Roller Derby | oliviaobryon

Keep the Pacific Northwest Weird

I figured out last night why I like Olympia so much. It’s weird. Good weird. The walls are covered with amazing murals, the bars and restaurants are a mixture of kitsch, nostalgia and hipster. It is working class, industrial, but also artsy, green, alive. In short, I like it. And, did I mention I have an obsession with murals? I even found myself navigating alleyways full of broken glass to find more, (it was safe, I promise). Ironically, I expected Olympia to be less interesting, just a stop to make for the roller derby bout.

Speaking of which, those girls know how to have a good time. Truthfully, I threw in the towel around 1AM and walked my grandma-self back to the hotel. By that point, the Jersey Shore beats in the club we somehow ended up in were just a little too much for me. I can only fist pump so many times before I lose interest. I think I reached my lifetime limit. And, while I was asked more than once if I had any tattoos, I managed to avoid getting any, which is an accomplishment given the abundance of establishments and my not-so-secret desire for one.

Today we are headed for Portland. Instead of Keep Portland Weird, I think it should be Keep the Pacific Northwest Weird. If it were not so darn overcast up here all the time, I would move in a heartbeat. There is enough weird in the Pacific Northwest to keep me writing for a lifetime.

: Four teachers outside the Prius

: Hybrid pegasus unicorns, definitely cool.

: This love declaration reminds me of something from an indie teenage flick. I found it oddly endearing to imagine the story behind it.

: Every nerdy teenager’s dream mural, amazing!

: This may have been where I encountered the broken glass…

: Groupie status.

Four Teachers in a Prius

We’re barely 24 hours in and we’re already having quite the adventure.

Last night we rolled into Eugene around 11PM to discover that we were not the only people looking for a place to sleep. Turns out the Olympic Trials are underway and there was not a room to be had– not even at the Motel 6! Okay, little bit of an exaggeration, there were rooms for $230+ at the Holiday Inn, (and they would not budge on the price, even with my plea for the special “four teachers in a Prius” discount). I got some good laughs, at least. One strike against spontaneity, I suppose, although we had a good time with it.

Now, we’re here in Olympia, WA and ready for tonight’s roller derby bout. I have to say, my first impression of Olympia is pretty awesome– I dig the vibe of all of the hipster-y restaurants and stores. We even contemplated buying unicorn masks to wear to the bout and our lunch waitress was so awesome that she gave gave us free chocolate chip cookies for eating all our food. We’re actually noticing that people outside of California are much, much friendlier. Go figure. Time to watch some girls get aggressive on skates and attend my first roller derby after party, which is conveniently located next door to a tattoo parlor. Should be a wild night for Grandma, (my would-be derby name if I weren’t such a grandma about the whole idea).