View Full Version : Do you wave your geek flag?
By that I mean, is there something you really, really love and care about in your life that is not necessary to survival, but you love it so, you find ways to fit it into your frugal lifestyle? Is is computers? games? And yet you feel grounded in your frugal world? This is not a thread of criticism, bit rather celebration! Do you love something so fiercely that it inspires you to do more, or better? Be a begger craftsman,student, mother, trades person or spiritual person simply because of a first love you may have had with an earlier literary experience? Shakdespeare? Or was it Tolkien? Rowling? Lovecraft?
Or your love of chickens, or gardening, weaving or quilting. Let your geek flag flie!
There was a thread about authors to avoid, but I wonder who has gotten their geek on through ideas and-stories and-books like these? And how far has it taken you? Can you show us your geek rage? Your geek triumph? What are you proud of that perhaps before you were reviled of looked askance at for?
Well given my handle here, its obvious to all that there's at least one thing I'm a geek about. :laff:
I also have a passion for "survival" gadgets - survival in quotes because most of them are really more comfort items than straight survival items, because the reality is that I'm not ever likely to venture out into the woods alone.
I'm good in software development, but that's what I do to earn money versus a true passion that I'd do for free. But that part is typically what people would see as the geek in me. The part of development I really enjoy is the organizing of the work, thinking through the sequencing of what needs to happen when, and in coaching other people to see additional possibilities. I like talking about the "meta" part of work, how we do what we do, and why we do what we do.
Golden Retrievers....surprised? I cut back in other areas to provide for their medical and nutritional needs. I will complain about my medical insurance deductible but I willingly pay an outrageous veterinary specialist bill with no complaints.
My "geek flag", my clothesline! As if it's not enough for me to simply hang-to-dry laundry on, I also have to hand-wash and rinse plastic baggies and things and hang those up too! Always looking for new creative ways of incorporating the use of my clothesline into my daily frugal life!
I'm geeky on many levels (short attention span and all) and not much good at dissembling. I've always identified with the aphorism "I live in my own little world, but it's OK; they know me here."
IshbelRobertson
1-2-12, 6:13pm
Bagpipes.
'Nuf said...?
Exterior ballistics as applied to long-range rifle shooting.
Did you know, for instance, that left-hand twist rifling in your barrel vs. right-hand twist can make a difference in point of impact?
Or that the direction you shoot (east/west/north/south) makes a difference in point of impact? And that your latitude matters?
Not to mention simpler variables having to do with temperature/air pressure/altitude...
Math is fun!
Counted cross stitch, knitting, Broadway showtunes, and, like goldensmom, my horse. I haven't been to a chiropractor in years, or had a massage in almost 3 years, but Monday he's getting his second chiro/acupuncture treatment in 6 months. He's first, I'm somewhere far down the list.
Frugality is somewhat geeky too. I also know lots of tidbits of information about a wide variety of things, some of it useless but interesting. Did you know your armspan equals your height?
Jane Austen, smart phones/computers (first-time smart phone buyers at work and church now seek me out before making their purchases!), books, Russian Orthodox church music and liturgics, current events, history, my photographs.
Well, it has to be my ongoing home improvement/beautification process, as that is what I spend lots of my time & nearly all my goodwill budget on. This, however, is a foul weather focus. In better weather, it's my garden.
My dogs and my garden. And I would also say my home - I am always on the lookout for frugal decor/artwork to add to the ambience, although I rarely purchase anything - it has to be something really special.
In the home vein, I'm experimenting with restoring &/or upcycling old chandeliers that I find at Goodwill or free on Craigslist, and reselling them. The reselling is still in concept, as my one finished project is hung in our bedroom - a garish, 80's brass thing that I spray painted a glossy peacocckk blue, adding a black velvet chain cover, matt black candle uprights, and small, frosted low wattage round bulbs, exposed (no goofy shades). Super cute.
I have 5 other chandeliers, including a pair I may just re-wire & sell, as they are actually antiques. I've chosen a business name (luz dulce) registered a domain, and found a professionally outfitted spray booth I can use. Now, to refinish & photograph these 5.
Because my primary work is nonprofit administration, this is my entertainment, and hopefully an income stream that will cover costs & some extra. I am very geeky about vintage light fixtures right now... if I had a large workspace, I would have dozens to re-do!
True geek-girl in that I love sci-fi and engineering anything. I like to build things (solar powered killer robots with laser sited plasma rifles in the 40 watt range :-), space shuttles that run on wastewater and garbage, etc...). I belong to some groups which envision and design very environmentally sound and sustainable plans for urban dwelling as well as projects like water and wastewater systems for tiny third world villages. Most things are practical but we have some wild ideas that only true geeks can come up with :-)!
Foreign languages, particularly Spanish. I'd rather someone bought me a place in a language course as a gift than any material thing! A day doesn't go by when I'm not translating mundane things in my head or boring people with language-related/ etymological trivia. It actually helps me better understand unfamiliar words in English with latin roots... I love it. Languages are such a beautiful simple hobby - all you need to do is study, travel, read and speak to people. All your money goes towards experiences, rather than THINGS! (well, apart from textbooks!)
Playing guitar. Drawing, and later building, small, simple, elegant abodes. Gardening. Cooking. Always cooking!
Herbal medicine, saving money (frugal-one) and investing, cooking.
treehugger
1-4-12, 12:01pm
Bagpipes.
'Nuf said...?
Nope, not 'nuf. I need to hear more. I love bagpipes! My DH and I are crazy for Scottish festivals. We have friends who play in a band that tours all the festivals in the western U.S. When they are in our area we go and work their booth for them (we get in free that way), selling T-shirts and CDs. I never, never, never get tired of hearing them. They (the Wicked Tinkers (http://www.wickedtinkers.com/)) are four guys who play bagpipes, drums, and didgeridoo.
Ahem. That said I am also totally geeky for bread baking and for rescued greyhounds.
And I (finally, at age 36) embraced my inner nerd (who I swear I didn't even know was there) at work. And I love her!
Nerds and geeks are awesome! :)
Kara
Oh, I forgot that I like accounting. I spent a good hour today adding up my horse's expenses for the past 5 years....made me a bit giddy.
Always makes me think of a line from Monty Python. When asking the man on the street a question, he says "Well, I'm an accountant, and consequently too boring to be of interest".
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