Not Cool Enough: Use Your Words

Today’s post is a monthly writing challenge. If you’re new here, this is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once. All of the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the recipient will take them. Until now.

At the end of this post you’ll find links to the other blogs featuring this challenge. Check them all out, see what words they got and how they used them.
I'm using: music ~ laughter ~ kids ~ online  ~ geek
They were submitted by Diane of On the Border.

                          
What are you when you're not even cool enough to be a geek?

Actually, these days it is cool to be a geek. Thank you, Big Bang Theory.

I'm not much one for calling people names, especially when it's meant to hurt or demean them in some way, which is why I'm happy that the designation "geek" has turned into a complement. For some, anyway. I know that many true geeks (and one who I know quite well) don't like Big Bang Theory, think it stereotypes geeks and shoves the multi-shaped pegs of all very intelligent people into a very uncomfortable and ill fitting hole. 

And although I spend a lot of time online (thank you, Baking In A Tornado blog and multiple monthly writing challenges), a geek I am not. In fact, if there were a word in the dictionary for the opposite of a geek, you'd find my picture there. Files on my laptop end up in different places from where I put them and I have actually had pictures post sideways and no matter what I did I could not change it. I wrote a whole blog post about it called It's a Conspiracy. So "geek" I am not.

So what am I? I need to know. Who are my tribe? And where can I find them? Or are they hiding from me too?

I'm not easily categorized, that's for sure. For me, it's a matter of music, or so the rationalization in my head goes. I dance to the beat of a different drummer. Actually, I more jerk around than dance and that drummer actually took one look at me and left town.

I like to cook and bake. Actually, that's a lie, I don't like to cook as much, but I like to develop recipes. Turn up the music (real, not imagined), sing at the top of my lungs (some  . . . ahem . . . mean people have been known to call it screeching), jerk around the kitchen and create something new. Dinner, dessert, doesn't matter, just something new, all my own.

Blue Razz Holiday Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

have a slice:

I was doing just that one Sunday afternoon when the boys walked in. And stupid me, you'd think I'd have learned by now that, much like a lawyer in a courtroom, anyone with kids (even grown ones) shouldn't ask a question you don't know the answer to. Call me a slow learner. Oooh, maybe that's my tribe. And this conversation on that Sunday afternoon is proof:

Me: What are you when you're not even cool enough to be a geek?
College Boy and PurDude (together): Old.

No laughter here. Well, not from me anyway, but they were mighty pleased with themselves. Remind me again why I had these kids.

Here are links to all the other Use Your Words posts:

On the Border
 The Bergham Chronicles
The Blogging 911
Cognitive Script 
Climaxed 
Part-Time Working Hockey Mom 

Blue Razz Holiday Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

                                               ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups oil
2 eggs, room temperature
1 oz blue food coloring
1 tsp raspberry extract
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
15 Blue Raspberry Jolly Rancher hard candies, finely crushed

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 packet (.22 oz) unsweetened Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade Kool- Aid dry mix
up to 1/4 cup milk

a few drops of blue food coloring
blue and/or silver colored sugars
blue and/or white candy pearls

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans.
*Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
*In a separate large bowl beat the oil, eggs, food coloring and raspberry extract.
*Beat in half of the dry ingredients, then half of the buttermilk, the other half of the dry ingredients and finally the rest of the buttermilk followed by the crushed candies.
*Pour the batter evenly into the two pans.
*Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until the centers springs back to the touch. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges and remove from the pan. Cool completely.
*Cream the cream cheese and butter together. Slowly and carefully beat in the powdered sugar and the Kool-Aid mix. Add the milk, 1 TBSP at a time until it is of frosting consistency. 
*Move 1/2 cup of frosting in a bowl and mix with a few drops of blue food coloring for decorating. Place in a piping bag and set aside.
*Place one layer of the cake on a serving platter. Frost with about 1/3 of the frosting. Place the second layer on top and use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides. 
*Pipe decorations with reserved frosting. Decorate with blue and/or silver colored sugars and white or blue candy pearls.