I came upon this article/photo gallery just now, and I thought I must share it on this quiet Thursday night.
Pictures 2, 6, and 9 are probably my favorites, but dangit if they aren't all just precious.
Now do you understand why I pull up adorable pictures of kittens when I'm overstressed or anxious at work? How do these pictures not melt your heart and put a smile on your face? This should really just start your weekend off on such a high note, it might be the best weekend of your life.
I desperately need a kitten. C'mon landlord, learn to love pets and allow us to have them!
I love this so much, I'll link to the owner/photographer's website as well, where he's got a few more pictures of this most adorable kitten. Ben Torode knows how to capture precious.
All the pictures turn me into a giddy mess, but I believe this link takes you to picture number 5, which is a particularly darling photo of the sweet kitten poking out from under a hat.
!!!
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
The Best Jeopardy Teen Tournament Final Ever Played
I was watching Jeopardy last night (of course), and it was the Teen tournament. Usually I'm not too into that tournament - I know a lot of the answers easily and get annoyed when the kids don't get the easy (to my college-educated self) questions - "To Be or Not To Be" is from Hamlet, DUH!!!! - and I also get annoyed when I don't know the correct response, because I should, because they're teens, and I learned all that stuff years ago. And I also think half of the kids are super annoying, trying to be witty and funny, and just looking silly most of the time.
BUT this was the final round of the Teen tournament, the 2nd of the 2 day final. I hadn't watched the 1st day, and I'd only seen a few of the other rounds. I knew one of the kid in the final from previous rounds - and I didn't like him, he was annoying and sounded like he was trying to pretend to be a 21-year-old jock so he could sneak into a bar or something. His real voice was the voice that my nephew Caleb uses when he mimics an older adult. But it was his real voice! Annoying. Ugh, anyway.
I think I knew the kid in the middle, too, an over-anxious nerd who was trying to live up to his social standing and was full of angst because he was being beat out by a future jock stuck in his high school days and a kid with a sweet afro who seemed like he barely cared.
And it was when I saw the kid with the sweet afro who seemed like he barely cared that I finally began to care. He was awesome and he restored my faith in teens on Jeopardy - that they aren't all super annoying and ridiculous. He was so cool.
So I took a screen shot of him with my phone, so I could post how I just found the coolest contestant on Jeopardy ever.
And then Leonard (!!!) pulled up the Daily Double in the double Jeopardy round. And he had $19,000 or something - it was also quite a bit more than his contestants, but at least $10,000 at this point.
And he wagered $18,000.
!!!!
The audience went into a mini-tizzy. I loved the gasps and giggles as he calmly waited for the clue, and I swear I heard one fainting mother somewhere off-camera.
AND HE WAS CORRECT!
The kid went into the final Jeopardy round with $37,000.
And I was already excited to post about this and couldn't stop smiling and giggling about this teen (I know, pot calling the kettle black after calling that kid above a total nerd. Let's not worry about that now).
And then Leonard, the cool as a cucumber teen who was putting everyone in psychedelic fits of pure glee with his nonchalant demeanor and crossed-arms buzzing-in posture, had such a great final Jeopardy response to the clue.
The category was Military Men, the 'answer' was looking for who said a famous quote (which they actually quoted, of course) in 1944.
The annoying dude got it right, but didn't have enough money between the two rounds to be much of a contender anyway. The angsty nerdy one didn't get it right, which if he had, he would've won with the two days' winnings.
And Leonard? Well, this is what he said (pardon the comment early in the video from the video taper):
I LOVE THIS TEEN!
He's my favorite, hands-down. If they could get him, Ken Jennings, and Watson in one room, I'd be so happy. So much Jeopardy personality in one room, it might explode from nerdy sweetness!
And so marks the first time I've ever enjoyed the Teen Tournament. If only they could all be like this.
Shoot, if only the regular Jeopardy contestants could be like him. I think the world would stop fighting, peace would abound, and we'd all just smile all the time about everything.
BUT this was the final round of the Teen tournament, the 2nd of the 2 day final. I hadn't watched the 1st day, and I'd only seen a few of the other rounds. I knew one of the kid in the final from previous rounds - and I didn't like him, he was annoying and sounded like he was trying to pretend to be a 21-year-old jock so he could sneak into a bar or something. His real voice was the voice that my nephew Caleb uses when he mimics an older adult. But it was his real voice! Annoying. Ugh, anyway.
I think I knew the kid in the middle, too, an over-anxious nerd who was trying to live up to his social standing and was full of angst because he was being beat out by a future jock stuck in his high school days and a kid with a sweet afro who seemed like he barely cared.
And it was when I saw the kid with the sweet afro who seemed like he barely cared that I finally began to care. He was awesome and he restored my faith in teens on Jeopardy - that they aren't all super annoying and ridiculous. He was so cool.
So I took a screen shot of him with my phone, so I could post how I just found the coolest contestant on Jeopardy ever.
And then Leonard (!!!) pulled up the Daily Double in the double Jeopardy round. And he had $19,000 or something - it was also quite a bit more than his contestants, but at least $10,000 at this point.
And he wagered $18,000.
!!!!
The audience went into a mini-tizzy. I loved the gasps and giggles as he calmly waited for the clue, and I swear I heard one fainting mother somewhere off-camera.
AND HE WAS CORRECT!
The kid went into the final Jeopardy round with $37,000.
And I was already excited to post about this and couldn't stop smiling and giggling about this teen (I know, pot calling the kettle black after calling that kid above a total nerd. Let's not worry about that now).
And then Leonard, the cool as a cucumber teen who was putting everyone in psychedelic fits of pure glee with his nonchalant demeanor and crossed-arms buzzing-in posture, had such a great final Jeopardy response to the clue.
The category was Military Men, the 'answer' was looking for who said a famous quote (which they actually quoted, of course) in 1944.
The annoying dude got it right, but didn't have enough money between the two rounds to be much of a contender anyway. The angsty nerdy one didn't get it right, which if he had, he would've won with the two days' winnings.
And Leonard? Well, this is what he said (pardon the comment early in the video from the video taper):
I LOVE THIS TEEN!
He's my favorite, hands-down. If they could get him, Ken Jennings, and Watson in one room, I'd be so happy. So much Jeopardy personality in one room, it might explode from nerdy sweetness!
And so marks the first time I've ever enjoyed the Teen Tournament. If only they could all be like this.
Shoot, if only the regular Jeopardy contestants could be like him. I think the world would stop fighting, peace would abound, and we'd all just smile all the time about everything.
It's a New Title! It's So Concise! Kind of...
So...
I don't know if you noticed, but my header on this dear blog has changed. It happened a little sooner than I anticipated, but sometimes when you accidentally press "save changes," things happen faster than planned.
I liked my old title/header - the pictures didn't really have anything to do with anything, I just liked them. And my old title, "A Not-So-Very Concise Synopsis of a Somewhat Un-Complex Girl," which is still what the webpage says until I change that, was very long and kind of rambling, and it didn't really make much clear sense, which seemed like the best explanation I could think of for who I am and how I roll. You know?
But it's been decorating the top of my blog for many days now, and it seemed like a good time to try something new. I downloaded this program called Inkscape - kind of like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop, if I had to explain it (which, I know, I don't have to, but oh well - what's done is done) - and it seemed like a good first project to try.
And also this new name won out as the future name of my future book all about my life, which oldest brother Chris is waiting to be published any day now. It beat a few other contenders in a "future book name" contest that I didn't know was happening until it was already almost settled. I say almost because Chris was pitching all these other names, and then his wife Jodi came out of nowhere with this winner while I was on the phone with Chris. At least, that's how I remember this playing out (and therefore, that's exactly how it happened.
The title is, of course, referencing the end of this post, which happens to be the 2nd most read post of the month (I give Chris most of the credit for those hits, as I believe he pulled it up to read to himself, to Jodi, and to each of his kids, probably individually, and he therefore counts for 12 of those views...).
So, long story short, my header changed. In case you haven't gathered that. And one day, when I'm really good on Inkscape, maybe I'll make a more exciting header. But we'll not hold our breaths for that one.
Aaaaaaaand, that's all I've got. Sorry. Boring!
I don't know if you noticed, but my header on this dear blog has changed. It happened a little sooner than I anticipated, but sometimes when you accidentally press "save changes," things happen faster than planned.
I liked my old title/header - the pictures didn't really have anything to do with anything, I just liked them. And my old title, "A Not-So-Very Concise Synopsis of a Somewhat Un-Complex Girl," which is still what the webpage says until I change that, was very long and kind of rambling, and it didn't really make much clear sense, which seemed like the best explanation I could think of for who I am and how I roll. You know?
But it's been decorating the top of my blog for many days now, and it seemed like a good time to try something new. I downloaded this program called Inkscape - kind of like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop, if I had to explain it (which, I know, I don't have to, but oh well - what's done is done) - and it seemed like a good first project to try.
And also this new name won out as the future name of my future book all about my life, which oldest brother Chris is waiting to be published any day now. It beat a few other contenders in a "future book name" contest that I didn't know was happening until it was already almost settled. I say almost because Chris was pitching all these other names, and then his wife Jodi came out of nowhere with this winner while I was on the phone with Chris. At least, that's how I remember this playing out (and therefore, that's exactly how it happened.
The title is, of course, referencing the end of this post, which happens to be the 2nd most read post of the month (I give Chris most of the credit for those hits, as I believe he pulled it up to read to himself, to Jodi, and to each of his kids, probably individually, and he therefore counts for 12 of those views...).
So, long story short, my header changed. In case you haven't gathered that. And one day, when I'm really good on Inkscape, maybe I'll make a more exciting header. But we'll not hold our breaths for that one.
Aaaaaaaand, that's all I've got. Sorry. Boring!
Saturday, February 9, 2013
The Inevitable Breakup of the Idyllic Barlow Belt
Well, it was inevitable.
I've always considered these last few years of my life to be an exceptionally charmed time in my life, regarding my family's proximity to each other and the number of times I've been able to spend with all of us together at once.
I was still in elementary school when my oldest brother moved out of the house for college. I only lived with all of my siblings at home for 7 years of my life - I barely remember the days of having the 5 of us kids living under one roof. Then that same brother got married and started a family, and kept moving to and from Wisconsin, treating us with short bursts of time living nearby, before they'd move away again, just to come back a few years later. But during those yoyo years, one or more of my other siblings would have also moved out of the house, so when Chris was at least living close, we were still missing someone when we were together.
Then I went to college, and I barely saw any of my siblings, aside from a special, but too short, three months living with my brother Ben and his family, and the year or so that Abby and her family lived with her mother-in-law near my school. Even my parents made only rare appearances in my life, as I came home during an off-semester, or the occasional holiday. There was a time in my life where I saw very little of any of my family. And sadly, it didn't feel all that strange to me because, as much as I love and adore my family, I was just used to not seeing them very much. I was used to it being a big deal when one of my siblings came home to visit, because it happened somewhat infrequently. Poor college students can only afford so many plane tickets home, and parents with 5 kids can only shell out so much money toward bringing their poor college student children home.
After school, I moved to Utah, where my parents had relocated, and I saw my cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents more than I ever had before in my life - I met family I'd only heard of in stories, and re-met family I hadn't seen in years - and it was really great...but it wasn't the same as seeing my siblings, my nieces and nephews. I got even more excited when my brothers and sister visited, because I loved getting time with the little ones, and I loved having my siblings and their spouses to hang out with. I was a grown up finally - I could hold my own in the grown up conversations. I could joke and laugh and relate to what their lives were like, with a real job, and real decisions to make. But the siblings' visits rarely overlapped each other, and when they did, we still only had everyone there together maybe once. The families was just too spread out, with such different schedules - the trips to Utah were saved for times when they had a number of days to spend out there, and those long vacations rarely coincided between all the siblings. I think we managed it once, for a short weekend, and it was euphoric mayhem the whole time.
And then, the planets aligned. As well as they can in the vast Barlow world, at least. Chris was in Wisconsin, Ben was in Iowa. Zach and his wife had finished their grand adventure along the California coast and were settling in Missouri, and Abby found herself settling in Arkansas for a time. And me? A little while into this settling of the Midwest Wall of Barlows, I moved to DC.
DC, where people want to visit, and siblings go for work meetings regularly, though intermittently. And just like that, the Barlow family history moved into the Age of Palooza. An era when everything was suddenly shiny and sparkly and wonderful.
This is the Age I've been living in and loving for the last 2 and a half years. An Age where I can fly to a sibling on the cheap, and the others live close enough that they can drive over for a weekend visit. Where we can talk about having a fun family reunion, and then we actually have it. Where aunts and uncles are remembered by young nieces and nephews from their last visit, because it wasn't so long ago that their sweet memories had already forgotten it.
It started off on such a great note, too - I stopped in Wisconsin for a week, on my way to DC, and my two other brothers came up to my oldest brother's house, and we spent a weekend playing outside and running around. After that, we were hooked on each other. It was just too easy to see everyone now - the spaces between us were like we all lived across the street from each other, compared to the past. We had our first real Palooza soon after that. And then another. and then another! We had two full family gatherings in the space of 3 months! We had multiple mini gatherings interspersed throughout the 2 years. I had siblings visiting me in DC; I visited siblings along the Barlow Belt down the Midwest. My parents visited me and visited everyone, and we all gathered wherever multiple Barlows were rumored to be.
Living so many years deprived of such a family feast that most others call normal dinner, I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I could have so many fun memories with my whole family. Especially as each sibling's family grew ever larger. It should've been harder to get everyone in one place. But with Barlows lining the Mississippi River, and the two outlying Barlow branches in better position to travel across their distances, my life was charmed. My nieces and nephews knew their cousins and were excited to see each other. My family created traditions and inside jokes. The states that made up the Barlow Belt were known to me by more than just the capitols I learned in elementary school: Wisconsin was my most frequented running trail; Missouri was illuminated by fireworks; Iowa meant a big fuzzy dog to be my pillow; and it was always Christmas in Arkansas (when it wasn't the middle of Summer).
And the District of Columbia was where I finally got to host and take care of my family, instead of them always taking care of me.
But as all charms inevitably do, this charmed Age was destined to end. But that's not always a bad thing - after all, a charm that lasts too long often loses its luster and fades away to unappreciated normalcy. And anyway, just because one charm ends, it doesn't mean another can't be cast immediately.
In our case, the Age of Palooza ends as the Barlow Belt gets broken up at its middle. Iowa's link is dissolving away, and moving to Seattle, where it's always rainy and therefore always green. And I, for one, am excited to find out what name this new Age our family is embarking on will make for itself. And I cannot wait to visit our new Barlow place. The one time I visited Seattle, for this same brother's wedding, it left a tantalizing taste in my mouth; I always tell people that I know I loved Seattle because I was grumpy most of the time I was there, and I still really enjoyed myself. So now I have to go back and see how much more I'll enjoy it while I'm in a good mood!
And I've been thinking about this song ever since I heard the news - if Seattle is anything like, it's certainly going a wacky and exciting Age that the Barlows are stepping into:
*I triple dog dare you to not throw your hands up in the air when the chorus hits.
I've always considered these last few years of my life to be an exceptionally charmed time in my life, regarding my family's proximity to each other and the number of times I've been able to spend with all of us together at once.
I was still in elementary school when my oldest brother moved out of the house for college. I only lived with all of my siblings at home for 7 years of my life - I barely remember the days of having the 5 of us kids living under one roof. Then that same brother got married and started a family, and kept moving to and from Wisconsin, treating us with short bursts of time living nearby, before they'd move away again, just to come back a few years later. But during those yoyo years, one or more of my other siblings would have also moved out of the house, so when Chris was at least living close, we were still missing someone when we were together.
Then I went to college, and I barely saw any of my siblings, aside from a special, but too short, three months living with my brother Ben and his family, and the year or so that Abby and her family lived with her mother-in-law near my school. Even my parents made only rare appearances in my life, as I came home during an off-semester, or the occasional holiday. There was a time in my life where I saw very little of any of my family. And sadly, it didn't feel all that strange to me because, as much as I love and adore my family, I was just used to not seeing them very much. I was used to it being a big deal when one of my siblings came home to visit, because it happened somewhat infrequently. Poor college students can only afford so many plane tickets home, and parents with 5 kids can only shell out so much money toward bringing their poor college student children home.
After school, I moved to Utah, where my parents had relocated, and I saw my cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents more than I ever had before in my life - I met family I'd only heard of in stories, and re-met family I hadn't seen in years - and it was really great...but it wasn't the same as seeing my siblings, my nieces and nephews. I got even more excited when my brothers and sister visited, because I loved getting time with the little ones, and I loved having my siblings and their spouses to hang out with. I was a grown up finally - I could hold my own in the grown up conversations. I could joke and laugh and relate to what their lives were like, with a real job, and real decisions to make. But the siblings' visits rarely overlapped each other, and when they did, we still only had everyone there together maybe once. The families was just too spread out, with such different schedules - the trips to Utah were saved for times when they had a number of days to spend out there, and those long vacations rarely coincided between all the siblings. I think we managed it once, for a short weekend, and it was euphoric mayhem the whole time.
And then, the planets aligned. As well as they can in the vast Barlow world, at least. Chris was in Wisconsin, Ben was in Iowa. Zach and his wife had finished their grand adventure along the California coast and were settling in Missouri, and Abby found herself settling in Arkansas for a time. And me? A little while into this settling of the Midwest Wall of Barlows, I moved to DC.
DC, where people want to visit, and siblings go for work meetings regularly, though intermittently. And just like that, the Barlow family history moved into the Age of Palooza. An era when everything was suddenly shiny and sparkly and wonderful.
This is the Age I've been living in and loving for the last 2 and a half years. An Age where I can fly to a sibling on the cheap, and the others live close enough that they can drive over for a weekend visit. Where we can talk about having a fun family reunion, and then we actually have it. Where aunts and uncles are remembered by young nieces and nephews from their last visit, because it wasn't so long ago that their sweet memories had already forgotten it.
It started off on such a great note, too - I stopped in Wisconsin for a week, on my way to DC, and my two other brothers came up to my oldest brother's house, and we spent a weekend playing outside and running around. After that, we were hooked on each other. It was just too easy to see everyone now - the spaces between us were like we all lived across the street from each other, compared to the past. We had our first real Palooza soon after that. And then another. and then another! We had two full family gatherings in the space of 3 months! We had multiple mini gatherings interspersed throughout the 2 years. I had siblings visiting me in DC; I visited siblings along the Barlow Belt down the Midwest. My parents visited me and visited everyone, and we all gathered wherever multiple Barlows were rumored to be.
Living so many years deprived of such a family feast that most others call normal dinner, I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I could have so many fun memories with my whole family. Especially as each sibling's family grew ever larger. It should've been harder to get everyone in one place. But with Barlows lining the Mississippi River, and the two outlying Barlow branches in better position to travel across their distances, my life was charmed. My nieces and nephews knew their cousins and were excited to see each other. My family created traditions and inside jokes. The states that made up the Barlow Belt were known to me by more than just the capitols I learned in elementary school: Wisconsin was my most frequented running trail; Missouri was illuminated by fireworks; Iowa meant a big fuzzy dog to be my pillow; and it was always Christmas in Arkansas (when it wasn't the middle of Summer).
And the District of Columbia was where I finally got to host and take care of my family, instead of them always taking care of me.
But as all charms inevitably do, this charmed Age was destined to end. But that's not always a bad thing - after all, a charm that lasts too long often loses its luster and fades away to unappreciated normalcy. And anyway, just because one charm ends, it doesn't mean another can't be cast immediately.
In our case, the Age of Palooza ends as the Barlow Belt gets broken up at its middle. Iowa's link is dissolving away, and moving to Seattle, where it's always rainy and therefore always green. And I, for one, am excited to find out what name this new Age our family is embarking on will make for itself. And I cannot wait to visit our new Barlow place. The one time I visited Seattle, for this same brother's wedding, it left a tantalizing taste in my mouth; I always tell people that I know I loved Seattle because I was grumpy most of the time I was there, and I still really enjoyed myself. So now I have to go back and see how much more I'll enjoy it while I'm in a good mood!
And I've been thinking about this song ever since I heard the news - if Seattle is anything like, it's certainly going a wacky and exciting Age that the Barlows are stepping into:
*I triple dog dare you to not throw your hands up in the air when the chorus hits.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
On Unexpected Layovers, Interminable Workdays, and Valentines Day Crafts
My phone rang at about 11:45pm last night - it was a call from my eldest brother. And - SURPRISE! - he happened to be in DC for 18 hours!
In fact, he was as surprised as I was by this announcement. He had a layover at the Dulles airport in DC, and that layover ended up lasting until the next afternoon, so he would be around long enough to grab some breakfast with his sweet youngest sister. You know, if I could agree to get myself up and into the city at 8am...
But we sacrifice for those we love, so I got myself up an hour early and made my way into the city. This is how much I cared about seeing Chris - I got up an hour earlier than usual, on under 6 hours of sleep (I usually need more than that...), and I even did my hair so I could look nice for him! It's a trial for me to make it into work on time usually, so getting there even earlier was rather impressive, and I was glad to know I could do it. Overcoming challenges here, y'all!
And breakfast was lovely. We sat and chatted and discussed his recent journey to NYC with his wife (which sounded awesome!) and talked about how dad was a rockstar watching over his 5 kids - and his oldest kids were also rockstars for helping dad to be successful in this daunting task - and continued planning his trip with his family in a month, when they all come to visit me in DC! On purpose! It was such a nice way to start my Wednesday, I just loved it.
The one downside was that I felt like the day should've been half over when it was only 10am, and then this day just kept lasting and lasting and lasting, and I was certain it would never end. It was ridiculously busy, and honestly, I don't know how we survived it exactly. I guess by never really stopping to catch our breath and realize we were tired - because I kept my boss going and going. Good thing he's an energizer battery (literally - the pink fluffy suit keeps him warm when our office is cold, so that's a plus).
Luckily, the day ended on a somewhat high note. I was stressing out about a few things until roughly 7:15pm, but before I left work, I stopped with a coworker at a Congressional Reception happening in a hearing room near our office (we were invited - I wasn't just reception crashing...though it wouldn't be hard to do that around here), and the food was DIVINE. So good. It made me feel light and happy and at one with the world. Which was a feeling I needed at the moment, even if it disappeared along with my last bite of skewered salmon...
And after The Day That Wouldn't End, I spent a nice quiet evening making some Valentines day crafts. Our chief of staff has this really ugly ram's head, for a group she's part of right now, and I've been looking forward to covering with paper heart garlands ever since she brought it in 2 weeks ago. It's time that head got a little holiday spirit, amiright? I'll make sure to take a picture for you to see, if I succeed in making this fun surprise happen! I made a few other things tonight, instead of the garlands, but my creations are darling, fyi, and the garlands are next on the list.
Roller derby tryouts aren't until the Summer, and pottery classes are too expensive at the moment, so I think crafting is going to be what gets me through the grumpy, cold Winter. Mainly anything I can make with paper, because that's all I've got, as far as craft supplies go.
Watch out, y'all - I'm seeing a lot of origami cranes and flowers in my future!
In fact, he was as surprised as I was by this announcement. He had a layover at the Dulles airport in DC, and that layover ended up lasting until the next afternoon, so he would be around long enough to grab some breakfast with his sweet youngest sister. You know, if I could agree to get myself up and into the city at 8am...
But we sacrifice for those we love, so I got myself up an hour early and made my way into the city. This is how much I cared about seeing Chris - I got up an hour earlier than usual, on under 6 hours of sleep (I usually need more than that...), and I even did my hair so I could look nice for him! It's a trial for me to make it into work on time usually, so getting there even earlier was rather impressive, and I was glad to know I could do it. Overcoming challenges here, y'all!
And breakfast was lovely. We sat and chatted and discussed his recent journey to NYC with his wife (which sounded awesome!) and talked about how dad was a rockstar watching over his 5 kids - and his oldest kids were also rockstars for helping dad to be successful in this daunting task - and continued planning his trip with his family in a month, when they all come to visit me in DC! On purpose! It was such a nice way to start my Wednesday, I just loved it.
The one downside was that I felt like the day should've been half over when it was only 10am, and then this day just kept lasting and lasting and lasting, and I was certain it would never end. It was ridiculously busy, and honestly, I don't know how we survived it exactly. I guess by never really stopping to catch our breath and realize we were tired - because I kept my boss going and going. Good thing he's an energizer battery (literally - the pink fluffy suit keeps him warm when our office is cold, so that's a plus).
Luckily, the day ended on a somewhat high note. I was stressing out about a few things until roughly 7:15pm, but before I left work, I stopped with a coworker at a Congressional Reception happening in a hearing room near our office (we were invited - I wasn't just reception crashing...though it wouldn't be hard to do that around here), and the food was DIVINE. So good. It made me feel light and happy and at one with the world. Which was a feeling I needed at the moment, even if it disappeared along with my last bite of skewered salmon...
And after The Day That Wouldn't End, I spent a nice quiet evening making some Valentines day crafts. Our chief of staff has this really ugly ram's head, for a group she's part of right now, and I've been looking forward to covering with paper heart garlands ever since she brought it in 2 weeks ago. It's time that head got a little holiday spirit, amiright? I'll make sure to take a picture for you to see, if I succeed in making this fun surprise happen! I made a few other things tonight, instead of the garlands, but my creations are darling, fyi, and the garlands are next on the list.
Roller derby tryouts aren't until the Summer, and pottery classes are too expensive at the moment, so I think crafting is going to be what gets me through the grumpy, cold Winter. Mainly anything I can make with paper, because that's all I've got, as far as craft supplies go.
Watch out, y'all - I'm seeing a lot of origami cranes and flowers in my future!
#ohmygoshisthisnotthecutestthingever? #Iamgushingiloveitsomuch.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Roller Derby Saturdays
I've found my new passion.
ROLLER DERBY.
Or, rather, watching Roller Derby.
I haven't exactly tried it yet to know if I'd also be passionate about playing (I'm guessing not, though - I don't really like falling or getting hurt...).
And, okay, perhaps it's not a "passion" of mine yet, but I watched the DC Demoncats go up against the Majority Whips yesterday at the US Armory and their nail-biting finish, with the Whips (my team - I picked them from the start) pulling out a win in the last seconds was enough to make me want to go back.
If you've never watched a roller derby match, I think you should. And I have a few tips before you go:
Take some time to learn the basic rules, which won't make much sense until you're watching anyway. But I had to pull up Wikipedia during the match, and I think reading that before, as well, might have been slightly more effective.
Sit right in front of someone who knows the game really well and has family/friends nearby to whom she's teaching the rules. While we were sitting on the bleachers, the girl right behind me was a derby girl from out of town, apparently just visiting DC, I believe. But she had her parents and a friend with her, none of whom really knew the game. So she was explaining how it worked, using each play to comment on what they were doing. Discreetly listening to her explanations was a lot more effective than reading the rules on my phone, since I wasn't able to simultaneously watch the match for understanding while reading. Plus, with someone who really cares about RD, you also get to hear a little about the politics of it, and how different places set their leagues up differently. Interesting side-note stuff, you know?
Take some time to think of good nicknames if you played. There are some great ones out there to be used. Some of my favorites from yesterday were: Scabigail Adams, Rack of Slam, Nasty Pelosi, Green Eggs and Wham. If I was riffing off my name, I'd probably go with Scarlow. Otherwise maybe Shoots & Batters or something like that. It's actually a little harder than it seems to come up with a good one, but think of one that could be unique to you. It makes you feel more part of it all.
Get as close as possible to watch at least part of the match, if you can. At the Armory, there are bleachers, but then they also have chairs on the floor on the sides, with some space to sit on the floor as well. We went down to the chairs for the last 5 or so minutes of the match, having been in the bleachers for most of it. While the bleachers were great because we got a good bird's-eye view of the whole thing, it was really fun being right next to the players for the last little while, when I really wanted to be cheering. Our part of the bleachers was not very vocal, so I didn't want to be yelling. But you're able to get into the game a little more when you're that close. And since the end of our match was really close in score, everyone on the floor was a little more involved and excited for it all. It was nice being able to yell a little bit - and then to see victory happen so immediately in front of me, I could touch it! It was kind of exhilarating.
Find some good fans in the crowd. There aren't too many fans that get all geared up for their teams in RD - most observers who go just go for fun, not as a staunch supporter of one team or other. But family and friends of players usually have a little more swag than others, and it is awesome. Especially when the fan and the gear don't seem like they'd usually go together...
Get pumped up with some 70's Rock music. Get your mind and attitude into the days when roller skates ruled the world. My favorite song from the match was "These Boots Were Made for Walkin'." It really got the groovy grrrl-power generation's energy flowing through my veins.
Seriously though, I kind of feel like I need to try this at some point in my life. The girl behind me was saying how much energy the sport takes - the girls have to take regular breaks in the game, trading in and out, and I can totally see why, having watched it. With all the pushing and shoving and skating, I bet their legs burn rather nicely after a game. And their abs have to be getting a decent workout as well.
And, obviously, I'd look great as a RollerGirl -
ROLLER DERBY.
Or, rather, watching Roller Derby.
I haven't exactly tried it yet to know if I'd also be passionate about playing (I'm guessing not, though - I don't really like falling or getting hurt...).
And, okay, perhaps it's not a "passion" of mine yet, but I watched the DC Demoncats go up against the Majority Whips yesterday at the US Armory and their nail-biting finish, with the Whips (my team - I picked them from the start) pulling out a win in the last seconds was enough to make me want to go back.
If you've never watched a roller derby match, I think you should. And I have a few tips before you go:
Take some time to learn the basic rules, which won't make much sense until you're watching anyway. But I had to pull up Wikipedia during the match, and I think reading that before, as well, might have been slightly more effective.
Sit right in front of someone who knows the game really well and has family/friends nearby to whom she's teaching the rules. While we were sitting on the bleachers, the girl right behind me was a derby girl from out of town, apparently just visiting DC, I believe. But she had her parents and a friend with her, none of whom really knew the game. So she was explaining how it worked, using each play to comment on what they were doing. Discreetly listening to her explanations was a lot more effective than reading the rules on my phone, since I wasn't able to simultaneously watch the match for understanding while reading. Plus, with someone who really cares about RD, you also get to hear a little about the politics of it, and how different places set their leagues up differently. Interesting side-note stuff, you know?
Take some time to think of good nicknames if you played. There are some great ones out there to be used. Some of my favorites from yesterday were: Scabigail Adams, Rack of Slam, Nasty Pelosi, Green Eggs and Wham. If I was riffing off my name, I'd probably go with Scarlow. Otherwise maybe Shoots & Batters or something like that. It's actually a little harder than it seems to come up with a good one, but think of one that could be unique to you. It makes you feel more part of it all.
Get as close as possible to watch at least part of the match, if you can. At the Armory, there are bleachers, but then they also have chairs on the floor on the sides, with some space to sit on the floor as well. We went down to the chairs for the last 5 or so minutes of the match, having been in the bleachers for most of it. While the bleachers were great because we got a good bird's-eye view of the whole thing, it was really fun being right next to the players for the last little while, when I really wanted to be cheering. Our part of the bleachers was not very vocal, so I didn't want to be yelling. But you're able to get into the game a little more when you're that close. And since the end of our match was really close in score, everyone on the floor was a little more involved and excited for it all. It was nice being able to yell a little bit - and then to see victory happen so immediately in front of me, I could touch it! It was kind of exhilarating.
Find some good fans in the crowd. There aren't too many fans that get all geared up for their teams in RD - most observers who go just go for fun, not as a staunch supporter of one team or other. But family and friends of players usually have a little more swag than others, and it is awesome. Especially when the fan and the gear don't seem like they'd usually go together...
Get pumped up with some 70's Rock music. Get your mind and attitude into the days when roller skates ruled the world. My favorite song from the match was "These Boots Were Made for Walkin'." It really got the groovy grrrl-power generation's energy flowing through my veins.
Seriously though, I kind of feel like I need to try this at some point in my life. The girl behind me was saying how much energy the sport takes - the girls have to take regular breaks in the game, trading in and out, and I can totally see why, having watched it. With all the pushing and shoving and skating, I bet their legs burn rather nicely after a game. And their abs have to be getting a decent workout as well.
And, obviously, I'd look great as a RollerGirl -
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