Ready To Nerd Out

So, Andrea and I will be on our way to San Diego in a little over a month for our third annual nerdy adventure! 36 days from now we will be headed to Comic-Con once again, and I'm getting pretty excited about it!

We've done SDCC twice now, and you might think the novelty would've worn off by now, but I can't wait to get there again. Pretty soon the panel schedule will be released and we can start planning exactly who and what we wanna see, and figure out how many insane line-ups we'll be waiting in. I love all the exclusive clips and special announcements and the excitement of the crowds.

I've taken a step to improve communication while I'm there. I found a great company operating out of Vancouver called Roam Mobility. As the name of their company implies, they are a company that specializes in all of your cell phone roaming needs. Check them out! They have great plans for use while traveling in the USA. For about $28, I will have unlimited calling and texting in the US and back to Canada, plus 700 MB of data, for a week. It was a huge pain not having use of my phone last year, so I'm hoping this will be the solution I'm looking for!

Otherwise, I think we are pretty prepared for the trip. We just booked our flights. Hotel has been booked for a long time. We both managed to get our 4-day plus preview night badges. AND we bought our tickets to see the Nerdist Podcast again. I've got my USD savings account just sitting there full of money to spend. I just need to actually go!

In other news, today marks the beginning of WWDC AND E3, and I wish I was an Apple developer and/or in the gaming industry so I could be at one of them. I'm a very excited nerd right now. Anyway, this thing is already late enough and I should probably get to work, so have a wonderful week!

Better Late Than Never?

I'm falling behind on my blogging again. I'm sorry! I've made a few attempts over the last week and a half, but I keep losing interest partway through. I've really gotta be in the right mood and place to do this right.

There's plenty new going on. My life is currently in a state of change. I'm preparing to make my big move to Vancouver, and it's a little scary, but also really exciting. Adria and I have given our notice at our place here in the Great White North and are making arrangements for our respective moves. I've been applying for jobs in Vancouver, which is a little scary 'cause I haven't actually heard back about anything I've applied for. I wish I could just make a career out of being a nerd. That would be ideal.

When I was in Vancouver last weekend I got my first taste of what it would be like to be a foodie. Rob and I joined our friends George and Richard dining at a fantastic restaurant called Fable. Their whole theme is "from farm to table," meaning they use only fresh local ingredients in the food they create. We went for a special menu put together by recently eliminated Top Chef Canada contestant Geoff Rogers. And I think we were all impressed.

The three course meal started with a pemberton beef tartar served with everything bagel chips. I had never had tartar, and when I saw it on the menu I considered getting something else, but it was so delicious. Unexpectedly great. The second course was braised rabbit pappardelle, which was another thing I'd never tried before. But it was also pretty fantastic. I'd eat rabbit again. The finishing touch was a peanut butter s'more, which I don't even have to tell you was amazing. Layers of chocolate brownie, marshmallow, and peanut butter ice cream served in a mason jar. Just fantastic.

Probably the best part though was talking to the staff and the chef. Our server was fantastic, full of conversation and stories, answered all of our questions about the menu and the restaurant. And Geoff Rogers came to tell us about the food when our main dish was served. Plus he came and talked with our table for a good 20 minutes after we had all finished eating. It was a really cool evening, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

That was pretty much the big highlight of the weekend, but it was pretty packed full of awesome. I got to spend the better part of my Friday with my wonderful friend Nicole. Coffee, amazing doughnuts, arcade games (old TMNT! Dinosaurs! And zombies!), some shopping, and just some general good hangout time. Got to enjoy the beautiful sunshine walking around with Rob, and exploring downtown with George and Richard. Ran into Pam and Rob randomly on Robson Street. And Rob and I got to see Star Trek Into Darkness with Andrea and some of her friends! Fantastic movie.

So yeah! It was a busy weekend, all full of awesome. It was hard to come back. Not that I don't love my PG family and friends, and not that I don't love PG itself, but it's gotten to that point where I know I'm going to relocate, and the constant back and forth is getting difficult. Leaving Rob always sucks. But luckily I do have my friends and family that are always there for me. That will be the toughest part of moving to Van. I can't even bring myself to type how much it hurts to think about leaving Adria after a year living together.

Yeah, I need to stop there or I'll start crying in the middle of Starbucks and no one needs to see that. So anyway, have a great weekend everyone!

It's The End

So once again, it is season finale... season. I could probably have worded that differently. Anyway. It's that time of year when all of our favourite shows come to an end, some forever, and some just until the fall. It's a bittersweet time of year. Most shows seem to leave you on a cliffhanger begging for September. BUT. It's summer. And who really wants to spend the summer indoors watching TV?

I've managed to fall pretty behind on a lot of shows, so I don't even know what's going on, or how they've been left for the season. The few I've kept up with have been pretty interesting. Oh. SPOILERS AHEAD! You've been warned.

Let's start with Castle, since it's the first one I caught up on. I had about 4 episodes to watch this week so they've all pretty much just jumbled together, but the season finale left things very much on the verge of change. Not like when Kate got shot and the season ended with her dying on the ground, but still pretty crazy. Beckett gets a job offer that she really wants to take, but it means she has to leave New York. And of course that comes into conflict with her and Castle's romance. Neither is happy about it. So Castle proposes. End. I guess it's not THAT crazy, but if you're as invested in their relationship as I am, it's pretty intense.

Next: Grey's Anatomy. I know, I know. This one isn't even remotely nerdy. At least Castle has Nathan Fillion. This one is just all full of drama. I'm sorry, but I got caught up in this one and I just can't stop watching. Just let me have this one. Anyway. This one has been all full of drama all season. (Big surprise, right?) after the plane crash last year there's been so many changes, that by the time we get to the finale, which is another two parter disaster story, you start wondering who's gonna die this time. And they keep teasing it all the way through. Two of them nearly get staked by a tree flying through their living room. Another doctor is in critical condition after getting beaten nearly to death by another doctor, making you worry someone might end up in jail. Another doctor nearly gets blown up saving a little girl from a burning bus. Birth-related complications nearly kill another doctor. And none of them die. Until the very very end of the episode, Richard Webber is lying on the ground in the basement of the hospital, dead or dying of major electrical burns after getting the emergency generators running (after having saved the maintenance guy who had a heart attack while trying to get them fixed). So yeah. Never work at a hospital. If I've learned anything from this show, it's that hospitals are dangerous, and you're far more likely to die working there than being sent there in critical condition.

Didn't realize I had so much to say about that one. I hardly have time for Once Upon A Time. Oh how I love this show. This one I've actually kept up on all season, except I only JUST watched the finale last night. And boy howdy was it good. It's funny, at one point, Adria and I were both all, "Well that was anticlimactic." But then it just keeps going and you're back to being all enthralled. The end of the season has been leading up to this point where the town is in danger of destruction, but suddenly it's not, but then you learn new facts, and suddenly everyone is off on a rescue mission through a portal and the show takes another twist for the next season. PLUS someone thought dead is not, and he's found by two other characters we haven't seen in a while with someone ELSE thought dead. I dunno. I'm being a little vague, but if you've seen it you know what I mean. My Adria friend can attest, I was very very excited about this episode.

We also watched the season finale of How I Met Your Mother. And I am not gonna say anything else but... we FINALY meet the mother! I mean, the characters don't. But WE do! Yay! Other than that, I'm still behind. I've got a lot to catch up on. And tonight! Season finale of Doctor Who! Can't miss it! I'm excited. And sad, 'cause I don't wanna wait until November for more Doctor Who.

Well, I'm off to work. I hope everyone has a wonderful day. And a great long weekend!

Busy Busy Busy

Well, this is gonna have to be a quick one this week. I slept in and missed my bus... So I walked to Starbucks and only have about 20 minutes until I start work. Lets see what I can do!

I really don't have much to report on the matter of nerdiness. I haven't been playing much in the way of video games. I started reading the Clockwork Prince this week. I'm not very far into it yet. It's the second book in the Infernal Devices series, spin-off of the Mortal Instruments series (the first book of which, City of Bones, is being released on film sometime soon). It's been so long since I read the first book that I'm having some difficulty remembering the characters and the plot of the first book. But it's coming back to me.

Otherwise, I'm too busy to do much. This weekend, for example, is a very busy one. Not only is it Mothers' Day, but it's also the Relay for Life this weekend, there's a bunch of birthdays (Happy bday today to my brother Paul, cousin Willow, and on Monday, Sylvie!), AND my Rob is here!! Very exciting! There's also Roller Derby tonight, and pretty sure we are gonna go out dancing. Gotta show off my fiancé! Lots of people to introduce Rob to, kinda most importantly, my Mom!

So yeah. Busy. Who needs sleep anyway? But I should run to work now. I'll try to eat my geek on soon so I have nerdy things to talk about again. For now, have a great Saturday! (And don't forget about new Doctor Who tonight!)

OMGWTFBBQ FCBD!!!

Hey guys! Guess what! It's one of my favourite days of the year today! It's a nerdy holiday of sorts. Free Comic Book Day! What is FCBD, you ask? Let me tell you.

One day a year, always the first Saturday in May, comic book stores across Canada, the United States, and around the world, give away free comic books to anyone who comes in! Comic book companies go to the effort of creating a selection of comics specifically for this special day. It's all very exciting.

This year I'm most interested in Marvel's Infinity free comic, which is supposed to lead into this summer's big Avengers event. There's also a special Walking Dead comic I'm interested in, and probably a bunch more cool stuff. I'd say I'm being vague about the selection to get you interested enough to go, but really I just haven't done a lot of research. Big fails. But still! Be interested! Go! Comics are fun!

In other news, it's a special day for another reason. I've got three birthday shout-outs for today. It's my little cousin True's bday. And also the not-so-little-anymore Acacia's bday. And last, but definitely not least, it is the birthday of the woman who brought me into this world. Happy birthday to my amazing Mom! (Who probably won't read this so I need to remember to talk to her after work today...)

Today is also Doctor Who day, so don't forget to tune into Space (or BBC/BBC America) tonight for a new episode, The Crimson Horror. There's only two more episodes after this for this season! Then we've gotta wait all the way to November for the 50th anniversary special. At least it should be amazing and worth the wait.

In no way related to the previous topic, I'm feeling excessively tired and sore from a run yesterday. I definitely pushed myself a little harder than I realized. Ran the university hill with my canine roommate. I thought I might just die when I got up this morning. But it'll be worth it if I manage to get myself back into shape. Anyway, I'm off to work. I hope everyone has a fantastic Saturday!

He Liked It, So He Put a Ring On It

I hate when I can't think of anything to blog about. I'm sitting here in Starbucks drinking my free giant coffee flipping through websites and twitter and Facebook trying to find inspiration, and it's just not working. I'm trying to think about what I've been up to this week, but I'm coming up blank on nerdy topics. Huh.

I haven't played much in the way if video games. I can't seem to focus on anything when I sit down in front of the Xbox. I played a little bit of Defiance, but I'm sort of awful at shooters so I stopped pretty quickly. But I want to play it! Same with Bioshock Infinite. I played a little but but quit pretty early into it 'cause I'm not very good at it, and I can't seem to sit still. I should just start one of my Lego games. I've got Lego Batman 2: DC SuperHeroes, and Lego Pirates of the Caribbean that I haven't started yet, and those games tend to keep me hooked.

I read a book really fast for a change. Maybe that's why I can't focus on video games: I'm in reading mode. I read The Rise of Nine (Lorien Legacies #3) in about a week and a half. It's not a terribly difficult read, but that's the most focused on a book I've been in a long time. It was really good! I love that series. I'm pretty sure I've talked about it here before.

You know PSY, right? That South Korean pop star that made the viral hit "Gangnam Style." You know the one. Well, he has a new video out. And it's terrible. Just terrible. But I couldn't help watching it. Like a train wreck, you can't tear your eyes away. Here, just look.

http://youtu.be/ASO_zypdnsQ

Gentleman. Not even. I dunno. Some Marvel guys were tweeting about it the other day and I had to check it out. It made me sad.

In other news: I am engaged! It's been announced on Facebook already, but I'll announce it here too. My Rob proposed a little over two weeks ago. I'm very excited about it, and can't wait to move to be with him. It's making me slightly miserable being away from him. That might also have a little bit to do with my inability to focus on anything that usually makes me happy. I just wanna be in Vancouver, where my heart is.

Anyway. It's time for work. I hope you all have a happy Saturday! And don't forget that there's new Doctor Who on tonight!

Can't Think of a Good Title

Hey! So, apparently I took a weekend off from blogging. Sorry. I wish I could say it won't happen again, but if you look at my track record, it is almost guaranteed to happen again. And soon. But I was in Vancouver last weekend! This is my excuse. I never seem to blog when I'm away. I started one in the airport on my way back but I got bored... But now it's my usual before-work-on-a-Saturday coffee and blogging time, so here goes!

Since my last blog post, much has happened. And by that, I mean not much has happened, but I can still make something out of it. The super-awesome weekend of TV came and went. I could tell you how awesome Doctor Who and Game of Thrones were, but you watched them so you already know. DON'T YOU.

While I was away in Van I went with my good buddy Andrea to her meet-up group, Nerd HQ! It's this great group of nerds that get together every Friday evening (as well as various other times) to enjoy some form of nerdy culture. The focus starting last week has shifted to Doctor Who and GoT, so it was a great night. It's always held at La Fontana Caffe, a great little place at Boundary and Hastings, and the owner makes some really great food. Plus he's awesome. So it was pretty great to hang out with some fun nerdy people, eat some delicious food, and watch some great TV. Plus there was karaoke. OH! And this one guy sang a song while doing a perfect Gollum voice. SO GREAT.

What else is new? Jurassic Park 3D is in theatres right now. I saw that with Rob, Andrea, and some of the nerds. That movie will never stop being awesome. I could take or leave the 3D, but I was a kid when it came out originally so this was my first time seeing it on the big screen. The movie STILL makes me jump, even though I know what's coming.

Also on the subject of movies, I saw the Host last night with my Mom, and we both really enjoyed it. I've never read the book, but she has, and apparently they did a pretty decent job of sticking to the story. There's plenty cut for time, but it was done well. I might have to go read the book now, 'cause it was a really good story.

I FINALLY finished reading the Mark of Athena this week. It only took me several months. I still don't know why it took me so long 'cause I liked the book! I love the story, the characters, the writing. I'm just a bad reader I guess. Except that I started the Rise of Nine (third book of the Lorien Legacies series, think I Am Number Four) right after that, and I'm already just about halfway through. This is another series I've really been enjoying. The books themselves are really good, but they've also got mini-e-books that they release alongside the main story, usually delving into the past of characters just introduced or mentioned in the main series. It's a good way to keep interest in the story even when there's not a new full book in the series to read.

Anyway, it's time to head to work now, so this is it for this week. Maybe one day I'll actually find a real focus to this blog so it's not so all-over-the-place. But that's kind of how my mind works. Oh well. Happy Saturday! And happy new episode of Doctor Who day!