In Which I Do a Half-Marathon and Barely Survive

So, let's talk about my first half-marathon. Back in March, Kristin told me about the 1/2 Sauer, 1/2 Kraut Half/Full Marathon that was to take place in Pennypack Park in Philadelphia. She had already run one half-marathon before and I knew I didn't want to run my first one alone, so I very spontaneously signed up. It seemed like a step in the right direction because my overall goal is to run a marathon (spoiler alert, I'm signed up for one this coming January!). 

 Have I mentioned my obsession with sassy running headbands?

The website calmed my nerves a bit in that it spoke of walkers being welcome and that the overall pacing is not that fast due to the summer heat. They advertised plenty of shady paths and water stations generously sprinkled throughout the park. Capping at around 1000 people, it was a nice medium sized race and the difference in price between the marathon and the half-marathon was $5. Runners were encouraged to just run the 13.1 miles if the heat of the day became too much and they'd be eligible to the half prizes. Overall it came off as a very welcoming race to all running types.

I started my training shortly after signing up by more or less following this running plan. I'll admit I didn't run nearly all of those shorter runs during the week because there were days when a 6 mile "short" run just wouldn't fit into my schedule. The program did get me out there, though, so I'd highly recommend it. I mixed into my training the Iron Barre class at the Hot Yoga Spot twice a week. It's a strength training class that works you from head to toe in a 90 degree room. I'm glad I added it into the mix because it really helped to strengthen my legs and I've noticed a difference in my overall body appearance. It's worth the 5am wake-up call!

Training also gave me an excuse to get some new running gear. I went to Fleet Feet and a very informative man named James got me into the perfect pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 14's. I also bought way too many pairs of Belega socks, which are so worth it because I haven't had a single blister since. On a long run I saw another woman wearing a great running pack, and because I'm a creeper, I went to 4 different stores before I found the exact one and purchased it. The Nathan Trail Mix belt holds a nice amount of water and has a pocket to carry tissues, my phone, inhaler, and my Sport Beans! Great investment.

 

The man at the store said the mud would give me street cred.

 

I'll admit that I didn't get up to the 12 miles the plan has laid out. I had been pretty dedicated to my long weekend runs down by the river with Mike, with Dunkin' Donut coffee recoveries afterward for  good two months. But as the warmer weather hit, plans became inevitable and I just wasn't home/able to do the weekend runs. I did my best to run during the week and I did get up to 10 miles, which at the time had been the farthest I'd gone. Looking back, I now know how important those long and short runs are in the training process. 

The day of the race, Mike and I picked up Kristin and her friends Molly and Laura at the house they were staying at and we headed to the outskirts of the city to a nice shaded park. It was certainly everything they advertised. Not too crazy, well organized, lots of Porta Potties. Mike was a great sport and took care of all of our stuff while we ran. Kristin and I headed to the last wave as I was unsure of what kind of pace I'd be able to run at. The first 3 waves left and it was our time to head to the start line. The organizer joked that they saved the best beer at the after party for the last runners and then we were off!

We're doing this! It's about to happen!

 

We started off at a great pace. I like running with Kristin because she's a great pacer and got me running faster than I knew I could, while still feeling good. There was certainly plenty of shade, but 3 previous days of rain left behind lots of mud and huge puddles to run around. And the hills! There were three pretty steep hills in succession, and I ended up walking some of them. The humidity was not helping!

Two blessings to speak of were that the water/Gatorade stations were religiously every 1.5 miles and that their mile markers seemed to be closer together than my Garmin was telling me. Kristin and I noticed early on that even our two Garmins weren't in sync with one another. So when we saw mile markers approaching when our watches told us we still had 0.2 miles to go, it was a nice surprise every time.

As the miles passed on, I found myself getting really tired. I had eaten a pretty good pasta dinner the night before and a protein shake that morning, which was my go to pre-run meal. Kristin kept me going, though. We got to around the halfway point and came to "Mount Cuckoo", which was a trail portion. At the time I really liked it because I was able to go a nice slow pace on it, but the mud made me over-adjust my stride. Soon after completing the trail portion, I started feeling a pain in my right leg.

By mile 10, every time I tried to run, the arch of my right foot up to my knee would cramp up then spasm. It hurt so much! I started crying, both in pain and frustration, to come that far only to have my body revolt. I had been keeping hydrated the whole time, alternating water and Gatorade at the aid stations, so I don't think it was dehydration, but maybe it was. So for the next 5k, we pretty much had to walk it.

And here's where I tell you how great Kristin is, which I know I've done before. When it became apparent that running was out of the question, I urged her to go on so as not to totally screw up her time. And do you know what? She didn't. She stayed with me every step of the way. Encouraging me. Telling me that finishing was all that mattered. Showing me great stretches. Putting up with my sorry ass. Because as positive as I normally am, when I'm in pain, I suck and every negative bit of me comes to the surface. And this isn't even the first time she's had to stick with me during a terrible race! She came in last with me in an 8 mile 4th of July race 3 years ago when GI issues again kept me from running. But once again, she rose to the occasion this hot Saturday in June and literally kept me going. I honestly don't know if I would have finished it without her. I'm really incredibly lucky to have her as my BFF.

I knew I had to finish this race running, so for the last 1/2 mile, I made my body move in a strange jog/skip/limp and crossed that finish line at a time of 3:10:59! Not the 2:30 I had been shooting for, but finished nonetheless! It felt so good to finish and get that medal. It made every mile of pain seem worth it, to know I could at least get my body to move for that long and far. 

 

No take backsies! This finisher medal is mine!

The after party was at the Cannstatter Volksfest Verein Club, a beautiful German-American club, where they served beer and brats and had prizes for the people who had dressed up for the race (crazy people). I surprisingly enough wasn't in the mood for a beer, so I used both of my tickets for brats for Mike and myself. It felt so good to be done and to be sitting. And I will say that after a quick nap back at the hotel, I felt good enough to walk around Philly for a bit. So I am a true believer in training and its role in recovery!

So now I'm ready for my next one. I'm going to start integrating more hills and speedwork into my training and see if that helps, and try to figure out what caused those damn spasms!  I'm glad I did this one, and while I'm disappointed with the end pain, I know I can only get better from here!

P.S.
It should also be noted that we didn't come in last. Woohoo!

That's us at the top of the Rocky steps, because we're champions like Rocky. Get it?

I'm Back, Suckers!

Well, goodness. This has certainly been one long hiatus. I tried so hard to document the wedding planning process that I never got around to blogging about the actual wedding. It makes sense, though. I've recently come to the depressing realization that I am great at starting things, and not so great at finishing them. I start diets and books and blogs and vacation itineraries and I can never seem to follow through with them to the end. Is it laziness or too strong a will power to not move forward? I'm not sure. I'm not sure I'll ever know. I do know that I loved writing in this blog, though. I love that I have documentation of a phase of my life I will never repeat.

Quick recap: Got married, ran a bunch of races, traveled to Jamaica/Georgia/Disney World/Martha's Vineyard, and didn't blog. All caught up!

So let's give this another try. A rebirth, if you will. The focus of this blog when I created it was the wedding, but that has come and gone. Going forward I'm going to focus on things that matter to me. At the moment those things include running, living well, social issues (especially those regarding women), and the random events, people, and places that make me smile. We'll see how it goes. Maybe this time I'll make it stick. Maybe. Here's to hoping!

Give and Take

So a month by month update of my life should suffice for this blog, right? Ah well.

Last weekend was perfect. We had out rehearsal dinner Saturday night and it was like a teaser of things to come. We had all of these wonderful people in one place, practicing walking in and walking out and they all did it so beautifully. Afterward, we had dinner at Shadows on the Hudson, which is this amazing restaurant right on the Hudson River. The food was delicious and Mike's mom got these gorgeous centerpieces for each table. Mike and I each gave speeches, but mine was better because I stood on a chair and more people laughed (that is how I judge these things).

On Sunday we made our way back to Albany and relaxed before what we knew would be a hectic week. I napped and then got ready to see Florence + The Machine at SPAC. What? You don't know who Florence + The Machine are? Ok, check out this song right now! Then check out this one! And when you're properly in love, we'll chat. It was amazing, and it's up there as one of the best concerts I've ever been to.

As the wedding approaches (less than 8 days, but who's counting?), I've been thinking a lot about what's going to change once I get married. Now I know that things won't transform suddenly once we both say "I do", though I wouldn't mind birds and fireworks to magically appear out of nowhere. These changes will be gradual and far reaching.

When Mike first asked me to marry him, I spent a lot of time thinking about the things I'd be giving up once we got married. I know this doesn't sound very romantic, but hear me out. When I first met Mike two and a half years ago, I was in a point in my life where I didn't know if I believed in marriage. I went into dating him with the idea that what we were starting wouldn't last forever. I was too young, I felt, to be tied down to 1 person and I wanted to be free to come and go as I pleased.

In the beginning of our relationship, I spent a lot of time thinking, "Well, I'm happy now, but eventually we're going to get sick of each other." Then came the summer when my rent went up, and I just couldn't afford to live in a 1 bedroom apartment on my own anymore. Mike, most likely jokingly, offered to let me move in with him and his roommate. They had a third bedroom, and a third housemate with cut the rent down. It was a win/win. At this point, we had been dating for less than 5 months. I'm usually some one who takes my time easing into things and deliberating greatly before making big decisions. That being said, I moved in with Mike without putting too much thought into it.

Our lives melded together pretty easily. This was most likely eased by having Steve as a housemate and buffer. Still, I thought we were getting closer to that time when the other's habits would just get to be too much. Then we road tripped down to Florida. Mike quotes this as the time he knew we could make this thing last long term. We spent literally every waking minute together for 1 week, something I had  never done before in my life. As an only child, I like my alone time. There was no alone time. And you know what? We didn't kill each other. Not even when we drove through tornado destroyed country and had to stay awake for 36 hours. We only actually fought once, and even that was due more to exhaustion than anything else.

Florida was definitely a turning point on our relationship, and I began to think that maybe this thing we had going on didn't have to end. Maybe we could keep it going for a while. Maybe even forever. We began talking about a future together and the things we'd do to support one another. We began to talk about *gasp* babies. What they'd look like and how we'd raise them. We even talked about marriage, but in my head that was like 5 years down the road. Then when Mike proposed, there was really only one answer.

Now that I've diverted enough, let me get back on point. Mike proposed, I said yes, then the doubts crept in. I was only 24 and what about all of those things I was going to do as a fiercely independent woman? What about all of the bad relationships I was going to have and the life changing moment when I would decide to leave everything behind and move to San Francisco? Was I giving up a life of untold wonder and adventure to settle down? Was I letting the feminist in me down by agreeing to be some one's wife?

You think I'm horrible. I felt horrible. Here I'd just had this amazing man ask me to marry him and I was hung up on the idea that I'd never get to do all of these things alone. And there was the word. Alone. It's not something I've ever been afraid of, because being alone has never been lonely for me. I've always been able to entertain myself and as I've gotten older, I've felt more comfortable about venturing out and doing things on my own. But there are drawbacks to doing things alone. You have to bring the groceries up from your car by yourself. You have to sit next to weird strangers at the movie theater because you have no person to buffer you. There's no one to take a picture of you next to the TARDIS at the Doctor Who exhibit.

And it soon became apparent. Agreeing to marry Mike isn't about the things I'm giving up. In any choice you make in life, you're giving things up. The things to focus on were the things I'm gaining. And just like that, the world tilted and my whole viewpoint was altered. Think of all the things I'm gaining by marrying Mike! Some one to laugh at my incredibly corny jokes. Some one to drive all the way to Half Moon with me to get breakfast on random Sunday mornings. Some one to reach those top shelves. Some one to hold me when I cry over something important, and not make too much fun when I cry over something stupid, like a commercial. Some one to have romantic nights out with and lazy days in with. Some one to power through 8 seasons of Supernatural with. Some one to fit every occasion and tell me I'm beautiful, even when I'm anything but. A personal cheering squad to keep me motivated through dark times. And some one I could can about and be all of these things to as well.

Next Friday I'm going to marry the man who has, in his own way, walked his way into my heart and settled down for the long haul. I'm not worried about the life I might be saying good-bye to. I'm excited about the life and adventure I'm going to be embarking on. I'm gaining a husband and friend for life. We're signing a contract on it and everything.

The Many Faces of Shelby H

Well goodness gracious. How is it August 19th already and where the hell did this summer go? This year has seemed to just slip through my fingers and I will look back on 2012 as the 12 months that felt more like 4. But I'm sure the 3 of you reading this are wondering how the summer has gone. Well, to give you a quick recap...actually, let me just direct you to Kristin's blog instead. She did wonderful posts on my SURPRISE bridal shower and my lovely bachelorette weekend. She was also kind enough to leave out the embarrassing details, such as the fact that I had to stop the girls every 5 minutes to tell them how much I loved them all. Sappy much? There was also Ben and Emily's fabulous Cape Cod wedding which included a lawn ceremony, lobster bake reception, a sweet playlist, and a guest list of 30 people. They did things right! And those are my summer highlights.

Baby Shelby

This weekend I was at home and started looking through one of the many boxes of pictures we have. The fact that boxes of pictures are now a thing of the past makes me incredibly sad, but I digress. As I sorted through these pictures, I was struck by how old I felt. And I know that being 25 and saying, "Gosh I feel old," will make a lot of people cringe, but it's the truth. As I sifted through these pictures and memories, I couldn't help but reflect on how my life is changing.

When sweat suits were all the rage

There was the beginning, when I was freaking adorable and helpless. A baby solely relying on the safety of my parents. Then I learned how to use the microwave, and it was all downhill from there. From that moment on, I was doing things myself and my parents didn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn on Saturday mornings.

My awesome Laura Ashley dress

Then came the elementary school years. Moving into a life separate from home and making friends who would come to shape the girl I would grow into. My years in a Catholic school were both rewarding and frustrating. At this point in my life, I'm still pretty sure I would literally do anything a nun told me to do and feel lucky I was asked.

Have you met my son Shelby?

Right before puberty, I reached a point where all of my hair was cut off and people routinely mistook me for a boy. I think that my feminist ideals probably sprung from this time in my life, but at the time, I just got really upset every time some one gave me something blue. I also lost my baby teeth and had hideous teeth grow in their place, right in time for my self awareness to kick in. Awesome.

World traveler with a sweet hat

At 11, my parents sent me to Australia, without them, and I got my first taste of world traveling. I would never look back. I went on the travel to Europe several times, including England and Ireland, the Caribbean, and Canada (but we can't really count that, can we?). Exposure to other countries and cultures would definitely benefit we later in life, especially when getting into battles of wits with small minded jerk-faces.

A jean jacket with jean capris? Of course!
 London fashion

The high school years hit me at full force. I would again cut off all of my hair and lose a ton of weight and still think I was fat. Ahh, to be 16 again. I joined the Drama club and helped maintained a salt water tank and pretty much stayed under the social radar that is teenage existence. I learned to drive and my fight for independence gained steam. I started thinking about life outside of my hometown and stressing over which college I would get into. I also wore lots of screen print t-shirts.

Went stag to my senior prom and it kicked ass!

Parting from friends I thought I couldn't live without, I started a new chapter in college. College consisted of reading classic literature, studying Chemistry until a small hours of the night, and thinking everything that came out of my mouth was incredibly profound (I'm still not sure it wasn't).

And then it was over and life had to being again once more. I moved into my first apartment, got my first cat, and grew to love coffee. I woke up for work each morning, saw college friends when I could, and watched a  lot of Netflix. And life would have continued on in such a manner had I not been at a bar one night showing people pictures of my cat. But that's another story for another time.

Married with a kid, married, engaged

Three of my future bridesmaids

As I looked through all of these pictures and watched my life unfold before me and a psuedo-chronological manner, I was able to glance at the people I once knew. Some I lost touch with due to distance and time, some I chose to leave behind me, and some have passed away and those were the hardest to look at. Some of these people I knew when they were just 6 years old now are married and/or have children of their own. Some are doctors and some are teachers and they're all living lives they never dreamed of when these pictures were taken.

Dramatic Shelby is dramatic

And then there's the people I used to be. The would-be ballerina, the #1 Buffy fan, the actress, the forensic scientist, the crazy cat lady. And I look at the pictures of past me's with just as much nostalgia, because I'll never be able to meet those girls again. Their crushes and causes and wants that all felt so important at the time and captured in these photos are lost to me now. But every once in a while, I can open those boxes of pictures and pull them all out again and remember all the me's that had to live and die in order for the me of the moment to be born. At 25 I consider myself lucky that there have been so many Shelbys. I am constantly evolving and growing into new people.

Photographic evidence of my first zit

I stand now on the end of my current chapter, waiting for the beginning of a new one. The wedding is 6 weeks away. Single Shelby will be gone forever and Shelby H-T will take her place. She's going to have challenges that I can't even imagine at this point in my life and she's going to make mistakes that will shape future me's. I'm nervous and excited and worried and anxious and a whole list of emotions. But I am looking forward to this next incarnation of myself. I think she has a pretty sturdy foundation and a great web of support. Let's just hope she doesn't trip down the aisle and fall flat on her face, because that will be a picture she will have to destroy.

Reach for the stars!

Kicking It Into Gear

So when I created this blog, I said that the plan was to lose 30 pounds. Well, that hasn't been going so well. My self discipline has been terrible. But that all changes this month!


My goal for June is to run every day. And so far it's been going pretty well. About a month ago I signed up for the Freihofer's Run for Women, which is a 5K held here in Albany. Registering (and paying) for races always encourages me to slap on the running shoes and hit the road. I ran this race last year with my friends Kristin, Aprill, and Maritza and it was a blast. Thousands of women gathered just to run. Some are running in teams, some are running for a cause, and some are running because they love it. The feeling of being surrounded by all of these women looking to finish something together is incredible.


This year my friends, for various reasons, were unable to join me, so I ran it alone. While not as enjoyable as last year, I was so glad I ran it again this year. Maybe it's because I stay toward the middle/back with the slower ladies, but there's just such a sense of encouragement. No real competition. Everyone just running toward their own individual goals. And the runner's high that accompanies the experience isn't bad either.


I finished this race is 38:15, which was a little slower than last year, but my only real goal this year was to finish. I took a couple of walking breaks, so I feel really good about my time. Two downsides to the race were a) my Garmin running watch was never able to connect to a satellite, so I never knew exactly how far I had left to go, and b) the rain made the road a little slippery and I almost slipped on a discarded water cup (but I didn't!). Overall a wonderful time. And a special thanks to my cheering squad this year: My mom, Mike, Drew, and Ashley. Knowing there were people waiting for me at the end really helped to push me through. That and the cookies they give you.


Something else I'm doing to get me to that 30lb goal is to start working out my arms. I've been really self conscious about them lately. In my head they're crazy huge, so I'm being proactive to tone them up. Today I started this workout. It felt really good and I'm pretty sure I was working my abs out also, which is an added bonus. I'm know that tomorrow I won't be able to lift my arms above my head, but it'll be a good hurt.


So to all of the ladies and gentlemen out there working their butts off toward a goal, I salute you. Happy summer everyone!

In Which I Use Caca On My Head

It is time for a review, friends. But first, a little background. I have curly hair. Well...wavy hair. Curly on good days, frizzy nothing on bad days. And my hair will do a whole lot in between. In the curly girl world, I have type 2B hair. Up until about 3 years ago, I didn't realize that if I used the right products and coaxed my hair correctly, I could actually get it to look more curly and less frizzy. Consequentially, I have spent most of my life blow drying and straightening my hair. Which is pretty terrible. I also dyed it quite frequently with your standard boxed dyes from the drug store. That's even more terrible.


This brings us to the review at hand. There's a lot of buzz on the curly girl web circuit about henna. It's a natural way of dying your hair that's not exactly permanent, but also a lot healthier for your hair than your traditional boxed dye. I had used henna once before that I purchased at the Honest Weight Food Co-op and liked the results. I didn't feel the dryness I had seen with other hair dyes nor the hair loss that could also occur. This time I decided to try a different brand.


My friend Aprill told me about Lush's henna called Caca Rouge Mama, and the 5 year old in me laughed. Caca? Really? But Lush has never let me down before, so who was I to squabble with their choice in name? Where the henna I had used before was a powder, this comes in blocks and is packed full of good things like cocoa butter and lemon juice, things that my hair loves. I didn't take a picture of the bar itself, but the box it came in looked like this:

Adorable.

Because I am so thorough, I decided to take a few pictures of the actual process. Let's start with a before picture: 

(Keep in mind, this was one of many before pictures. Most ended up being just of my eyebrows.)

As you can see, I have longish, thickish hair. That color is not my natural color. I'm naturally a brunette, but Aprill insists she'll no longer be my friend if I'm not a redhead, so I am caught in the vicious cycle of dying.

The directions say to use 3-4 of the 6 squares for longer hair. I decided to use all 6 squares, because I didn't want to worry about running out. Also, if I only had 2 squares left over at the end, they wouldn't be much help in the future.

You're supposed to put the the squares in very hot water and let them seep until you can mix them up. Some people suggest hammering the pieces in a bag first so they break up and are more easily dissolved. I decided to do this at 11pm and didn't want to wake my neighbors, so I just broke pieces off in my hands and put them in the bowl. Then I put very hot water into the bowl, and this is where the panicking began. 

The key in everything I read is that the hotter the water, the better the henna will be absorbed into your hair. After adding the water, it looked like I had added to much water, and I didn't keep in mind the fact that as the blocks dissolved, the consistency would become thicker. All I kept thinking was, "I need to get this mixed up NOW before it cools down!" So without letting it fully seep, I began stirring and crushing the mixture, praying that I wouldn't end up with soupy henna. This is what the end product looked like:

Yum.

As you can see, it was very lumpy, and this would come to hinder me later in the process.

Everything you read about the application always has a big warning that states MESSY! And the warning is not an exaggeration. Do not do this on a rug or surface that you care dearly about, as you will ruin it. I chose to do this in the bathtub. If I do this again, I will line the bathtub with newspaper, as I can just throw away the mess in the end. As it is, I had to scrub my bathtub at 1am to make sure nothing became stained. Every girl's dream Friday night.

I digress. Lush gives you gloves to use, and you need to use them. If not, you'll end up with reddish hands. I applied at the roots of my hair first and made my way out to the tips. As I was scooping up handfuls of the goop, I realized that some of those clumps you saw pictured were still dry in the middle. So I would try to rub them between my fingers and expose them to the moisture. As it was, at points it felt like I was rubbing little sticks into my hair, getting it call tangled up. Not pleasant. After about 30 minutes, though, I finally got all of my hair fully saturated with the henna. I did end up using the entire mixture, too, FYI.

After cleaning myself AND the bathtub up, I had to wrap my hair up. I used about 6 layers of plastic wrap around all of my hair to seal in the juices, and used two shower caps to be extra safe.

Conehead Shelby, reporting for duty. Mike is one lucky man.

So the package says to leave the mixture on for 2-6 hours, and recommends you do this at night so you can sleep on it. Who the heck only sleeps for 6 hours and is able to function appropriately the next morning? Not me. So I decided I'd go to sleep and wake up whenever the heck I wanted to. It's the weekend. I'm entitled.

I slept on a towel just to be careful and the mixture ended up being on my hair for roughly 8 hours. The removal of the henna was almost at difficult. I stood under the water just letting the water trickle through the mud and tried my best to coax the little sticks down the drain. I ended up co-washing my hair with Herbal Essence's Hello Hydration Conditioner twice not only to help remove the henna, but also because my hair was feeling surprisingly dry. All accounts I had read said that the mixture would over-hydrate your hair, but I found the opposite to be true.

I rinsed for about 30 minutes, got out, cleaned the tub (AGAIN), put some Organix Moroccan Oil Curl Defining Cream in, and went about my day. Here are some pictures of the finished product:

I really do love the color. I don't think the pictures do it justice. However, I don't think I'll be using this particular brand again. For starters, the price ($25) is to me unreasonable. Also, for all of the moisturizing elements in the bar, my hair didn't really feel all that hydrated. I guess the real test will be how long the color actually lasts for.


So I'm on the fence. Does anybody know of a good henna I can try next?

Nerdtastic Televion

So I should pretty much have my blogging license revoked. What, they don't have licenses to blog? You mean I can go as long as I want between entries and there's no punishment? Well, awesome!

There's no excuse for the delay between posts other than life has been too boring to write about. Looking at my calendar I see very few dates. There was the plan to visit with my cousins and buy bridesmaid dresses with them, but I am awful and had to cancel, because I had to work. So lame. There was also to plan to go to a surprise party for Meghan, but again, had to work. So so lame. Also, where the heck did April go? Does anybody know? Because I blinked and it was gone and I hadn't done anything for the wedding. Which has led to panicking. But more on that later.

I mentioned in the description of this blog that I would write about my nerdy loves and interests. So in the same vein of Felicia Day's Flog, I am going to list my current 5 favorite nerdy television shows, and why I love them so:

5. Eureka- Eureka is a show on SyFy (of course) that started back in 2006, when I was still in college. It's about a fictional town that houses geniuses and fosters their intelligence. Centering on every-man character Jack Carter, whom is grudgingly made into sheriff of this eccentric township, the show chronicles the mishaps that can occur when you put too many incredibly intelligent people into one small place. I like the show because as fictional as the situations may be, the science behind everything is very up-to-date and fascinating. Because Jack is a layman, though, the science and language are very accessible, as he spends most of the episodes just trying to figure out what the hell everyone around him is talking about. It recently came back from a year long hiatus and is in its last season, which makes me incredibly sad. But all good things must come to an end and I'd rather they end now before they do a story line about screwed up timelines...oh wait...

4. Lost Girl- Another SyFy gem, this one actually has its roots in Canadian television, and I am finding more and more that I like the shows coming down from there (see Blood Ties). Lost Girl focuses on character Bo, who for most of her life didn't realize that she was, in fact, a succubus. Meaning, she is a fae who lives off of human sexual "chi". She discovers that there is a whole underworld of fae beings who align themselves with the Dark and the Light. Bo decides to align herself with neither, though, so she can have fun with everyone. I just started watching this show and am coming up to the end of season 1, where the revelation of who Bo's real mother is is impending. I like the characters a lot, especially human sidekick Kenzie. As some one who has loved the world of faeries since as long as she can remember, it's great to finally see a television show introducing new viewers to the world. Plus, there's a sexy werewolf. That is all.

3. My Little Ponies: Friendship is Magic- Ok, before you click out of this tab in disgust, let me explain! Yes, it's a cartoon. And yes, it focuses on talking girl ponies. But this is not the My Little Ponies of the 80's. Creator Lauren Faust was tired of cartoons for girls that were simplistic and in many ways sexist. So she set out to create an empowering cartoon for a new generation of girls AND boys. With a pony for everyone, the plots focus on moral issues that everyone, adults included, can relate to. In one episode, pony Applejack is determined to harvest all of the apple trees on her farm by herself and will not accept help from anypony (this is something they actually say on the show). It's not until she tires herself out to the point of endangering those around here that she finally accepts the help of her pony friends. The moral: don't be a stubborn jackass. I know a lot of people who could use to learn that lesson. Myself included. PLUS, there's a new subculture called Bronies and these are men who also enjoy the show. A little weird? Maybe. But this just goes to show you that this show really can appeal to everyone.

2. The Vampire Diaries- I've lost all of the street cred with you now, haven't I? Well, here goes nothing. The Vampire Diaries (TVD for short) is about high schooler Elena whose parents have just died in a horrible car accident (or was it an accident?). Just as she's moving on with her life, in walk brothers Stefan and Damon. And guess what? They're vampires! And you know what else? Elena is a dead ringer for a woman named Katherine whom the brothers loved back in the Civil War Days, who actually made them into vampires! Ahh! Are you hooked yet? The show revolves around the constant conflict between the two bros (Stefan is good, Damon is bad...or is he? *raised eyebrows*). Both fight for Elena's affections, much like they fought for Katherine's. Don't they know that whole spiel about those who forget history are doomed to repeat it? To be honest, I didn't much like the show when it came out. But recently I caught up on Netflix and have found that the cast of supporting characters really do help to carry it. It's got everything a good vampire show really needs. Vampires, werewolves, witches, reincarnated lost loves. So check it out. And in case you're wondering, I'm team Damon.

1. Doctor Who- I'm going to try to keep this short, because I could honestly fill up pages and pages on why Doctor Who is so wonderful. I'll stick to the facts, though. The show started back in 1963. It went off the air for about 15 years, and then came back in full force. It is about The Doctor, a humanoid alien who travels in a blue police box called the T.A.R.D.I.S. His TARDIS can travel through time and space. Along the way he picks up companions to keep him company during his adventures. He is roughly 900 years old, but his current body looks only to be in his 20's. Oh gosh, this is too hard. I feel ridiculous explaining a show that is pretty much the back bone of the television science fiction genre. It's British, which gives it brownie points. The reason(s) I love it are too numerous. Briefly, though, I have always loved the idea of time travel, Catherine Tate plays the incredible character Donna Noble, and I 100% ship the Doctor/Rose. And if anything in that last sentence confuses you, I suggest you load up Netflix right now, search Doctor Who, click on the episode entitled "Rose" and let your obsession begin.

I should state that this has not been a list of my favorite nerdy shows of all time(!), but instead a list of the shows I'm digging at the moment, with the exception of Doctor Who, which really is up there with the greats. They are not guilty pleasures, as I freely bring them up in my everyday conversations, even when most people look at me blankly.

So check them out if you can. Do any of the shows on the list appeal to you? What are your favorite nerdy shows? Leave me a comment and subscribe if I haven't run you off with my eclectic (bad) tastes.

Edit-I really should give an honorable mention to Once Upon a Time. I forgot about it until I went to post this onto my facebook and saw an ad for it. The show is about fairy tale characters stuck in our world. It features a lot of kick-ass female characters and shows that sometimes we really have to fight for our happily ever afters, and even then happiness is not guaranteed.