Updates...

Shannon and Lyman have a new daughter - Fiona. Yipee!

I had a most splendid weekend - having gone to a wine (drink-too-much) tasting on Friday. I had a load of fun but learned many things about wine - some of which I new and some of which was new.

• Sulfates, which are a natural by product of wine, are not the cause of my headaches (and no, it's not from drinking too much of it either) - there are other things called aimes (or something like that) that might be contributing to "red wine headaches".
• Grapes like to grow in crappy, arid, lava rock soil. It's actually better for the grapes to struggle in order to make great wine. This is why eastern Washington (high desert, formally lava land) does so well with wines, and California, Greece (though their wine is kind of crappy.)
• There are two general types of fermenting - in a giant steel vat and in oak barrels. Those white wines that have a crip taste are made in vats. Those that have an oak flavor are made in barrels.
• Cab Fran is a type of grape. YUM. One of my favorites.
• There are many ways to enhance the flavor of the wine after you open it. Whites should only be chilled for about 20 minutes. Reds should be opened to let some of the flavor open up. You can also do like a water bong in your mouth to get more flavor out of your red.
• Cheap wines doesn't mean it's bad. I brought a bottle of one of my favorite wines and the sommelier exclaimed "OMG - my mouth is having an orgasm."

I learned lots of other things but all I can remember three days later. It was fun.

Saturday was for mostly relaxing and sewing helmet panties for RollerCon is week (yeah!!). Sunday was a retreat for the HIV Trail Unit Community Advisory Board (very informative) and some leisurely outdoor skating.

I planted new plant on the porch/deck and cleaned up the apartment. I'm just about ready to go to Vegas for 5 days! I can't wait!

Cheerleader...

I think my new role in this coming year (nearly half over) is going to be that of "cheerleader" instead of "leader" - in a few things - in life. And I'm pretty damn happy about it.

Surprises...

I was walking back from a many-times-delayed lunch meeting with another development officer (one of the reasons my own people make me crazy) when I called Rebecca back to chat about jobs and such. She asked me if I had heard if Shannon's baby had been born yet. I admitted that I didn't know, I hadn't spoken to her since July 4th weekend in which she had told the doctor, no, I don't want to be induced, please let nature take it's course. Rebecca didn't want to be surprised to see them walking down the street with a toddler (as I've neglected to tell her about some very important details in other people's lives, like the fact that my brother and sister-in-law had been expecting and that a mutual friend had surgery for a brain tumor.) I told her I would call Shannon right that minute to find out about baby...

Lyman, Shannon's husband (and the both of them being the BEST roommate ever!) answered the phone. Hi Lyman! I was just calling to see what you two are up to and if you had that baby yet (expecting to hear a crying in the background). "We're having a baby." Did you already? "No, we're at the hospital now." I started laughing, I was just calling you to find out what was going on.... and now I know. And there will be a new baby sometime by the end of today or early tomorrow and I can't wait to hear about it!

Punished...

I called today to find a cheaper auto insurance rate. It happens every six months when I have to pay my bill that I think "this could be so much cheaper". (I still want collision because my car is still worth more than $5k - at least according to the Kelly Blue Book.) I don't always have the time or energy to look into it. However, when a colleague was shocked upon learning how much I paid - I decided to put forth a little more effort. So I spend about 1/2 hour at work this morning making another half hearted attempt to find good but cheaper insurance.

The first place I tried, the online tool wouldn't work so I called them. I gave them volumes of information and the came back with a quote almost equal to my current insurance. I asked "why? why aren't you any cheaper?" The woman on the phone responded, "You know they don't tell me why you get the rate you do. It could do with credit (mine is good), or if you're married (what?!) or if you own a house (really!) or multiple cars. (grrrr.)" So I'm being punished for not being married and having manageable debt? Which of course, I didn't mean to say out loud but I did and she felt bad. This happens often enough. I feel this way paying my taxes, applying for credit and other things. And I KNOW it's illegal to "punish" people for not being married. But then why do you get better rates "being married?" How does that make you more responsible or a better driver? And it's not a debate I honestly care about getting into. It's just one way to ruin your morning.

Compression...

My leg had been bothering me since the last bout - enough so that I would wake up at night with a dull throbbing ache. I had taken out the Honey jammer, ReAnimator, by smashing her into the Honey blocker, Ta Ta. And we all went tumbling down. It felt like 20 wheels crashed in to my shins and calf, tightening up my leg though mildly effecting the performance of my game. But I had no proof of the injury, just hidden bruises and pain that woke me up at night - almost every night. And then one of the three visible bruises below my ankle move to the front/top of my foot and someone at work reminded me that compression (or better yet - R.I.C.E.) would help. Of course! I knew that. And proceeded to purchase an ace bandage for my leg and a foot wrap that was to give "mild" (read: holy crap that's tight) compression. After a short time, like rain in the desert, the bruises hiding below the surface bloomed. And there are about 10 wheel marks from my ankle up to my knee (around the front that you can't see from the picture above) ...from that first hit, in the first jam of the bout.

Besides a discovering series of bruises, it's been a lovely weekend: helped a friend move, went to a Rat City bout, went to a 50th birthday party, had BBQ and kickball with my team, skated outside, went to the Farmers Market, ate a lot of fruit and other tasty delights.

And other things bloomed this week besides bruises... flowers in my garden too!

Stagnant Air...

Tonight, after work, I more or less headed straight up to Everett for a meeting and decided NOT to skate. In the 2.5 years I've been skating, I've never voluntarily taken a week off - until now. I am not sick or on vacation - and the truth of the matter is, I'm still skating - but outside with my friends at Alki or at Myrtle Edwards (ME) with my teammate Mona. I'm enjoying the sun and the short commute. I'm enjoying using different muscles outdoor skating and I appreciate not going left for two hours straight (skate, turn left).

On my way up to this meeting, I had the station turned to classic rock (my favorite station was deep into honky-tonk - which I like for about 30 minutes), and they were talking about stagnant air. Reported in three counties. No fires, no burning brush, the air wasn't moving. Since my initial visits to Seattle, I've heard of this thru Heidi or on the radio while visiting. A low front has moved in and the air isn't moving. Kind of like LA, on a smaller level. This never happened in the Midwest, with it's breezy evenings and winds coming off the Rockies and Great Plains. Luckily, the stagnant air is full of oxygen.

Peas, Flowers, Derby Wive...

I went to my P-Patch tonight after work to pay some much needed attention to the peas who had been trying to reach the heavens. The plants had long given up their plight and were leaning down on the ground - rather yellowed. I started pulling off the leathery pea pods and was extremely doubtful about how good they would be. I decided I would only pick the more green ones and toss the rest in compost pile. I was doubtful that they would be anything but shriveled up and rather gross. Of course, when I got home with by bag full of peas, I read on the University of Illinois extension website, that I should have picked them - when they were still mostly green and immature- starting about two weeks ago. When I opened them up though, they were rather beautiful - sealed in a water tight pod, they were softer then I expected, waxy and greener too. However, let's face it. I'm not a master gardener - there is a pretty good chance that they will be starchy and not sweet and tasty.

The flowers are beautiful.

I went skating with Weedy (my derby wife), Lara, Kelly Rae and Steph on Monday. Actually only Kelly, Lara and I skated and the other two walked (Steph not knowing how to skate and Weedy needing a break.) We had a great dinner at Cactus and on our way home, I was telling Weedy about my rather crappy Sunday. I was tired, slightly hungover (more tired) and had to unload the skate floor and return the GIANT rental truck. Luckily, there was a great group of skaters who turned out to help. As I was leaving the storage facility, I cut the hair pin corner too close and scraped the mortar facade on the building - causing teaspoons sizes of cement to fall of and scratching the truck. I was BUMMED - to say the very least. The storage owners weren't upset as it was just the facade and as long as the truck was ok... Heading down I-5, I had an empty truck and was going about 55 mphs - in the center lane, driving carefully when a flock of gulls came swooping down the road and right into the truck - there was little I could do - breaking was definitely not an open. At least one of them didn't clear the truck and exploded into a burst of feathers onto the freeway. That added to the shitty, slightly hungover, damaged a rental truck feeling when Weedy smirked. What's funny? Of course you hit a bird Michelle. Don't you remember when we were driving in Spokane and you were like "run birdies run" as you sped down the road toward them. OMG - that made me laugh. And it put things in perspective. She's such a great derby wife!

Last Game of the Season...

Last night was the last game of the season... we ended it by not being able to score just 12 more points. We're definitely a second half team and just couldn't pull it off. It wasn't my best jamming game but I was really happy with my blocking. Our second half was so much stronger for everyone. We just need to start that strong. And we'll get there. We have a break coming up - some outdoor skating, some team BBQs and other fun things.

This was a great place to be at the end of the season. Our team is nothing like it was in when we first played in January - but neither were any of the teams. And that was the exciting part - to see the growth and dynamic changes of our whole league.

(photo: me hold back ReAnimator.)

Championships & Champions!

Tomorrow is the Championship game of our first "official" season and I can't wait! I honestly wasn't that excited about them (just another game) until I went to lunch with my derby wife yesterday (Weedy) who always gets me pumped up. Actually, we use to work together at Planned Parenthood and would make each other MANIC about derby. I would nearly have a heart attack about two weeks before the bout and break out into a nervous sweat. Since we both left each other (both getting new jobs at the end of last year/beginning of this year), we manage our derby stress a little better. It's good to see each other but not that often. And I'm not going to spend a lot of time reflecting on this first year. Suffice it to say, I'm THRILLED and SO PROUD to have been a part of such a great and growing league and an awesome team! I am looking forward to a fuller season next year.

Also, this week, at work, we present oral argument before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals over the pharmacy refusal case - which started while I was at Planned Parenthood and I've been involved with on some level (usually media and fundraising appeals). It was a very exciting and dynamic day at court and there are reasons to feel we achieved some level of victory - though we'll see how the court rules. I attached some links that cover the case below.

Yet again, I am so PROUD to be a part of this organization and to be doing the work that I do. I love it, that in my life, I have worked for organizations who have gone before the Supreme Court to protect women's rights. I have written letters to donors talking about the impact of our work on domestic violence and women in the workforce. I have been a part of a team that pass legislation to extend rights to families. I have been part of great struggles for better health care for all. And people wonder how I can "be a fundraiser". How can you NOT when you're working for such great causes?!

The photos are from my team's photo shoot this past weekend... aren't Carnies just the cutest?

Links to the oral argument in the 9th Circuit:

http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/todays_plan_b_showdown_in_federal_court

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/370052_planb09.html

Hilarious!

I went to my P-Patch today where the peas are trying to take over the WORLD and pulled up all kinds of weeks (that will take over my garden if I blink) and decided to pull up my carrots because I thought they were getting ready to flower - and they are the smallest and funniest carrots ever! They're like a carrot snack!

Pirates and Ultimate Frisbee...

Today, I tabled at at the SeaFair pirates landing, for Jet City. It was a festival, the kick off to "SeaFair" and my teammate's uncle is a pirate. It was mostly a fun fest for kids and gave people a good excused to get dressed up, spend time with the kids and have tasty snacks. It was something I hadn't participated in yet and after an hour of handing out balloons, I headed to a valley in Redmond to watch my friend play ultimate Frisbee at Potlatch 2008. An aside: The potlatch is a festival or ceremony practiced among Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest. At these gatherings a family or leader hosts guests in their family's house and hold a feast for their guests. The main purpose of the potlatch is the re-distribution and reciprocity.

In ultimate "potlatch" is the task of giving gifts to the other team at the end of the game - like My Little Pony stickers and wrist guards when your team is Dark Horse - which apparently had two different themes - My Little Pony and the fact that James Polk ran as a "dark horse" candidate (A dark horse candidate is one who is nominated unexpectedly, without previously having been discussed or considered as a likely choice). It was also another reason to drink beers and play silly games.

Ultimate is a very unique sport and I rather enjoyed it. It was easy to follow like football or soccer - offense and defense were easy to discern. Fouls were variations of fouls in basketball mostly. However, it's completely self regulating - there are no refs - you call fouls when you're being fouled. You play to a certain number of points or the end of 1.5 hours. You rotate in, you play rock-paper-scissors during time out with the other team, you discuss your foul, you drink beer and juice. You wear funny costumes - capes, hats, weird leg things - some of the interfering with play and other doing nothing to enhance it. You eat burritos and drink beer right before you go on the field to play. And then you run like hell for 1.5 hours and jump and throw and catch. Faye's team, which was a motley crew gathered from a couple local teams just to play in this tournament, were in a tight game against the number one Canadian team and they rallied and beat them 14-13. It was very excited - and as close to a nailbiter as you can get in a game that you just learned about.

Happy 4th of July!

Today was an absolutely beautiful 4th of July. Starting off as a cloudy morning, the day ended beatuifully. A motley crew of Jet City Rollergirls skated in the Everett 4th of July parade - our second year in a row - and one of my favorite events we participate in as a league. It's a short route, we make friends with lots of kids who love to see us on rollerskates and a lot of older folks who remember derby in their youth. A bunch of us then headed over to Star TaRiot's house for a very tasty afternoon BBQ at which time the sun peered out from behind the clouds. I managed to put sunscreen over my tattoos but ended up getting more sun (read: burn) than I have in YEARS. I am a new found lover of the sun, getting so little of it in Seattle, but I'm not interested in getting burned for all the reasons I grew up with - cancer, looking like a leather bag later in life, cancer, you know, the usual reasons.

We ate BBQ, hung out, talked about derby, crafts, how we met whomever, drank tasty beverages. Me and Arson headed back to Seattle around 5 p.m. so that she could head to yet another BBQ and party and I could head home to my empty apartment. I enjoyed a cat nap, ate some pizza and fresh cantaloupe, cleaned the apartment, put groceries away, unpacked my bag from my vacation last week and started gathering up stuff for a team garage sale.

I'm looking forward to getting to bed at a decent hour and calling it a great holiday.

Thunderstorms and a broken skater

Tonight thunderstorms scattered over greater Seattle have lit the sky with fantastic flashes and low lying rumbles at the bottom of the Earth's belly. Rain is pouring down in sheets and the Kitty friends are confused at this phenomenon. This will be a topic of conversation at work tomorrow because they're so RARE here. And they're so welcomed. And they're such news.

Tonight we broke one of our new skaters. She's been on the team for a week and while jamming around the corner was hit by an opposing teammate and went down oh so wrong and that was the end of the jam and her skating for a while... I am sick to my stomach about it. And I know she'll be back - because she's that kind of gal. But it breaks my heart just the same - she's one of my favorites.