Brick House Betties Junior League

A couple weeks back, the girls had their photo session for Roller Derby.
They pulled out all the stops and turned on the attitude.

Paul did such amazing work!!

Photo Credit: Paul Wenger / Artform Photographics.
www.artformphotographics.com

Brick House Betties (Helmet Panties)

The Brick House Betties are a hot local roller derby team.

A group of fine ladies that I miss terribly.

This morning I watched a scrimmage between them and the Faster Pussycats of Vancouver.

I left feeling excited for them and jealous of all the fun they were having.

 I also felt sad I wasn't playing.

I miss it.

But I did realize that since I am in the worst physical shape of my life, roller derby is not something I can do at this stage in my life.

SO I am now committed to getting my arse back in shape so I can rock and roll with these awesome gals.

 My feeble contribution to the team today were these helmet panties.
This time I redid this pattern and they worked like a charm.

 This photo is lifted from there website.
I just love the strut!!

These photos are from todays game.
Kinda wanted to get the helmet panties in action.

Shiny New Roller Skates

I have vivid memories of the days i used to roller skate in the hall just up the road from my house.

I remember paying 50 cents for the rentals and skating laps around the hall to hits of the 80's.

There was definitely a sense of nostalgia when I bought the girls their own quad skates.

They just love to roll around, and as the season is slowly changing to summer, we soon will have the chance to skate outside all around.

This makes me happy.

As Katie still cant ride a bike, roller skates offer us an opportunity to do something new and fun.

Since January when I chipped a bone in my knee, I haven't been skating with the team.

This has been a real source of contention for me and has angered me to no end.

Its hard to be a part of a team when you cannot contribute.

The team has recently gone through some major changes with political/emotional differences leading the team to spilt.

It is difficult to manage my feelings at this time, every time I think of derby it makes me frustrated, leaving me upset with my inability to do it to the extreme that I want to be able to.

Sadly the spilt has also left me a bit sour.

This, the fact that I cannot commit the time needed and that I am physically behind.....grrrr.

I had make a decision.

I decided to respectfully withdraw for the time being.

This is sad but strangely liberating.

I was exhausted thinking about it all the time.

Tired of feeling guilty.

So now I am no longer a derby girl and I feel an emptiness, but a freedom.

I have some of my time back, to complete my quilts maybe.

Or to get into that garden that keeps yelling for me.

When I was skating, the girls were by default derby girls too.

And one thing that every derby girl must have is a name.

K and E each picked out theirs and I had shirts made.

Too cute!!

I'll hold onto my skates and my name.

I know this is not the end for me but merely a hiatus.

Skate-O-Rama

When I was a kid there was roller skating every Friday night at the local Rec. hall.

Billy Idol and such blaring through the scratchy tape deck as we did laps upon laps around the gym.

After many hours and some hard work by some super awesome members of our team, they organized a Skate-o-Rama for all to come and join in a fun filled afternoon skate.

It was a success and I can see this become a monthly Sunday afternoon thing.

First we had a 3 hour practice and scrimmage....Yeah!!!

Then the party started.

I was on my skates for almost 6 hours today.

I think I may hurt a bit tomorrow.

This poor lady, first time out and I had to package her up for a trip to the hospital....I think she broke her arm really good.

Not a great thing for people to see or do for their first time out.

A concession was a great addition with snacks,beverages and merchandise.

Even granny was out for a try.

She is hooked.

Skate repair.

A fix up to the disco ball.

Tighten the skates.

Smile.

A D.J. spinning some great skate tunes.

Dancing on skates is much harder than I thought.

These are awesome.

And so are these retro skates.

Skate on!!

Fresh Meat

I can't say enough about the world of Roller Derby.
Ever since I can remember I have loved roller skating.
As a kid I roller skated each Friday night at the local hall, for .50 cents, to the tunes of Billy Idol and REO speedwagon.

There is such an attraction for me, in a kind of misfit sort of way.
I love the combination of feminism, punk, comraderie and fun.


There is a sort of cultish world surrounding roller girls and as I have recently entered the realm of contemporary flat track roller derby I feel so excited ( and a bit nervous) for all the good times to come.

The Dodge City Rollers are a super awesome group of outrageously funny, sexy and smart ladies who are darn tough and darn good at what they do.
They have warmly and humorously welcomed me into their world and are all so helpful and cheerful.
But there is no denying that it is an extreme work out and after 2 sessions my new gear already stinks.


When you start out you are labelled Fresh Meat.
(I even purchased my gear from RollerGirls in Vancouver, as a Fresh Meat package.)

And it is aptly named as I have found out.

I exercised muscled that haven't been used in years and my hip flexors are doing some serious back talking.

My age is catching up with me, but pretty good for an old lady who was supposed to have surgery for her ruptured and bulging discs almost 3 years ago.

My 2 little ladies will be my biggest fans as they will have to accompany me to practices 2-3 times a week.

K took these photo last time.

The other thing I love about roller derby is the clothes and costumes you get to wear.

As I am still thinking up my Derby Name....many ideas but nothing concrete yet...I have found some fun stuff to sew up.

I had an idea to put some bling onto my skates.

What do you think??

Oh Yah!!

Haha.

I will show off my outfits as they progress and of course any bruises or broken bones as well.