09 August 2005

I'm so weird

everyone has some quirks, I think. I hadn't really given much thought to mine until my friend, the oh so lovely poppy, tagged me with this:

idiosyncracy: structural or behavioral characteristic peculiar to an individual or group. write down five of your idiosyncracies. then, if you wish, tag five people. so here we go:

1. when I sweep, I have a tendency to leave little piles of dust in various corners of different rooms. ward has titled these my 'non-committal' piles and they have caused many an agitated state. I don't know why I don't finish the job. something about the act of walking back into the utility room to get the dust pan, sweep up the mess and carry it precariously to the trash can. I always think that I'll get around to it. and another excuse I love to throw at ward from time to time: marriage is a partnership! we work together! I willfully leave these piles, testing the strength and truth of our love. ha.

2. I have become incredibly strange about my personal space at the movie theatre. I like to have many seats between myself and the other movie-goers. I can handle myself in a sold-out flick where I have no choice but to cozy up to complete strangers in the dark, but when I'm sitting in a theatre that's half-full and some clueless good-time johnny plops himself down right in front of me (or beside me, or behind me)... well, me no like. people, why? you have the entire theatre. I need to put my feet up, stretch and not feel all creepy. I have been known to let out an exasperated sigh, uproot my entire movie posse and relocate.

3. I get really excited when I have the exact change to pay for something. ward doesn't understand why I go to great lengths to pull pennies (often one at a time) out of my black fuzzy coin purse. handing over $2.31 IN EXACT CHANGE to the bored-looking teenager at the drive-thru window at mcdonald's fills me with a sense of satisfaction that I cannot explain. and refuse to defend.

4. I have no tolerance for overhead lighting in my home. we walk into a room, ward flips the switch and it's as if a thousand freakish florescent elves are shrieking all around me. I just want the dull, flat lighting to stop and be replaced with the warm glow of my lamps. oh, the lamps. they are a special little army that illuminate my days and nights and make feel safe and happy. I am partial to old ones with fifties-style mult-tiered fiberglass shades. they are all over house and yes, they are all usually on at the same time.

5. and here's one from ward: he says that I unwrap any little piece of chocolate given to me with such delicateness, you'd think we were living in war time. as if we were living under a bridge somewhere and I have been given one last morsel of chocolate to last me until the end of my days. as if it is the last piece of chocolate on the earth and covered in pure gold foil with the answers to all the questions of the universe written on the inside. I've never really noticed this about myself (perhaps I'm too wrapped up in the unwrapping). I'm not ashamed to say I'm serious about the goodness of chocolate, thus treating each piece with the respect it so rightly deserves. and if that is wrong, people-- I don't want to be right.

it's all relative, though. as strange as I think I am, I know it could be worse. there might be someone out there who feels the need to wear a tutu while scrubbing toilets. or will only wear red underwear every other thursday (but not if it's raining). this is the part where I get to learn about all the idiosyncracies that exist out there.

please feel free to share.

17 comments:

  1. that was fun fun fun hula! love numbers 3 & 4 (your special little army). i can totally understand the movie thing, i think i've always felt like you but never actually consciously realized it.

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  2. well, i havent ever been tagged, but i'd be happy to list my idiosyncracies (actually, i will be quick here and then elaborate more on my blog! a great new topic!)

    1. I have trouble shutting things. I leave cupboard doors, drawers, bathroom cabinets, closet doors, etc open. I really dont have any idea why I dont close them all the way, but it is one of those things that my husband cannot figure out for the life of him. If I do get the door closed, there is quite possibly some sort of item hanging out like half a t-shirt, the plastic from the bread bag, something.

    2. When someone makes a comment about someone else (making fun or being mean) and the person is anywhere in the vacinity I get extremely awkward about it. For instance, if we are in the car and my husband comments on the car next to ours looking ridiculous, or if he starts commenting on the music they are listening too, I literally want to crawl out of my skin and lay on the floorboards of the car. I have such a fear the person will hear him! I know it is virtually impossible for them to hear a whispered conversation in our car, but it still makes me incredibly nervous.

    3. There are certain parts of my daily routine that are done exactly the same every day because of my own perfectionistic behavior. Each morning I get out of bed on the same side, go straight to the bathroom, take out my retainer (yes, I still wear it: ) rinse it off, put it away, wash my face, turn down the fan, leave my room, get my daughter, open her shades, walk into the kitchen. Maybe not a great example, but the point is the routine never changes...I wouldnt be surprised if the same number of steps were taken every time!

    I will finish later today on my blog! fun!

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  3. I think Andrea tagged you for her music meme awhile back, lulu. She was disrought over it. Stayed up nights wondering why you never responded to her reaching out, bawling her eyes out....

    I don't have any idisyncracies. I'm practically perfect in every way. No no, silly me, sorry to disappoint you all, but I do have a few:

    1. I like to have all my shirts hung from their hangers facing to the right, so I can reach up and take them from the closet with my left hand.

    2. I also have this weird thing with crossing my toes, like poppy mentions on her blog. I'll be doing it without realizing it.

    3. I do this thing where I pinch my nose, whether to stop it from itching or bothering me. I have a sensitive nose. Allergy season is the pits for me.

    4. I hold my pencil with three fingers: index, middle and thumb. But never resting on a finger, like I used to. Somehow it gives me better control, me thinks.

    5. Sometimes I put on my headphones without playing any music. Odd, I know. I think it's because I had meant to play some music, but then forget, keeping the headphones on my head still.

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  4. i organize the sugar packets at restaurants. they all have to be facing the same way and the colors have to be grouped together correctly.

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  5. Ward/Andrea, I never got that tag, but it sounds like an interesting one. Definitely would have responded had I known! I have actually seen Andrea eat her chocolates with the care and consideration she described, and have seen you pinch your nose too (having allergies I totally understand the reason behind it.) fun to read!

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  6. joy-- looking forward to your list, girl. I know, i'm so consumed by the whole blogger world lately.

    jan-- thanks for the tag! it really was a funny thing, having to think about what quirks I have. and then the act of owning up to them...!

    lulu-- hey, I was going to officially tag you and a couple of others (thought you might enjoy this one) but didn't want anyone to feel any pressure to post something they might not be interested in and blahblah... so glad you're going to do it! don't know what happened with the music meme... I tagged you, joy, elizabeth, meridith and poppy at the end of that particular post, thinking you would see it... just figured you were too busy to do it... probably should have sent you a little email... but hey! you can still do it! I know you love to do lists (just like me)... just check in my archives under music meme (I think that's the title?)... anyhoo. LOVED your list, so funny.

    ward-- you are so funny. I wouldn't care so much about the hanger thing... if I wasn't the one having to HANG ALL YOUR SHIRTS UP, HOMIE. you know I love you, you weirdo. AND-- I did not know about the toe-crossing or head-phones thing. I love that I am still learning new things about you.

    barbara-- so funny. I tend to organize the condiments on the table, too.

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  7. andrea, get the dust centrally located, have you learned nothing from your father?

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  8. ward, I too am a toe crosser...I have to make sure I don't tie my shoes to tight because I constantly find me toes crossed...

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  9. very cool. I wish I could remember that many things about myself. I will be thinking about it... hm

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  10. how in the world doesn anyone cross their toes???? is it the big toe over the others?

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  11. ah yes, and andrea, please forgive me. i forgot to mention another of my idiosyncrasies: hijacking comment pages to create my own drama!

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  12. Yes, lulu, the big guy goes over the second in command. And boy does it feel so good.... excuse me now, as I go and do some crossin'...

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  13. Toilet paper...I NEVER replace the roll of toilet paper on the little hanger. We have a whole basket beside the lue so why waste the time to replace the roll? It's eventually going to be empty and need replacing again. I'm ok with just grabbing which ever roll fits my fancy out of the basket, take the desired amount, and fling it back in the basket for the next time it is needed. This drives my husband crazy...although, after 10 years of marriage, there's NOT toilet paper on the hanger more than there is...hmmmm.

    What is it with men and their closets? My husband has to have everything hung in it's place and facing the correct direction...luckily he is the laundry master in our house so I don't often have the chance to screw up the system.

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  14. and by honey, I mean YOU, ward.

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  15. What does it mean to be tagged?

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  16. Who told you about my tutu?

    But seriously, we all have have you quirks. I wish that I treated chocolate with so much respect. I'm normally much more concerned about getting into my mouth as quickly as possible.

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