Ravings of an Irate Pirate

(If you don't feel like reading everything, just read the end. That's where the real message lies)   Each time the year ticks over people world wide take stock in their lives. What have they accomplished? What have they seen? Some people also make resolutions for the year to come. Some will swear to diet, others to be kind, and others to give up habits that have plagued them for years. I am no different than most people. So, let's reflect on 2015. The start of the year brought about pain and sadness. Most days I still feel the aftershocks of the loss of a dear friend. I still her her saying, with a laugh behind her words, "Oh Irate" the way she did when something awesome, fun, kind, or funny happened. I also lost my Great Aunt Franny . She was, along with her sisters and their families, a big part of my childhood. She was also my mother's Godmother, so you can imagine how Mum took it. As a community and world we cope with losses every day. In 201...

After watching the 2015 WFTDA International Championship, I find myself reflective. I watched as the Rose City Wheels of Justice ended the Gotham Girls Roller Derby's incredible winning streak. You see, the last time Gotham lost a game was June 6, 2013. They have since played 35 games and won the WFTDA Hydra 4 times. Tonight, Rose took that away. It was incredible to watch. That caliber of Roller Derby is what I strive for now. I know, realistically, I am not going to ever be D1 Champion Skater Material, but I could be Coach material. Anyway, the win and the excitement have me thinking about how I got my start with Roller Derby. I tell the story often. First, there was the Lyrical Gangstah. She was on the Cosmonaughties with the Boston Derby Dames (now Boston Roller Derby ).  She and I were friends a while before roller derby came into our lives One day she said to my husband and I, "I started this new thing. It's roller derby... Beth! Come skate with me!...

Recently someone said I had an agenda. This surprised me, but then I thought about it and yeah, maybe I do have an agenda after all! All people have one of some kind, and I have decided I will share mine with you, 100% bare and candid. First on the agenda is the promotion of the celebration of successes. Sure, you sound like an asshole if you go on too much about how well you did at something, but it is good to know and celebrate that you did something well! Others will celebrate with you and those who do not celebrate may try to cut you down. They are just being douche bags (they may have something that makes them pang with a bit of jealousy about your success). A big part of the Irate Agenda is to be true to yourself and your emotions. This is something that is huge to me. Whether I am playing my LARP or skating or just existing, I try to be just me and not necessarily fit the mold others may want to force me in to. I don't fit really anywhere, but then again, I fit everywhe...

I am going to only throw out a few pictures because we have a LOT that we took as a team and I really do not want to do three posts about Idaho. We arrived! We had food! We made friends.... ... who want to sit with us! We stayed positive! And were silly. I got to spend extra time with people I adore. Ate more food. Drove everywhere. Argued about who was better:Batman or Superman. There were some shenanigans. A little bit of this! And a lot of relaxing. We researched gross things during the after-party. Piper and I were not fully impressed And we slept it off in the lobby. We went to this place TWICE! We ate more food... And a little more.... Then we flew home with a lot to think about and more to remember.

Well Blog-o-verse, we knew when I started this thing I was bad at updates. Luckily we have had some adventures, so I have something to write about (finally). NH Roller Derby sent the All Stars team to Idaho for the 5th annual Spudtown Knockdown tournament. We went in with high hopes of taking at least one win and having close games, but that was just not to be. We experienced something teams have happen all the time; The Blow Out. Yep, we lost and we lost hard with each game. But, while losing, something wonderful happened. I have been on the All Stars team off and on since 2008 (2013 and 2014, I declined the opportunity to try out). For the first time (that I can remember) not a single person gave up on our bench, no one was blamed or shamed, everyone was given a chance to play and show their worth, every skater smiled and pushed hard, and no one was angry at the rest of the team. No insults at each other, no flung words at the other teams. We had... Zen Bench ! I mean,...

I am passionate about many things. I am very passionate about Roller Derby. It has played a huge part in my life for the last number of years. The latest thing to come out of my years in roller derby that makes my heart glad is the announcement out of NH Roller Derby ; the launch of our new Little Sister League: New Hampshire Junior Roller Derby ! Many of the vetted NHRD skaters had been tossing the idea around for a long time. My league mate Ruby Ruff-N-Tumble really took the helm and got us rolling on the project. She worked her derby-bum off gathering information, reaching out out to leagues in the area, creating a business profile, and talking with the JRDA (an organization we are working toward joining) to get us up and running. I am excited to get to coach these up and coming derby elites, because that is what JR Derby is! It's the start of passion for sport and teamwork and the creation of an environment that will provide the blocks for young girls to build an indepe...

I am not a nutritionist. I only know what works for me. One of the things I have been looking in to recently is eating right for a training day or season. As a newer skater I did not know way half way through practices I would get dizzy, or feel sick.  Turns out, I was just not eating right! My body was telling me it was out of fuel and I needed to stop and have a rest or a snack. Now, I know what I need and I do not run into these issues as often. Everyone's body is different, but here is what has worked for me. (I feel I need to repeat: I am not a nutritionist. I only know what works for me.) Less Acidic foods. This includes my beloved meatball subs. Before scrimmages I was notorious for having a small meatball sub and then getting heartburn by half time. it made me feel sick and I did not want to keep going. I still make this mistake once in a blue moon. But it is rare than I do this. So hard to resist! (I want one NOW) Fruit is not enough. If you are are lik...

With 2014 officially behind us, I am looking forward to 2015 and all the potential there is. I am mostly talking about Roller Derby and all the changes about to come through on my league . First, we announced a new Logo. This is for the league as well as our two travel teams. The All Star team and the B-Team will travel under the same Logo and uniform to help with better branding and PR. There it is! NH Represented and a show of Athleticism I love it because it still closely resembles the All Star logo from the least two years so we are not taking a huge leap. With so many of our previous All Stars retiring, we (NHRD) are also looking at a shift in team dynamic. We want to stay competitive for sure, but we want a more cohesive team. The last two years were fiercely competitive on the team and on the track. I am sure the captains of both the travel teams will want to keep a competitive roster for both teams, but I am also sure they will attempt to foster a more cohesive team s...

I had intended for my next post to be about Roller Derby and the joys and adventure ahead of me. I had planned to talk about the end of the Glass Explorer program. That's not what I want to talk about today. The hardest thing I have ever done in my life, is living. No one truly knows what goes through someone's mind when they are at their lowest. The struggle with depression is personal, dark, and terrible. Some days are easier than others, but that cloud is always there. Most of us who suffer this invisible illness smile, we push, we try our hardest. Some can keep forcing it their whole lives, or most of their lives. Some get caught up in that darkness, and lose the fight though. It's not easy. Being sad so much of the time takes it toll. Most of the time you suffer alone. Why? You don't want to burden another with your feelings even you know are irrational at times. No one ever said feeling made sense, right? So you (we) hide our feelings and push them down. ...

The Final Recap! Roller Derby continues to be a huge part of my life. Some days I do not know where I would be without it. Here are some of my highlights! One League! One Love! I joined PR, which meant I was on the radio... a LOT!