I'm More Weird Than I Ever Thought

Steve tagged me for a "6 ways I am weird"' meme, suggesting that "BARBARA IS NOT WEIRD AT ALL SO THAT MAKES HER PERFECT FOR THIS." Steve, sadly you don't know me well. After this post, you will see just how weird I am and perhaps go Ewwww.

1. I keep the bills in my wallet in ascending order and all turned with the faces up and in the same direction. I think I inherited this one from my father because he was always very orderly when it came to money. The difference is that he found it hard to part with it and I find it hard to keep it.

2. I get much more enjoyment from setting aside a map (when driving) or a recipe (when cooking) and just finding my own way so to speak. It's not that I don't trust something that someone else has always discovered to be "the right way", but rather I sometimes enjoy getting lost and finding my way back on my own. This is not to say that I haven't gotten hopelessly stranded in some bad parts of town and seen some disasters in the kitchen, but it still beats mindlessly doing what someone else says all the time.

3. When I look at a plate of food, I generally finish off one thing before moving on to another. This means that the potatoes might get cold while I eat the chicken, but it just seems to work for me. This also applies to eating an ear of corn – I do a whole row at a time instead of eating around the cob. (My husband contributed this one, thinking it was not going to raise my ire when I asked him how I was weird.)

4. I do not readily embrace new technology. I like the results of having it, but seem to avoid learning how to use it. To this day, I don't really know how to operate our DVD player or our stereo system or our Advantium oven or my cell phone (other than the most rudimentary making and receiving a call). It's not that I can't learn. It's simply not a priority for me.

5. I don't watch TV. I shouldn't say never, but it is rare. I would much rather immerse myself in a good book or play the piano, but TV usually puts me to sleep. The last show I watched with any regularity was "American Dreams" and it was canned last year. I imagine that if I gave myself a chance I could get hooked on "24".

6. I still think knowing Latin is important. I recognize that it is a dead language. But I find it incredibly useful in decoding new words and in learning other (romance) languages. I tried to talk my children into taking Latin to no avail.

I could go on and on and on, not previously realizing just how weird I really am. But I am comfortable with my weirdness. I can laugh at the absurdities of it. And it gave me something to write about today.

How about Kate, Jamy, Kristin, Dan (as in son), and Cee? If you feel inspired to divulge your quirks, feel free!