us will stick around afterwards to help break it all down,” skater Quinn Dreasler tells me. “It really is a family affair. When the doors open in a bit and we start letting people in, my mom will be selling the tickets.”
When I arrive for their first home bout the crowd was numbering well into the 700s–the final tally was actually 831–and with the exception of a couple of Hawkeye football games I’ve been to, it’s the biggest event I’ve ever been to in the Iowa City area.
Although every penny the team generates from ticket sales, fund raisers, sponsorships and selling merchandise already goes back into supporting the team–no player receives so much as a dime for all their hard work–the team is working toward becoming a certified nonprofit organization.
Charitable giving accounts for a big part of their budget and at each home bout, the team presents a generous check to a local charities that have a “pro-women” mission statement in line with their own.
Past recipients have included the Boys and Girls Club, Girls on the Run and the Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP).
Before the bout begins, each player is introduced by the announcer, who reads the fictional bio each skater has created for herself, while she takes a lap around the track giving high-fives to the fans.
Adopting fictional “nom de skates” and bout night alter egos has been a part of the sport for as long as anyone can remember, and it adds a dramatic and theatrical flair to the sport not seen anywhere else except for pro wrestling.
In order to insure that no two players anywhere have the same derby name, new players have to submit their names for approval to the International Rollergirls’ Master Roster, a comprehensive list of nearly 20 thousand names compiled from the nearly 700 roller derby teams now playing worldwide.
I was shocked to learn there were that many teams in action but given the fact that derby is an exciting and fast-paced sport that provides good role models for young girls, plenty of violence and attractive women to appeal to men, and almost no team anywhere charges more than $10 for a ticket, it makes a lot of sense.
This sport is decidedly not pro wrestling, however.
“That’s a misconception a lot of people have,” Claps says, “That this is like pro wrestling on skates. That’s it’s all thrown elbows and tripping each other and kicking folks and all kinds of nasty stuff, but it’s not. Are there occasionally fights? Sure. But that’s not what we–or this sport–are about. There are still some teams like that and that’s how it might have started, but those are teams that play on a banked track not teams playing under WFTDA (Women’s Flat Track Derby Association) rules like we do.”
One skater in particular, GLADi8HER, seems to particularly relish the chance to fire up the crowd during her pre-bout intro. Her mouth guard and big infectious smile gives her a Cheshire Cat grin that the crowd will see a lot more of once the bout begins and she starts scoring points.
Claps tells me that this kind of showmanship is “something that can’t really be taught, that’s just who she is.” It works though, and the crowd eats it up.
Don’t be fooled though by their demeanor. Some of the hardest hits and most impressively graceful bits of sneaky snaking I see come from skaters that have the same calm expression on their face while they’re playing as they do when they’re in the dairy aisle at Hy-Vee.
I’ve seen them there, these are our neighbors.
Each bout has a theme. Their first home bout was the St. Patrick’s Day themed “Four Leaf Clobber,” and their second was “Malice in Derbyland.” At each bout all the players, as well as many of their fans, dress in costumes inspired by the theme, and this shared pageantry truly blurs the line between the fans and the players.
Announcers provide a running color commentary throughout their bouts, and they employ a fair amount of double entendres (“look at these naughty, naughty girls slamming into each other”) that put a smile on the face of the adults and sail harmlessly over the heads of the many children in attendance.
Sex appeal has always been a big part of the sport of roller derby, -and the women on the team do look really good in their fishnets and short-shorts, but it’s really just an added attraction, a bonus bit of flair and flash secondary to their impressive athleticism and toughness. (Even the custom wearing of fishnets and stockings had its roots in the physicality of the sport as they significantly cut down on the amount of “rink rash” players will suffer sliding across the floor when they fall.)
After their bouts they mill among the crowd talking to friends and family and pose for pictures with their fans. The ease with which they inhabit the fictional bios they’ve created for themselves even now–off the clock–makes me wonder if, for some of them anyway, the fictional bios are their real identities and it’s who they are the rest of the time that’s the fiction.
It’s inspiring to see the many young girls who approach them for autographs after each bout, knowing that they have real and local role models to look up to, rather than vacuous Hollywood celebutantes best known for leaving the house without wearing underwear.
The crowds they draw for their bouts are unquestionably the most diverse ones I’ve ever been a part of as long as I’ve lived in Iowa.
Local farmers wearing their “Saturday best” overalls and feed caps wait in the beer line behind local hipsters sporting their “Saturday best” piercings and skinny jeans, while teenage boys and girls flirt with each other while ignoring their parents who are, in turn, ignoring them.
Lesbian couples sit holding hands in the “suicide seats” (so named as these are the seats closest to the track where skaters occasionally careen into the spectators after losing control) while on either side them sit folks that are clearly some of the players’ grandparents.
With just over two minutes on the clock during their second home bout, the captain of the visiting team takes a bad fall and lays on the track for a solid 10 minutes, being attended to by coaches and medical personnel.
Although I’ve been told by a number of players that there’s “no crying in derby,” it looked like she was, but, I’ll find out later, she tore the ACL in her knee and will miss the rest of the season so who could blame her?
Everyone cheers when she’s finally lifted onto a stretcher and wheeled to the ambulance that’s on hand for all bouts.
While she’s being wheeled away she raises her hand and gives a thumbs-up signal to the crowd.
They crowd erupts even more when she does this and it perfectly sums up how I feel about roller derby: thumbs up all the way.
Once she’s healed, I have no doubt she’ll don her skates and come down to face off against the Old Capitol City Roller Girls once again, and I have no doubt I’ll be in the audience when she does.
How could I miss it?
Monday, April 26, 2010
Challenges
Challenges
The last several weeks have been a bit more stressful than normal. That being said. Matt is going to the evening shift on patrol soon. No more over-nights, well, except for overtime. (Which I recently learned that he was the number one overtime worker in his department for the last year. Yes, it did feel that way, so it was nice to know that he really was the leader in hours worked and that I wasn't being selfish and crazy.) I will finally have my husband in bed to sleep every night. Even if it is just sleeping, there is a lot to be said about having the one you share your life with at home and in bed every night and not just once a week. It's not a normal shift. But what is normal? Come to think of it, what is normal to us? We are kinda, not normal, I think we may have broke the normal mold. We are both excited and waiting patiently for June 1st to arrive. It seems that time isn't moving very fast.
More challenges.
The Triplets hates naps. Need them, but will not take them.
I went in to check on them this afternoon only to find them all three stripped naked, jumping from bed to bed to bed. Just like the monkeys on the bed book, with the bonus nakedness. All I could do was laugh. I admit it, it was funny, even if I was in desperate need of quiet time.
Yep...more.
I have so much damn laundry.
I cannot keep my house clean to save my life.
My doctor wants me to talk to a therapist, so I can cleanse my inner being of stress. does that really work?
My legs hurt. A lot. All of the time. I am afraid that they are going to tell me surgery is the next step.
That will suck.
There are probably more, but it's almost 0100 and Sugar is sleepy.
Sweet Dreams
The last several weeks have been a bit more stressful than normal. That being said. Matt is going to the evening shift on patrol soon. No more over-nights, well, except for overtime. (Which I recently learned that he was the number one overtime worker in his department for the last year. Yes, it did feel that way, so it was nice to know that he really was the leader in hours worked and that I wasn't being selfish and crazy.) I will finally have my husband in bed to sleep every night. Even if it is just sleeping, there is a lot to be said about having the one you share your life with at home and in bed every night and not just once a week. It's not a normal shift. But what is normal? Come to think of it, what is normal to us? We are kinda, not normal, I think we may have broke the normal mold. We are both excited and waiting patiently for June 1st to arrive. It seems that time isn't moving very fast.
More challenges.
The Triplets hates naps. Need them, but will not take them.
I went in to check on them this afternoon only to find them all three stripped naked, jumping from bed to bed to bed. Just like the monkeys on the bed book, with the bonus nakedness. All I could do was laugh. I admit it, it was funny, even if I was in desperate need of quiet time.
Yep...more.
I have so much damn laundry.
I cannot keep my house clean to save my life.
My doctor wants me to talk to a therapist, so I can cleanse my inner being of stress. does that really work?
My legs hurt. A lot. All of the time. I am afraid that they are going to tell me surgery is the next step.
That will suck.
There are probably more, but it's almost 0100 and Sugar is sleepy.
Sweet Dreams
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Date Night
Momma's Girl.
Oh, yes she is. I decided that Chloe and I needed some special time. Alone. No sisters. Just us. I gave her a list of potential to dos and asked her to think about what she would like to do on our date. The list included, Alice in Wonderland (in the theater) dinner and ice cream, pedicures, bowling, painting or going to watch a roller derby bout. I also threw in that is there was another idea of something fun, I was all ears to suggestions.
Momma's girl...picked the roller Derby bout.
We had a great time together, she loves the derby girls! Should I be sad that she spent more time on Zomb and Animals laps than on Sugar Mommy's?
Oh, yes she is. I decided that Chloe and I needed some special time. Alone. No sisters. Just us. I gave her a list of potential to dos and asked her to think about what she would like to do on our date. The list included, Alice in Wonderland (in the theater) dinner and ice cream, pedicures, bowling, painting or going to watch a roller derby bout. I also threw in that is there was another idea of something fun, I was all ears to suggestions.
Momma's girl...picked the roller Derby bout.
We had a great time together, she loves the derby girls! Should I be sad that she spent more time on Zomb and Animals laps than on Sugar Mommy's?
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Lucky Skates
Can't wait to match up again in September!
Malice in Derbyland
Old Capitol City Rollers are getting dolled up to Derby again this weekend. Saturday April 3rd. We are going up against the Des Moines Derby Dames. If you're in the area...you should check it out.
Malice in Derbyland
OCCRG hosted our second bout of the season on the 3rd. We took on the Des Moines Derby Dames. It was "Malice in Derbyland." Lots of had hits and stategy. Oh and of course Tough Ladies.
We rocked the house and brought home a win for our loyal fans! It was a great bout and a great after party.
Our next home date is May 8th. We take on the Cedar Rapids Rollers in "Better to get Knocked Down than Knocked up" avoid the Stork!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)