Footprints on the Moon

Along with my failure to update regularly, I realized that I have also failed to keep all of you up to date on my weight loss progress. I have been posting it on Facebook every few weeks, but I should share here as well.

As of Sunday morning 9/26, I have lost 38.2 lbs. I am also now wearing size 18 pants to work (I started in a size 22). I still have quite a way to go, but I’m definitely moving in the right direction. 62 lbs to goal, actually, so more than a third of the way there. And the size 18 pants I just bought three weeks ago are already loose.

It’s a good problem to have, don’t get me wrong, but I’m too broke for this! I need new pants, new bras… I’m getting away with shirts because it’s not that big a deal if they are too big, but they are rapidly going to look sloppy. Too bad I have no money to buy clothes! I’m cashing in some vacation hours at work, and I think I’m going to have to use some of that money to at least buy new bras. The saggy, unsupported look just isn’t a good one.

I don’t have access to my progress pictures on this computer (and actually need to take new ones), but I will leave you with these. On the left is a picture I took 4 days before I started Weight Watchers in April. On the right is a picture I took to show off my napkin bib on September 9. See a difference?

Doesn’t quite qualify as one of those weight loss success stories just yet, but I’m on my way.

You know you have been too big of a slacker at updating your blog when your own blog doesn’t recognize you. Do you still remember me? Maybe we should all wear name tags? Hi, my name is Jennifer, and I used to write on this blog. I also use pictures that I took last week (some time after practice, if you can’t tell by the crazy braids) and try to pass them off as current because I NEVER BLOGGED IT. Oops?

I’m trying to decide whether my lack of blogging is out laziness or because I’m boring lol I’m going to go with laziness because it’s not like I don’t have anything to say. I’m constantly drafting blog posts in my head… about that crazy thing I just saw, about how my weight loss is going, about roller derby… etc. Sometimes I even come over here and open up my blog. And then half an hour later, I’ll switch back from whatever I chose to do instead and close it with nothing written here.

It’s a vicious cycle… the less I write, the less people comment. The less people comment, the less I write. I know some people in my family read my blog, but a lot of times I feel like I’m just out here talking to myself. I miss the days where we all commented on each others’ blogs… Don’t get me wrong, I’m guilty of this too. I certainly comment far less than I used to myself. I know the mantra is “I blog for myself,” and I know some day I’m going to wish these months weren’t so sparsely populated on my blog… but gosh darnit, I miss you guys!

Let me preface this post by saying that I had a pretty good weekend. I went and spent the weekend with my mom. We just hung out, did a bit of shopping, played cards. Just relaxed and had a good time. Today, however, I’m feeling like I need to look for Orlando vacation packages. It was a rough day!

I took this picture in my mom’s apartment this morning when I was getting ready to head out for practice. It just went downhill from there. I got frustrated at practice when I failed assessments on T-stops, didn’t feel ready to try jumps, and didn’t try to improve my 5 minute endurance laps. Well, Coach told me I didn’t fail T-stops, I just need to do a bit better. Either way, I didn’t PASS T-stops… and I feel like I’m not getting any closer. I’m starting to feel like months from now, I’m still going to be non-contact, non-WFTDA approved because of freaking T-stops.

I moved on with practice, and then about halfway through I had to drop out of a drill because I was having a hard time breathing. I felt like my throat was closing up. I sat down, and ten seconds later, the tears started. I had to sit out for awhile until I could calm down. I did eventually calm down, put my gear back on and get back to practice.

I also made bad diet choices when I got home… I’m pretty sure I didn’t need two different ice cream bars and gummy bears all in one afternoon. To top it all off, I took a shower about an hour ago and got face wash in my eye! It still hurts a bit. I posted on Facebook that the only safe thing to do at this point is go to bed! So I think that’s what I’m going to do. It’s almost laughable how wrong things went today, but I’d rather not press my luck by staying up any later. Hopefully I can make it through the night without any phone calls from work (unlike the 3am phone call I got last night! Hmm… maybe the lack of sleep contributed to the overreacting today?)

Every conversation I have with my mom these days tends to include something about roller derby. It’s a huge part of my life right now, so naturally I talk about it a LOT. Every one of these conversations includes some variation of “the Speech.” What is the speech? Well, it includes some variation of the following: “Be careful.” “You could get hurt.” “You’re my daughter, I’m always going to worry about you.” “I’m glad you’re enjoying it, but….” “I don’t know if I’m going to be able to watch you and Amber.”

Okay, that last one is a new addition after last Saturday. See, on Saturday, I took my mom up to Kalamazoo to watch the Killamazoo Derby Darlins take on the Rubber City Rollergirls and the Grand Raggidy Roller Girls. My plan was two-fold.

First, I wanted her to see an actual roller derby bout. Derby has changed from what she remembers growing up, and I wanted her to see exactly what I’m working towards. Second, I was hoping to show her that yes, it is a high speed contact sport, but look! Those girls get knocked down and get right back up!

All was going well… I was explaining the rules, explaining ref calls, pointing out things as they happened. At one point, a member of the KillaCrew served a pretty hard block on one of her opponents that sent her flying out of bounds and Mom cheered. YES, I had a convert!

But. (And I’m sure you knew this but was coming.)

But… then this happened:

I know it’s hard to see in this picture, but that is a skater, one Mouthy Mayhem, laying on the track with a broken ankle. If you look closely, you can see the black cap of her knee pad… and then follow it down to her pink skate… that is pointing about 90 degrees in the wrong direction.

The whistles blew and everyone took a knee… I glanced over and said, “That’s a broken ankle.” And promptly felt a little nauseous. But not as nauseous as I felt when I found out later that she originally tried to stand up on it before she realized what happened. That’s what I was told anyway, I couldn’t see what happened from where I was sitting.

One person from our league that was sitting closer said that she was crossing over, and stepped on her own foot. Another skater that went told me last night that she was crossing over, and another skater locked wheels with her and tripped over her foot. (She’s also the one who told me that Mouthy tried to get up. Barf.) Whatever happened, it didn’t end well!

And for some reason I can’t figure out, this sight did not make my mom feel better about me skating:

I already have to purchase USARS supplemental insurance to skate with the league. Do you suppose additional life insurance would make her feel any better? No, probably not, huh?

Even though things didn’t go exactly according to plan, I think Mom still had a good time. Even if she will watch me skating through her fingers in the future.