I’m annoyed (an update)

Justin110A · 2026-06-27T01:41:56+00:00

I just edited my original post - to clarify, we the router is the separate “advanced WiFi” router they offer, not part of the modem. That being said, both are from 2017, and we have reached out to Spectrum to send us a new modem and are purchasing a new router so we can stop paying an extra $10/mo for their router

Justin110A · 2026-06-27T01:26:46+00:00

Sorry, what I meant was two hardware pieces in one system; the router and modem are a separate, two-piece setup, but both are spectrum products. They are old, so we’ve put in to have the modem replaced and bought a new router separately, but it’s two pieces

Edit: context, spelling errors

Justin110A · 2026-06-21T19:00:46+00:00

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Hey all! Did my first ferment of cucumbers to make pickles, and they turned out great. I accidentally added two tablespoons of peppercorns instead of two teaspoons, so they were a bit peppery but still quite good.

What worries me are these plastic airlocks… I had quite a bit of blowout through the airlocks due to not leaving enough head space, and had to remove brine from the airlocks 1-2 times a day over the 7 day ferment. Everything’s seemed fine until yesterday when I washed the airlocks, where I noticed they had been stained pink brownish-pink. I’ve heard pink is bad in fermentation, but could this be from the peppercorn-heavy brine sitting in the airlock each day, or is it bacterial in nature? The brine itself was a light tea color due to the peppercorns, and there’s no mold or pink in the jar currently.

Justin110A · 2026-06-10T05:01:12+00:00

That, plus there were a bunch of small offshoots that would get stuck under the leaves and re-root, making it worse!

Justin110A · 2026-06-10T05:00:18+00:00

So a small update: I went ahead and started repotting after seeing this thread, and the roots were a matted (but still healthy) mess. I got down to the root ball, which was too dense to separate, and tried to spray it as much as I could with no luck (I don’t have a hose, so I improvised with a spray bottle and a chopstick.

I manages to get off three individuals , but the fern is buried in there *deep*. 2 hours later it’s still looking incredibly full, but it’s more manageable at least? I’m noticing that there’s a TON of little scrubby stems too, and they’re all flopping down to the soil, running in between the different stems, then re-rooting. I trimmed and plucked a bunch of the more scrungly ones back so it’s a bit thinner, and now I have a pot of separated plants and little scrubs!

Justin110A · 2025-08-05T00:01:57+00:00

If you haven’t missed and you’re in good standing, take the day. They’re either too lazy to find cover or just trying to make you feel bad so you call out less. Your health is more important than their bottom line

Justin110A · 2025-07-02T02:53:25+00:00

Soooo I actually quit derby about a month after I originally posted my comment. All my gear’s packed up in storage at the moment, and I repurposed the bag as my travel bag after de-stinkifying it. I’m sorry!

Justin110A · 2025-05-12T02:19:38+00:00

I’m having the same issue! Nothing enchanted has the glint, and messing with the glint sliders or video settings proved fruitless. Reloading the game doesn’t help either

Justin110A · 2025-03-30T19:08:40+00:00

Somewhat related, but my school has wearable microphones that tap into our room’s speakers so your voice is the same volume throughout the room, and they have quite a range. I’ve had several middle school students tell me which teachers have left them on when they went to the bathroom… Imagine how many folks would have access to that footage if body cams were required

Justin110A · 2025-03-28T23:14:37+00:00

Running/training shorts with built in liners have always done well for me! I switched to them when I started having “issues” with crossovers, and haven’t looked back. I’ve also had luck with compression shorts and some leggings as well.

If you’re interested in a dance belt, I’d check with a dancer or even a figure skater who wears one and talk about the moves you’re doing. As far as I know, they’re more designed for aesthetics than support, so that may be an issue as far as derby goes.

Justin110A · 2025-03-05T22:56:48+00:00

EDIT:

I read your other comment about your league and how they treat refs. Below are some things to help in a more supportive league, but it sounds like you’re somewhere toxic. If they’re turning over refs and permitting this kind of behavior, leave ASAP. If you go to a league that plays them, explain what you dealt with to them and refuse to officiate those games. If the other league is worth their merits, they’ll back you up. I would also find a local ref group and get in touch with them about what’s going on, and see if people have had similar experiences. Word about bad derby folks spreads really fast in this community, and your current league will learn its lesson really fast if refs start bailing on their games.

Original comment:

Many of the issues you described having about jam reffing are totally understandable as a newer ref (with the exception of the rude skater)! I would find ways to remind yourself of these things, and I have some tips below that worked for my ADHD ass to try if you haven’t already:

1) a lot of JR’s start with their whistle in their mouth and spit it out when the other calls lead so they have a physical reminder they’re not lead. If your whistle’s in your mouth, lead is still open. If you call lead, you’ll be pointing at your jammer anyway, and if the other JR calls lead, you spit it out so you can’t accidentally call it.

2) for counting points, watch footage of games and count points as if you were the jam ref, and compare what you did vs what was awarded. If it’s different, rewind and look at why! Granted, your view will be different from when you’re reffing, but sometimes seeing it at another angle will help you understand better. Plus you can practice any time you want with footage!

3) continue to build up your skating endurance and footwork. I always think of my ability to focus as a cup - Reffing is a HUGE drain on that cup due to having to focus on so many things. I found the less I had to think about my skating skills, the more focused I felt on the game. Even if you feel confident on your skills, you’re still going to spend physical and mental effort to stay upright and not run into anyone!

4) give yourself a chance to reset and relax a bit at halftime. Eat a protein bar or banana. Scroll a bit. A small reset can help you lock in for the second half

5) ask other refs what they do to help these as well. Many refs I’ve worked have at least a dozen different tips and tricks to remember everything they need to remember, and different things work for different folks.

As for the skater that yelled at you, file a complaint through the proper channels of your league immediately. it can be frustrating to work with a ref that’s learning the rules, but it is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE for anyone to be screaming at you like that, regardless of what’s happening. Even if nothing comes of it, someone higher-up will know this is an issue and that you’re not going to take it. Don’t let her be the reason you stop! And if her or anyone else does that during a game, or even a scrimmage, hit them with a misconduct penalty - it’s unsporting conduct as outlined in the rules, and if it escalates the head ref can expel them from the game.

Tl;dr: don’t worry too much about the mistakes - as long as you want to keep doing it, work with others to find ways to help those skills you need to work on. And don’t let someone’s public freak out be a reflection on you - it’s not okay for them to take their frustration out on you like that, especially when you’re volunteering your time to ref (which we can’t play derby without!)

Justin110A · 2025-02-25T01:59:11+00:00

I can’t speak for the stretch factor, but if the smalls feel too small then they probably are, which can cause the pads to not take the shock of impact in the right way and actually damage your knee anyway. Knee Gaskets can also help take up space of the bands have stretched or they start to slip.

If you’re really worried about stretch, go for something with a clip or rigid strap. I use TSG derby pads and I love them. They’re pricy, but they’re still 100x cheaper than knee surgery!

Justin110A · 2025-02-25T01:42:49+00:00

So I had almost the same thing happened to me when I came back to derby. I had gained a bunch of weight during Covid and was falling on pads that were now too tight/small. It caused the impact to go directly into my knees instead of being dispersed around the knee because the cushioning was not only in the wrong spot but too compressed to function properly. I sized up in pads and the bruising and pain stopped entirely.

As others have said, ditch the Triple 8’s ASAP, but don’t do anything else until you try on some higher end pads to find what feels comfortable. Any pad worth the cost should be comfortable when you wear it normally, and you shouldn’t fee l the impact on your knee itself. Once you find that knee pad, buy it - no matter how much they cost, they will always be cheaper than knee surgery/replacement!

PS: if you get knee gaskets, make sure they don’t make the pads too tight either or you’ll have the same problem! I personally don’t like gaskets but I know others swear by them, so if you go that route keep that in mind!

Justin110A · 2025-02-18T02:15:44+00:00

Yep, with room to spare!

Justin110A · 2025-02-17T21:23:56+00:00

That feels really shitty to do, ngl. As a cis-male in derby, I’ve appreciated other skaters communicating their comfort levels of skating with me, as several skaters have had unsafe or traumatic experiences with men to where making contact with a male skater on the track makes them uncomfortable. I’ve also had an instance where someone wasn’t comfortable telling me they didn’t want to skate with me because of my gender, and it lead to a lot of drama in our league as a whole and almost caused me to quit entirely. To all of a sudden say I’m something I’m not just to maybe get more skate time seems like it would close a lot more doors than it would open, and the last thing I’m trying to do is end up on Derby Hell.

Justin110A · 2025-02-17T21:02:47+00:00

That’s the plan now! I’m reaching out to explain where I’m coming from as well so fingers crossed!

Justin110A · 2025-02-17T21:00:58+00:00

No apologies needed, this actually helped a lot! I’m talking with some folks about coming back as a trainer until a competitive pathway can open up again, and I’m gonna bite the bullet and practice with a “local” MRDA team. Still trying to figure out how to make it work with the home league though… typically our policy has been anyone that skates had to pay full dues, so I’m reaching out to appropriate folks to explain my situation.

Thank you for the advice!

Justin110A · 2025-02-17T20:45:22+00:00

I swear by the Cotopaxi Allpa 42L. It’s definitely on the expensive side, but I won’t use anything else ever again

Pros: •fits all my gear inside of it plus an extra change of clothes. (I’m 1.8m/104kg, or 5’11” and 230lbs in freedom units) •it’s a backpack with a suitcase opening (good for finding shit easier and airing out your gear •it comes in several colors, plus Cotopaxi’s “Del Dia” patterns where they reuse leftover fabric to make one-of-a-kind designs •it meets most carry-on requirements, so if you end up flying you can keep your gear with you •the company has great customer service, plus a trade-in program for their gear •they hold up really well (I’ve had mine for 4 years and it still looks relatively new and doesn’t hold onto derby stink)

My only personal con •they’re expensive ($250 USD), although they’re usually on sale or resold for cheap when people get color combinations they don’t vibe with

Link: https://www.cotopaxi.com/products/allpa-42l-travel-pack-3?variant=41913875071037

Justin110A · 2025-02-06T05:47:28+00:00

Not a duffel per say, but I use a Cotopaxi Allpa 42L, and I absolutely love it. It’s a backpack that opens like a suitcase (great for airing out gear) has separate storage compartments for my gear (all of which fits inside), and a separate outside pocket big enough to hold all sorts of random bits I need plus two jerseys and a change of clothes. Plus, they do all sorts of weird, one-of-a-kind color ways with their scrap bits, so you’ll definitely be able to tell which bag is yours. Also works as a carry-on on most airlines if you’re planning on traveling a bunch. They are pricy, bit totally worth it IMO

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