What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 04/03/15

in

Geek-and-proud

It's Friday and that means it's time for another wrap up of my weekly geek outs!

This week has been full of "adulting" moments for me, so I thought I'd share some thoughts on them.

  • Cars!

I recently swapped my car I've had been leasing for the past three years for a new lease (just a newer model of the car I had before). The payments will be less, I'll have more insurance for less money, and my maintenance is covered for two years. It seemed like a good deal to me and the car has been running great so far. I don't need much when it comes to cars and I am admittedly aloof when it comes to them. I don't know much but as long as it runs well, I'm set. I just make sure to take it in for routine maintenance when I'm supposed to and everything is fine. I hope to get at least a hybrid, if not an electric car, for my next vehicle but we'll see where we're at then with infrastructure for electric.

  • Money!

I've been trying to be conscious of my spending and work off a budget for these past several months now that I have a steady, predictable income with my job. It's been working pretty well thankfully! I don't feel like I'm depriving myself I just scrutinize if I really need certain things and make sure I'm saving money as much as I can. I try to use up the goods I have so I don't have to buy more and just make smart choices with my money. It's felt good to be responsible and I know as I continue to foster these skills, I will only get better as my life gets more complex and complicated.

  • Retirement!

This is something I've been thinking about since I started this job almost a year ago. My employer makes contributions once you are working for a year, so since that date is on the horizon, I've been giving it some thought. I haven't started a retirement account yet since I felt like I needed the money now and it was hard to think about myself 40 years from now benefiting from the actions I'm taking now. I chatted with a friend about retirement accounts and what it all means which nudged me further on this. Definitely ask the financial whiz in your life or just someone else in your life in that has gone through the process and they'll be able to help you out if this is something your thinking about. It definitely feels very adult to even be considering retirement accounts but it is important to do for your lifelong wellbeing.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 03/27/15

in

Geek-and-proud

Another week has gone by so you know what that means! My Week in Geek!

Here is what's going on in my world:

  • iPhone 6

I just got my new iPhone 6 last weekend and I've been loving the bigger screen, Touch ID, and setting up Apple Pay (not sure if many stores around here use it or not yet though). I had my previous iPhone 5 for a good while and it had starting acting quirky lately, as it always seems to go, so I was glad to trade it towards something new. I'm an Apple person through and through so I love seeing all the new gadgets and tools they come out with. Not sure if I'm sold on the Apple Watch yet but I've had nothing but positive experiences with all my Apple hardware (MacBook Pro, iMac, iPads).

  • Untappd

Something I've been playing with on my new phone is the free app, Untappd. It is a social app that collects the different craft beers you drink, where you drink them, and pulls together recommendations for other beers you might like. So you can see what your friends are drinking and what they thought of them and connect over good beer! It's a great interface and I've been using it for about a week now and I really enjoy it. I've gotten really into ciders lately as well as trying a lot of the cool local breweries here in Maine so I wanted something to keep track of them and recommend more stuff I might like to try. If you're a fan of good beer, you owe it to yourself to check this app out!

  • Evernote Scannable

Another app I've been using for a bit but just haven't gotten around to mentioning is the newest tool from Evernote called Scannable. As the name implies, you can download this free app on your smartphone and take pictures to scan in receipts, business cards, documents, all into your Evernote (and elsewhere). It is really easy to use and works perfectly from my experience. I love Evernote and use it very often to keep track of ideas, notes from books, or now, all of the aforementioned stuff you can pull in from Scannable. I scanned a bunch of business cards I had laying around and now I can access the contact information from all of my devices. It's awesome and takes me one step closer to a paperless life.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 03/20/15

in

Geek-and-proud

Greetings! Here's what's going on in my world this week:

This new Netflix original series stars Ellie Kemper, who you may know from The Office or Bridesmaids, as Kimmy Schmidt. She emerges into the world after spending the past 15 years inside of an underground bunker. It's a clear homage to Blast From the Past but it is done in its own original way and with Tina Fey at the helm, it has her great smart comedic chops to support it. The sense of humor is very similar to Fey's 30 Rock if you need a specific comparison. The show has been getting a lot of positive buzz online and I've been enjoying watching it with my partner. Chalk this one up as another hit for Netflix!

  • Community RETURNS!

I'm so excited to see the return of Community on Yahoo Screen. Season six promises to be even weirder than before and it's great that Yahoo is giving such creative control to creator Dan Harmon. The first two episodes premiered this past week and they were both fantastic. I'm eager to see this constantly evolving show grow once more. If you haven't seen any of the previous seasons, they're all available on Hulu.

I finished the first season of Agent Carter recently and have been riding along with SHIELD since it has come back to air and I must say that I've been enjoying these Marvel TV shows. Agent Carter was especially well done, giving some long overdue attention to the fan favorite character. She was a multidimensional ass-kicking woman on television and I think we can all get behind that. SHIELD is also telling an interesting narrative this season. The Inhumans is an interesting inclusion and has let the show finally embrace its super-powered roots. I have faith that it will continue to maintain this current quality as it goes on.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 03/13/15

in

Geek-and-proud

Hey there! Here's what is going on in my world:

  • Spring Break

This week has been Spring Break for my institution, which has meant having a quieter campus and more free time coming off the whirlwind weekend of ACPA. I've been able to sleep in a bit, catch up on work, and spend time with my partner. I appreciate this time before the race to the end of the semester in less than two months, which is wild. The end of my first academic year as a full-time professional is near!

  • Lost

My partner and I have been watching this show (mostly) together. I've seen it all many times but she was watching the entire series for the first time. It's one of my favorite shows of all time and it's been really nice to share it with her. I can share something I'm passionate about with her and we can bond over the show, which is a huge thing for me. We'll have to start on another show here soon but in the meantime, we'll still have our other shows that are currently on the air like The Walking Dead, Agent Carter, and Agents of SHIELD.

  • Reflections from ACPA 2015

I mentioned ACPA before, and while I've shared some thoughts on my podcast, I wanted to write some additional thoughts here. I'm planning on writing a more thorough post on conferences in general, but I'm still conflicted at times with how I feel about these big conferences. There is value in the connections and networking but the costs can be exorbitant for professionals and especially for students. It is hard to justify for me and maybe I'm just at a different point in my life having just started working full-time and not being willing to pay for a conference as I try to build a foundation for my life. I have a lot of other thoughts on this in relation to how sessions are handled for example. I look forward to getting that out for you all to read.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I Was Geeking Out About: February 2015

in

Geek-and-proud

Hey there! Here's what was going on in my world last month:

There so much to geek out about last month, and to help you sift through it all, here's my monthly wrap up of all the stuff that was on my mind in February.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I Was Geeking Out About This Week - 03/06/15

in ,

Geek-and-proud

Hey there! Here's what is going on in my world:

  • Tampa

So I am officially in Tampa today for ACPA 2015. This city is gorgeous and it was nice to get to my hotel, clean myself up, and walk outside in shorts in 80 degree weather! The area here around the convention center is very nice and I'm looking forward to exploring a bit more this weekend. I've taken a few photos already and I'll take a bunch more. I'll post them on my Facebook and some on my Instagram (check my "About" page if we aren't connected already!).

  • Changemakers

I recently wrote a post surrounding the topic of my presentation here at ACPA, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to talk about this subject matter that I am very invested in. I just want to give specific thanks to Krista Kohlmann for being a big part of making this happen in the first place and making the presentation a success (it hasn't happened yet technically as of writing this post but I know it will be awesome!). Check us out if you're at the convention and check out the #ACPA15 and #RUChangemakers hashtags on Twitter to follow along on the discussion.

  • Travel

I had a very long day yesterday with traveling down here to Tampa from Maine. My day started at 3am when I had to drive two hours to the airport in Portland, ME (only place I could get good flights out of), then take two connecting flights totaling around 4+ hours, and then once I got here, the convention kicked off already and everything was happening. Thankfully I had some time to check into my room, shower, and then go check in for the conference and bump into some lovely people right as I was getting in, which was serendipitously welcoming for me as I just got in. I don't mind travel too much, but I just wish I could have gotten a direct flight down here. I'm not a fan of connecting myself.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 02/27/15

in

Geek-and-proud

Greetings! Here's what is going on in my world this week:

** EDIT: Condolences to the family of Leonard Nimoy, who passed away today at the age of 83. You will be missed.

  • Parks and Recreation Series Finale

I watched the finale the day after it aired with my partner (we wanted to watch together) and I was very pleased with how they sent off the series. While it is really hard to ever live up to the high expectations of a series finale, Parks and Recreation definitely went out on top. This entire final season was awesome and should serve as a textbook for other sitcom finales. I foresee this show being one I'll go back to and watch again and again. It cements itself as a classic show that will surely stand the test of time. Thanks for the memories, Parks and Recreation!

  • Avengers: Age of Ultron

Some new little tidbits about the film came out from unexpected places. The official movie poster for Age of Ultron came out, and some awesome nerds discovered some interesting cast listings, such as Anthony Mackie, Idris Elba, and Hayley Atwell (some having been rumored, others thought not to be in the film). I'm particularly excited for Anthony Mackie to be featured in the film in some capacity since I know he is passionate about the role of the Falcon. All of them are awesome actors with equally awesome characters so I'm glad they're all in the movie (they all also add some diversity to the film). We've also gotten some better looks at Vision recently, which also make me happy. I can't wait for this movie!!!

  • House of Cards Season 3

I've been looking forward to this since the end of last season. This Netflix exclusive series is an amazing dramatic political thriller led by the incomparable Kevin Spacey. Having Frank Underwood as the President of the United States only makes the stakes higher and the intrigue more deep. I'm intrigued to see what he does with his new power or if it stifles him and he loses everything he worked so hard to obtain. I'm not sure when I'll get to watch all the episodes so I'll have to do my best to avoid any spoilers! Definitely check out seasons 1 & 2 on Netflix if you haven't already. They're awesome television!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 02/20/15

in , ,

Geek-and-proud

Greetings! Here's what is going on in my world this week:

  • Relationships

I had a thought about this during the week, and I mean relationships in a very broad sense, such as a relationship with an office or an institution rather than personal friendships. The thought came to me during a call with a parent of a student. I got push back on trying to help them in their unique situation and felt that we should have sucked up the cost of the room change we were making for the student and save the relationship with this parent. We can afford it more often than not, this family couldn't in this case. I felt we should have done the right thing (in my opinion) and just defrayed the cost, but that was not supported by my colleagues. It got me frustrated and cemented a feeling I have about serving students and their families and the importance of the relationship we have with them.

I've been going to the Greendrinks meetup events since I moved to Maine in July of last year. They're a fun, social gathering centered around supporting sustainability in the community. I recently joined their executive board and since it is now official (check the contact page at the link above) I thought I'd share the good news. I'm excited to have this experience and help out this great organization in whatever way I can!

I had a call with the one of a kind Tom Krieglstein yesterday about some SAC stuff. It made me think back on my relationship with the site dating back to becoming a writer in the fall of 2013, then becoming an intern in the beginning of 2014, and then a member of the leadership team in the summer of 2014. It's been an awesome time continuing my bond to this amazing group and see how the site has grown just in the short time I've been along for the ride. The podcast (my baby) has seen some good growth itself lately, and it just is inspiring to see my commitment pay off. This year is looking to be a big one for the SAC, so stay tuned for continual awesomeness to come!

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 02/13/15

in

Geek-and-proud

Greetings! Here's what is going on in my world.

This was big news for me this week. I had been hoping the rumors would come to fruition but I honestly didn't expect to have this be confirmed so soon. The details of the deal are interesting and seem to be a good, simple compromise for both sides. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been really consistent in their quality and it will just be awesome to have Spidey in the mix now (as well as his cast of supporting characters).

  • Breaks

This weekend, I'm taking a trip out of town with my partner for Valentine's Day. We aren't going far nor are we doing anything spectacular, but it is a nice chance to get out of the typical day-to-day bubble. Even just going a few hours away for a weekend has a positive impact for my own wellbeing and productivity. I also have ACPA 2015 to look forward to next month and I'm working on trying to get away for breaks at least once month for the rest of the year. I want to visit friends and get out and explore!

  • Minimalism

As I make my way in the adult world, I've been continuing my journey abiding as best I can by the tenets of minimalism. I'm trying to have only what I need since anything more will only weigh me down. This entails me being constantly critical and skeptical of the things I buy and do. I'm always donating, selling, or just consuming everything I have before I go off and get more things to clutter my life. I've been reading a book on this topic (review to come soon) so it has been on my mind quite a bit. I definitely go with the idea that a cluttered space is a cluttered mind. You can clear your mind and be less stressed if you get rid of what you don't need and go forth less burdened.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I Was Geeking Out About: January 2015

in

Geek-and-proud

Welcome to this monthly wrap up of my weekly geek outs!

I’m always getting excited about a lot of stuff. Every Friday I share what I’m into and this is an attempt to serve it all up together in one place. Check out everything and hope you find something you like!

Thanks for stopping by!