Flime Ties When You're Blabbing Hon!

Or Time Flies When You're Having Fun, or Life Goes Fast!

Yes, my sweaters have dried in the past two weeks (I have another load I have to lay flat as we speak), we've had Halloween (a drawn out yet fun weekend of 3 parties, Trick or Treating and post trick or treating get together with friends), Derby Lite has half moved to a new space and is dealing with many coincidentally timed administrative events (and it's not fun stuff), I have a dress to wear to the event of the month (Derby Lite's 2nd Birthday party), looking to skating with the girls in the first Derby Lite Friends and Family Skate at D'Lite House (coincidentally timed to be exactly two years from our first practice), and am contemplating my upcoming month of arts events (seriously, I don't see concerts or shows for a year and I had one this weekend, 3 in the next week and a half, and two more coming up), and I'm continuing to skate and do yoga, and work out. Oh yeah, and we have the holidays coming up, right?

So things are busy. Mostly good, but busy. I've been reflecting on the past couple of years lately, many reasons to do that, but sorry, not bloggable. (I know, I've been told I'm a tease). And realize how important they have been to me. I think my 30s were a time of stability for me. I got a grown up life and my main focus was working, until I had kids (late 30s). My forties have been a time of figuring out who I am, minus much of the work identity (which literally got me through my late 20s and 30s), plus kids, plus what else is there?? And along came some great women (on and off skates), and Derby Lite. I didn't know what I was looking for. But of course it's more complicated than that. I had to be ready for it when it appeared. And I guess, now I'm still getting ready, just not quite sure for what. But I'm hoping my eyes, ears and heart will be open when life starts talking to me.

In the meantime, life flies by. Sweaters to dry, garages to clean out, kitchens to clean (yet again), kids to raise, etc. etc. etc.

Winter Laundry

If you know me at all, you know I find laundry a tedious, overwhelming and heinous chore, only made bearable by the fact that I like clean clothes. As I was doing laundry today I realized why winter laundry is even worse than summer laundry.

1. More layers = more clothes in the laundry= more loads.
2. Socks (enough said).
3. Bigger clothes (jeans, etc.) = more loads
4. Even more "dry flat" labels. I do not posess endless horizontal space on which to nicely lay out blouses and sweaters that need to "dry flat".

I have taken over the hall bath (aka the girls' bath) with my "delicates". Maybe in my next life I will request a huge finished laundry room with a minimum of 20 feet of counterspace and another 20 feet of hanging space. (I didn't mention that every possible hook and rod is covered with undies, bras, tights, derbyskinz, cami's and things that don't have to dry flat but can't go i the dryer....) For now, I just have to hope the girls don't trample my clothes.

Uh, and no, you don't need a bath tonight, you can wait until my sweater dries!

My Blog World

I am a creature of habit and of people. I only read a few blogs and they are written by women about various aspects of their lives. It's not that I don't think other blogs would be interesting or worth reading, I just tend to be really interested in people, and generally people I know. I caught up on 3 blogs today (all of which are listed below) and was really impressed with the writing and the thoughts. They all brought something to me and contributed to the swirl already dancing in my brain this morning. What's interesting is how they are ostensibly about very different topics and written by women I know in very different ways. One is by a friend since 8th grade who lives on the East Coast. One is by a skater girl, who has a very unique voice (both on and off her blog) who blogs about skating, fitness, food and now the clothing in her closet. And the last one I read today is by someone I don't even know personally. She writes about training for and competing in Ironman Triathalons (and it takes both physical and mental/emotional training!). She's amazing and quite an inspiration, as are my other blogger friends.

I love when I find questions that other people have in their minds that relate to what I'm thinking about/worrying about/stressing over/dreaming about. It's my own personal cyber community so thanks L, Poppy and Irongirl! You've made my day better already. I hope someday I can do the same for you.

Skating Year 3, just like Year 1

Somewhere back in year one of Derby Lite there was an article about us in the local paper. And I think I was quoted as saying the skating was a kind of zen experience (or at least I was thinking that at the time) because it I find I have to focus and have to be present (which as many of us know isn't always, or ever, easy). It's really hard to think about kids or job or anything else while you are concentrating on doing something very specific physically. The one time I got hurt with more than a bruise I was doing something fairly straightforward and realized I wasn't paying attention. I sprained 2 fingers. There is little daydreaming or anxiety thinking when skating. And I think that is why I love skating most.

Yesterday afternoon, I was in a huge hurry to get to practice, not in a great mood. And thinking this isn't "my skating" time because I'm there participating as a part of the "Derby Lite" instructional/management/getting stuff done team for the Park District class. I wasn't getting excited about it. And then Helsa Wayton was there, getting us moving. Even if she "lowered it a notch" it was still hard even before we got on skates. And I like working hard, and I like breaking down how we skate. It didn't matter that this was a beginner class, and that I know how to do crossovers, I found ways to be challenged, and yes, I got to focus. I was able to laugh with fun women. My mind cleared. I got the same thing out of it I always do and left happier than when I got there. This is why I love skating and love Derby Lite.

I know it's not skating per se that is magical, but we all need something that will let us get out of our own heads. We should all celebrate when we find it. Because finding it, and doing it, no matter what "it" is, is magical. So I'm celebrating skating. What are you celebrating?

Moms just wanna have fun!

I have much more fun than I did a few years ago. I think that's good. I spent the weekend with my oldest friend. We primped, we ate, we shopped, we slept late, we drank wine, and we laughed! It was, in fact, fun. And relaxing.

These days, I go more places, I do more things. Not to mention having more friends and spending more time with them. As a mom, wife, chief cook and bottle-washer it can be hard to prioritize fun. But as a queenly woman I know says "if mama isn't happy, nobody's happy". And I think it's so true. We do have many responsibilities in our day to day life. Doing things we love, and being with people who make us laugh, help us deal with the difficulties inherent in all those responsibilities. And let's face it, although those responsibilities can be extremely overwhelming at times, kids grow up fast. And before you know it, that 4 year old who hates it when you leave the house, is going to be a 12 year old who has a very full social life. When they are grown up, who do you want to be? I want to be someone with friends, interests, meaningful work, and someone who still remembers how to have fun.

Derby Lite 3 Years Later

I started skating in November 2007, one of the 13 originals (although I didn't have my skates at the very first practice, I actually sat and watched), and started blogging about Life in the Rolling Lane in July of 2008. I just re-read some of my older posts. Wow. Those two years have gone fast and covered a lot of ground.

Sunday, was THE very first Derby Lite Park District Program skate. We have expanded. I high fived B and said "we have a business". It was an amazing feeling. We started talking to the first Park District in December of 2008. We agreed in principle sometime in the March/April? We gave the Park Districts language to use in their catalogs early in the summer? And then on September 27th. It happened. 15 women all with skates on. Yeay. We did it. It was amazing. And they improved in their very first hour of skating. They were falling and stopping like old hands. It was awesome. And exciting.

I stayed on for the Derby Lite: Original (that's the name for us skaters who have been in Derby Lite for a while and who still operated independently of the Park District) practice. Under Poppy's leadership we practiced a drill that included 2 minutes of lots of little steps, almost like running. I get going too fast though. That's what life has been like in the past year. I run run run run run, and then have to break because I'm going faster than I can handle. Skates and life. Yup, that's the Rolling Lane. And I'm glad it's still rolling out in front of me.

Shhhhh. It's a Secret!

Well, not if I post it here. Sometimes I wish I had an anonymous blog where I could talk about things I think are important, but which, well, I don't want the whole world to know. See a blog is great for level 2. Level 1 is hi, my name is....., I have two kids, live in xxxx, and oh, yeah I like to roller skate. Level 2 is talking about things that actually matter to me as a person, that are important or super funny, or maybe even geeky (imagine that). But if I want to talk about more intimate details of my life, I'm certainly not going to post it here (sorry). Having a blog at all was a huge step for me (previous mindset = omg, if people know too much about me I'm doomed -for any one of 679 mostly non-sensical reasons, but still). So I've gotten over that, and in the process (and in conjunction with having more girlfriends who are strong, smart, fun and all those other things you want in a friend than I've ever had before), I am finally opening up more (to them, to me, to the world). And so now I think, I would love to write about......But it's not going to happen. At least not here. Maybe there will be another anonymous blog. Hmmmm. Gotta think about that.