Smash! Bang! Crack em up! ..Put em back again...

Ok...that's a line from a different sort of derby...but it fits the incident at practice where at least five of us cracked up into a pile...

Let's go back and start at the beginning, shall we?

Just before practice we received an email from Sheeda Bomb telling us that she will be coaching us for now...She's cool, that's cool and all's cool with that...

I arrived to practice about 6:30 and it's always so fun to see everyone again as they arrive...I flipped on some tunes while we all readied-up and yacked...After my skates were on , I realized I had only put one knee pad on upside down - that's a big improvement from my normal dress-up fiascos... ;) So...skate off, knee pad off and flipped, skate back on and I was ready to roll.

It's still a little slow going for me trying to regain my strength after being gone for only a week, (but that's four practices), so I started off very slow skating and just trying to get the Mountain Pose feeling of stability again. I don't like this unstable feeling at all, totally buggin. I wish I could just lace up perfectly the first time, every time, so my skates feel like part of me. It takes one or sometimes two re-lacings to get them on just right.

We talked a little bit about the new coaching situation, about the possible Nov 7th mud-wrestling fund raiser, (No I will not be mud-wrestling, but I will be doing my part to contribute to the success of this event).

We did some fun drills, such as baseball sliding up and down the arena, up and down up and down - you know the drill-*heh* It's always amusing to see us chop chopping our way off the line..we did that one. I'm trying to recall the rest but as read on, you'll see why it's all kind of a blur...a VERY fun blur though...We did this new one where we stayed in a pack and Sheeda called out one name and that person had to take off from the pack, loop the track and get back in the pack...I liked that one because it's an interesting dynamic to see the balance of the skater trying to get around and the pack trying to stay together...I love the way everyone's bodies and our wheels work in concert so closely, there must be something scientific about this dynamic...all up in each others energy fields...Maybe it's something like a flock of birds flying in a pattern, the wind factor, something interesting happens there I think.

We had about forty minutes left when we suited up in our new blue and black mesh tanks and did some light-scrimmaging...I jammed twice and on the second one was paired up against Gerle Haggard, (first time was with Pollyanna Pitchfork). Gerle and I giggled and bumped fists, (because I saw that somewhere online or something about jammers fist bump and decided to do it too) and we took off, it was a bit confusing because when she went out of bounds I though the jam stopped as it seemed to when I went out of bounds on my first try, but it didn't so I kept going. I really have to practice not "blanking out" when I jam. I just remember taking the outside lane for the first time in my short and lame jamming career and wanting to try what happens to me when I'm the inside lane jammer, I was going to see if I could cut in front of her at the inside line...But no go, she jetted off ahead and I never got near her on the start...(god I'm so sluggish at this point..). Anyway...didn't touch her until *insert duh duh duuuuuuh* sound effect here until something tripped her up and omg five skater pile up! As we untangled ourselves I found my skate basically up Gerle's rear end, I think my toe stop hit her in the chin and I, or someone, who knows, ran over three of her fingers...Fucking A that was intense - So let me say sorry again to the lovely and talented Gerle who I hope isn't hurtin' too bad today.

After practice I learned that RevRa has invented a new system for indulging in libations after practice and prior to taking off to Steve's place. It was so fun because ladies who normally don't hang out too long after practice stayed around, Mermad, Trixie, RevRa, Nikki Spitts, Troubled Rachel, Pollyanna Pitchfork, Sheeda Bomb, Gerle Haggard, Nacho Hunny...(someone tell me if I forgot anyone..)...Rachel put on her car music and we had so much fun together, for like an hour, it was wonderful! Unfortunately, Pinkie Lee had to go....and probably others I didn't catch...I think there were 12 or so us there at practice.

Rachel, the twins and I went to Ed's to see Kimstigator after that. I didn't have to work the next day so I could finally relax. We had shots all around, (Hornitos, a new fave.). We yacked and then there was the coin slot staring us right in the face from a bar stool across from us and yes, when one twin dares another twin to do something, there's no turning back...I don't think coin slot girl will ever know how that penny got into her pants...unless she actually joins the team, which I heard she might...

I saw the bathroom at Ed's for the first time, there's a chalk board on the wall...Man we had fun leaving scrawls for each other on it...TOO FUNNY...I cannot remember what the last one is that I wrote and it doesn't show in the picture, but it was good for a laugh.

There were some nice guys there that I was talking with and there were some enjoyable conversations throughout the evening...At one point there was a scuffle outside between two tall guys, but not bad looking guys either. One guy had his dog with him, a black and white dog of some sort who looked like Helmut, but a dog. So I went out to film a little of that with my camera...No actual fight happened. Back inside let's see, how do I put this...Well, suddenly I felt someone's hand wrapping up in my pony tail and pulling my head back slowly...not like violent or anything..it was one of the tall guys who was fighting outside...he just smiled and I just looked at him with that NO YOU DIDN'T JUST DO THAT look...I have to say that is was a strange feeling for a married gal like me to have...Then later on, he actually spanked me! That one was a dare from one of the fun and evil twins I found out at closing time...

Ah, so closing time...I don't think I've ever been at any bar ever in my life at closing time. But in this case, Kimstigator was looking out for me and said to wait until the cops finished nabbing all the drunks off the road til I left for home. I seriously should have been wrecked and puking my guts up after a night of four large shots of this smooth tequila, but I was fine. Not the, "I'm so drunk I felt straight" thing, more the "I was having so much fun that I was immune to alcohol" thing.

Thus ends another Mountain Derby Girl practice night recap.

Oh, and when I got home, there was a baby bat in the terrarium with the little mouse we already have..another near cat casualty saved...I'll put a pic up of the bat later...it's so tiny...

[It's taken me forever to write this...so I apologize for not crediting all the art work properly...so a huge thank you to everyone who makes roller derby art and photos...you all RULE!]