^THIS.

Just when all the excitement had finally started to die down, last night we started contact training! I pimped out my mouth guard before training (stuck diamantes on it to make it look like a rappers grill) and was super excited. We would start by practicing on the carpet with a partner then hitting the track and trying it.

First up was just basic leaning/resistance so I paired up with a girl called Lucinda and we start shoving each other. Hellton (our coach) is walking around watching people and giving tips, he gets to us and watches for a little, says “man, you two are gonna be brutal” and keeps walking. We did this on the track too until we were called back to learn shoulder checks, everyone was encouraged to swap partners so I was with Jess, the kind of silent bonding that happens when you pair up with someone for contact drills is pretty awesome :3
ANYWAY shoulder checks, this was awesome, I picked them up really fast and was able to give people some awesome tips about where to hit. Most of the girls were just aiming for the arm and I found it a lot more effective if you hit the soft squishy bit on the back but still within the legal target zones, kinda just behind the arm because then they fall forward and the hit is harder to take. I get really excited when I figure out something like this and hope that when I try to share it I don’t come across condescending at all because I’m just happy I figured it out and want other people to be good at it too. Some secret teaching/coaching passion maybe, I did at soccer too.

Back on the carpet learning hip checks and I’m paired with someone different again, Hellton does his round. “Sera, come over here and pair up with Lucinda for me. In fact, everyone stop and watch this! It’s going to be good..” We did our thing and everyone was watching and I wasn’t really sure what was so impressive. Cin is pretty tough and not afraid to hit, I really love that Apparently my (dislocating, so claims Hellton) hips end up so far away from my centre that my fellow fresh meat are trying to think of a good enough derby name with BOOTY in it – Booty Vicious is taken

Since we are a co-ed league, it was really good to pair up with the crazy skater guy Andrew in our fresh meat and encourage him to try knock me over and hit me as hard as he can. He actually got me once and it was awesome practice for being tough and hard to knock over. I could also go as hard as I want on him and not feel bad

ALSO one more bit of news. There is a bout coming up on October 9th and by then us freshies will be level 2’s and the coach said certain freshies should be very ready to bout by then! It’s also in Townsville and they are giving participating skaters $200 to skate, even reserve grade bouters which pretty much covers your flights. I am super excited about this especially since hearing that the freshies who got into NBR when I tried out are still going to be fresh meat while I am bouting because that’s how long their program takes. I am getting antsy already, I can’t imagine having to be a freshie for that long D:

Woah okay. So we have been working on crossovers and stuff at training and we sat down after a session and I mentioned to one of the guys (we have a co-ed league) how it feels like a lot more work to skate on quads than inline skates, especially when turning OH and how I wanted my wheels to keep spinning super fast when I sit down. While I was talking he was looking at my skates and there was a pause and all of a sudden he has a really confused look on his face. Still staring at my skates, he grabs one and says “How the HELL do you skate in those?”.

Apparently they are pretty bad. No trucks movement (I think) at all which makes crossovers difficult and weaving impossible. Also awful bearings which makes me work harder all the time. I had a bit of a giggle when my first thought was back to my NBR tryout where I got told to work on my weaves, I probably would have been better off in rental skates. The other skater guy got our coach to look at my skates too and he said if I can do what I’m doing now on those then he can’t wait to see me on some real skates.  So a few days after this session and I have some shiny new Suregrip Rebels and all my fresh meat gear and oh my god will Sunday PLEASE hurry up xD

Brisbane City Rollers had a fresh meat intake while I was visiting Perth last weekend but were kind enough to accommodate that and so I went to my first training session this week (no stupid tryouts woot) and loved it! Starting off pretty slow but I’m totally a natural. On Sunday’s we train at Bundamba Skateaway but on Tuesdays we skate at the Ipswich showgrounds in one of those under cover warehouse type things and it feels really old school, I love it xD

So last Thursday I finally got a call centre job and Brisbane must seriously be testing me because the campaign got pulled and I now have to go back to centrelink and ask for some money. Grr. I hate not working! I don’t understand why I am having so much trouble finding work!

Wow, I can’t believe it. I am completely in shock. I was so looking forward to starting roller derby and I just got back from the Northern Brisbane Rollers tryouts where I got rejected for fresh meat. I hate to make excuses but I was having a little trouble skating for so long because I have had a chest infection for weeks and it’s hard to breathe while I’m exercising. Apparently my weaves and my crossovers were weak. I have skating experience, my crossovers were fine! The only turned away like 10-15 people and I cannot believe that I was one of them D:

I went to my first roller derby bout tonight at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre and it was incredible! I took an instant liking to the Love Rockettes who seemed to be the underdogs. Diner Might Dolls have a few star skaters; Dead Meat with her giant fanclub and Sweet Enemy who is another really good skater. Dead Meat had such an easy time getting through the pack though, it was like the Rockettes weren’t even trying! I just got so keen to get out there and give her a challenge. DMD ended winning but both teams belong to the same league (Northern Brisbane Rollers) and there are a few different leagues at the moment in Brisbane. I’m assuming this is because it’s still new and one joined league hasn’t been formed yet. Not sure how it all works yet. NBR has a Fresh Meat intake on the 25th, I can’t wait. I have some really cheap skates from the internet that I have been practicing on

I made it to Brisbane! My Dad forgot to send my boxes (of course) so they will get here Thursday. I miss my craft stuff and my computer and my rollerblades very muchly. After the masses of drinking I did leading up to my leaving Perth I have now finally cleansed myself and vowed to start that healthy thing again. I was still drunk when I got to the airport/boarded my plane and sobered up and nursed a hangover on the ~5 hour flight. Waited at the airport for a little while for that Kevy K guy to pick me up then pretty much got to the mansion, showered and passed out. A lot of sleeping got done over the weekend and then I drove to Sunshine Coast on Saturday for a friend’s party which was rad catching up with everyone.

Okay the above was a start of a draft from a while ago, BEFORE my blog broke (stupid cheap hosting) but now I am back I thought I would post this up anyway and start working on a real post.

So on the 16th I started the awesome new job I was looking for. I’m a graphic designer for a company called Capricorn. It’s actually still just a temp assignment, my interview is tomorrow. Last Friday I told my boss I was thinking of moving to Brisbane,  hoping there was some very slim chance that I might be able to keep this job and work from home or something. Unfortunately I don’t think that’s likely at all so I might not get the job at all now! I am determined to put together a great online portfolio and start applying for graphic design work in Brisbane. I have no qualifications but I am very good at my job, having this opportunity here has made me realise I should probably keep working in graphic design.

I have been working on a few different projects, of course none of them finished yet. My latest stencil, the first page of my new scrapbook and the most awesome popcorn chicken sushi. I’m not a fan of seaweed so I used rice paper and it worked fantastic I really need to find somewhere in Perth to get pretty soy wrappers (or Brisbane )

I am so excited! I acquired some weights and I am feeling incredibly motivated to start lifting weights and get fit and healthy. A friend helped me put together a 3 day split routine until I get a chance to read the masses of information I have to read.

Monday: Biceps/Triceps

Tuesday: Cardio (soccer training)

Wednesday:  Shoulders/Abs

Thursday: Cardio (more soccer training)

Friday: Chest/Back

Also I recently went on a bit of a spontaneous road trip. One of my friends has been here for a three month holiday and the day before he left to start driving back to Brisbane, I asked if I could come with. After clarifying that I was actually serious I packed my bags and we left the next day. 3 days of driving to Melbourne sure was an experience, especially with food poisoning on day 2. I had a fantastic weekend in Melbourne and overslept and missed my flight back to Perth on Sunday. I could have got an earlier flight home but I had it changed to Thursday because I was having way too much fun and so not ready to leave wonderland yet.

So now I am back I’m looking for a better job, maybe even fly in fly out, so that I can save up enough to move to a different city. I might visit Brisbane and see what that’s like.

Okay so I have finally decided to actually play my tank (Tankarbelle of Frostmourne) again since my partner in crime is in Melbourne for the weekend. I am so lucky with drops. All you people that have been farming whatever for however long I bet I got it on the first drop, because I am that great. I tanked heroic nexus for the first time today and got this helm and a cloak

Since I have enough to tank some heroics now and gonna go through on my warlock and do all the instances so I actually remember them before trying to tank them. My superfriend Bullet bought me a Titansteel Shield Wall wall to get me over 540 defense <3

I’m not really huge on raiding since I have a pretty active social life but I like to do everything at least once and I love people able to do all the cool stuff that was really impressive back in BC with paladin tanks like all the Black Morass trash in one pull or the whole Karazhan audience or all three Mechanar bosses at once