Post holiday catch-up and Honolulu Derby Girls

I am finally back to blogging after an extended illness and ten days in Hawaii for Christmas (sadly, these two events overlapped significantly). Here are the things I miss about Hawaii --

• chocolate popsicles -- don't even get me started
  
• teri chicken plate lunch
• my cat Aengus -- 15 years old and still more fun at a party than me
  
• the weather -- where even the rain seems pleasant
• the mountains, the plants, the birds, the beaches
• the fact that I look just like everybody else
• how everybody is in a good mood all the time

Things I do not miss about Hawaii:

• my allergies to just about everything in Hawaii (including my fab cat Aengus)
• the traffic -- worse than Boston, I am sure
• the fact that Hawaii is a rock in the middle of the ocean -- people are always asking me why I would want to leave paradise. The truth is you can only take paradise for so long before it starts to bother you that you've basically done and seen everything. You can drive around the entire island in a couple of hours and you'll just end up back where you started. Everything is expensive and a lot of things never make it to Hawaii at all (think movies, plays, concerts, products in stores, ideas for chrissakes). It's like the little town you grew up in where everything is safe and familiar but all you want to do is get to the big city and pursue your dreams. Except you can't take a Greyhound out of town or hitch a ride with some likely stranger -- you have to buy an expensive plane ticket. Yup. Nice place to visit. Hard to live in. At least for me.
  

So the holidays were nice if short and a bit stressful. I was able to visit my grandmother on Maui, who just had a stroke, which was a good thing (the visit, not the stroke). Spent some time with my Mom and caught up with a couple of old friends. Spent exactly ten minutes at the beach (Waikiki Beach, which hardly even counts - plus I was wearing sneakers, which makes it count even less). Witnessed the Christmas miracle of Taz (my mother in law's dog, who has been quite ill, and who was so sick that we all thought he was going to die that night -- shaking uncontrollably, unable to get up, not responding -- who got up the next day, bouncy and happy, demanding to be taken for a walk and given treats! Yay!).

As for roller derby, I missed the first practice because I was too sick (flying + head cold = bad) but was able to hook up with the wonderful Honolulu Derby Girls for two subsequent practices. They practice at Kaneohe Marine Corps Station at an outdoor hockey rink. Did I mention how nice the weather was? The Honolulu Derby Girls are all super wonderful people and I had a great time skating with them. I also met Sassy Chassis (Rat City Rollergirls) and Bea Attitude (Texas Rollergirls) who were also in town. Hooray for derby! I brought my new outdoor wheels with me but never even took them out of the package -- my blue Fugitives were awesome on the cement floor. A good time.

Rotating my wheels

So when my knee was messed up I decided it would be a great time to clean out my bearings and rotate my wheels. I thought I remembered that there was a specific way to rotate your wheels so that they were evenly distributed over time, but was unable to find it online. So me and my husband, being the big nerds that we are, created the above chart in order to rotate the wheels based on their wear pattern. The wheels with the most wear would be exchanged with wheels with the least wear. This turned out to be more difficult than it seemed, because the wheels were actually worn down in two different ways: the wheel tread and the edge wear. And the wheels with the most edge wear were not necessarily the wheels with the most tread wear. It was actually very interesting to contemplate what the wheels were telling me about how I skate. Anyway, just thought I would share my craziness.

"Whip It" to be directed by Drew Barrymore

Via LeadJammer:

Production Charts and the Hutchinson Leader (MN) note that the upcoming roller derby film Whip It will be directed by Hollywood star Drew Barrymore. Whip It's screenwriter, L.A. Derby Doll Shauna Cross, is also the author of Derby Girl. The Leader article states that it's unclear if the movie is an adaptation of the book or just something similar. This will apparently be the first time directing for Barrymore. That's cool, but who will play K.C. Carr? Note to Barrymore: if it's set in the mid-west, go flat track for extra derby cred. And shoot the big climax bout scene at the Roy Wilkins.

Summary: "A Midwestern, small-town, teenage girl discovers the high-energy world of roller derby and must decide if she’s willing to go against her parents and friends in order to pursue the sport she loves."

December 8 -- Bout time in Boston, plus a winter food drive!

Nutcrackers vs. Cosmonaughties

Saturday, December 8, 2007 Doors at 5 pm, Bout at 6 pm Shriners Auditorium Wilmington, MA

Tickets $14 in advance, $16 at the door

It's dancer grace versus outer space when the Nutcrackers meet the Cosmonaughties at the second home team bout of Boston Derby Dames' Season Two. The Nutcrackers, BDD's badass ballerinas, are sharpening their elbows and perfecting their sneaky pirouette punch. Meanwhile the Cosmonaughties have spent all summer in their Vulvatron lab, constructing bionic parts and cyborg teammates from Sputnik-grade steel.

Boston punk favorites Darkbuster play during halftime, and DJ Boo Boo Danger spins through the bout and into the night at the on-site after party.

SEASON TICKETS ALSO AVAILABLE! Pro-rated as the season progresses, but always the best roller derby deal this side of the Charles.

First Annual Winter Food Drive: Bring a non-perishable food item to the merch table at the December 8 bout to receive a free Boston Derby Dames sticker.

We are holding our first annual Winter Food (and other items) Drive at our December 8th bout. Everyone is encouraged to bring items to donate. In exchange for one's donation, participants will receive a BDD sticker.

All items are being donated to Rosie's Place (www.rosies.org). The mission of Rosie's Place is to help women maintain their dignity, seek opportunity and find security in their lives. Please see their website for more detailed information.

Rosie's Place is always in need of the following items:

• Clean, in-season women's clothing, particularly nightgowns, slippers, new underwear, bras and socks

• Toiletries – shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, lotion, soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes; regular and travel sizes are appreciated

• Non-perishable food items, particularly canned vegetables and fruits, cereal, peanut butter, pasta, non-refrigerated juices and rice

• Children's books

• Buttons and jewelry

• Playing cards