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So, I'm a bit of a nerd. That really doesn't come as much of a surprise to anyone at this point, does it? No? Good. Let's continue.

I was quietly, happily working on edits for Draft 3 of GOODHALO when the ol' pager went off. Turns out some poor soul wanted to check off of our mortal coil, didn't fare so well in the attempt and we were called out to save the day.

Day? Saved.

When I got back from the fire station, I thought about just shutting down the works and calling it a night, but I typically have a hard time getting to sleep after a fire or EMS call. It's like the adrenalin or something still is running around inside me, going:

Hey...is there more action? Are we gonna drive fast again, TKT? Huh? Huh? Can we? Should we?

So, I decided instead to plug away at the book a bit longer. As I was working on it, I realized a few things:

One of my main characters shares the name of a police officer/paramedic on the Woodbury Police Department. COMPLETELY coincidental, I think. My character's first name (who is one of my favorites in the book) is this guy's last name. It's funny because I said the guy's name before we headed to the hospital and it didn't dawn on me until I was home that I'd done that. Don't care. I'm keeping the name. It's too perfect IMHO.

Secondly, I've been thinking a lot about the second GOODHALO book that I'm hoping to work on soon...like in the next few months. I think that's a good thing. It's getting me to make subtle changes to Book 1 to make Book 2 that much more...robust?

Is that the word?
I don't know.

I like the word robust, so yeah...

Anyway, I sort of already know how Book 2 is going to go, at least the skeleton of it, but to make myself even geekier/nerdier/a bigger dork, I went ahead and made myself a 'teaser' sort of poster for the new book and I gotta tell you...I am STOKED to get working on this thing.

Seeing the font, my title and the little picture I added made me get all tingly inside and I was again reminded of how much damn fun I have writing my goofy books. It was like a little inner pep talk and affirmation all rolled up into a simple little mini poster thing-a-ma-jig.

Can I share the poster? Unfortunately, I can't. The title and the picture I use sort of gives away the big 'reveal' at the end of Book 1 and that's just not a good idea.

But trust me when I say to thee...

It's gonna rock.

*end self indulgent post*

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Peer pressure has gotten the best of me; I've decided to join the Nerdery Movement. Here's where the magic happens: Items of note: Atop the printer is my beanie baby dragon, Scorch, purchased at the height of the beanie baby craze. Again, peer pressure at its finest. I use the bulletin board for posting quotes, notes of encouragement (including one from Angela in 2004, raving about my very first

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I'm jumping on the craze sweeping the blogosphere by posting pics of my own Nerdery, where the scary things happen. Here, zombies fight over false teeth, pirates risk life and limb for treasure and bullies get what's coming to them. Battles are won and lost, rules are broken and sometimes the dead refuse to stay dead. All of this is stealthily hidden behind a façade of clutter piles, books,

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Man...I'm taking a beating already! More than a few people (ahem!) said my desk was too neat n' tidy and therefore they didn't feel up to posting their nerderies for the world to see.

I cry FOUL!

Here's the thing...I sort of have to have some order to my chaos otherwise I can't get a lick of work done. On top of that, my lovely wife is not a fan of clutter and mess. This room, er...my nerdery is easily the messiest room in the house. I could open the closets and show you the absolute horror that resides in there, but hey...we got all week.

So for today, I'm going to display some of the items o' interest on the wall behind where I sit. Sound good? Good...


Here's shot from the doorway to my basement 'nerdery.' This is the back wall that has a built in shelf/ledge/whatever there. You see where the four posters are to the right? Eventually, there's going to be floor to ceiling bookshelves there. Basically the posters are a place-holder until I can get my dad over to help me with the project. You don't even want to see the sick stack of books I've got.

And now, for some close-ups:

I don't think I need to tell anyone how cool the movie Blood Simple is, but in case I need to: It's great. It's the first major film by Minnesota director/producer team Joel & Ethan Coen. I totally love this poster for a number of reasons.

1. It's black n' red (my favorite colors)
2. It's got M. Emmett Walsh on it
3. The dude's loading a small pistol.

Below that, we have a couple of puppets. One is Jesus (which my brother bought me for Xmas one year...don't ask) and the other is a firefighter that my mom bought me last year. It's fun to put on a show between Beardy (what my son calls Jesus) and Smokey (the firefighter).

Next to that and very small are Master Chief and Arbiter figurines. I got 'em free with my copy of Halo 3 for Xbox 360.

Since I'm also a filmmaker, I've got a clapboard and while it doesn't work like a real one, it's nerdy enough to warrant a space on the shelf.

In the frame? Why that's a bloated picture of me with my wife during our honeymoon in Maui. There's a movie ticket stub for Man on Fire in there. We saw it whilst on vacation.

Okay, so I've got a weakness for Angelina Jolie and I'm also a tried and true nerd when it comes to the Tomb Raider video games. Sue me. Can I add to the nerdiness? I bought two replica pistols from the movie and they shoot little plastic pellets. Maybe someday when we do Garage Week! I'll display them here on Tappity Tapppity.

Below the movie poster you'll find a couple Lord of the Rings action figures. There's Sam and Frodo on their crappy little canoe. Sauron is hangin' out ready to talk smack and...hey, who the hell is that? Is that Lucy from The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe? It is. Probably one of the worst action figures ever made, I got her for a mere .79 in Madison. Never mind her. Treebeard rocks and so does Gollum/Smeagol. Yesssss....preciousssss...

Okay...why is there a poster for the movie Beautiful Girls here among all the nerdy stuff? Why would ANYONE have a poster with Rosie O'Donnell on it hanging in their office of cool nerdiness? Well, it's like this:

I'm in the movie for like 2.5 seconds. If you own it or rent is (and it's actually a good movie!) right around the 1:02:27 mark, you'll see yours truly standing there, watching the band Afghan Whigs. Here's a screen capture.

There I am next to that poorly Photoshopped arrow. If you blink, you'll miss me. But seriously, the rest of the movie is decent if not downright hilarious. Some of it was shot in Minneapolis and directed by the late Ted Demme. Hooo...I've got stories. As an extra, I saw and experienced quite a bit. Also, Uma Thurman touched my shoulder like 4 times.

Not that I counted.

Below my BG poster is my previously mentioned glow-in-the-dark zombies that Triple S found for me. Next to the wacky undead? Why, that's a Nazgul doll standing sentinel next to his undead bretheren.

While I'm not a HUGE foreign movie fan, Run Lola Run is probably one of my favorite movies of all time, besides the fact the dialogue is all German. Just a cool, wicked, adrenalin-pumpin' movie. If you ever need a soundtrack to work out to and you have the means, I highly recommend picking it up. It is so choice.

Below that is a skull snow globe...errr...actually it has little bats instead of snow. Next to that is a black earth paper weight. I got it because it reminded me of Public Enemy's 3rd album Fear of a Black Planet. Next to that is a photo of my estranged cat, Kato. Check out how killer this picture is:

He's sitting in an antique box that says KINGSLEY on it. My middle name is KINGSLEY! It's like the whole world split in half and awesome oozed from the gaping wound!

Ahem.

Next to that is a little brown guy called a Japanese Domo. You may have seen him in a certain e-mail attachment that warns you about doing something that might make God do something awful to kittens. If you don't know what I'm talking about...uh, let's move on.

Probably the pride of my movie poster collection is Rushmore. Has there ever been a better movie? Well, maybe. But I still contend that it's Wes Anderson's best. Sorry, W. You peaked with this one, yo. Below that is a Ku Tiki or God of Strength. We got him in Hawaii. I think the Brady Bunch left it behind when they were there last. Next to all the crazy phenomena are ol' Agents Scully and Mulder. They both look like they have no idea how they got here.

What's that in the corner? Well, that, my friends is a leather coffin backpack I won from Heather Brewer, author of Eight Grade Bites (and the forthcoming sequels). Inside was all kinds of cool vampire stuff, including a signed ARC of EGB. I've never worn the backpack, but dang if it doesn't look wicked in the corner all mysterious-like. On top of the coffin is a toy that Travis keeps breaking, so it's up there until he can control himself.

Oh, and yes...Jedi Master Yoda is coolin' out next to the coffin. He talks, teaches you about the force and if he ever kicks the bucket, I'll probably bury him in the backpack. It's about the right size.

Okay. I guess this went on a bit longer than expected. I promise to reign it in a bit for the next five days. Until then, check out these Nerdery updates!

http://dancsblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/nerdery-week-desktop.html
Matt @ Blue Birdland - Nerdy Media
http://carylerg.livejournal.com/

I've heard we'll have some new nerderies joining the fray tomorrow. Stay tuned!!!

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Well, it's better late then never, right? I was in Madison, Wisconsin all weekend for a short getaway from life here in ol' Woodbury. Anyway, no one cares about that. You know as well as I know that this is NERDERY WEEK here at Tappity Tappity and other blogs around the country/world/block.

Here, if you will, is a shot where 'all the magic happens.' Yep. This is my desk.


While I won't spend this entire post detailing everything there, I wanted to point out some items of interest and see if you can find 'em. Think of it like those 'Hidden Pictures' things like they've got in Highlights magazine for kids. You know, except for awesome.

See if you can find:

- the fridge
- the short bus
- Boba Fett getting pulled into the Sarlaac Pit
- Goodhalo manuscript
- The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks
- 2 cans of Caffeine Free Diet Coke (that's how I roll)
- 1 green slipper

That's all I'm givin' you for today/tonight Tappers. Think of it as a peek into the nerdy, nerdy nerdery of your favorite zombie children's book author. Tomorrow we'll peel away another layer and take you deeper into the place where you can feel 12 again...even if you're 35.

Can't get enough nerdery action? Check out some of these nerderies!

Dan @ This Man's World
Matt @ Blue Birdland
Caryle @ Caryle's Corner

More as they come in.

Hint: This is where you, dear reader come in. Shoot a quick shot of your place of blogging/nerding/writing/whatever, slap it on your blog place or LiveJournal and let us know about it. It's going to be beyond cool.

Speaking of beyond cool, check out this picture I snapped whilst in Madison, WI. This was in a Ragstock on State Street. I'm sure the woman changing in the room two doors down was wondering what I was up to.


Don't mind me, lady. I'm just documenting the zombie apocalypse.

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Nerdery Week - It's been decided, so mark your calendars. Nerdery Week shall take place on February 17th - 23rd. Seven days of complete nerdiness interconnected through this world we like to call the internet. You'll meet new people! You'll see where they sit! You'll see all the garbage they keep in their respective workspaces!

But TKT, I'm still confused and a bit scared and there's that thing with the paste. How do I get involved in NW?

Simple, friend:

1. Take a picture or two (or eighteen).
2. Post it on your blog.
3. Write about your workspace.
4. Slap 'Nerdery Week' somewhere in the post's title.
5. Link back to other people engaged in complete Nerdery nerdism.

On paper this may sound boring as all get-out, but I really don't think it'll disappoint. I'm endlessly fascinated when I see the places where people do their thing (writing, blogging, playing video games, losing auctions, etc). It's an extension of a person's character and I think it'll be fun to celebrate that which makes us all nerdy.

Yes. Even you over there folding your arms and pretending that you're not a nerd. You are. Deal.

Power Up - I know there's nothing people love to read more than what game I'm playing on Xbox 360 these days, so I think I'll just come right out and say it. I'm completely taken by Call of Duty 4. In a word: WOW. After completely dominating The Simpsons Game it's a crazy change of pace. One week I'm trying to get the Krusty Koupon off of a billboard high above Springfield, the next week I'm carrying a wounded soldier across a radiation soaked amusement park. Sweet mother of invention, this is the stuff dreams are made of.

Eels - I know I don't need to plug the world's greatest band, but they just recently released two albums that are perfect for those of you wanting to see what they're all about. For the uninitiated, might I suggest: Meet the Eels? It's a collection of their best stuff from their first 10 years and it's like a primer into their fantastic world. There is some potty-mouth on there, but hey...that's what those parental advisory stickers are for. As a bonus, you get a DVD with a bunch of their music videos. Now that's value!

Their other release is called Useless Trinkets and it's two discs (2!) of b-sides and songs they've done for soundtracks. As if that weren't enough, there's also a DVD with their 2006(?) Lollapalooza performance on there. What more can you ask for?

Answer: Nothing. There is nothing else to ask for.

Goodhalo - Well, it's getting there. I'm hoping to have this monster edited and in enough of a fighting shape to begin submitting to my Top 5 agent-types sometime next month. Ambitious? Yes. Necessary? Most definitely. Plus, I'm itching (itching!) to get working on the second book in the series. It's going to be like 85 pounds of awesome in a 3 pound bag with handles.

Travis: Celebrating 3 Years of Quality - It's going to be my little guy's 3 year mark on Monday, so we're having a party for him on Saturday. Therein lies the problem... Family from out of town are crazy sick. We're talking antibiotics sick. Also, there's supposed to be a major snowstorm hitting us...oh, say Saturday or so. Even though we're not doing a full-scale dinner/activities/all day event, we're worried that people won't be able to make it. Regardless, we've decided that no matter what, this kid is going to have a party that will tear the socks right off of his little Fred Flintstone feet (like I have) and make him explode with happiness. Thy will be done, lil' TKT. Thy will be done.

Dave Attell - I get to go see stand-up comedian Dave Attell tonight at the Pantages in Minneapolis. Holler!

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• I feel like a zombie today. Since I've got a 2 (almost 3!) year old who comes in contact with a handful of other kids on a daily basis, he picks up all sorts of fun germs/colds/etc. I got his cold and it LEVELED me. I'm sniffling like an old man with a snot-nose.


• By request, I am letting a co-worker borrow my copy of Zack Snyder's remake of the immortal Dawn of the Dead DVD...UNRATED! She asked me if it was scary. Huh. How do you answer that? I think I said: Nah.


• I'm within reach of having my entire GOODHALO book red-lined. Then, finally, I'll get to spend the better part of February punching it up and getting it ready to query. I've got zombies on the brain, y'all.


• My critique partner in crime (Triple S) and I met last Sunday morning for a brief meeting, despite the awful, awful deep freeze Minnesota has been subjected to. She presented me with a little blue bag and told me she got me something for my Nerdery* Below are shots of the awesomeness the bag contained:

Seriously. The level of cool reached an all-time apex as I pulled these bad boys out. Triple S pointed out which zombies really wouldn't fit into my book because of modern additions (briefcase, suit, footwear) to their undead persons. The really cool thing? They GLOW IN THE DARK. Do you think I wasted any time once I got home in holding them under a light in the Nerdery and shutting all the lights down?

I didn't.



No Skull-Cap & No Shirt Zombie - This zombie looks like a fella who met his untimely death all whilst watching football on the tube. He couldn't be bothered to put on a shirt and he somehow lost the top of his head, exposing his meaty brain. His arms are extended for quick human-grabbing action.


One-Armed Zombie W/Fetch - Ol' One Arm joins our other undead friend in going shirtless. He sports the tattered short pants that are all the rage amonst zombies this season. His loyal dog, Fetch was kind enough to fetch his arm and prominantly displays his prize in his rotten jaws.



I'm going to keep the zombie magic going this weekend by watching Fido and Resident Evil: Extinction on DVD. It'll even things out methinks.

* The Nerdery is my office, where all the 'magic' happens....and by magic, I mean it's a room where I write, surrounded by all kinds of crap a 35 year old man should be ashamed to own. Also, it has a fridge.

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