#GeekSpeak: The sometimes random misadventures of @Abby_Cake

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Abby. I met her in Chicago at the #20SBSummit, and this chick is raaaddddd!! She considers herself more of a nerd than a geek - but I think she's just all shades of random and awesome. Oh and FTR, the TNTML stance on nerds versus geeks are that nerds are products of a genetic predisposition, and geeks are raised. BOOH-YAH!!! I only have one more thing left to say ... HIT IT ABBY!!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @Abby_Cake

Geek on geek action is a dangerous thing.

I am a sucker for a guy who can carry on a conversation sprinkled with meme humor and the occasional video game reference. When I met my ex I remember talking about the UI for Spore to a point which may have alienated other males, he didn't run. However, at nineteen, I was oblivious to the deep hole of quicksand I was diving face first into by aligning myself with a much more addiction based gamer. 

You see, I think there are several types of gamers. This idea can apply to all facets of gaming, but I specifically play MMORPG's, so that's where my knowledge base lies.

<b>Casual Gamers:</b> this is the category I consider myself to be in. I will immerse myself in an MMO world for days or weeks at a time, writing my character's story and making meticulous notes about synthesis recipes (where my FFXIV peeps at??) But if someone offers me a trip to the tequila bar, I can walk away (and play it drunk later, which we all know is better anyway). There's a balance of social life and gaming. 

<b>Scheduled Gamers:</b> these would be the gamers who mark Tuesday and Wednesday nights from 5-9 off their calendar for specific guild or linkshell events. They will be plugged in, Matrix style, during this time, and you will have to work around that, perhaps allowing them to eat dinner at their computer station. This is the category I considered my ex to be in for some time.

<b>Addicted Gamers:</b> forgoing all general physical hygiene, human interaction and general pleasantries to forge ahead toward max level. They will not look up if you pass through a room topless, they will not communicate anything beyond a desire for more energy drinks, or notice if you have left the apartment completely.&nbsp; A true relationship killer. This is the category my ex was actually in, the truth was concealed from me for some time. 

 

I drew that for him in MSPaint back in 2007. It was not regarded very highly at the time of its inception, although now I consider it to be a fairly accurate homage to our 3.5 year relationship.

Being the overly tolerant geek girlfriend that I was/am: I made a schedule outlining which nights were date nights, gaming nights and dinner together at the table nights. It lasted maybe a week. I recall one evening in particular that I cooked dinner for my parents and ex. He got up in the middle of dinner to retire to the bedroom, where he proceeded to engage in a linkshell event (unscheduled of course) with volume on full blast; and I babbled on to my parents like everything was normal (which to me, it was). They, of course, marked it as the beginning of the end.

And they were right. Can two geeks, or two nerds, of the same caliber co-exist without contributing to the others downfall? My ex and I shared some good times online, but I eventually quit FFXI due to his insistence that I was "doing it wrong." I started going out to bars alone with friends because the "linkshell needed him." We argued. A lot. (Although there are many facets which contributed to my requesting a divorce, the incessant gaming was more than a small percentage of our demise). 

I am in a relationship now with a wonderful man who finds my obsession with the interwebs somewhat confounding, and perhaps interesting - as I show him the marvels of places like StumbleUpon and these things they call blogs. We are both gamers, but of completely different varieties. We geek out over hobbies, me: blogs & social media, him: guitars & finding car parts on eBay.

He appreciates all my weird qualities instead of competing about them. We fill in the gaps and mesh together instead of butting heads. Because when MMO's become offline argument fodder, it's not okay. THAT'S NEVER OKAY! Just some aggressively friendly advice. Until next time!

xx, @abby_cake

#nerdsunite

Want more from Abby?? Check out her blog over yonder - and don't forget to drop her a follow on twitter!!

#GeekSpeak: The sometimes random misadventures of @Abby_Cake

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Abby. I met her in Chicago at the #20SBSummit, and this chick is raaaddddd!! She considers herself more of a nerd than a geek - but I think she's just all shades of random and awesome. Oh and FTR, the TNTML stance on nerds versus geeks are that nerds are products of a genetic predisposition, and geeks are raised. BOOH-YAH!!! I only have one more thing left to say ... HIT IT ABBY!!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @Abby_Cake

If you follow me on twitter you may have noticed that I started up my yoga practice again this month (it's National Yoga Month after all!) I have done all types of yoga: Bikram, which is basically yoga inside of a kiln, Hatha Flow, etc. Along with that lovely month when I decided to stop paying for the classes and buy some yoga DVDs off Amazon.com. My attempt at being frugal was not as prudent as I hoped it would be.  Apparently to properly balance in some of the poses you need flat  ground, not carpet, which is only available to me in the bathroom and kitchen. I chose kitchen.

The instructor was all, "Okay, get ready to reach your head toward the  floor and pull through your legs." I'm like, "I can do that." Position  attained! "Reach your arms like this and twist this way" "Wait what?!  I'm sorry, I can't see you on the other side of my breakfast bar with my  head between my legs facing the oven." "Don't quit now!" "I'm not  quitting bitch! I just don't know WTF I am doing! And I think the salt  and pepper set is laughing at me..."

So yoga at home -- not so much.
 

My favorite pose. ^

But fortune smiled upon me, and I found a studio in my new town that offers $5 classes, or 10 classes for $40 (I know, I thought she was crazy too), and I decided to start going twice a week.

My first class was only five people, and I am definitely the only one under 40. The initial objective was for me to impress my teacher with my youthfully flexible spine, should be easy considering the competition -- ha! I forgot how out of practice a year or so without yoga can make you. MAN, I was out of shape, flailing all over the ground like a sardine. Even my mountain pose was tremulous. But I did it to the best of my ability.

After class I thanked my teacher (namaste style) and we had a brief conversation about my yoga practice. I confided that it had been quite a while since my last class and could no longer contort myself into bow pose. I extolled the virtues of her amazing prices, explaining the only way I could afford yoga previously was with my teacher discount.

She then began asking about my favorite poses and I told her, at the end she asked if I wanted to sub for her at some point. I assumed that she was so impressed by my ability to push through class with great form, despite my recent lack of practice, that she wanted me to inspire other students (I obviously need to keep my ego in check). I said yes.

I realized when I got in the truck that she had probably mistaken my "teacher discount" for "yoga-teacher discount" when in fact... it was not. I taught English, which means I can spell yoga correctly. #footinmouth

So the outcome is either: I stop going to class, I take a yoga teacher training and pretend I know everything (this is the one I was leaning toward, obviously) or I keep going and act like I am "not ready" to teach until I leave for Korea, then run to the other side of the world. I will keep you updated on my #yogashenanigans in the future. Namaste. 

xx, @abby_cake

#nerdsunite

Want more from Abby?? Check out her blog over yonder - and don't forget to drop her a follow on twitter!!

#GeekSpeak: The sometimes random misadventures of @Abby_Cake

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Abby. I met her in Chicago at the #20SBSummit, and this chick is raaaddddd!! She considers herself more of a nerd than a geek - but I think she's just all shades of random and awesome. Oh and FTR, the TNTML stance on nerds versus geeks are that nerds are products of a genetic predisposition, and geeks are raised. BOOH-YAH!!! I only have one more thing left to say ... HIT IT ABBY!!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @Abby_Cake

The past few months have been really overwhelming for me. I left my job, well I got laid off from the career I had spent three years working on without a second thought (but that's another story). Lacking money, I moved out of my house, sold my car, found a renter for my house (because I want to keep it), moved in with my boyfriend - and so many things have gone wrong in between. My savings account has basically dwindled itself down to near nonexistence, and then a tree fell on my house last weekend, so it has reached absolute zero.

Through all these life changing events, I have learned a lot about myself. I have learned that if you have money, the universe will find a way to take from you the exact amount you have saved up (to the dollar, I shit you not). I have learned that you can't control everything, no matter how badly you want to. I have learned that not having a car is beneficial for the environment, but extremely inconvenient when you have to go grocery shopping. I have learned that being a landlord generally sucks and I am no good at demanding that people follow my rules. 

Arguably, one of the most important things I have learned - I am an ugly crier. I don't know what is considered to be a cute cry. I know there are some girls (probably the same ones who have cute sneezes, I sneeze like a banshee also) that can manage an adorable effusion of tears. Puppy dog style.

But when I start the waterworks, I have a huge, red eyed, blubbery, snot fest.

As a teacher, I have always considered myself more of a Jedi Master - but when I cry, I definitely have Sith eyes. In fact, when I found out a tree had fallen on my house Monday morning, I actually hid under the covers and told Jared not to look at my crazy, blood-shot eyes. I swear, Darth could be <i>my</i> father (he's not, my Dad is a Biology teacher... slash member of the Galactic Alliance) - the resemblance is that uncanny. 

So kudos to all you cute criers, but remember that Sith eyes are people too. :)

xx, @abby_cake

#nerdsunite

Want more from Abby?? Check out her blog over yonder - and don't forget to drop her a follow on twitter!!

#GeekSpeak: The sometimes random misadventures of @Abby_Cake

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Abby. I met her in Chicago at the #20SBSummit, and this chick is raaaddddd!! She considers herself more of a nerd than a geek - but I think she's just all shades of random and awesome. Oh and FTR, the TNTML stance on nerds versus geeks are that nerds are products of a genetic predisposition, and geeks are raised. BOOH-YAH!!! I only have one more thing left to say ... HIT IT ABBY!!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @Abby_Cake

My high school career is peppered with uncomfortable instances of geekery that expelled themselves at inopportune moments. Recently, I have been replaying these moments (and writing some of them down); not for abject torture, but to more accurately understand myself. You see, I think my obsession with Pokemon from an early age has caused me to shout things in the bedroom like, "Show me your Jigglypuff!" which in turn causes my boyfriends to recoil in confused horror (I'm kidding, but nice visual right? You're welcome).

I have decided to share one of my Pokemon-induced awkward moments with you.

The setting is a high school sporting event, baseball I believe. I never really cared for sports, but I liked socializing and for some reason everyone else wanted to watch some underdeveloped males hit a ball with a stick. Whatevs. Two of my best friends played football (they also played Yu-Gi-Oh cards secretly, thus part of the reason we were friends) and one approached me at this game to introduce me to a new addition to their team. He had just moved to our school district and was younger, but slightly attractive. The meeting went something like this:

Friend: This is one of our new football players, I wanted to introduce him to some of the cool ass females.

Me: Hello.

Friend: His name is Chansey.

Me: Like the Pokemon?! Chan-sey! (I replicated the chirping reiteration of his Pokemon name with perfection). 

Friend: Uh, yeah.

Chansey: Blank stare.

Me: You know, it's pink and wears a nurse hat? You don't look like a Chansey, but pretty funny you're named after one. Hasn't anyone brought that to your attention before?

Chansey: Blank stare.

Friend (to Chansey as he leads him away): Okay, she's weird... but that girl will grow on you like a tree. Like a tree!

I distinctly remember the "like a tree" bit my friend used as an excuse for my odd behavior. I was, and still am, happy that I had someone close enough to me who felt it was necessary to champion my cause. However, this was also a point when I realized I was different than most girls, most people. We didn't share the seem interests, and I came off initially as strange to them. This still happens to me now, almost ten years later - I come off as strange to other people. I don't let it bother me, because I know there will always be at least one person out there who genuinely things I am cool! Eat it haters!

xx, @abby_cake

#nerdsunite

Want more from Abby?? Check out her blog over yonder - and don't forget to drop her a follow on twitter!!