. a blogumn by Kelli Bielema I’ve never associated myself with one segment of a cultural population (save for being fierce and nerdy). I’m something of a theatre dork, an animal activist, a comedy crusader. Recently, however, I was accused of being a yipster. Yikes. The general definition of yipster exceeds cool, urban wealth. This is hardly me. I’m employed in a day job earning a nice wage, but the role itself certainly does not scream yuppie. I drive a 10-year old Toyota. I rent. As far as being a hipster, my wardrobe is more H & M than Value Village thrift couture. I haven’t been to Neumo’s in two years. I smile. And somewhere in the long history of the word evolution of yuppie is hippie. OK, I’ll cop to some hippie elements. I shop for my vegetarian diet at the local co-op and yes, I am a member. I transport my organic tofu, nutritional yeast and bulk lentils home in canvas bags. I recycle, re-use, repurpose. I volunteer. Homeopathic remedies are always my first attempt at healing what ails me. Western medicine is a last resort. Most of this has become my life in part to living in Seattle. Goddamn hippie. I cannot escape the appeal of Pike Place Market (yes, locals really go there!), the plentiful, beautiful parks, and stopping to ooh and aww at every dog on the street. It has seeped into my soul. It has brought me to consider a vegetable garden in my backyard, regardless that I can hardly keep a cactus alive. It has developed my palate for a really good cup of black coffee. It has expanded my music library to think outside of the Fleet Fox. It has opened me up to discover who...

. A blogumn by Kelli Bielema While our fearless Fierce and Nerdy leader Ernessa encourages a new daily habit of reading 20 minutes a day. I’m going to assume she’s talking about reading books–those things with pages that have harder pages covering them.  I do admit that I enjoy reading, but a certain kind of book—the instructional kind. This is peculiar considering I don’t like people telling me what to do. I also am, like most thirtysomething girls with a gaggle of gays in her life, a big David Sedaris fan.  And cookbooks–most of which will never see the grease flying towards an open page.  Otherwise, you can catch me reading a magazine. Oh, how I love my sweet periodicals.  I am not one to turn down a good subscription rate, so I have a stacks of issues of Vogue, Domino, Real Simple, Entertainment Weekly, Food & Wine, Seattle Metropolitan,  and…I am stopping there to protect myself from further embarrassment of the increasingly massive list.  I always take two mags with me every day on my bus trip to work (hey, it’s actually cool to ride the bus in Seattle, so suck it!).  One for the ride to work, the other for the return. Thrilled to be learning about the powers of seitan as I thumb through my comfort food issue of Vegetarian Times, I suddenly become overwhelmed with shame. Surrounding me are my fellow commuters engulfed in The Fountainhead, Harry Potter or the latest Cormac McCarthy or recent Oprah pick.  Even those who choose to slum with a magazine are poring over The Economist or the Utne Reader.  So, in the most literate city in the country (okay, 2nd since Minneapolis stole the title for 2007, don’t think there won’t be a throw...

. A blogumn by Kelli Bielema You can take the girl outta L.A., but can you take L.A. outta the girl? What first drew me to Seattle was that it was not Los Angeles. After 10 years in the Land of Fruits and Nuts, as my father adorably calls it, I was in need of a change.  I call myself a “recovering actor,” simply meaning I stopped pursuing my dream of becoming a comedic screen legend.  A departure from the entertainment world meant to me escaping the planet known as Hollywood. I no longer wanted to spend half of my life in a car and the other half of it being consumed with weighing 4 pounds. So now I’ve come to Seattle. Clean in environment, diverse in culture (eh, it’s getting better but it’s pretty Caucasian around here), and dynamic in arts and technology (nerds everywhere! Yay!). This town has quelled my allergies (no smog!), satisfied my cravings for good food (one of my new BFFs is a food critic!), and entertained me without end (a new band forms every 3 minutes here!), Seattle is the perfect fit for me.  Well, in some ways. And in some other ways, I feel like a complete outsider. I’m Fierce & Nerdy in a way that has yet to be fully realized in this city.  A fish out of water for sure, there are some things where I am clueless in Seattle.  And some of these ways I will explore as I begin my page here.  These things are (but not limited to): REI Membership Multiple tattoos & piercings Voracious appetite for reading Voracious appetite for music Voracious appetite for sushi NPR listening Camping Biking Sailing or anything boat-related (ferry rides excluded) Gardening Political discussions with random...