How I know I'm a nerd

Sure when I'm wearing glasses or have my nose in a book, it isn't hard to figure out that I'm a nerd. No really, I'm okay with it. I understand that means that I just don't get things that others get, and vice versa. But there are several things that I enjoy that just push me over the edge from educated, or academically inclined, and into the nerdiness.

1. I'm learning Latin just because. Yea, I'm not getting credit for it (although I did already once, but that semester has since slipped my memory since I was pregnant most of it, and had a baby half way through...so most of what I knew is now lost.) Incidently, there is an online independent group for anyone who would also like to close in on their nerd title at http://www.ravendays.org/latin/wh2007.html

2. I really like classical music, and even operas. No, I'm not highly educated on them, and really only recognize the music of a very few, but I LOVE them. I would love to have the chance one year to go see all the operas that the Utah Opera Festival http://www.ufoc.org/ but I would probably have to go alone because eventhough Enoch is a GREAT sport at going to things he may not otherwise take the time to attend, asking him to go to that many operas, or maybe even one is just above and beyond the duties of love. I would also like to be a season ticket holder to the Utah Symphony, because if I could afford those tickets, I should reasonably be able to afford the gas that it takes to get up there or I should be buying the tickets in the first place. I love to listen to Classic FM out of the UK - they don't let you stream from their site anymore if you don't live in the UK but for some reason the link I have in Windows Media still works, which makes me very happy.

3. I don't know if this counts towards being a nerd, or just wipes me out of the normal female population, but I really don't like chick flicks. I did for a while, but part of the problem is they all start being the same movie to me - there's a girl who is the always a bridesmaid, never a bride type who finds a guy in some peculiar fashion, and they fall in love, have a complication, misunderstanding, break up, realize how much they really love each other and live happily ever after. Also, I don't like the idea that falling in love is the most important part of the movie - it's the staying in love through all the following complications that is really worthy of screen time.

4. While I mentioned it before, I really love to read, but not just anything. I like books that have a purpose, that are thought provoking and even challenge the standard ideas of society, whatever ideas the author deemed necessary to challenge. Dickens did it with several of his books, challenging how the society was set up and the problems that everyone looked away from. Steinbeck does it and Hemingway, while I've only read one of his novels, showed in A Farewell to Arms that war really didn't make sense to the lead character when he really started looking at the cost of it.

5. I like knowing the origin and evolution of languages - which is probably a reason why I'm so interested in learning Latin. I'd love to learn Greek too, but that involved different characters and making my mouth make sounds that I don't know if it could do. Maybe after I feel confident in my Latin, I'll tackle it. I've heard there are some great programs out there for this language.

Those are the reasons I can think of now...I'm sure more will come up later.