Blood, sweat, a few tears and a lotta Pride

It was all fun and games at the 10th annual Angie's List Derby Day until Kelsey Taylor said to me: "Girl, you're gonna need stitches."

Derby Day, for you nonListers, is our annual team building day where employees are randomly assigned a derby team. As the company has grown, so has the event and it's now held at Wilbur Shaw Derby Hill, a nationally acclaimed site where the Boy Scouts hold soap box derby contests

My team was Green Thunder Dome, an homage to Mad Max and an internal initiative.  Jana Abbot, Leslie Shiffler and I had created an awesome cake for the cake contest; our team derby car was great, and I was paired with Allyson Reagan for a three-legged race.

The asphalt race track is also home to the three-legged race. Three-legged races have long-served as prime picnic fare for making people of all ages look ridiculous, but it's not really considered a blood sport. To make this long story short. Team Reed-Reagan fell down. Hard. And on my head.

To my ears, the thump of my skull on hot asphalt was akin to a really ripe watermelon being thumped by a discriminating farmer. In the ensuing haze, it took me a while to realize that it wasn't sweat dripping down my face. Dr. Taylor's diagnosis kind of woke me up.

Poor Allyson was distraught, but anyone who knows me knows I'm not gifted in the grace department. I'm just glad it was me who got the worst of it.

So anyway, a couple of hours and three stitches later, I was short one pair of new sunglasses and learning what else went down at Derby from my pals Lisa, Leslie and Heather, who sprang me from the health clinic after delivering my belongings and car back to work from the scene of the accident.

 

 Despite leaving bits of myself on the race track, my team came away with nothing in the prize selections.

So that kind of sucked, but it could have been a lot worst.  I do have a great, gory new desk ID and I was still able to get to Book  Club. I may not have been  in full command of my faculties, I still had a great time.

Yesterday was the annual Pride parade and festival. I'd hit the pain meds and went straight to bed after Book Club so we could all make the event.

We got to walk with the Downtown YMCA team, led by Karin Ogden and populated with tons of great people.  We've been going to Pride for years, but have only been part of the parade for the past two.

Among the highlights: 

• When the YMCA folks started blasting the Village People's "Y.M.C.A.," everyone in earshot stopped what they were doing and threw their hands up to spell out the letters.
• It was hilarious and reason for the parade announcer to proclaim the unit was the only one in the parade with its own song.
• When the "Pence must Go" car and walkers took their place in the processional, cheers erupted in a kind of ripple effect. 
• The "Keep Indianapolis Fabulous" unit was also a fan favorite. 
• Right behind us was a float with some beautiful people with angel wings. I didn't actually get past the angels to see who they were representing, they were that heavenly.

We were back in the line-up a bit so we didn't see everyone, but it was great to see my Democrat friends in full force -- with Mayor Hogsett stepping the parade off,  with the man who should be our next governor -- John Gregg -- not far behind and a host of others from my favorite political tent.

It was also nice to know there were some great, right-thinking (IMO) group of Republicans there as well. Molly and Bill: I'm still saving you a spot... :)

It's hard not to have a good time at Pride. Everyone is happy and silly and just pleased as punch to see you there. Ali got a new shirt and rainbow socks at the festival and by the end of our time there, we were nearly dripping with sweat. But it was laced with glitter, so, we were still fabulous.

Today we took Ali to Flat Rock River camp where she'll be for a week with Jenna. They've been going for years and are probably edging into the twilight of their career there. Jenna will turn 15 while in the camp's teen valley and Alison hit that mark last month.

As it should be, the parental units were useful only so far as camp property. Ali was prepared to haul all her stuff on her own. All she needed was Jenna. So it was a short goodbye other than Ali's reminder to me that "Miss Amy emails me more than you do when I'm down here." I'm taking two things from that: 1. She DOES like to hear from me despite what her nonchalant attitude and 2. I'm upping my Care package game.

Despite their advanced adolescence, Jenna and Ali are both super sweet and awesome people -- just as Alex and Hannah Ogden are. I'm not sure how we got so lucky to have such great kids, but I'm grateful for each of them.

I love it when they get together after long absences and immediately revert to when they had chubby little faces and arms and didn't know the world didn't treat everyone equally or that they'd be part of helping affect positive change. These are young adults who look at the world with fresh eyes, see the best in people and don't accept injustice when they find it.

Here's hoping that never changes. And that she's always still a bit silly...