A little life update... april 2015

Roller derby is one of the better things that have happened to me, or rather that I found and made happen. Because that is the charm with derby, WE are all the people that make it happen. Season has started and on and off-skate is becoming intense. I am always a little sore, if it's not from one of our amazing jammers railing into my ribs it's prbably from some intense workout that Violet has put together for us.

One of the things I really appreciate about Gotham is the workethic, how everyone give their 100% and never gives up. On and off the track. Rollerderby is a teamsport, and you have to have your entire team want the same thing, to work hard towards the same thing, to trust our leaders. I miss having Fisti on the team, I still get to see her, because friends you make in derby are sometimes for life... and I'm keeping her. She also is room mates with one of my best friends Frozen... so she gets to see me wether she wants it or not.

I still live with Viscious and Violet, and for most of the time my brother from another mother Kenbo is here. We live  deep into Brooklyn, and I must say I like it here. I also see lots of my international friend Brazilian Nut who just transferred back to Gotham from Philly. Oh, and I am also single and ready to mingle, if anyone was wondering.... ha ha ha... and also me and Krissy Krash are building something that I think is going to be fun: DERBYSMASH - a way for derby people like me and you (yeah YOU) to connect. If you wanna sign up for our newsletter:
http://www.blockerseekingjammer.com/ don't be shy!! I will write more about derbysmash in my next blog...

I played my first game with Bronx Gridlock and I made the 2015 Gotham Allstar squad.... EXCITED!!

I still feel like I am developing as a skater, and after four years of not really gotten coached and just focused more on others develpment, it's quite cool to just be helped and told what to do... ha ha ha
And as I said in the previous blog, I'm one of the New York Shock Excahnge managers this season, and I am superexcited to work with the team and the other managers. This past year has really given me a new outlook on mens rollerderby.

Yeah... and I am going to write in my blog more often... because I want too!!

NYSE manager 2015

I am superhappy to have been elected for a New York Shock Exchange manager for 2015 together with three other amazing Gotham Allstars (Maven,Vish and Salydie). I'm happy to be working with in my eyes the best MRDA team... YAYAAAA... it is going to be a great time... I love to be a part!

Good to Go - again

So this year I took a real off-season, in that way that I didn't skate, I did continue to work out, but not as much, more maintaining than really building. I needed that, I took some mental "me" time, I took care of some things that was long overdue.

I made the Gotham Allstar 2015 squad, but January was a HARD month on me. Really hard! Even if it had amazing highlights, I have amazing roomies, I have an amazing brother that made my birthday fantastic and a whole bunch of supportive friends. AND me and Krissy Krash finalised our plans on blockerseekingjammer.com 

Now it feels like I can see the light in the end of the tunnel, I guess you have to hit the low points to be able to appreciate the high parts. And I'm currently working on getting my body and mind completely ready for the 2015 season. 

Practicing with Gotham Allstars is one of the most amazing experiances ever, but it is also super hard, and you are always expected to push yourself. 

Currently I'm in Sweden for a two weeks to work, and since I've come home I've already been at Good to Go twice and had amazing work outs and my body is SORE! I was also invited by BSTRDs to come and join their practice. It was superduperfun to see a bunch of familiar faces from Stockholm Roller Derby.

When practice is cancelled

Well, we all hate to get the e-mail saying that practice is cancelled. Even if it's because of an epic snowstorm... That turned out to not be epic at all... But we have snow in NYC and I love it, even if both practice on Monday was cancelled and drop-in scrimmage yesterday... But Gotham ALLSTARS have off-skate homework... And this is when living with Violet and Vish really has its perks... Off-skate workout two days in a row with Vish, Violet and Kenbo... Yeah... I am so ready for this season to get kicking!!

Kenbo is our private DJ

It's snowing in NYC

So we are supposed to get a crazy amount of snow and there is a citywide emergency alert, trains and roads are shutting down. And worst of all practice got cancelled. Living with two other Gotham Allstars have the perk (?) that we still got motivated and did a work-out. So much fun! I love having people to work out with! I'm not really that great of a self-motivator.

It's crazy how the entire city is shutting down over some snow... But we are all set, we bought a bunch of religious candles at the bodega, in case the electricy goes out. We are stocked with food, Violet is making chili, Vish is gonna bake shortbread cookies (my favourite) and I'm gonna make the Swedish version of mulled wine (Glögg). Yay for having the best roomies and friends ever! 

StateWars 2014 in Daytona Beach

Photo by Ken LeBleu

I wasn't sure if I was going to go or not, but in the end I couldn't say no to such a opportunity. I was in Sweden so I was supposed to fly into Ft. Laurendale late Thursday, rent a car and drive up to Daytona. 

Well, Norwegian Air had different plans for me, since their the flight was 11h delayed. I came in early Friday morning and missed my first game against Iowa. I guess shit happens. But the next game was just a few hours away and we played Oklahoma, and secured a substantial win.  I was superexcited to see my roommate Vish and brother from another mother Kenbo, but in all honesty I was the most excited to see Carnage who's arms I just ran into when I saw him. The Men's New York team only had nine players, still they looked really strong. 

Saturday we started off the day playing Mass - even if I went to bed thinking we were supposed to play Wisconsin or Alabama. The scedual kept on confusing me, but I cant really say that I made a huge effort to understand it, I just showed up and played rollerderby. After beating Mass we played Georgia, and we won that game too.  So according to scedual we were supposed to play Iowa (again) and we decided that we wanted to play them again. Because we thought we could win, we were wrong. 

Loosing to Iowa set us up to play Texas 8.30 am on Sunday morning. The Texas game turned out to be superclose, first we had a substatial lead, and then in the second half they pulled away for a bit. Maven had an amazing last jam, but in the end they beat us. We really wanted to win, but our bodies were just tired and we were exhausted, my toe was really hurting and taking my skates off was sort of a relief. I still love rollerderby, and I would gladly have played two more bouts.

In the end Colorado went on and won it all, thier team looked superstrong and they played Texas in the final. I guess I can be ok with loosing to the team that took second.

I had an amazing time at StateWars, got to play five bouts and got to spend time with old and new friends. After party was a few beers and a burger for me, the burger was the real highlight. i took a slow walk on the beach and it was really peaceful before I went back to our crowded hotelroom.

I am thankful and happy that I had an opportunity to skate on Team New York. And congratulations to Team Colorado for taking home the win! And congratulations to Carnage on the New York Mens team that took home tournament MVP.

Pink hair and NYSE getting THIRD

I woke up this morning wearing a gold lamé dress and my hair pink with golden jewlery stuck in it. Sometimes things just don't end up the way you plan them to be, and for the past few months I've tried to be more carefree... I guess this really shows success...

I even felt slightly hung over, and when checking my e-mail I realised that I missed dodgeball with NYSE. I was still in time for the GGRD/NYSE combined on-skate part of practice. Most of the dudes were in Tacoma an dcurrently GGRD are in off-seson, except from us Allstars... so it was not really the busiest. We ended a little early to grab food before we sat down and watched NYSE play.. .and that was the rest of the day... I watched mens derby with a bunch of people and I enjoyed it. I still have to say that "come on my chest" is a thought that pops up ever so often... sooo much chest to chest action... at times in the Puget Sound/NYSE they skated so close chest to chest I think they were about to ask each other out on a date. At least they seem to have enought time to share some real intimte time...

NYSE ended up third - so we celebrated that with some nice cava...  SO many CONGRATULATIONS to NYSE, you guys did awesome and it was great to watch you. Being able to skate with those guys really have given me a new and more positive look on merby, and it has been superfun. And it was fun to watch Southern Discomfort... GO England! Derby truly is sreching allover the world...

And then I went home, L-train through Bushwick while Maven was falling asleep on my shoulder. I am for once starting to feel like I have my feet under me in a very long time. I think I'm starting to feel like I'm home.

Night ending with listen to all sorts of music together with Vish and eating ice-cream... yeah... it is life!

Insomnia is for sure still something that I have to deal with, and at times I think we might have a korean waterghost in the apartment...