Final Countdown to Minimum Skills - 2 Days

I'm so nervous! I have butterflies in my stomach every time I think about Sunday.

Today we have the Rookie Round Up. All the new girls and some of the vets are meeting at Vera's house to clean our skates and gossip. I'm really looking forward to it.

On the way there, I plan to stop at the skating rink to practice cornering. As I head out, however, I have the forethought to call and check their hours. They don't open until later. What? This is summer break! Shouldn't they have some daytime hours on a Friday?

I make a last minute change in plans and swing by the bike trails. I won't really be able to practice cornering but I will be able to get some skate time in. Of course, this means changing out my wheels to my soft outdoor wheels again. This takes about 20 minutes, leaving me with 10 minutes to skate. I take that ten minutes and skate my butt off. I get outside in 1000 degree heat with 150% humidity in my soft skates on a slightly sloped surface and skate a hard and fast as I can. By the end of what becomes 15 minutes, I am panting and my thighs burn. I think I got a good workout in considering the time.

Now off to the roundup! I had been looking forward to seeing the girls without being all sweaty and smelly. I guess that's all out the window now. I arrive stringy haired and slightly smelly, still damp from my outdoor skating excursion. Nobody seems to mind, and I settle in for the evening.

Together we disassemble, clean and oil our wheels and bearings. More importantly, we talk. This is not a formal event of any kind. Rather, it is an inclusion of the new girls into the chatter and discussions of the vets. They talk about their hopes for our league, the strengths and weaknesses of past, present, and prospective team members, and the merits of neighboring leagues. They catch up on the lives of skaters that are no longer with the league. Perhaps for our benefit, they share their experiences with the minimum skills test.

It is not all about Derby, however. They talk about husbands, kids, and the upcoming Father's Day. They talk about Bath Salts and the upcoming Zombie Apocalypse. They talk about surround sound and how the new high definition TVs make all the special effects look fake.

Roller derby is what brought these women together, but it is not the only glue that binds them. They have shared many experiences in their tim together. They genuinely care about what is going on in each other's lives.

Before tonight, even though everyone has been welcoming and friendly, I still felt like an observer. Now I feel more a part of things.

I am growing very fond of this group of women. I hope I can remain with them for quite a while.

I hope cleaning my skates doesn't jinx the test.