2/5/08 Quirky Meme

There's a Quirky meme going around, and I am shocked- just SHOCKED that I haven't been officially tagged for it yet. I mean, quirky is my word! I embody quirky! I can only assume that people didn't send it to me because you're supposed to list six quirky things, and people knew I would never be able to limit myself to so few quirks. Nevertheless, I am up for the challenge.

Here are some random quirks, off the top of my head, in no particular order:

I talk in my sleep. I answer questions, I carry on conversations, I can even win debates in my sleep. I was watching a movie with a boyfriend once (many years ago), and try as I might, I just could not keep my eyes open! I kept dozing off during the movie, but I didn't want him to know that because he picked the movie and I didn't want him to think that I thought it was boring (it was, but I think only because I kept falling asleep during important parts and couldn't follow the plot). Anyway, to "prove" that I wasn't sleeping, I started a debate about the underlying theme of the movie. I made a comment, he disagreed, I countered, he counter-countered, I won him over with my unfaultable logic. He conceded that okay, he could see my point. Then I said something witty like, "I'm glad you see it my way...besides, you would never be able to hide it all under your cape". Silence. He had no clue what I was talking about, and it was rapidly dawning on him that maybe I didn't either. The silence woke me up enough to realize that I'd won the debate, but blown my cover. He realized it too, and insisted on taking me home. Sure, lots of people talk in their sleep, but can they make a successful persuasive argument while sleeping? THAT'S a quirk.

I hate washing dishes. The idea of leftover food mixing in water with all the other leftover food and forming some kind of chunky greasy stew just makes me want to gag. When I lived on my own, I would only buy paper plates and paper cups and those little plastic glad bowls that you can throw away. Instead of washing dishes, I just threw them all away (I know, I know. I'm horrible for the environment. There's a landfill dedicated solely to me). Sure, I could just put the dishes directly into the dishwasher, but you still have to pre-rinse them all first, and all that stuff still pools in the bottom of your sink. Luckily, I married a man who sees no problem with sticking his hands in all kind of food muck (shudder!), so he does the dishes (thus saving me from the EPA picketing in front of my house). I try to help out by emptying the dishwasher once all the dishes are nice and clean and gunk-free. I'm a thoughtful wife like that, and thoughtful turns an otherwise disturbing mental hang-up into delightfully quirky.

I don't drink anything carbonated. No Cokes, no Dr. Pepper, no sparkling water, no ginger ale, no energy drinks. Haven't had even a sip in the last 17 years. I used to when I was little, but I just kinda stopped when I was about 10. I don't really recall any particular reason for it. I just went from liking the taste to not really liking the taste. Or the bubbles. Or the sugar level that makes my teeth and gums feel like they are rotting out of my mouth even from just thinking about it. I only drink water and milk for the most part, and on rare occasions, apple juice or sweet tea. This quirk probably turned out to be a good thing for me, since I can put all those Coke calories towards something really good, like chocolate. And cheese sticks. And more chocolate. Tony imbibes in an occasional root beer, and I won't let him kiss me until he wipes his mouth because his lips taste just terrible from drinking that stuff. (He considers that a challenge and tries to sneak in the occasional root beer kiss, but I can smell it on him a mile away). Strangely enough, not wanting to drink something that tastes like licking the bottom of a radioactive garbage can makes me quirky. Go figure.

Speaking of drinking, I don't like alcohol either. I don't have a problem with anyone else drinking it as long as they don't get out of control, but I myself just do not care for the taste. Of anything. This really amazes people, and they invariably say something like, "Have you tried a fruity mango rum margarita colatta breezer? I bet you'd loooove that one!" And I try it, and I hate it. Alcohol has a very distinct taste to me (much like what I would expect cat pee to taste like), and I seem to be able to pick it out of even the fruitiest frozen drinks. Sometimes I think about telling people that I'm a recovering alcoholic just so we don't go through the taste-test game EVERY. SINGLE. TIME I'm at a party or event, but posing as an alcoholic seems sleazy somehow (and not fair to real recovering alcoholics). Almost like telling people I'm a cancer survivor. I could also try to claim religious beliefs, but that's kinda far-fetched coming from a Catholic. So I'm a tee-totaling Catholic who hates the taste of alcohol, no matter what fruit it's mixed with...quirky.

I have a thing for the color blue. The outside of my house is blue, my living room accent wall is blue, my kitchen is blue, my office is blue, my master bathroom is blue, accessories are blue, my lawn furniture is blue. I looooove blue. Tony got tired of all the blue, so he asked that some rooms be painted other colors. I tried it, but the rooms that aren't blue are my least favorite rooms in the house. The guest bedroom is minty green, which I've decided to tone down with some blue (but haven't told Tony yet) and the guest bathroom is brown (which I've decided to warm up with light blue accents). After that, I think they'll look much better. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm obsessed with blue. I actually very rarely wear blue. I just like to decorate with it. And plant with it (I gravitate towards blue flowers), and do Christmas decorations with it (blue icicle lights, blue hedge lights, blue tree ornaments, blue angel on top, and all blue wrapping paper). I think blue is calming. Tony thinks blue puts me squarely into the quirky category. But if color-coordinated is wrong, I don't want to be right.

I like lima beans. Scratch that. I LOVE lime beans. Especially when they've been cooking all day and they're nice and soft. Cracker Barrel has the BEST lima beans, but only on Saturdays, because that's when they're the vegetable of the day, and you can only get them then. Normally a lima bean quirk would be a good thing to have, but I think they lose some of their nutritional value when cooked with fat back and bacon. (Mmmmm! Soooo good!) The canned limas are okay, but if you want true lima bean heaven, go to Cracker Barrel. When I can convince Tony to go, I get the vegetable plate with lima beans, lima beans, and a side of lima beans. He claims that one day I'm going to turn into a giant lima bean. (He says that like it would be a bad thing). Actually, I haven't come across too many people that do like lima beans, which I guess is what makes this a quirk.

So there you go. Some of my many many quirks. Some of them odd, but mostly endearing (I hope!). I like to think that our quirks are good things because they make us unique, and unexpectedly refreshing. So embrace your quirks! Celebrate them! And pass this meme along by listing your particular quirks. And if someone thinks you're quirky, consider it a compliment.