let's just say...

scrimmage: a practice bout between two teams

let's just say that I had roller derby scrimmage yesterday, and this morning I cannot move.  I think I'm paralyzed, or at least in need of a cane.  I also didn't notice the welt on my thigh or the ink number from some other girl's arm stamped across my face until this morning. curious.

I heart roller derby. It's taken over my life..in good way ;)

update 2/1/11: the rink rash I got on the palm of my hand has yet to heal. It's kind of gnarly.

back burner

put on the back burner: to set something aside for the time being, as a subject that is not of immediate concern but that may be activated later; postponed

you are always on the back burner of my brain.  eventually you will boil over.  I fear that day, that scalding, burning day of panic, that day when I go crazy.

rules to learn and live by...

if you know what's good for you, you will follow these rules religiously...

1. everything tastes better with pickles
2. never date a man with a lifted vehicle
3. just because of the grammatical plurality on a sign that reads "free samples," doesn't mean you can take more than one :( - aka be considerate of others
4. if you don't have a passenger, don't drive in the carpool lane- aka be honest with yourself and others
5. just put on the tennis-shoes (or skates), lace them up, and workout - you will never regret this
6. the best time to go grocery shopping is super late at night
7. floss daily
8. do everything in life with sincerity, tenacity, class, creativity, and curiosity...I tried to make all the words start with "c," but it didn't work out that way - aka sometimes life doesn't work out the way you think it will
9. do not visit the Humane Society website - aka although your heart may be big enough, your home may not
10. Smile, you're prettier when you do
11. "fuck" is the most versatile word in the English language, but should probably be used sparingly aka- try not curse. fuck.
12. no matter what your older sibling say, trees are not made by construction workers and you cannot start a restaurant with $8 -aka it's alright to ask stupid questions, especially if you're four years old
13. the weight is a gift
14. when the jar says "medium" salsa, what it really means is "will set your mouth on fire, so have a glass of milk near by" - aka always be prepared
15. when in doubt, be sarcastic, no one can tell the difference
16. if still in doubt (or just bored to tears), learn something new - aka hobbies are the greatest
17. if you write a post that says you only get hit on at work, it's probably because you work too much - aka try not to let your workaholic side take control of your life
18. sometimes counting to ten is all it takes

more to come, I promise...

surefire

surefire: certain to work or be so; originated as a military idiom

NOOOoooooooo! I-hop is supposed to be open 24-hours a day, EVERYDAY! Why isn't it open? It's 4:35am and I want pancakes. Well, what I really want is sleep, but I'm too tired to take my contacts out, so pancakes are the next best thing. But, noOOo. No pancakes for me. I-hop just had to be closed on the very day that I am scheduled to work inventory at Macy's from 6:45pm to 2:15am, but then inventory doesn't get done in time, so the managers lock us in and we don't finish till 4 in the morning. Locked us in...WITHOUT PANCAKES! Stupid I-hop.

empathy

empathy: The ability to understand and share the feelings of another

Sometimes, when we are most bored, a burst of surprise blasts off right in front of our faces.  This happened to me, but the burst was more of the smooth jazz variety.  You could call it a "random act of kindness."

Late Friday night, I was working in the linens department of Macy's --grrrr seasonal jobs-- killing time by sneaking Frangos out of the display box and into random packages of sheets and, well, trying to be a decent help to the customers who deserved it.  One gentleman took delight in my congenial personality and overall helpfulness.  I rung up his purchase and thought no more of it. Five minutes, ten tops, he returned with a Polar bear shaped cookie and a gift certificate to Starbucks. It was a small gesture, but I was tired and it was a long shift, and it seemed like a gigantic burst of surprise. That cookie was exactly what I needed to cure my aching feet. He said that it was his New Years resolution to try and act on more small, compassionate gestures regularly.

What's that saying? Love is a chain...chain of love...something like that. Well, I decided to continue this chain.  One of my co-workers at Macy's is from Chile.  She married a U.S. Marine and moved to the States.  She is thee sweetest person I have ever met.  Some shifts she would tell me about her bouts of homesickness. So, one afternoon I made empanadas and brought them into work for her. Surprise! My empanadas pale in comparison to anything made by a real Chilean, but she loved the gesture anyway.

Here's hoping you experience, better yet inspire, a burst of your own.

sparkle

At the end of the fourth-grade, my teacher gave us river stones etched with a singled adjective. It was supposed to signify a positive characteristic that she had discovered within us. Mine simply said, "sparkle." The definition of sparkle is as follows: adj-glittery, shiny, effervescent, v-to throw out sparks, to give off or reflect bright moving points of light, to perform brilliantly, or become lively and energetic. Now, whether or not I am any of these things is a matter of personal opinion, but I still have that stone and I have noticed all the people that sparkle to me ever since.

For example, I went to Costco after work the other night and met a stranger who sparkled.  He's probably in his thirties and listens to death metal, not too much taller 5'7" with scrappy hair and wearing a sweater that looks like it once belonged to Kurt Cobain, heck he probably even knew Kurt Cobain once. He was quite and had a modest poise.  But I can't really describe what makes him sparkle, he just does.  He helped load my groceries into boxes and we talked about Wii-sport and X-box Kinect. If I had had a gold star, or better yet, a stone with the word sparkle on it, I would have given it to him.  But then again, giving stones to random people is probably not the most normal thing to be doing.  Personally, I would love to get a stone or a note or a STICKER! from a stranger...but that has more to do with my affinity for stickers than what constitutes normal adult behavior.

Anyway, here's a question to consider: what feeds your soul? For me, I think it's sincerity and curiously

auld land syne

auld lang syne: is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song "Roud." It is well known in many countries, especially (but far from exclusively) in the English-speaking world; its traditional use being to celebrate the start of the New Year at the stroke of midnight. By extension, it is also sung at funerals, graduations, and as a farewell or ending to other occasions. (Text courtesy of wikipedia)


There's another cover of this song sung by the Dropkick Murphys.

“Come on hit me. Hit me, I dare you.” Ha, as much as I’d like to say that this moment in my life was the inspiration behind Fight Club, it would defy all sorts of laws regarding time and space, and well, it just wouldn’t be true. The words here were spoke by my step-dad’s good friend (and sort of Uncle) Lyle. He wanted me to hip check him in the middle of our kitchen, while on skates. Note how prepared his stance looks. I think he was actually a little scared. If you could see my face, it has a big grinny smile on it. I did, indeed hit him. Bounced right off! I mean look at him, his like 300 pounds of snide middle-aged man. It wasn’t a fair match up.

Needless to say, I was home for New Years and my parents threw a party, like most years, except this year’s was bigger. I wore a sparkly dress, but couldn’t decide on shoes…so I wore my skates. Yet another big grinny smile. I had a date, but blah. I flaked. Sorry kiddo.

Anyway, spend a holiday with me and you will quickly learn that duels on skates and flaky dates are common.