One of my favorite people tagged me with an Honest Scrap award. I think blog awards are really sweet and fun. I think they connect virtual strangers in a very unique way. It’s one of the things I really love about blogging.
However, I personally don’t often participate because one, I don’t like to leave people out, and two, once I feel at all forced to do something, I go running in the opposite direction. But I like the idea behind this one. I mean, I could talk about myself all day long. And it was fun to come up with things that I haven’t yet shared with you. So, here you go. You’re welcome.
One.
I smile and say hello to coworkers when I pass them in the hallway. (I’m polite like that.) (And I find it INCREDIBLY FUCKING RUDE when others don’t do the same.) But I find myself still smiling for a long time after I’ve moved on. I have to actually tell myself to stop. And it’s not like I was all that happy to see them. No, my thoughts have completely moved on to another subject, yet I’m still smiling like a fool. By myself. What’s awesome is when I look up with a shit-eating grin on my face to find someone staring at me.
Two.
I am constantly imagining how conversations will go. I think about what I’ll say and how I’ll say it. And I move my lips along with the conversation. I’m not even kidding. (And, no, I don’t do this while reading.) So, yeah, I basically walk around like I’m talking to myself.
Three.
I talk and think about vomiting a lot. I really don’t understand it. Whenever I eat something new, I think will this make me throw up? When The Husband hugs me, I always pretend to vomit on him if he squeezes too hard.
Once, at the grocery store, I said, “I think I’m gonna RALPH!” and then The Husband said, “Who’s Ralph?” This made me laugh. Later, while still at the store, I said, “I think I’m gonna HURL!” And before he could respond, I yelled, “Who’s HURL!?” This made me laugh uncontrollably. (I have a lacking sense of humor, but I make myself laugh constantly. The Husband says it’s not funny if you laugh at your own jokes. I know, secretly, he finds me hysterical.)
Four.
I only read romance novels. I know I’ve already told you how much I enjoy them, but in all seriousness, I ONLY READ ROMANCE NOVELS. I try reading others. Actually, I have knocked back a couple of Sidney Sheldon books (I love love loved If Tomorrow Comes and Best Laid Plans) and I’ve even read Skinny Dip by Carl Hiassen which I thoroughly enjoyed, but these days I don’t even bother looking at other genres.
I’m sure many people would say I’m missing out, but they entertain me and make me happy. Even as a teenager, I read books by Richie Tankersley Cusick and Christopher Pike because there was always that little spark of innocent romance between the two main characters that’d make me sigh and my young, inexperienced heart go pitter-pat. I am a total sucker for a love story.
Five.
I check the locks in our apartment multiple times each night. I’m not sure if this is due to an undiagnosed case of OCD or if it’s just a lingering habit from my childhood, but I can’t seem to help myself. When I was a teenager, I was always the last to go to bed. My step-dad would say goodnight and ask me to lock up. But, even then, I’d check the locks, like, three or four times.
Once while my younger brother lived with us in Monterey, he came home and left the front door open. And I mean OPEN. I had heard him come in and, even though I tried to reassure myself he was responsible and locked the door, I couldn’t get the nagging suspicion out of my head. Finally, unable to sleep, I went downstairs just to check and found the door wide open and our old, fat cat wandering around outside.
Six
I find it impossible to use random numbers while editing pictures in Photoshop. They MUST be multiples of 5. For example: if I’m adjusting the brightness, the level has to be set to 5, 10, 15, 20, etc. Not 12. Not 18. Not 27. If I’m adjusting the exposure, the level has to be set to 25, 50, 75, etc. Sometimes while in the Raw editor, I’ll click on “auto” to see what settings Photoshop chooses. If I like them (which I rarely do) I’ll keep them, but not before adjusting the values to the nearest multiple of 5. (Because God forbid my recovery slider be set to something crazy like 17.)
Seven
I went to three different high schools within my freshman and sophomore years. As soon as I turned 16, I took the California High School Proficiency Exam and received my diploma equivalent. I then took two very light semesters at a junior college and haven’t been back since. Now, ten years later, I am preparing to register for a couple of classes come Fall and I’m terrified and excited all at the same time. I could care less about a degree. I just want to learn.
That’s all.
Filed under: Me
I do the multiples of 5 with radio volume. I can’t just have the radio at volume 23 or 17. It must be 15, 20, or 25. On my car this is really annoying as 25 is really loud and only okay on the freeway but 20 isn’t often loud enough. At least at home the numbers are for smaller intervals so I can turn home to 45 (which is a good volume level).
They make door hinges that will automatically close the door if left open (typically installed on garage doors). Now if only they would make something to automatically close a sliding door…
Or maybe just something that shouts, “YOUR FRONT DOOR IS WIDE OPEN!” That could be helpful.
We’re all ocd at least a bit. It just depends on what you’re ocd’s are if you get noticed or not. I walk around talking to myself all the time. I think it’s because I work with idiots (fort he most part) and I can’t have an intelligent conversation with them. So I have ones with myself. Vain much?
I work with a few of those myself, so I can’t say I blame you.
I loved your comment about Photoshop – that was hilarious! When I use Photoshop, I never look at the numbers – I always eyeballed it. I guess it never occurred to me! Maybe it’s because I am graphic designer who who always despised math?
BTW, love your photos – esp. your cat ones! I have three cats of my own and I love taking photos of them.
Thanks, Hilary! Yeah, I do the numbers thing on volume controls, too. Sigh.
I dislike rude people! I try not to stoop to their level but sometimes I just want to step on their toes.
#2: Yep, I do that too. Sometimes I even get mad. No, I don’t have issues. Why do you ask?
#4: I love romance novels. But boy, I have met a lot of people who dislike or sneer at romance novels. They don’t know what they’re missing.
#5: I check the locks AND I check if everyone in the house is still alive before I go to sleep. Crazy is the new normal!
Okay, #1 leads me to believe that I am the sort of person you would detest. I absolutely do not like when passersby are friendly like that. Even at work. I’ll make eye contact and smile, but do I really have to say hello? Really? How many friggin’ times in a day do I have to say hello and then how are you and answer that I’m doing well, thank you, even though we both know that nobody cares how either of us are doing?!
I’m also the sort of person who would totally leave a door wide open and not even realize it. It’s a good thing that my husband suffers from your form of OCD and checks the doors and windows all the time because a) it is not beneath me to forget to lock a door, b) it is also not beneath me to ASSUME that the door is locked, realize I don’t have a key, and then proceed to climb through a window, and c) it is ALSO not beneath me to get through the window and promptly forget to put the screen back on or the window back down.
Wow, I sound like a freak. Um. So. Happier things. Like. Yay for romance novels!
Let me clarify on #1. I’m talking work-specific. And I don’t think you have to stop and chit chat. As long as I get a polite smile and nod or brief “hi,” I’m happy. I get ticked off when people I have worked with day in and day out for nearly five years still walk past me as if I’m invisible.
You and I are inner twins four and a half years apart.
Oh, Stephanie, I love your list! Yay for romance novels! I cringe when people are talking about what they’re reading because I just don’t enjoy reading books that aren’t light and fun and I don’t want to admit it when others are reading important novels. I get upset enough just watching the news! I don’t want to read depressing stuff, too.
The numbers thing? So, will you be having 5 kids? Or will it be three kids plus two parents to make the 5? Something to think about!
Oh, you had to go and bring up the kids thing! Like I’m not getting enough pressure about that! Actually, it’s not so much pressure now as it is a lot of worried glances like something must be wrong with me if I’m approaching 30 and still childless. I think everyone is just used to all my siblings popping kids out at the drop of a hat!
I have conversations in my head allllllll the time. I don’t think I move my lips, though. Unfortunately, I don’t often get to have those conversations with the real people so all of my great points and eloquently phrased statements tend to stay right there, in my head. Dammit.
I am so with you on the romance novels! I read for pleasure alone. Sometimes another genre will catch my eye – I read most of Sidney Sheldon’s books back in high school, I think, and thought I was so sophisticated. lol I also read a couple of Hiassen’s and all of Jodi Picoult’s books a few years ago – but it’s funny chick lit that I go for every time. Whenever someone asks me what I’m reading, I smile proudly and say “trash.”
I know what you mean. My real-life conversations never turn out the way I imagine them. In my head, I’m smart, funny, eloquent and every sentence is formed properly and in a way that will automatically sway the argument in my favor.
Oh my god I have caught myself doing the same thing with conversations in my head. I totally move my lips and nod my head and smile. I think I too may have a slight case of OCD. Whenever the boyfriend and I go to bed the sheets have to be neat. And if they are not I whine and make up a word saying “I can’t go to sleep with the sheets all ’scrumpled’ up at the bottom!!”… forcing him to get up, turn on the light, and together we smooth out the sheets.
And as for your romance novels… I just got into reading and I have read a handful of Jodi Picoult books. But I am that way about movies. They have to have a happy ending. My 13 yr old sister told me that “the boy in the striped pajamas” was “such a good movie” … she lied. It was the most sad movie I have ever watched. I cried for 45 minutes after it was over. So romantic novels not really, romantic/ girly movies HELL YES!
-L
I think I may have to start using the word “scrumpled.” It’s awesome. When I was a teenager, I used to make my bed before I went to sleep. I wouldn’t make it when I got up in the morning, only before I got into bed. Now? The Husband is the only one who ever straightens the sheets and blankets (minus laundry day when I wash everything and remake the bed). It’s funny what we hold onto and let go over the years.
I do #1 – My smile may be the only one another person sees all day. (I don’t work, but I smile at people in the grocery store and the mall…..I admit that’s probably a little creepy, but you never know.)
#2 – I do that all the time, but I usually whisper out loud when I have my pretend conversations. My kids catch me sometimes and ask who I’m talking to. “Oh, nobody”. They stare at me and walk away. They’ll be in therapy for years.
I’m always pleasantly surprised when a random stranger smiles at me. I think it’s nice. And don’t worry about your kids. It’ll give ‘em something to talk and laugh about for years!
I already knew 5 of these facts, and the 2 that I didn’t know are no surprise to me what-so-ever.
I like you already! And we have a few things in common (six)..