I Have Returned!

Lack of internet has meant a much longer break than I originally intended but I think it was for the best.  We are settled in our new place, I have a second roller derby bout under my belt and I am fast approaching the end of my second last semester as an Honours student.  2014 has been an interesting year so far, full of change and new things but ultimately good.  Here’s a few things that happened while I was away: 

The littlest Stinker died:  Poor little Rolo had been looking very geriatric since the beginning of the year and his little hamster heart threw in the towel on the 21^st of March.  It’s amazing how such small creatures have such huge personalities.  I miss his special brand of fluffy stupidity.

We moved house:  We moved on the 1^st of April to our shiny new flat.  Because the two flats were only about 2 to 3 kilometres apart, we decided that we would move ourselves.  Never again.  It was the most exhausting 3 days of my life and the next time we move, we are hiring people to do EVERYTHING.  Our new place is pretty amazing though.  We have a lot more space, beautiful parquet floors, tons of natural light and a balcony.  We also have two stunning ring-neck parrots that live in the roof outside our bedroom.  They hang out outside our lounge window all the time.

I got new skates:  These deserve a mention on their own because they are just so cool. 

I skated in my second bout:  In January I officially joined the Miss-Fits and this past weekend I skated in my first bout with them (and my second bout ever).  It was so much fun and I am pleased to report that we won!!  They are such an awesome group of people and I am super proud to call them my teams.

Team picture courtesy of Knot Just Pics

I survived (so far) Critical Theory:  This semester I had to do a course that I had been dreading, Critical Theory.  It’s a pretty complicated course to start with and, to top it off, I realised I had no choice but to do my research project this semester.  Talk about intimidating.  So far I have managed to maintain my marks from last year which I am pleased with.  I still have to hand in the research project though so fingers crossed.

And that's that:) 

Bout Night Awesomeness

Okay, so I finally have some photos from bout night to share...Yay!  For those of you who don't know, I skated in my very first roller derby bout on the 16th of November and it was amazing.  It also happened to be Durban's very first bout which made it a doubly special event to be a part of.

The Pink Ladies before the bout

If you had told me at my first fresh meat practice that I'd be competing seven months later, I would've laughed in your face and then fallen flat on my ass (because that's how unstable I was)!  At that point, I wasn't even sure if roller derby was something I wanted to be a part of yet.  Fast forward to the end of September and my first bootcamp.  I knew that they were picking eight girls to skate in the bout but I was pretty sure I wouldn't be one of them.  I did my best but in the back of my mind I kept thinking "it's okay not to be picked, it's okay not to be picked." Confident right?  You can imagine my surprise when I saw my name on the list the next day!
From the beginning of October, we started skating with the open level girls and we doubled our practice time to make sure we were up to scratch.  The fact we could all skate out there and hold our own with more experienced skaters is the result of tons of hard work and sweat and I am so, so proud!

We didn't win but I think my facial expression in the photo below sums up how I felt about the night in general: 

There is another fresh meat intake in January and, if you are even remotely curious, come and check it out.  You won't regret it!  For more info, give Durban Derby a like on Facebook.

All the photos in this post are courtesy of Jethro Snyders and Almost Famous Photography.  I highly recommend checking out his Facebook page and his full album of derby pics. 

Things I Love #57

First off, I apologise for the silence in these parts.  Between exam prep and bout prep, I found myself desperately short of time and energy but, now that both are done and dusted things can go back to normal!  Kind of!  Secondly, GUYS!!  I skated in my first bout last night and it was all kinds of amazing.  Seriously, I am so proud of myself and everyone involved!  Can't wait to see some of the photos and pics as they surface!  Now, onto things I found on the internet over the last two weeks:

Have you guys heard about SF BatKid?  It's my new favourite thing on the internet and completely restores my faith in humanity.

Another story with a similar effect?  This tortoise with a Lego prosthetic leg.

The Lessons of Comicbook Loss.  Such an interesting read.

Bee and Puppycat has been officially Kickstarted you guys.  Can't wait for more episodes!!

On the subject of Kickstarters, here is one of the super awesome kitten skeleton candle.  As it burns, it reveals a wire skeleton underneath.

Love, love Siamese Fighting Fish but sadly, I don't have a very good track record with fish so I'm just going to look at these amazing portraits instead.

Bad moods face off in this cute Oscar the Grouch vs Grumpy Cat video:

The Star Wars Furniture You've Been Looking For.  How did they know???

The Walking Dead version of Monopoly looks so super cool!

Your favourite movies as pictograms.  Love the one for Ghost!!

I love this collection of completely useless inventions by Italian artist Giuseppe Colarusso.  

Free, downloadable Star Wars Snowflake patterns are solving all my Christmas decorative needs.  Seriously, I am hanging these EVERYWHERE!

On the subject of Star Wars and Christmas, who wants to buy me a Star Wars Onesie??

Check out these literary tea blends conceptualised by Flora Chan.  I'd like The Great Gatsby and Moby Dick please.

Did you know that there is such a thing as an Owl Cafe in Japan?  Yet another reason to visit!

And lastly, look at these ADORABLE pictures of Fennec Foxes.  Can you imagine having one as a pet?  

Seen anything you love recently?  Let me know in the comments:)

Durban Derby presents Grease!!

Guys!!  Durban's very first roller derby bout is taking place on the 16th of November at Hillcrest Primary School.  The bout is Grease themed and I am skating with the Pink Ladies.  So much excitement...

source

Check out the Facebook event for more details!!

Fresh Meat: The What I've Learnt So Far Edition

My last few Fresh Meat posts got caught up in the chaos of my birthday and the essay that got extended   which means I am a little behind with my diary.  Instead of trying to separate out the tons of stuff I have learnt over the last three weeks, extra practices and scrimmages, I decided to treat you all to a list of things I have learnt so far:

I am capable of more than I expected
If you had told me a few months back that I would be skating backwards, taking hits and even jumping, I would've laughed in your face.  Being chronically clumsy means I had no real skating expectations.  I thought I'd go for a few practices, take a fall and then chicken out.  Or even worse, not be able to stay upright at all!  Instead I am improving, gaining confidence and falling over (and over and over) and loving every second of it.  Exceeding your own expectations is a pretty great feeling!

Derby is a real sport and fitness is important
This might sound like an obvious point but I was so caught up in the names and the outfits and the skates and, and, and...that I didn't actually realise the levels of fitness required.  It was only on bootcamp day, when we did off-skate fitness, that I realised that I need to up my game!  Skating around the track 5 times is one thing but running around it?  Not even remotely the same!!

Derby girls are awesome girls
As someone who has never really been awesome at making friends, the social aspect of roller derby made me very nervous.  Would I fit in?  Would they like me?  Would I be picked last?  Lame I know but these were very real concerns the day I decided to attend my first practice.  I can honestly say that these worries were all in vain.  I have been made to feel so welcome by so many people and I've been lucky enough to do my fresh meat training with some of the most awesome girls.  There is nothing like falling over and bumping into people to get you bonding.

Anyway, what I am trying to get at with this post is that if you've been thinking about trying derby, go ahead!  Yes there are frustrations and a very real chance of injury but the people you meet and the lessons you learn make it all worth it!!

Currently...The Almost 30 Edition

Three more sleeps until I am thirty!!  What better time to do a currently post so one day when I am old and grey I can look back at what I was thinking/doing at the end of my twenties.  Or not.  I am feeling a bit over-dramatic this evening.  Anyway, here's what I am reading, watching and thinking about, plus some photos from the past year...

Reading:  Fables, Fables and more Fables.  I have mentioned before how much I love the Fables series and my awesome friend Clare hooked me up with a huge big pile to catch up on.  I never could've expected a series filled with story book characters to be so compelling and human.  This series has had me in tears, in suspense and laughing out loud.  I've also just read two South African novels for varsity: And They Didn't Die which is set right here in KZN and A Man Who Is Not A Man.  Both are such good reads and if you don't mind slightly uncomfortable subject matter then they are highly recommended!

Listening to:  The National.  A lot.  The other day I sat down and made a playlist of all my favourite songs and I have had it one repeat since then.  So often this band fits my mood perfectly.  Sometimes it even seems to fit the weather perfectly.  Most of my playlist is made up of songs from High Violet and Trouble Will Find Me which is weird because I very ambivalent towards Trouble not too long ago...

Thinking about:  Where I am right now and how lucky I am.  Sometimes I am tempted to compare where I am in my life with where other people are.  Especially people who are the same age as me and drive a better car, go on fancy holidays or just generally appear to be living it up.  Appearances can be deceiving though and I am making a real effort to stop that whole thing.  I am really lucky to be where I am right now.  I have a good job, an amazing husband, friends and family who love and support me and hobbies that make me happy.  What more could I ask for?  Except for a pug of course;)

Enjoying:  Roller Derby!!  I think this has been my staple answer for this part of the Currently posts for the last few months.  It still amazes me that I am finding so much joy in a contact, team sport!!  I even bought a mouth guard the other day...who would've thought?!? One unexpected bonus of roller derby has been meeting so many awesome new people.  Honestly, the girls that I train with are so much fun, so friendly and so welcoming.  Durban's first bout is taking place on the 16th of November and I am so super proud to announce to you guys that I will be skating!!!  Eeek!!  More details as they become available...

Watching:  The Walking Dead/Deadliest Catch.  Honestly, between derby, studying and French lessons I am not watching too much TV.  That said, I ALWAYS have time for these two shows.  Every time I think that The Walking Dead can't upset me more, it does.  So often when the credit's roll I have tears brimming or my jaw is dropped.  The season 4 premier is on Monday in this part of the world and I cannot wait.  Deadliest Catch is so ridiculously good this season...so much drama on so many of the boats and from the previews, so much more to come!!

Loving:  Orange flavoured Aeros, the fact that tomorrow is technically my Friday, birthday present anticipation (I am like a small child about birthday presents), quirky new jewelry, Ghostbusters, the Stinker's cage antics, warmer days and just generally feeling a little more comfortable with myself.

This post is inspired by the ones over at Sometimes Sweet.  You can check out the latest one here.

Things I Love #54

This time next week I'll officially be a 30 year old!!  I don't know how it snuck up on me so fast but suddenly, after months of waiting, my birthday is less than a week away!  Eek!  In some ways it feels like turning 30 is some of the best motivation I have ever had.  So many exciting things going on at the moment - birthdays, derby, French lessons and the fact that despite my stresses, I am doing consistently well at varsity makes me a happy girl!  Anyway, here's what I loved this week:

This game!!  We haven't actually played it yet but all information points towards awesome:

I love these nesting dolls inspired by video game characters, especially the Super Mario Bros one.

Your brain on coffee vs your brain on beer.  Interesting.

Hello Kitty contacts anyone?  Not so sure about these actually...

My desk needs these Sushi Memo Blocks ASAP.  I think I'd develop a permanent sushi craving though...

Funko have a new Star Wars range and it includes R2-D2 and Wicket!  Want!!

DC vs Marvel Roller Derby art by Kevin Bolk.  These are so super cool!

Dr Lukas Brezak has some of the best skull artwork I have ever seen.  The rest of his stuff is pretty impressive as well.

Mailbooks for Good is possibly one of the coolest ideas I've seen in a while.  

Black Milk Clothing's Halloween collection is fantastic.  I want all of it...

Speaking of Halloween, check out Guillermo Del Toro's intro to The Simpsons Tree House of Horror:

And in case you are wondering about all the references, someone has sorted that out for us.  Check out the video here.

If Halloween was a bigger thing in South Africa, I would totally make this googly eye wreath for our door.  In fact I might just do it anyway.

I'd also be taking the lazy route and opting for either this Peppermint Butler dress, this Jake the Dog dress, this Fionna Hooded dress or this Nightmare Before Christmas Sally dress.

And lastly, Pixar's 22 rules of story telling are full of good advice!

Seen anything you love this week?  Let me know in the comments:)

Fresh Meat: Week Ten

For those who don't know, roller derby is actually a contact sport.  You have to learn how to take hits and give them.  I don't mean punch in the face kind of hits but rather legal blocks and checks that both help to clear the way for your own jammer and prevent the other team's jammer from getting through.  It's part of the reason that you wear a helmet, tons of padding and spend so much time learning how to fall.  It's also part of the reason that I went on a very unlikely mouth guard shopping trip the other day.  Never in my wildest dreams did I consider the possibility that I would own a mouth guard.  Especially a pink one!!

Anyway, as you might have guessed, we started learning how to block and check on Thursday night.  This is where derby stance becomes super important because the lower your centre of gravity, the harder it is for someone to knock you over.  There is also no limit to how low to the ground you can skate.

We started by standing still and staying that way while being hip checked by some of the more experienced girls.  We also learnt the correct way to check someone else.  It's all about momentum and learning how to keep your elbows out of the equation.  I found it super hard to co-ordinate the blocking and the skating and the not tripping my partner so I can't even imagine trying to do this at any kind of speed!!  I guess that comes with practice!

Fresh Meat: Week Nine

This has been a busy week for roller derby.  For the first time since I have started, I have had 3 skate practices:  an extra lesson on Tuesday, normal training on Thursday and bootcamp on Friday.  Here are my day by day highlights:

Tuesday

Hooray for extra practices, especially after I mentioned that I felt like I was in need of some extra skate time.  We went through all our level one skills again which was a great refresher.  It's amazing how quickly you forget things when you are not doing them all the time (ahem, knee falls).  I almost got my crossovers right tonight which makes my heart happy!!  I have been practicing moving my one foot in front of the other and it looks like it's starting to pay off.  I also nailed transition skating.  This is where you skate forwards and, without stopping, turn yourself around until you are skating backwards.  It's such a great feeling when you finally manage to get a more complex skill right.  Needless to say, I headed home with a smile on my face.

Thursday

Every time I put on my skates, I am presently surprised to find my self just a little more stable, a little more capable and a little more confident.  Before I used to put on my skates and feel like I had to relearn what we covered previously before I could even focus on anything else.  Now, not so much!!  Even skating the opposite direction around the track is easier than before!!  Anyhoo, tonight we practiced pace lines and weaving.  When I weave through a pace line I am okay but when I weave through cones, I lose all momentum and come to a grinding halt!  We also did more working on whips and pushes.  I must be honest, I am a little intimidated by these.  I'm still trying to work out how much force to put behind my pushes and whips.  Also, I have weakling arms that need a bit more muscle!!

Friday

Wow! It's Sunday today and I am still recovering from bootcamp. My legs are dead but honestly, I learnt so much that it's totally worth every ache and pain I accumulated.  We started the evening with fitness which was nearly the end of me.  I can't believe that there is such a big difference between skating around the track 5 times and jogging around it.  Between the running and the lunging and the squatting and the burpees, I had to resurrect my asthma pump and inhale a bottle of water.  Once we were back on our skates Pippa, aka Madame Gutterfly, took us through footwork.  We practiced walking, backwards, forwards and sideways with skates on and then sideways and backwards.  It's not easy that's for sure!

We also practiced jumping, pack work and stopping and got some excellent tips on our derby stance and general skating form.  The biggest things for me though were the crossover tips (her tips totally changed my approach and I actually managed a crossover on a few occasions...yay) and the blocking.  Up until Friday we hadn't even started blocking yet.  I can remember the name of the movement she taught us first but she basically taught us blocking step by step which I found really useful.  And she didn't just teach us how to block but also how to keep ourselves upright.  I actually can't wait to put all this extra knowledge into practice!!  There was also some exciting news that came out of bootcamp but I'll fill you guys in when it's all official:)

Fresh Meat: Week Eight

This week's Fresh Meat post is a little late...sorry about that.  I haven't been a very motivated blogger this past week, hence the late Sunday evening catching up.  Anyhoo, this week we got our first taste of what skating in Durban's hot and steamy summer is going to be like.  There was a major cold front making it's way towards us so Thursday was exceptionally warm.  Needless to say, things were very sweaty...ugh.   I am going to have to invest in some comfy shorts in the next few weeks to ensure I don't pass out from heat exhaustion!

On to the skills!  We started off with warm up laps as per usual.  I am slowly starting to get the hang of skating in the opposite direction although I did find myself going right off the track a few times.  I am still battling with the crossovers but after practicing crossing over our feet while standing I almost nailed it on our next set of laps.  Definitely feeling like I need to be putting extra practice time in just wish I had more time to do it!!

Tonight was the first time we learnt how to do pushes and whips.  The push is pretty self explanatory.  You skate up behind your teammate and give them an extra boost by pushing them.  A whip is what the movie Whip It takes its name from and it involves transfering your speed to your teammate through a series of different movements.  Here are some examples:

Obviously it's really important to warn the person that you are going to push them or use a whip because otherwise there is a chance you'll both go flying and not in the way you intended!  I need to learn to lean forward more in this case because I nearly feel on my ass twice!!  I think they'll be a lot of fun once I get more used to the sudden burst of speed.

We finished off the night with a pace line.  I like these a lot.  It's fun to be able to practice weaving in and out of other people and to learn to regulate your speed when there is more at stake (aka crashing into the person in front of you and thereby setting off the domino effect).

I am looking forward to next week a lot.  We have our normal Thursday practice and a special Bootcamp on Friday night!! Yay!!

Fresh Meat: Week Seven

I am proud to announce that I can skate towards a cone, jump over it and land again without damaging myself!  Honestly, aside from the fact that I can now skate, I think this is my proudest derby moment to date.  When our coach said we were going to do jumps last night my heart sank a little.  I really felt like I had been sucking all evening.  During our warm-up laps I STILL couldn't get crossovers right.  Something about this skill completely freaks me out.  The first night we tried them I fell and fell and fell.  Now whenever I work up the nerve to try again, I chicken out halfway through.  It's more than a little frustrating.  If you're curious about what a crossover actually is, check out this video:

She actually gives some pretty decent advice, maybe I should try it?  Anyhoo, after laps we practiced skating on one foot.  I don't know what it is about my feet but they will not go in a straight line.  I feel so unstable when I lift my foot that I try and compensate immediately and throw off my centre of gravity.  This means that even though I can skate on one foot, I go off in all sorts of crazy directions.  Not good.  In light of this, you can imagine why my heart sank at the mention of jumping.  Bleh!  We started by jumping over a line on the track and it wasn't too bad.  When she asked who felt confident enough to jump a cone, my friend Liz suggested we just go for it to see what happens.  Best idea of the night!!  Managing that jump not once but several times (AND managing to fall correctly when I did eventually fall) totally made up for my earlier frustrations. 

Another cool thing about last night?  I can finally feel a change in my fitness levels.  The hour we practice always passes very fast but before I was completely wiped out at the end.  Now, I feel like I could go for longer and I feel more energetic than before.  So not only am I learning awesome new skills but it's paying off in other ways too.  Yay roller derby!!

Currently...

New Favourite Stockings/New Neil Gaiman/Essay Outlining

Reading:  I am about to start The Ocean At The End Of The Lane.  I got it about a week ago and I've put off starting it to catch up on varsity readings and finish my essay.  Talk about a test of my willpower!  I have read/heard so much about the book that I hope I haven't ruined it for myself.  I am also currently reading a lot of South African fiction.  The second half of my course is focused on post-colonial feminism and it's shaping up to be rather interesting.

Watching:  A new season of Deadliest Catch.  I honestly cannot say what draws me to this show.  I don't like fishing, you won't catch me dead on a boat but for some reason this show captivates me.  I love the human interactions, the danger and the way of life these guys lead which, as I type, I realise is exactly what draws me to this show.  So far there is already tension on The Northwestern, engine trouble on the Time Bandit and sneakiness aboard the Seabrooke!

Thinking About:  The concept of Othering and how we use it to make judgements on different people and, in extreme cases, justify our treatment of them.  It's come up in both of my courses this year and I'm starting to see it in action in my day to day life. For example, there is a lot of very justifiable anger at the truck driver that caused last week's accident.  He was irresponsible and shouldn't have been on that freeway at all.  His actions make it easy for us to assume that all truck drivers are irresponsible and treat them accordingly.  What that fails to realise though is that there are a) a lot of really good truck drivers out there, b) there is more to the problem than just irresponsibility and c) every single person who runs a red light or cuts someone off in traffic is as bad as that driver, the only difference is that they haven't caused an accident yet.  I don't know, I hate trucks with such a passion and banning them from using the M13 is a start but there are so many other factors to consider as well...

Listening To:  All of the Biffy Clyro.  I am so excited about the possibility of seeing these guys next year.  I am currently plotting the logistics and that sort of thing but I am sure we can make it work!

Enjoying:  Roller Derby!!  This might be a getting a bit old to hear about but it really is so much fun.  It's great exercise and an awesome way to meet new people.  It's so cool to learn new skills especially when they are things you'd never thought you'd be able to do.  I had zero confidence in my skating ability when I started and now I am skating backwards, in a pack and through obstacles with relative ease!  We have a Fresh Meat Bootcamp coming up at the end of the month and I am more than a little excited.

Loving:  The warmer weather, the opportunity to prove myself, coffee and fresh cinnamon buns, the fact that it's getting light earlier and earlier and that my essay is finally submitted.  Yay!

This post is inspired by the ones over at Sometimes Sweet.  You can check out the latest one here.

Fresh Meat: Week Six

So, no Fresh Meat for me tonight.  It's my very awesome friend Shannon's birthday today (HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRIEND) so after varsity, I am heading straight to her birthday drinks.  To make up for the lack of Fresh Meat shenanigans, here is some more detail about the skills I need to master over the next little while.  Tonight's subject, recovery tactics:

Skater must perform the following falls safely, correctly and naturally.  Skaters must be able to slide into knee contact with the floor rather than crashing onto pads.  Slides should be performed from a brisk pace without using hands or flailing arms.  Recovery to a normal skating pace should be smooth and immediate unless noted otherwise.

Knee Taps (Left and Right)

• Performs each knee tap without coming to a complete stop.
• Taps a single knee without breaking normal skating stride.
• Recovers from knee tap without using hands to get up.
• Performs two consecutive knee taps in stride, with low recovery.

Double Knee Slides

• Knees do not make contact with the ground at exact same time.
• Returns to active skating within three seconds.
• Recovers without using hands to get up.
• Momentum used to initiate the slide is continued into the recovery to normal skating motion.

As I mentioned last week, we've already started with the double knee slides.  In fact, that was one of the skills I learnt during my first round of Fresh Meat.  All the other falls we learnt are no longer applicable though which is a pity, some of them were really fun.  Anyhoo, if you want to view the full list of skills, click here.

Fresh Meat: Week 5

Biggest lesson I learnt this week?  Skating the other direction is hard.  We started off practice by doing 10 warm up laps in one direction and then 10 in the other direction.  Going anti-clockwise is easy because my right leg is used to guiding me around corners but going clockwise is ridiculous.  First off, my left leg is totally uncoordinated and cannot function as a guide.  On top of that, my right leg wants to take over which meant I went off the track at every single corner.  Can we say frustration?  Even sticky skating feels unnatural skating clockwise.  Bleh.  I'm adding that to my list of things Monique needs to practice!!

After laps, I was just about ready to go home.  I know that I sound like a broken record but skating the opposite direction left me with jelly legs.  Did I mention it was hard?  Anyhoo, after a quick water break we moved on to skating around obstacles.  Our coach for the even placed some cones on the ground and we had to skate around them first using both feet to guide us and then sticky skating slalom style.  This was much easier than anticipated and a nice break after the laps.  In other words, we got a chance to catch our breath.

Last night also included more backwards skating practice.  I first started skating backwards by accident at the stadium one day and I haven't had any trouble with this skill since.  I do find it a little had to pick up speed but once I'm going, it's all good.  Got to remember to get my centre of gravity right though, I almost face-planted twice!!

Next up, knee slides.  This is a skill I learnt during my first Fresh Meat run through so it was just a matter of getting the movements right again.  I rather like this skill because sliding across the floor on both knees feels pretty damn cool.

We ended practice with planking, which is basically the worst exercise ever.  30 seconds normal plant, 30 seconds left side plank and 30 seconds right side plank.  By the time I got home I was super achy and super exhausted and all essay writing plans flew out the window in favour of my couch and coffee.   That may sound like a post of complaint but I assure you it's not.  While this may be hard (especially for a lazy bastard like me) it's still an enormous amount of fun.

Fresh Meat: Week Four

So this week's Fresh Meat post is a little late.  I have had one of those weeks all week and by the time I got home yesterday all I wanted to do was sit on the couch and watch The Walking Dead. I am trying to catch up on Season 3 before Season 4 starts and each episode leaves me just a little more addicted.  I love that show...but back to the topic at hand.  This week I took a Berocca before I left work to go to varsity which meant that by the time I got to derby, I had a lot more energy than I usually do.  For those of you who don't know, on a Thursday I go from work to my two hour lecture and then all the way back to Hillcrest for practice.  It's all worth it but it makes for a very long day.  Anyway, the extra energy helped a lot because I wasn't nearly as pooped by the end of practice as I usually am!

My skates when they were still shiny and new...

After doing several warm-up laps around the track we practiced some more t-stops and plow stops.  There is no better motivation to stop before the line that the threat of crunches or jumping jacks in skates to make you want to stop!  Unfortunately I was slightly over cautious which earned me the same punishment as failing stop...oh well...at least it was crunches.

Next it was backwards skating which is much easier than it sounds.  We paired up and took turns pushing each other backwards and trusting our partners to stop us before the line.  The hardest part was keeping in a straight line but luckily we found a line on the floor to follow.

Thursday night was also the first night we skated in a proper pack.  We broke up into two teams of nine or ten and then skated slowly around the track as close to our team mates as possible...basically like a big blob.  When our coach called out touch, we had to be close enough to reach out and touch two people without moving.  When she called out touch again, we had to have moved around enough so that we could touch two different people.  It's one way to get to know the other skaters and resulted in a fair amount of laughter.  I must admit that our amoeba did super well...we kept together, kept our derby stance and managed to work out a system to move each other around.  It was an excellent exercise in team work.

We ended of the evening with more stopping practice and the surprising news that we had basically been examined that evening and that we had checked the first box in our fresh meat training....yay!  Next week we are starting some new skills and I am probably more excited than necessary:)

Fresh Meat: Week Three

At gym this week, I somehow managed to offend a muscle at the back of my leg.  It wasn't bad, just stiff.  Then, on Thursday morning, I went to the post office to fetch my books for varsity and slipped on the stairs and managed to upset the muscle even more.  So much more, that I limped around the office for the rest of the day.  Long story short, I decided that skating (and falling) on Thursday night would've been a poor choice and instead came home to study.  Seeing that I don't really have an update to share, I thought I'd give you guys an idea of the some of the skills that we need to learn in order to be considered bout ready.  First up, Basic Skating Skills:

Skating Posture

• Bends at knees and hips with shoulders back.
• Demonstrates stability, with centre of gravity down and forward.
• Demonstrates ability to skate low with bent, flexible knees.

Stride

• Uses steady, confident, fluid strides. 
• Uses both feet to push forward on straightaways. 
• Shifts weight completely from foot to foot without stumbling.

Crossovers

• Performs smooth crossovers while skating straightaways and track turns. 
• Uses both feet to push during crossovers. 
• Performs reverse crossovers, crossing over the right foot to the outside of the track.

Speed and Endurance

• Skates at least 27 laps around regulation track within five minutes.
• Accelerates from a standstill to complete one lap within 13 seconds.

Stops

• Skater must come to a complete stop from a brisk pace within 4 seconds using proper form and without losing balance.

T-stop

• Balancing weight on one leg, other foot is turned at a 90 degree angle so the heel or arch of the turned foot is aligned with the heel of the other foot.
• Maintaining balance on one leg, applies smooth pressure with the turned foot using the two outside wheels, the two front wheels or all four wheels (does not use only the two inside wheels).

Plow Stop

• Turns one or both feet so toes are pointing in and heels are pointing out.
• Upon completion of stop, feet are in a position that would allow resumed skating (feet are not spread so wide apart that skater must adjust stance before resuming skating).

Other Skating Skills

• Performs one-foot glides with each foot for the length of the track turn and straightaway with good balance.
• In low stance with one foot completely off the floor, able to balance weight over the other foot for at least 5 seconds.
• Maintains speed sufficient to complete glide and does not flail limbs.
• Propels self while keeping all eight wheels on the floor.
• Moves easily and fluidly from one side of the track to the other.
• Performs smooth, quick lateral cuts, crossing the track at least four times on each straightaway and at least three times on each track turn.
• Backwards skating within track boundaries.
• Maintains moderate pace skating backward around the entire track.

This is just a small sample of what I need to perfect over the next three months.  You can view the full list of skills here if you are interested. 

Fresh Meat: Week One & Two

Roller Derby is not something I ever imagined myself doing.  In fact, until a friend joined Durban Roller Derby, I didn't even know it existed in Durban.  After some explaining (and the watching of Whip It) and a lot of persistence from said friend, I finally took myself to a practice.  I went through a 6 week Fresh Meat program but alas, I wasn't quite ready for the exam.  That, combined with changes to the WFTDA minimum skills requirements meant I got a chance to join the new improved 3 month program as a rookie. It was just as well because although I am slowly getting the hang of it, I am still really new to skating. Before July, the last time I had skates on my feet was sometime around my 10th birthday!!  Anyhoo, rambling aside, I thought that it'd be fun to track my progress here and prove that if I can do it, anyone can.

Week One

My lectures this semester have moved to a Thursday night, the same night as derby, so I was a little late for the very first practice. Luckily the part that I missed only involved finding your feet and warming up so I didn't miss too much. The main focus for the evening t-stops and sticky skating. While I have sticky skating (skating without lifting your feet) more or less down, I suck at t-stops. My right leg cooperates but my left leg will have none of it. To do a t-stop, you have to pick up your one foot and drag it sideways behind you to stop. When we skated at the stadium I was managing to get it right about 90% of the time but on the track, with a different surface, I felt like I was starting from scratch again. I definitely feel like a need to practice these a lot more. In fact, I feel like I need to practice everything a lot more instead of just sitting idle between Thursdays. For the first time, we skated a pace line which involves skating in a line round the track and maintaining the pace and distance of the skater in front. We had tried this at the stadium the Sunday before and, although the idea of skating close to someone else initially terrified me, it was fun. I didn't do too badly and managed to keep up without falling which was great. When we started doing squats and footwork, I realized that the truck on my one skate was loose and, in the process of taking them off and adjusting/tightening both skates, I missed the balance of practice.

Week Two

This week I managed to make it to practice more or less on time despite the fact that my lecture ran over time. We did some more sticky skating to warm up which is cool, I am really getting the hang of it. I can definitely feel that my fitness is not up to scratch though. The combination of derby stance (aka squatting) and using momentum to propel yourself is hard on your inner thighs and lower back. After a couple of trips round the track we did some foot work. This involves being able to take steps with your skates on. I can manage the sideways and forwards moving but trying to step backwards is not easy at all. It feels like you are guaranteed to fall!!  

After practicing some plow stops and t-stops, we started learning how to do crossovers. This involves you picking up one foot and placing it in front of the other when skating around corners. It is hard. I managed to get it right for about 5 seconds and then I started falling. And falling. And falling some more. Seriously, its was the most (and hardest) I've fallen since I started and I'm amazed that I didn't hurt myself badly. One thing it taught me was the importance of derby stance because I wasn't skating in the right position which meant I fell backwards instead of forwards EVERY TIME. Oh well, thats how you learn right? I definitely need to invest in some Arnica though...

So thats what I have been up to the last two weeks. In future, I will aim for a post a week and I'll try and get it out on a Friday. Have any of you guys tried roller derby? Let me know what your experience was like in the comments. 

P.S. If you are in the Durban area and want to get involved then this Thursday (15/08) is the last opportunity join this batch of Fresh Meat.  Check out the Durban Derby Facebook page for more details.

Currently...

Grumpy hammy, Saturday's sunset, gratuitous selfie

Reading:  Maria, or The Wrongs of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft which is exactly as thrilling as it sounds.  It's one of my set works this semester and the first book that I am reading on my shiny, new Kindle.  It's not an easy read by any stretch of the imagination but the novelty of the Kindle is definitely helping me get through it.

Listening to:  For the last few days my iPod has been playing the most awesome playlists on shuffle.  Usually I skip constantly, even past tracks I love because I am impatient and hoping to come across something that suits my mood.  Since Thursday though, my iPod has been serving up the best playlists, the kind I don't even have to skip once through.  They are the perfect combination of upbeat and heavy and they are making my drive to work that much easier to deal with.

Thinking:  I've been thinking a lot about friendships these days; how they come about, how they change as you change, how to fix them if they are not quite right and when to let go.  I know that I often let life get in the way which means I am not always the greatest friend but I am also realising that some things have nothing to do with me and there is little I can do to change that.  Not too sure where I am going with this but there you go...  

Enjoying:  Roller Derby!!!  It's amazing exercise, I am meeting new people and I learning that I am capable of more than I expected.  Because of changes to the WFTDA minimum skills requirements, I am redoing the new and improved Fresh Meat program which I am kind of happy about. I am still really new to skating so it's an opportunity to build my confidence more before we get to the competitive side. I am thinking about keeping track of my progress on the blog but I will see how it goes.

Watching:  Happy Endings and Under the Dome.  Happy Endings follows the lives of six friends in Chicago and is our current sitcom of choice.  The characters are awesome and all of them are a little odd.  It makes me wish for a friend group just like that!!  We're only on episode two of Under the Dome and I am not sure what to make of it just yet.  It's escalated quickly and if nothing else, I'll be watching just to see what happens!!  Anyone else watched this yet?  Is it worth pursuing?  

Loving:  Peanut M&M's, the fact that it is getting lighter a bit earlier and darker a bit later, The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, phone conversations with my friend Collette, finally reading Sandman (I know!!!!) and my new Led Zeppelin t-shirt.

This post is inspired by the ones over at Sometimes Sweet.  You can check out the latest one here.

Things I Love #44

Happy Sunday everyone!!  It's a little hard to believe that it's already the last Sunday in July.  That means winter is almost over and, more importantly, my birthday is just over 3 months away.  This is probably another post for another day but I'm really not all that stressed over the idea of 30.  In fact, I am kind of looking forward to it.  Maybe that'll change as we get closer to October who knows but right now, I'm okay with it.  Rambling aside, here is what I loved this week:

DIY Terrarium Necklace Tutorial.  I am determined to make this and wear my succulent obsession proudly (thanks Gerry for sharing this on Facebook).

Another friend on Facebook linked to this article about creepy dudes on Captain Awkward.  Seriously, this should be required reading for everyone.  Especially the comments that follow.  Its long, it's a little scary but it's also very enlightening...

On a lighter note, cats dressed as Hello Kitty.  Some of them are cute, some just look really, really grumpy.

I found this awesome sound effect necklace in the kiddies section at Diva:

A 102-year old ship got a new lease on life as a floating forest.   Slightly spooky but very cool.

Nicholas Cage as Disney Princesses.  These made me laugh so much! 

The Mary Sue put together a slideshow of awesome cosplay at Comic Con.  I love the Tetris hair ladies.

If I had this awesome cutting board, I might be more inclined to cook.  Or at least cut things that can be cooked.  

I just love this unicorn onesie.  I (probably) wouldn't wear it but still...

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Aki Inomata created amazing new shelters for hermit crabs.  Seriously, these are beautiful and the concept behind it is food for thought.  

Adevnture Time Mashups are my very favourite things.  Here's a Wolverine one (about halfway down the page) and another with The Walking Dead and Star Wars.

Neil Gaiman is going to release his first video game.  Can we say excited???

Olly Moss has done some awesome Studio Ghibli posters for Mondo and I want them all!!  

And finally, I went to an extra fresh meat practice at the stadium this morning and it was so much fun:

Seen anything you love this week?  Let me know in the comments:)

Things I Love #43

Growing up I was completely anti team sports.  I rode horses and I swam and I was good at those things because it was just me.  I was just too shy to really interact with a team.  Today, I went to buy myself a helmet and skate padding to go with my shiny new skates because I think I have finally found a team sport that I could get into.  It's early days still but so far, I am loving being on skates and I am loving the idea of roller derby.  Now, moving on to other things I love:

Am I too old for a R2-D2 princess dress? Possibly but it's still very cool.

Look at this Lumpy Space Princess Tutu from We Love Fine.  I'd never wear it but it's still pretty to look at.

Also in Adventure Time, Is BMO a Third-Wave Feminist? Super interesting video about all the different things BMO means:

I just love these Macarbre Gadget Skull rings...I'll take one of each please!

If, like me, you were wishing you were at the San Diego Comic Con then check out the round ups on The Mary Sue for Day One, Day Two and Day Three.

Speak, Memory.  A very interesting read from The New York Review of Books about real vs invented memories.

14 Things You Didn't Know About Neil Gaiman.  I only knew one of these... 

I don't wear heels but these Batman Heels with Swarovski Crystals and Glitter from Etsy might just change my mind.

Now these I might be more inclined to wear, LEGO Building Brick Slippers from Think Geek:

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Henry Hargreaves has taken some interesting photos of what musicians order backstage.

This week there has been two awesome articles one on the NY Times and the other on Salon about creating characters. Definitely worth a read.

Something else worth a read is Jon Negroni's Pixar Theory.  I see some re-watching in my future...

I love this Cut Along the Dotted Line jewellery from Etsy seller lapinPetite.  Such a unique idea!

Periodic Tableware is a super awesome Kick Starter to create glassware based on the type of glass equipment used in labs.  Best part, its already fully funded.

A TED Talk that might turn every man who watches it into a feminist.  Worth the 20 mins it takes to watch.

And finally, here is an interesting article from the AV Club about The Art of Death in Superhero Comics.

See anything you love this week?  Let me know in the comments:)