"I'm hellbat,"

For weeks, coworkers, friends and strangers have delighted in informing me that they "saw me on the news!!". See for yourself;


In other news, the bus strike is over, just when I was starting to accept the inconvenience.
Wilde's latest;



Seriously, I have yet to meet anyone who actually thinks this is even mildly funny or appropriate. I hope bus drivers refuse to stop in front of there.

Ottawa, please don't hate on the drivers when you take the bus next week. Many of them are probably psychologically prepared for some glares and unkind words. Surprise them with a smile. And remember that one day your employers might try to fuck you over, and you'll be grateful to your union for having some recourse to fuck them right back.

RIP ORD

No self respecting Ottawa blogger can post today without making mention of the weather. I don't mind the snow. I really don't. It's the cold I don't like. In fact, I greatly preferred my walk home from the bus stop after work in a blizzard to my walk to the bus stop this morning in the freezing rain. No contest. That's all I'm going to say about it.

I have sadder news to report than a snow storm.

This blog has seen many entries about the Ottawa Roller Derby league, and what an impact the ORD has had on my life. Emerging from the end of a long-term relationship and stuck in a nasty rut of a thesis, roller derby was exactly what I needed to regain my confidence and self-esteem while meeting some very interesting and inspiring women in Ottawa.

When I was told of the existence of roller derby in Ottawa, I discovered that the league consisted of one team; the loud and proud Bytown Blackhearts. For a team to come together and prosper is noteworthy in itself, but these women learned roller derby the hard way; through trial and error. Without an existing team in the city, the Blackhearts learned the game as they went along. By the time I started attending "fresh meat" practices for the Ottawa Roller Derby league, the Blackhearts were a year old; fully registered and ready to roll.

The "fresh meat" practices were recruiting for a second team in Ottawa; one that could benefit from the Blackhearts' experience and could eventually provide them with another team to practice with and scrimmage against. For myself as well as the other women who now comprise the Capital Carnage, the Blackhearts were the ultimate big sister team; older, tougher, more than a little intimidating, but ultimately there to help the Carnage grow and develop for the love of the game.

This relationship explains the pain I feel at learning that the Bytown Blackhearts and the Ottawa Roller Derby league have split into two autonomous groups. I do not care to comment upon the nature of the split as I understand it; it's a complicated issue to which I am only privy to certain parts. Whatever the cause, I can only speak for the effect which I believe will be felt by every member of the Bytown Blackhearts and the Capital Carnage alike. I think my friend and teammate Kristina (Fembot Fury) said it best when she likened our position to being the children of divorced parents.

It saddens me that the split will undoubtedly change my experience of being a rollergirl in Ottawa, although it's difficult to say for certain exactly how it will change. I have a feeling that as with most breakups, there will be positive and negative effects both in the short and long term. Whatever the fallout, I hope time shows the decision to be beneficial to both groups.

So my ass-cheek bruise isn't as impressive as I had hoped; there are two purplish lines forming horizontally across my inner-hip... it really looks like a bite. Not nearly as tough as a gnarly bruise. I thought of taking photos to chronicle it's progression on here, but bite-marks on my ass might be a little too sensational for this here blog.

I heard back from one of my supervisors yesterday and am already knee-deep in revisions. At first I was mad; I had hoped my thesis would be out of my hands for the weekend, enabling me to party sans conscience. No such luck. But the good news is that I'll have one supervisor's revisions done by the time I get the other supervisor's feedback. I got my film studies lashing, now I'm waiting on the sociology one.

I am kittensitting this weekend for a friend/colleague/neighbor of mine who takes on foster kitties from the humane society and is going to be away for a few days. I will be responsible for Geebee, a 7-week old kitten who is so named for her one green eye and one blue eye. I will also be resonsible for Missouri, who is twice the size of Geebee and is of rather nervous disposition. I am told he will hiss like a snake, but he's all talk and is rather cuddly when you pick him up. I'm sure I will have photos of these two for you next week.

In other news, Ottawa Roller Derby will be showing off a fair bit this month. We are scheduled to operate a booth throughout the Ottawa Exhibition, and are doing demonstrations to raise awareness of the sport as well as to gather donations. Also, we will be trying to march as best we can in quads in the Ottawa Pride festival on Aug. 24th. I've never been to a Pride festival, so I'm doubly excited for the cultural event a well as an opportunity to skate in the street with the girls.

Back to thesis for me. Why won't the mail come?

Such good things; so little time to relish them

Good thing #1 -

I've been given the go-ahead to compose my conclusion. Glory hallelujah. This isn't to say that when I'm done the conclusion I'll be done my thesis; there'll be tremendous revisions. When I reflect on all the various mind-states I've had over the past year, I can't help but wonder how this paper will somehow flow together to make a cohesive argument.

I've been using bits and pieces of old papers to supplement my conclusion (I'm allowed to do that! I checked) and I was actually laughing out loud today at what one prof let me get away with. I have half a mind to email him about it. The paper I wrote for his seminar reads like... well, like a blog entry. I'm incredulous that it got me an A-.

Good thing #2 -

My application to be part of the Underpass project has been accepted! Undeadclothingco will be vending at the Underpass every Friday in July, starting the 11th. I'll post more info as I get it (ie- where exactly in that area, and what times). The Underpass Project combined with the upcoming Basement Artists show on the 20th make for a very busy living dead girl.

Good thing #3 and onward -

Stuff is pretty good. I'm really digging being involved in roller derby and I've been in a happy place socially for the past while. I'm hoping my general contentedness manifests in my writing and sewing as it has with my mood and demeanor.

Ottawa Roller Derby on A-Channel

Please to enjoy: http://www.achannel.ca/ottawa/promo/webcast/vid-beas.html

Can you spot the Living Dead Girl in this clip?

Hint: meow

So I'm a bad update-er

but in my defense, I haven't had consistent internet access for a long-ass time. It's back now, having returned to normality the exact same time my roommate returned from Greece. Coincidence? I think not. I'm inclined to think our internet connection wasn't down with all my facebook/blogging nonsense and missed Jenn's diligent research online. In the same vein, my cold water pressure is back on. This is directly because Jenn is better at raising hell with the construction workers than i am, but again, I like to imagine the house prefers washing her clothes and dishes and body.

I have been steadily working toward the next show in July, trying out some new shapes and techniques. The findings and studs Jesse gave me are giving me ideas for straps; handbags and clutches with shoulder or wrist-straps. This turns a simple lined-zippered bag into a purse, which is infinately more useful (and more coveted in our accessory-obsessed culture nowadays).

I've also invested in some simple sewing patterns and pattern-drafting books and tools. I figure I should invest on making sturdy, reusable patterns of of a variety of sizes. It's tedious cutting and tracing, but I think it'll be infinately worth it in the long run. If I claim that undeadclothingco embraces alternate conceptions of beauty, I can't continue making everything in my size. It wouldn't be right.

Ever since the last Basement Artists show, I've kept a business log of profits and expenses... keeping receipts and making sure I'm "under budget" (my budget being the amount I made at the show). This probably isn't the most orthodox method, but it's a start. I bought the book Craft Inc by Meg Mateo Ilasco, which is all about how to turn your creative hobby into a business. From what i've read so far, the book runs the gamut between inspiring the hell out of me and making me want to run up to my office and sew all day, to scaring the shit out of me and making me want to throw out my sewing stuff so I'm not tempted by it anymore. All the legal jargon turns me off, and some of the accounting terms are way over my head; but I'm sure it's good to have a reference like that on my shelf.

What else have I been up to? I dunno. ROLLER DERBY?! My latest obsession goes down two nights a week here in Ottawa. The Ottawa Bytown Blackhearts have been a league-sanctioned team for over a year now, and are looking to make another team so as to be able to scrimmage together in the city. My first practice was last Tuesday. Not only was it an introduction to the rules and logic of the sport, it was my first time EVER on roller skates. Now, I have experience with a variety of board-sports; skateboarding, snowboarding and wakeboarding. Being competent in these three engenders a kind of board-logic that sticks with you, and that you can apply to other board sports. I've never surfed, for example, but if I were to learn alongside someone who has never skated or shredded, I think I would have an advantage. Anyway, roller-skating (on quads; no inline here!) calls upon more of a wheel-logic than a board-logic for me; to control oneself on rollerskates, you have to understand how your weight and momentum can affect speed and direction. Sudden stopping and turning requires you to drag your wheels perpendicular to your direction, which is tricky to master. My penchant for loving the most dangerous/tedious/difficult things in life is surely what keeps me going to the practices.

I think I'm picking it up nicely. I'm able to stop pretty clean (usually), and my crossovers and sticky-skate are coming along nicely. I won't bother explaining what these are; (if you're really interested, look up roller derby on youtube. There are many well-made videos explaining the sport and outlining the physical skating skills necessary to join the league). I just mostly want to have a record on here about what I'm doing well and what I'm struggling with. That way, I can look back a month from now and be like "Aww! Crossovers and sticky-skate. Baby steps." or something like that.

Anyway, that's enough rambling on for today. It's damn hot in Ottawa; drink lots of water and don't forget the sunscreen!