Waking up in Finland

Kate Perry sings about waking up in Vegas and shaking the glitter out of your clothes. Waking up in Finland - no glitte to shake off yet - I do have it in my make-up bag.

We took the boat over, so I really fell asleep out on open water and woke up in Turku, Finland. But before falling asleep, we were dining in the Buffet and singing karaoke... Amy sang "I kissed a girl" while four or five of us where supportive dancers... I think we might REALLY have shocked the rest of the people at the bar.

We like to call the boats that go between Finland and Sweden "the Fuckboat" and they are cheap and usually people are really drunk. Since our reason for going to Finland is to play a bout (well, not me, I'm running line-ups) no one was drunk and we all went to bed early... Yeah... Exciting life of rock stars like us!
Today is quite a bout day in the Scandinavia (yes I know that Finland is not a part, but if everyone else does include I will too) Stockholm B-team is playing in Tampere, that's where I'm heading right now in Flukes fast car, an Gothenburg is playing Nidaros (Norway) while Crime City B-team in Malmö are hosting Oslo and Helsinki B-team... Exciting day for Nordic derby!

Can't wait for tonight! It's gonna be exciting!

Waiting for the boat to leave Sweden

Kahavi (coffee in Finnish)

Hm, this was found on the boat

Fluke by his sweet ride we took to Tampere

Tampere is the word for this weekend!

So me and Only are going to Tampere with Stockholms B-team to keep the bench in check... AND we are taking the boat... Yeah... And I'm sharing the little tiny room with our three male reff/nso crew... Yepp - I guess I am one of the dudes!

Me and Only have of course decided on very pretty outfits... Oh yeah... Loony is seriously a great costume maker...

a cup of tea??

working

gettin her in there

Bored by running

I tried, its no FUN at all - i just cant find that zone everyone talks about... I lasted 20 min and then I downloaded Spotify and ran for another 10 minutes... Well, I guess that is not too bad for someone that really hates to run and prefer to stay in bed all day long. And tehn I cam home and put linnex on - ouch - it burns soo good...

Stockholm at 7.30 am, not tooo shabby... 

Shitty, shitty and supershitty day

Just sadness - just sucks when you come to skate and you can't - it rains - you wanna curl up in a ball - and you just wish you were somewhere really far away.
Just one of those days when it seemed like life was shitting on you, and all you want to do is to get a hug, a bowl full of soup and some kind words... being cared for...

wet track means no skating... no skating is no fun

Rugby Practice - a new sport?

When i was younger I was not so into sports - except from snowboarding and I would do some off-snow once in a while, just becuse I knew it would make me a better snowboarder. So for a few months 10 years ago I practiced with a rugbyteam here in Stockholm - I sucked, I was both scared of the ball, the other girls and the full contact part...

So I don't know what happened - but I love to work out - I feel shitty if I don't, and it makes my body feel great. I guess I use it as an excuse to eat everything that my heart desires... And my heart does desire lots and lots of candy, vegetables, marängswiss and more rice cakes...

So me and Becky were talking about that we should try rugby - don't ask me why - probably because its a full contact sport and we love a good challenge... And a week later I found a "try rugby with us" event on Facebook and knowing I should know better we signed up....
 I once dated a girl that I met when she was with her rugbyteam on a pub crawl and she was totally batcrazy (but also really AWESOME)... Yeah... but that did not end so well, but I guess all rugby girls don't have to be like that, and I'm not about to date anyone, just play the sport... I probably should know better than get involved in another full contact sport! Well, well...but  Ankefar from CCR also plays rugby - and her being one of Swedens best jammers - sort of made us quite sure that rugby at least wouldn't be bad for us...

We got there and the girls were superfriendly and we got to run, throw the ball, that really is not round, and therefore it's not a ball, we alls got to tackle big blue cushions - and even if I might have gotten a slight headache from teh violence of me throwing myself onto this big round cushion throwing myself to the ground, I was having a blast... It was wet and a little cold and I was really having a REALLY GOOD TIME! It was also quite nice to suck really bad, and just try, and try and try and fight to learn somethign new without any expectations to have any answers at all...

It was SUPERFUN - I loved it! Not as much fun as derby - but I always have room for more sports in my life...so maybe an option for those Tuesdays and Thursdays when I don't have derby practice...

Oh, and if you happen to live in Stockholm and wanna go try it next Tuesday... do it! I think we might go again...

If it's not round, it's not really a ball... right...?

Loony and Becky gettign ready to tackle our new sport...

And practice was FUN

Yesterday night i ran practice, as usual when i ran practice we did tons of skills and basics, those you can never have to many of, being able to our skate people is never something bad. And then I sort of held one of those "mixed bag of tricks" practices. A little of everything and just adding something extra to drills that we already know - but this time we will do them with a twist.
Somethings were really hard, and we all struggled to get it even close to what it was supposed to be like, but without struggle, success will never be valued.
I came to practice in a shitty mood, I planned it on the bus feeling stressed and like I was getting ill, but after practice I felt really accomplished. And it was one of those practices that I was running, but I still gotta skate a lot in it... Thanks to sloppy helping out with the whistle.
Just three more weeks at our current practice space... And then we are homeless, once again!

Heeey all of you! 

So tired

It is like I never get enough sleep - my body is tired, my brain spins on and on about nothing and I just feel like I have no energy at all! I run between home, work and practice - and the times of that emptiness surrounds me on the subway. I travel in the midst of hundreds and still so alone.
I try to figure out time for food, but I breathe something in between expectations and commitments.

I long to skate but my body tells me to get the fuck to bed, or just go have a beer and stare at abad TV-show. Oh, how that sounds good... Ah, how that sounds luring...

Just cuddling on the couch, wrapped up in blankets, wrapped up in the thoughtlessness of nothingness and with a cup of hot chocolate while the world outside changes colours and becomes first so bright and then so naked. I just lay there, wrapped up around you and dream because its all a dream.

Instead I'm stuck on the train with a faint feeling of maybe becoming sick but probably not because the word rest is not recognised...

Early Saturday workout and now Fundraiser

I'm tired and we stayed up almost all night to watch Western Regionals. So manu of my friends play in the west. There were more competitive bouts than during Northern Regionals - and Rat City vs Bay Area was a nailbiter and also Rocky vs. Oly was a competitive bout. I also enjoyed watching Angel City stepping it up against Rosé City and playing a bout that was much more competitive than I had expected. Ahhhhe... Rollerderby... So great and amazing.... But after a mere four hours of sleep I got out of bed to enjoy some cross training and a wee bit running, i found some stairs i for want to revisit. I'm once again all about the 100 push-ups challenge... The rest of the league is into a plank challenge. I guess if there isn't an app for it, I'm not game (the problem of modern society)
So now I'm soon off to put found raiser at Kafe 44 - to hang out with amazing people and help working, until Oly plays Rose - because I wanna be close to a computer for that...

Zzzzzzleepy time but not allowed...

Watching Western Regionals... It's late... Still two bouts I wanna watch... Ugh...
We have had snacks... We have had coffee and we had vegan soup... and banana bread...

Kim knows what's up, Becky just smiles

Banana bread and Lentil soup

Everyone brings snacks... and yes the dried fruit is what we ran out of

Me and Kix are teh good girls... 

Morgonstund har guld i mun

Jomenvisst så att... (took a while for brain to get back into English)

Its morning and I did NOT wanna get out of bed, I do not wanna go to work, still I'm sitting on the bus on my way.

I'm trying to be a little of a daredevil - I am trying a different bus, it's not working out very well, I'm already 10 min late for work.

The air is crisp, it smells like fall, the sun is shining but the heat is long gone its a weak copy of its summer self.

The bus takes another turn I did not expect and I'm wondering if it ever will take me to the place I'm going. I already stopped caring, it's not important anymore, because I know I'll get there late already, and there is no faster way to get there. Why worry?

I've decided to start writing again, me and a friend are going to give each other home works, and write... I am excited...

Place where I wait for the bus

Fun, fun and being exhausted...

Going home from practice, on the bus that take 30 min and then 10 min on the subway! Gonna make some food and watch Minnesota vs. Windy City... Yay... I am a nerd!

I was feeling tired and in a shitty mood e when I came to practice - I didnt really wanna be there at all - I would just rather have been home in bed. My throat is a little achy and I'm just exhausted from never getting enough sleep.

Still I go to practice - and almost every time I feel so much better after... Skating lifts my spirit - and we now have started to have off-skate practice 30 min before practice, I know I'm silly, but I love love love offskate - especially when I get sore! Mmmm... and windsprints...

Twins, twins, twins, twins...

And we also match... it is getting colder... Helly Hansen will keep us warm...

Practice with Pain again

I know, I say it over and over again, it's fall, I am cold, my bed feel empty, I cuddle by myself and I have a cold creeping into my life. I long for a warmth that isn't here, and ginger, garlic and lemon just isn't helping.

I have a muscle knot in my back, and turning my head makes pain shoot down the spine, makes me shiver and makes me feel even sicker. My throat is sore, and the sun is gone, it's cold, sweaters, pants, jackets and warm socks required... I wanna be home - wrapped up on my couch, but soon I'm on my way to practice, soon I will be warming up my stiff body, running, jumping and breathing the air of the summer that is gone, neglecting the pain until it's there no more pain and only joy left.

The Pain of today

The only thing that will chase the pain away

Sometimes everything just makes you laugh!

Practice today was stellar - I was sooo tired going there after staying up late all weekend watching Northern Regionals (congrats to Windy for the win).
I totally was having a blast bouncing around on my skates and just being silly... Ahhh... I love moving my body, it makes me the happiest girl in the world! And I love the Stockholm skaters, all do hardworking and positive - forward, forward never straight... And pushing each other -we will get better - all of us! So after practice lots of us piled on the bus, and realized that we could use it to stretch on. We are still practicing outdoors and probably will until end of October... So it's becoming too chilly to stay and stretch there.
Firebird just moved here from CCR and was feeding me raisins - that is sugar - sugar makes me hyper... When I'm hyper I'm all over the place... I was all over the place! I love rollerderby and the people in it!!

WOW - the STRD version of a boyband... may I present Mary, RudeAss, Amy, Misfith and Firebird...

Monkeys streching on the bus

Okey everyone hurry to the bus...

Mary was screaming LESBIAN RODEO... People were impressed

Friday night... And Saturday morning...

Vegan-lasagna and and WFTDA Northern Regionals, it is all you need on a Friday night. I know I'm a derby nerd - and I guess it's OK.

I'm also sort of putting my apartment all together, making it my own little home and not the Swoony home anymore...

I just slept the first night in my new bed, and it was real comfortable, I just need to get one of those thinner mattresses for it, to make it just a tad softer. I slept in today, and I am spending most of the day by myself - because I really need some alone time at the moment. My life has twisted and changed, and I am still catching my breath.

You Should Support this!

This is superduper cool! YOU really should support this, because derby is what it is because of all the outspoken humans that have built and created this community together.
 I love Vagine Regime - rollerderby has given me a voice and a place where I feel secure in being queer, where I loud and proud can look people in the eye and be who I am.

Fall you cannot fool me!

Everyone keep on telling me it's still summer! Ha, keep on telling yourself that, but it's not true! The days are just getting shorter and shorter and shorter. Sure, the sun is hot - it just leaves me in darkness way to early.
The fall storms have not hit yet - we are holding our breaths and pretending that it is still summer, well the rest are, I cannot be fooled that easy... I know this is just the last week/weeks of light before the Swedish darkness will hit.

Yepp... I guess I will just try to enjoy it as long as I can...

Going South for the weekend

So this weekend I decided to go to Malmö and pay my old leauge a visit, and it was a good trip. They had an intraleauge bout: Lammkött vs. Pantertanter (Lambmeat vs. Golden Girls) So if you were 29 or over you were deemed to be a Pantertant and  if you were younger you were a Lambmeat.
The bout was very close and it made it quite exciting to watch, Team Sweden skaters Evil Eye, Ninja and Ankefar were Oldies while Curly, Alotta and Fenix were all Lambchops... yum yum...  I know I have said this before, but I probably will again, and again... I am so proud and wexcited about how far Swedish rollerderby have gotten, how much we are pushing ourselves, how hard we all work to make it better. I am proud of each and everyone that are involved in derby!
I sat next to Fluke and we had smuggled a beer in, so we could drink and watch a bout... I can't even remember last time I just went and watched a bout without NO responsibility surrounding the event. It was quite AMAZING!

Pantertanter warming up

Objects might apper closer, it still is almost 6 ours between Malmö and Stockholm

Aloha and Ankefarfar (Ankan wins best outfit)

Lammkött warming up

Another day in my life

This is a table I just made... I feel very creative... it's aperently in style and called shabby chic..

I got a haircut by Lady Lovley Blocks... excited, it just turned out as I wanted it too! 

My moms dog Morris... I am a dog-sitter

Kim and I went to test moussles and were more impressed by the Kwak beer! 

I am wearign a skirt and I am walking home on rainwet streets... I truly LOVE Stockholm! 

Day in My life

Taking the pendeltåg to work

Drinking coffee at work

Making more coffee before work

Runnning practice with awesome derbygirls

Before the lights come on we have the last of the sun in our eyes... 

Playing vs USA

Of course we lost - But we played really, really well, and i am very proud of what has become of Team Sweden. We scored 29 points on the worlds best team - and we built walls that I can be very proud of.
Team USA awarded me MVP, and Fenix got best jammer while Knickerblocker Glory got best blocker. I am super proud of us all, each and everyone that was out on the track, having a calm and fun game, smiling, fighting and playing rollerderby. That's what it's all about!
It was SO much fun to see and play with the CCR girls again! Rollerderby truly saved my soul, and then kidnapped it and keeping it for ransom... I just wonnder what the ransom is...

Team Sweden awarded Team USA:

Best Blocker: Sexy Slaydie
Best Jammer: Bonnie Thunders
MVP: Joy Collision

Team USA awarded Team Sweden:
Best Blocker: Knickerblocker Glory
Best Jammer: Fenix Fortsomfan
MVP: Swede Hurt (probably hte award I am the most proud of ever)

Skating vs Team USA

I tell everyone not to be nervous, even thou my nervousness almost have gotten into an interesting state of flu-like symptoms.
I have to say that life with derby is amazing, I love it. Pressure is a part of it, pressure on a lot of different levels - to be a great coach, hold practices that cater to everyone's needs and wishes, that makes people smile, te pressure to keep your own set of skills and happiness, even if half of the practices you go to are practices when you aren't really skating yourself, just coaching. The pressure to don't do things wrong, to keep a positive attitude and a smile on your face even of your real life (ha ha ha, what is that btw) is falling apart and all you wanna do is lay down and cry.
So the sum of the cardamom (Swedish expression) is that there is lots of different points of pressure to derby, but the love for the sport makes the pressure feel less like pressure and more like either something I do becuse I wanna get better, because I want others to get better and also because we can all be a part of developing this amazing sport! Ahhhhhhmazing is what it is!

So here we are today, just a few hours away from skating a bout that we have pretty much NO chance of winning - but to score is our goal, to fight as hard as we can as a team. We are a team of Viking fighters, of girls that have worked hard to develop derby to what it is today in Sweden.
I am impressed by each and everyone that are on the team today - because of their dedication and their level of play. We only have time against us... But one day - one day...

I am ranting - did I mention that I rant when I'm nervous?