Quirk Meme

My good quirks
1. I want people to feel good and be happy so I smile a lot and when leaving a store without buying something I always say something like “We’ll be back” if we really will be back or if we won’t I say something nice about something they have. I didn’t know I did this until I got married and he pointed it out. It’s something I’m actually trying to stop (being overly nice to a fault) but am not succeeding.
2. I’m giving. I like to do nice things for people even if I end up being used.
3. I’m very spontaneous and love trying new things.
4. I like everything to match unless the goal is to actually be unmatched…I really love unmatched if it’s done right.
5. I’m a really good driver – it doesn’t matter what my husband says – I’m a very safe and good driver. Having a kid did that to me. I used to be a speed demon…not no more. I turn my blinker on way ahead of time, etc etc.
6. I love the smell of paper and books and magazines. It’s like I smell the words. When I was in elementary school I loved the smell of handouts (you know the blue ink hand cranking copier smell?).

My bad quirks
1. I can’t focus on things. I have to do two or three things at once. I start projects and never finish so I have like 15 projects going and none finished. But while I’m into each thing, I’m really into it. Example: I was interested in the Amish a few weeks ago so I got five documentaries about them, watched them, I got Little Dude a kids book about them and read it to him, then for a finale I watched Witness…a drama about the Amish. When I do something I do it fully. I just often don’t finish doing them…
2. I’m a procrastinator and I can’t cure it. I have two articles due tomorrow and what am I doing? A meme…aka procrastination.
3. I can’t finish one book before starting another so I am always reading 3 or 4 books at a time. It usually isn’t a problem unless the books are similar. Like right now two books I’m reading are similar and I keep getting the characters confused. That’s not good when I’m reviewing one of them for the paper. Sigh.
4. I have a heightened sense of hearing and I can’t stand certain noises – it actually drives me crazy which in turns drives those around me crazy. We had to move from our last condo because the neighbors upstairs drove me crazy walking around in the middle of the night with high heels. Now we live in a quiet house on a little lake and the dang geese and birds drive me crazy. I hate noise. I think this one comes from my dad because he was always telling us to be quiet, talk lightly, etc. Let me not even talk about snorers… Other noises that drive me batty…a spoon against Styrofoam, fork or knife scraping against a plate, etc. Ironically, a crying baby does not drive me crazy but an adult talking loudly does.
5. I’m not good at accepting compliments or criticism.
6. I’m a perfectionist and it stops me from doing things. For example, I have a baby book and write down the stuff to put in there, but I haven’t put it in there yet because I want the book to look nice so I am waiting for a “good handwriting day” – does anyone else have those? Days that your handwriting is especially nice? But the good handwriting days come and go and the book is still there with scrap pieces of paper that need to be transferred to the book.

(I’m officially beginning to think that I am a crazy person and not a quirky person.)

My food quirks
1. I don’t like my food to touch in general - especially mashed potatoes because it gets discolored. But with Pakistani food, my food must touch.
2. I don’t like cold foods. Fruit has to at least be room temperature, ice cream has to be somewhat melted or served on something warm, there is no use for ice…etc.
3. I used to not like sweets at all but now I love them and actually can’t fall asleep peacefully if I haven’t had something sweet. That one is my husbands fault.
4. When shopping, I like to buy exotic things to try but in the end I really don’t like many of them. I am just trying to expand my horizons.
5. I love to cook but I don’t love to eat. I eat just because I have to in order to live. I really don’t get pleasure from it very often but when I do, I really do and I see what the big fuss is all about.
6. I like my meat or meat dish on the upper right side of my plate and the sides on the left lower. Yogurt or other condiments go between two side things.

My sleep quirks
1. In the winter I have to sleep with socks on even though my feet get overheated.
2. I can’t sleep with the bathroom door open.
3. I can’t go to bed until I’m exhausted. I never go to bed early.
4. I can’t take naps. Even when my baby was born and I was getting no sleep, I couldn’t take a nap.
5. I talk in my sleep.
6. I can’t sleep facing someone. I have to face the other way. It’s just creepy to me and too “in my face”.