Quirks

Some people negatively apply the quirky label, and that puzzles me. One definition of quirky is "characterized by peculiar or unexpected traits." Doesn't that sound way better than *yawn* "normal"? Yes, I quite agree, and so it is one label I will continue to embrace. :hugs the word:

Still, by no means do I claim to be the quirkiest of them all! Below are some of (what I consider to be) my less-common elements, along with odd bits that didn't fit elsewhere on this site.

habits, actions, notions, and states of being

ambidextrous with computer mouse ___ notice things employees do at restaurants ___ say "fuh-ling!" when tossing stuff ___ am ridiculously expressive ___ have been accused of being goofy ___ think being goofy can make a person more interesting ___ mishear song lyrics ___ have journaled since 1985 ___ tend to answer questions in complete sentences ___ never used an ATM (I got a system.) ___ drive way too much ___ like to sing while I drive ___ also sing in the choir at my church ___ dance -- privately, at home -- when good music is on ___ wear some of my grandfather's clothes ___ do not tan well + gave up trying years ago ___ suffered food shame ___ previously backed up my computer files with insane frequency ___ haven't watched a broadcast TV show in years ___ have painted most of the rooms at my mom's house ___ also painted the exterior trim ___ can read sheet music, thanks to two years of junior high chorus ___ changed clothes in a car ___ been diagnosed with the flu one time ___ worked three jobs during one college semester ___ very rarely drink sodas or eat fast food ___ once beat the computer at chess, forcing it to move ___ avoid reading about my celebrity crushes after too many TMI's ___ still watch shows I videotaped in high school ___ re-use post-its if they have blank space ___ only had three wisdom teeth ___ overidentify with certain TV and movie (and cartoon!) characters ___ wrote a lengthy fanfiction in which I meet Richard Grieco

in their estimation

An on-line IQ test scored me this way:

Congratulations, Anne! Your IQ score is 131 This number is the result of a formula based on how many questions you answered correctly on Emode's Ultimate IQ test. Your IQ score is scientifically accurate; to read more about the science behind our IQ test, click here. During the test, you answered four different types of questions -- mathematical, visual-spatial, linguistic and logical. We analyzed how you did on each of those questions which reveals how your brain uniquely works. We also compared your answers with others who have taken the test, and according to the sorts of questions you got correct, we can tell your Intellectual Type is Visual Mathematician. This means you are gifted at spotting patterns -- both in pictures and in numbers. These talents combined with your overall high intelligence make you good at understanding the big picture, which is why people trust your instincts and turn to you for direction -- especially in the workplace. And that's just some of what we know about you from your test results. Find out more about your unique intellectual strengths in your personalized 15-page IQ report. It's ready right now!

From an email to my friend Michele: "I'm including a paragraph that I got from a site that "reads" your name. I don't place much stock in all of that, but this description of me is pretty close!"

The name of Anne has given you a rather quiet, reserved, serious, studious nature. You have sensitivity and appreciation for the finer and deeper things of life, the beauties of nature, music, art, and literature. The people who mean the most to you are those who can offer you intellectual companionship. It is only when you are among those who understand your deeper nature that you can really be yourself. The experience of having your remarks taken lightly or belittled, particularly during the early years of your life, has caused you to keep your thoughts and feelings to yourself. You do not express yourself spontaneously when conversing with others; hence other people may often regard you as being aloof, and even unfriendly. Your difficulty in putting your deeper thoughts and feelings into words can lead to problems in more intimate associations. This name has caused you to live much within yourself. You are rather easily hurt or offended. At such times you can withdraw into a mood, and may not even speak to others. Aside from these points, this name contains many fine qualities. You are a thoughtful, analytical person, and you know your own mind, even though you may not speak it. You are very conscientious and competent in all that you do. You take seriously any responsibilities that you have--in the home, in the community, or at the job. Worry and mental depression could be problems in your life. Physically, any weaknesses in your health would centre in the heart, lungs, or bronchial organs.

odds + ends

In random order. (How else, right? ;)

Own dozens of notepads but prefer to write notes on scrap paper and old envelopes ("recycling").

Did well in computer programming classes: I love steps.

Once appeared as a model in an ad for the clothing store where I worked.

Don't often yawn. I think it's because I tend to be engaged in whatever I'm doing. (Or, if I'm not, my mind usually wanders to something I *can* engage in. ;)

Indulge in "armchair psychology," or trying to figure out why people do what they do. This often helps me be more understanding and less angry.

Formerly waited for special occasions, such as watching a favorite show, to eat food "treats." Now, I never eat while watching TV.

Had one hair perm, and it was a disaster.

Hate watching the series finales of my favorite shows. In fact, once I taped a series finale and kept it for years before recording over it, without ever watching it. I figured that way, the show wouldn't end for me.

Have a mildly suspicious nature, so I don't post details like my real last name, my place of employment, pictures of my car, etc. on-line.

Rode in a hot air balloon, at a Cherry Blossom Festival in Macon, Georgia. The balloon remained tethered to the ground, and only went up 50 or so feet, but still, that counts as a ride in my book.

Heard Bob Seger singing of "a long and lonesome highway east of Omaha" while I was on a less-than-lonesome interstate west of Omaha.

Will sit in the car to hear the last part of a favorite song on the radio.

Would rather talk on the phone when no one else is around. Otherwise, it feels like I'm trying to be in two places at once.

Can't stand to kill bugs. Except for mosquitoes. As I see it, they make it personal when they try to take my own, personal blood.

Have been to Mississippi twice, and both times something bad has happened. The first time the guy who was driving us locked the keys in the truck. The second time the car I was riding in was in an accident; thankfully, no one was injured. Both times we was just passing through.

Many years ago, I heard someone -- I think it was my dad -- call a downpour of rain a gullywasher; I either misheard or chose to mishear because since then, I refer to it as a bellywasher.

Sometimes when I have to phone someone for information, I write a brief script of what I'll say.

My sister won our first microwave after purchasing a raffle ticket.

For a while, our family had 20 cats. They all stayed outside.

We check caller ID and hardly ever answer the phone if we don't recognize the number.

I entered a contest by calling a phone number and singing the Martha White jingle. The main prize was a trip to Nashville to sing at the Grand Ole Opry with Marty Stuart; my rendition earned a notably lesser prize: a Martha White bluegrass compilation CD.

If someone sees me enter the restroom, I hurry to do my business and get out because I don't want them to wonder what I'm doing that's taking so long.

I've won two radio contests:
1) I didn't win the grand prize; as a finalist my prize was a $25 gift cert to a plaque/engraving shop, but still. I won out of "a phone book sized stack of entries." It was my kind of contest -- listeners were to submit their Top Ten Reasons I Need a New Shopping Spree.
2) I won $100! The radio station called our office a week or two before asking if I wanted to enter: three times a day they'd say "We'd like to thank So and So for listening." When you heard your name, you were to call a number and later collect your $$. One Friday morning that I remembered to have the radio on, they called mine.

I am usually pretty quiet around people that I don't know very well. Sometimes I will make small talk, but other times I try but I truly can't think of anything conversational to say. (Does that ever happen to anyone else?) So, if I'm ever around you and I don't chat much, please don't interpret that as a sign that I don't like you or that I'm a snob or something.

through the years

a (loose) timeline

When I was a kid, I liked to hide, especially in stores. (Drove my poor mom nuts.)

I also remember, after receiving gifts (like at Christmas), trying to sleep that night and being afraid I would die and never get to play with my new toys.

In grade school, I thought volleyball was called "bally-ball."

I also thought "khaki" was "tacky."

Dad made my jewelry box by repairing one that a store had thrown away.

Our family didn't have a color television until the mid 1980's. We still don't have cable, nor do we think of this as a hardship.

One of my grandmothers was half Cherokee Indian. From the pictures that I have, that same grandmother looks exactly like my older sister.

My sixth grade math teacher also taught my father, "back in the day."

In school, I was especially quiet around boys that I had crushes on. (I have no idea why.) I always thought that the subtle glances that I would cast in their directions were very meaningful.

In high school, while sitting on a department store display waiting for my friends, I was once mistaken for a mannequin.

I chickened out of wearing the black cape that I sewed to wear with my white senior prom dress.

In high school, I inherited -- among other things -- my grandfather's filing cabinets. I enjoyed adding papers to them ("creating order in an otherwise imperfect world," lol), but in retrospect I gave the folders unhelpful names: My Papers, Anne, Anne's papers...

My graduating class consisted of approximately 45 people.

A college professor said she enjoyed watching me take a test because she could tell I was working through the problems in my head. (Glad she waited until the final to share this, or I would've been self-conscious!)

This reminds me of something I wrote in one of the first letters to my pen-pal: A [hidden] camera on me [at work] would catch *quite* a show! I do work sometimes (that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!) but sometimes, I'll get up and dance or move around just to loosen up after sitting for so long.

I earned an Associate's Degree in Interior Design, but that career field never really took off for me.

I've quit one job after working only one day. When I say that it was being a telemarketer, I'm sure you'll understand my leaving!

I've also worked as a visual merchandiser at a clothing store, a waitress, a telephone secretary at an answering service, an interior decorator/salesperson at a paint store, an "undergraduate assistant" (in other words, a paper grader), a co-op student (I'd work full time for one semester -- in a job related to my field -- then go to school full-time for a semester), an administrative assistant, an auditor at an inventory company, and a "design technician".

I was fired from the answering service for being "too nice" to tell irate callers what they didn't want to hear.

When I was fairly new to the Internet, at the urging of an email, I wrote to my Senator and asked him not to support a plan to impose a charge on every email sent. His office wrote back to thank me for my support... and to let me know there never was such a bill in the works. I'm still embarrassed to think about that, but at least it was a valuable lesson learned: verify the accuracy of what you hear, especially on the Internet!

Nearly every time I would visit my long-distance boyfriend, we'd spend time walking around the mall. One day a guard even stopped us to comment, "You've been coming here for years, haven't you." (I was less than thrilled to learn that we were so predictable.)

listed

Things I track: cash spent, clothes worn, DVDs watched, exercise, food eaten, gas mileage, recurrence of health issues

Words I overuse: really, ponder, try, indeed, no doubt, I think, whatever

Not my bag: talk radio, mean people, arguing, buying snacks at the movie theatre, lottery tickets, political discussions, following sports, shopping til I drop, horror movies, store bought cake

If 10,000 hours spent on something makes one an expert, then I'm an expert in driving, computer usage, and reading.

brings a smile to my face

I like that usually when someone speeds past me while driving -- as if I'm the one holding them back :rollseyes: -- I very often find myself stopped right beside them at the next traffic light.

I also like to sing and dance around while I'm driving. If you live in my area and see someone doing that, it's probably me. I'm not having some weird seizure; if I'm really moving, it's probably because the song "I Will Survive" is on.

After class one day, I had stopped at the vending machines to see if they had any trail mix. (They didn't.) The guy at the Coke machine said, "Do you want a Coke? The machine gave me two." Sure! I thought, "What are the odds?"

I went to a shoe sale the other day. I decided to not get the flimsy, cloth, on-sale shoe; after much debate, I opted instead for the $3 more non-sale, sturdier shoe. As it turns out, the shoe I picked was on sale too! I *love* when that happens!

"Thor Hates Couponers," consumerist.com's irreverent tag for an article about lightning striking a person at a cashier's checkout

"I know if I put my mind to it, I know I could find a good rhyme here." Weird Al's parody of George Harrison's "Got My Mind Set On You"

Personalized license plate: IMB4UHA. Seen on a car. That was B4 me. HA!

Me: (doing inventory on cheeses in the deli)
Supervisor (arrives): How is the cheese lady doing?
Me (unable to resist) Pretty gouda.

"We use a wok." from the TV show Roseanne, a drunken Becky's response when her friend asks for the bathroom

What do you call cheese that isn't yours? Nacho Cheese.

The Bus Incident*

A woman got on a bus holding a baby. The bus driver looked at the child and blurted out, "That's the ugliest baby I've ever seen!"

Infuriated, the woman slammed her fare into the fare box and took an aisle seat near the rear of the bus. The man seated next to her sensed that she was agitated and asked her what was wrong.

"The bus driver insulted me!" she fumed.

The man sympathized and said, "Why, he shouldn't say things to insult passengers. He could be fired for that."

"You're right," she said. "I think I'll go back up there and give him a piece of my mind!"

"That's a good idea," the man said. "Here, let me hold your monkey."

* This may be my favorite joke of all time.


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