New Year's Party Food

EATING GEEKY ON NEW YEAR'S EVE

By Sandi Moser

New Year’s Eve is fast approaching. If you’re planning a party, you may be starting to think of the food and drinks you want to serve. If you’re like my husband and me, you’re also starting to plan how best to present those tasty treats to partygoers. Taste is certainly the most import consideration, but presentation comes in at a very close second.

Whether you’re planning a themed party or a mishmash of things you love, there is great inspiration to be found through a few quick internet searches. Here are a few ideas and recipes that may come in handy at your next party:

• If you want your New Year’s Eve party to be “magical”, you could consider a few items with a Harry Potter theme. I started with a search for a butterbeer recipe and was surprised at how many were available. Obedient Ingredients does a good job researching some of the recipes for you. To round out the theme, liquor bottles can be relabeled for potions class and veggie trays can be themed from herbology class. Of course, a Harry Potter theme is not complete without a big bowl of jelly beans.

• One of my favourite video games growing up was the Legend of Zelda. If I could throw any kind of nostalgic themed party for myself, this would be it. Heart-shaped red cookies, punch bowls filled with red, green and blue potions, and bowls of deku nuts (pistachios) would be scattered through the house. If you sing me the right song, I may also be convinced to get you a carafe of milk.

• Settlers of Catan fans can easily make a party setting simply by display foods in hexagonal shaped dishes. By artfully arranging said dishes and filling with a variety of foods (i.e., veggies, chips, pretzels and dips), it’s easy to recreate a Settlers board. Alternatively, for a sweet treat, a similar effect can be achieved with cupcakes (taking care to shape the icing as hexagonally as possible) or hexagonal cookies decorated with coloured icings. 

• If you’ll have a lot of kids in attendance, Minecraft seems to offer some of the easiest ideas for food presentation. It takes a bit of imagination, but it can be fun thinking of food ideas that can be used to represent various resources: pretzels for sticks, red licorice for TNT, blueberries for diamonds, honeydew melon balls as slime balls. You can also use food colouring with rice cereal squares to make blocks of sand, dirt, coal, etc.

In searching for your next party favour food, here are a few other websites beyond Pinterest you may find helpful:

• Kitchen Overlord 
• Geeky Hostess
• Geeky Chef 

Wishing you and yours a safe and Happy New Year!

Sandi is a 30-something environmental engineer and mother of two from the metropolis of Stittsville, Ontario. Writing for Capital Geek Girls is a new adventure for her, with previous writing experience limited to technical documents, briefing notes and Facebook updates. In her spare time, Sandi enjoys playing board games and video games, reading books, watching movies, and crocheting. She looks forward to sharing her geeky endeavours with you, as well as reporting on the next generation’s response to those endeavours.

Geek Christmas Crafts

DIY CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS WITH A GEEKY FLAIR

by Sandi Moser

For as much as I like to craft, my décor at home is not really conducive to showing it off 11 months of the year. At Christmas, however, decorating ideals go out the door and my house fills with a variety of homemade items. One of our pieces of modern art is replaced by a reindeer painting by my daughter. Our mantle is adorned with a snow globe featuring my son’s toddler fingers as snowmen.

One of my favourite places for homemade crafts is the Christmas tree. My usual clean line, modern (but homey) living room features a tree adorned with handmade ornaments that go as far back as my own childhood. For as much as I like the look of a themed Christmas tree, nothing gets me more excited for the holidays as a popsicle stick snowman with an uneven smile (hanging near the back of the tree so the people outside can appreciate it). 

In preparation for the season, and to find something to do with the kids leading into Christmas vacation, I went hunting for ideas to make a few new ornaments. Here are some of my favourite finds:

• Ninja Turtles: This one is first, because it gave me the idea to write this article in the first place. In the kid-friendly (read: easy) version, glue an appropriately coloured ribbon around a green Christmas ball and add googly eyes. Voila, the ninja turtle of your choice. Those with more artistic flair can get out the paint and hand draw bandanas and eyes. Either way, you have a turtle for your tree.
• Minions: As a variation of the Ninja Turtle ornament, use a yellow Christmas ball with black ribbon and one or two eyeballs (again, googly eyes, or maybe felt). Feel free to add a mouth and hair with a black marker or paint.
  
• The Golden Snitch: What I liked about this one is that it’s not overtly “geeky”. It’s actually quite a pretty ornament, using a gold Christmas ball and attaching some wings. Harry Potter fans may recognize it, but it could likely hide in a tree without much notice.

• Lego Death Star: With a 5-year-old in ‘da house, we have more than our share of Star Wars-themed Lego. What do I like most about this craft? We can put it together and take it apart every Christmas!
  
• Dalek: OK, here is where I have to admit my pop culture blind spot – Dr. Who. I’ve never watched an episode, but I know there are a lot of fans out there. I came across this ornament for the more advanced crafters. The instructions are pretty involved, but the result is pretty cool, even for someone who doesn’t know a Dalek from a cylon.

I hope you’ve found some inspiration for bringing a bit of homemade to your own Christmas tree. Happy Holidays!

Sandi is a 30-something environmental engineer and mother of two from the metropolis of Stittsville, Ontario. Writing for Capital Geek Girls is a new adventure for her, with previous writing experience limited to technical documents, briefing notes and Facebook updates. In her spare time, Sandi enjoys playing board games and video games, reading books, watching movies, and crocheting. She looks forward to sharing her geeky endeavours with you, as well as reporting on the next generation’s response to those endeavours.

Board Game Lunch Club

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR COWORKERS THROUGH GAMING

By Sandi Moser

Last winter, I overheard an animated discussion over a Friday lunch in a closed boardroom at work. Things don’t usually get animated in my neck of the woods, particularly over lunchtime, so my interest was piqued. When the boardroom opened at the end of lunch and a group of coworkers emerged with Settlers of Catan, I was shocked. Colleagues were playing a board game right beside me and I didn’t know about it!

That afternoon, after casually asking a colleague, I learned of the existence of a group of likeminded individuals who get together periodically to play board games over lunch. I personally don’t like Settlers, but if there’s a game to be had rather than eating at my desk, I want in! I quickly secured my invitation.

In the months since that first encounter, I've joined my coworkers every second Friday for a fun-filled board game lunch. Playing games has been a great opportunity to see my colleagues in a different light. It has provided a chance to bond with colleagues with whom I don't often get to interact.

During those lunchtime game sessions, we've also inadvertently learned things about each other that help us work together professionally. For example, in teaching each other new games, we’ve learned some of our preferred learning methods. In playing the games, we’ve learned how we think strategically. I've been surprised to see just how competitive some coworkers can be, and who can trash talk with the best of them (which may come in handy professionally one day, you never know). I work in a bilingual environment, so it has also gives a fun opportunity to practice my second language on occasion.

A side bonus to our board game lunch crew is exposure to new games (thank you M for introducing me to Zeppelin Attack!). We take turns bringing in our favorite games, providing opportunities to test drive new games.

A couple of things to think about if you want to start your own board game lunch at work:

• Choose a location that will cause the least disturbance to other co-workers. In our case, we book a low-traffic boardroom.
• Be flexible with everyone's work schedules and the use of the boardroom if someone else needs it for business purposes - work should still come first.
• While it is a social activity, continue to be somewhat professional (ie, watch your language). Essentially, remember you are still at work and need to interact with your coworkers when the game is done.
• Focus on games that can be completed in 30-45 minutes, or that can be modified to be completed early. Carcasonne is a good choice, since it can be ended at any time.
• As with any board game session, keep the ability of the group in mind when choosing a game. For example, working in a bilingual group, try not to choose games like Dominion that require players to be constantly reading English instructions on the cards as they're played.

If you’re looking for a new way to get to know your coworkers, consider starting your own Board Game Lunch. You may be surprised how much you learn about each other.

Sandi is a 30-something environmental engineer and mother of two from the metropolis of Stittsville, Ontario. In her spare time, Sandi enjoys playing board and video games, reading books, watching movies, and crocheting. She looks forward to sharing her geeky endeavours with you, as well as reporting on the next generation’s response to those endeavours.

School Lunches for Geeky Kids

MAKING LUNCH FUN – HOW TO PUT A LITTLE GEEK INTO KIDS LUNCHES

By Sandi Moser

It’s back-to-school time again. This year will be a bit different for our family – my youngest will finally be going to school full-time. He’s over-the-moon excited, which is catchy, but my husband and I can’t help but groan when thinking about the extra lunches and snacks we’ll have to start packing. We’ve had a bit of experience (my daughter is entering grade 3), but adding that extra lunch bag to the mix has put a bit of a drag on the upcoming return to school.

In an effort to inject some excitement into the lunch-making tedium, I went on a mission to find some new, fun, and (because it’s me) geeky snack and lunch ideas. 

Surprisingly, searching online for ideas wasn’t as straightforward as I thought it would be. Most searches brought me to links to articles about the importance of healthy school lunches, or to message boards asking questions about what geeks are eating these days while playing computer games (your typical Doritos and Fritos made those lists – I guess they’re not reading the previously-mentioned healthy-snack articles). 

What finally did the trick for finding appropriate school ideas was searching for a particular theme. For example, searching for “Star Wars school lunch ideas” brought me to a blog by Wendy Copely, author of Everyday Bento: 50 Cute and Yummy Lunches To Go, showcasing the different ways you can use Star Wars cookie cutters (to cut sandwiches, quesadillas, and even cheese slices) and lightsabre picks to infuse some fun into lunch: http://wendolonia.com/blog/2013/05/02/star-wars-lunch-ideas-for-your-little-jedi/. 

The Wendolonia blog brought me to even more Star Wars ideas, including this awesome lunch, with a Princess Leia cheese sandwich with almond butter and jam sandwich hair “buns”: http://www.veggie-bento.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/may-the-fourth-lunch.jpg. While making Princess Leia sandwiches probably takes a bit more time than I’m willing to commit, turning pretzel sticks into lightsabres is definitely a possibility.

Here are a few of my favourite finds. With luck, they’ll help make us all excited for lunch-making time, and won’t result in too many Pinterest fails!

Superhero lunch (http://www.lifewiththecrustcutoff.com/back-school-superhero-lunch-box/) – I especially love the idea of using a toothpick to write into the peel of the banana, which will brown up by morning. I can think of many possibilities for that trick!

Minecraft lunch (http://www.bentonbetterlunches.com/2013/04/thriftee-gear-review-minecraft-lunch.html) – I have to admit, when my daughter talks to me about Minecraft, I feel like I have the same expression on my face as my parents did when I tried to explain how to program the timer of our VCR. But, the sandwich looks easy to make, and gives new life to simple squares of cheese.

Dragon lunch (http://www.bentonbetterlunches.com/2013/09/how-to-train-your-dragon.html) – Most of the dragon-inspired things in this lunch come from rings that decorate cupcakes at the grocery store. The idea I really liked on this page, however, was the egg. I make hardboiled eggs every week for my own snacks, but it can be made so much more fun and kid-friendly by cracking it, then soaking it in water and food colouring.  

Don’t forget to get the kids involved in making lunch. With some of these ideas, lunch-making will become an enjoyable game instead of a chore!

Sandi is a 30-something environmental engineer and mother of two from the metropolis of Stittsville, Ontario. Writing for Capital Geek Girls is a new adventure for her, with previous writing experience limited to technical documents, briefing notes and Facebook updates. In her spare time, Sandi enjoys playing board games and video games, reading books, watching movies, and crocheting. She looks forward to sharing her geeky endeavours with you, as well as reporting on the next generation’s response to those endeavours.

Virtual Love: Video Game Romance

ADD A LITTLE ROMANCE TO YOUR (VIDEO GAME) LIFE
By Sandi Moser

Growing up, I was one of the first kids in the neighbourhood to get an Atari, and would spend hours pretending I was piloting the Millennium Falcon through an asteroid field. 

 As a teenager, I came to accept that my hand-eye coordination completely sucks. I don’t attribute this to being a girl; my strengths just lie elsewhere. Unlike our editor Jordan, I am not good at first-person shooter games, racing games, or any game that requires a character to walk in a straight line. I once had someone complete a task in a game for me because I could not, for the life of me, cross a bridge without falling off. 

About ten years ago, I was in one of those now non-existent stores where you could actually rent video games. I picked up a game that would change my gaming experience forever – Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR). That was before I had kids, when it was perfectly acceptable to sit in front of the TV for an entire rainy weekend playing video games- which I did.

Because of my inability to accurately shoot, storytelling is extremely important to my satisfaction with a game. There were two things that sucked me in to KOTOR: I could choose to play as either a girl or a boy, and there was a decent storyline. That’s not to say that there weren’t other games with these options at the time, but it was my first, and you always remember your first. 

What sealed the deal in my enjoyment of KOTOR was the integration of a romance option. While it’s not the main component of a story, I’ve discovered that romance options provide increased depth to both the story and the character. I feel more like I’m participating, and not just watching a story unfold. Ever since, if a romance option is not available, such as in the Elder Scrolls series, I feel slightly unsatisfied upon finishing the game.

All of my favourite romance storylines come from games developed by the same company that brought us KOTOR: Bioware. I always find that Bioware puts an emphasis on good storytelling, but what I’m most impressed with is the increased variety of romance options.  In KOTOR, players had one choice of a specific character of the opposite sex to romance. In Jade Empire, they added a same-sex romance option for both male and female characters. I’m currently in the middle of Mass Effect 2, with a number of romance options with various sexes and alien races, ranging from serious relationships to one-night stands. With all the choices available, Bioware opens their games up for everyone’s enjoyment, regardless of personality preferences and sexual orientation. 

Life is too hectic for me to play games very often, but I’m always looking for new games with a rich storyline. Feel free to make recommendations in the comments below.

By the way, I still have that Atari… Maybe I’ll put the virtual romance aside tonight for a bit of Frogger.

Sandi is a 30-something environmental engineer and mother of two from the metropolis of Stittsville, Ontario. Writing for Capital Geek Girls is a new adventure for her, with previous writing experience limited to technical documents, briefing notes and Facebook updates. In her spare time, Sandi enjoys playing board games and video games, reading books, watching movies, and crocheting. She looks forward to sharing her geeky endeavours with you, as well as reporting on the next generation’s response to those endeavours. 

Geek Girl Review: How to Train Your Dragon 2

MOVIE REVIEW: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

By Sandi Moser

On a rainy night this week, I decided to treat the kids to a weeknight movie - How to Train Your Dragon 2. I picked them up after work and headed to the theatre for my favourite supper - movie

theatre popcorn with butter-like topping and licorice. I have not seen the first movie, so I have nothing to compare this to. The kids have watched it, but I had only seen bits and pieces while passing through the living room.

However, the commericals looked good and it seemed more appropriate for my kids than the other option, Maleficent.

The movie starts 5 years after the first one. The Vikings of Berk are living peacefully with dragons, enjoying their new favourite sport of dragon racing. Hiccup and Toothless spend their time exploring and mapping far away lands. During their expeditions, they discover a secret home of wild dragons and learn about a new baddie, Drago (since I’m deep in Game of Thrones withdrawal, I kept imagining him as Khal Drogo), who is assembling a dragon army. Hiccup and his friends, human and dragon alike, have to work together to protect the peace they worked so hard to establish.

As far as kids movies go, How to Train Your Dragon 2 was not my favourite, but it was certainly not the worst. The story felt like a follow-up movie who was only made to

capitalize on the popularity of the first. With that said, the plot was still was solid enough to make me want to watch the first.

I think one of the things I liked most about this movie was that there were real-world decisions and consequences. Not everything always ends neatly, surrounded by sunshine and lollypops. The addition of fantasy elements like dragons helped to deliver this message to the kids softly in a form they could more easily digest.

There were some slightly scary dragon battle scenes, but I didn’t have either child crawl into my lap. Mini Geek Boy (age 5) did bury his nose in my shoulder at one point, but I think it was more related to the sound volume than to what was on the screen. To put it on the scale of recent films: it was no scarier than the Ice Monster in Frozen and definitely better than the bear fighting scenes in Brave.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 was a movie the whole family enjoyed. I wouldn’t recommend missing a warm, sunny summer afternoon on it, but it’s good rainy-day option.

Sandi is a 30-something environmental engineer and mother of two from the metropolis of Stittsville, Ontario. Writing for Capital Geek Girls is a new adventure for her, with previous writing experience limited to technical documents, briefing notes and Facebook updates. In her spare time, Sandi enjoys playing board games and video games, reading books, watching movies, and crocheting. She looks forward to sharing her geeky endeavours with you, as well as reporting on the next generation’s response to those endeavours.

Bavaria's Castles and the Romantic Road

BAVARIA’S CASTLES AND THE ROMANTIC ROAD – A FAMILY ADVENTURE

By Sandi Moser

Neuschwanstein castle

While all the cool kids in Ottawa were attending Comiccon, we were on our first family vacation to Europe – Germany, to be exact. Why Germany? After making a shortlist we left the decision up to my 8-year-old daughter. A travel geek in her own right she made the final decision based on the number of castles to visit.

We began the Castle portion of our trip in Schwangau in southern Germany. Schwangau’s main attraction is Neuschwanstein, Walt Disney’s inspiration for Sleeping Beauty Castle. What I didn’t know before planning this trip was that this castle, like many others in this region, is relatively new. 

Hohenschwangau Castle

The construction of the area’s castles started in the early 19^th century, when King Maximilian of Bavaria restored the ruins of a 12^th century fortress to be used as a summer home. Hohenschwangau is a pretty yellow castle, full of paintings and statues of knights, lions and swans (schwan = “swan”). There was a certain homey, family feeling to the castle. It’s easy to see why Maximilian’s son Ludwig fell in love with the region and began his own castle-building endeavors.

By the time Ludwig became king the position no longer had real power over Bavaria. To compensate, he built a fantasy world for himself through his castles. In the mid-19^th century, he ordered the building of Neuschwanstein, his pride and joy, on the mountain next door. 

Being the Disney fan I am I could see the similarities with Sleeping Beauty’s castle in every tower and courtyard. While the exterior of the castle is complete, only 15 interior rooms were finished before Ludwig’s death. Being there, I was struck by the similarities between Walt Disney and King Ludwig II – they both desired to completely recreate and immerse others in a romantic fantasy world.

Linderhof Castle

Our final castle stop in the region was Linderhof Castle, another of King Ludwig II’s creations. Linderhof is the smallest of the castles, and the only one of Ludwig’s to be fully completed before his mysterious death. I’m not sure if it was the relative coziness of Linderhof or the extensive gardens, but it was my favourite of the three. 

From Schwangau, we made our way through the medieval villages along the Romantic Road to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Rothenburg is the most preserved medieval town in Germany, with its fortified wall still fully intact. The city was founded in 1170 and remained a free city until the early 19^th century. The Night Watchman tour was very informative and helped us to understand the history and how it was so well preserved. The reason? They were defeated in a siege then hit by the Plague, and were too poor to do anything more than recover. 

While I agree with my husband that Rothenburg is very touristy, there were still many interesting nooks and crannies in which to daydream myself onto a Carcasonne game board. And once the day-trip bus tours leave, you have the cobblestone streets almost entirely to yourself.

Rothenburg

Sandi is a 30-something environmental engineer and mother of two from the metropolis of Stittsville, Ontario. Writing for Capital Geek Girls is a new adventure for her, with previous writing experience limited to technical documents, briefing notes and Facebook updates. In her spare time, Sandi enjoys playing board games and video games, reading books, watching movies, and crocheting. She looks forward to sharing her geeky endeavours with you, as well as reporting on the next generation’s response to those endeavours.

Board Game Etiquette: From Candy Land to Catan

BOARD GAME ETIQUETTE
by Sandi Moser

In this day and age of the electronic gadget, playing board games is a great way to get together and reconnect with friends. 

Since our first gaming experiences with Candy Land and Snakes and Ladders, we have ,hopefully, been learning the basic rules of etiquette. Play with grace, don’t be a sore loser or winner. and play fair. Winning by cheating is not really winning. However, if you’re new to board games, or haven’t had the opportunity to play very often, you may not be aware of some other unspoken etiquette rules. 

Next time your hostess pulls out a cool new game she’d like to try, here are a few additional considerations to keep in mind as you play:

NO FOOD OR DRINK NEAR THE GAME 

Credit: Evan-Amos

If you’re new to gaming, you may not yet know just how expensive some of these games are, or how much effort the host has spent to assemble the various expansions. Sticky fingers can gum up pieces and spilled drinks can warp the playing board or cards. Wait for the host’s cue for food or drink on the table or politely ask. And if you know you’ll be playing a game, perhaps avoid bringing the bag of cheeses.

Credit: Júlio Reis

NO BENDING CARDS, CHEWING PENS ETC.

We all have things we do while we’re thinking of our next move or waiting for our turn. Try not damage the game components while you’re thinking by bending cards or tapping game pieces on your lips (I’ve seen it done). Remember that others will be playing the game after you and would prefer to use undamaged, clean pieces. 

NO OVERTHINKING

It’s not quite the right term, but I can’t think of another way to word it. Take your cue from others for the appropriate amount of time to plan your next move. If it’s a new game, you might understandably take longer at the beginning while you understand the rules and gameplay. But, if everyone is taking an average 30 second turn, no one wants to consistently wait while you make your 5 minute plan to dominate each turn (although it does provide others with a bathroom break). 

Credit: Matěj Baťha

HAVE FUN

Don’t take yourself too seriously – Enjoy the game for what it is – a chance to socialize and have fun. If the game isn’t to your liking, play through and suggest something else that you rock at (Charades? Wii Sports? Euchre? Drinking wine?). And remember you’re not really building your own rail line, you don’t really own Boardwalk and you’re not really a magician (but if you are, we should talk!). 

There’s no official etiquette play book that I know of and I’m sure there are some rules that I haven’t thought of. You may have additional rules based on your own board game experiences – feel free to add them in the comment box below. Happy gaming!

Sandi is a 30-something environmental engineer and mother of two from the metropolis of Stittsville, Ontario. Writing for Capital Geek Girls is a new adventure for her, with previous writing experience limited to technical documents, briefing notes and Facebook updates. In her spare time, Sandi enjoys playing board games and video games, reading books, watching movies, and crocheting. She looks forward to sharing her geeky endeavours with you, as well as reporting on the next generation’s response to those endeavours.

Fake Geek Girls: Sandi's Perspective

SANDI'S SPIN ON THE FAKE GEEK GIRL LABEL

I’ve always been a moderately geeky girl. I grew up with a healthy enjoyment of Star Wars, having enough background knowledge that I wouldn’t be considered “fake”, but not so much knowledge to be considered a complete “geek” (i.e., I’ve seen the movies countless times, can point out at least one blooper and still own the storybook record, but haven’t read any books or watched The Clone Wars). Same can be said for Star Trek (but only TNG because, I will now admit, I had a bit of a crush on Wesley Crusher). I had one of only two Atari gaming systems on my block and I read a certain number of fantasy novels, but they were mixed in with Tom Clancy and Jane Austen. I guess I’m kind of a jack-of-all-trades-but-master-of-none. I know a bit of this and a bit of that, but there aren’t too many geeky subjects that I can go toe-to-toe with a subject expert on.

When geeks get together to celebrate a favourite pursuit, I find it odd to go to the trouble of quizzing others to determine relative status. When I find something new that I love, I use every opportunity to share it with the world. The more people who love Game of Thrones, the more likely it is to get renewed. The more people who love Kelley Armstrong novels, the more likely she is to be published. The more people who play Bioware video games, the more they’ll produce. Who cares if someone comes in part way through a series or hasn’t read the background novels? It’s my opportunity to share the awesomeness that I have found in something. Even if someone (either gender) is “faking” their interest, it’s my chance to get them interested. And really, if they are “faking” it, how does that impact me? It doesn’t take away my love of a particular interest. Their fakery can only affect me as much as I let it, and I have enough to do in my life than to be bothered about whether someone actually does like playing Agricola or was just pretending while talking to me.

While I may not meet the complete “geek” pedigree, I still would like to think that I would be respected when talking to others and wouldn’t have to prove myself based on knowledge of a specific subject matter. I can like something without being an expert. I live with my own reality, which includes making time for all my interests.  

Sandi is a 30-something environmental engineer and mother of two from the metropolis of Stittsville, Ontario. Writing for Capital Geek Girls is a new adventure for her, with previous writing experience limited to technical documents, briefing notes and Facebook updates. In her spare time, Sandi enjoys playing board games and video games, reading books, watching movies, and crocheting. She looks forward to sharing her geeky endeavours with you, as well as reporting on the next generation’s response to those endeavours.

Handmade Geek: Hobbes the Tiger Amigurumi

Crocheting a New Best Friend – My First Foray into Amigurumi 

I was 9 years old when I first picked up a crochet hook. I decided that Marie Magdalene, my Cabbage Patch Kid (yes, that was her real name), desperately needed a blanket. I can’t remember whose idea it was, but before I knew it, my mom had taught me how to crochet one giant granny square made of scrap yarn. 

My crocheting skills have come in handy through the years – my friends always knew what to expect when they moved into their first house or had their first child. About two years ago, though, I reached an age where all my friends had settled into their homes and started their families, and my house was saturated with blankets. What were my itchy fingers to do while watching Game of Thrones?

While searching for something new to make, I stumbled across a pattern for a hat in the shape of a minion from Despicable Me (my son’s favourite movie). I had never crocheted anything other than a blanket, but I ordered the pattern and was surprised at just how easy it was. With that one simple pattern, my eyes were suddenly open to all the fun, cool and geeky crochet opportunities out there!

Late last year, I was asked to crochet my first amigurumi. Amigurumi is a Japanese term used to describe crocheting stuffed animals, people and other creatures. MJ had found a pattern for her favourite comic strip character, Hobbes. I will admit I was nervous taking on the project. Blankets and hats are one thing, but stuffed animals seemed out of my league.

 

MJ with her new best friend.

With a bit of apprehension, I applied my almost 30 years (!?) of crocheting and gave it a go. I started crocheting Hobbes in September and finished in January. While the stitches were mostly basic, he was by far the most complex thing I’ve ever made. The hardest adjustment was the amount of attention it took! I was used to monotonous patterns (perfect for crocheting while watching TV), but amigurumi patterns change quite frequently. He took a lot of concentration and patience, but the satisfaction once he was stuffed and sewed together surpassed anything I’ve made before. And the look on MJ’s face upon receiving her new best friend was completely worth it.

I’ve learned this past year that there is a world of crochet patterns for every geeky pursuit, from Star Wars to My Little Pony. I would recommend beginner crocheters start with basic blankets or hats (like my minion one). Given their complexity, amigurumi should probably be left to intermediate to advanced crocheters with lots of patience. Many crochet patterns are surprisingly cheap and easy to fine with simple online searches.

I’m always happy to discuss crocheting, so if you have any questions on the hobby itself, please ask below.

If you’re interested in making your own Hobbes, the pattern I used can be found online for free at: http://sukigirl74.blogspot.ca/2011/03/free-hobbes-crochet-pattern.html.

Happy hooking!

Sandi is a 30-something environmental engineer and mother of two from the metropolis of Stittsville, Ontario. Writing for Capital Geek Girls is a new adventure for her, with previous writing experience limited to technical documents, briefing notes and Facebook updates. In her spare time, Sandi enjoys playing board games and video games, reading books, watching movies, and crocheting. She looks forward to sharing her geeky endeavours with you, as well as reporting on the next generation’s response to those endeavours.

Bitten: Book Vs Show

by CGG's Sandi

DOES SPACE'S BITTEN LIVE UP TO THE BOOK?

A few years ago, a friend of mine introduced me to Kelley Armstrong’s book series Women of the Otherworld. The series starts with Bitten, narrated by Elena Michaels, the world’s only female werewolf, and her struggles to maintain a “normal” life. As the series continues, Elena and the Pack become aware of other supernatural beings (witches, sorcerers, vampires, etc.), with the narration changing from book to book, drawing from the same core group of characters. This variety in viewpoint has helped, in my opinion, to keep the stories fresh and interesting.

In Summer 2012, Space announced a full season production of Bitten. After a long year-and-a-half, Bitten finally made its Canadian premiere on January 11, 2014. As one of my favourite books, I was eager to see it brought to life from the comfort of my couch.

I have to admit, I was ambivalent following the first episode. It was slow, with lots of base character development, establishing the werewolf lore that applies to this series. The second episode, however, introduced more action and fully launched the story – a “mutt” who is killing innocent humans in an attempt to expose the Pack. In hindsight, the show probably would have benefited from a 2-hour premiere to allow time to both set the stage and get into the story, leaving the viewer a bit more excited than I was at the end of the first episode.

At the time of writing this article, three episodes have aired, each one better than the last. Thus far, I’m very pleased with how closely the storyline is following the book. A few characters don’t look or sound quite the way I had imagined (especially Jeremy and Clay), but I’m giving the casting crew the benefit of the doubt. Their core characters seem to be consistent with the book, which is probably more important than their looks.

credit: Bell Media

The show hasn’t knocked my socks off, but if it keeps improving and following the book as well as it has, there is potential for it to raise its priority on my PVR. My husband, who does not like these types of shows, hasn’t started making fun of it yet (I can’t watch The Vampire Diaries or True Blood around him), so it can’t be that bad! I’m curious to see if the series will continue to follow all the books once the Bitten storyline is complete, or if it will follow only those books written from Elena’s perspective, or if it will go in a new path all together.

Bitten airs in Canada on Space on Saturdays at 9 pm and in the US on SyFy on Mondays at 8 pm. Note – the Space and SyFy versions are slightly different, with Space allowing nudity. If you care about that either way and are considering downloading the show, consider yourself warned.

Space’s Bitten - http://www.space.ca/Bitten.aspx

Kelley Armstrong - http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/

Sandi is a 30-something environmental engineer and mother of two from the metropolis of Stittsville, Ontario. Writing for Capital Geek Girls is a new adventure for her, with previous writing experience limited to technical documents, briefing notes and Facebook updates. In her spare time, Sandi enjoys playing board games and video games, reading books, watching movies, and crocheting. She looks forward to sharing her geeky endeavours with you, as well as reporting on the next generation’s response to those endeavours.

THE PRINCESS BRIDE AND THE NEXT GENERATION

by Geek Girl Sandi

MY NAME IS INIGO MONTOYA...INTRODUCING THE PRINCES BRIDE TO CHILDREN

A couple of weeks ago, as Christmas vacation was winding down, my daughter saw something that I had previously "recorded" on our PVR for my own nostalgic viewing pleasure. At eleven years old, I renamed myself Buttercup and imagined Cary Elwes coming to save me from some Rodents of Unusual Size (or ROUS for short). That movie was, of course, The Princess Bride. 

My daughter is eight years old, and despite all efforts to raise her in a gender-neutral environment, we have raised a real girly-girl, who one day made a little piece of my heart die when she declared that "Star Wars is for boys!" (Inconceivable!) When she expressed an interest in watching The Princess Bride, I was excited to share this piece of my childhood, which I thought would probably be a bit more to her liking. My son, a four year old who is relatively easy to please, shied away at first (like little Fred Savage, he was worried there would be too much kissing), but he was in as soon as he learned there were pirates involved. 

As we sat down to watch the movie, I was a mix of excitement for sharing one of my young loves with my children, and trepidation that they wouldn't appreciate the movie, or even worse, think it "stupid" (being eight, and you can never be sure what's 'not cool' with my daughter any more), and feared I would never have their company while watching it again.

To my great pleasure, The Princess Bride was a hit. As soon as Andre the Giant came on the screen, my son had a new all-time favourite character. He randomly quotes “No more rhymes now, I mean it. Anybody want a peanut?”, then howls with laughter. My daughter was caught up right from the beginning, her eight year old heart as smitten with Westley as my eleven-year-old heart had been. I had forgotten just how well the movie balanced romance, humour and adventure, appealing to both children. There was enough slap-stick comedy for the kids to enjoy, while the quick exchanges between characters provided adult entertainment. And I can't help but laugh just looking at Billy Crystal and Carol Kane, whom I have grown to appreciate more with age. 

I am now a proud mother of two children who know that the appropriate response to “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya…” is “You killed my father. Prepare to die!” in a Spanish accent.

Now, if only I could find a copy of Willow...

Sandi is a 30-something environmental engineer and mother of two from the metropolis of Stittsville, Ontario. Writing for Capital Geek Girls is a new adventure for her, with previous writing experience limited to technical documents, briefing notes and Facebook updates. In her spare time, Sandi enjoys playing board games and video games, reading books, watching movies, and crocheting. She looks forward to sharing her geeky endeavours with you, as well as reporting on the next generation’s response to those endeavours.