Nerd Girl Inc: "Bad" Music

Does anyone get cravings for the music you listened to as a kid? Even if it was terrible teenybopper nonsense or something that went out of style years ago? I'll be the first to admit that I have those cravings all the time.
Yesterday night I got infected with it - singing "Underneath Your Clothes" by Shakira under my breath before I went to sleep. I went through an Alicia Keys "Diary" binge earlier this week. But today was the day that I realized: almost my entire Sansa is filled with the uncool music of my past!
Maybe it's just because I'm not a music person, so I haven't updated my collection to fit my new Pandora settings, but I was listening to some hardcore A*Teens, Christina Aguilera, M2M and No Doubt today. Toss in some soundtracks - Spirited Away and all the James Bond symphonic versions - and you've got a total nerd on your hands.
What are your childhood guilty pleasure songs? Do you ever just want to bop to some Britney? Or TLC? Destiny's Child, Justin Timberlake? Hanson? Say it loud and proud, y'all!

If you're looking for some more music ("bad" or otherwise), take a look at the Musical Interlude series!

Nerd Girl Inc: Off Time

This is going to be a short one because I'm very tired. But, you know when you have those days where you just want to get out and do something? I had one of those days today.
Although I told myself that I would catch up on everything, I felt like that just wasn't motivating me today. So, instead I went out at 1pm, canceling everything, and hung out with some friends from the retreat. At first we thought we were going to go ice skating, but that fell through. Fortunately, we're good enough friends that hanging out and doing something else was just fine.
So, I won't go into all the details, but I think that the conclusion of this day was this: if you need to re-charge, get away, or rest, do it without any regrets.
We all need a break and some things can just wait.

While you're taking some down time with me, why not check out the Caught My Eye series for some great media to tune in to.

Nerd Girl Inc: On a Lighter Note

Ode to Food at A Fancy Restaurant: A Detailed Account of My Dinner
 Bread selection, bread selection, hit the spot just right -
Tomato basil's bright but ciabatta wins the night.
Merry merry start with the ravioli tart, with some sweet cranberry, no pancetta if you please -
Middle, hit the middle, with a tender tender loin,
Mashed potatoes - called puree - with some great and goat-y cheese,
Corn adorns the plate, stewing merrily beside,
A wave of jus, the finest beef, skipping pig with this tide.
Ending off, ending off, oh how I wish it'd never end -
Mango passion in a shot glass leaves impression for the guest,
But sink your teeth into the chocolate and you'll surely be impressed,
By the souffle - light and fluffy - hissing steamy with the cream,
Earl Grey chilled and poured in heavy stream.
Then we're sitting - what is next? - and waiting for some news -
Lo, behold, what about the caramel chews?
I am blushing, truly glowing, with this lovely lovely meal,
What better portions could there be? What surprises they conceal,
And then, as we are leaving, the madeleines just seal the deal.

Today is one of my longest days yet, so this post is coming to you in the margins of my free time. I got up today at 5:40am to go to English sign-ups - Barnard's method of weeding out the meek from the strong in getting their beloved English classes - and now have a full day of work, class, meetings, and Well Woman ahead. Hopefully I won't fall asleep in the middle of it.

If you liked this post, read my writing in strange places reviews.
You may also enjoy reading Why Eating Can Make Me Depressed, or perhaps some more poetry.

Nerd Girl Inc: Be Selfish

(a selfish indulgence: homemade mac n' cheese)

Today, I did a lot of learning.
Before you get snarky (that's what college is for, Jordan), hear me out.
So far, my college experience has been all about me. A somewhat selfish time to explore all the possibilities that I didn't get in high school. I exploited the opportunity to take classes that were interesting, took advantage of my location to take in great shows and do amazing things, and participated in all those classic campus experiences that one must have in their youth. But now, I think that the glitz has passed away a little bit. I'm a working stiff, like most other people, and I was starting to let the big plans get muddled up in the more immediate ones. "When am I going to get my next paycheck?" became more important than "What am I going to do after college?"
As you probably know by now, I am a notorious planner. I had the broad strokes of my life laid out before I could really understand the work involved to get there. So now, after all those years of planning, I'm living it. The New York City life where the tedium and the spectacular have combined.

What does this have to do with learning? Well, today I got to play with the big dreamer in me in two arenas:
1. I attended a Careers in Psychology panel that opened my eyes to grad school - both what I should be doing to get there and what I should do when I get out.
2. And then I did a workshop on safer sex with a floor of freshmen and their RA, which taught me as much about myself as it taught them about alternative birth control methods.

All this year and parts of last, I have been attending and giving workshops that involve everything from bookbinding to discussions of healthy eating, and they have slowly brought me to the realization that I like helping people and explaining things. That I know more than I give myself credit for. And, most importantly, that I need to keep playing with the bigger dream of becoming a counselor and helping people in minority communities.
I encourage everyone to look at their big plans, no matter what they are, and breathe into them some life. Go to a workshop or find a program. Be selfish for a change.

Read more Nerd Girl Inc. posts and check out the related series, Caught My Eye.

Nerd Girl Inc: Learning to Skate

Today, breaking from my regularly scheduled life, I went for a skating lesson downtown.

My morning was spent navigating the Village first to acquaint myself with the obscure location of Mercer Playground, which has no fixed address, but is instead wedged between other addresses and cannot easily be located on Hopstop...

Then, I got lost traipsing around in hopes of finding the NYU gallery that was housing Marlena McCarty's work (you can find a description of the show here), which I really enjoyed outside of the requirement by my drawing teacher to go see it.

And then back to the Playground, where I first made contact with some very cool aspiring derby women and waited around in the November cold for Lezly, a.k.a Skate Guru.
I needn't tell you how frightened I am with outdoor roller skating.
I love the idea of skating about, being agile and going at high speeds, but for now, I am just a clumsy unbalanced girl that can't bend her knees to save her life. Today was the start of my education.
I wanted to pursue outdoor classes so that I can practice anywhere - for any skaters in NYC, you already know there is a dearth of indoor roller rinks around here, as most of them have closed down. So, I suited up and started flailing about in the hopes that I could figure out this bizarre talent of rolling around on four wheels.
Lezly appeared at around 12:35pm and immediately ordered us out of our skates. Much like in yoga, we practiced changing our weight distribution, which seems easy enough on the ground. But in skates, it's a whole different matter. I clung to the fence until I finally figured out the basics, then kept layering on more and more advice. I got better in very tiny increments.
Throughout the class, I felt a tinge of embarrassment - as anyone does when they are new at something. Why wasn't I a natural skater by birth? This is something no one will ever answer to me. I fell once, hard, on my hip. But, by the end of the lesson, I felt much more in control than I ever had on skates.
As you might say, I'm working on it.

8,403 words.

Read more Nerd Girl Inc. posts and check out the related series, Caught My Eye.

Nerd Girl Inc: My Favorite Sport

Roller derby is my football.
I attended my first bout last weekend on Saturday - two NYC teams (Manhattan Mayhem and Brooklyn Bombers) against two outsiders (Suburbia and Providence Pigeons). New York cleaned it up with some amazing wins - Brooklyn creamed the Pigeons and Manhattan pulled a close win in the second period against Suburbia.
But, other than the winning and the NY pride, I just felt giddy and pumped up to be there. Strong women on skates knocking each other over and scoringh points? Male cheerleaders in boat costumes? "Bout-fits?" Sign me up!
Although the sport I played in high school was tennis, I neer really watched many matches on TV or outside of the team. It was inaccessible to me - high prices, no talking or cheering during points, and tiny white skirts were all I saw in televised tennis (until, of course, the Williams sisters walked out). My only involvement in that game was actually playing it.
But derby invokes some hidden sports fan in me. I cheer loudly and watch intently. I buy the team drink cozy (pictured above) and develop girl crushes on players like Raggedy Animal. It excites me a different way than any other sport.
My intimacy with derby started - funnily enough - after listening to a Stuff Mom Never Told You podcast and ballooned into a full-blown lust. I bought some expensive skates during the summer and... immediately got frustrated with how hard it was to relearn those skills from childhood. But going to that bout cemented my desire to play. Maybe not now, maybe in a few years time, but eventually I'll be out on the track with those ladies I admire, ready to beat up some other team.

Want to learn about roller derby beyond my furious love for it? Here is a site that explains the rules and the history of the game: How Roller Derby Works. If you’re interested in watching a match – which are called “bouts” in derby lingo – you can head over to Derby News Network. And, if you’re interested in getting involved with an NYC team, Gotham Girls is the collection of NYC teams that have positions available for trying out, training, volunteering or refereeing. Check them out at the Gotham Girls website.

P.S. I'm trying out subject sections for this blog so I can keep track of what I'm posting/have interesting things to say. Hope it's not too awkward...

Read more Nerd Girl Inc. posts and check out the related series, Caught My Eye.