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Apr 22, 2009

Not Quite Ready For Primetime

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I’ve spent the past two days working 12 hour shifts at the hospital for my last quarter of nursing school, and in that time I’ve been reminded that my interests aren’t exactly the same as the average public. Take this exchange at the nurse station:

A nurse: So, do you work while going to school?

Me: Well, kinda. I work from home as a blogger.

All the nurses around me: *blank stares*

Another nurse: What’s that?

Me: Um, you know…writing about your life or a specific topic on the internet? Creating communities around shared interests?

All the nurses around me: Oh, uh, OK…don’t know what you’re talking about…mumble mumble…Hey, there’s a hockey game tonight, right?

I keep forgetting that not everyone likes to blog and share parts of their lives online. In fact, the average public may know about blogs, but I’m still on the geek edge of society.

I’ll admit to having some pretty varied interests that some might call strange. Some things you may or may not know about me:

– I’m an internet geek, but I’ve been known to dress up in medieval clothing. At one point I decorated my living room with tapestries and swords on the wall.

– I still like cartoons as well as sci-fi TV shows, and I love video games when I get the chance to play them. (You should have heard me squeal with glee when I got my new Nintendo DSi.)

– I can’t cook and I’m a lousy housekeeper, but I can knit and sew. So I guess I’m domestic in an upper class Victorian kinda way.

– I dislike soaps, but you can bet I watched the reality game show Who Wants To Be A Superhero? I also love Jeopardy.

– I was in a sorority in college (go AEPhi!) but we were probably the most unpopular sorority on campus. We were the Omega Mu’s of the real world. Our common phrase? “I never thought I’d join a sorority…”

– I’ve never been what you’d call “popular”. At the same time, in those few fleeting moments of my life when I was at my closest to being popular, I can tell you I found it boring. To be popular felt so bland and vanilla – I didn’t like trying to hide my weirder quirks to please everyone.

I know I’m not alone here, so let your weird flag fly – what are your quirks or odd interests?

Filed Under: geek paradise, me me me ·


Apr 10, 2009

Haiku Friday: Springtime Makeover

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Haiku Friday
Spring is here! And with
it a new, fresh look here at
A Mommy Story

The background is in
purple in memory and
honor of Maddie

The header is from
the tree in my front yard – the
blossoms are lovely.

Walking out into the sunshine today, my mood was lifted just by feeling the sun on my skin and the cool breeze on my skin. It wasn’t warm enough for short-sleeves, but it felt great.

I realized that it’s been April now for over a week and I still had a photo of snow as my header. It was time for a change, and I think the new colors reflect the season well.

To play along for Haiku Friday, follow these steps:

1. Write your own haiku on your blog. You can do one or many, all following a theme or just random. What’s a haiku, you ask? Click here.

2. Sign the Mister Linky below with your name and the link to your haiku post (the specific post URL, not your main blog URL). DON’T sign unless you have a haiku this week. If you need help with this, please let me know.

3. Pick up a Haiku Friday button to display on the post or in your sidebar by clicking the button at the top.

REMEMBER: Do not post your link unless you have a haiku this week! I will delete any links without haiku!

Filed Under: geek paradise, Haiku Fridays, me me me ·


Feb 22, 2009

Bring On The Glitz

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Years ago when we lived in Oxford (Ohio), Aaron and I would host an Oscar party for all of our friends. We’d invite everyone we knew, buy lots of food and drink for the party, design and print off fancy ballot sheets for each guest, and spend all afternoon cleaning the living room.

Then as evening approached, we’d cram as many people as we could into our apartment right before the red carpet coverage started, and begin our evening of entertainment. Each person would fill out a ballot, choosing who they think would win for each category. Ballots had to be completed before the curtain came up so there was no cheating.

We’d critique and criticize each designer dress that came down the red carpet, laughing at some of the poor choices and applauding those stars who had sensible friends to tell them, “Trust me, you’ll look good in that.”

As each winner was announced, some would groan and others would cheer as we updated our ballots. We turned the entire award show into a sporting event.

Our last Oscar party was in 2004. After that we moved to Columbus, had children, and let life get in the way. We still watched the Academy Awards each year, always remarking how we missed our Oscar parties.

Well, now the party is back. Our house will play host to six others to watch Hugh Jackman try to breathe life back into the old Oscar. The drinks and snacks are ready, the ballots are printed, and it’s going to be a fun night.

My predictions? I’ll give you a few. Having seen Slumdog Millionaire, I’m nearly certain it’s the Best Picture winner. And I’m hoping Heath Ledger gets his posthumous Best Supporting Actor statuette.

I’m putting odds on Kate Winslet for Best Actress and Mickey Rourke for Best Actor. (It could be Sean Penn, but I’m pulling for the underdog.) WALL-E should get Best Animated Film.

As for the dresses, I’m guessing Angelina Jolie will look absolutely elegant, and while it’s always tough to predict the train wreck outfit of the night, Cameron Diaz is always a safe bet.

We’ll see how right I am at the end of the night.

Filed Under: geek paradise, more than parents, pop culture ·


Oct 19, 2008

I Got Your Geeky Man Cave Right Here

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Parent Bloggers is hosting another blog blast this weekend, and the theme for this one is extremely amusing to me. They want to see the “man cave” in our houses – you know, that area your husband (or you) has claimed as his own and filled with stuff that he can’t bear to part with.

This was a little tough for me, because Aaron has several small stashes of stuff that would be ideal to showcase. Maybe pictures of his bookcases (yes, plural) full of sci-fi novels and gaming books? Or the multiple sci-fi marathon, horror movie marathon, and stage combat workshop t-shirts he’s amassed over the years and refuses to part with?

But then I decided what would work best. Mira’s room, before she was born, was Aaron’s own not-so-much man cave as man war-room. But now that Mira is here, much of his stuff had to be pushed aside to make room for her. The bookcases remain in her room, with gaming books next to a crib and baby toys, and the small walk-in closet is still his entirely. Here are some of the contents:

Closer views:


What’s all in there? Here’s a short list of some of the more prominent items:

1. Lots of stage combat swords of different sorts
2. Can of enamel spray paint for painting miniatures for gaming
3. Box of rope and wooden “knives” for stage combat
4. Fencing jacket
5. Toolbox (OK, this is the family toolbox. Still, it seems at home in there.)
6. Fancy (read: expensive) Star Wars lightsabers that actually light up and make all the noises
7. Eight or so of the 28+ boxes of comic books
8. A large Captain-America-esque round shield
9. Box of wooden “lightsabers” used for stage combat practice
10. Sword cleaning supplies (steel wool, WD-40, some kind of powder)
11. Wooden sword – a relic from when he and a friend did a Renaissance Faire stage act

The original plan was for all 28+ boxes of comic books to reside in this closet. However, we realized that by stakcing all of them in that small space, the weight might compromise the floor and send it all crashing through into the garage. I wasn’t so thrilled with the idea of a hole in the floor in Mira’s room.

This is just a little of the geek stuff that Aaron owns. He’s still a little resentful of having his man cave taken over by our second child, insisting that soon both girls can share Cordy’s room so he can have his room back. I have a feeling that when we move to our next house, whenever that may be, he’ll insist on a house that will provide a room for him again.

So what’s in the man cave at your house?

This blog blast is sponsored by Parent Bloggers and Bill Me Later, where they invite you to enter to win a man cave makeover.

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Filed Under: Aaron, geek paradise, more than parents ·