Last week was HUGE’s annual holiday party. We celebrated inside the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower—a gorgeous former bank built in the 1920s. Here’s a few snaps from the photobooth.
Viewing Entries Categorized as My Life
December 19, 2011 My Life · Work Life
December 8, 2011 My Life · Work Life
Last week a few of my coworkers from HUGE and I went to the Westside Rifle & Pistol Range to shoot rifes and have some fun. I thought it was going to go the way of motorcycle class (read: I’d have unexplainable anxiety and go home feeling like a total chump) but I loved it! Possibly a little too much?
A full round of bulls-eyes! Thanks for taking photos, Mike!
December 5, 2011 My Life
So what have I been doing in the the last year and a half or so that I haven’t been posting here? In short; working hard, moving back to New York, and still loving roller derby. Let’s go back, way back, and I’ll tell you about it from the beginning:
In May 2010, after practicing for 6 months, I finally played my first derby game with the CT RollerGirls. Around the same time I presented my senior thesis, graduated from Parsons with a BFA, and started a full time internship at HUGE.
After a lifetime of being thin and lanky, derby finally gave me some muscles (and a butt!). I loved the changes in my body, my confidence, and my outlook.
In August 2010 HUGE offered me a full-time position as an Associate Visual Designer. I was loving my internship so I was very happy to know that I didn’t have to leave. The job offer and daily commuting on Metro North promted me to move back to New York (Greenpoint, Brooklyn, specifically) for a fourth time. Alone. Moving meant no more roller derby in Connecticut. So I played my fourth and final game with the Yankee Brutals in August, too.
I went on a road trip to Michigan and Chicago in September, I turned 22 in October, and then November crept up. I shaved my head, and started what ended up being a 2-month tryout process for Gotham Girls Roller Derby.
My roommate talked me over the edge, and documented the entire head-shaving thing.
Christmas and New Years came and went. If finding full-time employment at an incredible agency was my greatest accomplishment of 2010, making Gotham in February was my greatest accomplishment this year. I tried out with over 120 other girls, and in the end they took 11. It felt awesome.
Similarly to a debutante ball, Gotham has a derbytaunt ball to introduce their new skaters.
By the end of May I had played my first game with the Manhattan Mayhem, worked on the concept work for what would be a project that would last the rest of 2011 at work, gotten my motorcycle permit, took a class to learn how to ride a motorcycle (but didn’t end up getting my licsence due to nerves), and participated in the TechCrunch hackathon (my first!) with my friend Dave. We won some money with our hack, too!
I didn’t know it at the time, but June saw me play my last game on Gotham before I had to quit mid-season like a jerk due to the derby/work/life imbalance. It was definitely the most difficult decision of my year.
I played my last derby games at East Coast Derby Extravaganza, a weekend full of derby that happens every year just outside of Philly. Cougars vs. Kittens pitted me against players over 30! (We won.)
When I wasn’t working, I spent the rest of my summer going to Fort Tilden, jumping into rivers, skating Summer Streets, riding on the back of boy’s motorcycles and getting tattooed.
Left: A Self-Portrait Project photo from Summer Streets. Right: Not my cafe racer.
September saw me get a little TOO into painting my nails and experimenting with nail art and in October I celebrated my 23rd birthday and dressed up as rosie the riveter for Halloween.
Above: My best friend as black swan! Below: Misfits halloween party photo by Jay Reason.
In November I redesigned my blog (you’re reading it right now!), traveled to Vermont, and made travel plans to go to Los Angeles for New Years. I also watched Brooklyn win their first Gotham championship title, and watched Gotham take home the hydra in the WFTDA championships. New York finally feels like home and I can’t wait for the new year. I’m hoping 2012 will be just as great, if not better.
October 6, 2010 My Life · Photography
Photos by Shelley Mintz
Two weeks ago my roommate Shelley and I took a road trip out to Chicago by way of Michigan. I had been borrowing my brother’s pick-up truck since he moved away for college when I was a Junior in high school. When I finally moved back to Brooklyn in August it seemed about time to return it to him. Drive out, fly back—that was the plan.
We left Brooklyn around 8pm on Thursday night. We reached Mercer, PA at around 3am. The first night of the trip was pretty uneventful in the grand scheme. In the morning we ate our hotel breakfast, took the scenic route back to Rt. 80, ate like queens at Cracker Barrel and were on our way to Michigan.
Michigan wasn’t originally part of our plan, that is, until I asked a friend from Michigan if he had any suggestions for things to do in Chicago. He didn’t. But he was having a house show on Friday night, and honestly a house show didn’t sound like a half-bad excuse to drive a few hours out of the way.
We packed up in the morning and Jon took us out to breakfast to Golden Harvest. It was hands down my favorite meal of the entire trip. If you ever find yourself in Lansing, Michigan you should find your way to Golden Harvest. Seriously.
The first night we got to Chicago we went to a Windy City Rollers game. I was super impressed by the venue and production—they even had WCR branded video displays that reminded me of Knicks and Rangers games at Madison Square Garden. Total venue envy.
Between shopping, architecture boat cruises, butterfly havens, and even a terrible yuppie bar we fit in as many of Chicago’s veggie restaurants as possible. I ate a vegan cinnamon roll at The Chicago Diner, a veggie stir fry at Pick Me Up Cafe, a breakfast burrito with soyrizo at Handlebar. All were delicious.
We made a handful of friends along the way, too. Friends of friends, friends from 4 years ago, friends we hadn’t met yet. Ian took us out to Pick Me Up Cafe, a book store, and a record store. I forget who but someone told us to go to Family Tattoo, and that’s how we found Matt. After getting tattooed (sorry, Mom) he came out and got a root beer at the bar with us and hung out for a while. He even took us to a rooftop for a nice midnight view of distant downtown Chicago. You should get tattooed by him if you’re ever in Chicago and into that sort of thing.
The trip was super rad, and the flight home was pretty uneventful. It was my first time ever going on vacation, coming home to New York and actually feeling that “Ah, it’s so good to be home.” feeling. The best feeling.
May 23, 2010 My Life
So remember at the end of last year when I mentioned I was getting into roller derby? Well, since then I was inducted into the league, chose my new derby moniker (Bimbo Slice, if you were wondering), passed my WFTDA rules test, passed my scrimmage eval, and was drafted onto the B team, the Yankee Brutals. I’ve already played two games, and game three, against Central Mass Roller Derby is fast-approaching on June 5th. I’m psyched!
Trying to break through a group of blockers from Dutchland Blitz
Holding back a jammer from Garden State Roller Girls
Bonnie Voyage (she has the best derby name ever!) and I tag-teaming a Dutchland jammer.
I never thought I would stand a chance against some of the other girls who play derby, but what I’ve come to love about the sport is that there is that a girl of any shape or size can find her niche in the game. Nothing is more rewarding than putting all I’ve got into a hard practice, and seeing the results of my hard work pay off in a game or a scrimmage.
