8 by pen

Even though we weren't tagged by Megs to do our Weird 8, mendacious and I, after sobbing a little, have decided to tag ourselves. Because the lists of weirdnesses between us are, I'm quite sure, endless.


1. I get really annoyed at J.Lo for picking at his nails instead of using a clipper, but then I do the same thing. And what's worse is, I will be the one to pick off a nail badly, causing pain, bleeding, and (one horrible time), infection. The infection, by the way, hurt worse than labor.


2. I'm going through a phase where I just want to paint one wall of a given room. Okay, so I've only done that once so far, in the den, but I really feel like an accent wall can transform the whole room without the time, effort, or expense of a complete repaint. Plus, you can pick bolder colors than you would for all 4 walls. Someday I'm also going to do the living room, and for K.Lo's room, I plan on keeping the top half the way it is (purple with polka dots) and painting the bottom green. That just sounded like a circus when I wrote it down. But it's going to be fabulous.


3. My cravings this pregnancy are: fruit, esp strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, apples, kiwi and watermelon. Sometimes I wonder if I really crave the fruit, or if I'm just thirsty? I still have a hard time drinking enough water. I also crave eggs, hard-boiled especially. All the other things I've mentioned eating excessively in recent history, i.e. hot dogs, pasta, pizza, and cheese, I eat all the time, even when not pregnant, so I don't feel like they count.


4. I am not a hobnobber. And name-dropping is such a huge pet peeve. I'm really not interested in who you know (unless they're like, a TV star, heh), where you or they went to school, what exactly is on your or their resume(s), and what kinds of things you or they own. I mean, I care, because it's you, and these things make up who you are, including who you spend time with. But if that's all you care about? I clam up. I back off. I find better things to do. Because clearly I am not interesting enough to be your friend. And that I am anti-networking, anti-status, anti-ass-kissing, and anti-materialism? That is exactly what will keep me from being successful in the money-earning world, in my so-called writing career, sure. I'm aware. I wish sometimes that I were more charismatic and inherently charming as a person, and that none of this hobnob deficiency or disdain would matter, but I am who I am, it is what it is, and so. I am okay with that.


5. I don't get invited many places, and not just because I don't hobnob. (Or maybe it is. Perhaps it's the lack of charisma.) I used to get really upset about this fact, like until a few years ago? Then I realized that, duh, I don't invite anyone else anywhere, either. Even though I am continually trying to be better about this particular social retardation, I still depend on others too much to do the inviting. On the other hand, I am a homebody, and don't really desire to go too many places, as it sucks the energy right out of me. I need lots of downtime, time spent watering the plants and watching the fish. Which is yet another thing that makes me boring, I think, but again, yeah, I'm all right with that.


6. I'm a sl o o o w reader. I always have been, and then the problem became worse with classes in English and creative writing. It took me nearly 2 1/2 years out of school (and it's only been 3, total) to not think so much about the story's elements and to just enjoy the ride, but I'm still slow. I just need to soak up every word and understand exactly what is happening and how and why. It takes time. This habit or quality frustrates me, though, and I so wish I could just breeze through book after book like so many of my friends do.


7. I love horseradish. I'm not so much a fan of typically "spicy" or "hot" food, at least once it's to the point of obscuring taste and/or inducing tears. But the heat of horseradish, wasabi and the like? It's thrilling, the way it kind of creeps up behind your sinuses to set your mind on fire. I could eat horseradish plain out of the jar, I think. When I stayed in England, most days I would go to this local sandwich shop for lunch and order a turkey sandwich with mustard, and this mustard, as is apparently standard in England, was laced with horseradish. It was so fantastic, and I've spent the past 8 years, with no success, trying to find mustard that will compare.


8. I don't like red radishes. Don't they have a similar bite? Can't really stand them, never could, despite that they're much prettier than horseradish. Radishes are one of the few foods that I avoided as a kid, but didn't pass on the Second Chance Test as an adult. Potato salad, coleslaw, asparagus, and pierogies all made it into the edible category, but radishes, not so much.

I tag Ashley and Johann.