Please go here and vote for your favorite RCRG team the Throttle Rockets!!

http://blog.nwsource.com/entertainment/

Come see our home season opener this Saturday at the Everett Events Center. Tickets available at the door. Throttle Rockets v. Derby Liberation front Grave Danger v. Sockit Wenches

Derby is rocking for me right now. I think it may be because I didn't really take an off season and instead focused on finding my drive and ambition again and harnessing it. I barely missed a single offered practice and even got best attendance for the Throttle Rockets. I never even got attendance awards in elementary school. I feel very strong and like my skills are improving. I am trying harder now than ever to work on my form and really work on being defensive or offensive but thinking about it, thinking about my position and my job and playing as a team member. Before derby the last team sport I played was soccer at the Boys and Girls club after school program so it has been a while. I know my endurance is improving, last year I would jam and think this has got to be close to 2 minutes and they'd call a minute left, now when I'm getting tired and thinking it must be 2 minutes the jam whistle blows. I've also been focusing on lateral movement and using that with bursts of speed to get around other players instead of accepting being stuck behind them both as a blocker and jammer. I know my hard work is paying off, after playing Rose City this past weekend a decent handful of folks from both leagues approached me and told my I did a great job. I definitely felt stronger and better but it was really nice to hear it from others. Even last night after bouting practice a few folks again complimented me on my improvement. I guess my point it that at the mid to end of last season I was having trouble really finding my drive for derby, I thought hard about it and really started training harder than I have since the beginning. I am really happy with my improvements and it is nice to have them noticed by others.

Watch out Tucson here comes Rat City!!

From what I can remember of the weekend:

Our friends Tim & Desi, also huge derby fans, came down to LA with the TR's for the game. Luckily for vordeth and I they live even further North than us so they volunteered to drive. TR's and so's met up at Seatac at 4.15 am on Friday to leave for LA. We were bleary eyed, half conscious and excited as hell. There was drinking (at 6 am!), laughing, general debauchery, a short layover in Reno and we were in LA!!

While most TR's got their drink on in the hot tub vordeth and I napped until JoWanna came and told us where they were. We got up and headed down in time to get told to get ready to journey to Billie Boilermaker's house.

Billie Boilermaker’s welcome party! Yay for Billie and all the ladies and gents (gyno-lotra-MAN = great ref name) who came, caroused, ate* and made us feel very welcome. *Especially that cheesy dish from Latina Carina! Billie has the cutest house, with a great vibe and her gorgeous snake right inside the front door so you are sure to notice. Chuck and JoWanna took off to fetch Diva at one point, wow did they get lost and take forever. Before we knew how long they would be vordeth Andromedia, Seymore Carnage and I decided to stay and wait there instead of going back to the hotel like everyone else. They eventually showed up, several hours later than though but with Diva! We visited a while, hula-hooped in the front yard and headed back to the hotel.

Almost everyone there was asleep but the same group of us (the nappers I think, lol.) headed down to Hollywood Blvd. for some sightseeing. We had a blast finding the celebrity names to go with derby names, like hurt/Burt Reynolds and Shovey/Chevy Chase. Diva got a piece of pizza I think was bigger than her head and looked yummy. (We had demolished the food at Billie's before she got there.) Blaine kissed (ewwwww!) Sandra Bullock’s star on the walk of fame.

LA Derby Dolls welcomed us to banked track with open arms! Wow, it was a little strange getting used to but fast as hell once you got going. It was somewhat strange, the Dollhouse it in a mall. We walked passed the food court, down a long hall and there it was full of smiling welcoming wonderful women. We exchanged whipping techniques, did some drills, giggled a lot and encouraged them to knock down Chuck. TR's decided not to bout, no risking injury that close to a game.

Tattoos, though 6 hours sitting around in a shop wasn’t the plan most folks got inked and were happy to have done so. vordeth even inked his 40 yo virgin skin to match my tat which I got on my belly. I am a star bellied sneetch now! The guy that did mine and vordeth's Grey was a really nice guy and Zombiegirl and myself chatted him up a lot between tat's. Though the ink was small it took forever, longer for clean up and prep than the actual ink. The people who had ink from the owner were less than happy unfortunately. I really feel bad for JoWanna and guilty because I paid for her tat as a present and honestly it is pretty bad. Zombiegirl did talk to her local guy and he is going to touch folks up for free I believe.

After a long day skating banked track, getting inked and getting lost anytime we drove anywhere it was an amazing bout by all. The rink was interesting as there is a small wall around the inside. Also all fans on the floor had to remove their shoes. We had heard about the wall and were hesitant but once we got there realized it wasn't that much of a worry. I was strange sitting on the sidelines waiting to skate though. (The refs use the middle.) Joetta put on the pressure the first jam of the game announcing me as the season 1 breakout jammer. It was cool though and it inspired me to skate harder. I didn't think I would like being the first jammer of the game but actually I found it exhilarating. We stayed in tune, communicated well and won the hearts of the LA fans. In the first half I heard a guy yelling at me to fall down as I was jamming, the second half I swear I heard the same guy chanting my name. It's probably just the name though. The Throttle Rocket’s emerged victorious over the Angel City Derby Girls 92 to 49. Comet Atcha shined winning the player of the game!!!

After the game some folks headed to the after party but some of us headed right back to the hotel to get our drink on there. Wow are they patient in LA, at one point there were 18 people in our room drunk screaming, jumping, wrestling and no one complained! We even gained some random drunk girl who walked right in amazed to find derby girls & pissed she missed the match. She had us drunk dial some roller girl she knows and harass her at 3 am.

We got to bed around 6am and got up by 9am to go to Magic freaking Mountain!!! My favorites coasters were by far Deja Vu and Golliath. vordeth actually rode a coaster!!! Cosmic Rains batted her eyelashes and he claims he was confused and didn't realize what he was doing. I couldn't believe that his first coaster was an old wooden one, those scare me more than the modern ones with all the weird noises. Crash and Cosmic who initially were utterly frightened got braver & braver as the day progressed emerging coaster riding queens!!! The one water ride we went on first soaked everyone but since it ended up being near 90 it was ok. It was a great day punctuated by me loosing my voice nearly completely.

After returning from Magic Mountain to the hotel we all fancied up a little and headed to Cha Cha Cha for an truly fabulous amazing yummy Caribbean dinner. Everything was great, the food, the drinks, the company. I am going back there if I ever get to LA again. Oh the swordfish, the shrimp, the plantains, the sangria, the mojitos, and and and..........

After dinner we headed to the hotel and packed, then vordeth and I headed back to Hollywood Blvd. to sight see one last time and get souvenirs. There was nothing open, ok one weird tattoo shop/biker store/head shop/skate shop. We noticed that in a lot of shops, it was like a tat shop and hot topic mated, weird and not confidence inspiring. The streets were pretty much deserted. Luckily we found one place open to grab a couple of promised souvenirs while the guy vacuumed. Back to the hotel for carousing, I tried to nap a little and we were off to the airport at 4.15 am!! By the time we got to the airport my voice was completely gone. vordeth and I had different tickets (paper not e-check in) and though everyone else made it no problem we nearly missed the flight. Between running barefoot and bribing a lady to get us to the front of the security line we barely made it. Our baggage didn't. Janet kept calling checking up on us and couldn't understand me at all, by the end she'd just call and say, "Please give me to Blaine."

Everywhere we went we got lost unless we rode with Tim & Desi who had a gps in their rental. Great now I want a gps.

Quotes of the weekend:

Crash Gordon – Is that a Throttle Rocket or is that a prostitute? (It was a hooker)

Zombiegirl – Astro I thought I heard you behind me but when I turned around it was a large black man. (I had my horse man voice on by that point.)

Terrible Tim – It could be worse I could be Blaine. (Blaine stood at the ride entrances at Magic Mountain holding all the purses.)

Come watch JoWanna AssKickin & I take on the Westward Hoes in what will prove to be a grudgematch to remember.

I had a scattered dream last night that is not all still there but there was some derby in it. I remember being in an outdoor race going down a big hill and none of us were really prepared. Ladies kept biting it in the most amazing ways but we couldn't stop to help we had to keep going. The most vivid part of the dream was when Hot Flash almost lost control but instead started spinning really fast, like the skate dancers, while she was going downhill on cement. She was going so fast there was even a brief whirlwind, she managed to pull out of it and keep going but she had this "how the hell did I do that" look on her face that was priceless.

Tickets are on sale now for Bout 3 and are going fast so get em if you want em. www.brownpapertickets.com

I dreamed last night that I got to Tucson and had FORGOTTEN all my gear at home. Somehow Chet (my roommate) got it to me in time and Darth gave me a "by the skin of your teeth" looks and that was that. It was like one of the school dreams where you forgot to study or are nekkid or something.

Here you go folks, you've been asking and I'm finally posting it. Tickets I assume (other than the Everett Events Center bout) will be through www.brownpapertickets.com.



March 4, 2006 - Exhibition Bout 1 for Charity 6 pm - Everett Events Center in Everett, WA
Line-ups will be determined
by a random drawing!

March 25, 2006 - Bout 1 - Magnuson Park Hangar 30 in Seattle, WA
Throttle Rockets vs. Sockit Wenches
Grave Danger vs. Derby Liberation Front

April 29, 2006 - Bout 2 - Magnuson Park Hangar 30 in Seattle, WA
Grave Danger vs. Throttle Rockets
Derby Liberation Front vs. Sockit Wenches

May 20, 2006 - Bout 3 - Magnuson Park Hangar 30 in Seattle, WA
Sockit Wenches vs. Grave Danger
Throttle Rockets vs. Derby Liberation Front

June 24, 2006 - Exhibition Bout 2 - Magnuson Park Hangar TBD in Seattle, WA
The Rat City Rollergirls vs. Special Out-of-Town Guests

July 15, 2006 - Bout 4 - Magnuson Park Hangar 30 in Seattle, WA
Grave Danger vs. Derby Liberation Front
Throttle Rockets vs. Sockit Wenches

August 26, 2006 - Bout 5 - Magnuson Park Hangar 30 in Seattle, WA
Derby Liberation Front vs. Sockit wenches
Grave Danger vs. Throttle Rockets

September 4, 2006 - Exhibition Bout 3 w/ Special Guests - Location TBD in Seattle, WA
Stay tuned for the BIG reveal

September 23, 2006 - Bout 6 - Magnuson Park Hangar 27 in Seattle, WA
Throttle Rockets vs. Derby Liberation Front
Sockit Wenches vs. Grave Danger

October 21, 2006 - Bout 7 CHAMPIONSHIP - Magnuson Park Hangar 27 in Seattle, WA
Grudge Match: Team No. 3 vs. Team No. 4
Championship Match: Team No. 2 vs. Team No. 1

Plus we may have an out of town bout at some point later and the Dust Devil is next weekend!!!

If you act fast you can get your tickets through me without all the surcharges (except the venue fee of $1/ticket). Come check out our fresh meat and maybe a few special guests!!

Official blurb:

They are Coming… and They’re on Four Wheels
Remember - You Win Some, You Bruise Some!

Who: Rat City Rollergirls “2006 Charity Brawl”
When: Saturday, March 4, 2006 · 6 pm
Where: Everett Events Center
What: They're the hottest thing on wheels, and they're rolling straight for the Everett Events Center on Saturday, March 4 at 6 p.m. The Rat City Rollergirls will start their 2006 season with a shove at the "2006 Charity Brawl," a benefit for several Snohomish and King County non-profit organizations.

These rock 'em, sock 'em rollergirls will be making their first appearance since the conclusion of their smashing, sell-out inaugural season, bringing even more of the exciting roller derby action and athleticism that earned the loyalty and won the hearts of thousands of fans in the Puget Sound area. As with their 2005 season, roller derby promises to once again be one of the hottest tickets in town!

Named after an "old-school" term for the south part of Seattle, the Rat City Rollergirls league was established in April 2004. The grassroots league is owned and operated by its nearly 80 members. Though they moonlight as fierce, competitive rollergirls, by day they are successful entrepreneurs, scientists, artists, engineers, paralegals, bartenders, students, landscapers, travel agents, moms and more. The Rat City Rollergirls includes four teams: the Derby Liberation Front, the Throttle Rockets, Grave Danger and the Sockit Wenches.These teams participate in competitive roller derby bouts on a flat track in an amateur athletic season that lasts from March through October.

For more information on the Rat City Rollergirls or the sport of roller derby, please visit www.ratcityrollergirls.com.

Tickets ($20.00, $15.00 and $10.00 plus applicable service charges) go on sale Wednesday, February 8 at 10 a.m. Tickets can be purchased online at everetteventscenter.com, at the Everett Events Center box office or by calling toll free 1-866-EEC-TIXX (1-866-332-8499). For groups of 10 or more call 425.322.2609 or email cprice@everetteventscenter.com. Service fees may apply.

The Everett Events Center, a $71.5 million multi-purpose complex, was developed by the Everett Public Facilities District. The 10,000-seat venue hosts a myriad of events including concerts, rodeos, ice skating and family shows. The Everett Events Center is also home to the Everett Silvertips, a Western Hockey League franchise, and the Everett Hawks, the AF2 team. The venue accommodates other sporting events such as basketball, volleyball, wrestling and gymnastics.

www.everetteventscenter.com

There is a cool "commercial" for this on our main page and it will be running durring Rollergirls the tv show.

Hey! So, I'm here to beg for your hard earned dollars. ;)

As most of you know, Rat City Rollergirls is sending a team off to the 2006 Dust Devil National Championship in Tucson, AZ at the end of February to compete in a 3 day tournament against leagues from all over the country. I am proud to be a part of the team representing for Rat City and Seattle. We're raising funds to go to AZ by having an old fashioned Skate-a-Thon where we skate laps for bucks. You can either donate per lap (unlimited or flat rate amount) or a flat rate for the whole thing. How many laps do you think I can skate? ;)

We're having this at Skate King where 15 laps = 1 mile. (I'll cap myself at 150 laps or 15 miles.) I can't wait, it's gonna be fun. There will be merchandise and a bake sale. If you don't wanna donate then you should at least come down, buy some nifty stuff and hang out. Here is your chance to skate with the roller girls when we aren't going to knock you down, plus we won't be a sweaty as usual.

So, anyway, if'n you wanna help out email me at gelfatvordethdotcom or leave a comment here and I'll love ya forever (or something like that-hehehe). Here are the deets:

Sunday, February 12, 2006
Rat City Rollergirl Skate-A-Thon Bellevue Skate King
2301 140th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98005
5:00 - 7:00 Public Session/Skate with RCRG (regular entry fees apply)
7:00 - 9:30 RCRG Skate-a-Thon ($5 entry fee or FREE to Skate-a-Thon Sponsors).

Last night was league practice night and it was scarce. It was freezing as usual but somehow in some sick way I think I am getting used to that. Practice seemed less intensive than usual and maybe that's because I left a few minutes early with my ride the lovely Holley Knockhers but I think it was just a lazier practice. I think I am turning in to an exercise freak because when I got home the dogs were all kinds of excited and hyper so I took them out for a walk that turned in to a jog. I haven't run other than from things since elementary school. It felt good and Sadie and Thai seemed to enjoy it. I know the roommate thought it was odd as Thai was being punished for chewing up a DVD when I got home but he won't chew if he is tired so I tried to tire him out for today.

TONIGHT is Throttle Rocket night at the Funhouse. Come out and enjoy, it's JoWanna Ass Kickin's birthday and we are celebrating gluttony! 9:00 pm $5.

I drove my happy ass all the way from Mill Creek to Auburn for speed skate class last night. It was definitely worth it! I hurt today but not as much as I thought I would and I have a big 'ol blister on my right foot. I've never gotten blisters from my skates before but I was skating in a totally new form so that was probably it. I must remember to make use of all of my stride, keeping my feet on the floor as long as possible and not wasting movement or energy. Man little kids who've never had a drink or smoke really kicked my ass last night, those kids are amazing on skates!!!! It can be a little discouraging to be passed repeatedly by a 4 year old. I feel weak and out of shape but I am pushed to train harder. I don't want to be the slowest or quickest to tire. My back kept yelling at me so when I got home, at almost midnight after getting lost in Auburn, I did a fuck ton of crunches trying to get my core strength up so it takes the burden off of my back.

It was very hard to pry my butt out of bed this morning.

Tonight is traveling team practice & league so I will be at the hanger for 4 1/2 hours most likely. I hope I hurt more tomorrow or I am doing something wrong.

Tomorrow is the sponsorship meeting and possibly I will attend the SSP monthly show. Hell who wouldn't want to see Jesus wrestle Santa?

I must remember to bug Payne Grestsky aka coach Norm to give me the name of the tattoo artist he was thinking of.

The December 2005 ESPN Magazine with the Rat City Rollergirls spread is out and hot hot hot!!! Pick it up and check us out. There are amazing shots of Rettig to Rumble, Betty Ford Galaxy, Hurricane Lilly, Jinx, Burnett Down and the Throttle Rockets. (Apologies to anyone I forgot I don’t have it here in front of me.)

I almost peed myself when I found out that I had been chosen, by league vote, to be one of the 13 girls (plus 3 alternates) representing our league on the traveling team at the 2005 Dust Devil Tournament in Tucson in February. It is an honor and I can’t wait to train my ass off and proudly represent the league!!! It’s an amazing group of skaters that will only make me strive harder to be skate faster and hit harder.

Congratulation also go out to: Darth Skater, Valtron 3000, Dirty Little Secret, Diva State, Burnett Down, D Bomb, Rettig to Rumble, Basket Casey, Femme Fatale, Pia Mess, Drew Blood and Miss Fortune also the alternates Lisa Lawless, Jackie Hammer and hideous_braxley!!!

CSI NY had an episode called “Jamalot” recently that featured roller derby. I was really looking forward to it but it horribly misrepresented the current incarnation of roller derby. Ah hell what else can you expect from prime time TV?

The Championship game was amazing! I can't begin to describe how damned proud I am of everyone associated with RCRG, my team, all the skaters, our volunteers including coaches, refs and medics. It blows my mind that just 1 1/2 years ago this was a small handful of girls with a dream. We lost, which means we came in second in the league. Hell that gives us something to work harder for next year. All in all it was fabulous. Grave Danger won the grudge match in a nail biting game. The last jam of the game was the dirtiest that I have ever seen. The score was too far apart to catch up so the girls went crazy pulling dresses and taking each other down in good natured fun, it was hilarious. My papa and littlest brother came up for the game and it was great to see them, very nice reconnecting with family without having to fly there. Dad told vordeth he never thought he would enjoy seeing his daughter knock girls down so much. I cried a lot after the game, mostly because of what we have accomplished, that the season was over and that everything is going sooo fucking well, and a little because we lost. Hell I would have cried no matter what happened a long as we played! vordeth even shed a little tear.

The Throttle Rockets all got new matching pads thanks too several sponsors. When I say we got pads I mean knee, wrist and elbow!! Plus one of our most dedicated fans came up to me after the game about sponsoring helmets!! I never hope to get paid for this game but it would be nice not to have to buy our own gear, and it's started!

Wow this is a cool blog, and they like me, I mean really I have no clue who these fabulous ladies are.

http://claro.diary-x.com/journal.cgi?entry=20050918

This journal will have more derby blathering and it will have less life stuff. Not that derby isn't my life right now, or something. Life will be contained to verbiage such as; things and stuff are going well, which they are however I am currently tired after team practice and am turning off this damned machine now. See blathering.