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Our Diesel Dog

As I am sitting here in my living room looking for inspiration to write, I am comforted by the light snoring of a handsome dog at my feet.  I glance to my framed pictures on the wall and see a cute Diesel puppy sitting happily with his father in an over-sized leather chair. On the table next to me, are two more photos taken of Diesel his first trip up state. I realize that I haven't written about my dogger in quite some time, and maybe some of you would like an up date. Or maybe some of you haven't had the privilege of meeting this wonderful beast.

For just little over a year I wrote a blog that featured my sweet dog, Diesel.  Diesel Stomping was a big part in getting me back to writing and focusing on my life more. And I am truly thankful for each of you who read the blog and kept me motivated. It was the first time I felt I had an audience. Unfortunately for me, the steady stream of inspiration dried up and I just couldn't come up with anything new and exciting.  There were also new personal developments in my life that made finding the time to share with Diesel ever more difficult.

Diesel would spend his earliest years going through Schutzhund training. This training is generally used to determine if a dog is capable of doing police work. It focuses on Tracking, Obedience, and Protection. To be honest, when I saw it I thought they were turning the poor puppy into a vicious attack dog. But as I grew to know Diesel, I knew that any instinct to attack would only be to protect his owners.

Diesel eventually formed a very tight bond with Mike. Following him just about everywhere and listening to his every command.  Over the years, Diesel has surprised us with his intelligence, made us laugh with his amazing spirit, and given us a few frights. He's a happy dog, that lives his life to the fullest he can.  Even if this means spraining his ankle chasing squirrels, nonchalantly being hit by cars twice, or jumping from a moving boat. With these exceptions attributed to his over-excitement, Diesel is well-trained, and listens when he wants to, is a great snuggler, and a fabulous walking companion.

It was up until this past summer that Diesel still had the energy of a young pup, but we could tell the years were closing in on him. It started taking a bit longer to recover from a weekend up state. And his 10 PM bedtime was not to be taken lightly, his cute way of snarling while also giving kisses is just adorable! But over all things were still good with Diesel. Towards the end of last summer we noticed he was limping, which tended to happen when he would run too hard, especially after twisting and spraining his ankle a few times. But this time it seemed to get worse and not better and so off to the vet we went.

A few x-rays later and we now know that he has arthritis all along his spinal cord. The calcium deposits pinching on nerves that extend into his legs and makes it painful for him to run/walk.  This past week the vet lined up a treatment plan including steroids, enzymes, an anti-inflammatory medication and lasers. After the first shots we started noticing a significant difference.  He got is first round of the lasers today and was all wound up like a coo-coo-clock when we got home this afternoon.

The true sign of the treatment working will be when he stops dragging his rear paw. Unfortunately, we were late in noticing the dystrophy in his muscles and we are working slowly, but diligently to build those muscles back up. Mike has been taking him for brief walks in the morning, and I have taken him in the afternoon.

We were scared for a while, thinking the absolute worse, but I think Mike is sleeping better now knowing that we can reverse some of his old age problems and that we might have our old pup for a few more years. 10 may be old, but it ain't that old yet. 

On The Go: STAR WARS BOUT!!!

I have to get at least one more plug in this week for the Detroit Derby Girls Star Wars Bout this Saturday.

The Grand Prix Madonnas will be taking on The D-Funk Allstars in an epic battle. D-Funk needs to win this bout to hold its place in the championships, but a win for the GPMs would mean a guaranteed spot in the fight for first place.

And if that isn't enough to hold your attention, Michigan's 501st Legion & Rebel Legion will be bringing the magic of STAR WARS to the bout with a parade and photo ops throughout the night.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and the bout starts at 7.

Tickets are $15 at the door. Advance ticket purchase is recommended - tickets available at the door can go fast. Up to two children 12 and under are admitted free with each adult admission.

Visit www.detroitderbygirls.com for more information or http://m.bpt.me/event/285481 for tickets.

Pitzy Goes To The Hospital

The other week, I started getting that dreaded feeling in the back of my throat, the one that said there was nothing I could do about it, but I was going to wake up with a sinus infection. And I was right. I woke up with a stuffy, pounding head. I called into work, called my ENT and crawled right back into bed.

A little back story.  A few years back my co-worker noted that I always sound stuffy, and she suggested I see an Ear, Nose & Throat doctor. I went in 3 different times, in 3 consecutive months and each time I was handed a script for antibiotics and sent on my way. The fourth month, I was furious. We talked about my now chronic condition, and the ENT suggested I get a CT Scan and see an allergist.

I went into the hospital and got some images of my head taken, they diagnosed me with extensive chronic pansinusitis. Otherwise known as inflamed and swollen sinuses. I went to the allergist and after two allergy tests we determined I was allergic to cats.  I have had cats my whole life, and at the time had a cat, Garfield, that was my best friend.  There was no way I was getting rid of him, so I loaded on the drugs, and was able to keep my sinus troubles at bay.

That was until last year, everyone I know had sinus troubles last year and I was no exception.  So the other day when I was back in the office, the doctor suggest that I get a minor surgery done to go in and clear out all the ick and open my sinus cavities back up.  Better sooner than later. My surgery is scheduled for tomorrow, and I am more excited than nervous.  I am really hoping that this will be the end to my chronic sinus infections!

I will be in good hands in the OR that my own mother works at.  I should be done by noon and if I have any energy I will post an update.  

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me, Facebook me or leave a comment below. 

Stark White, Natural White, Ivory or Champagne?

This past weekend I had the pleasure of joining my mother, and fellow bridesmaids as we shopped for my sister Jessica's wedding dress.

My sister Jessica has been dating a real sweet guy, Brian for quite a few years now.  They have been engaged for a while now, but they opted to wait until they had bought a house before they started planning the wedding.  Well, they bought a house over the summer and so a date for this autumn was set.  It was only a matter of time before all of the planning would begin.

Surprisingly, the planning has been going pretty smooth. She has all of her centerpieces bought, and she has been working on the guest list and seating chart. And now, the dress.

My cousin Amber, my sister Jerrica, Brian's sister Amanda and I will be her bridesmaids.  We ventured out to a bridal shop and amongst way too many people my sister managed to try on 5 or 6 dresses and we all critiqued them and suggested different cuts, colors, and fabrics. Wouldn't you know it was the last one she tried on that would be The Dress.  And it fits her very well, needs just a few alterations, but its my sister's style and personality. Not to mention it looks comfortable enough to spend an evening in.

While my sister was paying for her dress and scheduling a fitting, the rest of us browsed the bridesmaid dresses.  We each picked one in the color my sister wants, and in the same fabric, but she gave us the option to choose a fitting that we think will be most flattering for our varied body styles. We decided to come back in June and do a fitting and order the dresses. You know to give us all time to lose those few extra pounds we all say we're going to lose. Yea... My mother also looked around the mother-of-the-bride dresses too, but they all pretty much look the same to me.

Over lunch we discussed invitations, the shower and what to do for the bachelorette party.  Hard to believe my kid sister is going to be a married woman by the end of the year. I am so very proud of her! And feeling incredibly old!

I would include a picture but come on now that would spoil the surprise!

Missed Deadlines - But Awesome Prevailed

Whoops! I missed my own deadline of posting a new blog on Thursday.  I am trying to stick by a schedule this year. 

And if you are wondering why I missed my own deadline, it's because I had to go to the movies. And I really mean had to. 

Last weekend was another fun adventure in the derbyverse.  Saturday was another Detroit Derby Girls double-header. This one featured two hard faught bouts; one between the Grand Prix Madonnas and the Devils Night Dames, the other between The Pistolwippers and the DFunk Allstars.  I scoreboarded the first bout with little to no issues, and for the second, I made my debut as Jam Timer.  I think I did pretty good, though after watching the bout footage, boy do I need to lose some weight! But overall I think I had a pretty successful night, and was happy that a few of my friends were able to make it out. Oh speaking of which, I feel bad for the few friends that were turned away at the door because we actually sold out! Whoo Hoo! Oh and how could I forget the part where I got a really kick ass trophy at the end of the night for coming in 2nd in the Dames Karaoke Kristmas?

The after party was a lot of fun as well, as always. With plenty of dancing and horsing around. I sure do love my Stat Army friends.  This after party was a pretty sweet, new to me, bar called Small's in Hamtramck.  I am going to keep an eye on their Facebook page as I wouldn't mind seeing some other gigs there some day. 

I stayed the night in Ferndale again that Saturday, and that was a great idea as Hi-Death, his wife Robyn and I went up to Dino's Lounge for brunch the next morning.  All you can drink mimosas and bloody marys is just one reason to try them out, the other is the food!  We had a pretty great time, laughing and conversing and took a little stroll through the Rust Belt Market.  That was another thing I had been meaning to do in Ferndale and hadn't yet. 

All the while I was texting back and forth with Ian about getting out to see Quentin Tarantino's latest film, D'Jango Unchained. If you like Tarantino, I highly recommend this film. It just might be his best one yet! As a matter of fact, I loved it so much I downloaded the soundtrack on Thursday. And after listening to it all day, I came home and asked Mike if he wanted to go see it, and he actually said yes, so we did. And that's how I missed my own deadline.  I couldn't pass up that opportunity! Night out and a great movie? Yes Please!

Bonus! A Look Back at 2012

It's that time of year again to reflect back on the year and look forward into the unknown new year ahead.  WARNING! Lots of photo's and links cause I just had to end the year with a bang!

Here's a brief rundown of my year:

MMDG Bout in Jan

January started out pretty derby heavy as I started traveling to nearby leagues to help NSO.  It was a good learning experience and just what I needed to start feeling more confident in my knowledge and skills.

February put me on my very own skates and I got my but kicked at Derby! U. Not to mention I was horribly out of shape and still am!  It's pretty sad to add that I still don't know how to do cross-overs or stop effectively. Maybe I will try again this spring.

March brought an early spring and some new and exciting adventures! I registered for the WFTDA Officials Clinic in Toronto, was accepted to officiate Brewhaha in Milwaukee, and discovered a new local bar, Clubhouse BFD which became an instant favorite.  I also got to meet an idol of mine, Henry Rollins!

Officials Meeting before Brewhaha

April was apparently not as fun, based on Facebook status updates I spent most of April sick or tired. Must be allergy season! I did get to take in a Piston's Game with Ian and I believe they lost.

May was a countdown to Brewhaha and getting pumped for my high school's production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Oh and an impromptu trip downtown with my sister to see Mayer Hawthorne.

June. BREWHAHA FINALLY! My first trip out of state with people that I was not related to! So much fun was had, so many new friends made! This was also the conclusion of my first home season with the Detroit Derby Girls. Ian and I went to my new favorite venue, the Crofoot and saw Mickey Avalon and The Millionaires.

Backstage Crew of JCS

July had the privilege of hosting not only my engagement but my marriage to the bestest derby husband ever, an amazing Rollies where I won Staff Rookie of the Year, and the construction, performance, and conclusion of Jesus Christ Superstar.  As a present to my sister for her graduation, I took her downtown to see Fiona Apple.  There were also a lot of rocky days in July that prompted some new life changes. Can't take the good without the bad.

A Sam Adams at Cheers

August started out in Boston with my sister visiting my aunts. A trip to Toronto for the WFTDA Officiating Clinic was soon after and I finished out the month in Lincoln, Nebraska! I couldn't ask for a better month for self discovery!  And I also got my awesome first tattoo from Inky Gash!

September saw one last trip as I headed across Canada to Niagara Falls for the WFTDA North Central Regional Championships. And if that wasn't derby enough, it also started off DDG's 8th season with the Fresh Meat Faceoff!

NC Regional Champs

October brought my 30th year on this planet and big life changes. This was also a time of reflection as I worked my 2nd Mitten Kitten tournament and remembered how far I have come.

November the start of my new blog! and the start of the busy season; derby, friends, family and food!

December is still fresh in my mind. Well at least the memories not whipped out by alcohol!  There were shenanigans, and Mike and I's 16th Anniversary, and the Karaoke Kristmas.  Looking back on a great year and looking ahead to what I hope is an even better one! 

...And A Partridge in A Pear Tree

After a little break I am back.

It's been a busy holiday season that isn't quite over for me yet, but the brunt of it is done.

Each year Mike and I have multiple gatherings to attend, and by multiple I mean 5 family gatherings, a few work parties, and a Christmas Eve birthday party for a friend.  Not to mention the extras that we get invited to as well.  Our calendar usually ends up pretty full, and it usually causes Mike to whine a bit cause all he wants to do is go upstate and avoid it all.  Thankfully, he was laid off this December and he was able to work going up state in between most of our obligations.

Chewbacca?

I enjoy it all for the most part, and of course there are some get-togethers that I enjoy more than others.  This year I was able to attend a Karaoke Kristmas that was hosted by the DDG's Devils Night Dames. I had an absolute blast!  I think Mike's favorite so far was the neighbor's party, where he got to eat some awesome Polish food and try the venison neck roast he's been donating the past few years.  Though I would bet we would both put our friend's birthday party at the top of the list, especially since I kept winning at Shut the Box.  And who's going to forget the year I came home from my aunts with a wookie costume*?

We have one more family get-together in a few weeks, this time its a Merry Canadian Christmas. I was the only one who suggested smuggling the Maple Flavored Crown Royal back into that country as that stuff is downright awful but no one got the joke. I was trying to return it, get it?  But anyway, that will be the end of Christmas for us, well, except for the tree that's still up, and the lights outside.

I hope everyone reading had a delightful holiday season as well.  Feel free to share the number of events you had to attend in the comments, I would love to hear that I am not the only crazy one.  If I count every function, I am at a total of 11 just for me.

*Oh, hey there footnote! The costume is for the upcoming Detroit Derby Girls bout on February 2nd.  The 501st Legion will be attending and making it an official Star Wars event!  

Edit (01/01/13): I found out over the weekend that I won 2nd place in the Karaoke contest! I am still amazed! I love my DD Girls & Guys!

Anniversary Fun!

Hi All! Going to try and take some tips from Renegade and make this post a little shorter than the last.  Brief is better right?

Last Saturday was Mike and I's 16th year anniversary. Yes, you heard me correctly. 16 years. I really wasn't sure what the heck we were going to do to celebrate. Quite a few years ago, I had figured we would be getting married on this day. Little did I know back then that time is such a huge factor in life.

The paper bag of shame!

We got an early start on the anniversary by going out to dinner at one of my favorite hometown bars, Clubhouse BFD. They specialize in local and craft beers and have a great menu of good old comfort foods. I ordered a Christmas Ale from Goose Island and Mikey fretted over the beer menu until he finally settled on a Bud Light. What can I say, he's never been an adventurous beer drinker. For starters we had Jameson sautéed onions over cheese & potato pierogies. I had the mac n'cheese while Mike enjoyed the pretzel burger (habanero jack cheese and crispy bacon on a salted pretzel bun).  

Friday I had some NSO business to take care of, but Saturday morning we got up and decided to take a trip down to the Henry Ford Museum. It had been a really long time since Mike had been there, and a decent time for me as well.  I had really wanted to do the Greenfield Village Holiday Nights, but the event was sold out for that weekend. We had a good time looking at all of the old cars, trains and period pieces. One of my favorite exhibits has always been the American Democracy &Civil Rights Collection. With information and items from Lincoln's abolition of slavery, to Women's Suffrage, to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.

Funny WWII propaganda

We had to head back to the Rochester area since Mike's mom had a slight plumbing emergency, but while driving home we came up with a plan to do dinner at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and a movie at Great Lakes Crossing.  

After a brief pause in the anniversary excitement, we rushed up to GLC and had dinner. We're not exactly the fanciest of people so beer out of a mason jar, a pulled pork sammie, nachos, and some sweet potato tater tots were on the menu for us. We were able to just finish up in time to rush on over to the theater to catch what seemed like an hour of previews. Finally in keeping with the historic theme, we saw Steven Spielberg's Lincoln. We both greatly enjoyed the movie. I really didn't expect so many laugh out loud moments. 

We came home and were both actually quite tired, and had another busy day a head of us. It was a fun little anniversary with only a few little hiccups, but nothing is ever perfect. If he ever gets around to putting that ring on my finger I will be sure to let you know!

On the Go: Things Happen For A Reason

I went to Specs Howard yesterday and to be honest I don't think any of their programs fit what I'm looking for. But at least I went and now I know. 

Though something else did happen last night that put me in a better spot. Last night we had our league's. BOD elections and while listening to the candidates discuss their qualifications, I found out that one of our skaters has a lot of experience in blogging and media! I sent her a message and she's offered to provide a little feedback for me.  (Thanks Renegade!) 

Just goes to show that sometimes life is laid out for you and you just have to be ready for it.

On The Go: A New Idea

I'm just writing a quick little note on my lunch break from my mobile app. 

Today, I had to huddle up in a too-small-for-us-all conference room and congratulate a co-worker for being a dedicated employee for the past 20 or whatever years. This happens all the time. I should be happy that my employer has a great retention rate, but all I see are middle-to-old aged ladies all having done the same thing I'm doing for way longer than I ever want to.

With that, I'm meeting with Admissions at Specs Howard today after work. Hoping to get some insight on whether or not the Broadcast Media Arts program would be a good career move. I'm not saying I want to be some fancy news reporter with an unpronounceable name, but I wouldn't mind applying what I might learn to my own brand/blog.

I'll let you know how it goes!

On Recent Shananigans

Like I mentioned earlier, I had a pretty awesome weekend coming up and it lived up to my dreams and more.

Last Friday night was my best friend Gabby's work party.  She works for a rather large automobile manufacturer and the party was going to be a pretty awesome shindig.  Originally, it was going to be just her and I going, but since RSVP'ing she had started dating a guy and of course wanted to invite him along as well.  Thankfully one of her co-workers hadn't used her plus one, so they got him on the list.  Now, I hadn't met this guy yet, only knew about him from bits of conversation and a little Facebook stalking, but eh, what do I care, he makes my friend happy and now he was going to drive (bonus!).

I got home after work and got ready to go out. I opted to wear the dress I wore to my derby wedding earlier in the year, a pair of fancy fishnets, and my new hi-top Chuck Taylors. Because yes, I am that fancy.  The party was in the ballroom of the Motor City Casino Hotel.  I was pretty geeked for this, not only because I was going to be stomping around my favorite city, Detroit, but also because I have never gone to a casino other than to park for free and ride the People Mover.  (For those of you not in the know, the People Mover is the only thing besides smelly buses & cabs that count as public transportation downtown, and it is essentially useless unless you want to go to 5 specific places downtown). 

We got to the party a little late, but Gabby, Trevor and I immediately found our way to the bar and grabbed some free drinks.  Drinks are always a little wetter when their free.  We made a brief pass around the ballroom. So much food.  There was a sushi bar, a carving station, a pasta bar, a fruit & something bar, oh and plenty of bar bars too! After finishing our drinks and emptying our hands we loaded up on free sushi.  We wandered around a bit and met with Gabby's co-workers.  After another round of drinks Gabby and Trevor wandered off to have a smoke and I jumped at the chance to eat some delicious roast beast.  We all have our vices ok? They smoke, I eat. 

Later we wandered into the Soundboard (the casino's fancy dance club) and was greeted by a million little sweet treats and a live band.  We hung out a bit, I danced, I was complimented on my intelligent footwear.  We had a good time.

Once the allure of the party had worn off, we made our way up to the casino floor.  I had some money burning a hole in my skull and crossbones hand bag and I wanted to gamble.  Not any of that high stakes stuff... just some good old fashioned slot machines.   So I broke a 20 at the machine and walked up to the first open quarter slot machine and loaded a 5er in.  Pulled the handle. And realized that those old pieces of crap were worthless.  We walked around a bit until a penny slot finally caught my attention and wouldn't you know it, 5 bucks landed me a near $40 winner.  Cashed that one out.  We hit a few more fancy video slots and eventually my $20 in cash was gone and I had $80 in tickets.  I was more than ok with that.

We caught up with Gabby's boss who had done quite well for himself that night as well, and had a few drinks before we called it a night.  I had been irresponsible and signed up to work some overtime in the morning, so I had to head to bed.  And not only did I have to work 4 hours, I was also facing a day of roller derby with a double-header, an after party and an after after party to attend.

I worked my shift and got home only to have to get ready in just a few hours so I could meet up with Mayor, cause my weekend wasn't busy enough!  But it was totally worth it!  We had recently discovered that we were both officiating our 50th and 51st bouts that night and so it was appropriate that we have lunch to celebrate.  And if you are going to be in the D for lunch and one of you has never eaten at the famous coney islands well then you must eat coney's for lunch. Later we realized that was the wrong idea... Coney's are best left for 2am when you've been out drinking.  After Mayor and I agreed once again that Lafayette is the better of the two, we headed up to that grand Masonic Temple for a night of amazing roller derby.

It was the 2nd & 3rd bouts of the home season and the D-Funk Allstars were taking on the Detroit Pistoffs and The Pistolwhippers were up against the Devil's Night Dames.  There was a certain agreement amongst most of the league that we all really wanted to see the Dames pull off a win.  They had been working very hard to rebuild over the past 2 seasons and hadn't won a game in just as many.  I, of course, was completely unbiased.  I do not wish any one team to win more than another. I have a job to do.  And being fair, is my main objective.

The Pistoffs managed to take an early lead against D-Funk and pulled out a win with a 201 to 139 victory.  Both teams played hard and I only kinda screwed up the scoreboard once, and it really wasn't even my fault.  Otherwise I did good.  Mayor got to Jam Ref that one and he wasn't awesome but no one ever is perfect all the time.  I am still ridiculously proud of my derby hubby!

And then came the bout we were all waiting for.  Whippers vs. the Dames.  The P-whips started off with a small lead but the Dames were quick to catch up.  There were a few lead changes leading in to the second half and then it was neck and neck.  Both teams playing amazingly hard.  In the end it was a power jam by Swift Justice that gave the Dames the lead they needed to bring home their first W in 2 years.  The place erupted in cheers and sobs of joy! 

Not only was it an exciting night for my league-mates and I, it was also really awesome because my mother and her friend were came to see a bout for their first time. I know! Can you believe I have worked 50 bouts and my own mother hasn't seen me do derby!? My mother and her friend appear to be lifetime fans now.  They had two amazing bouts to watch, good seats, they bought a bunch of merch and were all giddy talking about it the next day. 

Of course then there was the after party at the Woodward Avenue Brewers where many drinks were had.  I really recommend the pumpkin ale, it was really good.  And if you like IPA's try the Detroit Maiden inspired by our one and only Detroit Derby Girls!  And then quite a few of us headed over to Hi-Death and Robyn's house where of course we were all angels and drank hot cocoa and had a pajama party and were in bed at a completely reasonable time.  That's my story and I am sticking to it!

Just another weekend full of shenanigans to add to the reasons of why I love all of my friends. New and old, derby or non-derby.  And speaking of friends I have to run out the door now and meet up with Gabby & Trevor for Taco Tuesdays.  Thanks again for reading! 

A Little Help From My Friends?

Today at work, the boss lady asked if I would be willing to work some overtime in January helping out the department that drives me batty.  Le Sigh. Sure.  I'll take the OT.  And moments later she stopped back at my desk to let me know that they could use my help now, if I was interested. Sure!  Unless I squeeze in a few hours this week, all I will get this month is extra straight time hours because I have the next 3 Friday's off to use up the last of my vacation days.  At least it's extra money, and I know that I should be grateful to have a job.  But I am still allowed to whine about it cause I am really starting to hate what I do?  See first post: A New Beginning. 

Ok, so here's my question.  What the heck am I qualified for?  I don't want to fill spreadsheets with numbers any more unless I am working on a WFTDA Stats Book.  Some of my favorite projects in the past were when I was able to do things creative like.  For instance, I used to make flyers and posters for events (company picnic, pot lucks, etc).  At another job I basically wrote and published the company newsletter. I would include the usual anniversaries, birthdays, upcoming events and some field related article.  I never used anything more advanced than Microsoft Publisher.  But I enjoyed the writing, organizing, and formatting.

I have a Bachelor of Science with focus on Business Administration from Central Michigan University.  I have taken a few creative writing classes, basic composition, technical writing and even a web design class (that's probably way out of date now).  I would love to take some courses in writing again.  I'd take anything that I could find right now; screenplay, short story, poetry, even technical again!  What I would really like to find a class in is something more focused to writing for today's media (blog publishing, online news sources, Twitter even! That sort of stuff).  Last I checked OU had a journalism program still, I am just hesitant to spend that kind of money on something that was listed as the worst degree to have.  I know, if I am truly dedicated to making this my career I should be willing to make that kind of investment. Maybe someday, just not right now.

In the meantime, I am going to keep writing here and I would like to also start on a separate, more in depth writing project. Of course I didn't think to get in on the NaNoWriMo until it was too late, and by too late I mean it being over. If anyone has any other suggestions I would greatly accept them. Now, off to the internets to research more!

Starting & Finishing Projects

My mother's family has always been all about peace, love, and rock 'n' roll.  And it's no surprise that many, many years ago, my Aunt Ronnie made light up peace signs for a few of her siblings to hang on the house at Christmas.  My mother's was silver and blue and I always loved the way it looked hanging on our porch each year.  Unfortunately, in the divorce my father got all of the holiday decorations, and that peace sign made its way down to Tennessee in the back of his little Ford sedan. I always said I was going to make myself a new one.  And the idea would always come to me in the middle of December when the key item I needed was a hula hoop. Try finding a hula hoop in December. My youngest sister happened to pick me up a hoop earlier this year and when I was digging around in my own decorations, I came across some lighted garland that I wasn't using any more.  And the project actually came together!

Not only did I manage to get that done on Saturday, I also started and nearly completed my Christmas Shopping. I know right? 3rd of December and I am almost done!  I did most of my shopping on Amazon and picked up a few things on my other favorite site, ThinkGeek.  I have been receiving email after email that my packages have been shipped and I can't wait to start getting everything in the mail. Mike and I still need to go out and get our Christmas tree, but I did get some decorations up inside the house and the lights up outside.  I actually bought some additional lights this year and did more than my front porch.  Which means, come January 1st when I try to take them down it will be 40° below.  I even listened to a little Christmas music while I cooked and shopped online. Oh! I'll turn it on again now! I haven't really been in the Christmas mood much in past years so I might as well embrace this while I have it.

Those were two projects started, and nearly finished.  The one I have started and won't be done with for a long time, is much more involved.  Operation Get This Body Ready To Host My Clone will go into full effect January 1.  But I am getting a bit of an early start now to try and rid myself of some bad habits.  For one, I really need to stop drinking so much soda.  And I am trying to bring my lunches more often than not, which will not only be healthier, but it will also save some money.  And I need to be consistent in working out.  For this first Monday in December I am not doing too bad.  According to my Lose It! app I am under my calorie allowance for the day and I worked out on my Wii Fit for 40 minuets, then played around Wii Resort for another 45.  It's not much but those little round-headed people can really get your heart rate going.  So there's that.  I don't want to be skinny, it would be nice, my first concern is being healthy to grow a little person.  No, Mikey and I aren't trying right now, but in the future we will be.  I want to be able to give that little person the best welcome into this world I can. So any words of encouragement you can throw my direction are always welcome!

 Well, I feel I shared a bit there. Nice to get a little personal every now and again. Now back to the silliness.  

So yea, all of this and more has been on my brain lately and I am hoping this weekend gives me a little time off from all of the thinking.  Looking forward to a little partying and some derby. Hope to see you all there!

Whoo!

Just checked the stats this morning and we've reached over 300 pageviews for the month! I am amazed at how many people are at least being misdirected here by Google. Seriously, thank you for reading. <3

On Blogging...

Hi guys!

Just wanted to pop in and say thank you to everyone that has been reading my posts and coming back for each new post!  I have been checking out my stats, and with just 2 days left in the month, I am really close to beating my all-time monthly views.  Diesel Stomping got me 222 views in June of 2010, of course that was after I pasted a link to it in a comment on Wil Wheaton's blog. A close second was with my Life As It Happens blog with 219 views in January of 2012, I think this was the month that I posted about attending Derby!U... There must be a lot of people out there looking up information on becoming a Detroit Derby Girl!

So again, a really big THANK YOU to everyone that has been reading and sharing this blog with their friends.  YOU are my inspiration to keep writing and I hope to never let you down.

There are a lot of great things coming up on my calender so please keep checking back as I post new adventures!  What kind of things you ask? Helping a friend move, a fancy corporate Christmas party at a casino, the Detroit Derby Girls double-header (Dec 8th! Get your tickets now!), my 16th year anniversary with Mike, and well Christmas & New Years.  I am sure somewhere in all of that I will have some stories to tell.

Oh look, video time...

The link (for you mobile users): http://youtu.be/zAKt9CoAgDU


 Wow, I'm so sorry!  I came up with this brilliant little idea to post a thank you video while I was on lunch at work today.  Sometime around 5pm I started recording... 22 videos later I uploaded them to FlipShare and started to edit. And by edit I mean accidentally save over the one really good video I had.  So it was back to recording. And then FlipShare wouldn't save any of the videos. So I save straight to YouTube and find out just how horrible their video editor is.  Or how horrible I am at getting 30 seconds of video in a single take.  I try the FlipShare software again, and finally get a video worth watching. Sorry about the editing, FlipShare does a weird fade between each edit.  Maybe in the future I will do more videos... It won't be the near future.  Thanks again! 

Edit: Not only does it take a million takes, too many edits, and 3 hours to make a 30-second video, I also apparently don't even know the name of my own blog... go ahead... laugh with me now...

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I have been meaning to write this post for the past few days, and even today I am a bit tired and a wee bit cranky, but I am going to see how it goes.

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for so many, wonderful things!  The four-day weekend started off with a nice surprise to get me in the Christmas spirit. On my way home from work I was checking my Facebook (like everyone does) while waiting at the terribly long light to exit I-75.  My friend Ann Atomic had received a free turkey from her work, but was not planning on cooking it and was looking for someone to take it off her hands.  My family has continued to grow over the past years, and yet we continue to cook the same size turkey.  I figured what they hey, I can get this one from Ann, and bring Mike's turkey cooker to my sisters and then we'll have enough, if not extra.  Well, I called up Ann and we figured out a way to meet and for me to pick up the turkey from her. During the conversation I mentioned that I was near a local nursery and she asked if I could take a look at the living trees and just let her know the costs and what types they had.  Ann and I have a mutual friend that works at the nursary, Alex.  Alex and I wandered around and I described each tree and the price and eventually Ann decided that she would wait on getting one.  Alex and I were feeling big-hearted, and decided to go in halfsies on a tree for Ann.  Alex must have been a bit more big-hearted than me because before I could pay for it, he had already taken care of it. So long story, short. I traded a living Christmas tree for a Thanksgiving turkey.  It just seemed so right for the season. 

I got home from Ann's just in time to say good-bye to Mike and Diesel as they headed upstate for Thanksgiving and hunting with his family.  I made up a shopping list, went to the store, and got all of the things I needed to make some treats and a side dish.  That night I went over to Jessie's house to visit with my Aunts from Boston.  It is always nice to see them.  I was lucky to have found a few days over the summer for my sister Jerrica and I to fly out and spend with them in Boston, visiting and sight-seeing. Traveling this past year is something I am hugely thankful for.  And that I really hope I get to continue doing this next year! 

And of course there was Thanksgiving day.  I packed up all of my goodies I had made the night before, and Mike's Mom and I headed on over to my sister's house. We ate, chatted, cooked, ate, ate some more, and ate a little bit more.  Later that evening my mother and all of her sisters gathered around the table and went through my late grandmothers photos.  There were hundreds of them. There were pictures of people we didn't know, and of some we hadn't seen in a long time.  Pictures of things we couldn't make out or of those less flattering.  But there were some absolute gems!  I posted a few to my Instagram account and to Facebook.  There are plenty more that I need to scan so a few of us can have copies.  Oh, and the stories!  So much laughter! 

I am so very thankful for my family.  Looking back at all of those photos, many of which were taken during this same holiday, with everyone gathered around my grandparents table at their farmhouse.  Spouses and significant others have come and go, and many of them have passed on, but we were a family and we will continue to be.  Sharing Thanksgiving dinner with each of these people year after year is an honor, and I hope that I can continue in this tradition with my only kids some day. 

A long time ago, when I had just turned 21, I was working for a company called Edcor.  Many of my co-workers and I would regularly hang out after work and one of our favorite places to do that was at Mill Street Bar & Grille.  And the best times at Mill Street was when Exit 69 was playing a show there.  Mill Street was owned by a former co-worker, Earl, and one of the members of Exit 69 was also a co-worker, Doug.  For a long time, Exit 69 had a monthly gig and I am pretty sure that I personally attended 90% of those gigs.  I promise this is going some where. Well, 10 years later and Mill Street is celebrating its 10th anniversary.  Earl invited Doug and Exit 69 to do a reunion show. Thankfully, all of the guys were up to the challenge and in just over a month were able to schedule some rehearsals and show up on Saturday ready to rock.  And rock they did!  Earl put on an amazing party with free appetizers, a chocolate fountain, and an ice luge.  The guys of Exit 69 rocked out all of the old classics.  And best of all, I got to see friends that I hadn't seen in years!

It was a fun-filled weekend with friends and family, stories and celebrations, old pictures and new.  And so much food!  Honest, I think I gained like 4 pounds! I will forever be grateful for all of the amazing people in my life, and I am only looking forward to the on-coming years.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Giving My Liver A Workout and Other Stories

There were so many things going on last week I couldn't even find the time to write.  My apologies up front for this being a long one!

Tuesday night I met up with my best friend Gabby and went to downtown Royal Oak.  We had dinner at Little Tree that included a bottle of Kirin Ichiban, which was my first Japanese beer.  I have to say that I liked it a lot.  After dinner we walked over to the Main Art Theater for the Mitten Movie Project's Zombie Night.  The MMP is a monthly film festival dedicated to screening independent short films. This month's theme was Zombie's and included Kill Me Again by Set Jester.   Over the summer, Gabby had volunteered her time as a zombie extra for the film.  Though it wasn't the first time I was seeing it, it was still great to watch all of the other films leading up to it.  My personal favorite was a film called Smush! by FroBro films and a close third was 72 Hour Zombie by Daniel Duane Productions. The audience voted on their favorite short at the end of the night and the winner goes on to compete with the previous months winners in December.  By a mere 2 votes, Smush! beat Kill Me Again.  It wasn't me, I still voted for Kill Me Again!

Wednesday night was filled with anticipation as well!  I had found out over the weekend that there would be two opportunities to take the new NSO Certification Test before the new rules come out in Jan, the only issue was that we had to take it before November 15th! Quickly, I contacted our Skater Rep who arranged for any NSOs or Refs to take the test that Wednesday during practice.  The test was so new, it was really hard to study for.  There were 8 or so of us from DDG and the nearby Lansing Derby Vixens who took the test, but unfortunately, none of us did that great.  But, we all now have a good idea of what is on the test and what to study for next time, and since we got it in before the 15th, we can all take it again in a month! Even though I am disappointed I failed, I am still happy I took the chance.  I will be more prepared the next time. 

After getting home late Wednesday, I decided to spend Thursday at work powering through as much work as I could.  Friday was available to take as a vacation day, but with the holiday coming up, I didn't want to be too overwhelmed on Monday.  I accomplished my goal, and  got the heck out there looking forward to my upcoming 3-day weekend.  By the time I got home that afternoon, Paul had all of his stuff packed and was ready to head down to Florida.  Well, not after grabbing one (or four) last drinks that is.  Just another reason I was grateful for having Friday off!

Friday started off with lunch with Gabby followed by some shopping for a skirt for my new Season 8 boutfit.  We were really successful in finding exactly what I wanted in a size that fit perfectly.  Little did I know, comfort was going to be a much bigger necessity!  Later, Gabby helped me make a taco dip to take over to the Circuit Stomper's house.  We had a pre-season potluck and watched Army of Darkness.  There was lots of good food, many great laughs and I couldn't ask for a better crew!

Mayor & I in our new boutfits

Speaking of my crew... The Stat Army of Darkness knocked one out of the park on Saturday!  The season opener of the Detroit Derby Girls featured a rematch between the Grand Prix Madonnas and the Detroit Pistoffs.  The GPM's took home the official win, but I still think the real winners were that amazing crew of officials.  Well ok, the fans totally won too with great derby, little to no interruptions (only one really tiny OTO), new merchandise, and fantastic beer specials! I mean you couldn't ask for a better night in Detroit.  Ok, so I am a little partial... I love my sport, my team, my city!

And that was just the start of the night!  Later it was a great after party at Mercury Burger Bar, that was outside, but warmed with a great fire, many drinks and friends. Later, a few of us grabbed one last drink at the Anchor Bar before grabbing conies at the famous Lafayette Coney.  Many more laughs were shared by all!  And, since I have never done a real side-by-side comparison, Rev and I had stop next door at American.  I am sure we all have our own opinions on the matter, but I still think Lafayette is the best Coney in town! We met back up with a few more friends and before you knew it we were all drifting off to sleep to the soothing sounds of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.  ZzzzZzzzzZzzzzz...

And if I couldn't possibly squeeze anymore into my weekend, Sunday was spent helping Mikey turn his venison into homemade brats and sausages.  I know it probably doesn't sound like much fun, but its good quality time spent with by boy.  And after we had that all cleaned up and put away, we played a round of Ticket to Ride.  Speaking of which, I can hear him in the kitchen right now cooking up a storm.  He hasn't yet asked for my help, but I should probably get in there and see if I can do anything thing.  I'll be having my fair share in the kitchen later this week as well with Thanksgiving Thursday. I know! I can't believe it's here already either!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I'm sure you'll hear from me again soon as I will probably have things I am thankful for to share... Like the big Exit 69 Reunion this Saturday!  I'll be there and you should be too!

Near & Far: Friends Across the Country

Roller derby has given me the chance to meet people from all around the world.  Just yesterday I was at a Black & White Scrimmage hosted by my Detroit Derby Girls.  There were skaters from a neighboring team, the Ann Arbor Derby Dimes as well as skaters all the way from New York, Gotham Girls Roller Derby.   It was really one of the funnest mixed scrimmages I have been to in a while.  Of course it was a blast because I got to be with all of my official friends, including some from Brighton. And there was also this new love and support for A2.  Earlier in the summer our pick-up team the Motown Wreckers had played against A2 and were beat pretty bad (168-81).  Later at the Mitten Kittens tournament, DDG & A2 went head to head again and this time the Wreckers squeaked out a win, 161-151.  It's great that even as competing teams, we can still get together on a Saturday afternoon and mix our teams together and learn from each other.  Oh, and did I mention that the Gotham Girls are this year's WFTDA Champs?  Talk about a learning opportunity right there!

The world is a lot smaller than it seems and life never ceases to amaze me when things so far apart from one another are actually tied together.  After the scrimmage yesterday I had a going away party to attend for a good friend and recent house guest, Paul.  Due to circumstances beyond his control, he's packing up what he can and starting life over again in Orlando.  Just when I was celebrating skaters from across the state and country coming together for a few fun hours, I was suddenly in the company of teary-eyed friends and family wishing Paul all the best on his new journey.  And its not like we we're not going to see him again, it just won't be as frequent.  He's had a knack these past few years of showing up just as Mike was lighting the grill for dinner.  His little visits will truly be missed. 

I have known Paul for a good part of my life, he and Mike became friends in high school and he has popped in and out ever sense.  He was a frequent guest at Camp Grief, and a neighbor for a while.  We've celebrated birthdays, graduations, weddings and births together and we will continue to do so for the rest of our lives I am sure.  We had a great time last night drinking, dancing, singing karaoke, and just enjoying the most out of our last few days with him before he leaves.

And it doesn't seem to matter where I go, someone will ask if I know so-and-so and sure enough they're apart of derby somehow, and somehow I just happen to know them.  But that's always the perfect way to suggest they come out and see a bout, and hand off a season flyer. Shameless plug in 5...4...3...2...1... The Detroit Derby Girls Home Opener is this Saturday, November 17th!  Get your tickets now! http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/285473

We freeze for vanity: Stat Army of Darkness!

The Detroit Derby Girls staff of officials, normally known as the Stat Army, is going with an Evil Dead theme this season and calling ourselves the Stat Army of Darkness.  Last night we got our group photo taken for the website and program. I rushed to practice early so I could meet up with Hi-Death, our Announcer/Manager/Photographer.  He volunteered to take our photos this year.  We headed out to a near by park, set up some lights, and took some test shots.  Later the rest of the gang showed up and we had a blast razzing each other and getting the perfect shot.  Oh and did I mention it was freezing out?  Ok, maybe not quite freezing, but it's November, it was dark, and we were outdoors. But the Circuit Stompers brought hot chocolate for everyone and we all warmed up at the rink.

Practice followed and like always it was another great time hanging out with all of the best people.  And I really do mean the best.  From my derby husband, Mayor McSmartass who will take me out and buy me a beer or a milkshake when I've had a bad day, to my travel companions, Circuit Broad and Under TakeHer. Hell, all of the Stat Army holds a special place in my heart.  We're nerdy, we love roller derby, we laugh, joke and cry together.  They are family to me.  And it doesn't just stop there.  The NSO's and Referees from around the country are all friendly, outgoing, hospitable, and an absolute joy to be with.

Since joining the Detroit Derby Girls and the Stat Army in the summer of 2011, I have made hundreds of new friends (literally), I have traveled to Milwaukee, Lincoln, Toronto & Niagara Falls to watch derby as well as officiate it. I have laughed, danced, drank, cried, sang, and shared in some of the most amazing conversation.  There were trips by train, plane and car. Hotel pools and hotel bars. PBR's and Jamison. But none of that compares to the new friendships and bonds I have made with so many amazing people.

Over the summer I walked into a tattoo shop while dropping off a skater friend for a fundraiser.  One of our NSO's was losing her house due to some financial struggles, a skater of ours and a really good friend of the NSO is a tattoo artist who offered to run a special on small tattoos for cheap all day.  I hadn't intended on getting a tattoo, but it had always been an idea in the back of my mind.  When I walked in and saw so many of my roller derby family offering up their flesh to help, I knew it was now or never.  I waited over 5 hours to be tattooed by my friend Inky Gash.  And with that I offered up my wrist, and with my family, I braved my first tattoo of a small robot.  That fundraiser raised over $2500 dollars, and our friend was able to save her home.  This tiny robot on my left wrist will forever be a reminder of just how awesome my roller derby family is.  I know that I can forever count on them to hold my hand or have my back.