*blue balls not included.
the week:
Still recovering from our team Regionals trip to Vermont. And the stupid sickness came back with a vengeance, so I’m now dealing with a sore throat, fever and aches, potential start of an ear infection… and the bonus of eating expired coconut flakes from the pantry.
Seriously. How does shit from 2010 keep ending up in our house?
My rookie season for roller derby is over, which makes me… all over the place in terms of emotions, but I’m really proud of all that I accomplished. Um, being rostered and actually PLAYING in regionals tournament games being a HUGE accomplishment. OK, a few jams, BUT STILL. I learned so much about myself, my teammates… and sadly, how sucky a major loss feels for everybody involved. Regardless, I’m so proud of my team this year!
I also learned that I can easily drive a 12-passenger van through the Adirondacks.
And I got to sleep in a bunk bed for the first time in… 25 years?
I came home in time for a few hours of sleep before serving my jury duty obligations on Tuesday. Which, in judicial terms, means sitting around for 6 hours doing absolutely nothing but watch my phone battery die until I’m dismissed and get 10 bucks (I donated it).
This week’s been really rough, now that I have some quiet to think about it. After traveling for so long and being away and aforementioned derby feelings, the boyfriend’s work trip to the west coast overlapped mine, so I’ve had to deal with being lonely and all that on top of it.
And then there’s the stinkbug invasion (I haven’t mastered the swooping-catch-with-TP-and-into-the-toilet with these things, and the boyfriend is not here. WAH.).
weekend:
I’m not up on what’s going down this weekend… I work most of it to make for my time off earlier in the week, but there will be lots of relaxing and recovering. I’m going to start the planning stages of an “easy” home improvement project. Goal: to finish by the end of October.
I also have to finish my freaking taxes.
Don’t hassle the Hoff!
seven things, seven days:
1. {head in the clouds} Fantasizing about restorations like this and cabins in the mountains of Vermont. Seriously, Vermont was beautiful.
2. {wardrobe therapy} This season’s Cakestyle box was mostly meh. But a shopping trip to Pavement will do the trick for some Fall shopping therapy.
3. {makeover} Finally getting my hairs did tonight!
4. {sweet tooth} Pineapple cake for dinner. I’m sick; why not?
5. {the more you know} The plural of moose is moose, btw.
6. {full house} I need a place or organization to donate clothing. This is the biggest closet upheavel I’ve ever done… ever. And there’s more to toss. This is what happens when you have small closets!
7. {season’s greetings} CANDY CORN and sunflowers. Fall is my favorite.
When the boyfriend and I realized that we haven’t gone camping in over two years, we had a standing date to do that some time in September. Our original intention, since we tent camp, was to do Ohiopyle again, but our interest was piqued by the suggestion of heading to the Finger Lakes (blame all the boyfriend’s random work trips to Buffalo).
More than anything, I just wanted to unplug. Like, literally.
Naturally, the boyfriend found us a campsite with electricity options… which came in handy when he didn’t charge the batteries in advance for the air mattress.
This was a first-time trip to the Finger Lakes for both of us. And in anticipation of this mini-vacation, I had ZERO idea that planning would be so overwhelming. I mean, there are HUNDREDS of wineries, it seems. And then there’s breweries and cheese and distilleries to make your travels even MORE interesting. We were given wonderful suggestions from friends for neighboring lakes Cayuga and Keuka, but were mostly left to our own decisions for Seneca (where we were staying).
And, holy hell, WE DIDN’T EVEN MAKE IT TO THE LAKE ITSELF. There is so much to see and do.
The drive took us around five hours (at least, to explore Keuka, first), but I couldn’t resist stopping in CUBA on the way up: HOME OF THE CUBA CHEESE SHOP AND ITS DELICIOUS CURDS AND AGED CHEDDARS, OH MY! (PS: they deliver)
The Hammondsport area was home to Chateau Renaissance, the Finger Lakes Beer Company and Dr. Frank’s winery.
Chateau Renaissance HAS CHAMPAGNE (and yes, they can call it that), so that’s how we celebrated our arrival. Our case was started with a bottle of their Demi-sec. They had some delicious fruit wines too (sadly, out of their cranberry on our visit).
Oh, look! Chickens!
Finger Lakes Beer Company had some awesome brews, and we took a growler of their IPA back to the campsite. They also make a nice wassail, which was unexpected.
The brewer gave us some suggestions on where to find some craft bottles in the area — one of which, a totally random FOOD store. But his selection was impressive, and we came home with several local bottles that we can’t otherwise find in PA. Also, GEORGE!
Dr. Frank’s was swanky in comparison to the Chateau (which would seem backwards, right?) But the boyfriend gleefully took me down random side gravel roads to the home of a winery with a fantastic view.
It was just a beautiful day… until “those dry people” showed up. Man, those vineyard employees have got to take some snobby shit, for sure. I just cannot see being a snob about ALL THAT AWESOMENESS. Also, totally random, but the guy sampling for us totally looked like my ex, Claymation. The hell? Their Rkatsiteli and Lemberger were enjoyed by both of us (and two varietals we’ve never had); two more bottles for the case!
There was one more stop before taking off for Sampson State Park (yes, we started early, so that we would still have plenty of daylight to put together the campsite): Fox Run Vineyard on Seneca Lake. They have a small cafe and market in addition to their sampling room, so we ordered one of their featured wine & cheese board options (Option 2) to enjoy the gorgeous day on their lovely patio. No bottles taken home (although I really enjoyed their Arctic Fox), but noted that we HAD to visit the Lively Run cheese farm for more of that Cayuga Blue.
As for the camping portion, I was mostly disappointed to see our campsite filled with campers. Luckily, since there was power at each plot, we didn’t have to hear generators and motors throughout the night.
Sidenote: what the hell is going on with that canopy?
The tent was put up in no time (ahem, thanks to me), and aside from air mattress issues, the realization that we were camping… finally… was a total relaxing moment. Even for that skunk that wandered over to our tent (we were situated back against the woods and made friends with a variety of critters). He ate our roll of toilet paper as a “welcome to the neighborhood” communication, I presume.
And then the air mattress popped in the middle of the night. The end.
Err… actually, two more days to go.
This weekend unofficially signifies the “end of summer.” There’s always more that I wish I could’ve done throughout a season: more stooping, more kayaking (stupid cast!), more outdoor date nights, more bike riding (err, it hasn’t moved from the basement since we moved here… that’s dumb.), more gardening, more home improvement projects… ha! NOT!
I’m have a total love for Fall though, and I can’t wait for all it brings (um, hello pumpkin everything!).
But, um, I hope I actually get to DO some of those things that I’m anticipating.
{the week}
Has this been the longest week ever? I mean, way to go with making the last week of summer do some work, but… oof.
By the way, that bridge is closed.
{weekend}
TONIGHT! Derby, the photography exhibit by Rob Larson, is opening at 6pm at 709 Gallery downtown. You should be there. (And then join us for drinkies and enchiladas afterward at Las Velas!)
{seven things, seven days}
1. Back into a serious obsession with Yoga. I love how it makes me feel so strong, yet relaxed. Especially when I am discouraged at certain skills that don’t come easy with derby. It’s a good mental-slash-physcical reminder of how far I’m come in a year.
2. Planning — and looking forward to — a trip to the Finger Lakes. Oh, all that wine and cheese and nature. Downright giddy.
3. I think I’ve paid the last of the medical bills for my wrist injury. Man, that feels something of an accomplishment, all things considered. Now, to start hammering away at the credit card balances.
4. And then I received an invoice this week from Planned Parenthood for an in-office pregnancy test from 2011. Way to go, Billing! An explanation on THAT probably deserves its own TMI post. Or I can just make you wonder.
5. My first “taste” of fall: pumpkin spice granola bars from Kashi. YUM!
6. Wake up and watch live streaming derby Saturday morning! My teammate is playing with Team USA in Helsinki. How amazing is that?! Check out the bouts vs. Sweden (11am US EST) and vs. Finland (1pm).
7. Currently hating: detours. *honk*
I’ve traveled out of town 5 of the last 6 weekends (mostly for derby, but a wedding and family party thrown in for variety; the one weekend I was home, I had a home bout AND family in town). I’m “stuck” at home (you know, the one currently in the midst of, like, 834 home improvement projects) for the next few weeks, and honestly — or ironically, given the nature of my post last week — I’m really fucking happy about it.
Baltimore rounded out the last of my mid-season derby adventures with a closed bout against Rat City. This season, I also played in: Indianapolis, Youngstown, Akron, Lancaster (PA) and New York City. What a thrill this rookie year in derby has been! Next up is Regionals in Vermont at the end of September — stupid excited. And training super hard.
{week}
Pittsburgh Restaurant Week: Bar Marco on Wednesday was amazing — even if only one of us stuck to the RW menu. Our party decided to order ALL OF THE THINGS and share everything from the apps/tapas menu. It was the perfect dinner experience for a table of old-and-new friends. Unfortunately, our dinner plans for Bite Bistro tonight fell through (uh, they, like, closed permanently), so the boyfriend and I (ahem, emphasis on me) will be enjoying ALL OF THE ENCHILADAS at Las Velas. And a bowl of queso dip, please.
{weekend}
This Saturday is BOUT DAY! So, I’m on carb load and airport duty today. 
{seven things, seven days}
1. pinched nerve in my shoulder all week. ouch.
2. jeans and cardigan weather (!!!)
3. won a sampler package of new items from my favorite beauty brand: Exuviance (thanks, NeoStrata!)
4. and then won a giveaway for hair products from The Beauty of Life in her amazing Giveaway a Day series she does every August.
5. we have an outdoor bunny friend that lives underneath our deck. Cuteness every morning when he pops out to eat all the ivy (the cats don’t really seem to mind him much either)
6. after a few years of wedding-free weekends, I just received an invite for our FOURTH this year (in October; my childhood friend — so excited to reconnect with friends that I’ve known since grade school)
7. guess I’m making more zucchini bread…
See the bunny?!
Love can’t be forced even in the most romantic of cities. Take my trip (nearly five years ago — bah!) to Paris. I mean, everyone’s taste in romance is subjective. But PARIS, MAN! Paris should knock your socks off with its vibrancy, its cityscape, the countryside, the wine… its cheese.
LOVE IN ALL CAPS.
Romantic holidays should never, ever be spent with a significant other WHO HASN’T TALKED TO YOU IN OVER 12 HOURS. That doesn’t count the plane ride.
Why the hell am I remembering this trip? (Why the hell am I thinking of this asshole, mostly). Memories are stirring because I’m talking with friends about a potential overseas trip, and my Western European Road Trip adventure was my last time, well, in Europe. I MISS THE HELL OUT OF THAT COUNTRY. I miss the hell out of foreign travel. And there’s so much that I had planned to see by now. I want to go back to Prague (even more romantic than Paris, if you ask me) and visit Budapest, and figure out what it will finally take to get the boyfriend on board with planning a Scotland-Ireland trip (besides Scotch. I’ve tried.)
A romantic vacation is necessary at various intervals of relationship status — even if they don’t pan out as planned. And especially if you don’t have anyone else to love (hello, finding yourself in Rome!). Fall in love with a foreign city. Now that’s some romance. Mexico doesn’t count.
For us… we go camping. Or, Cleveland.
(I’d rather be backpacking.)
COME SEE ME SKATE! We’re playing the Dutchland Rollers in a double-header.
Deets:
Dutchland All-Stars vs. Steel City Derby Demons
&
Dutchland Blitz vs. Steel City B-Unit
{I’m, uh, rostered for both games, believe it or not}
Doors open at 5:30pm and the first bout will begin at 6(ish)pm.
Overlook Activities Center
301 Golf Drive; Lancaster, PA 17601
the week:
I never thought that we’d go back to Indiana, after our friends moved away from the dreadful state last year (visiting them in Charleston, SC is SO much better). But here it is: another year, another annual road trip to the Most Boring State on the Map. At least we can grab some Alpha King for our troubles…
My (upward) view from my patio: nice, eh?
Practice, practice, practice! Besides practices, the only eventful, “for fun” portion of my weekend was grabbing a quick beer at Penn Brewery AFTER practice on Thursday. While I sadly missed my friend performing, at least I got the chance to say “hello” and give him a sweaty hug. Heh.
weekend:
On the road to Indianapolis for derby. Oh, did I mention that? Stopping midway to visit friends in Columbus (you know, the couple who “saved” me from the douchebags, albeit for a few minutes), then onto The Battle Against Naptown.
Then, to Ohio for a mini-Easter. I’M COMING FOR ALL OF YOUR HRUDKA! And keep those damn pickled beets away from me.
seven things, seven days:
1. {energy} Sport Beans: better than your average jelly beans. And better than that funky Gatorade film on your teeth.
2. {sweets} But I’m pretty excited about the Jelly Belly beans that I’m about to get this weekend. Hopefully, I don’t eat one that tastes like puke again. Yes, PUKE.
3. {nom} Käse Kugel from Penn Brewery: my newest, favorite way to kill my caloric intake for the day
4. {tech & diet} Speaking of calorie tracking, the Lose It iPhone app’s barcode scan function has made me more diligent about tracking what I eat each day. And I love dissecting the nutrients feature to see where I can do a little better with my nutrition (um, definitely need to cut out some sugar).
5. {catz} Rudy picked this Cat Lounger out for his birthday. This new “toy” is going over VERY well in this household (maybe he can stop ripping apart my work papers and notebook now in the middle of the night)
6. {sports} Hooray for mlb.tv and being able to watch the Indians’ home opener yesterday!
7. {work} Grateful for client referrals.
Have a wonderful holiday weekend!
Why are vacations so difficult to write about after the fact? Well, this has been sitting in my drafts for long enough, and I practically wrote a post in my head while falling asleep, so hopefully the words will flow as easily as they did last night.
Our boat: Carnival Elation
This boat is ready for some rocking!
Who was it who said: you know you had an awesome vacation, when you had a great time, but you can’t wait to get home.? Someone on Twitter perhaps?
That’s how 10 days away felt. It was a LONG time away, when we’re used to just taking a long weekend somewhere.
Boarding concert: Bronze Radio Return
The Rock Boat XII was 8,002,826 times better than Rock Boat X. We’ll start with that promise. Oh, AND I WAS THE FIRST GUEST ON THE BOAT (besides the artists). *high five* The line-up was better, the mood was better, the weather was better… I actually had some friends on the boat. AND we ported out of New Orleans, so that made it immensely better to start with (my first trip there). And while we had four days of boat rocking — in the musical sense — we only had one morning of my having to take repeated doses of Dramamine. That’s a definite win.
Even if The Sways stuck with me for much longer after this cruise than they have with others.
Oh, so “what is The Rock Boat?” you ask. It’s a music festival on a cruise, hosted by the one-and-only Sister Hazel, which includes about 25-30 bands each year. So, you have your choice of 2-3 different shows to attend at any given time and regularly any one headliner act on the outside Lido Deck. This year I was particularly wise AND BROUGHT SOME EAR PLUGS. Because I have become smarter about those things-that-go-bad with age. Also, the vibe is SO much better than going to concerts at home, that I don’t really enjoy concerts at home anymore. There is a certain respect for artists and shows… and the artists walk around the boat just like you-and-me, so it’s infinitely cooler. And so long as the Hanson fans stay away, everybody acts as though we’re all just good friends. Because we’re such a part of Something Awesome.
Lido Deck: sunshine and awesome music. VACATION WIN!
Yeah, don’t you wish that you were part of it?
We upgraded to a balcony suite this year, but I’m not sure that we would do that again. While it was nice to peep out the window to the ocean whenever we felt like it, um… you can leave your room and do that anywhere from any deck. And the “extra room” was just a space for us to clutter. So, I don’t think it’s worth “upgrading” again.
Rock Boat gifts... and large bed in a small room.
I found some new music favorites (which I’ll separate into another post about the music), but was disappointed with another band that I thought would shine and be awesome (since it was one of the reasons I was so excited about the line-up in the first place). The Fuck Yeah, America party was by far the most fun. And I wish that Drunken Bingo games were a regular life event to start my mornings.
Pretty close to winning Loser Bingo.
Needs more confetti...
But more than anything, the people that I met two years ago on TRBX were now my friends — and that made the vacation all the more awesome. Vacationing with your significant other, especially for 10 days, you need a break from one another. And on TRB, we can separate and still find fun things to do and people to do them with. I didn’t have any wild, stay-up-until-6-am nights, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. And was still functioning when I woke up every morning. Aside from that last morning with all the boat rocking… that morning? Needed many, many mimosas to push me through.
There you go: more confetti
And, naturally, we can’t wait to go back next year.
Towel Elephant. One of several hilarious arrangements by our room steward.
More to come…
When I visited New Orleans (vacation posts coming soon!), I had the wonderful opportunity of being involved with the community organization, St. Bernard Project, which was arranged by Sixthman (our do-gooder “tour guides” for The Rock Boat).
Service Project Volunteers!
St. Bernard Project is a nonprofit disaster recovery organization dedicated to rebuilding the homes and lives of disaster survivors. Their programs are designed to address the physical, emotional, and psychological devastation caused by natural and economic disasters — the most disheartening and long-lived devastation being from Hurricane Katrina.
Volunteers play a vital role in the Rebuilding Program. Every day between 100 and 250 volunteers are in the field working on clients’ homes. Volunteers not only help in the rebuilding but they also provide our homeowners with support and encouragement during the emotional rebuilding process.
There was much devastation in St. Bernard Parish — not only from the storm and flooding, but by the crooked contractors who further violated the desperation of poor homeowners. Our “blue bandanna” group worked on the home of a handicapped women who has been displaced for seven years since Katrina (can you believe it’s been that long? Can you imagine your neighborhood being uprooted for that length of time?). It really is unimaginable how long these residents and families have been waiting to come back home. We dubbed ourselves Team Tyveck from our volunteer duties that day; we were responsible for installing the moisture barrier homewrap underneath the house (um, hello scary crawlspace). Other teams worked on rebuild-specific stages of projects, like drywall, painting, finishing, among others.
Doing service work while traveling is a new and fulfilling way for me to be involved within different communities. And it was wonderful to see how many Rock Boaters signed up to help out for a day. The least I can do to make a difference for those in need is spread the good word about a terrific organization — and I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to give back. I encourage you to look up the St. Bernard Project when traveling to New Orleans. And if you can’t make it south any time soon, know that they are doing a lot of good for the people who are STILL displaced since Katrina. Please consider donating, volunteering or spreading the word and work of St. Bernard Project.
Also, follow along on their rebuild updates and “welcome home” celebrations on Facebook.
the week:
My week started in New Orleans. Ended in Pittsburgh. I still have a bad case of the sways. And Boat Crud. Whatever sickness I had before vacation went away long enough to resurface during our last couple days in Nola. I was that annoying dry-cougher on the entire plane ride. TAKE YOUR AIRBORNE, PASSENGERS!
Also: fucking pilots. why do they bother to even remark about how “smooth sailing” a flight will be, when IT’S NOT. Let’s just not provoke a response at all. Also, fuck you if you clap when a plane lands. It’s not funny. Neither is landing in Chicago.
weekend:
I’m bowling for the kids on Sunday. My last push to take your lunch money — DONATE HERE.
seven days, seven things:
1. I need water.
2. I need sleep.
3. I need to skate.
4. I need to eat a salad.
5. Phew. I need a shower.
6. I need to catch up on Twitter.
7. I need to start writing my vacation blog posts.
If sleeping for 10 hours on the last night of vacation is any clue, this vacation was SO EXHAUSTING. But exhausting = fun, right?
If you can believe it, this was my FIRST trip to Washington, D.C. Naturally, there was a lot to see and do.
In only four days.
Our vacation was planned around a two-night reunion concert (Friday and Saturday) at The Birchmere (friends of the boyfriend), which didn’t really leave time for going out-out on the weekend. But left us plenty of time to explore the city AND for me to drive up to Baltimore to attend league practice with Charm City.
The weather cooperated… my shoes did not. I packed ALL THE WRONG SHOES. Again. (shocker) I swear I have shin splints. Ladies, seriously, I need comfortable walking shoes or boots.
Museums & Sight-Seeing
When in D.C., you must visit the iconic structures. While I was sad to see the reflective pool under construction, we visited the White House (what you can see of it anyway), Lincoln memorial, Capitol Building, the Nation’s Penis*, Vietnam Wall, Library of Congress… the popular attractions. Somehow, we missed the MLK statue. And we ran out of time to visit Arlington Cemetery and the Pentagon. We were nothing short of ambitious.
We also went to several of the Smithsonian museums — American Indian, Air & Space and Natural History — as well as the International Spy Museum. That last one was super cheesy (think: Hatty from NCIS: Los Angeles narrating the welcome video), but totally worth the admission price (all the Smithsonian ones are free, which is remarkable). What we thought we could cover in half an hour, you could easily spend a COUPLE hours. The collection was a loose translation of the word “spy,” but cool, nonetheless. By Sunday, we were museum’d out.
Food & Beer
These are always hot points for us when traveling: where can we drink small craft beer and where can we get a good meal (something interesting or unique, natch). A combination of both typically helps, and ChurchKey was by far our favorite. A few friends suggested Pizza Paradiso, but it fell flat (on the pizza aspect; the beer list was perfect).
I’m so glad we were told to eat in the cafe at the American Indians museum because it was AWESOME. I truly enjoyed trying the native (HUGE) meal for lunch… it was a lot of corn, but I didn’t hate that one bit.
I adored the Eastern Market — quirky, vibrant AND filled with food vendors (there were several artists, crafters and jewelry kiosks outside the market). The only unfortunate part was the cafe inside was not serving breakfast for Sunday brunch. I can’t even… We picked up a hunk of cheese, prosciutto and croissant to have a mini picnic while waiting for a table for brunch (hour wait… *groan*). WHICH ended up only being about 15-minute wait for our table (sweet)… but over an hour wait for our food (NOT sweet). With the leftover nibbles in my purse, we had a sweet al fresco snack time near the steps of the Library of Congress. Did I mention that the weather was AMAZING?
And then there was Pinkberry
Yes, I went to Pinkberry TWICE in one weekend for its delicious frozen yogurt desserts. I’ve had frozen yogurt before, of course, but theirs is different… GOOD different. And the shops stay open until 11pm.
My favorite areas
While we stayed in the ‘burbs (because of its location near the concert venue), we took the Metro into downtown and its neighborhoods — and walked everywhere in between. The subway was incredibly easy to figure out and there are a couple iPhone apps for it too (which we learned about on our last day). My favorites ‘hoods were: Logan Circle, Eastern Market/Capital Hill area, Chinatown and Georgetown. I mean, there’s probably 100 other neighborhoods that I’m not aware of — or likely walked through, thinking they were one of these.
Overall, D.C. is such an easy drive from Pittsburgh, and we’ll likely drive there again soon. There’s plenty more to see. And I still have ACTUAL PEOPLE there that I want to visit.
*Oh, c’mon! The Washington Monument is totally a penis on purpose.
If there is something I have learned in the last few years about vacationing, it’s that a) I very rarely wear heels (save for travels with a specific event planned in advance, like a wedding), and with that I can never pack enough flats; b) I will not workout/exercise; and c) I will always overpack… for ALL THE WRONG TEMPERATURES.
Meanwhile, I planned for a week of 60s and got a beautiful, comfortable set of days in the 70s (at one point in the UPPER portion of that 10-spot) — NOT THAT I’M COMPLAINING. But I definitely suck at packing and general “planning of the weather.”
Charleston, South Carolina is beautiful; I loved sight-seeing from horse-drawn carriage rides, walking along the mix of old brick alleys and slate sidewalks, gawking at the massive homes and drooling at the old architecture. And learning about earthquake bolts.
We did enjoy a lovely traditional Thanksgiving meal (since we stayed at a townhouse instead of a hotel), but I especially loved discovering all the great places to eat and drink around town. An amazing, culturally-rich city… and almost vacant of tourists this time of year (save for the few Cleveland Browns fans we spotted — heh).
The week was bracketed by 10-hour car rides, which I could have done without.
Or perhaps with a lot more Xanax & Dramamine, extra puke bags and UNsmashed Moon Pies. Speaking of those delicious flavored marshmallowed bastards, Charleston has a WHOLE STORE of Moon Pies.
Evidence:
Put one in a microwave for five seconds and thank me later…
Brief summary of my whereabouts this summer…
At the end of June, I went to the Philly area for ECDX:
Random.
Then, we visited friends at Tappan Lake (in Ohio) during the Fourth of July weekend:
It rained a little. Then DOWNPOURED and thundered a lot (thankfully, we got off the pontoon in time). But the remainder of the day was gorgeous after the storms passed.
I also had one MAJOR thigh bruise to happily show off to family that very weekend:
And I got my hair did:
Blonder! (even if it doesn’t look it here)
The end.
How’s your summer so far?
1. itchy, ugly stitches in two parts of my body (removal next Monday)
2. series of rashes from covering said sutures with bandages (I’m allergic to adhesive)
3. open wound from third mole removal in my armpit that probably SHOULD have had a stitch or two
4. some sort of pulled/strained lower calf muscle on my left leg (NOT FROM ROLLER DERBY… grr!)
5. patchy, balding cat (vet visit tomorrow)
6. overly-tired body, psyche and absolute lack of motivation
7. car that needs its driver’s side fog lamp replaced (which was ordered over two weeks ago, but I haven’t had the time to go back to the repair place)
8. grossly neglected blog (the worst is behind you, I promise!)
I’m having a month, let me tell you! But I swear in between these incidents, there was fun… and a ton of driving.
How was your 4th of July holiday?
In Chicago, after completely passing out from a day full of beer drinking, AB jolted awake out of nowhere and exclaimed:
It’s like I need a GPS to find you in this bed.
For a second I thought he was sleep talking, so I started laughing at him. But then his drunk ass wanted to make out.
I’m in Florida. I would rub it in, but as you know Pittsburgh is already experiencing the first bite of Spring. Cleveland: any snow in the forecast? *wink*
You may or may not see these shoes (or the person wearing them) in this Sunday’s paper. Just saying. I am in love with these heels (but not so much with the ripped hems on my jeans) and will wear these every bit as dressed up as I will casually. Is it possible that I’ve given up my love for stilettos? My shoe collection seems to think so. If only they were as comfortable for city walking as these are…
Mariana by GOLC shoes, courtesy of CSN Stores: Shoes Got Sole.
UPDATE: news story has been pushed to next Sunday (the 27).
There haven’t been many times that I’ve been frustrated with my roller derby training: once during Fresh Meat (BRRG), I was disappointed with myself for some reason — I think it was a bad or hard day of hitting; and the other was during camp on my recent trip to Toronto.
It wasn’t enough to be proud of myself for figuring out the public transit system (yes, the subway AND bus transfer in a major city!), but I felt as though I kept putting myself out there… and everything I attempted resulted in tearing-up frustration.
There’s no crying in roller derby!
Right?
I realize that I’m still in between a beginner and intermediate phase of skating, but some of the terms and methods used were WAY above my head (or completely different than what I’ve previously learned). I was kind of pissed that the trainers’ focus on teaching was “this is how I do it & you will too” rather than taking the opportunity to answer why one way of doing something, like doing whips, for example, is better than another team’s strategy. The “my way or the highway” route was really burning me out. And not incredibly helpful.
Not to mention, I had some sort of language barrier. Take for instance, edging. Here, I thought it was a class about the “edge” lines or keeping within boundaries while skating. NOT EVEN CLOSE. Next thing you know, I’m taking off one skate, attempting to propel myself using ONLY ONE FOOT. Impossible, for me, anyways. Firstly, I have no idea what or how this helps me (it wasn’t really explained, other than “you can’t do everything the first time, but you will eventually”)… and then we somehow went into sternum hits. Not to mention, I was paired up with a Gotham Girls all-star and that was just a recipe for personal, internal, mental disaster. I’ve barely had enough practice with REGULAR hits — or just severely out of practice — everything felt just so beyond my comprehension and the frustration made it worse.
And to think, in just one class earlier, I was so proud of myself for FINALLY getting down a hockey stop. Seriously.
I think the “other thing” that was bothering me… I attempted to talk to girls, but never really felt embraced being an “outsider.” (or an American, perhaps?). It’s difficult enough for me, being all socially awkward, twisted guts with social anxiety, and now that I was ALONE and nobody was being overly friendly, I just wanted to go home (or hotel, as it were). I know that’s my issue, but how much do you put yourself out there, complimenting others and introducing yourself, only to feel still like a stranger? Yes, I know I was at camp only for roller derby and not to make friends, but it definitely helps to have a comrade. Or at least someone who wants to be your skating partner. I AM NOT AWFUL! It’s not as if I’m fresh on skates for the first time in 20 years — I KNOW derby. I’m a good skater. But geesh… talk about rejection.
Beyond all that unnecessary pressure on myself, I stuck around for the rest of the day, and did meet one skater from Windsor — who was also by herself. She even invited me out for coffee at lunch. I memorized her license plate, in the chance I would be kidnapped in a foreign country. I know, I’m messed up. She was super, super nice — around my age and a beginner (in a current fresh meat program). I hope she stays in touch too.
There aren’t many times where I feel so disenchanted with my sport, but I skipped day two (I had only pre-registered for two days, instead of the entire four-day camp) because of that frustration and anger. It just would not subside. I know that I wasn’t the only “beginner” in the lot, and this is not my first Blood & Thunder camp (but I much preferred the lessons at the Cleveland camp, for some reason — home turf, perhaps?). It certainly didn’t help matters that I was definitely getting sick. In Toronto. Yuck.
All that said, boot camps are FINALLY set for next year HERE and tryouts for Steel City are three months away, FYI. I’m so ready to get back into regular practice. And get awesome.
There are snow birds. And there are people like me: who travel NORTH in December for vacation. Also? Driving through Buffalo during winter? Pain in my ass. For serious, it snows here every. single. day. That there were no trucks on the highways before the white stuff accumulated is ridiculous.
It’s OK, I got Florida on my side this February. While more “working remotely” than another vacation, it will be nice to get out of the cold. Hopefully. I seemingly have no luck going SOUTH for good weather either.
Be that as it may, this was an actual travel-without-laptop and your-cell-phone-is-no-good-here kind of vacation. With roller derby. Love. I can’t tell you the freedom in disconnecting for a while. Save for checking in to random locations with wifi available and taking pictures, I rarely used my iPhone.
Have I told you that it has been nearly 20 YEARS since visiting Toronto? I don’t remember much of my prior trip, other than winning some national band competition and seeing the CN Tower and traveling by one of those school tour buses. And perhaps getting remanded to the bus during the Niagara Falls leg of the tour because of some shenanigans the night prior in the hotel. *ahem* This time, obviously, we I drove. Besides the 30 mph (and slower) driving conditions through New York, the trip was relatively painless — a little less than 5.5 hours (snow notwithstanding).
So, this trip is best told in segments: one part travel adventures, one part roller derby, another complete with food reviews (and Yelp links) and maybe a fourth on local landmarks and neighborhoods — a general wrap-up of the city exploration, if you will.
This initial post is mostly though to exclaim that I’M BACK! And I’m sicker than when I left.
And that Canadian poutine really is the best thing ever. The end.
I mean, part of that header is inherently incorrect, as I probably should have UNpacked from my Thanksgiving trip first. Perhaps I would have felt more like I was home for more than two days.
Packing for this trip? I have total apathy. Not to mention, I’m sick today. So, the process has essentially entailed grabbing all of my favorite things off their hangers and folding or rolling them into my largest suitcase. And an extra shoulder bag for tall boots, accessories and make-up bags. I want to dress cute and trendy in Toronto, but I’ll likely be bundling up, wearing rain boots for the duration of my stay and yearning for the extra luggage space for a few of my vintage coats. You know, when I’m not wearing my roller skates. I swear, an entire quadrant of my bag is devoted to tights and knee socks.
Ahh, there IS a mission behind this trip! Blood & Thunder roller camp for a couple days, then act-like-a-tourist for a couple more. And hoping for wifi, as I have NO CLUE behind the roaming rates for using 3G in Canada. See you next week. If you don’t mind me, I’m going to go drown my sorrows in poutine for five days. NOM.
My Friday started off with a plan. Unlike most ends to the week, I intended to work for a bit in the morning, grab some lunch, write a little more, then prepare for happy hour. And this week was a hopping and happening city center, what with the lighting of everything in site and in reach. And some riots. Awesome.
The twist all started with the idea from my local cohort to have lunch at E2 in Highland Park (WHEREVER THAT IS!!!). Being that Light Up Night seemingly shut down the city last Tuesday, we decided that taking the bus would be an easy way to guarantee we wouldn’t be locked out of downtown come 3pm.
So, we grabbed the 500 bus at Sixth and Liberty, and we were on our way to an amazing eatery. Seriously, go to their online menu. NOM! Easy-peasy for me, being a hop, skip and a stop to Crazy Mocha for a hot cider away.
Somewhere around OH I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS PART OF TOWN IS CALLED, North of Pittsburgh — after about 45 minutes on the bus – everyone got off. Except us. I mean, EVERYONE. It was one of those awkward moments, looking behind us, coming to the conclusion that something was obviously wrong. With us, of course. And the point that my friend had no clue where we were and I did is where laughter ensued (I totally shopped at that Giant Eagle already and distinctly remember that random pizza place in what was once a Taco Bell). After a brief chat with the driver that included the words, “You’ll want to get off here,” he acknowledged that we were on the wrong bus. 500 — yes, that much was correct. But totally the wrong loop.
We got off and waited another 20 minutes for a connector. Mr. Person Hired By Port Authority told us to shop and piss at Kmart to pass the time. Uh, I’ll pass. It’s one of those vintage Kmarts. *shudder*
And another, oh… hour later (after boarding the OTHER 500 bus), we were soon back right where we started: DOWNTOWN.
We went to Six Penn Kitchen instead. For serious.
This kind of fun only costs $2.
This blog is about pursuit: a transplanted Clevelander (me) in a new city (that's you, Pittsburgh!), pursuing the role of a self-employed copywriter, becoming a roller derby badass and somehow merging all my to-do items into one ever-growing Bucket List.
And of MY boyfriend. His blue balls started this mess.
