House Warming Party & Roller Derby

We had a big weekend on April 3rd! First, on Friday we had a "Pizza 'n Beer Nite" House Warming Party, complete with pizza-making, art, and music.

Here is Brad showing off his pizza dough tossing expertise:

Here is James with the Aus-Tex Fusion Masterpiece he created for us (yes, he has paintbrushes sticking out of his head!):

Delman - with whom we are starting a samba school in Adelaide - also made some art to adorn our walls. His wife Cristina (who is expecting!) looks on:

More pictures from the party are posted here: http://flickr.com/gp/salita/9xmE9f

Near the end of the night,  Brad, Delman, Andrew, Judith, and I played some samba for the guests - thanks to Delman who had brought instruments in his big white gig van. After that Brad and Delman played guaguanco (a Cuban rhythm normally played on conga drums) on a repinique, surdos and a conga:

But the partying wasn't over yet! Although we were tired from the fun we had on Friday, we rallied and saw James and Emily again when we went to Roller Derby at Adelaide Showgrounds in Goodwood. We also saw Kris, with whom Brad lived when he first arrived in Adelaide, who was selling tickets at the door and whose daughter plays with the roller derby league. Emily, AKA Crusty Saltbush, plays for the Salty Dolls who were competing against Road Train that night. Salty Dolls gave Road Train a run for their money  -- the score was within one or two points at the end! -- but the heretofore undefeated Dolls decided to let the Train have its moment in the sun. Here are James and Crusty Saltbush striking a pose:

More pictures from the game are posted here: http://flickr.com/gp/salita/4Jv9zo

After the game, we rode with Sarah and Boone - both fellow Texans - over to a pub called the Wheatsheaf (AKA "the Wheaty") for the "after party." (Read more about Sarah and our friend Nadia and the founding of the Adeladies Roller Derby League here.) The Wheaty was packed with a relatively energetic partying crowd and there was live blues music on the back patio. Brad and I enjoyed dancing to the music, and we both agreed it was the closest thing to Austin live music we had experienced yet.