hello again

Did you think I was dead?  Did you think that I wimped out and quit going to derby practice.  Did you think that I shamefully pretended to "lose" my quads because I couldn't face my utter lack of skill and style?  Did you think that maybe I was recovering in a hospital with half of my
face burned off in a hideous pace line accident? 

Did you think I would even know what a pace line is now? 

Well, actually, I do know what a pace line is.  I know about pace lines, goats, pain trains, lateral motion, push carts, pill boxes, pyramids, breakaways, relays, WFTDA, international registry, and circles of pain.Because. I. Live.  And I learned all about them in derby practices I have been attending since January.

I also want to announce that I have improved.  But I am still not great.

There are some ladies who are primed for derby - whether they be athletic, a former hockey player, a fantastic skater, or even just really pissed off about something - and go from their first practice to their first bout in 3 to  6 months.  I am not one of those kind.  I am the kind of derby player that struggles with every single damn skill.  I am the kind that intuitively does the exact opposite of what she is supposed to do.  I'm not even particularly angry. I am the kind that masks her constant identity crisis and feelings of inadequacy behind a smile every practice.

Still, Go Me! for tenacity.  I'd like to catch you all up on what's been happening since I was last here.  It'll be a fun story, with everything from torn muscles and herniated discs (though not everything is derby related).  There is derby name angst.  I also get to tell you how and why I have turned into a league tramp.

But I can't right now because I am about to head off to practice. 

See you soon :)