Musings

There will be sone crafty stuff soon (I have a new toy!) but for now, just something that's been bothering me today.

When did Memorial Day become the sort of holiday that people stick "happy" in front of, as though it were akin the Thanksgiving? It suggests to me a horrible lack of knowledge about what it's actually for; despite what people here seem to think it's not just a long weekend in honor of some stupid race.

I'm not generally a fan of the flag waving sort of patriotism- far too often it seems to come hand in hand with the sort of "patriotism" that says that questioning the government is treason and the freedoms of speech and religion apply only to their speech and their religion. Still, I was raised by a veteran (who taught me disdain for lipservice patriotism) and I am married to one. Because of this, and because I do know our history, unlike so many "patriots" it bothers me to see a day of mourning and remembrance turned into a celebration of summer. Saying "happy Memorial Day" is flying straight in the face of that history.

Roller Derby

I first went to see roller derby a couple of years ago with my friend Meghann and her new boyfriend James (they're married now; how the time does fly). We went down the Pepsi Colosseum to see the Naptown Roller Girls, Indy's local team. It was fun, but we never made it to any other matches.

Last year or so, my awesome sis-in-law joined Muncie's new team (or at any rate, their existence was news to me). She's a shy quiet little thing, so this was something of a shocker. We went up to their first homebout on Sunday and they're really very good. They'll be playing Naptown in July, so the plan is to make it up for that as well. (and if you're local you should too)

If you've never seen a bout- you need to go. Watch "Whip It" first, though. It's not a bad movie, and it does a great job of explaining the rules, although it's banked track and everything around here is flat track (both cheaper and safer). If you have been, go back! The girls need your support; it's not a cheap sport.

That's Sarah (Jane Damage) in the sparkly blue helmet; she was pivot in this jam. If you read the rules, you'll know what that means.