Rat City’s Roller Derby season is about to start, so we kicked off the season in style at Belltown Pub. The season kickoff party raised funds for the Georgia Peaches Puppy Rescue, so there were many dogs at the bar and much in the way of squeeee. So many well behaved beautiful animals hanging out.

Thanks to Arkham Allie, Mike and I took part in the trivia competition. I think my greatest contribution was suggesting that Budweiser Superbowl beer in 2012 was Frito flavored and turning old choir jokes about sopranos into jokes about jammers. My favorite choir joke is about altos (I am full of altosterone after all), but I couldn’t figure out how to make it a good derby joke.

The Weeping Angels, Arkham Allie, Jill, Mr Jill, Mike Hammer and Betsy Nails (me) were riotous, but hopefully in a good way. I was hoping we’d make the top 5, maybe the top 3, coming first place was exciting – the musical/movie knowledge of our team was legion.

It was nice to spend time with bodacious skaters. The season is starting, so there’s an amount of reserve that needs to be in place for bouts and scrimmages. Our interactions will just be color, number, instruction. Sometimes it gets a bit disorienting, now that I skate AND officiate at the rats nest, and sometimes I screw up the gear change. I think I might wear my pinks/labcoat at practice, just as refs wear their stripes at practice. It’s a definite costume change that will help me bring the awesome.

I wish I’d remembered to take photos at the pub. Cuuuute puppies and lots of smiling faces. Mr Arkham, I mean Justin McConnell, was taking photos and I’m sure whatever he shares will be better than my happy snaps with an iPhone.

I did take a few photos before we left. I wanted to dress up and I think the I09 article on RococoPunk made me want to do different things with my hair (not that I managed Rococo, but messy with absurd flair is a style I like to explore). I may have to purchase hairspray, keeping hair up with just bobby pins is tricky business. On the plus side I’ve discovered that I have enough hair that if I pile it up it will keep my head warm and I won’t miss wearing a hat. I see a future with more hairspray and lodging random ornaments – I do own a small disco ball, I think that would go with my purple sequin dress.