Friday, October 31, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
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.
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.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Halloween 2008
Less than a week away and I don't even give a shit.
What's wrong with me? I'm usually starting to get excited for next Halloween in late December. This year, I'm just not feeling it...
What's wrong with me? I'm usually starting to get excited for next Halloween in late December. This year, I'm just not feeling it...
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Well, that's disappointing
So, having discovered that I have a somewhat loyal following of readers, what do I do? I go dark for days. Is anything more annoying than visiting someone's blog and seeing the same Horrorpops photo every single time? Believe me, it annoys me just as much.
When my thesis defense date finally approached I was hesitant at the idea of a full-time office job at the government, which is where I understand most sociology grads to go. I worried that a regimented 9 - 5 job in front of a computer would kill my creativity; that I'd come home from work exhausted and fall asleep in front of the TV every night. I asked around and found that to the contrary, friends of mine who worked office jobs were pretty content with their work environments and hours. That the consistent hours enabled them to make use of their free time more meaningfully. That they can call in sick, leave early or get away for the weekend as circumstances require. This is far from the case with retail/shift work.
All this to say that I've been working full-time for the first time in my life, and I'm finding little time for anything else. I haven't been to the gym. I haven't been making stuff for undeadclothingco. I haven't been updating my blog. I haven't been in good health due to lack of meaningful rest (and my perpetually shitty diet). Chores are piling up.
I didn't intend to update my blog by bemoaning my daily drudgery. Unfortunately, it's all I really have to report as of late. I'm not miserable or anything, I'm just falling behind on life and need to allocate my time better. That's it.
When my thesis defense date finally approached I was hesitant at the idea of a full-time office job at the government, which is where I understand most sociology grads to go. I worried that a regimented 9 - 5 job in front of a computer would kill my creativity; that I'd come home from work exhausted and fall asleep in front of the TV every night. I asked around and found that to the contrary, friends of mine who worked office jobs were pretty content with their work environments and hours. That the consistent hours enabled them to make use of their free time more meaningfully. That they can call in sick, leave early or get away for the weekend as circumstances require. This is far from the case with retail/shift work.
All this to say that I've been working full-time for the first time in my life, and I'm finding little time for anything else. I haven't been to the gym. I haven't been making stuff for undeadclothingco. I haven't been updating my blog. I haven't been in good health due to lack of meaningful rest (and my perpetually shitty diet). Chores are piling up.
I didn't intend to update my blog by bemoaning my daily drudgery. Unfortunately, it's all I really have to report as of late. I'm not miserable or anything, I'm just falling behind on life and need to allocate my time better. That's it.
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