This week's meme appears to be quirks. Several bloggers have been admitting their quirks as of late, so here are mine, I guess...

1. I am like the queen of hospitality. I guess it's the Armenian in me. If you come into my house expect to be served a drink and any kind of food you want in the house. Put your feet up, watch my TV, use my phone, whatever. It may not be the tidiest house on the block, but I can guarantee that you'll feel at home. If you're not comfortable in my home, that makes me sick. It's more important to me that you enjoy yourself than that the house is spotless. However, I expect to be treated the same way in the homes of my friends, and I can get a little irritated if I'm cheaped out on. Especially by someone who has been in MY home many, many times. That makes me feel freakin' used, you know? It really bugs the crap out of me.

2. I tend to get really into the good stuff going on in my friends' lives. Getting married? Expect a big shower and shopping trips and all kinds of help putting everything together. Having a baby? Expect to be deluged with booties and blankets and me asking how you're doing. Having a birthday? At the least a card or email, and if you're in the same town, dinner and a cake. In our lab at UNC, I was known as the one who collected the $$, did the shopping, and organized the party whenever someone got married, graduated, or had a baby. And it was fun. I love doing fun things like that.

3. Here's a weird one: I CAN NOT stand the sound of people chewing. I mean even polite mouth-closed eating. If I'm eating too, it's totally ok, but if DH is sitting next to me snacking while I work, it drives me batshit. I always make him go away to eat. Most other little noises don't even faze me, but chewing can make me retch. Go fig.

4. Like Michele, I have to be covered when I sleep. This doesn't mean PJs necessarily, but I have to at least have a sheet over me or I can't sleep. I think this comes from sleeping directly under a front-facing window growing up. It kind of drives DH crazy. The rheumatoid arthritis has actually made this one worse, since I get weird chills now if I get a draft under the covers.

5. I abhor talking to strangers. I hate using the phone, even to call for pizza. I hate answering the phone and I hate calling anywhere where I don't personally know who I am talking to. Even if I know you and I've never spoken to you over the phone before, I hate calling. (take note those bloggers whose phone #'s I have.... ) I hate drive-through windows, too. It was YEARS after I learned to drive before I went through a drive-through. I can be quite social at a party, and I am more than willing to get up in front of a room full of people and give a presentation, but the phone and the drive through, no way. As an extension of this, I also hate going ANYWHERE alone. ANYWHERE. For years I wouldn't even go to the grocery store alone. Being an army wife with a husband stationed 1200 miles away for 3 years changed that, but I still HATE going anywhere alone and I won't if I can help it. It makes me feel strange and vulnerable.

6. I get really antsy when I ride in the front seat while someone else drives. Especially if I think they're too close to the car in front. Super- especially while braking hard. I've been in 2 serious car crashes (wasn't hurt in either one -- props to Chrysler for making Neons so awesome in a crash), and both of them were front end collisions on my end. So if I'm in your car and I tell you to slow down or stop, just ignore me unless I see something in front of you that you don't.

7. (Bonus round) Quickies:
**Must. Have. Remote. (DH and I each have one for the bedroom TV)
**I Hate predictable situations in movies and TV. It's not funny and it makes me cringe.
**Oh yeah, and TP goes under, not over.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:28 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
Post contains 748 words, total size 4 kb.

1 I totally knew #2. You've been so wonderfully supportive of me, the DH and our lil' peanut, I just knew that was the way you are. Don't change a hair for me. . . )

Posted by: Margi at August 22, 2005 12:48 AM (nwEQH)

2 TP under?? No way, uh uh. If you ever make it out to Australia and visit, if you use up the roll, don't be putting the new one on, I'll do it! hehe And I am so with you on the driving/going places alone thing. Except for going to work, I hate driving by myself, especially if it is a fair distance. I feel vulnerable too, like I'm going to come across a situation that I am so not going to be able to deal with.

Posted by: Amanda at August 22, 2005 01:23 AM (8Bhm3)

3 I enjoy being the cruise director / party planner too!! Sounds like you're the bestest hostess! TP under!??

Posted by: Marie at August 22, 2005 07:45 AM (410kz)

4 Over! But totally with you on the phone thing.

Posted by: Jay at August 22, 2005 12:28 PM (NxYzY)

5 Yeah. The phone thing. I absolutely despise the telephone, and wish it could somehow be de-invented. I would much rather communicate with people face to face, by email, by IM, by snail mail, or even by passenger pigeon. Anything but that damn telephone!

Posted by: Paul Burgess at August 22, 2005 02:08 PM (q36UY)

6 If you come into my house expect to be served a drink and any kind of food you want in the house Awesome. Can I come over? My grandmother has that, but to the point where you kind of want to give her a Xanax at times. I run out of ways to say "No, grandma, really, everything is wonderful and delicious and swell and I swear on all that's holy I am not just saying that." She is an excellent hostess, but I think she drives herself a little batty with it now and then. Re: last asterisk--I absolutely second that. UNDER. Make the weight of the roll help you in separating the tissues! It's not, ha ha, rocket science! And the boyfriend and I totally argue over who has to call for pizza as we're both phobic about talking to strangers, too. Maybe I should have gone for an extrovert.

Posted by: ilyka at August 22, 2005 05:54 PM (z+oQt)

7 Who hoo! Free liscence to mooch! I'll be visiting soon . I swear, you and my #$^%$ing mom with the TP, sheesh.

Posted by: Ben at August 22, 2005 08:15 PM (NIpoo)

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