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(That’s for you, Dawn!)
Well, as you all know, the usual m.o. around this web-blog is for me to talk about myself, endlessly, tirelessly, without ceasing, ad nauseam. After all, it’s all about me. Well, ok, it's really not. But for today I'm going to pretend that it is. And although I do have a tendency to babble on, I don’t think I’ve ever actually been tagged, as my friend Tammy did this week. So, to respond to Tammy’s Quirks and Idiosyncrasies tag, here we go:
1. You all know how I feel about bare feet. (shudder). I really don’t think I even need to go there.
1a. Interestingly, the bare feet of my own children don’t bother me too much. The thought of touching someone else’s bare foot makes me throw up a little bit in my mouth, but when my kids were younger, I used to smooch on their bare feet all the time. Obviously, it’s that maternal-survival-instinct kicking in because if we didn’t love our kids so damn much, bare feet and all, we’d just ship them off to sea to live with the pirates.
2. I’m pretty sure you also know how I feel about my Diet Dr. Pepper and my Styrofoam cups with rabbit pellet ice. It’s pretty much crossed the line from habit into sick, twisted obsession. One that I have no desire to change.
3. I MUST-- no ifs, ands, or buts -- sleep on the right hand side of the bed. It doesn’t matter how big the bed is or if that side of the bed is nearer the bedroom door or the bathroom door, I must be on the right hand side. It also it doesn’t matter if I am in the bed by myself or with Blaine or one of the kids, I will sleep on the right hand side, and 99 percent of the time I am sleeping on my right side with my face away from the person next to me because I can't stand anyone breathing in my air. It makes me severely claustrophobic.
3a. Speaking of claustrophobia, I also can’t wear any shirt or sweater that has a high neck, or a hood, because the hood will hang down my back and rise in the neck and I will feel as though I am choking. Nothing tight around my neck or near my face, at any time. Period.
4. I cannot go to bed without Chapstick or mentholatum on my lips. It is impossible for me to go to sleep if my lips are dry.
5. I always take the pickle and onions off my McDonalds hamburger before eating it. I don’t bother to special order because I’m scared the workers will spit on it, so I just scrap them off, oh-so-lady-like, onto the tray.
6. Although I don’t drink coffee, I do start every day with a tall glass of skim milk with two and one half spoonfuls of Nestle Quik in it. Not two, not three. Two and a half. That is an important and precise measurement and woe to the person in our household who uses the last bit of Nestle Quik without telling me.
7. Towels absolutely must be folded right side out and stored in the linen closet. If we had a linen closet, that is, and didn’t just shove the towels under the bathroom sink because there’s not one stinkin’ closet in this house not one is that asking so much because where am I supposed to keep towels and sheets and what man in his right mind designed such a crazy, inadequate floor plan anyway???? While I appreciate the help Blaine gives me around the house, it makes me insane if he does laundry because he folds the towels wrong-side out and you can see the tags. I despise that.
8. I am obsessed with list-making and make lists for everything. Grocery lists, dinner lists, chore lists, shopping lists, to-do lists. If I do something that is not on my list, I will write it on the list just for the pleasure of crossing it off the list. If I think I have lost my list, I hyperventilate until it is found.
9. People who tap, or jiggle, or bounce their feet on the floor, or click their pen or make funny noises with their mouth or whistle or any of the twelve thousand annoying little things that people can do make me crazy. Sit still and be quiet, for Pete's sake.
10. I have a tendency to over-do things. For example, this tag-list was supposed to stop at six.
And while normally it’s all about me (and you KNOW that it is!) tomorrow is all about Catie’s mom Jenny and Catie’s dad Tre’, as they welcome their new son or daughter into the world. The gamut of emotions they have gone through this past week boggles the mind, so please continue to keep them in your prayers a little longer.
Thanks!
So, now, it’s all about YOU. Tell me about your most bizarre or uptight quirk in the comment section.
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92 comments:
Before I confess my weirdness, what is a "tag" and what does it mean? I really want to know...
I have so many quirks and idiosyncrasies that it's not even funny...but I guess my most enduring one is that I buy stuff in twos--two tubes of toothpaste, two boxes of kleenex, two pairs of jeans, two cans of tomatoes. And I didn't realize it until a friend pointed it out. And I still do it, even though I sort of know I do it. This is just one of oh, so many--involving things like lip balm, Purell--vats and vats of Purell, a certain type of lotion, etc. I am a Virgo; we do this :)!
CANNOT WAIT FOR THE ARRIVAL OF THE NEW BABY FOR JENNY AND TRE'!
I wrote a post on my blog a while back labeled "I'm wierd" I think it is applicable here too.
I have a deadly phobia about vomit. Weird, I know. I told you! It's not that whole "I'll get sick if you puke infront of me" thing that alot of people have. I literally have the "heart palpitation, breaking out in a cold sweat and trying to run as fast and as far as I can from anything that resembles vomit" thing going on. It is a debilitating phobia to be sure. I am afraid to fly - I mean, come on, EVERY seat has a barf bag. The odds are not good people! I am afraid to take a cruise or even go on a ferry (I've heard the horror stories of rough seas). I can't be in closed off places incase someone gets sick and I have to run somewhere far away. Middle of the movie row - forget that! It is not even just being around someone who is sick, the thought of myself vomiting almost throws me into fits! Needless to say, I don't do it. Mind over matter, it can be done! I really need to do some research on this because I would dearly love to get this monkey off my back!
Another weird thing about me is I can roll my stomach. It is a skill I have had since I was a child. It is not a pretty site. I am 10 pounds, okay 15 pounds, overweight and the sight of my big belly rolling up and down is quite disturbing. The kids used to think it was pretty cool, not so much anymore.
I can burp really, really loudly. Skill or weird - you decide. It brings me and the kids endless hours of enjoyment though.
I have a laugh that is very distictive. Some have called it a popcorn laugh, some have called it a cackle. Call it what you will - I laugh alot! I throw my head back and let loose. People pick me out of a crowd just by listening to my laugh.
One last thing - I'm scared of the dark. I can't STAND it when it is completely pitch black. So I need a night light - at 36! Definitely weird. My kids haven't needed one since they were 5!
Okay, okay - one more. I am completely anal about how my towels are folded. They need to be in half (long ways) in half again (same direction as before) and then in threes. Nobody but me is allowed to fold the towels. I know, in the big scheme of things what does it really matter, but I get a little snaky if I know they are in the cupboard and not folded right. Sigh.
I, too, am a Virgo, and yes, we are certainly obsessive!
The top of the washer and dryer have to be clean, otherwise, how on earth are the clothes getting clean...yes even though the clothes are being washed and dried inside the aforementioned appliances.
Ditto, for the top of the stove...doesn't food taste funny otherwise?
Socks...I absolutely cannot wear socks that are not properly matched. And, I cannot, will not go barefoot.
There are so many more...
www.caringbridge.org/fl/tehlebracht
Kim, it's basically a "tag, you're it!" journal entry. Somebody did the quirk list and tagged Tammy to do it ... she did it and tagged me. *I* did it and tagged all of you, even if you don't have your own blog! :)
I never thought about my freaky towel obsession being the result of my Virgo status. Hmmm. That might explain a LOT of things. :)
Kristie
Well, the first weird thing is that I totally share the same vomit phobia as a previous poster. I mean, to the point that I make every student who walks in my class Purel their hands when the stomach bug is going around. Call me a germ phobe, call me a freak, whatever, I don't want to puke.
The next is that I cannot stand to watch or hear someone else brush their teeth. I think it's because I (ironically) have a sensitive gag reflex, so just brushing my own teeth is tough, watching someone else just pushes me over the edge. I mean quite literally, it grosses me out beyond beliefe. Seeing that foam of toothpaste. Oh Lord, the vomit fear is emerging more and more as I type.
I also do not like feet. I don't mind having mine rubbed, but I do not like touching anyone elses. Ever.
That's enough for now. I need to focus more on tv, which is what I spend the vast majority of my life doing...
Katie
New Orleans, LA
www.caringbridge.org/visit/katiei
I read your blog all the time, but I don't think I have ever left a comment. But after this post, I can't help it. We have some things in common. First, I HATE it when someone is in my " breathing room" when I sleep. I need to have a ton of room between my face and anything else!! My kids (who are 3 and 5) even know to stay out of my "breathing room"! Second, I too hate feet. I can handle my kids, but the thought of anyone else makes me sick!! Even my husbands!! And last, I need to sleep on the right hand side no matter what!! Anyway, just thought I would share! :)
(I lost my first attempt, I hope both don't appear!!)
LOL..first of all I LOVE this blog. My family thinks I am nuts because I sit and laugh at the computer - I guess thats #1 on my list. 2-I reload the dishwasher because my husband doesn't do it the "right" way (my way)3. I HATE feet. I must agree though I like a nice foot massage (with socks on) but I don't want anyone looking at my feet and I will NOT touch anyone elses. 4. I must always sleep on the left side of the bed. No matter where I am, it doesn't matter...left side always. 5. My husband bounces his leg up and down, up and down and it hits my last nerve quicker than anything! 6. I have really became attached to people through caringbridge that I do not even know and I am religious about checking the pages often...daily, hourly to get updates. 7. I too, like to buy things into two's. I don't like to run out of anything...my husband once pointed out that I should have organized Noah's ark...HA HA
8. I hate parmesean (sp?)cheese and can not even stand to smell it since I was pregnant with my first child...He's ten and I have had three more since...still no parmesean cheese.
Kristie... me thinks you are my twin!! The bed thing - yes! Except I sleep on the left. And my husband twitches at night so I can't stand to be touched. Oh and the Diet Dr. Pepper. Is that not the elixer of the gods? Can I hear an AMEN?
Ditto on the lip stuff - Blistex here.
And the feet. Don't you DARE even THINK about touching my feet.
OH and the tapping of the pens, bouncing of the legs, making noise when you eat. Puh-leeze people do not make squishy, smacking noises when chewing.
I'm sure I have more weirdnesses.
OH I almost forgot. I also have a very loud laugh. Not a cackle exactly but everyone knows I'm around when there's something funny going on.
I'm not a Virgo. I'm a Scorpio. I think that just makes me paranoid or something.
Oh, Kristie...you've done it again! I SO needed to laugh and remember how much stress we relieve by being doing so! I'm sure nothing I do is quirk-ish or strange, but here's a try:
I'm right with you on the lip stuff at night-but that's always the first thing I do in the morning, too! And anytime my lips have been wet (shower/swimming) that's the first thing I do after that time!
I could very easily lose my life savings (like I have one-HELLO) if I EVER began to bet on ANYTHING. I don't know-call it an addiction to something I've never done-but I can't even play solitare on the computer-just the windows version-with it keeping track of my financial gain/loss because I will play for HOURS if I am losing to try and win it back! It's a good thing I don't gamble...we'd REALLY be poor!
My husband just said "you unload every load of dishes that I load and re-load it your way" and he's right. I'm sorry...there is a right way and then there's everyone else's way to load my dishwasher. I accept help...but I go behind and load it the right way when they are finished.
I am forever a "cover-straightener" in bed at night. I drive my husband crazy because at all hours of the night I am aware of how much cover he has and how much I have. If he has MORE than his share, I gently pull it back-all through the night-even if I don't NEED the cover. It should be on my side of the bed for me to push off me, not on his side of the bed hanging off because I'm not using it!
I can't stand certain clothing pieces and accessories once I enter my doorway after being out. My shoes come off first, another item second (!) and my jewelry next. These things don't bother me when we're out (well, only one of those things ever bothers me when I'm out!) but the minute we set foot in the house-those things gotta go cause they are driving me NUTS. It's weird.
Oh, bridges. I have this fear of driving over a bridge and the bridge not being there anymore. I've had it a long time but it became a REAL fear after the bridge over the Arkansas was hit by the barge and the people drove off into the water. Now when we go over the bridges on the way from GA to OK-I either have to be asleep or driving cause if I'm just a passenger whose awake-I'm freaking out the whole way over.
Anyway, waiting with excitement for the news of the little baby tomorrow! I'll check here for an update as well as their site so try and get their permission to post it if they can't get to it quickly. Tell them we'll go CRAZY if we have to wait to long to hear about this blessing!
I also HATE feet. I had to laugh at some of the previous posts....I used to hate vomit too...would vomit right alongside someone that was vomitting....then I had my child who I love dearly...and she pukes DAILY! Somehow vomit just does not bother me that much anymore. I am now known as super mom who can swoop in and clean up vomit with my eyes closed and one arm tied behind my back.
I also hate the bouncing leg, mouth noise thing:).
Too funny to read all of the things that people don't like.
Okay...as my husband and I sit here and laugh at this post...he is queing me on my "quirks"...many are like yours - towels, breathing space. Let me begin with there is only one way to vacuum -- straight lines, no foot prints and out the door...beautiful, I say. I only eat the red and orange Tums (morning sickness nixed the green & yellow) - Toes/Feet - I laugh hysterically at other peoples toes (God's sense of humor I am sure). Don't touch anything in a public bathroom wihtout a towel in hand. Mutilate the pickle garnish or any left overs on a plate at a restaurant just in case they try to reuse it for the next dining guest.
Um, I better stop before you all think I am really in outer limits! However, my list of quirks goes on and on --friends & family can vouch, but to know me is to love me.... :-)
I really hardly ever sign. In fact I might not have signed since you switched over to blogger. (such a lurker). BUT...I have some quirks. For instance, all of my clothes have to face the same way on the hangars. And the eggs have to go on the right hand side top shelf of the fridge. And I must always have a good chapstick on me at all times, or else I must stop at Walgreens and get one.
No, NO...you're all wrong! The towels have to be folded in thirds. and my feet HAVE to be hanging off the bed, either the end of the side.
And I have to get in the shower the second I get out of bed. If I have to wait even an hour my whole day is shot.
Patricia, I remember when the bridge tragedy happened, and feeling so awful for those poor people who had no idea and then poof, the bridge was gone. :(
(d)anielle, High five on the hangars! My clothes MUST be facing the left. My mom has the same quirk, but hangs her clothes facing the right. When I am home visiting, and she helps me with my laundry, I have to go behind her and re-hang everything she has hung because otherwise I have a mini-stroke every time I open the closet.
Sue, the way you are about the shower is the way Blaine is about brushing his teeth. The alarm goes off, he staggers out of bed into the bathroom and brushes his teeth even before using the restroom. Gag. I can't imagine being minty-fresh that early in the morning. *I* have to wait until after breakfast to brush my teeth. I seriously doubt that's one of my more endearing traits to the people who share my breakfast table, but I try very hard to be aware of my morning breath and only breathe through my nose. :)
I must must sleep on the side of the bed nearest the door and face away from my husband. I also cannot stand anyone breathing my air. I can't even stand long kisses because my hubby is breathing in my face. I also can't stand the dark. Darkness completely suffocates me. I do NOT like clothes that are tight on my neck or hoods that pull the neck around mine.....Wow I have to go outside and get some air.
Kristie,
1. I SO understand your "list" quirk. I thought I was the only person in the world who added things I'd already done to my "to do" list, just for the pleasure of crossing them off. I cross mine off with a highlighter, though - so as to still be able to read my many accomplishments.
2. When I order a drink that comes with a straw, I ALWYAS knot the straw paper and tear it to see if the knot breaks. It started as one of those goofy high school things - supposedly if the knot broke, someone special was thinking about you. (Wow - that makes me sound needy!) Now, it's just habit - I don't even realize I'm doing it.
3. I have a milder form of vomit-phobia. I work with kids, so I can handle kid vomit. However, I refuse to vomit myself. I haven't been pregnant yet, but morning sickness runs in my family... so that will probably rock my world!
4. I have to have lip balm or gloss on my person at all times. It's not vanity, I swear - I HATE dry lips - any time of day. I probably own 30 tubes - it's in my car, my purse, my desk at work...
5. I cannot stand to see socks hanging half off of someone's feet. You know how kids' socks are always working their way half off? It drives me NUTS. This is probably why I can't stand to sleep with socks on, even though I have notoriously cold feet.
6. I also cannot stand to see jean pockets turned inside out after they come out of the laundry. My DH always puts on his newly washed jeans and waits until right before he walks out the door to tuck them back in... just because he thinks it's hysterical that it bugs me. I guess he thinks it's some kind of cruel exposure therapy.
I guess we all have a little OCD in us. :o)
Thinking of Jenny and Tre' today!
~Naidne
I laughed out loud when I read that you write something that you have done on your list then cross it off -- I do the same thing -- I have to feel like I accomplished SOMETHING in a day!
Here's one -- the number 4. I warm things in the microwave for "a multiple of 4 seconds" -- not 30, but 32. I also get out of bed when the numbers on the alarm clock add to a multiple of 4! Yes, that means I am adding before I even get out of bed in the morning. (I got this one from my dad and I often hate him for it!!) On the up side, it often gives me an excuse to stay in bed longer! And, yes, I have 4 kids (but, this is just coincidence -- or is it?).
The thing that annoys me most in the world is people that bite their nails. My ex husband used to do it about 25 hours a day. I have 4 children. 3 of them bite their nails. Thank God, 2 of the nail biters have moved out of the house now and live far far away. But I feel bad because when I visit them, all I do is tell them to get their hands out of their mouths. Actually, my oldest daughter has stopped biting. She moved to Chicago and apparently it's not cool in Chicago to have nails that looks like ragged edges. And my current husband (who I am separated from**note to self, do not marry another alcoholic**)would kiss me in the morning before we brushed our teeth. I'm not talking peck on the lips. I think that's gross. But I never told him because on one hand it was kind of sweet. But it wasn't enough to keep us together. So those are my quirks.
Praying for Jenny and Tre' today, can't even imagine the range of emotions they have gone thru and will go thru since last Friday. Ellen
Quirks,
Goodness thanks Kristie for starting my morning off with a BRAIN THINKER!
1) RUDE KIDS( now when I say RUDE I mean kids that yell at their parents and act totally spoiled in public or anywhere). KIDS CANT HAVE EVERYTHING THEY WANT!! Can yo believe I said this and I have 3 kids!
2) Kids that tease other children!!
3)Team Sports, you are a team for a reason. Keep it as a team not a individual!
4)Lists, I write on everything and make lists! OBSESSED!
5)Cant stand facing my hubby when I sleep, dont like to smell breathe on me!
6) Sisters with naturally SKINNY genes---Oh sorry wasnt suppose to mention that..But I work my butt off to lose weight and they are my BLOOD sisters and wear size 2 in jeans after kids, THAT IS A PROBLEM!!!!! BTW----TURBO JAM is working Kristie, I am still enjoying it and I can feel the pain in my abs, so it is working!!!
I could go on and on all day!
Love, Marci
OHMIGOD...I totally misunderstood quirks....I took it to mean things that annoy me...See I'm just like you, it's all about me... Ok quirks, quirks... Well I'm really not allowed to have quirks at home, I work midnights and I have 2 kids at home who require a lot of attention so I don't have time for quirks. But if I did, I'd have freshly washed sheets and comforter every day, dried outside in the sunshine. Oh, I won't go to bed unless all my dishes are done. I do about 4 loads of dishes a day, I guess you could call that a quirk, it's pathetic but it's all mine.
Ellen m/o SammiJean and Alec
3,4,5, and 9 - I am right there with you.
At Katie's checkup this week they were feeling around on her neck for lymph nodes and then the student did it an i could hardly sit and watch. Having anyone touch my neck drives me crazy - watching anyone touch someone else on the neck I find equally awful. I chalk it up to some nasty thing my older sisters must have done to me as a child -
Sue
I have the same "foot quirk" as the rest of you, but can add a couple more:
1. I hoard school supplies and usually end up with dozens of dried out glue sticks because I buy so many more than we actually use.
2. I think folded potato chips taste better than the unfolded ones and will pick thru the bag looking for them.
3. I must read the paper in alphabetical order (section "A" is world news, followed by "B" local news, etc.)and hate it when the newspaper changes the letters associated with the different sections causing the order to change. They recently changed the "T" (Travel) section to "L" (Latitudes) which means I have to read it before "P" (Perspective) and it so messed me up. (OK, I know this is freaky, but I can't help it!)
Okay, I always knew Kristie's 'special' personality traits reminded me of someone - me! And actually reading all of the other posts almost made me cry out at the top of my lungs, 'I'm not alone!!'
Many of my quirks are similar to those already posted:
1) feet (other than my childrens) are gross. However, I always find myself curious as to what other people's feet look like. However, they nauseate me.
2) the whole 'unnecessary noises and movements' thing. This includes smacking, funny noises in your throat, chewing - whether your mouth is open or closed, tapping, the rubbing together of fingers or feet. The people who take their shoes off and then rub their feet together are getting double annoying points.
3) claustrophobia inducing rooms and clothing. The clothing includes turtlenecks as well tight wristed shirts. Nothing tight on my wrists or neck. I suppose the not sleeping face to face with anyone is due to claustrophobia as well - the whole breathing all my air situation.
4) towels folded the right way
5) dishwasher loaded the right way
6) loud breathing!!!!!!!!!
7) laundry - my kids clothes are on color coded hangars. NOT one color per kid, but one color for each type of clothing. For example, blue jeans go on the blue hangars, dresses on white, slacks on green, etc. This way, when the kids put their clothes in the closet, they just put them with like colored hangars and then their closets are always organized.
8) Another thing that really bothers me is that people don't see that their is a method to my madness, and that if everyone else would be the same way, the world would be much less stressful.
9) Caringbridge sites - I MUST check them in the morning, on my lunch break, and before I leave work. otherwise i get all nervous.
Um, I think i better stop because my blood pressure is rising due to my thinking about all of these things. (My friends actually call me Monk. Great show by the way! Monk is actually my hero.)
Anyway - on pins and needles waiting on baby Wilkins!
Thanks for the fun post this morning!
Kristie,
I am a planner, I want to know what is going on and when. We are going to Il this summer to see family and I am already trying to plan. Jeff's sister is engaged and I want to plan, no date is even set yet, ugh.
I click, have done it all my life. The sad part is I can not hear it. I do it when tired and sometimes when bored. BUT I can not hear the blasted thing, so how do I stop it. dang.
I am sure there is more, but....
Karen
www.caringbridge.org/mn/alexisstern
Forgot to ask all of your prayers for a friend whose child is just starting the cancer journey.
http://tonyc.com/blogs/matthew/
Please visit and leave an encouraging word.
I have the vomit phobia - big time. I have been known to run down the side of a busy interstate because my child was in the back throwing up. I can't hear it, see it, smell it. I don't want to vomit or be around anyone that might possibly vomit. I have been known to call my husband home from work because one of our two daughters feel sick. My husband knows that I will take care of all illnesses except for anything to do with vomit which is why no one breath's near me, they certainly don't drink from my straw her cup (they might be sick and don't know it) and no one is allowed to get on my pillow - yuck they might drool or leave germs. I couldn't stand to be a teacher because with 25 kids in a room what are the chances that at some point throughout the year one or more is not going to vomit. If I feel sick I go into a panic. I haven't actually thrown-up in about 35 years (I'm 43), but the risk is always staring me in the face. If one of my kids gets a virus I hibernate in my room until all vomiting is completed, then I come out and disinfect with Clorox with gloves handy. I go through Lysol like most people go through water. I avoid the doctor's office unless it's an emergency because there are always way sicker people (vomit) in there than I am. I buy Purel in bulk. My kids are mini-germaphobes and I like it that way. Call me crazy - my husband does! lol
Cindy
1. I'm totally with those of you who hang your clothes all facing one direction. Mine must face left. I also hang "like" clothes together - dresses, long sleeves, short sleeves, slacks, etc...
2. Chapstick before bed - YUP! Always have Chapstick or something similar in my pocket or purse.
3. Towels folded in half the short way, then in half the long way, then in thirds.
4. It drives me nuts when someone squeezes the tube of toothpaste in the middle of the tube - work from the bottom up, d*mmit!
5. I have to take a shower every morning, in the MORNING, no matter what I'm doing that day. Even if I know I'll have to take another shower when I get back home. I could be heading out the door to rassle pigs (yes, in mud & pigsh*t), but I absolutely have to feel clean before I leave the house.
6. I too make lists for everything. I even put them in Excel.
7. If something "looks" or "seems" out of place, I will fix it. If there are three pairs of shoes lined up against the wall and a fourth pair tossed haphazardly next to them, I'll straighten that fourth pair so it lines up too. If a cupboard or dresser drawer is left open, I MUST close it.
8. Toilet paper should come down over the top of the roll.
I could go on and on, but that's what I could think of right now. Yes, all my friends say I'm anal about everything. Oh well. :o)
Kristie,
Wow.... some scary stuff in the comments section today. Way too much talk of vomit and feet and lists. And towels! Ladies, what's up with you and the towels? I'd faint with joy if ANYONE in my house managed to actually fold one and put it away in the linen closet. I don't care HOW its folded! Or whether the tags are showing. Or if its right-side out. Its out of the basket and where it belongs, that's really all that matters to me.
Here's my quirk ... automatic car washes. I simply *cannot* take my car through one of those. Oh sure, it starts out simple enough, just water, but the minute the car is all covered with suds and you can't see out of the windows, I have a panic attack and start thinking the machine is going to get stuck and I'll be trapped in there forever with no way to escape. This is no doubt the major reason my car stays so dirty in the winter.
Oh, and one more quirk - I have to eat my food in a particular order. For example, if there's steak, baked potato and a salad, I have to eat ALL my salad, then ALL my potato, and THEN I can eat the steak. If I'm at a fast food place, I have to eat ALL my fries, then I can eat the hamburger or chicken or whatever. Meat has to be last, I don't know why, it doesn't even make sense to ME. It drives people crazy when they notice this about me, although I don't understand why they care anyway, its not like I make *them* do the same thing!
I am obviously suppressing my quirks, because the only one I am completely aware of is that the left shoe ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS goes on first. I get a feeling of dread if I put the right one on first.
Wait, here comes another one. I cannot sleep well without a hugging pillow. I take my body pillow on overnights and vacations because I NEED it (in a bad psychological sort of way, not a good physiological sort of way)!
I do the dishwasher thing too, but it has more to do with a crappy dishwasher and making sure that none of the small dishes are stuck behind a big one that will restrict access to the tiny bit of cleaning power still available.
Wow, there's another one! I cannot stand to look at a wiggly tooth, especially the ones that can be pushed fully horizontal without falling out. My son loves to torture me with this. I am sure son #2 will do the same, but I am comforted that they will eventually run out of baby teeth.
And I can gross everybody out with the last one, not really a quirk, but a dietary necessity. I eat my cereal with water. I know--EEEEEWWWWWHHHHH! But when the smallest dose of lactose makes you pay for days (think Meg Ryan eating cheese on the train in French Kiss), and dry cereal just won't cut it, you adapt. I love cereal and found using water more appealing than giving it up.
And I am married to a Virgo and will vouch for all neatness quirks being related to this Zodiac sign. Suffice it to say that this crab (Zodiac, not temperament) is not so afflicted and my lack of tidyness is a daily challenge to said husband.
Wow, I felt like I was reading about myself when reading your post today (especially the part about towel folding and making lists - I LOVE to cross things off the list). Quirks I have: 1) All clothes in the closet must face the same way (left in my case). 2) crumbs need to be wiped off the counter and no one in my family seems to know how to do that. 3) I am very particular about how the bed is made and will even re-make it right before bed if my husband made it earlier. I have others, but don't want to give them all away.
Oh, where to start? First of all, I am highly amused by all the vomit phobia. I used to be just like that until I became an EMT. I thought I was going to die if I had to see, hear, smell or clean up vomit. Needless to say, I got desensitized quickly because EVERY AMBULANCE PATIENT pukes - no matter what. Heart attack, stroke, overdose, head injury - they are all potential pukers. It got to the point where we would have competitions (discreetly!) on guessing what the patient ate for dinner, or scoring them on their projectile vomiting ability. I guess it was our stress reliever. But I digress...
My quirk is that all the light switches in my house have to be either facing up or down - not mixed up. We have many triple light switch plates, and at least two or three light switches that control one light. I cannot turn the light on at one switch and then turn it off at another, because then some would be up and some would be down (get it?). My teenage children know this fact, and they will purposely go around the house, turning lights on at one switch and off at another, willy nilly, because they know I will drive myself crazy running around the house trying to figure out how to get all the switches facing the same direction. Weird? *sigh* I know...
I have to agree with the poster about towels. Just the fact that they get folded in my house is a huge plus - who cares if the tags are sticking out, or they aren't in thirds, or they are stacked neatly. Sometimes we just use ours out of the dryer! lol
WOW - I always enjoy reading your site, but reading about your (and everyone else's) idiosyncracies was such a hoot. I think the absoultue best part is I no longer think of myself as weird. Yes, I certainly have plenty of quirks, but at least I know that I am in good company.
My own list includes:
- My air/my space...like many of you I have to sleep facing away from my husband lest he exhale into "my air". OBTW I always sleep on the left side and my feet have to be out from under the covers so I can breathe!
- Dresser drawers that are not completely and totally shut. Seems my sweet hubby is physically incapable of pushing a drawer that last quarter of an inch.
- Everyone knows there is a right way to fold t-shirts and towels (in my case it is horizontally in half, in half again and then in thirds) but that is a skill that seems to elude hubby.
- I count stuff, like when setting the table there are one, two, three, four plates, then one, two, three, four forks...at least I do all the counting silently.
Certainly not an all encompassing list...but you get the idea - I'm NORMAL like the rest of you!
I always intend to just lurk, then I see your topic and just have to respond.
My Quirks: (1)I'm with Katie on the whole teeth-brushing thing. Brush your teeth in the bathroom with the door shut; I don't want to watch. (2) Seeing someone having their mouth stuffed with gauze (like after a dental procedure), or stuffing a large amount of food in their mouth, makes me gag. (3) Lists. Can't go a day without them. I don't always get everything accomplished, but it makes me feel better to have it all written down. (4) Major control freak: I have to KNOW, by doing it myself, that everything is totally prepared for a Girl Scout meeting, a party or a trip out of town. I hate improvising at the last minute because something was left behind. (5) Sleeping in a hotel bed - who slept there before you? Was everything washed? What weird and nasty disease could I get by sleeping here? I'd rather sleep upright in a chair. (6) I have a weakness for every type of craft ever invented. I have to try them all, which leads to (7) When I clean, I reward myself by allowing myself to work on a piece of a project after each activity. I hate cleaning house, so this makes it a little more tolerable.
OK, that was probably TMI.
Sue (from ALL-Kids)
You guys are cracking me up. Cracking ME UP!!!!
Here's another one I forgot to mention: I cannot stand glare of light in my eyes and whenever I eat in a restaurant during the day, I MUST sit with my back to the windows or I go blind.
I am obsessive about sunglasses and wear them pretty much 24 hours a day; either on my face (outside) or on the top of my head (inside). If I leave the house without them (which RARELY happens) the first place I go is to the dollar store to buy a new pair. No light-no glare-obsessive!!! :)
Anyone else?
For those of you with the vomit phobia, there is a name for it: emetophobia. I, myself, am an emetophobe. This can be the fear of seeing others puke or puking yourself. I'm definitely the former, but not as much the latter (perhaps because it's generally an annual event for me). There are websites dedicated to this subject. Gross, but quite informative (and with no pictures!). Not sure yet if there's a "cure" for it, but I don't think I'd want to find out what that involves, if there is one...
Ditto the dishwasher...I am constantly reloaded after my husband puts dishes in there, even though I know I should be grateful that he did ANYTHING around the house. I've gotten pretty anal about 4-way stops lately; there are a couple that I have to go through in the mornings. When people don't take turns, I get mad. I was actually lecturing my son on self-control when a two people jumped ahead of me at one of the intersections. I laid on the horn, and then immediately realized that there was a REASON my son was getting self-control tickets! The last thing is when I'm eating M&Ms, Skittles, etc. I have to divide them into color groups, eat all the "extras" til I'm down to an even number in each group, and then eat them in order, e.g. red, yellow, blue, green, orange. Repeat. I make myself crazy; I'm better off eating something monochromatic. Thanks, Kristie, for making us all obsess about our obsessions! And many prayers are going up right NOW for Jenny and Tre'.. they'll be holding that precious little peanut real soon!
LOL! You are soo funny! This entry was cracking me up! I love your quirks! I too have them, one of them being your #4. I HAVE to, I mean HAVE to have Vaseline on my lips before I go to sleep. I always use Vaseline tho, never anything else. However, this one time I was spending the weekend at my Mom and Dad’s, and I realized just after I had brushed my teeth and was ready to crawl into bed that I had forgotten my little blue and white tube of Vaseline. So… I had to put on my Mom’s lipstick! I haven’t forgotten my little tube since!
Shelly O'Reilly
richelleoreilly@yahoo.com
This is too much fun to pass up. I am usually just a lurker!
I have many of the same quirks as the rest of you: sleeping away from people, claustrophobia, clothes hanging a certain way, no gauze or any kind of cloth like material in my mouth or anyone around me.
My one to add is when I am giving my kids a snack- fruit slices, crackers,... I have to count it out. And it has nothing to do with fairness. It takes everything in me to just give them each a handful of something. I do not allow myself to do it if it something smaller than a grape but I would if it did not take so long!
Thank you for sharing everyone. It is so nice to know we are all weird together!
Cindy Agnew
Well, when I was the first one to sign, I did not realize I was supposed to confess ALL (or almost all) of my weirdness. Now I feel compelled to list a few more of mine, so as to make everyone else feel really good about not being as strange as me. I'm all about helping others!
1) Lipbalm--ONLY Dr. Dan's Cortibalm, or a ChapStick if in a real pinch, 2) Purell--I'm now thinking I should have bought stock, 3) Clothes hanging in groups, lightest to darkest, all facing left, 4) I sleep on the wrong end of the bed; i.e., head at the foot of the bed--don't ask, 5) Must have two fans, one at the foot and one at the head, when I'm sleeping, 6) Organizing of the CDs/DVDs/videos--alphabetizing within genre, etc.--but I think everyone does that. Right? 7) I have to visit my Caringbridge sites in a certain order, EVERY time. 8) The way most of you feel about barf? I feel that way about the blowing of the nose--mine or anyone else's. Everybody does it, I just don't wanna see or hear it. 9) I CANNOT EVER go barefoot, and 10) As Pam does, I also separate candy by color into separate little piles, make sure there is an even number of each, then eat by twos, starting my least favorite and finishing with favorite.
I am a freak and now everyone knows it. And just for good measure, if I had my way, I would NEVER use a public restroom--EVER, ANYWHERE. However, I have a 50-year-old bladder, so that's just not realistic. Don't like it one bit, though.
I'm not the only one!!! I share many of yours Kristie. One that people usually find amusing is that I can't just grab a handful of M & M s and eat them. They must be sorted by color and I have to keep each color equal. If I have 3 red and 2 of all of the other colors, I eat a red one first. I also eat them in rainbow order...or they just don't taste the same!
Lisa H.
Okay - here is my quirk. My entire house can be dirty or not the neatest but there can't be any water in any of the sinks. As soon as I finish using a sink, it has to be wiped dry. If anyone else uses it, I have to go in and wipe it down. Crazy huh?? Wish that I could keep my entire house like that!
This morning when I read your blog I couldn't think of anything in particular - it just came back to me as I sit in my cubicle and listen to the person in front of me CHOMPING ON HER POPCORN, CHIPS OR WHATEVER IT IS!!! That drives me insane. And my headphones don't go loud enough to block it out. Also, I have to hang my clothes facing the same direction, the toilet paper has to roll off the roller from the topside, not from underneath and I always have to have 4 ice cubes in my glass whenever I have a soda at home. I'm glad I can join the rest of the group with my OCD's :)
First of all, Diet Dr. Pepper rocks my world. It's fabulous.
Okay...quirks..I have way too many so I'll just name a few..
1. Not a fan of feet and I refuse to wear sandals/flip flops unless my toenails are painted. For some reason toenail polish makes feet look less icky to me.
2. Have to have my space when I sleep. Can't stand it if my husband tries to hug up on me when I sleep; I feel like I can't breathe.
3. Social anxiety should be my middle name. Among other things, I avoid phone calls if at all possible. I've actually told people, "No, I don't handle phones well. Drop me an email." LOL
4. You know in shopping malls how, when you are on the second floor, there is that railing that looks down on the bottom floor? Can't go anywhere near it, especially at my mall b/c it's a railing and then underneath it is a solid panel of glass. The openess of that freaks me out. If I get too close to it OR if I see other people leaning all over it, I start to feel panicky. lol. I just picture the glass popping out and everyone falling (horrible, I know)
5. I'm a little OCD about things. For instance, if I have cash in my purse and am going to the store to buy something, I will check my purse about 50 times on the way there (and in the store) to make sure the money is there. I KNOW the money is there but I still have to check and count it.
Perhaps I should look into some medication. LOL.
you just make me laugh so hard - especially in your "tag" blog. I have just about all of your freaky issues too! the only ones i differ on with you are the diet dr. pepper, my downfall is diet pepsi & the bare foot thing. i own my own tanning salon/clothing boutique & i sell shoes so i had to get over that real quick - but i do admit - peoples feel are DISGUSTING!!!
when i read your entries, i feel like we are so much the same & it cracks me up!! too bad you live all the way in georgia. if you ever make it out california way you'll have to email me - we'd get along great. our bellys would ache from laughing our assess off all day!
thank you for cheering my day up almost everyday!
I can't drink (or put in cereal) the last 1/2 inch of milk in the container. My brother used to shake the milk before he gave it to me so that some of the "bottom" milk would be mixed in with the rest of it. When I'm stressed I alphabetize my bills and pay them in order (pity when Airtouch became Verizon!)
Debbie
Peachtree City
Forgot one thing I know you'll appreciate...I was meeting a new client the other day and while we were talking she whipped out some nail clippers and CLIPPED HER NAILS IN FRONT OF ME!! (and left the clippings on the table)
Debbie E.
Peachtree City
Ok, so I can't use my real name and admit some of this stuff, kind of like a 12 step thing.
I also can't breathe stale air at night and I sleep with my window open year round with a fan to make sure I breathe only cold air..even if I need the heater on for total body comfort. Needless to say I live alone.
I love my feet and going barefoot. Flip flops are my shoes of choice whenever possible, I get pedicures weekly.
I share Pam's quirk at 4-way stops. I start keeping track of whose turn it is when I'm several cars back, I will use my horn when people go out of turn.
My pantry is organized by expiration dates, even the jello packets and cans. I won't buy food without expiration dates.
I don't like my food touching other food on my plate, if I have gravy or sauce, it's on the side in a separate container so it doesn't get mixed in with the wrong item.
I swallow bubble gum but not reqular gum. Ok, I'm too old to change.
1. Have to -HAVE TO- place items from grocery cart on to the conveyor at the check out grouped according to the nature of the item-i.e. cold stuff TOGETHER, cans TOGETHER, boxes TOGETHER, produce TOGETHER...and then I get pissed when it's all thrown in a bag TOGETHER-sigh.
2. have to have a blanket on me in bed-no matter the temperature.
3. the whole breathing in my face thing, or people who getthisclose to you when talking...you are using up my air!
4. have to use a straw to drink a drink in a restaurant.
5. chronic list maker
6. have to wash any and all dishes before going to bed at night-can't just leave 'em in the sink (gross)
7. people who wear sandals with gross, nasty, ungroomed toenails, which reminds me of
8. have to paint my toenails the night before my yearly gynecological exam...when your feet are that close to a man's head, they gotta look and smell decent.
I watch my clothes washing. I have no idea why. I stand there with the top up watching the clothes go round and round. My husband came by the other day and said "What, you think they're afraid of the dark?".
Ok, so this is hilarious. I read this blog last night, it was late and I was ready for bed, but I have been thinking about this blog all day. 1.) I especially remembered one quirk as I was doing hair today and when I am rinsing someone’s hair at the shampoo bowl and I am not talking to them and they are not talking to me but they are staring at me. So, there eyes are like rolled back in there head trying to look at me. So annoying.
2.) I hate, hate, hate, little noises also like, people who snap there gum, chew loud, pens being constantly clicked etc.
3.) HUMMING, I cannot stand people humming. I have a 3 month old baby, and when people are holding him and they start humming to him like it's going to put him to sleep or something!!! ANNOYING!!
4.) I am also with the lady who buys everything in two's always.
5.) I always sleep on the right side of the bed. I feel backwards if I am on the left.
6.) I have to fall asleep away from my husband, he always wants to cuddle and for me to fall asleep towards him, ok, he has sleep apnea and wears a machine; the last thing I want is extra air blowing in my face. Ish.
I think that is it for now, I could probably go on forever. My sister and I always joke and say, "It's hard to be perfect." Of course JOKING!! Thank you Kristie for letting us strangers share in your journey of this blog, we love it. You are such an amazing women. I so look forward to reading your blog everyday. Thanks again.
Abbie Flom
www.zabud.com
Okay, you're definitely not as weird as you think. Or maybe you are and I'm weird too. I am the same with #s 1,3,4,7,8, & 9. Oh my gosh! Are we crazy? What's really going on here? By the way, I don't have a linen closet either and it SO bugs me! I probably have way to many quirks to list, so I'll just agree with yours. Thanks for sharing.
I am notorious for "doodling" when I talk on the phone. I can go through many sheets of paper if I am on the phone a long time. I just jot down things that were said or write my name...just doodling. My husband comes home and says "how long were you yaking today!"
I am embarassed to tell you my quirk for fear you will think I am plain NUTS (all my friends already do.) The volume on the TV AND in the car radio must be on an even number. Yep.
I prefer 20 on the TV.
17? 21? Oh Noooooooo..
Swear to God.
No, I am not the lady I saw on Dr. Phil that has to have all the lines from vacuum cleaner in a straight line on the carpet. (Doesn't that look stupid?)
Uh oh I thought of another. I always match my underwear to my outfit. So silly, I know, but I always do it.
Wow, thanks for letting me get that off my chest. HA.
We so had this conversation at work today!! One of my things is that it drives me CRAZY when one thing in in the fridge almost empty and someone opens another one and starts using it!! Finish one ketchup bottle and THEN open another one for God's sake! and another is when my very loving husband will fill up his glass with tea, milk, etc..and leave about two swallows in the container and puts it back in the fridge!!!!ARGHHHHHHH!!!
Ok...now I am home from school and can add my "quirks". I must start out by saying Thank God there were no real calamaties at school today because I couldn't stop reading this and laughing my head off with every new entry!!
I can handle vomit with no problem (good thing since I am a school nurse)but I CANNOT under ANY circumstance pull a tooth (bad thing since I am a school nurse) oh my...I'm getting faint just writing about it. Ya'll crack me up with the vomit thing. I had a student bring me a zipper bag of barf from the lunchroom the other day!! (Ms. Cathy I thought you would want to see it!....uhhmm not really but thanks just the same!!)
I have to wear socks every night to bed. Re-hang the towels in the bathroom (tags in back please and NO bunching!!)toilet paper rolls over not under, clothes hung in closet by color and to the left, please do not scrape your fork against your teeth and I cannot tell you how much I HATE bridges!!!
I am a Libra....what does that mean???
Thanks again for the good laugh! Have a great weekend!!
I can't believe it!!! I have read Kendrie's site for a long time and now have followed you to here.. I have maybe twice posted a comment. But, then I was amazed to read your Quik/skim milk issue. WE ARE MENTAL TWINS! I too, put in 2 1/2 teaspoons. Sometimes, after begging my husband to bring me a milk, I taste it and know he skimped.
Sandie from MN
quirks? I have a ton. Can't eat without a drink right after-usually Diet Pepsi( next obsession). always use hand lotion after washing hands, being a nurse, that's alot of lotion! Must have house picked up before bed (not really clean but certain things must be done). I could go on but I'll stop here. Praying all goes well for the Wilkens family tomorrow
OMG! I so am with you on the whole "no one breathing in my air" thing! I HATE that!!!! And rabbit pellet ice is so my favorite!
Trish
Virginia
(from banana's site)
one more thing. If for some reason the bed is not made during the day (hubby works nights & sleeps weirdd hours) I must make the bed before I go to sleep. Hate wrinkly sheets
I too have OCD, I drive my husband crazy at times.
I hate going to bed with dishes in the sink (yuck)
I can't stand it when my husband leaves the drawers to his dresser open just a little.
I HATE my food touching each other on a plate and more then anything I hate wet bread.
food issues for sure
ok -
Do you want to know my "quirk?"
I have checked this site a dozen times today to see what everyone else is writing...and laughing my butt off because I do most of the same things! Thank you all for the enjoyment!
Hi Kristie,
Long time reader, first time poster...(although I have shouted out to Kendrie now and again on her site!)
As for my quirks? I am sure I have too many to list, but the BIGONE- the one that makes me throw up a little in my mouth, is toenails. I can hardly type the word. I can cut my children's, but one time when my husband had thrown his back out and I had to help him? URK! Now that my oldest is 12 I have had to make her take over. I mean she IS old enough, right? And when I find a toenail that my husband has so lovingly left in the bed or on the bathroom floor? GAG.
Another crazy thing I do is that if I am buying more that one of something I have to buy it in even numbers. If Kraft Macncheese is 3 for $2.00, I have to buy six. This was just brought to my attention last week, but it is totally true.
As a teacher I am big into handwashing, soap, purell, and lysol. I spray down my whole room everyday. Germs. Oookey.
Thanks for the laughs!
The comment box is not big enough for all my quirks... :) but a few are loud noises, the dark, people in my space all the time, being nagged by my husband (we were out shoveling snow and he said, "you know, this is when most people have the big one (meaning heart attack) and I said, 'here, take my shovel too.' " He really needs to stop nagging me...
Thanks for listing the song. Ironically enough, my five-year-old daughter is sitting with me and when she heard today's song, she said, "hey, I like it..." no kidding...it could her personal anthem! We're off to ITunes...thanks Kristie... :)
The comment box is not big enough for all my quirks... :) but a few are loud noises, the dark, people in my space all the time, being nagged by my husband (we were out shoveling snow and he said, "you know, this is when most people have the big one (meaning heart attack) and I said, 'here, take my shovel too.' " He really needs to stop nagging me...
Thanks for listing the song. Ironically enough, my five-year-old daughter is sitting with me and when she heard today's song, she said, "hey, I like it..." no kidding...it could her personal anthem! We're off to ITunes...thanks Kristie... :)
Oops...didn't mean to be anonymous...in that last comment
I can't stand to hear other people chewing their food, and more importantly, swallowing their food, therefore, I MUST sit ACROSS from someone if I eat with them. I never sit beside them.
I can't stand being late, or anyone who is late. I give myself an hour to get to work every morning even though it only takes me 20 minutes, "just in case" there is an accident. And if I have to be in Atlanta for an early morning meeting, I go up the night before and stay at Dobbins AFB just so I know I won't be late.
I like for the eggs to be even in the carton...if they don't work out that way, I have been known to throw the extra away. Since I am frugal, I try to always use the right number of eggs...if a recipe calls for 2 eggs and that un-evens my carton, I use 3 eggs.
OK, lurking be damned. . . this is a sorority I can be part of! I am with Kristie on everything except the Quik. . . and my DDP is actually DC (Diet Coke - 20 oz. bottles ONLY!!)
As for the foot issue, I was an x-ray tech a long time ago and when I was in x-ray school, we had to "test out" on every single body part. Every. Single. Body. Part. I actually tried to get a waiver due to my deep-seated loathing of feet. Didn't work. Test out or get out. I passed but waited until a little girl (about 3 years old) came in for an x-ray. Very literally with only moments to spare before graduation.
To add yet another to my list: I must read, re-read, and then read backwards everything I type. (emails, this blog comment, etc.) I believe this stems from my military experience (Army) as an Executive Administrative Assistant (71C for you military types). I did a lot of editing, and it just became habit.
Oh, and all doors, drawers and closets must be closed before I can go to bed. Kitchen cupboards, linen closets, bathroom cabinets, clothes closets, I check them all.
OK, one more . . . after checking all the doors and drawers, I must, MUST, kiss my boys goodnight by birth order. If one of my boys is staying the night at a friends, I will still go into his room, and kiss his pillow. No kidding.
Wow, I keep thinking of more things to add, but I think I will stop typing (because the reading and re-reading and reading backwards is going to take FOREVER!) and do a little self-evaluation!
I'm right there with the sunglasses thing. That and a glass of water are always with me. The girls I worked with used to laugh and say I'd wear my sunglasses on my head instead of a veil at my wedding, and I'd be carrying my yellow "I Survived Spring Break in Daytona Beach" cup instead of flowers. I still use that cup, and I bought it in...um...1981!
I can't stand sleeping facing anyone!
I am with the people who are happy to have the towels just put in the right place. I have 2 kitchen drawers for cloths and tea towels, and I'm ok with them just being thrown in.
Unlike most of you, I HATE SOCKS! Even though it's something like -20* right now, I still only wear socks and shoes when I have to. They drive me nuts when they twist around on my feet. I still love to play with my kids' feet, and they're not cute and tiny anymore.
Vomit doesn't bother me at all. I have been feeding kids with special needs for so much of my life, that I can clean puke off of the table and keep on eating. LOL
I can tune out pretty much any noise, as long as it's not rhythmic. My hubby fixes pocket watches, and he does it on his dresser. Every night I have to put them all in a dresser drawer. I feel like friggin' HOOK ... tick tock tick tock....
Like Blaine, I have to brush my teeth as soon as I wake up. In fact, I brush them if I get up to pee in the middle of the night.
I can't stand anyone touching my face. It makes me nuts!
If I go for any kind of a long drive, I have to have sunflower seeds to munch on. They keep me wide awake.
It's sure nice to see that we're all equally insane!!
OK...I'm breaking the silence! I've never posted before, but Kristie, I soooo enjoy reading your blog and feel like I MUST add myself to this hysterical list of women and their quirks!
Clothes must face the same way in the closet (to the left for me) and are grouped according to category (ie: long sleeves, short sleeves, dresses, etc.).
OH. MY. GOD. How can you girls not like feet? I definitely agree that there are a lot of gross feet out there (puhleeees...trim those icky LONG toenails. Seriously, don't even think about showing those things unless the nails are short!), but how can you not wear flip flops in the summer? And feel the grass under your feet? Try it. You'll like it.
Oh goodness, ALL cabinets and drawers must be closed...at all times.
I absolutely MUST kiss each of my three children goodnight before I go to bed. I kiss each one on the head or cheek (whichever one I can reach, without falling ass over tin cup on top of them) a certain number of times. It must be whatever age they are plus one..."to grow on" of course. As they get older (9,5 and 2), this little bedtime ritual of mine gets longer and longer!! Ahhhh, I love OCD!!
NO EAR WAX, please! I have a serious ear wax phobia. My kids should be deaf from all the Q-tips that have been in their little ears! Oh yikes. Even thinking about it makes me want to puke.
Toilet paper MUST roll from the top, NEVER from the bottom.
Oh. my. goodness. I soooo do not enjoy anyone (including my kids), breathing in my face while I'm trying to sleep. That is enough to put me right over the edge...
Crumbs! Can't have 'em on my countertops. Anywhere. Not even behind the things that are supposed to be on my countertops. My husband does not suffer this same affliction.
Ahhh yes, the "taking turns at the 4 way (or 2 way) stop signs. How rude are some people??? The other day, someone totally went when it was CLEARLY my turn. CLEARLY. I voiced my disdain for this other person to my children who were also in the car with me. I'm trying to get them up to snuff on the rules of the road early (like 8 years early!). It was a man in a truck that took my turn....I mean, seriously, did he think that just because I was in a mini-van that I was a nice person?????
Dirty faces on kids (or adults). I mean, really, folks....the wipes manufacturers make really cute take-along containers for wipes. Stick them in your purse. Use them. I don't want to see what your kids just ate for lunch. It makes me want to gag.
Long, dirty fingernails on kids. If your kids are not old enough to make sure their nails are clean, they need to be short! That is sooo nasty.
Hairs growing out of face moles. Oh. my. gosh. I feel naseaus just thinking about it. Yes, if you look in the mirror and there is a big, long hair growing out of your mole...it IS truly there. The mirror is not lying. Proceed to the tweezer drawer. Do the general public a favor....pluck away. People won't talk about you any more.
Don't anyone fold my laundry. I like the way I do it. I fold everything a very specific way (towels in three's the short way, then in half the long way, then in half again the long way!). And for God's sake, the last thing I need is for my mother-in-law (who is always trying to be "helpful") to be whipping out my granny underpants or my period underpants and trying to fold them. Thanks. I got it covered.
Oh, man....I just re-read my list. I'm probably not even done yet, but I should stop here. I'm going to go call my therapist....ha! No. Seriously.
Julie
I absolutely hate any type of noise that comes from the mouth other than talking or singing. You know that little noise that people make when they have a cold and it sounds like they are trying to "hack" up something in their throat! I go absolutely crazy when I hear that disgusting gurgling noise it makes! There is a guy at work who does it all of the time and there are times when he is lucky he continues to live because I feel like I come that close to choking the crap out of him when he makes that NOISE!
Hot clothes Kristie, I have to have hot clothes. I don't mean hot off the runway,this years latest 'must have' type of hot - I mean the type of hot when you've had your shirt on the radiator for an hour. Everything has to be lined up on the radiator in the evening and then I program the heat to come on half an hour before I have to get up make sure everything is cooked. In the morning its up - in the bathroom, (put slippers on radiator while doing everything that has to be done) replace hot slippers on feet and skip back to living room where lovely hot outer clothes are waiting for me. Somehow I dont think I'd survive in Julianna Banana's Winnipeg! Love Lisa. Please....Hows BLaine?
I've never really though of myself as having many quirks. That's until I got married and had three kids. I guess things don't seem weird until you see how other people do things or don't do things. I think my husband has many more quirks than I do.
I do weird things like counting in my head, and I have to end a certain way or I have to do it until it's even.
I do things in a certain order every morning. If I do something totally off the wall, I'm out of sorts all day. I also eat the same thing for breakfast every morning, and two cups of coffee in my favorite oversized mug with french vanilla creamer. (sugar free & made with Splenda)
I have to go to bed at least a half hour before my husband so I can fall asleep before he does. It takes him about 2 seconds to fall asleep and start snoring. It takes me at least 20 minutes to fall asleep and I wake up everytime I hear something.
When I'm in bed I have to have 4 pillows. Two for my head, one between my legs and one to hug. And I always sleep on my sides or stomach. It is impossible for me to sleep on my back.
I hate people who don't use their turn signals. I'm not crazy about calling them blinkers either!
Stupid drivers drive me crazy!!! I can't stand people that have all that bass in their cars and turn it so far up that I can't think. I don't like it when my 2 year old daughter repeats the words.
I also have a thing with knives. It's like when I look at a sharp object it freaks me out. I always think it's going to stab me in the eye.
I guess I sound a little strange now!! Thanks for the awesome blogs Kristie, they rock!
OK I have to add my obsession:
Bar stools/chairs left out from bar/table. PLEASE push your chair/stool NEATLY back where it belongs!!! This is at home not restaraunt. Drives me crazy.
Ditto on most all others and yours!!
LOVE your Blog.
Ok, if I didn't think about your family enough as it is, every night when I CAKE on the Vaseline, you'll forever be in my pysche (sp)!!!! I, too, have the same OCD issues. I also have a severe phobia of going over a bridge with water under it. Oy, I can't even explain the hyperventilating with a magazine over my face. AAAAHHH! My husband and kids TRY to tell me how *pretty* it is. WHATEVER!! I'm too busy holding my nose in preparation! Now, the folding of the towels...ahhh, the Escoe family is SO embedded into mine and I don't even know you!!
Thanks for the funnies, Kristie! You brighten every day of my life!
Love,
Teresa Core
Nashville, TN
I am with the vomit people. It is one idiosyncrasy I have that will actually lead to me running out of the house/room/building to get away from the vomiting person b/c I am terrified of having myself actually catching their illness and having to throw up.
Now with Bryce, my child with leukemia, through that first year of treatment I finally just got used to him throwing up b/c I knew he wasn't sick with some stomach bug. Wacko me would even put my hands out if the pink hospital "throw up bucket" wasn't near.
On the other hand, if my older son or husband are sick I go and sleep on the couch and if my older son is sick he is banned to the "playroom" which is actually the dining room we don't have dining room furniture for. Even if I put down a sleeping bag and 10 towels all around him he will find the one uncovered spot to yak on. (and ususally the reason he is there and not in his bed is b/c he already became the exorcist in it as he slept).
I have even gone as far to prevent myself from yakking after catching the "tail end" of my older son's stomach virus that I guesstimated the correct adult dosage of my then 3 yr old's liquid phernagan, that I slept in the playroom for 24 hours only waking to take 2 sips of gatorade all day. But hey, I didn't yak!
Okay, this was probably way too much information...
Kristie, I love your blog. I am also so saddened about Baby Donovan. I've been following them for so long it is just heartbreaking. Melissa seems like such a strong and wonderful mom. I wish I had been able to go to his Life Celebration.
Keep on writing! (By the way, how is Blaine's arm??)
OK, after reading everyone else's quirks, I don't feel so wierd, so I am going to share mine:
I CANNOT stand gross feet or toenails...GACK.....I HAVE to cut my toenails down to nothing. I can't stand the thought of any kind of dirt....or....STUFF....under my toenails so I cut them every 2 or 3 days. If I can get the nail clipper under any length of nail...off it goes!!! I exfoliate my feet on a regular basis, lotion,ect. so that my feet are as clean as possible AT ALL TIMES. Have you ever noticed anyones feet while you are waiting in line for a water ride in a water park? You know, the kind of ride you have to climb steps for?....you know, WHERE THE PEOPLES FEET IN FRONT OF YOU ARE EVEN WITH YOUR HEAD WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM UP CLOSE!!!! OMIGOD!!! I WANT TO RUN AWAY SCREAMING!!!! I also wash my hands about 10 times a day because I can "tell" when they feel "dirty". As far as the nails on my hands, I clean underneath them about 5 or 6 times a day (again, the dirt thing) I also absolutely have to have the food in my pantry in "sections" rices, canned vegies, cereal, snacks...ect. and if anyone puts anything back in the wrong section I HAVE to fix it.
Wow...and I'm one of the "normal" people.
Before I get to my list of neuroses, I have to tell you that I share #s 3a,7,8 (especially the part about putting things you've already done on your list for the satisfaction of crossing it off--I've done that once or twice...this week), and 9. Mark and Austin are somewhat worried about you now, hah, hah, hah!
Okay here goes:
1) I do not like it when dishwashing liquid glops around the top of the bottle/dispenser and can always tell when someone not me has used it because of the drips.
1a) I only use Dawn honeysuckle & rain botanicals dishwashing liquid and currently have 3 bottles under the sink because I am afraid of running out and Mark buying some other stuff that I do not like.
2) I cannot stand the sound of a whistling nose. I have been known to wake up Mark or the kids if they are sleeping and I am awake so that they will blow their nose, otherwise I will NEVER fall asleep.
3) I only use Charmin Plus toilet paper because it feels like flannel. I actually made Mark take back some other kind a couple of weeks ago. Ask the commissary.
4) I can only go to sleep if my ears are covered up.
4a) I have a big velour blanket that I must have to fall asleep if I am at home. If I forget to take it with me on vacation, I am okay, but if the one that goes on my bed is in the laundry, I have to go get the one from the living room.
5) I like office supplies and the color purple. I have a basket full of purple pens, mechanical pencils, highlighters and scissors. I become upset when Mark &/or the kids *borrow* my purple stuff.
6) I have scissors placed strategically all over the house, and they are mostly color-coded (mine are purple, Austin's are red, Shelby's are pink and Mark's are blue). I tend to lose it when the wrong scissors are in the wrong place.
I should have read everyone else's before posting...
toilet paper over the roll; clothes must face left; clothes should be arranged by type; food in the fridge should also be arranged by type; food goes on the grocery store belt by type; bedding must hang over the sides symmetrically and must be tucked in tight and pulled even with the top of the bed; Purell is the greatest invention ever.
Wow! So when it's "all about us", we really swarm out of the woodwork, don't we? HOLY COW.. there are 80 entries!!! I have one more... my hairbrush. I have had a certain small-bristle roll brush for probably 20 years. I have never been able to find another like it, or even close enough to retire it. So, I just keep washing it and using it, and hoping that I find it's soulmate before it departs to hairbrush heaven. In 15 years of marriage, I've had no issues regarding my brush, but over the past couple of months, my husband has started to use it. At first, when I found it in a different place than normal, I thought I was just having a brain-burp and putting it in a strange place. But I've finally realized that my husband has started using it, and I am fighting the very childish urge to grab it, wave it in front of his face, and shout "MINE!!!". I've just been washing it more often and occasionally sighing big, deep sighs when I find it out of place (if he's in the bathroom to hear them, of course). I had no idea how attached I'd become to that silly hairbrush til I had to share it! Ugh...
82 comments, holy crap!
I am *so* surprised that you have some many idio...idiocyncricis (oh crap...you know the word I am trying to spell..weird things! LOL
I have some of the same ones though!
Kristie!
Well...I knew about most of these but I did not know about "the lists". That is one of the things that I am so bad about as well!
Check you later----hugs!
I cannot even think about entering an elevator. I have been claustrophobic since I was a little kid, but just didn't know what it was called. I have been known to walk up 8 flights of stairs to see my dying grandma in the hospital. And when I went to college, I was on the 6th floor!! Man, was I in shape that year!! And, oh, I have to have my feet sticking out of my covers so I can sleep. And NO SOCKS!!
I just had to get in on this one! I am totally there with you about the lip balm thing, but it's not just when I go to bed - I have to have it all the time. I have varying balms in every room of my house for easy access, but my absolute favorite is Avon's Dew Kiss. (I was a Mentholatum girl back in my childhood, however - it's good stuff too!). Ditto on the hand lotion - it's in every room and if I'm in someone's house who doesn't have some handy and I find myself out, I get into a little bit of a panicky state.
Speaking of panic, when I am watching tv or a movie and someone is underwater, especially if they're trapped, I stop breathing and end up gasping for air. I had to just remind myself to breathe even just typing about it.
And here's one of the funniest ones I've ever heard - last night one of my friends told me that her sister has to take off all her jewelry every time she poops! I guess she's trying to get completely comfortable, or maybe she doesn't want to risk contamination? I don't know!
Me? Idiosyncrasies? It took me awhile to decide if I had any. Then I made such a list that I had to pick and choose and it took me awhile:
1. Can't go on vacation without cleaning the house. No dishes can be in the sink or in the dishwasher when we leave.
2. Can't leave the house in the morning without making all beds, doing all dishes--to the point that I'm always late to wherever I'm going.
3. Must also have stuff on my lips at night--Carmex, even though it's filled with additing lanolin.
I could go on, but I'm way past when I was supposed to make the kids lunch and the natives are getting restles. . .
Natalie
www.caringbridge.org/oh/finnrooney
OK, I have been thinking non-stop about this since the day you posted. I just read thru all the entries and I think I've found one no one has written about but I bet bothers EVERYONE......
NOSE HAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh.My.God.
trying to talk to someone while a big black hair is hanging out thier nose.......
UUUUGGGGHHHHHHH
Oh Kristie- you crack me up! I too have some idiosyncrasies. I MUST have a tube of Blistex- the medicated kind- with me at ALL times. If said tube is not with me, a trip to the nearest store is in order or I panic! I tried to switch to Bath & Body Works Mentha Lip stuff (thanks to my SIL), but after 3 months of use, break out with blisters on my lips after 1 application- not good for an addict like me! Also, apparently my OCD goes further than I thought. I have been caught, and laughed at, at work for separating my party mix, color coordinating the M&M's- can't eat the red ones due to the generic version in the plastic candy canes from my youth. No, they don't taste any different, just a fetish. (a discussion between a really dumb person (DB) at work and my best friend-
DB: "why can't she eat the red ones?"
friend: "it all goes back to the generic M&M's that were red and green, in the plastic candy canes, they remind her of those"
DB: "Have you ever had the ones that aren't real? They are so nasty"
Ummmmmm....last I checked "generic" ARE "not real"!! (here's your sign!)
I too have to sleep on the right hand side of the bed- but with a body pillow on each side, one between my legs, one under my head (duh!) and then a little one on each side to rest the carpal-tunnel-surgery hand on and the other for the tendonitis hand! Thank God for King size beds.
I had a bad experience with an order of Sonic tater tots once in junior high. Since then, I smell my food. Every bite. When I lift the fork/spoon to my face, I smell it first, then eat it. Oh yeah - I do this with whatever I am drinking, too (bottled water - only exception). Don't get my mom started on this. It really drives her crazy. My 7 year old son does it, too...is that really weird, though? It's normal to me!
The thing about reading all these comments is that I feel soooo much better about myself! lol I thought I was alone folks. There are many things I can't stand, but probably first and foremost would be listening/watching my husband floss. The sound of it drives me absolutely nuts. Its right up there with eating noises, and people chewing with their mouths open. Anyway the floss thing...I floss and brush right after my shower at night. Actually I floss and brush 3 times a day, but thats another story. My husb on the other hand likes to shower at night, then lie down on the bed to floss (LOUDLY) and watch the news. I'm already in bed. I used to take a pillow and cover my head to avoid listening. Now he lovingly hurls a pillow over my head (lol) as he flops down to floss. I can STILL hear him, its that loud. Yuck.
You know, I am an avid (strange description but the only one I can think of at the moment) Caringbridge follower. I have followed Kendrie for at least 2 years as well as several other loves that we all know (Catie, Hayley Thomson, Haley Vincent, Jake Owen Raborn, Kylie, Jake Rivers, Julianna, etc.) I realize that I don't post here on Kendrie's site very often and first, Kristie, I apologize. I think it's because I'm usually laughing my A** off or that you've said it so very well, there's nothing I could possibly add. Anyway, I couldn't pass this one up (and, by the way, I'm loving your new blog).
Might I say that we must be, for various reasons (starting with our *love* of exercise) related. See below...
* I hate feet! Hate 'em. Feet and clowns. My worst nightmare would be a barefooted clown. I love little baby feet though....weird.
* I love Nestle Quik. Yes...Skim Milk and 2 heaping scoops of Quik in the morning. Yummmy!
* I too sleep on the right side of the bed.
* I don't like people up "in my grill". You got your own space...use it.
* I'm a total list maker.
* Clothes hangers face the left and towels are folded in thirds.
* One you didn't mention was the toilet paper. Girl, it must go OVER the roll. Over. NOT under.
Oh. my.
I didn't think I had many quirks until I started to make a list. Egads!
Chip chomping that is so intense it sounds like you're attempting to end the chip's life ... well I guess that IS what you are doing, but that sound just doesn't have to be.
Beds. I must make my bed with the wrong side of the sheet facing up so that when you fold down the sheet over the blanket, you see the right side. If I sleep in a bed that has the right side up ... well, let me say, I don't because I can't. I'll secretly remake the bed. Ugh! How pathetic is that?
I like to tuck $20 bills in secret areas in my purse so that I'm never really without ... plus it makes me feel like I won the lottery.
When I unload my groceries on the conveyor belt, I just have to have them sorted! Cold stuff with cold stuff, produce with produce. Makes perfect sense to me. Don't you think they should teach that at grocery clerk/bagger school?
Slurping while eating cereal ... need I say more?
Never, ever leave a knife out on the counter. Scary!!
No shoes on tables. That's just asking for bad luck.
Pantry doors or any kind of door for that matter left open. That totally freaks me out.
Oh, another. After I style my hair for the day, nobody, nobody better touch my head. Drives me crazy!!!! My 3 year old reminds me everyday when I bend over to help her with shoes or boots ... *I won't touch your hair Mama*
I better check myself in to the nearest facility.
Frances, Mom to Lucas, ALL List
Lucas' page
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