I organized this. I'm kinda proud of it.

things! lots of things! big shiny things! little shiny things! THIIIIIIIIINGS!

I'm back skating; toe is doing a lot better so I'm happy about that.

I was also elected as Head Referee for our league for 2020!  I ran unopposed, but still - I'M IN CHARGE OF THIS WHOLE REFEREEING SHE-BANG NOW

whoop whoop

I found our crew's old helmet camera in the storage locker and am employing it.  I took footage of last night's scrimmage (I was sole pack ref).  Not quite sure I want to look at it, as it probably will be nothing but "PACK IS - HERE - WAIT - NO PACK - DAMMIT - OUT OF PLAY IN FRONT I SCREWED THAT UP".

I SOed again a few weekends ago at a smaller league about an hour away.  It was supposed to be a Level 2 juniors/regulation double header, but the venue's HVAC got backed up or something and started dumping water into the OPR lane two jams into the second half of the second game.

I had one disaster - I set my keyboard hotkeys so that shift + that key is the undo of that key's action.  This was fine, except at one point I accidentally hit the shift lock key and was like WAIT WHY ARE THE TEAMS LOSING POINTS WHY DIDN'T THE JAM START PROPERLY GAAAAAAAH.  Took a short OTO, got everything set, everything was fine.

This weekend I'm going to Pioneer Valley Roller Derby's Late Night Derby Affair (pretty much a combination of scrimmages, wacky zany scrimmages, SKATE DANCE PARTY and fun).  I've wanted to go the last several years and since this is the last one apparently, no time like the present.

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.)

---------
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.

ten days until Playoffs...not that I'm counting

1. The break-in period on my skates has started.  I moved to thicker socks (no more lace trim for the moment, weep weep) and I put slightly squishy insoles in them, and they were better.  Still a dream, though.  Much better than SKATES IN THE RIVER.


2. OPRed a Gotham/Montreal game a few weeks ago; achievement unlocked, I guess (I'd never reffed a Gotham game before).  It was at their practice space, so the OPR lane was a little bumpy and narrow.  I was front OPR for the second half and at one point did a backwards "feet fly up in the air in front of me, slow-motion falling on my butt" thing (landed more on my very very lower back, just above my tailbone, so it wasn't as bad as it could've been, but I still kinda hobbled around a bit for a day or so afterwards).  Didn't die, though, so that's a thing.


3. All set for the big things for Playoffs - got my plane tickets, car rental, hotel.  I have to make one more back plate (I want to take three jerseys with me so I have a fresh one for each day and not have to worry about finding laundry facilities).


4. I volunteered to make crew patches for our officials, so I have to sew and cut 20 patches before I leave in a week.  (To date, I have made, but not cut, two of them, and I'm not really sure I like how those two look.  I'm too much of a perfectionist sometimes.  (I wonder if I can bring a woodburning tool thing in my carryon luggage, as I can totally see myself cutting these things the night before.)


5. I have to decrapify my gear case so I can use it as my sole luggage (can't take my shiv toe stop wrench with me), and should probably wash my gear before I leave.

Last night, to break in my skates some more and to get a little more track time before I go, I went to the juniors' practice.  I've said it before, I'll say it again - my life would've been so much different if roller derby had existed when I was a kid.  

things happen, other things happen, the world spins around and I am right there with it

let's see what's new in the land of Chalk Drawings....

1. Had the toenail procedure done about two weeks ago.  Feels pretty good - was a bit sore at first, but it's been getting better.
2. The new skates are an absolute dream.  No toe pain (well, other than from the procedure)!  I don't have to wear ankle sleeves (which I always lose)!  THEY'RE PRETTY AF!  I just have to tweak them to where I want them.
3. Found potential replacements for my (weep, weep) discontinued Radar Diamonds: Roll-Line Rapidos.  Tiny bit narrower (!) than the Diamonds, same hardness.  Put them on my skates this weekend; haven't had a chance to try them out yet.  They're not aluminum hubs like the Diamonds are; I think that'll be the biggest difference.
4. ONE MONTH UNTIL PLAYOFFS ZOMFG!