Quirk Confessional

A couple of months ago my dear Perla tagged me with this from her blog. It's been hovering there at the back of my mind on occasion, so I finally decided to put these thoughts down.

I'm supposed to list six unspectacular quirks that I possess. This is a hard thing to do - probably because what I do seems normal to me and partially because I'm not terribly attentive in the first place.

1. I like patterns in things. For example, floor tiles. It's not that I have to have them in order, but in the back of my mind, I'll look at the floor tiles and figure out how they'd have to be rearranged to make a pattern. The pattern I most like to create out of floor tiles is the "9 block square" with alternating colors like this:I'm always rearranging things in my mind to make patterns. But I don't have to have them in patterns... I just like to think about what it would take to make it into a pattern. I like to figure out where the repeat in the pattern is and how many variations there are. Could be anything - print on a fabric, cars parked, pens on a desk, etc. That probably doesn't make sense, but there it is.

2. Strings of numbers have a near-musical quality to me. Before I started losing my mind it was very easy for me to remember strings of numbers because I could remember the sound/song they made in my head. Then I started getting old. What was I saying again?

3. I experience physical pain when watching someone embarrass themselves. I know it sounds weird, but it's honestly painful for me. For this reason, I often have to hide my face when watching TV if the comedy gets "slap-sticky". I can't even watch a full episode of a show like Frasier because it's often so obvious that the embarrassment is coming. I had to get up and leave during "Meet the Parents" - it hurt my chest to try to watch it. I just avoid those kinds of shows.

4. I sit on my hands. If my legs are crossed, I'll tuck my fingers between my crossed knees. When I sleep, I lay on my side with my legs bent at 90 degrees and tuck my fingers between my crossed knees or I thread my arms between my legs and grasp the fronts of my calves with the hand from the opposite side. If my arms aren't "tucked in" it feels like my long arms are in the way of my sleeping and it bugs me. I was looking through some old pictures and found a picture of me at age 3 sitting like that, will my hands all tucked in. Guess I've always done it.

5. I can't sleep if my feet are dirty.

6. I can't stand noises that don't serve a purpose (like children's toys that just make noise for the sake of noise). I'm actually more OK with a machine that's making noise because it serves a purpose. Can't handle the sound of nervous feet tapping or chairs squeaking because someone is bouncing their legs, etc. It will also drive me nuts if the sound repeats in an irregular fashion. At least have the decency to have a pattern!! Come on, people!