updating for the sake of updating

I've taken myself off skates for a little bit to let my toenail heal finally and totally - I was having some issues where my skates (still dreamy) are in the break-in stage where they put pressure on my toes, and I was starting to bleed through socks.  It's the off-season, so I'm not missing out on events because of it.

Working on FIPR off-skates as much as I can.  Realized (duh) that a lot of it involves listening to the RIPR and reacting to their pack definition.  I know, right?

I also learned that while I can skate backwards with absolutely zero issues, running backwards is completely terrifying.

Oh!  I don't think I've mentioned it here - guess who has two thumbs and is Co-THR for the Battle of the All-Stars Tournament next year in Hatfield, PA?

[INSERT INTERNAL SCREAMING HERE]

So far the planning hasn't gone too awry, and my co-THR and I are both on the same page with respect to things so far (it's his first THR rodeo as well) so we'll make our way through it as best we can.

I've also been thinking about what other tournaments I will apply to next year.  I know I said 2020 would be Australia Year, but it depends on what sort of time I can get off from work.  (I don't have a specific number of days I can take off per year; I work for an sole practitioner attorney who gets panicky if I take a lot of time off at once.)  I've applied to a few already, and will apply to others once their application opens, but in the mean time it's the waiting game.

growth is a good thing; really, it is!

So I don't think I mentioned it, but I finally applied for certification last month.

My results came back Monday night - I received Level 1.

They said that while in many respects I was well beyond Level 1, they had concerns with certain things - some of which they acknowledged might not be issues anymore (based on the evaluations I had on file, which were kinda old), but that I need to be better at calling 20' and to be more confident in calling skaters out of play.  (I agree with that last part 150% - I've always had trouble with that part of IPRing.) 

They also said that once I can get evaluations that show that I've conquered these things, I'm encouraged to apply for an exception to to the renewal period (2 years) and apply for a higher level earlier.

So while I was initially bummed that I didn't get a higher level, I understand and agree with everything they said. 

This will definitely affect things in the future.  I'll need to get as much IPR experience as I can, which will affect my tournament applications, which will affect my tournament attendance next year, I'm sure. 

But onward and upward, as they say!

I did it!

"Dreadfully Strong Coffee" was our crew name

ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: officiated Playoffs!
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: officiated my 300th game!

ZOMFG that was a great weekend.  The games we got were SO GOOD.  We started with Santa Cruz/Paris (the one that broke 98% of the brackets) and it only got better from there.  Our crew was so tight; we picked up what was needed from each other and provided it instantly.  (We also had the most GIFable moments of the entire weekend.)

(Except for the part where I took myself out of our Saturday evening game because I'd gotten sick and was throwing up, like, twenty minutes before the game started.  That sucked.  But I went back to the hotel, took a shower and a nap, and two hours later I was much better.  I ended up having a wicked bad cold, but I can handle a wicked bad cold.)

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Usually I don't buy T-shirts from tournaments, but I made a few exceptions this time:

• I bought a Rainy City Roller Derby shirt with the "Dead Inside" dog logo, because, well, that's me
• I bought a 2x4 shirt because they were walking around the stands during the championship game to raise funds, and I was pretty drunk at that point
• I bought a tournament T shirt because how else am I supposed to prove I was there?
• PREPARE YOURSELVES FOR BIG SOPPY EPIPHANY MOMENT HERE:

All weekend I walked past the Strong Athletic booth.  For a long time I'd wanted to get a particular shirt of theirs, but told myself "that shirt applies to other people.  It doesn't apply to me."

Reader, after my last game of the tournament, I bought that shirt.