So, I got this idea to make a derby calendar for 2024. You know how it is, right? The official schedule, if there even is one, is usually all over the place or comes out super late. I just wanted something simple, something I could actually use to plan my year around the events I care about.
Getting Started – Or Trying To
First off, I thought, “How hard can this be?” Famous last words, honestly. I figured I’d just jot down the main race dates. Wrong. Turns out, “main dates” isn’t enough. You need to know about practice days, registration deadlines, maybe even when they’re doing tech inspections. The whole shebang.
So, my little project suddenly got bigger. I started digging. I checked old emails, scoured some dusty online forums, and even had to make a few calls. You’d think this info would be easy to find, but nope. It’s like a treasure hunt sometimes, and not the fun kind.
The Nitty-Gritty of Making It
I decided to keep it simple. No fancy software. I basically used a glorified spreadsheet at first, just to list everything out. My initial list looked like a mess. Dates all jumbled, notes everywhere. I had stuff like:
- Early May – Opening Bash? (Check with Dave)
- June 15th – Summer Heat Drags (Confirmed)
- Sometime in July – The Big One (Need location!)
- August – Rain date for The Big One??
Yeah, not exactly user-friendly. I spent a good chunk of time just trying to confirm things. One person would tell me one date, another would say something different. It was like pulling teeth trying to get a straight answer for some of the smaller club events. Consistency? What’s that?
Once I had most of the raw data, or what I thought was most of it, I had to figure out how to lay it out. I didn’t want just a list. I wanted something I could glance at. I ended up using a basic document editor and just made a simple monthly view. Nothing award-winning, but functional.
The “Final” Version (For Now)
After a lot of back and forth, and a few moments where I nearly gave up, I got something that looked like a calendar. I put in the confirmed dates, added notes for tentative stuff, and even a few reminders for myself, like “start prepping the car” or “buy tickets early for this one.”
Is it perfect? Probably not. I bet something will change. That’s just how these things go, right? But at least now I have my own version, all in one place. It’s not some glossy, professionally printed thing, but it’s mine, and it actually helps me keep track of what’s happening with the derby scene in 2024.
I even shared a copy with a couple of buddies, and they seemed to appreciate it. Maybe next year, I’ll start earlier. Or maybe I’ll just hope someone else does the heavy lifting! For now, this little homemade calendar is doing the trick.
