Time To Skate On

From a very young age, roller skating has been a passion of mine.  I remember lacing up my white, leather skates on the slate steps of my parent's house and rolling down our driveway to the bumpy, gravel street.  My whole body vibrated from the wheels rolling over the uneven pavement.  I remember wishing that the town would decide to one day pave our street with smooth black tar. Nonetheless I skated on, body shaking.  The best days though were when my mother took me to the roller rink.  She skated along side me in her 1940s wooden-wheeled quads.  She was so good at it and I practiced everyday to try and measure up.  

Fast forward to October of 2007, when I made my way over to United Skates and tried out for the Long Island Roller Rebels.  I had no idea at the time, but life as I knew it was about to change!  As it does for so many members from the start, derby consumed me!  It was all I ever wanted to do.  I slept, ate and drank derby pretty much on a daily basis.  For me it served a great purpose.  I was single at the time so it helped fill up my spare time that might otherwise have been spent alone.  It also satisfied my insatiable need to exercise rigorously and the distraction of it all helped me through rough times.  Best of all though, I met some of the most amazing people who will always be a part of my life.  

In 2008, I created The Rebel Yell.  Initially I started blogging to help promote the league and to help spread news about roller derby in general.  The blog ended up serving another purpose.  It became a place where I got to share my own stories as well, and boy did I love to talk!  I'm so thankful to have had the opportunity to record and share my experiences with others.

After, five years of writing The Rebel Yell, I've decided that it's time to say goodbye.  My current schedule doesn't leave me with much time to spare and as a result my involvement with the league at this point is minimal if at all.  That's not to say that it won't some day become more so, but for now, it is.  Without experiencing roller derby or being involved with the league, it's harder to bring you news or to write posts with much substance.  

I am so thankful to everyone who has read even one of my posts!  I hope that I was able to at the very least, keep you all informed about the Roller Rebels.

As a goodbye, I thought I would share my 25 Random Facts with you.  I hope you enjoy reading them!

My 25

1- My birth name is Kris, but those closest to me call me Krissy.  I like being called Etta best of all!

2- I am 13 years older than my husband.

3- I got my first and (currently) only tattoo at age 41 while wearing my roller skates.

4- My husband and I were filmed to be on the television show NY Ink, but sadly our episode never aired.

5- I have two sisters and one brother, all older than I am.

6- I was once on a commercial for David Letterman.

7- I have been buying and collecting (and now selling) vintage clothing and housewares since about 1982.

8- Running is one of my favorite pastimes and I'm not quite myself when I don't do it.

9- My grandparents on my mother's and father's side all come from the same small town in Sicily.

10- I studied tap, jazz and ballet for nine years. 

That's me third from the right

11- I have unusually small feet and have to buy a lot of shoes in children's sizes.

12- I have been hand-crafting note cards since 2000 and sell them in boutiques both in and out of state.

13-  In addition to dreaming of becoming a magician and joining the circus, I've always wanted to be a pin-up model.  I am thankful to have had the opportunity to model for a few shoots.

14- I don't feel fully dressed until I put red lipstick on.

15- I love to travel and have been to many places including:  Italy, Jamaica, Aruba, Dominican Republic, St. Martin, Bahamas & Hawaii - just to name a few.

A photo I took in Maui

16- I have been keeping journals since the age of 12 and have a suitcase full.

17- I'm pretty certain that seeing the movie Grease as a child had a strong influence on my fashion and beauty choices.

18- I have been a pescatarian for 15 years, but I crave hamburgers all the time.

19- My first job was a page at a library where I restocked books after they were read.

20- In 2005 I ran a half marathon in the pouring rain and raised over $500 which I donated to NAMI.

21- I am a pizza snob and can usually tell if a slice will taste good just by looking at it.

22- I became an aunt at 7 years old.  My (first) niece and I are more like sisters.

Danielle & I then and now

23- My derby number is 1955.  I chose it because it represents my favorite era (the 1950s) and the year my parents got married.

24- I am extremely close with both my and my husband's family and feel lucky every day because of it!

25- Joining the Long Island Roller Rebels was one of the best choices I have ever made in my lifetime!

xo
Etta Jams
Forever a Long Island Roller Rebel


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