Welcome to the working week
Job is going well. I've started talking to customers on the phone, and it's comforting that I seem to know more about mortgages than they do most of the time. So far I have explored the cafeteria (hot dog and soup for under $4!), found out that the gym is for normal WFHM employees only (not temps), started biking to work (quicker than bussing actually), and managed to rationalize to myself drinking a (free) cup of coffee with tons of sugar and fake creamer every morning. But not before 10! It's weird that during the week most of my day is not mine. It's like 6 hours of my time to 9 hours of work time.
Since I got my stuff back last weekend I've been skating a lot. On Tuesday I went to Roller Garden in St. Louis Park because I really really wanted to try out my sister's old speed skates. On Sunday night I spent an hour or two taking apart and cleaning both pairs of skates. The wheels on the old speed skates were really bald, so I removed (with much grunting and twisting) and cleaned their bearings. Thank goodness my roommate Anthony works on bikes and has lots of unusual tools. I wanted to totally switch up all the bearings and wheels, but the old skates take 7mm bearings while my newer R3s take 8mm. I was going to get some new ones anyway, and I might actually stick with the older skates (Pacer LT429s) for a while because they have arch support and fit me better. It turns out my R3s are a bit too big... no wonder I terrible foot pain during practice. And um, the whole time I was using them. Don't know why I didn't just get new insoles... sigh. On Tuesday I skated for 2 hours no problem. My bruise/blister thing on the inside of my right foot is all healed now too. On Wednesday I went to a Twin Cities Terrors (men's roller derby team) outside practice. It was in Brooklyn Park, but Mae Gusta was awesome and gave me a ride. I was better than some, but not as good as I'd like to be. Also I was sore/tired from the night before so yeah. Also it's hard work skating on concrete. Yes yes these are all excuses for my being out of shape. But it was good, and probably made me push a little harder than I would have otherwise. Afterwards, she and her husband (who's on the team) took me to this bar where we practically had to get a pat down to get in (ID, no solid colored t-shirts, metal detector stick thing, purse check). But once we got in it was great. Burger, fries, and 2 for 1 drinks! I ordered an expensive cider because I was feeling nostalgiac and was really inordinately happy when the guy brought out 2 instead of 1. Mmmmmmm. Pleasant middle of the week buzz. Friday I went skating with Kat at Roller Garden again. It was really fun, she wore my R3s (which had my best wheels and bearings) and took some getting used to for her. At first she was scared of how slick they were (the bearings, not the wheels) but eventually she was doing great.
Thursday Oliver and I went to the In the Heart of the Beast puppet and mask theater. They're preparing for their annual May Day parade, which I've never been to. It's May 3rd, and until the end of April they have open workshops where you can just show up and work on the floats and costumes. We paper mached birds and it was really soothing to rip up the paper and slather it in gooey crap before smoothing it on the cardboard bird. Mmmm working with your hands. There's a possibility I might be a rollerskating bird in the parade. But it would be 3 hours of skating outside. But there would be starting and stopping, which wouldn't be that bad. But the road might suck. And I'd either be dressed as a bird or carrying a cardboard bird or both. So I'm still not sure if I want to do it. Thoughts? I'm still trying to get other recruits/rollergirls to do it with me.
Well I'd better go to bed. I have work tomorrow. Got my first paycheck last Friday. Mmm money.
p.s. one of the derby guys' names is Dirty Larry, but he's thinking of changing it to Lawrence of Alabia. Sigh.
Since I got my stuff back last weekend I've been skating a lot. On Tuesday I went to Roller Garden in St. Louis Park because I really really wanted to try out my sister's old speed skates. On Sunday night I spent an hour or two taking apart and cleaning both pairs of skates. The wheels on the old speed skates were really bald, so I removed (with much grunting and twisting) and cleaned their bearings. Thank goodness my roommate Anthony works on bikes and has lots of unusual tools. I wanted to totally switch up all the bearings and wheels, but the old skates take 7mm bearings while my newer R3s take 8mm. I was going to get some new ones anyway, and I might actually stick with the older skates (Pacer LT429s) for a while because they have arch support and fit me better. It turns out my R3s are a bit too big... no wonder I terrible foot pain during practice. And um, the whole time I was using them. Don't know why I didn't just get new insoles... sigh. On Tuesday I skated for 2 hours no problem. My bruise/blister thing on the inside of my right foot is all healed now too. On Wednesday I went to a Twin Cities Terrors (men's roller derby team) outside practice. It was in Brooklyn Park, but Mae Gusta was awesome and gave me a ride. I was better than some, but not as good as I'd like to be. Also I was sore/tired from the night before so yeah. Also it's hard work skating on concrete. Yes yes these are all excuses for my being out of shape. But it was good, and probably made me push a little harder than I would have otherwise. Afterwards, she and her husband (who's on the team) took me to this bar where we practically had to get a pat down to get in (ID, no solid colored t-shirts, metal detector stick thing, purse check). But once we got in it was great. Burger, fries, and 2 for 1 drinks! I ordered an expensive cider because I was feeling nostalgiac and was really inordinately happy when the guy brought out 2 instead of 1. Mmmmmmm. Pleasant middle of the week buzz. Friday I went skating with Kat at Roller Garden again. It was really fun, she wore my R3s (which had my best wheels and bearings) and took some getting used to for her. At first she was scared of how slick they were (the bearings, not the wheels) but eventually she was doing great.
Thursday Oliver and I went to the In the Heart of the Beast puppet and mask theater. They're preparing for their annual May Day parade, which I've never been to. It's May 3rd, and until the end of April they have open workshops where you can just show up and work on the floats and costumes. We paper mached birds and it was really soothing to rip up the paper and slather it in gooey crap before smoothing it on the cardboard bird. Mmmm working with your hands. There's a possibility I might be a rollerskating bird in the parade. But it would be 3 hours of skating outside. But there would be starting and stopping, which wouldn't be that bad. But the road might suck. And I'd either be dressed as a bird or carrying a cardboard bird or both. So I'm still not sure if I want to do it. Thoughts? I'm still trying to get other recruits/rollergirls to do it with me.
Well I'd better go to bed. I have work tomorrow. Got my first paycheck last Friday. Mmm money.
p.s. one of the derby guys' names is Dirty Larry, but he's thinking of changing it to Lawrence of Alabia. Sigh.