2010 in Review

Reading: Cosmo (I'm between books and, yes, it feels weird)

New years eve is a time when most of us remember all the resolutions we broke and all the things we didn't accomplish, rather than everything we have. So this year, armed with a mini-carton of ice cream and some awesome Wizard Rock, I'm going to do both.

Last New Years, I got home from a party with my friends and stood for a moment in my back yard. It was quiet and snowing and really quite beautiful and I wanted to enjoy it all. The picturesque snowy yard and the lingering high I get from laughing for hours with the people I love. I made my one and only resolution for the year then. I decided that this was going to be my year. I'd put all 2009's screw-ups behind me and start actually accomplishing something. Well, I sort of did. So without further ado - 2010 in review.

• I moved out. It may not be Toronto, but still, it's a step in the right direction. I'm loving it too.
  
  
• I got into the program I wanted. Unfortunately it was part-time in Ottawa and really not doable, but I also made it onto the waiting list for the full-time one in Toronto and that was more a timing thing than a lack of qualifications, so I'll try again this year.
  
  
• I stopped worrying about my body. I've (mostly) learned to be content with how I look right now. Constantly worrying about it and trying to diet will never make me as happy as enjoying my food and learning to dress for, what I've accepted to be, my body type*.
  
  
• I put Dumbledore up (twice). Years ago I got a huge Dumbledore poster circa CoS. It's got Richard Harris on it instead of Gambon and is one of those huge vynil things they hang in theatre lobby's for big openings. The bottom's still rolled up 'cause it's taller than my room and it creeps my sister out, but I love it none the less. It's probably the nerdyest thing I own and it's completely jokes. When I moved I had to take it down and only just got him back up this week.
  
  
• I put all my messing about on Photoshop to good use and got it published. I joined the Publishing volunteer committee for Infinitus and helped design the program. It was more rushed than I expected, and involved late nights and a fair amount of frustration on all sides, and in the end a lot of it got changed, but my names in there and there's enough of my stuff to make feel feel proud when I look at it. Oh and about 2500 people recieved a copy so, y'know, it was pretty cool.
  PS. I no longer have any of the files since my computer got wiped. So, guess that's a con.
  
  
• I went to Infinitus. I may still be paying for it, but I went. And it was amazing.
  
  
• I discovered several new interests and generally embraced my nerdiness. I am so much more comfortable in my skin now and I wear my mens Griffindor sweater with pride (and carry my wand when the occasion calls for it).

So in short, not a bad year. I made changes, both big and small. I made some amazing new friends and I met someone I think I really like. So here's to 2011, let's hope it's as 2010.

♥ G

Talk Nerdy To Me

Reading: A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens

I've known for a
while now that I have 'a thing' for slightly (or not so slightly) nerdy guys, but I only just realized how serious it really is. Take The Big Bang Theory. Even on a show about nerds (and Penny) I go for the nerdiest. Sheldon is my absolute favorite. I recently stumbled upon some Penny/Sheldon pics that have blown my mind. So here it is, my top nerd crushes in no particular order.

1. Dr. Sheldon Cooper

2. Dr. Spencer Reid









3. Sam Winchester
That's early Sammy. When he still did research and was the moral-compass of the duo. Y'know. Before he became a giant douchebag.





4. Hank Green
'cause he never FTBA.






5. Michael Moscovitz
God bless Meg Cabot for bringing him into my life. And I'm talking about Book-Micahel, not the spazzy movie-Michael.




6. Matt Smith as The Doctor
Bow-ties FTW.










It's late and I know there are more, but right now my mind just keeps coming up with the same RL example so before I do something stupid, I'm signing off.

♥ G

Perfection in The Snow

I just had an interesting experience and I wanted to get it down and 'out there' before it starts to fade. I have literally just finished Paper Towns and "At Hogwarts" by The Remus Lupins is on the iPod when I step off the bus into lightly swirling snow. Everything is muffled and snowy and beautiful and the sky is pinkish from the light polution and it's all so unreal with The Remus Lupins and the after-effects of an amazing book and I'm almost giddy and tearing up at the same time. I turn onto my street when I realise why. It's a perfect moment. My two worlds, the outer world I share with people, and my inner world at at peace simultaneously. Then I reach my door and the song ends as I punch in the code and step through.

Not a word of this is fictional or embellished. It is one of those fluke things that can't really be explained or relived. I could recreate those few minute a million times and I'm sure it would never feel quite like that. So tonight, as the snow continues to fall outside I wont worry and I wont complain or dream of the future. Tonight I'm going to enjoy this feeling and this moment.

♥ G



Please don't judge the song by the video.

Time to Shake Things Up

OK. I'm settling again. I can feel the rut I am digging for myself.

The Plan:

1. New Job. I hate my job. And I need full-time work anyway.
2. Volunteer at the Library. I love the library and I can use the experience.
3. Clean Room again. K, so not really radical, but I should do it anyhow.

Now. To bed.

<3 G

I Found One!

Reading: Paper Towns John Green

Fairly recently I discovered John and Hank Green. I had heard of them before of course (I'd even read Looking for Alaska and An Abundance of Katherines), but hadn't really known much about them. Then I watched all their videos, got completely sucked in and joined the thousands (millions?) of made-of-awesome people who consider themselves Nerdfighters. One of the things these Nerdfighters do is put little notes in John Greens books at book stores and libraries for others to find. This either recruits new Nerdfighters or is an awesome surprise for a current Nerdfighter.

So there I was on the bus, reading Paper Towns (which had finally come in at the library) and this fell out

Yes! A Nerdifghter note! This means there is a Nerdfighter here. Somewhere in my crappy little town. So now I am trying to figure how I might find this person because if there are people that awesome nearby, I need to meet them.

In other news. I am loving this book. Review to come once I've finished it because if there's one thing I've learned from John Green's books it's that they can end very differently from the way they start.

DFTBA <3 G

Never Pay for Cards Again

Reading: OOTP JK Rowling
I am always amazed when people come through my register and drop ten, twenty, thirty dollars on greeting cards. True, some are kind of cute, but usually it's nothing special and at five-bucks a pop, you want something a little neat. I myself, haven't paid for a card in years. I make all mine and so can you. All you need is a printer really and an internet connection.

What You'll Need:

• Printer
• Internet Connection
• A computer program that allows you to work with graphics and fonts. I use Photoshop, but you could use something as simple as Microsoft Word just as well. For a free PS-type program check out Gimp.
• Cardstock (optional)
• Glitter (optional)

1. Get some inspiration.
   Visit your local Hallmark, do a google search, look at some of your own cards. Scrapgirls has a full gallery devoted to cards that members have created (here) and Hallmark has some of theirs up on their website (here).
2. Get some supplies
   You can make a basic card using clip art you find online, or already within the program you are using and some nice fonts or, if your feeling a little more creative, there's a bevy of digital scrapbooking freebies and fun fonts available online for anyone to download (I have a slight font obsession, and as a result have more than I know what to do with). If you want some more details on fonts you can checkout this post. A basic Google will give you a tonne of results, but a lot will be crap to be honest. I get most of my supplies from Scrapgirls, Shabby Princess and Digifree.
   
3. Assemble your card.
   Last step. Put it all together and print it out! Easy peasy.
   

If you want, you can enhance your card with some glitter or bit of ribbon afterward. It's simple and fun and looks pretty damn impressive and best of all, you're only really paying for the paper and ink.

♥ G

Carrie Vs Gen

Reading: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix JK Rowling

Like thousands of other women, I have fallen in love with Sex and the City. There's something about Carrie, vapid and unrealistic as her life can be, that I can relate too. I have however noticed that as fun as the show can be to watch and as much as I love spending a half hour in Ms Bradshaw's fabulous world I always come away feeling dissatisfied with MY life. In the (recent) past I had a lot to be dissatisfied with, and I suppose I still do, but I'm a lot happier now than I was before and a lot more grounded too, in my opinion anyway.

I'm house-sitting for the fam an thought I'd take advantage of the access to my mothers complete set this afforded me. Sure enough in the time it took to change discs I found myself wishing I had weekly brunches with friends and an endless parade of fabulous events to attend in equally fabulous couture. A certain amount of envy is to be expected, but I have trouble seeing the good things I have.

I won't stop watching, but I'm hoping that now I'll be able to keep things a little more in perspective and remember to never FTBA.

<3 G -- Post From My iPhone