(no subject)

[aslant]

thunder and lightning like the end of the world. the rain is just bucketing down, sirens everywhere, the lightning must have hit somewhere in town. the cracks of thunder are so sharp and loud i have jumped in my chair several times, they just crack and roll over the building over and over again. easily dozens of times just while writing this paragraph.

so. a raindate for tonight's roller derby bout in providence is pretty much a lock. meaning it will be moved to sunday, meaning i will miss it because of practice. boo.

in other news, last night i met with a former hgse student, and our conversation just proved to me that it will be impossible for me to work 17.5 hours/week next year while in school. i just cannot juggle the time committment on top of schoolwork + long commute + possible roller derby. now i have to figure out when i will quit this job, and sign my name on some truly massive loans.

Comments

[ricecricket.livejournal.com]

*hyper-envious of the thunder & lightning.

probably miss that most of all from the south.

[aslant.livejournal.com]

aww. well, it appears to have suddenly stopped, so maybe it is headed your way! and also no doubt to providence, to thoroughly soak the track and my dreams of a relaxing night of derby & beer. and shouting myself hoarse.

[ricecricket.livejournal.com]

are you able to drink &...hrm...derby simultaneously?

[aslant.livejournal.com]

wftda, 2006 official rules, section 9.5 IMPAIRED SKATERS:

9.5.1 skaters may not participate in a bout while under the influence of alcohol, narcotics, or illegal drugs.
9.5.2 skaters may not consume alcohol at bouts while wearing skates.

sooo...interpret that how you will.

[ricecricket.livejournal.com]

makes me wonder what sort of sordid, lawless history exists for this sport, given that this had to be included in the rulebook.

[aslant.livejournal.com]

in the 70s there was a roller derby show, the teams were co-ed and a lot of the combat was staged, alligators in a pit in the middle etc. truly absurd stuff. i wouldn't count that as the history to the sport. for what it's worth, the wftda is very serious about establishing it as a national sport, and no self-respecting sport would allow players to drink on the field, right?

[ricecricket.livejournal.com]

i agree. self-respecting sports would require to players to drink off the field. at least that's how it was on my soccer teams. fellow teammates showing up to games drunk, or high, or coked up. made for strange games.

i had no clue the sport was that old (the 30s). i had no clue that skates have been around that long. i thought those were a 70s invention.

[aslant.livejournal.com]

roller disco & roller disco fashion are from the 70s, most definitely.

ye history of roller skating

and ye history of roller derby. god bless wikipedia forever & ever amen.

the british invented rollerskates?

[ricecricket.livejournal.com]

"The first recorded use of roller skates was in a London stage performance in 1743."

!!!

i would lovvvvvvve to see how crude those were.

related: the roller skate craze

Re: the british invented rollerskates?

[aslant.livejournal.com]

i have seen the old b&w ones. so great! i saw a clip from some 1970s co-ed roller derby on youtube once, too...

Re: the british invented rollerskates?

[ricecricket.livejournal.com]

never even occured to me to look at youtube.

*watches a video or two.

...pause...

are you really allowed to smack someone in the jaw with an elbow?

Re: the british invented rollerskates?

[aslant.livejournal.com]

super illegal! no blocking above the shoulders is allowed. though i suppose it cld happen accidentally, the blocker would get a major penalty for it. & some teams play dirtier than others.

[aslant.livejournal.com]

i should say, a tv show boasted the alligator pit etc. there was also lots of televised roller derby in that era that was not in the form of staged shows. the sport itself is from the 1930s, from what i've read...

[ricecricket.livejournal.com]

did i ever tell you about the time i broke a finger, while wearing roller skates, & while standing completely still?

[aslant.livejournal.com]

haha. i wouldn't doubt it!

our league had to adjust rules for training new girls. apparently, in the first batch they trained, during the first full-contact practices two girls broke their legs.

two girls. broke. their legs.

[ricecricket.livejournal.com]

the more i hear about this from you, the more i think this is actually a sport i could enjoy watching.

[aslant.livejournal.com]

yes yes yes! you should go see a game. though i recommend familiarizing yourself with the rules & watching clips of jams...it's always more interesting to watch a sport when you know where the crucial score is coming from.

[nevers.livejournal.com]

!!!!

[aslant.livejournal.com]

brutal stuff!

haha!

[nevers.livejournal.com]

"Violence may leave the track and may include striking opponents with available objects."

Re: haha!

[aslant.livejournal.com]

ha! i've never seen or heard of that happening. though when you buy tickets to the game, there is a huge disclaimer saying that you accept responsibility for injuries received UP TO AND INCLUDING DEATH or something scary like that. it definitely says death, right there.