Autumn descended with a boisterous vengeance...

This weekend was absolutely beautiful! I started Saturday with the AIDS Walk with the Community Advisory Board for the HIV/AIDS Trail Unit. We had pulled together a great team and I managed to raise $210 in about three hours on Facebook on Friday when I finally had a chance to register and get my crap together. I had a gazillion great conversations. I met another Michelle from Cleveland who also went to the University of Iowa (which was super fun!) After a post-walk snack, I picked up Lara and her friend Andrew who had been at the Smithsonian "Free Museum Day" and we all headed to lunch (Cedar's Lebanese) and then to the Henry Art Museum. That was rather disappointing and I am glad that it was free....

I thought of heading to open scrimmage at Rat City's new practice space but it was such a beautiful, sparkly, cool Saturday. We all went for a beer instead (or two) and I had a nice nap before heading off to a fundraising event. Sunday was filled with meetings and a quick little trip through the Ballard Farmer's Market (peppers are in!), followed by a visit to Ballard Sustainable Market (beer takes less water resources than coffee), other errands and a BBQ with my team. It was a great Sunday.

Monday was a blur from work to meeting to practice. However, in the time between going to my CAB meeting and have a cookie with Heidi at the Subway after the meeting, the temperature dropped 20 degrees has not made an honest attempt to creep up any higher. The dark ominous rain this afternoon sealed the deal and it's officially autumn. Dark. Cold. Seattle. Brrr.

Just goes to show you don't know...

This past weekend the Jet City Bombers when down to Centrailia's (exactly between Portland and the Washington capital of Olympia) Rainy City Rollergirls. Ms. Unshine and her husband (Ray of Unshine) picked me up and we headed to West Seattle where I turned in a picture to be framed and we enjoyed some delicious food from the Bakery Nouveau - which always has a line out the door (and for very good reasons!) We picked up Arson and somehow traffic was absent around Tacoma/Fort Lewis (which usually adds at least 45 minutes to your commute) and we ended up in Centrailia an hour earlier than we expected. And what a cute little sleep town it was. And sad. More than half of the storefronts were empty. There was a sense that you were in your aunt trunk in the attic. It was quaint and charming but musty and forgotten at the same time. We found a tchotchke shop that sold espresso (for $.50 a shot! So cheap! She forgot to charge for the cup and water!) We walked around. Had our coffee and headed to the bout.

It was a strange bout - nothing like we expected. I mean honestly I figured we would clobber them. Not that it wouldn't be a tough bout - I'm not that egotistic but I had no idea how badly they wanted it (though our coaches had an idea.) The bout was tough and intense but it was more frustrating and strange was the skaters were horrible sportswomen. They brought a lot of antagonism. They played dirty -like laying out our jammer after the 4th whistle blew (which ends play) or hitting people illegally. Their captain tried to start a fight with our captain on the sidelines (WHAT?!). This kind of play just got us amped up and we lowered our play to their level. We were angry. We were distracted. We didn't play our game.

Not that we didn't try to clean it up and gain control the game. And we started the second half in control. They also closed the point gap and started to distract us again. It was just so antagonistic. I was glad the game was over (thought I played a great game). I was glad we won and it was done. We all went out as a team for burgers and beers and most of us went home not wanting to go to their after party. But one skater - Precious & Metal - did go to the after party (after dinner) and of course was the good ambassador that you're suppose to be in derby. And she learned a lot. She learned that this team played like this to make it interesting for their fans. They knew we were going to clobber them so they put out all they could. We both had the same discussions at halftime. We both wanted to play a cleaner game. They wanted to be respected. They wanted to be friends as the end of the day. And truly, it was a couple of rotten apples who ruined it for most of us. But they expected us to be at the after party - and leave it out on the track.

And we should have. Because that's what derby is all about... playing hard. Leaving it on the track. Having beers afterwards.

The sisterhood.

You shouldn't forget that.

A write up about the bout:

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=468253274&blogId=511450596

Your eyes are big, your tail is puffy and I don't trust you.

Fezzy, my pink tabby, was sitting on the futon looking at me with big eyes, so super cute but his tail was twitching like he was up to no good. And you really shouldn't trust a cat with a twitchy tail. Some people say you shouldn't trust a cat at all. I am not one of those people. But when their tail is twitching... be cautious of claws.

Kitty friends. Somehow the kitty friends have fleas. Fezzy and Monkey originally got them from Friday who had become an indoor/outdoor cat. Then we treated them; cleaned them up. Got rid of the fleas. Friday unfortunately disappeared. Fezzy and Monkey both got out once on their own. But months and months without fleas. Somehow they have fleas again.

I know as seasons change fleas shore up their winter homes in their favorite furry animals. But kitty friends don't go out. We live on the 3rd floor of an apartment. Damn it fleas. You are so not welcomed here.

And you're making the cats crazy. But there are a lot of haikus written about you.

Making friends on the bus...

This morning I ran out the door - hair in two little "bun balls" behind my ears, no lipstick, awake - but just barely, no lipstick (did I say no lipstick), looking a little crazed - and made it to my stop with a salad for lunch, banana, peach and the daily paper and a random paper or two. At the stop, a friend tapped me on the shoulder. "Hello!" It was my friend, introduced to me by someone who worked in my building. He worked at one of the few INDOOR National Parks in the country. We chatted a bit about how our mutual friend moved to Minneapolis. We got on the bus and then another friend he had made on the bus, moved closer to us. He asked about her sister who was at Baylor college and how her roommates were having an intervention because her sister NEVER showered. It was hilarious. It was a ridiculous conversation dogged between passengers. It was a nice conversation. He is definitely a connector. I didn't get to read my paper. I didn't get to zone out. But I hung out with Colm and Rinetta (who LOVES Slaughter House 5 and whose sister hates to shower) and converse in between passengers.

I love riding the bus. I love making friends on the bus. I love meeting new people.

Laborless weekend!

This weekend was a perfectly relaxed weekend! I couldn't have asked for a better way to kick off the fall. I had some friends come up from Portland on Friday. I had met these gals when a few skaters from my league went down to play Portland's Guns and Rollers in a Friday night fundraiser (which Shannon from Cleveland go to see.) Kathryn and Cher were great hosts and we were delighted to host them. Mona, Arson, Indy, Maudy, Shovey and I all met them out for drinks from the Chapel. We then headed to Hales Brewery in Ballard for more tasty beverages and dinner then back to my place for more drinks. It was fun to be making new friends. The new morning we all went out for brunch and Bloody Mary's (not myself, do not like tomato juice.) They then headed off to Vancouver for the rest of the weekend and I went home to nurse a hangover headache. The rest of the day was spent running errands, watching tennis and enjoying a very lazy Saturday.

Sunday's rain was discouraging but not completely. Lara and I grabbed umbrellas, jumped in the car and headed to the Farmer's Market. Grabbing coffee at Nervous Nellie's proved to be fruitful for during that time the sun broke thru and the rain ceased long enough to run our and grab some fresh fruits and veggies at the market. We ran into Comet and her sister and Pygmy. Pygmy was on her way to the gym and we made plans to have dinner at a new French restaurant in Ballard. Fast forward through hydrofit and a nap, Pygmy and I headed out, like 1,000 other people, to grab dinner in Ballard. Everywhere was packed (the rain keeping people from camping, the economy keeping people from going far.) We ended up at Hatties Hat, an old haunt, a local restaurant and a place that Pygmy and I had spent plenty of time. There was hardly anyone there but by the time we left the place was packed (including 15 Rat City Rollergirls whose new practice space is literally just behind Hatties.) We grabbed Lara and headed over to see District 9 - which turned out to be a pretty damn good film.

Today was breakfast with Megan and some others to talk about a joint fundraiser (between CarnEvil and Grave Danger) and talk about our plans to go to France next year for Megan's 40th birthday. Arson and I went on a hike through Discovery Park that was now opened because they had caught the cougar that had been spotted in the neighborhood (they freed him in the mountains late yesterday). Another nap, another movie (Finding Nemo) and I'm ready to call it a "Great Weekend" and turn in for the night. However, I have practice - so I guess I can't call it completely laborless...

*potatoes from the Ballard Farmer's Market...

Curiosity almost got the cat killed...

I was exhausted today. Not because I had been at work until 8 p.m. or later all three nights of this week so far - that is exhausting but it's not what did me in. I brought home some left over stuff from a donor party and left it in a box in the hall way. At about 3 a.m. Fezzy decided that of course, because it was a box, was definitely worth exploring. I let the noise go for a little bit but then I heard the crinkle of a potato chip bag. I went into the hallway and Fezzy was about to continue the BBQ. I put everything on the counter in the kitchen, out of his reach. But he was like, HI! You're up! Let's play. And I couldn't turn my mind off. I started thinking about work, about derby, travels in the fall, how I was going to fit it all end and Fezzy was mushing my feet, walking on my head. When that didn't get the response he wanted, he started other adventures. And Monkey joined in the adventures. I gave up. Played with the kitties. I eventually curled up on the futon at 6 a.m. and fell asleep.

Kitties. Seriously.

Just cause you're following a well made trail, don't mean whoever made it knew where they were headed...



I read that quote on a Deschutes Bewery newsletter on the table at the Pub. I had a great mini-vacation two weeks ago. JCRG's travel team went to Bend, Oregon to play a "sanctioned" bout. Maudy and I arrived on Friday night after sitting in ridiculous traffic and spending a couple hours winding around Mt. Hood. Saturday the team "floated down the river" - which was really just what we needed. I can't say I've intentionally 'floated a river' in forever. It was great. We made derby jokes and my arms froze off as I tried to paddle at catch up with the rest of the group - the river is fed by moutain water. We kicked serious butt in a derby bout and then I spent the rest of my vacation there drinking beer at Deschutes Brewery, hiking, going to McMinimims Brewery, hiking, then to Three Creeks Brewery. It was an absolutely delicious way to spend a few days.

Bend and the Sisters (mountains) reminded me of "where I spent my summers" in the foothills of the Rockies where my grandparents had a house. Or up at my (great) Aunt Jane's cabins. The air is more crisp in the Rockies but the vibe was very similar - relaxed - western - tumble weeds, horses, mountains and sunshine. I kept thinking I would love ot buy a little house out here - and be a cowgirl in Bend. Of course that would last for like 15 minutes and then I would get bored and want to be back in the city. (Maybe.)

The vacation was just what I needed before I came back to work yesterday after being off a week. I have a gazillion things to do but with a very clean apartment and mostly well rested I feel pretty sure I can tackle the weeks a head... fall fundraising campaign, an event for work, and getting derby going again.

*sigh*


I was in the Seattle Magazine article that came out today... click here.