How I spend my time

So when i'm not playing games, i'm watching games. Well actually i'm officiating at games.

I've been involved in roller derby since 2008, and have spent many weekend since then in leisure centres and sports halls up and down the UK, and Ireland, bathed in an orange glow and holding up various numbers of fingers.

This was my view on Saturday. I was score tracking, which is probably my favourite officiating role.  I truly love roller derby, I found it at a point in my life when I was feeling lost and alone. It gave me a family of women who accepted me just as I was, and encouraged me to do and be better It helped me to make friends with people I might not have run into otherwise, and go to places and give me things to do during a period of my life when I felt hopeless.

I have given actual skating a good go, but my (considerable) weight and general lack of fitness holds me back. But then, i'm happy enough officiating and being part of my league without having to get into the politics of team selection. 

There's rarely a weekend when I couldn't be officiating although the past couple of years I've not done much as shift working has meant that I simply wasn't available. With a new job, I'm back in the mix!

I have spent the past 20 years in predominantly male environments, so it's rather nice that my hobby lets me socialise with women. It's a different dynamic, and I think its helping me to become more rounded.