Geeky Girl Tuesday: She'll never have a chance. . . Geekery started early

So if you read my big "Hey, I'm not dead yet!" post a couple of weeks back, then you know that the Bear and I are expecting a little girl at the end of the year.

So along with reading all the standard pregnancy books and a lot of books on natural childbirth (with some lovely illustrations, btw), I've also been looking at all the paraphernalia that goes along with having offspring.

But, I can't just go with the standard buttons and bows.  Nope.  With parents like us, our kid has no chance of escaping the geekiness.  So, if there's no escape, why not embrace it?  Here are some of my favorite really geeky baby items:

 So babies are super right?  And your baby is the most super of them all, right?

Well, now you can show how super you think your baby is with a superhero onesie.  You can choose from the whole Justice League (well, except for Aquaman and Martian Manhunter, who everyone forgets anyway).  I bet you can guess which one we're getting first.

Check them out at ThinkGeek.com


These next onsies are both from the videogamedecals store on Etsy.  If you like these, make sure you check out the store, because there's a lot more goodies in there.

That's just the tip of the iceberg, too.  There's also cybermen, Adipose, and lots of Tardises (or Tardi?  Has anyone figured out the plural of Tardis?).

So what are your little geeky loves that you hope to pass on to the little ones in your life (or future, or of the type you can send home with someone else)?

Geeky Girl Tuesday: Let's Kill Hitler

I thought with my inaugural post for Geeky Girl Tuesday, I would start off with what is one of my geekiest obsessions, but also one of the most successful blog topics: Doctor Who.

The newest season of Doctor Who returned after a summer hiatus this Saturday with the brand new episode "Let's Kill Hitler."

While trying to keep away from spoilers and reviewing the episode in general (there are more than enough more qualified people than I doing this out there on the web), I really thought this episode deserved a little spotlight on my blog.  This episode was a great example of why I think Doctor Who has really taken off in America under the current writing of Steven Moffat.

1.  An episode that can stand on its own two feet, but also involves the greater story arc of the season. (One of my major problems with the finales under Russell T. Davies' stint: they all just came out of nowhere).
2. Lots and lots of humor, but also some pretty strong emotions.  From putting Hitler into a cupboard to the near death of a main character, this episode had both sides of the spectrum.
3. Amy and Rory, who are quickly climbing the list of favorite companions.
4. Payoffs.  You have to give it to Moffat for giving us lots of little payoffs along the way in this season.  From the big reveal before the hiatus, to some pretty big moments in this episode, we're getting pieces to the puzzle all along the way.

If you're a Doctor Who fan, I'd like to hear what you think about how this season is going.  Do you like the big twists we're seeing along the way? 

If you're not a fan, check out episodes on Netflix or Amazon Prime and see what you're missing.  I promise your geeky side will thank you.

A to Z Challenge: British TV

Click here for other participants

I think my obsession with British TV started when I lived in Northeast Texas, you know, the part with nothing for 100s of miles?

Yeah, that's where I grew up.

So one of the few TV stations we had was PBS.  Most of the time once it got past 3pm, I had no desire to watch it, but during the membership drives, my parents and I would sit around and watch Fawlty Towers, Are you being served?, and other miscellaneous shows that I can't remember anymore.

So now the years have passed, but my obsession with British accents and figuring out exactly why they make fun of Wales so much is still high on my list.

If you catch me watching live TV, 80% of the time it's BBC America.  And the Husband better watch out, because I think it's catching.

Here are some of the shows that I've fallen in love with recently:

1. Doctor Who. This show has been enjoying some real success here in the states lately.  If you want a breakdown as to why this Sci-Fi show is one you should be watching, check out my breakdown here.

2. Top Gear-What other show would turn vehicles into boats and then try and race around a lake?



3. The Graham Norton show-A great late night show that tried to make it here in the states, but failed.  Not one for the kiddies.





4. An Idiot Abroad-Shown here in the states on the Science Channel. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have sent their friend around the world to exotic locations. With the intent of making him as uncomfortable as possible.

Gamer Girl Tuesday: In which the worlds collide

Before I get too far started, a plug: My husband, The Bear Monk, has started his own gaming blog about being an Elemental Shaman in WoW, Riding the Lightning.

I've always known that I was a nerd (or geek if you prefer the term), but I've always been a hard type to pin down.  I don't like fantasy novels in general, but love movies like Willow and Legend.  I love doing crafty, girlie projects, but really hate most romantic comedies.  I love playing games like Silent Hill, but don't have enough dexterity to really hit it big in gaming.

So my geeky universe is pretty disjointed to the point that different groups of friends feed my different eccentricities. 

Well today, I came across something that shatters the borders of two of my nerd zones: Doctor Who and Gaming.

Yes, dear online minions, that is in fact a Sonic Screwdriver Wii remote. It's currently only sold in England or as an import.

My only question now is: will it work in the US?

NaNo, BlogFest, and Work Stations, Oh My!

Just a quick update (in way of procrastination) today.  I went to my regional NaNo meet & greet last night.  I met a ton of cool people, that are just as crazy as I am. 

I got to meet my bloggy-friend, Amanda from The Zen Leaf.  We've been following each other for a few months now and never realized we live in the same town. I guess the internet isn't as big as I thought it was.

I feel a little recharged on getting my abbreviated Snowflake done on A Window to the Gift after meeting everybody.  I'm looking forward to having a face-to-face group to help keep me going.

Oh, and I found out that the cute little guy to your left has been dubbed "The Guilt Monkey." I have a feeling he will be my constant companion on this trip.

If you haven't heard about it (in reality, you're probably getting sick of hearing about it), I'm hosting the second Small Packages Blogfest on November 16th.  I'm looking for blogs with 300 or fewer followers.  Check out the link for the suggestions, topic, and Mr. Linky. 

Please spread the word!  We had nine actively participate last month, so I'm looking to have at least 10 this month.  The topic's pretty awesome, thanks to the husband.

After the Meet & Greet last night, I finally got around to doing something I've been meaning to do for months. I finally set up a work station that's all mine and away from distractions (well mostly, except for you, O Interwebs!).

Here it is, complete with Tums for when the stress gets too much, an extra monitor to display my research as I type, and my Maleficent picture (the greatest of all Disney villains).

I've also updated the desktop:

This is a great collage of the 11 doctors from Doctor Who.  It's done by a great artist, renton1313 on Deviant Art.  All of her artwork has the same paper collage effect, and she has some beautiful prints for sale. (hint, hint, oh husband, dear: I especially like The Aviatrix). 

Anyway, I'm hoping that having a workspace of my own that isn't also used as something else (I used to work in the living room), will help me get more in a writing frame of mind.  I've been struggling with feeling like a "real" writer, I think in part because it was so easy to just look at my writing as a hobby.

Maybe having a work area will help with that.

Good luck all of my fellow NaNo-ers. 

Geekiness ahead: Why I love The Doctor

Thanks to Netflix, I've recently become better acquainted with Doctor Who.  I've powered through the four seasons and specials of the relaunched series.  While I'm waiting for the latest season to be released on DVD, I'm exploring spin offs and older episodes from the original series.

The Tardis at work

If you're unfamiliar with Doctor Who, I'll try and give you the core facts that you'll need.  The Doctor is an alien, a species known as Time Lords, that have the ability to travel time and space.  The Doctor's ship is known as the Tardis and it looks like a blue police box from the 1950s.  He usually travels with at least one companion, exploring and helping save various planets and species.  When he's mortally wounded he has the ability to regenerate into a completely new body (which is how the BBC has been able to have 11 actors play the same character).

All eleven doctors

My husband doesn't quite get my fascination, although he doesn't dislike the show (he says he can "take it or leave it" which is basically my feel about when he wants to watch Stargate). 

So I thought I'd share my love of The Doctor with you, oh great internet hoards, in the hopes that someone out there also shares my love. 

Reasons I love Doctor Who:

1. It's cheesy, but in the good way. I mean who can resist a pill that animates people's fat so it walks away, a woman who's had so many face lifts that she's just a piece of stretched skin now, or a plastic mannequin hand that tries to strangle people? 
2. The main characters are really wonderfully written. Even Martha, the companion I didn't really care for, or Mickey the spineless wonder were still more than just stereotypes.
3. David Tennant and Billie Piper. The perfect example of #2.  I love they're chemistry together.  The end of season two broke my heart, but the end of season 4 made it better.  While I love Christopher Eccleston's performance, David Tennant is most assuredly "My Doctor."

4. It can make me cry and laugh in the same episode. A mark of a good show.  Humor is a must in any series for me, but I need to care about the characters enough to feel moved when something triumphant or tragic happens to them.
5. There's not always a happily ever after, but always a satisfying ending. In a show like this, you know that not every companion gets to stay forever and The Doctor can't always save everyone.  But even when partings or deaths come, it's always in a way that leaves me satisfied.
6. I finally understand what British people mean when they say "Exterminate!" I've heard people doing the Dalek voice before and had no idea what was going on.  While it's not a life-changer, at least now it's not bugging me any more.

7. John Barrowman *girly sigh* I mean, just look at him!  You can also check him out in his own spin-off Torchwood (the first couple of seasons are on instant play on Netflix, too).

8. Some downright creepy/scary episodes. See season 1's "The Empty Child," season 2's "Fear Her," season 3's "Blink," season 4's "Silence in the Library" and "Midnight" for really good examples of the creepier side of the show.
9. A new ringtone. Yup, I'm that much of a geek.

Click here for Doctor Who theme song

10. The knowledge that good TV is still out there, even if it's in another country. There's a limit to the reality programs or 3 1/2 Men reruns I can scroll through before I loose faith in humanity.  Doctor Who has me holding on for a bit longer.