3/26/2008

I am the centre of my own universe

I could write about how I am struggling, really struggling, not to shout at my mom for telling me how to raise my kid. I could also write about my current anxiety levels about everything, a situation not made better by my mom's revelation that P's left foot turns in significantly when she walks. Instead, I'm going to focus on a meme, because at least that's light and jolly. I don't have to worry about people dying, or my child's seemingly gimpy foot.

Becky, a woman fond of thick black eyeliner, Berlin Wall-sized bangs, and acid-washed jeans (KIDDING), tagged me for this meme awhile ago, or at least it seems like awhile ago but probably isn't because she writes about 3 posts per day. Run-on sentence. I seem to think I've done it before as well, so I do apologise if I'm going overboard on the whole I'm-so-fucking-quirky-it-hurts thing.

The rules:
1) Link to the person who tagged you.
2) Post the rules.
3) Share six non-important things / habits / quirks about yourself.
4) Tag at least three people.
5) Be sure the people you tagged KNOW you tagged them by commenting what you did.

I'm not so much for tagging, because it makes me feel like it's a popularity contest - who do I pick, and what if they don't know I tagged them because they don't read me anymore? I can't take the crushing blow of rejection, particularly at the moment. I'll just get all teary and listen to even more Iron & Wine, and my husband will blame all of you. I'll ponder the tagging aspect as I write.

On with the meme already, jesus...

1) Thanks to childhood fears, I still cannot expose my bare feet from underneath a blanket, nor can I allow my bare feet to venture even slightly under the bed. I do know nothing is likely to bite them, tear them off, or even lick them, but it still ain't happening.

2) Growing up, I had a deep fascination with the paranormal. I am not exaggerating in the slightest when I say that I read every single in-print book on the subject. It was less about aliens and crop circles, more about ghosts. I even made my parents drive 2 hours out of the way during a driving trip through New England so I see a haunted theatre in Maine, a building I read about in my bible of the time, The Ghostly Gazetteer. Oddly, this interest didn't extend to actually wanting to be involved at all with ghosts, I was terrified of the notion. I used to get stomach cramps from nervousness whenever a Ouija board was produced at a party. To this day I enjoy reading ghost stories and watching programmes about them, but show me a Ouija and I'll throw up in your lap.

3) I briefly dated a guy in high school who had a threesome with one of my good friends and a girl two years younger than us. He apologised profusely as if that would do any good, and my friend cried and told me it "just happened", a likely excuse. You can see how people accidentally find themselves in the midst of a threesome with no clue as to how his penis got inside her, or how you ended up making out with some skank. I don't know about you, but I hate it when that happens.

4) I'm a major curtain twitcher. P's window provides the best view of the street, so I can regularly be seen peering out, just being a nosy bitch. During my maternity leave a guy in one of the flats opposite killed himself, and I spent two and a half hours standing at the window watching all of the relevant parties filter in and out. I see fights often after the clubs let out, drunk men glassed, and police with TV crews arresting the inebriated. Whatever will I do when I no longer live in a city?

5) I'm a realty addict. I spend hours perusing real estate websites and looking at pictures. I spend most of my time on www.mls.ca given the eventual move to America's Hat (again, kidding, I just love that expression), and, no lie, can spend at least 4 hours looking at hours. I also look locally, as well as the area around my hometown, just for fun. No, I really did say fun. Laugh if you must, but I have a cracking idea of the real estate market in Ontario, the south of England, and southcentral Pennsylvania. These are qualities which can get you far in life.

6) I don't drink, and won't get near The Dude after he's had a drink because I can't tolerate the breath of someone who has been drinking. My Dad is a recovering alcoholic, and when I smell stale alcohol on someone's breath I flash back to being young and in denial of my Dad's problem. I can't think of a smell worse than that of alcohol on someone's breath.

I'm going to break the rules and not tag anyone. I'm sure it will all keep going without me.

I'm off to spread my joy now.

8 comments:

Angela said...

I hate that smell too. Makes my stomach turn.

Eva said...

#4 S&J's new favorite hobby is having me hold them at the window (together, mind you, all 45 pounds) and look for cars, people, and bicycles. Unfortunately, our neighborhood is far less exciting than yours, so we basically watch one car go by, say "more car" and make my arms go numb waiting for the next one in 5 minutes. They would clearly prefer your neighborhood.
#5 As you're looking, you can find me a new house. We'd like a mudroom, extra bedroom, garage, and a family room. And of course, S&J request lower windows, and a busier street.

Kristi said...

I'm such a window peeper, too. Our creepy 100-year-old neighbors don't have shades or curtains on their upstairs window that faces our bathroom. I've spent many a night peering out our window on tip-toes, watching them conduct such old people tasks as falling asleep while reading, and doing cross-stitch.

PS: Tell mama to bug off. Trust me, it feels good.

Anonymous said...

I can spend all day looking at houses for sale online...

when does the maternal unit leave?

Anonymous said...

I think we might have been separated at birth (except you're younger than I am). I, too, am fascinated by the paranormal and yet terrified of actually having a personal experience with it. Yeah, Oui Ja boards are a huge no-no for me.

I love to spy on my neighbors. Unfortunately, they're all old codgers with nothing interesting going on in their lives.

Total non-drinker here too, so very boring of me.

And I surf realty.com constantly. Usually within my own area, just because if we WERE to decide to move, I'd have some idea of what's available. And...I think it goes back to being nosy and enjoying seeing pics of the houses around here.

But enough about me...

Tommie (I'm a bad commentor, I've commented, like, once before on your blog. Please don't hate me.)

Aunt Becky said...

I am SO going to have to whip out the eyeliner and see what I look like Goth. Maybe for Halloween this year. One year, I went as Becky from da Block (I was so kickin' it gangsta style) but I've never been goth before.

Hehehe.

Helen said...

"who do I pick, and what if they don't know I tagged them because they don't read me anymore? I can't take the crushing blow of rejection"

EXACTLY why I don't do memes. Because I can't handle the idea that someone won't be there. Also, I suck at them, so even if I see my name I pretend I didn't see my name there.

Lollipop Goldstein said...

We love going to seeing houses on the market when they're having an open house. I have major real estate envy.

And feet need to firmly stay on the bed too.

That sounded like a naughty thing: "she's a dirty old curtain twitcher."