A Nerdy Teacher's Closet: Week 13 (11/26 - 11/30)

This week was simply meant to round out November Sci-Fi Month! I tried to get in some last minute nods and stay comfortable while doing it. Luckily towards the end of the week I was able to wear my ultimate field trip shirt! I'm not running from zombies or anything, but there was the chance that I might not make it back.

Week 13: 11/26 - 11/30

Monday, November 26, 2018
We've fallen off the rails a bit with our Keto-ing. Without an oven it gets a bit rough. So this was my way to say, "Let's start over!" On top of that, it's super heroes. #scifimonth TeePublic.com

Tuesday, November 27, 2018
There was no rhyme or reason for this shirt other than I felt like wearing it. It matches the Ant-Man shirt I got from Loot Crate. I tried to do couples shirts with my husband, but that never works out. Either way, more Sci-Fi with some superhero high-tech craziness and girl power!

Wednesday, November 28, 2018
It's been cold in my classroom. Well, not mine specifically, but the other people on my floor in The Tower. So I kind of wore this shirt to be silly for them. The really funny thing is that my one coworker actually asked to borrow my kettle and some tea! Totally made my day. Then, of course, I'm still trying to give some love to the Sci-Fi month theme. Woot Shirt!

Thursday, November 29, 2018
Another shirt I just felt like wearing for whatever reason. Kind of trying to wrap up my Sci-Fi month with some final nods to Sci-Fi. Star Wars and Retro PacMan. I wanted my daughter to wear her's with me, but it just wasn't in the stars. Get it... STAR Wars... in the STARS. yuckyuckyuck.  TeePublic.com (Link not located.)

Friday, November 30, 2018
Oh to be a Red Shirt. This is one of my favorite shirts to wear on field trips. We try to wear our school colors or school apparel so that we can be recognized and stay together better. But, well... Red Shirts don't always make it back. I'm savvy enough to make it so.... so back I mean. I've had this shirt for quite awhile, so I'm not sure where I got it from. They're everywhere though and if you like it you probably already own it.

5 Fandom Fridays - 5 Fictional Characters I Most Identify With

(Republished from 5/29/2015)

5 Fictional Characters I Most Identify With

1. Frodo Baggins

I identify with the burden he bears. Sometimes it feels like too much and you just want to give up, but then you have a trusty Sam to keep pushing you forward. Plus there's that love of adventure and wanting to go on a journey. You hear all these stories and you want to live it, too.


2. Wesley Crusher

Just like Wesley is overlooked and ignored or treated like he's in the way, I, too, feel that way and identify with it. I'm not an idiot and even though I'm "new" in my positions in life, I am still incredibly good at what I do, but sometimes you're overlooked because of being weird, irritating, or whatever. He's a kid. . . he's awkward! I'm just overall socially awkward and have a childish streak. I feel for him, because I sympathize with him.


3. Leslie Knope
I identify with her need to constantly keep doing good, despite the people you're doing it for don't always care and you feel like you're constantly working against things. I also totes associate with her geekiness, despite what other think of it. GIRL POWER!





4. Codex

This was a character that really put into perspective to me who I was and what I needed to learn about myself. I didn't have all the guild issues or romantic problems and I'm definitely not as hot as Felicia Day, but her geek struggle and her girl struggle and her emotional issues trouble were all understandable.  Use this link to see my favorite vlog scene.


5. Professor Keating
So many Literacy teachers want to be able to say they identify with Professor Keating. I mean, seriously. . . he's amazing. What I find hilarious is that I actually teach like him. I use humor as my tool to inspire and motivate. When I watched the clip, I laughed because that's what I do. To fewer laughs, though, because middle schoolers are a bit tougher to entertain than high schoolers, because they are way more reluctant and insecure. It's all good, though. I at least work in a community where free-thinking is encouraged and not hindered.

14 Geekolutions for 2014

My Geekolutions for 2014 in all their glory! Some seem a little like goals, but I'm resolving to do these things, so yeah. I tried to be reasonable about the whole thing and there's no hard and fast "do or die" mentality about them. I do what I can. Besides, no one knows what the future holds for me.

1. Watch all of the Original Star Trek.

2. Watch all of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

3. Participate in 3 5K walks (ex: Dirty Girl Mud Run, Turkey Trot, Famous Racing Sausages).

4. Lose 50lbs (min.) using my geek fitness goals.

5. Attend at least 2 Cons. I'm hoping to attend GenCon, Chicago's Wizard Con, and Gameapalooza. I so badly want to hit up some others, but. . . well. . . I'm new to this whole thing and. . . broke.

6. Keep my geek fitness goals for at least six months. (That's a reasonable minimum.)

7. Read 30 books, half of which should be from my Augmenting Geekology List.

8. Organize my closet (give a home to all my geek shirts).

9. Play 5 video games through completely.

10. Play all of my tabletop games at least once this year.

11. Go to Door county (tour lighthouses or learn some paranormal history or something).

12. Complete at least 50 geocaches.

13. Go out of state at least twice. Preferably to new places I've not visited before. This could be a ghost hunt or a vacation or even a Con.

14. Eat at a celebrity chef restaurant (Chicago is really full of 'em). We've been to Graham Elliot's and Gordon Ramsay (when we were overseas). I'd love to, on our 10-year-Anniversary this year, to do a tasting weekend. This totally feeds my food geek.

Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.

Sometimes the smell of something can just make you smile for miles.

It's getting pretty cold out here in Wisconsin. The temperature where I live was registering around 27 degrees this morning. I was incredibly cold. So I decided to grab one of those delicious apple cakes from Starbucks for my breakfast. The dilemma over what to order to drink emerged. Do I want to order a hot chocolate? I immediately had some issues with the idea. First and foremost, it didn't feel like a rich drink day. It felt like a light, soothing drink day.

Forget the hot chocolate then. You're at Starbucks, get some coffee! Well, I don't drink coffee, so that was immediately out. As I went through my registry of preferred quick-drinks, I mentally happened upon my old standby. . . the drink I always ordered when I went to Starbucks until just a little while ago. Tall Earl Grey, Splash of Half with 6 Splenda. 6 Splenda exactly. . . no more. . . no less.

Brilliant! Perfect combination for the morning. Even before I arrived at the window to pay I was proud of the order. It felt perfect. At the window, I passed them my gold Starbucks card and they handed me the apple cake. Mmmmmm.... the smell of sweet apples filled the car and a tiny smile played on my lips. Then they opened the window again to handed my card. . . and my Earl Grey.

The smell hit me immediately and I was transported to a happy place. I felt calm and peaceful and that tiny smile that had been toying on my lips was now transformed into a full blown, unstoppable grin! I even had a moment where I thought to myself, "what is wrong with me?" And as I inhaled the alluring smell of my tea again, I was just beyond content, calm, and happy.

As I pulled out of the Starbucks parking lot, I just smiled a silly grin and smiled all the way to the school parking lot. I was feeling chipper and positive and ready for whatever the day threw at me. It was a tingly happy feeling. . .and now I feel compelled to start brewing my favorite tea at home. I was a huge Earl Grey addict until about four years ago. But if this is how it makes me feel. . . well. . . I've been missing out.

What a great start to a day that would turn out to suck the very life out of me. Boy oh boy. It wasn't even anything in particular. It was just all my hard work catching up with me. And the kids. . .they don't mean to, but they do have a tendency to drain teachers.

(Note: I kept the teabag in my mug on my desk and every time I needed a happy moment today, I took a quick whiff of that sweet scent and everything seemed just a little bit better.)

What Star Trek Character Am I?

 A friend of mine posted this and I couldn't help but take the quiz. I always waffle on some answers, so I'm not sure how hardcore this response is. I also just felt the need to record what I did. So don't mind me and my need to validate myself through quizzes.


Your results:
You are Deanna Troi

Deanna Troi 85% An Expendable Character (Redshirt) 80% Chekov 60% Beverly Crusher 60% Leonard McCoy (Bones) 55% Geordi LaForge 55% Worf 55% James T. Kirk (Captain) 45% Spock 44% Mr. Scott 40% Uhura 40% Data 37% Jean-Luc Picard 35% Will Riker 30% Mr. Sulu 15%

You are a caring and loving individual. You understand people's emotions and you are able to comfort and counsel them.

Click here to take the Star Trek Personality Test

Like all good quiz-takers, I have to go BACK and take it again, fixing those answers I was waffling on and here it what happened when I did THAT!

Your results:
You are Beverly Crusher

Beverly Crusher 70% Deanna Troi 70% Spock 60% An Expendable Character (Redshirt) 60% Leonard McCoy (Bones) 55% Chekov 55% Worf 50% Uhura 45% Data 45% Geordi LaForge 45% James T. Kirk (Captain) 35% Jean-Luc Picard 35% Mr. Scott 30% Will Riker 25% Mr. Sulu 5%

A good physician and a caring parent. You are devoted to your children and to your occupation.

Click here to take the Star Trek Personality Quiz

Reunion of the Rikers

I just thought this was hilariously awesome and was defintely something I want to watch after I watch Star Trek: TNG.