Well, now you HAVE to do it.

I'm a big fan of making commitments which then force me to figure out how I'm going to follow through on them.

Case the first:

December, 2004 - sitting in the Laguardia airport I get news that I'm accepted to Wayne State University School of Medicine.  (my dear, sweet mother had taken her semi-basket-case daughter to New York so she'd stop freaking out over med school interviews) Narrowly avoid being detained by air marshalls due to ensuing happy shrieks and dancing.

Returned home to get inked:

Little did I know I was fufilling my other requisite for derby at the same time

I got a caduceus, which has been adopted by the medical community as a symbol.  My reasoning at the time?  "This way, I can't wash out of medicine... I'll look like the world's biggest dork if I have this tattoo but don't finish med school/residency."  

And yes, I know the caduceus is techinically not the ancient symbol of medicine (see: Rod of Asclepius, which I think is ugly) and instead is tied to Hermes, protector of thieves and tricksters.  On my most cynical days, I think I chose the more accurate symbol for my profession.  

Case the Second:

2.5 years after the tattoo, I started dating The Boy.  Who, at the time was hell-bent on getting out of Michigan and moving south.  This caused much angst during our early relationship until I figured out The Boy was The One and I just said "Fine, I'll find a residency in the South and we'll go together."

Trust me, I was really happy the day I matched in Savannah, for obvious reasons.

Seen here with aforementioned wonderful mother.

Case the Third:

Roughly on par with permanent skin mutilation and moving-cross country to stay with the man I loved....

I bought Makeup Setting Spray.

Given that I'm not much of a makeup wearer on a regular basis, and certainly don't require it to stay in place through a night of sweaty club dancing to Thoompa-Thoompa-Thoompa music.... there's really only one reason for it to be in my bathroom.

Yes, I do love Lush Products that much.

It helps keep Derby War Paint on when you catch an errant elbow, boob or helmet to the face.   So my carefully painted on EKG tracing looks just as fresh for the last jam as it does the first.

Now of course, I need to be rostered for it to be of use - something that is rare for fresh meat on a well-established derby team, especially one with 40 members.   So I figured it would sit on my shelf for the first year, a daily reminder of what I was working toward, every time I saw it.

Well, in another week I'll be putting it to the test.

Through a combination of players being out to injury/life, our new floor at practice being hugely suited to my skating style and nightly pleas to the derby gods, I got put on the official roster for the Hostess City Hellions, Savannah Derby's B team, taking on the Charlotte Speed Demons on September 29th.

There were similar undignified noises and dancing to those mentioned in Case the First.

So yes, this is your official invitation to watch my non-meat Debut.  5 PM, at the Civic Center in Savannah, Georgia.

....for the next week, I'll be going over last minute strategy, abstaining from all alcohol, hydrating like crazy - and most importantly, figuring out what clever trauma-related slogan I can decorate my booty shorts with.