Dork Cred

Of all the nerdy things I've done in my life, I never caught the Magic (i.e. Magic The Gathering, i.e. the card game, i.e. the thing that the kids in black trenchcoats played at lunch in high school) bus. Last night, homies K and L organized a "learn to play magic while you drink with other academics" party at the shared pad of a pack of astrophysics post-docs.* Many custom-built pizzas were prepared and more than several libations were enjoyed, and somewhere in there we kind of learned how to play Magic.

My initial reaction? It's a lot of math. I found myself ignoring the pictures of lightning bolts and dragons and so on and just trying to figure out what the cards actually did. It was also funny watching a bunch of people with PHDs in astrophysics pouring over the rules while L explained everything - middle schoolers can figure this shit out, but we can't?

Anyway, it made me reflect on my dork cred, because now I can say I know how to play Magic. Here's what I've got so far:

1. Lifetime D+D player.
2. Over four years as a computer tech.
3. Devo fan with the tattoos to prove it.
4. Academic.
5. Have watched Lord of the Rings about two hundred times.
6. Can't fight my way out of a wet paper bag.
7. Simpsons quoting abilities (albeit rusty.)
   

But! I am missing things:

1. Not a scientist, mediocre at math.
2. Have never dressed up in a role-playing capacity. Really, seriously never intend to.
   
3. Don't care about Star Trek. At all.
4. Have never been to a con. Not a gamer, nor one of those media / science fiction / Joss Whedon people.

I am OK with missing those things.

* If you understood this sentence, good for you.