What I'm Nerding Out About: August 2016

 

...listening to...

  • Happier Podcast- I found the Happier podcast through another podcast, Sampler. Gretchen Rubin is an expert on small, everyday things you can do to make yourself happier. I've listened to the first five episodes...they are short and sweet. Each week she gives a small habit you can incorporate into your life to make yourself happier...things like one-sentence journaling or making your bed. I prefer to deal with small, manageable changes that build overtime when it comes to self-improvement, so this works for me.
  • Science Vs.- Science Vs. is a new show from Gimlet. In Science Vs., Wendy tackles hot button topics that we all debate about and have strong feelings about through an unbiased science lens. She looks at strictly the facts when it comes to guns, attachment parenting, fracking and many other issues. Sometimes the science supports my beliefs (like guns), but other times I'm forced to reconsider my position on something (like fracking). It's interesting, and she does an excellent job. 

...playing...

  • Pokemon Go- Why would I not be playing Pokemon? I walk a fair distance everyday on the same route (leaving work), I like cute things, and I like collecting things. I had zero interest in Pokemon before, but I play this game daily. I'll have a separate post on this later.
  • RimWorld- A strange, dark comedic game that is both about resource management and storytelling. I'm posting a diary of my first play-through here: http://www.crazycatnerd.com/everythingelse/2016/8/8/tales-from-a-rimworld-part-1
  • The Sims- My mood has been improving over the past few days and my desire to play the Sims is returning (my ability to play the Sims seems to be correlated with my mood).

...watching...

  • Bones- We took a break from Bones after growing tired of a particular plot line (Pelant). We've returned to the show to try to finish up the few remaining seasons. It has been slow going due to lack of time.
  • Gilmore Girls- In preparation for the upcoming revival, I've been re-watching one of my all time favorite shows. The only thing that had upset me about this show was that I wasn't prepared for it coming to an end...it happened abruptly and in an unsatisfying manner. I'm hopeful the upcoming revival will fix those feelings. 

...obsessing over...

  • Disney Planning- The arrival of my ADR day (180 days before my trip) a couple weeks ago prompted me to return to Disney planning. My time has been really limited, but I'm fitting it in when I can. You can expect a countdown post soon.
  • Tsums-tsums (still)- My love for tsums and the size of my collection continues to grow. They've released a lot of park-related ones recently- my Pirates and Haunted Mansion collections are my favorites. I'll be posting photos at some point.

...learning about...

  • A bit on sharks- I was really enjoying my MOOC on Sharks, but I didn't have enough time to keep up and had to quit. :( Maybe I'll try again some day when I have more time.
  • All about African Clawed Frogs & Purchase Orders- My job has been filling my brain with lots of new information on maintaining large aquarium systems, the health of African Clawed Frogs, and how to navigate the purchasing system. 

...reading...

  • Redwall by Brian Jacques- Redwall is a fantasy series that centers around a group of peaceful mice that live at Redwall Abbey. It's adorable and adventurous.
"As the inhabitants of Redwall Abbey bask in the glorious Summer of the Late Rose, all is quiet and peaceful. But things are not as they seem. Cluny the Scourge--the evil one-eyed rat warlord, is ell-bent on destroying the tranquility as he prepares to fight a bloody battle for the ownership of Redwall. This dazzling story in the Redwall series is packed with all the wit, wisdom, humor, and blood-curdling adventure of the other books in the collection, but has the added bonus of taking the reader right back to the heart and soul of Redwall Abbey and the characters who live there."

...pinning on pinterest...

  • Veggies for Work- I started a "Work Lunches" board, but my main focus right now is finding ways to incorporate more veggies into my lunches. Since I'm picky about vegetables, this is a bit challenging. I currently only have two pins, but I'm taking suggestions!
  • WDW Vacation Planning Boards- I've started to move my WDW-specific pins to new boards that are focused on specific parks or trip planning. The Disney board is now mainly for generic Disney pins. I have my WDW Preparing for a Trip board which has pins related to packing, lists that relate to the whole world, planning and organization and magic bands. I also made boards for specific parks such as Hollywood Studios which includes pins about trading with Jawas, Character Palooza, and a Star Wars souvenir idea.