Geek, You Either Got It or You Don't

My best friend is a jock.  She plays basketball, loves the Yankees, and has a habit of tossing things to me that I don't have a chance of actually catching. On the rare occasions when I do catch the item flying through the air with the speed of a jet-fighter, my cry of joy is usually met with an eye roll.  Now, before you think she's awful, know that I throw my own share of know-it-all Geek Attitude in her direction and she suffers just as terribly.

The two of us only met because our husbands share a mutual gaming addiction.  I once owned a gaming store, along with my Gamer Geek husband and his brother, and we sold all things Warhammer and 40K.  We also had truly amazing gaming tables where people would play for hours.  My BFF's husband was a regular customer and one quiet Sunday, just as he started to play yet another game while she sat waiting in the lounge, she asked if I wanted to go shopping instead of hanging out at the store.  It was the end of a very long weekend and I was more than ready to escape, so I gave my husband the con and took off for the candle-scented freedom of the local mall.


It's been a long time since that great shopping expedition.  She is still hugely in to basketball and I am still a huge Geek.  Last weekend, the two of us went for a getaway to NYC.  We paid too much for drinks, nearly had heart attacks riding in a cab, and laughed when I was pooped on by a pigeon. (Good luck? Whatever. Gross!)  We had a fantastic time, yet our differences couldn't have been more apparent than when standing in Times Square.  I pointed out an ad for True Blood and she noted an ad with a photo of a basketball player.  I have no idea who he was, but he had a green jersey so I think he played for the Celtics.  We've practically been living in each other's back pockets for the last 10 years and in all that time I know no more about basketball than she does about being a Geek.

I'll admit she does watch The Big Bang Theory and has mastered the proper use of "w00t".  I take full credit for that last one.  She even used it in a post on Facebook.  So proud!  On the other hand, I now know that March Madness has nothing to do with drinking too much on St. Patrick's Day and have been trained to say "Boo, Lebron!" on command despite having no idea why.  That's it.  No matter how many years go by we both are what we are and that's never gonna change.  I have resigned myself to the reality that I will likely never have enough Game to snatch a set of car keys out of the air without looking like I'm having a seizure, but baby, I got Geek!