stomping towards the abyss

ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: Refereed a game between two D1 teams; did not die

Saturday night was Buffalo (27) v. Boston (29) and it went pretty darn well, IMHO.  I felt good about my positioning and my calls.

Saturday night's regulation game (Buffalo B v. Boston B) was also the closest I've come to having an all-women refereeing crew - one lone guy JR.

Got another doubleheader coming up this weekend - at home this time.  OPRing the sanctioned and JRing the regulation.  Wheee!

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One thing I need to work on is...just basic skating skills.  I always manage to fall at least once during a game through no one's fault but my own.  I don't even know what's causing me to do it - I should probably watch video (though I hate watching video of myself) to see what happens to make me fall.

Beast of the East review

ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: Refereed my 100th game*
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: Refereed an overtime jam**
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: Was the only referee in one game without a significant beard***
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: Had poutine with guacamole and corn dogs****
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: Got a parking ticket outside the venue*****

*everyone gave me a big cheer in the locker room and the Head NSO had the announcers mention it too!
**hint: it's crazy.  There would've been one in the championship game too, but one of the teams requested an official review with 0:02 left on the clock
***I drew a line on my cheek with a Sharpie which represented my beard so I could fit in #TeamWhiteGuysWithBeards
****it's AMAZING
*****not all achievements are good

this was a great tournament - the games are only twenty minutes, so everyone plays on FULL INTENSITY the entire time.  The stands were packed with people who exploded with cheers.  I also got to do some jam timing, which I enjoyed.  Got to work with some fantastic officials who were so nice and encouraging (I took a few jams as the front OPR because I know it's something I need to work on, and I mentioned this to the other OPRs in that game.  After a few jams, one of the [Level 4 certified] refs said "you're doing great!" which felt good).

I did keep tripping myself up and falling, though.  I'm going to say it was because the floor was really grippy (which was awesome in the turns when jam reffing, because I wasn't drifting all over the place), but made it easier to get my feet all tangled.


Oh - and -

ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: Applied to referee D2 Playoffs/Championships******

******I have a snowball's chance in the sun, but what the heck

Siege of CNY review

Had a great time.  Drank lots of chocolate milk, finally lost my big toenail (in probably the least painful way possible - an hour and a half in the hotel pool and hot tub made that thing REALLY PLIABLE) officiated a buncha games, hung out with fantastic people.

Next weekend?  Beast of the East!

ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED

so for the last however long I've been doing roller derby-related skating stuff (8 years, nine months), I have tried, and tried, and tried, and failed, and failed, and failed, at doing a hockey stop.  I'd always just end up spinning around (or falling).  I'd try all sorts of different techiniques, I'd go slow, I'd go fast, still spin spin spin.

Last night, though?  I don't know if it was the fact that my skates fit again, or a combination of the floor and my wheels, but I kept doing hockey stop after hockey stop.  It was weird.

I feel like my URL is no longer accurate, but I don't wanna change it

so one more weekend (more or less; I might help out in Buffalo on Friday night) with no derby, and then ALL THE DERBY:

4/22-23: Siege of CNY
4/29-30: Beast of the East
5/6-7: Buffalo games I might help with
5/13: Home doubleheader
5/20-21: Away game in Cleveland Saturday, might help in Buffalo on Sunday

It's absolutely beautiful here today - temps in the 70s.  I might need to put my outdoor wheels on my old skates and tool around the neighborhood. I do think I need to get new bearings, though - mine are really gross.

yay!

it worked!  it worked!  there's plenty of space for my toes in my skates now.  I don't need to throw my skates out the window!  hooray!

so

Apparently I have the minimum requirements to apply to be an OPR at D2 Playoffs/Champs this summer.

Took my skates to get looked at by the foot guy; he said he'd try to stretch them out so I'd have more room across the tops of my toes.  I'm picking them up tomorrow; we'll see what happens.