Monday, March 29, 2010

Derbyderbyderby

It might be good that I was unemployed through March, because this month has been stoopidly busy with the derby. Camp, practice, games galore.

Last Saturday was the first game of the season for the Ri-Ettes. You know, the ALL-STAR team? The team that I'M the captain of? Yeah. "Overwhelming" doesn't begin to cover it. "Having a couple of nervous breakdowns in preparation for this" is a little closer to what went on for me. We went up against a team of flat track skaters calling themselves "Team Legit" because they don't use skate names.







They gave us a run for our money, but we prevailed. Barely. Phew.

I learned a lot about what will be needed to stay competitive this season. Hopefully I'll be up to the task to successfully conveying that knowledge to the rest of the team so that they take it and run with it. Especially since we have two tournaments coming up before July.

And I still have a Fight Crew game to be ready for in May.


Is it hiatus yet?

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Rugged Individualists

The backyard critters have been keeping life entertaining.

Amongst the birds that swoop through, the squirrels that zip by, the possums that eat the cat food, and the occasional raccoon, we have the cats. Kitty, our Fearless Bird Hunter and Squirrel Kidnapper is here all the time. So is Blue, the skinny lop-eared cat who craps all over the porch. Lou C's doppleganger from Hell, Scaredy Cat, slinks through to grab some food and get his belly scratched before he heads back to the Beavisphere in the early evenings.


Kitty is the resident Rugged Individualist. No matter how cold, rainy, or windy it is, he prefers to stay outside. On multiple occasions I've tried to bring him into the house, but every time I do, he'll purr but will zip to the back door to be let out into the cold, dark night. Blue is the exact opposite. He loves to come inside the house all the time, but due to his eternal craptitude, I won't let him stay in.

In an effort to provide at least something for the cats outside, I put out both a cardboard box to protect them from the wind, and Lardo's old cat pillow to provide a comfy place to sleep. Both of these were placed right next to each other on the porch step. Kitty never touched either of them. Blue and Scaredy Cat would trade off using the cat pillow on rare occasions.

A couple of weeks ago when it was still cold, rainy, and wintery, the brilliant idea was hit upon to place the cat pillow inside the cardboard box. Apparently that was a magical combination because the DH found this the next day:
















BOTH cats in the combo pillow/box!


It's just too fucking cute:


















It's the only time I've seen Kitty concede to anything resembling comfort for himself!


Now that the weather is much warmer and spring-like, the pillow-box is somewhat abandoned again. I'm going to leave it out there to see if it gets rediscovered, though.

Friday, March 12, 2010

IT'S DONE

FINALLY.

After much work and a big pinch of procrastination, I'm done with my Angel Food Cake artwork for the upcoming GirlsDrawinGirls dessert book.






















And yes, there are magnets being ordered. Show up to Comic Con and you can get one!

Monday, March 08, 2010

*whew!*

Last week was rather crapacious.

My sister and I were up visiting in the ol' hometown when my dad came down with viral pneumonia and had to be taken to the hospital with a 103 degree fever. Understandably, my mom was upset, so it was actually a good thing that my sister and I were there to give moral support. My dad stayed in the hospital for a few nerve-racking days but is now home, thank goodness.

Back at home, I spent my time freaking out about...well, everything else. Work? None to speak of right now...I'm getting shot down a lot, which wears on the self-esteem quite a bit. Home? Strained as hell for a few reasons...unemployment being one. Derby? Too much going on in a very short amount of time.

By mid-week I was completely and utterly convinced that I was in the midst of a mental breakdown(hell, that feeling hasn't completely gone away). A lot of crying, yelling, spasming in the middle of the floor, the usual whathaveyou. Then...

Camp happened.

The Derby Dolls held our first-ever training camp. Even that started badly for me when I missed the first class I was supposed to teach on the first day of camp. AUGHTHWOIEGHDSKWETHGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But, things got better. A LOT better. Almost a hundred skaters came to camp and got some fantastic classes led by some fantastic trainers. I got a much-needed enthusiasm boost for life in general because I had to throw myself into the crazy-busy camp schedule and was skating for one reason or another most of the weekend, which included training, taking classes, and skating in both a banked track and flat track game.

I am now in so much derby pain from all this skating, I actually wish I had a hot tub, for I would soak in it for the next week to recover physically.

As an added bonus, I received the below picture from one of the Jr. Derby girls. I had given permission to our Jr. Derby league to use one of my lame-o drawings to give to the girls to color during their yearly camp last year. I present a future Art Dept. leader: