Some are born Geek, some achieve Geekness and others have Geekness thrust upon them. For those of us whom are verily Geek-at-Heart, we shall not be shedding the title as quickly as a West Hollywood hipster sheds his iPad the moment Apple bids him so. Whilst many will claim the title of Geek, as to be Nerd/Dork/Geek/Wonk is très chic, it is a dangerous, double-edged lightsaber ... wait, they're columnar in shape. Anyhoo, we may live blissfully in our own, little biospheres; yet we are easy targets, like a wounded dolphin, or the only kid dressed up like a pilgrim the Wednesday before school lets out for Thanksgiving Weekend.
From sea to nerdy Cameron-submersible sea, forest to dorky Bigfoot forest, Skywalker Ranch and beyond the solar flares, this proudly pale populace has some serious ideas about what is fun and what is not. Summer is here and it can be a tough time for us, what with the sun, the outdoors and the prospect of a proper, dress-up holiday still months away. Never mind all that; we know what makes for real summer fun and with all due respect to the rest of you, to quote The Big Bang Theory's Dr. Sheldon Cooper, "You're having fun wrong."
As a bonus, I must toss in The Hotel del Coronado. Though not a geek-oriented destination in and of itself, unless you’re bonkers for Victorian architectural detail, it is home to our favourite geek ghost, Miss Hannah Hart, ghostdame of The Hotel del Coronado. What?! You don’t know Miss Hannah Hart? Zowie!, as she would decry! Best get yourself over to GoodToBeAGeek.com and introduce yourself to this sassy and brassy, 1930s, Old Hollywood dame whom finds your casual wardrobe and slack-jawed vernacular a disgrace. Boyz-o! Does she have some opinions about you!
Clearly, because we are Geek, I rest assured many of you will disagree with my list, if only to dispute its hierarchy. Moreover, I expect others will rant and rail over omissions and inclusions. Please, do share @JennyPopCom or @GoodToBeAGeek. Like learning a Hotel Del ghostie girl is as bonkers for Carl Barks comic books as I am, it's always a thrill to learn where more of my own kind roam at will, without threat or fear of a good swirly.
This easy, breezy, beautiful day along the San Diego coast, I offer a delightful surprise, for me anyway: a humbling and downright awesome follow-up review to my Skype interview about The Darlings of Orange County with Natalie Wright. As I mentioned previously, Natalie calls 'em likes she sees 'em. Lucky pour Moi, she sees 'em a far cry from Fifty Shades of Grey. Phew!
J'adore la pluie! I once travelled to Scotland with a pal over the summer, in part, to escape the SoCal heat, only to be to greeted with a heatwave across the U.K. I also enjoyed a very happy, rain-soaked summer in Vieux Quebec, thrilled to be out of 90-degree weather for the horrid month of August. (You know what they say about Paris in August? Only tourists and the infirm remain. So it should be with SoCal.)
Yes, I love and appreciate our blue skies and California sunshine, which is truly its own beast; there is no light like California-light, except maybe that basking over the South of France. 'Tis true though, I have yet to see a sea as turquoise as that of Nice and Cannes. Quelle belle mer!
To wit, these are the days I cherish most (and I tend to cherish most everyday), the days I miss most from our Virginia-sojourn. In a place that is more Palm Beach than Seattle, I welcome the odd day of thunderstorms and black skies, despite the horror reported to us by local news stations' StormTracker Weathergirls. (I know, this is not a p.c.-term. I don't care. I like the term Weathergirl; it's cute and sometimes totally accurate: like "stripper" over "exotic dancer" and "Teleprompter Jockey" over "broadcast journalist". That one's especially fun.)
Standing in line at a Carlsbad Starbucks this morning, happily awaiting my turn to order my Pumpkin Spice and Soy Americano with Whipped Cream - insert Homer Simpson donut drools here - , I couldn't help but eavesdrop on the chick in front of me and the counter girl. (Yeah, probably not p.c. either.)
Sbux Gal: Good morning! How are you enjoying this weather?
Obtuse-chick: Ohmygaaaad. I haaaate it. It makes me so depressed. When it's like this, I like to stay indoors, close all the windows, turn on some cheerful summertime music and watch travel videos of Hawai'i until the sun comes out. It's soooo gross today.
I imagine if one is in one's third month of a grey world in Baudette, Wisconsin or Grimsby, Ontario one might drift toward the sunnier-based episodes of Three Sheets. Admittedly, after two months or more of snow and dove-grey skies in Virginia, I tended to watch way more Rick Steves on the Mediterranean than is healthy. (Don't get me wrong, I love Rick Steves ... his travel tips just bug me sometimes. Please, see my very first posting ever here to see just how much.) Yet, when San Diego gets about thirteen days of rain total per annum, well, fret not, Chica. Put away the razor blades and be patient. In just about fourteen hours it shall be bright and sunny again and you won't have to pull the shades for another month or two.
The added bonus of days like this? I get to go play outside and splash in puddles in my best Frye boots and all without a single dollop of sunscreen!!! Mon Dieu, it gets to be a hassle. Nevertheless, with Dita Von Teese and Rose McGowan as my vampire-guides, I march valiantly into the oncoming decades certain I shall not be mistaken for one of The Real Lizard Women of Orange County or the reptile chicks from that old, '80s Sci-fi show V.