elvisknits

The First CHKC Meeting

We had the first meetup of the Central Houston Knitting Circle last night.  Only one girl showed up, but we had a good time with our knitting.  I love meeting new people…especially when it involves knitting.  And I gotta say – I LOVE the Te House of Tea.  It was a great place to knit…groovy music at just the right volume, excellent eats and drinks, and very comfy seating.  It gets my knitter’s-two-thumbs-up for sure.  So, we’re meeting again next Tuesday, and I’ve already got a few more interested folks who I’m hoping can make it.

P.S. Knitting and drinking tea makes me wanna make one of these.

P.S.S.  Knitters are the coolest people on the planet.

HRD Week 1

I survived my first week with Houston Roller Derby!  I gotta say, those girls do not mess around.  It's great skating with girls who are not only great athletes, but also seem to really love the game.  I've skated with leagues before where it seemed like most of the members just sort of half-assed everything.  I am not a "half-asser."  However, I have really gotta work on my endurance.  My body is in a bit shock from the hard workouts I had last night and Monday.  I actually got a bit nauseous last night after pushing myself really hard.  My muscles were shaking, and my body was wondering what the hell I was doing to it.  I don't wanna look like a wimp out there with the other girls, but it will take me some time to adjust to it all.

I'm about to head to Austin for the weekend.  James is there for a work function at a swanky resort-spa hotel, so I'm going to join him tonight, and then we're heading to his brother's house.  I'm planning on floating around the pool for a few hours tonight, and then maybe do a bit of this tomorrow.  I need some pampering.

So no one showed for the knitting circle on Tuesday, but I got several emails this week from some interested gals.  Hopefully, they'll be able to make it next week.  I'll be knitting poolside this weekend.

I'm a Houston rollergirl!

I made it successfully through the tryouts last weekend, and I'm very pleased to spread the good news - I'm a Houston rollergirl!  Woo-hoo!  I am super duper excited to be skating with Houston Roller Derby.  I'll now be working my ass off every week (and having a whole lotta fun in the process) while I get ready for the team draft in a few months.  I don't really have a team preference as I think they all have some great skaters.  I just want to skate hard, have a lot of fun, and learn some new skills, so I think I can do that on any of the four HRD teams. 

I was up in Michigan all week for work, so I've been off my skates since Sunday.  I'm in serious skater withdrawal mode right about now.  Luckily, we have speed skate class tomorrow morning, so I'm can't wait to get on the rink.  While I was in Michigan, I did have the chance to watch the Grand Raggidy Rollergirls practice.  Those gals kick ass.  They're getting ready for their regional tournament this weekend, and I know they'll do great. 

I'm still cranking out stitches on my red and orange sock, though I haven't made much progress since my last pic.  I'm also trying to get a little knitting group started in the Montrose/River Oaks area in Houston.  If you're free on Tuesday nights and wanna join us, click here for details.  Hope to meet some new knitters there. 

Roller Derby Tryouts Day 1

I am so sleepy today.  I went to the first day of Houston Roller Derby tryouts last night.  We did some basic drills - stops, falls, strength training exercises. and had an awesome time.  I'm not sore, but just really really tired.  We all went to a bar after the tryout to hang out, so I stayed up way too late past my bedtime.  Sitting here at my desk all day without falling asleep may be a bit of a challenge.  I'm seriously about to hit my head on my desk.....zzzzzzzz

weekend reunion

Last weekend, James and I went to a 15 year reunion for some of his friends from high school.  It was a lot of fun, and I got to meet some great people.  Somehow I ended up with a name tag that said "David" and James was "Cassie."  And after one two many vanilla-vodka-diet-cokes, we decided to go and eat pizza...BIG MISTAKE...I spent Sunday morning trying to recover. 

We had lunch with the reunion friends on Sunday and all of their babies.  I think James and I were the only couple there without children.  It was definitely an eye-opening experience being surrounded by so many wee ones, but I think I'm ready to do the baby thing some time soon.  We went house shopping after lunch, so a little family could be just around the corner for us.  I get excited thinking about sweet little family scenarios - walking in the neighborhood on Sunday morning, me baking cookies, taking naps together, road trips, etc.  And then I hear someone's baby having a nuclear meltdown at the grocery store, and it totally rains on my perfect happy family fantasy parade.  Don't get me wrong - I know having kids and a family is seriously hard work, but I imagine it being some of the most satisfying work that there is, and I'm looking forward to it.

On another note, last night at derby practice I took a hard fall during a scrimmage and whacked my chin on the floor and bruised my shin.  It was a chin-shin injury, hehe.  I'm all sore today.  I have Houston Roller Derby tryouts starting tomorrow, so I'm pretty nervous about that.  Not because of my fall last night, but because the tryouts are two-hour long practice sessions, and it is a seriously hardcore workout.  I'm worried about my endurance and being able to hang in there.  I'll be eating bananas all day tomorrow.  I really, really, really wanna make the Houston league.  Wish me luck!

cancun trip

I just realized that I never posted a pic from our Cancun trip back in June.  James took me on a little weekend getaway for my birthday, and it was oh so fabulous.  So, here's a pic of me and the most wonderful man in the world drinking our pina coladas.  It doesn't get any better than that.