On a scale of 1 to 10, how big is the dork factor?

So I've had a little bit of unanswered time here this Sunday afternoon. I went for a quick walk with Mz Natae a little earlier, who was a real trooper for strolling around in the rain, getting her sneakers and comfy pants all wet. But she was willing to be convinced that it would be fun. And it was, at least for me. All ways are good when hanging with the Natae-ster.

I then went home, decided to grab some food and spend some time listening to NPR. I actually don't listen to NPR as much as I used to, since I still haven't gotten used to schedule they have here in the greater Boston area. But I did manage to get a little quality time with my favorite show, This American Life, and was thinking about spending tomorrow's rainy day doing some marathon listening to their website for a day's worth of story telling. Ahh, sweet decadence.

So, and here's what I really wanted to say, I was listening to NPR, switching between Boston's show and the show streaming out from San Francisco, finally settling on Prairie Home Companion (I haven't listened to these guys for quite a long time and kind of missed them). Meanwhile I was reading different things on the internet- just generally kicking around cyberspace, relaxing. And I was looking over the online version of the New Yorker, which I've recently decided to give a try. Good friends of mine have it and I always seem to like the stories, so this year I asked for a subscription for my birthday and have been trying to see if I'm at all enriched by it. And, yes, I was reading it online, even though I have the last four magazines sitting on my table 8 feet away from me. Fine, I was lazy, whatever.

And what did I find? An article about This American Life! It was very exciting. I thought it was a sign, that maybe I will like the New Yorker. And I clicked on the article, curious about what someone else might say about this fabulous show. Next thing I know I'm reading about a person writing about how much they wished they liked TAL (us uber-fans use this abbreviation for This American Life) but just couldn't bring herself to get over the innate smugness of the content and the irritating nature of Ira Glass's voice. Hmph.

Good god, Nancy Franklin. Get over yourself. I mean, are you trying to hate the show? Can you not see the benefit to listening to stories from all over the country, almost tangibly feeling the different ways we are, really, all the same? Blood, bones, thoughts, feelings- we're all people with things in common even if you're pro whatever I'm con. Do you not see the wealth of benefit this show brings to us? Have you even really given it a try? Even listened to a couple of shows? What kind of magazine is this, anyway? Why now, when I'm just starting to get to know it? I don't want to read the New Yorker again. I mean, it dissed my man, Ira. I'll call and cancel my subscription, by god. Sorry, Mom. I know I asked for it, but I have to give the money back. I am so outraged.

And then it hit me. I was listening to NPR, reading about a show on NPR from an article in the New Yorker. I think this makes me maybe a little umm pretentious. Or, at least, a dork. At the very least, I'm a dork. But does this push me over the line into geek? Not that I care all that much. It's not the first time I've never meant to walk this dork/geek line.

But I still laugh every time I notice it.