Nerd Alert

I've come to the conclusion that I am a complete nerd.  

Allow me to illustrate:

•  I love getting new classroom supplies.  Books, pens, hand sanitizer (yes, that's right), calendars, etc...It's like my first day of teaching all over again.
  
• I love taking classes and adding to my endorsement.  The other day I was checking my grades during English 12 and was so excited to see I got a 50/50 on my first paper this semester that I shared my success with 12 seniors.  They laughed....and called me names.  I'm okay with that.
  
• I'm obsessed with data and charts.  I love hooking up my garmin and seeing my times and maps.  Same for daily mile.  It thrills me to know I've powered x number of tv's through running.  Really, sometimes when I'm debating whether to run or not, I imagine the thrill I'll get when I get to hook up my garmin and analyze my workout.  Also, I love to graph my students' test scores and use the data to pat myself on the back or kick myself in the ass, whatever is needed. 
  
• I love trying new software.  I recently switched from Quickbooks to Quicken (after trying out a handful of freeware offerings and spending hours making my ultimate decision).
  
• Today I spent two hours previewing a new textbook I want to use next year.  Once again, I expressed my excitement to my students and they laughed....and called me names.  Still okay with that.

I totally do this!

In an attempt to embrace my inner nerdiness, I consulted Google who pointed me to Urban Dictionary for further explanation:

Nerd

A person who gains pleasure from amassing large quantities of knowledge about subjects often too detailed or complicated for most other people to be bothered with. Often mistaken for Geeks, who aspire to become nerds, yet lack the intelligence, and end up giving nerds a bad name due to their poor social skills. Non-nerds are often scared of nerds, due to their detailed knowledge, and therefore seemingly high levels of intelligence - and subsequently denegrate them as much as possible as often as possible. Nerds exist covertly within the fabric of society, often choosing to 'nerd it up' in private or in the company of fellow nerds. It is for this reason they are feared the most - unlike geeks, who are easily identified, nerds can only be found out when casual conversation reaches a subject that they like nerding.   So, there you go.  Release your inner nerd!