Roller Derby

I had my first skate with the roller derby team today. Nice girls and a great workout! Wow, those quad skates are a lot different than inline skates! I had not been on them since I was a kid. I did OK though - no falls and I started picking up some speed towards the end of the practice. Four months till the season starts so I should be a decent player by then. Right now I am considered a "newbie" in boot camp. After 1-2 months of proving my dedication through practice and skills development I will progress to "recruit". As a recruit I have to attend 75% of practices (which will not be easy during tax season) and then pass a skills assessment test in 2-3 months. Then, I will be a "skater" and a full-fledged Gem City Rollergirl! I'll keep ya posted on my progress.

P.S. On the name thing... I overhead a girl stating that having a derby name is not "cool" until you are at least a recruit. Glad I didn't mention it today! So anyway, plenty of time to think of a kick ass moniker. I think the girls will offer suggestions after they get to know me better too. :)

P.S.S. I just discovered that all names must be registered and there is a code of honor not to duplicate. Get those creative juices flowing! Check out this VERY long list of names. http://www.twoevils.org/rollergirls/

Happy Thanksgiving!

My favorite holiday! I am looking forward to hanging out with the family and stuffing myself silly tomorrow. I wish my sister Shelley could be here for it because I miss her very much, but I am thankful that she has good friends to hang out with down in sunny Florida. I have had a tough year with a few bumps and detours along the way, but overall my life is good. Here are some things I am lucky to have in my life:

(1) My health. With it all things are possible.
(2) My family. We put the 'fun' in dysfunctional, but I love 'em.
(3) My cats. The best furry children in the whole world.
(4) My job. I work for a CPA firm w/a great reputation for quality and integrity and the people there are pretty awesome too!

Plus, it's cold out so I am grateful for a roof over my head and a warm bed. I am grateful for food in my fridge, electricity, and running water. I am grateful to be an American. That alone makes me one of the luckiest people in the world!

"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has."
— Epictetus

Top 5 Reasons to Stay Single (For Now)

5. Fewer distractions while I work towards my education and fitness goals.
4. More fun. No more "dates" in front of the TV. :::yawn:::
3. More time with my friends.
2. More time with my cats. The more people I meet, the more I like my cats.

And the number one reason to stay single:
1. To save money!!! Why do I always date the cheap guys?

The Name Game

OK, cousin David (buckdad) says I need a cool name to thrash about on the roller derby track. He likes Tracy Tornado. I like it. Any other ideas? Sister Shelley is correct in that I will be #13 which has been my sports number since the beginning. Unlucky? Not!

11/20/08 update:
Here are the choices thus far:
Tracy Tornado or TBJ (Dave)
TNt (Phil)
T-Racy (Ellie)
Tsunami (wishes to remain anonymous)

Any more ideas? Just FYI, I am meeting with the roller derby team on Sun, 11/23/08. :)

My Furry Children, Gretzky & Lemieux

Decisions, Decisions...

I started playing soccer when I was 11 (back when I was cute as clearly depicted LOL) and stopped when I was about 28 because my knees were killing me. So, I started playing hockey which was much easier on the knees (gliding vs pounding/pivoting), but not-so-easy on the rest of my body. After 10 years of hockey which includes three concussions, a broken tooth, countless cuts and bruises, and a broken leg (in 2004) I decided that it is time to hang up my skates. The boys are getting younger and meaner and I am of course getting older and mellower so it is time. :::sigh::: So, last year I decided to take up tennis and discovered that I could play pretty well and that I enjoyed hanging out with civilized female athletes rather than neanderthal male athletes. Go figure! LOL But now, I am getting that old familiar itch for a little more competitive action and perhaps a bit more contact so I think I might try a new sport or two... or at least try out and see if this old, broken chick can make it through tryouts that are coming up soon. If I happen to make both teams, I will have to choose. Which do YOU think I should play? Wish me luck!

http://www.gemcityrollergirls.com

http://www.daytondiamonds.net/

My First Post

OK, my sister assures me that my life is interesting enough to write a blog. I am not yet convinced. Mainly because I am working full-time and going to school full-time and I have no life outside of these two things! This will all change 12/20/08 though when I graduate with a B.S. in Accounting. Yayyyy! Sooo... stay tuned and maybe I will have more interesting stories to tell after this date. :)