Tag Archives: roller derby

Oh wow, hi!

I got a really sweet email this morning. A lovely lady named Sara read my blog for the first time and was really struck by my post about my Mom. She wanted to reach out and send me happy thoughts and sunshine from Mexico, it was very lovely.

I see my Mom every other day sort of thing.  We play cards, hang out, I help her with her laundry and such.  She’s still at the hospital waiting for a place in an assisted living sort of thing.  It’ll be nice when she has her placement as it’s nearer to my house and practically on the same street at my school.  I’ll be able to go have lunch with her and easily have quick visits.

Everyday I am thankful that we have more time together and grateful for the recovery she has made.  We nearly lost her.  She still can’t speak but you’d be surprised how irrelevant that can seem, at most times! Of course there’s still some frustration for her, and me when I feel lost and can’t help, but we have each other and that’s good enough for me.

I’ve been so busy lately and dealing with such big issues (ankle break, my Mom, return to work, trying to divorce settle) that it’s been hard to even create let alone write about it here. I find it’s easy to just do quick things on my Instagram or Facebook Page instead. I think a lot of creative people are migrating this way.

Oh and smaller than the big issues I had a really crummy start to 2017 and was battling many ever changing plagues.  It finally settling into pink eye last week, which left me at home contageous for a few days.  Not fun.

Now it’s report card time so I’m busy with actual work work when we’re not renovating that is!

Currently we’re in the process of renovating the basement to make a bedroom for me and my wonderful man. However, that’s also where my craft space is so it’s a bit out of order right now.  We had the kids help since we’re shuffling bedrooms and adding people to the house we thought it would be better to involve them.

We started letting them go nuts smashing the wall (which would have been easier to just cut into large pieces but demolition is funner) and I figured safety glasses should have been a thing.  This was my son’s idea for makeshift ‘safety glasses’.

My sewing machine is under there.  And my supplies are all over the place covered in various tarps and sheets.  Dry walling is messy!

In fun news, remember when I joined roller derby?! I was all wobbily and Bambi-esque and such? Scared, unable to really skate and working so hard!? Well now I’m Captain of my team!!! Well it’s a role for two so we’re Co-Captains but still! It’s so amazing. It makes me use many exclamation marks.

This is from last year’s team photo shoot, it was my first time on skates since my break and without gear! It was a little weird, we so seldom skate without being fully geared up and I was a touch hesitant but all was good. Luckily, I broke my ankle at temporary practice facility we were using last year so I think that really helps with my mental state too while I’m back at it.  I might be traumatized passing The Spot.

Save

Save

So I broke my ankle.

You may remember I joined roller derby a while ago. And I love it. I’ve found a fun way to be active, push myself, make friends and play a sport. It’s been amazing! It was a great first date idea to go watch derby which turned into both of us signing up for Fresh Meat (me as a player, him as a ref) and then it grew from there (both our derby involvement and our relationship).

GibsonCup

It took me two tries through Fresh Meat, which is the boot camp to learn all the ins and outs of derby, to pass my minimum requirement testing but then I was set to play full contact. It’s so much fun, even with the bumps and bruises.

PeelPark1

That’s me in the sunglasses with the black and yellow striped panty on my helmet.

11951957_449643955206646_2791140640437841627_n

That’s me with my purple helmet, complete with roller skating pony on the back, and my sparkly shirt with my derby name ‘Stitches’ on it.

Our league takes a break for December and then we were back at it in January. We started our Monday night practices, had a scrimmage a then the Tuesday night practice was also open to every one so I decided to go. Turns out I should have stayed home since ended up creating a random crazy thing and while turning and pivoting I twisted and went down, but my foot didn’t and next thing I know I was hearing noises from inside myself I know we shouldn’t hear. Then I was on the ground and not moving.

beforeandafter

There are my before and after xrays. The ER doctors reset my 2 fractures and sent me on my way saying they were pretty confident I wouldn’t need surgery. We left the hospital at 2:30 am and I was to go back for 8:30 am. Leaving so early after so little sleep, on pain meds, naseaus and using crtutches on my porch for the first time I slipped and banged my foot on the way out and undid all the lovely resetting the nice doctors had done. So a trip that was supposed to be for a nice new cast instead turned into more xrays and being put on a surgery list. I had to wait at home for 2 days before I was called for surgery.

Now I have a nice little plate in there, 3 screws (I was told 4 but looks like 3) and a giant Darth Vader like air cast boot that I can remove but I’m still unable to bear weight on my foot. It’s all crutches and borrowed wheelchair for me.

brokenanklecollage

This has been a really hard time. It’s been nice to have my kitty cuddle me, time with my kids, some pretty cool gifts (that’s DJ Glitter the My Little Pony my best friend and I built at Build A Bear) I’d trade it all for a good ankle. I can finally see and wash my leg now when I take it out of the air cast, that’s a picture of the *good* side (the other side is pretty gross).

There are more pics on my Instagram should you wish to follow me there.

Well now that I’ve filled everyone in on that little bit of evilness going on in my life I’ll move on to other fun things like all the creating, thinking, reading and other things I’m doing while stuck on my bum around my house!

A new addiction.

Mid July I was taken to watch roller derby for the first time. I was smitten.

Screen Shot 2014-08-10 at 10.30.58 PM

Then I did something sort of kinda crazy, I signed up for roller derby fresh meat camp and I invested in my first pair of roller skates.  Before then I’d been on roller skates a grand total of two times I think. So it’s been an interesting 2+ months.

roller derby me

There’s me on my skates for the first-ish time. Petrified out of my mind. So afraid to fall (which is crazy with all that gear on, you really can’t get ‘hurt’ just going down on your gear). Didn’t know how to stop, too scared to really *go*. Looking back now it’s pretty silly.

derby tara

In the 10 weeks I learned a whole lot! I can do a bunch of things I never thought I’d be able to master, especially at 39 and in a few weeks. I also have a lot of things to improve on and look forward to doing so!

I’ve even cleared my living room out to practice balance and foot work when I couldn’t get out.

derby living room me

There were some bumps along the way for sure. But the outfits are fun and it’s a good workout.

derby outfit bruise

If you live sorta of kinda close to me check out Durham Region Roller Derby it’s a thing and it’s really awesome to watch or participate in and it’s allll over so you can find it near you too.

I did something wild and crazy . . . again.

So yeah, I’m Canadian and I can mediocrely skate. I can roller blade. No cross overs, turning is okish, stopping involves walls and other people usually. But a few weeks ago I went to see a roller derby play off game and well, I was hooked.

Then I watched another game in another city.

Then I watched a scrimmage at the park which was also a ‘Meet and Greet’.

Then I signed up.

If your localish and want to sign up too, click the banner.

There I am practicing at the park rink. Looking tentative but honestly I did really well. I did tumble after about an hour, then was quite wobbly for a few minutes and I realized I should probably call it a night and get off my skates (I did do an hour of personal training that day and get a painful type of massage on my hip area which I had iced before heading out). I even managed to get up unassisted on my own after lying on my back and staring at the sky for a moment.

I’ll have to warn everyone if I’m away from school unexpectedly on a Monday morning it’s because I did something bad at practice Sunday night!