Nerd, Geek, Or Dork

For Kim: Outcast Genius 60 % Nerd, 65% Geek, 65% Dork

For The Record: A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia. A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one. A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions. You scored better than half in all three, earning you the title of: Outcast Genius. Outcast geniuses usually are bright enough to understand what society wants of them, and they just don't care! They are highly intelligent and passionate about the things they know are *truly* important in the world. Typically, this does not include sports, cars or make-up, but it can on occassion (and if it does then they know more than all of their friends combined in that subject). Outcast geniuses can be very lonely, due to their being outcast from most normal groups and too smart for the room among many other types of dorks and geeks, but they can also be the types to eventually rule the world, ala Bill Gates, the prototypical Outcast Genius. Congratulations! Also, you might want to check out some of my other tests if you're interested in any of the following: Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 59% on nerdiness You scored higher than 87% on geekosity You scored higher than 97% on dork points

Link: The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test written by donathos on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

see, I'm NOT a geek!!!

Last night, my sister called me to ask a question...she wanted to know how to post a picture on her blog. I easily led her through the steps she needed to take...and while I was talking to her, Bill was sitting beside me having a little laugh. I started talking to her about the code, and wondered if she wanted help figuring out how to position the picture in different places on her blog. Tammy thought that sounded too difficult...and it probably was, especially over the phone. After I got off the phone, Bill said that he always knew there was a geek inside of me...and now I was tech support.

Of course, I never would've known how to help Tammy if Bill hadn't shown me how to do the same thing a while ago.

Anyways, I took the test and I'm not a geek...here's my proof!!!

Joe Normal 26 % Nerd, 8% Geek, 17% Dork

For The Record: A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia. A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one. A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions. You scored less than half in all three, earning you the title of: Joe Normal. This is not to say that you don't have some Nerd, Geek or Dork inside of you--we all do, and you can see the percentages you have right above. This is just to say that none of those qualities stand out so much as to define you. Sure, you enjoy an episode of Star Trek now and again, and yeah, you kinda enjoyed a few classes back in the day. And, once in a while, you stumble while walking down the street even though there was nothing there to cause you to trip. But, for the most part, you look and act fairly typically, and aren't much of an outcast. I'd say there's a fair chance someone asked you to take this test. In any event, fairly normal. Congratulations! Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

C'mon, Bill...take the test!
...you too, Andrew!

Not For Me

After much thought, I decided the Brazilian style Jiu Jitsu I tried on Monday was not for me. It was all ground fighting and grappling and I'm more about the throws and hold escapes. I don't mind the occasional ground fighting, but the thought of spending the next year and more doing it does not appeal to me.

So since Ontario Academy of Martial Arts is out, I have some other options.

1) Therien Jiu Jitsu dojo: has the advantage of teaching Can Ryu Jiu Jitsu that I like, has a dojo in Stittsville, and has possible noon hour classes. Downside is that the internet scuttlebutt is that they are not serious martial artists and are hacks.

2) Hiscoe Jiu Jitsu Dojo: They are the school I went to 9 years ago and I really liked them. Downside is that the Dojo is in south Ottawa and only has evening classes at 7-9 pm twice a week. I don't know if I want that time of time effort away from my home life.

3) Ottawa Judo Club: Judo is very similar to Jiu Jitsu, they train in Kanata near where I work. But they are not Jiu Jitsu and the class times are even later than Hiscoe Dojo, starting at 8:30 and running until 10pm on Mondays and Thursdays with a Saturday afternoon class as well.

I'm going to try out Therien Jiu Jitsu next Monday evening to see if I like what I find. It only costs $20 for two classes and a new gi (uniform for the unlearned). If that fails, I'll consider trying Hiscoe Dojo again for a couple weeks and see if the time and driving is worth it.

Ouch.

Well, I tried my first free lesson of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at the Ottawa Academy of Martial Arts today over lunch and my upper back muscles know it. Sore with a capital S. A lot of grappling and submission holds, not sure if I like it yet or not. I'm going to give it another try on Wednesday and see how I feel then. No question its a workout and a half though. Totally exhausted by the 45 minute mark.

 

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math Test?

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 10/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

Here Goes Nothing...

Last weekend we saw the son of our good friends Tamara and Ordell at his Taekwondo competition and seeing the dojo, students, and martial arts brought back fond memories of my Jiu-Jitsu training I did for a year and a bit back when I was still in university. Back then I acheived the rank of Green Belt in the Can-Ryu Jiu-Jitsu style through the Hiscoe Dojo in south Ottawa. But money concerns and then moving away to find work brought that to an end.

So Kim and I talked and I'm considering getting back into it. So today I called up and arranged to go in Monday to a dojo on Carling and see if I can hack it again. I'll report back then.

rotate, man, rotate...

This morning, as I sleepily got out of bed, I noticed what clothes Bill had put on, and had myself a little chuckle. He didn't look funny, he looked fine...it was another reason his choice in clothes made me laugh. He came into the bathroom to look in the mirror...wondering what in the world I was laughing at...I told him he looked fine, but I had an idea for a post. I love you, babe, but I've just got to tease you a bit about this...

You see, I do the laundry, and when all is clean and folded, I put the clothes away. I stack all the fresh clothes on top of the other things already in the drawers/on the shelves. Of course, this means that 90% of the time, Bill just grabs a shirt/sweater from the top of the pile ('cause it's easier) and the stuff on the bottom of the pile rarely gets worn.

I think his armoire is in desperate need of an overhaul...time to rotate the shirts so the ones on the bottom have a chance to see the light of day! The guys at work may think he's gone on a shopping spree, showing up for work in clothes that they don't recognize!

Now, because of this, I bet Bill will grab a shirt from the bottom of the pile tomorrow...just to tease me...

Thursday Thirteen

13 Trivial Questions I Would Like The Answers To.

1.  As Sheryl Crow asks, why do we park in a driveway and drive on a parkway?

2. In a fight, if Darth Vadar's opponent hit some of the buttons on the control panel on his chest, would he have to stop to readjust them?

3. Does anyone else Think that January and August should give up a day each to make February longer?

4. Is there anyone over the age of 6 that actually thinks a rodent can predict the coming of an early or late Spring?

5. Who actually votes for the Communist-Marxist party in federal elections anyway?

6. Who in their right mind runs for them?

7. Where are my flying cars we were promised by now in the '50s?

8. Is it just me, or was the holodeck a stupid idea on Star Trek TNG? It ruined so much of the series, and tried to take over the ship at least a half dozen times. You think they would have dismantled it.

9. What happened to Banana Pudding? Why can't I find it anywhere anymore?

10. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

11. Why is Orange not a more popular favourite colour? What's with all the red and blue freaks out there? One is the colour of blood, the other of depression. Orange is so much better.

12. Why do gun collectors often turn out to be bullet collectors too?

13. Where and when does the lobotomies get performed on politicians? Just before or just after they are elected? Or is it a pre-condition to running for office in the first place?

Meme Time...

Over on her own blog Kim tagged me. Sigh.

*Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot*
1. snickerdoodles
2. The Movie Monkey
3. Paisley Propaganda
4. Nothing Heavy
5. He Says/She Says

What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was in university and living with my fiancee and a couple other students in an old house in the middle of a subdivision, freezing because the heat was turned so low.

What was I doing one year ago?
Working very hard and starting up my blog. It was stressful because of work but I survived.

Five Snacks I enjoy:
1. Yogurt
2. Chocolate
3. Sour cream, cheese, and Salsa dip with Nachos.
4. Dill Pickles
5. Cookies

Five Songs I know all the words to:
1. Low Self Esteem - Offspring
2. Free Falling - Tom Petty
3. Happy Birthday
Sorry, I've only got three I can think of

Five things I would do if I was a millionaire:
1. Buy a new perfect house
2. Buy a cool car or two
3. Buy a cottage
4. Take a trip
5. Start a business

Five Bad Habits:
1. Procrastination
2. Junk Food Snacking
3. Chewing pens
4. Working too fast
5. Driving too fast

Five things I enjoy doing:
1. Spending time with Kim
2. Playing games
3. Watching moveis
4. Painting models
5. Reading

Five things I would never wear:
1. Bow tie
2. Kilt
3. Tube top
4. socks and sandals with shorts
5. Girl's underwear

Five favourite toys/games:
1. Warhammer
2. Nintendo Gamecube
3. Tennis
4. Volleyball
5. Pit

Long Weekend

Kim and I travelled to Barrie to visit our friends Tamara and Ordell for the weekend, and although we had a great time the driving made for a long trip. The weather was mostly good but there was enough snow on the roads at times to make some overly cautious people slow down way too much, especially on the way back to Carleton Place. Fortunately, most of the pokies and all of the snow was gone by the time we passed Peterborough and we made good time.

I'm also happy to report that Ordell did not win all of the Mariokart games and I managed to keep up with him most of the time. And the girls were right behind us all of the time. Fear the Blue Shell!

to tip, or not to tip...

Up until a few years ago, it never occured to me to tip my hairstylist...waiters/waitresses, of course, but hairstylists???

The idea came from Bill, who I saw tip a girl once after cutting his hair...I asked him about it and he said that he usually tipped a couple dollars. Huh...interesting.

My friend Erin is now a hairstylist. She gets tons of tips, and the biggest tips usually come from guys...guys who probably think she's quite hot. She's had guys tip her $20.

Bill got his hair cut yesterday afternoon, by a guy with a long rat tail to the bottom of his back! Yes, you read that correctly. I know that I, for one, wouldn't trust my hair in the hands of a guy that thought having a long rat tail was a good idea! Part of the word stylist...is style! (and there's no style to a rat tail...well, no good style)

I asked Bill if he gave the guy a tip...he didn't. I teased him that it's because it wasn't a hot girl cutting his hair. I mean, this guy did a better job than the last girl who did it, so if you give tips based on performance, than this guy deserved a tip.

I guess in a case like this...

big boobs=big tip

no boobs=no tip

wow...

It's true...Bill showed me a wonderful time for Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day usually has him in a panic. Maybe it's because it's a day of romance and he's romantically challenged. He can be romantic when he really wants to be, but either he just doesn't realize how important it is to me or doesn't really know what to do. Maybe there's too much effort involved...don't really know...it often takes a lot of forethought and preparation to pull off a special night.

Two years ago, Valentine's Day pretty much blew. We had recently bought our new home and I had just started working, so we decided that we wouldn't buy gifts or go out for dinner for Valentine's Day. Apparently, Bill took this to mean that the day itself was cancelled and he didn't even need to bother with buying me a card. I bought him a card and some chocolates...that wasn't spending much money, and I couldn't let the day go by without giving my love a valentine. I guess I figured that Bill would feel the same way. Poor Bill, he knows that he's not usually great with this day...he made this post last year about Valentine's Day.

Well, things looked up last year...and this year he was shining so bright I needed shades! I guess he wanted to make sure that he had all his bases covered...

I went downstairs in the morning to find a card and a CD that was a tribute to Madonna. On the back of the envelope he wrote that he had a surprise for me later that evening. Bill came home from work with his hair cut, carrying flowers and chocolates for me. That wasn't the surprise. We went out for dinner at Baton Rouge (yummy) where he handed me a small gift box wrapped in gold paper with a red bow on it. I opened it to find a sparkling ruby/diamond ring!!! I didn't really need another ring (I have too many now that I can't wear them all!) but since when does a girl say no to jewelry?!

Talk about covering all your bases...flowers, chocolates, jewelry, dinner...and quite the romantic card.

Now, I appreciate all the effort and we had a wonderful time...but, I had to tell him that he didn't need to spend all that money to make Valentine's Day special for me. But, hey...if it's easier for him to spend money than to plan a cheap, romantic evening, I'm not going to complain!

Thanks for the wonderful evening, my love.

A Little Science Never Hurt Anyone

Counting Tree Rings of a tree maybe 160 years old.

(Hit tip: Pharyngula)

Valentine's Dat was a Success

No tears, lots of love, another Valentine's Day successfully navigated. Whew!

for you...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Thanks for the romantic card you left for me this morning...it touched my soul and brought a tear to my eye.

You truly are the most wonderful husband a girl could ask for, and I'm so glad you're mine.

Birthday Fun

My 32nd Birthday was on Saturday and Kim and I had a good ole time.

The Birthday fun started when Andrew and Jennie came over Friday night and we played some Marioparty on the Gamecube with me and Kim. You'll be happy to know that I let Andrew win a game. ;)

Saturday it was just Kim and I so she gave me my presents which included tickets to the Ottawa Sens game against the Flyers that night. Cool! I like going to hockey games and these seats were perfect, right at the front of a 300 level section so nothing but open ice was in front of us. We decided to check out the ice sculptures downtown before heading to Swiss Chalet for a little pre-game meal.

The Sens won 3-2! W00t! We even got out of the parking lot in decent time and was home before eleven.

All in all a great Birthday. Thanks babe!

and I thought he was pretty observant...

For the most part, Bill is pretty observant. When I get my hair done or wear a new outfit, he usually notices...although maybe that's because spending money's involved! hehehe

The other day Bill noticed for the first time that the knobs on our kitchen drawers and cupboards match the countertop. We've lived here for a little over two years now.

The reason he noticed was because one of the circle insert things on the knobs fell out. He heard a sound and went into the kitchen to see what it was. He was quite surprised when he picked up the little circle to put it back and realized that it was exactly the same as the countertop. As soon as he told me this, of course I had to have myself a little chuckle. The matching knobs and countertops was one of the first things I noticed about the kitchen when we were looking to buy the house! (Bill said that the first thing he noticed was the flat-top stove) I guess us women are more into the details...but, come on! He's been in that kitchen practically every day since we've lived here...and some of the knobs are right at eye level! In total, there are 39 knobs in the kitchen, and yes, I counted them.

I took some pictures to give you a better idea of what I'm talking about...


Ok, you can see the countertop...it's speckled black and gray...so is the front of the knob on the drawer.



This picture is the corner of the kitchen...even from a distance one can notice that the knobs and countertops match...and some are definitely at eye level.

Ok, now this is no big deal...it just surprised the heck out of me that not once did Bill notice this. I've had friends come over, who after a few minutes have commented about the coordination of the kitchen and matching counters and knobs. Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

Must be a woman thing???

After Bill told me that he didn't know they matched, I asked him what color the rest of the knob was...he was like..."gold...or silver...or gold...or silver??" He did, however, know exactly what color the ones in the bathroom are...he said that was because he had to tighten one up once.

I'm sure you women reading this know "off-the-top-of-your-head", what color the knobs are in both your kitchen and bathrooms. I'm also sure that many of the men reading this won't have a clue. Go figure...

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Movies I Liked Recently

1. Star Wars Episode III - Didn't suck nearly as much as I and II.

2. Serentiy - Very cool, makes me wish I had watched the series more.

3. Underworld: Evolution - I'm a sucker for a good Vampire flick, and it didn't hurt that the vampire in question has a wicked British accent.

4. Just Friends - Not as laugh out loud as I expected, but amusing nonetheless. Good plot.

5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Very well done, although I was a tad disappointed in the last task not having any Blast-ended Skewrts!

6. War of the Worlds - Loved it! Scary-freaky and true to the original.

7. Batman Begins - Not quite as awesome as the cartoon on TV often was/is, but light years ahead of the drivel of the past. "No freaking suit-nipples! Yes!"

8. Madagascar - Very enjoyable family movie.

9. Mr. & Mrs. Smith - Corny in one sense, but once you suspend believability, these two had chemistry and excellent material.

10. Kingdom of Heaven - I liked it although I found it a little unbelievable how easily Orlando Bloom's character went from blacksmith to Knight.

11. Constantine - Vamires, Daemons, movies about occult and good versus evil are always amusing. This was was particularily well written which isn't surprising since it was a graphic comic first.

12. The Island - Amusing and exciting. Except for one truely unbelievable part, it was very cool.

13. Elektra - Good versus Evil, based on comic book... apparently I'm easy to please when it comes to movies.

I Think I'm Coming Down With Something...

I feel tired, look tired, and feel cold.

Stupid winter.

what's in a word...

I read this earlier and thought it was kinda funny, mostly because of how true it is.

When a woman says "I'm fine"...she really means that 'things are not fine and I'm mad at you'...the word "fine" actually stands for: freaked out, irritated, nervous and emotional. You guys should make a mental note that in a woman's vocabulary the word "fine" often has the same meaning as "terrible". Of course, when a woman combines "fine" with sarcasm it's a sure sign that you're in trouble!

I am terrible for doing this. I guess I didn't realize that it was a gender trait...figures! I'm a big fan of the sarcastic "fine then...blah, blah, blah..."or the "I'm fine...everything's fine".

Of course, Bill doesn't fall for this...he's too smart for that. It probably helps that he's had lots of experience in dealing with my many moods and often dodges the bullets. Sometimes when I'm in the "I'm fine" mood, all I really need is some space...other times some major sucking up from the man is in order.

It's funny because I know what's really going on in my head when I say all is fine (and it most definitely is not)...and I somehow expect Bill to just know this! He's supposed to be able to read my mind, right? Besides, often when I'm "fine" the reason has something to do with my dear hubby, so he should, afterall, know what's wrong.

It's funnier still that when Bill says he's "fine", I totally read between the lines and automatically think things are indeed terrible. I'm always reading between the lines, interpreting his thoughts, expressions and actions into things that they're not. I guess when a man says that he's "fine", he usually is...where fine=good, and not fine=terrible. When Bill says that he's "fine", I never believe him...maybe that's because my dictionary has a totally different meaning for the word!

The Cursed Weekend

We had the Kids up for the weekend and wanted to have fun with them. Well, the fates conspired against us to give us the Cursed Weekend!

It all started inoccently enough.

Saturday morning rolled around with Kim waking up at 6:30 and not being able to get back to sleep. Minor thing, but it was the first step of the curse.

The warm weather lately ruined our plans for going to Winterlude. No skating on canal, no Snowflake Kingdom slides: so we decided to go bowling.

We get to Merivale Bowling Alley and the place is packed! Loud and full of kids, with a waiting lineup of at least half and hour. We ditch bowling and decide to take in the Nanny McPhee movie. After the movie we hit Swiss Chalet for dinner. Not the super-fun weekend we were hoping for, but the Kids were happy.

Then the Curse swung into full gear.

I get home and I feel a pain in my chest. Thinking its indigestion, I try some tums but the pain continues to get worse. Thinking it was cramps of some sort I try Advil and A535 and no relief. Heat pad? Nope. It felt like a clamp had been tightened in my chest or a muscle I could not massage was cramping up. It started around 8pm and by 9:30 I was pacing and desperate for relief. Despite needing to get up early in the morning, we are scared enough to pile the kids in their pjs into the car and head towards the Carleton Place Memorial Hospital.

I was quickly admitted and a battery of tests were performed to make sure it was nothing to do with my heart. Blood pressure check, EKG, chest x-ray, blood work, the whole kit and kaboddle. Everything came back normal except a slightly lower than normal heartrate which surprised everyone. By this time I'm sweating from the pain yet feel like I'm freezing. I've never felt anything like it before.

Anyway, to rule out heart problems they administered a Nitrogen spray to under my tongue. The first two spritzes followed by 5 minutes of waiting showed no change, but after the third spritz the pain started to decline. Fifteen minutes later it was gone. This was by 11pm so after three hours of agony, it was gone as if it never happened.

The ER Doctor was dumbfounded, and after some thinking suggests it was most likely an esophageal spasm of the "nutcracker" type (real medical term, no kidding). My take on the medical reading is basically an internal muscle cramp. Anyway, to be safe she says we should do delayed bloodwork which requires taking blood eight hours after pain first started, which meant around 4 in the morning. Sigh, that means I have to stay in the ER until that time.

Kim heads home with the tired kids and I settle in to try and get some shuteye. I get sporadic bouts of shuteye interupted by talking, speakers squawking, and coughing. Meanwhile, Kim gets home and finds the toilet clogged. Knowing that if she doesn't unclog it one of the kids will use it in the middle of the night and flood the bathroom, she fights with it for 20 minutes until finally it works.

My morning blood work comes back clean and I cab it home. By this time, its 5am and we have to get up to get ready to leave for Ottawa at 6am so I decide to stay up. I shower and wait for 6am to get Kim up. Just as she gets out of bed, the youngst child, Holden, comes out of his room crying of a pain in his tummy. Kim administers some kid's gravol and sets him up on the couch, hoping his pain goes away.

But the Curse would have none of that.

We pile the kids into the car to go to Ottawa for Kim's appointment and halfway there Holden throws up. I mean, really threw up all over the back of my seat and everywhere. It was not pleasant but at least it didn't stink. We take ten minutes to clean him as best we can and continue on for Ottawa, slightly late for Kim's appointment. Over the next couple hours while we wait for Kim's tests to be done he is mildly sick three more times, the last one being on the way home. Poor kid.

We get back, tired, exhausted, and with one sick child who wants only to sleep.

Fortunately, the Curse ended there. Kim and I had an afternoon nap after feeding the other two kids, and Kim was able to ask Erin to come pick up the kids instead of us driving them hope due to exhaustion. We went to bed at our normal time and I actually awoke this morning feeling refreshed. The temperatures even returned to normal. The Curse has been broken.

If you're a geek like me....

... you will appreciate this.

If not, carry on, nothing to see here.

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things To Do When Work Is Driving You Crazy

1. Find a small unoccupied office that is not yours and hide.

2. Close your office door and pump up the MP3s.

3. Debate politics on MSN with Andrew. (Mostly just Liberal bashing though)

4. Go for a walk to the store.

5. Claim migrane and leave work early.

6. Find a chatty coworker and bitch about management.

7. Using your Lego Darth Vader figure that stands on your desk, pretend to cut people's limbs and head off when they come to talk to you.

8. Play with your camera.

9. Use your magnetic scuplture thingy to make neat designs.

10. Go to the bathroom with some reading material.

11. Clean your whiteboard.

12. Watch things like this: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1329362959167995041&q=tripod

13. Spend five or ten minutes trying to think of a 13th item for this list. Maybe Thursday Three is more my speed.

hehehe...

A friend of mine sent this to me and I thought it went well for this site...I got a laugh out of it, so hopefully you will too...



HOW TO STAY MARRIED

A man and woman had been married for more than 60 years. They had shared everything. They had talked about everything. They had kept no secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoebox in the top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her about.

For all of these years, he had never thought about the box, but one day the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover. In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoebox and took it to his wife's bedside. She agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the box.

When he opened it, he found two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totalling $25,000. He asked her about the contents.

"When we were to be married," she said,"my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doll.

"The little old man was so moved; he had to fight back tears. Only two precious dolls were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with happiness.

"Honey," he said, "that explains the doll, but what about all of this money? Where did it come from?"

"Oh," she said, "that's the money I made from selling the dolls."