Saturday, October 25, 2008

Quirks 'R Us!

Tagged by Zillachen a few days ago, I'm just now catching up with it...

These things always seem hard to do because (I'd like to think) most of my quirks are readily apparent...like B.B. King's admonishment to Bobby "Blue" Bland in a live recording so many years ago; "I ain't a refrigerator, I don't keep nothing in"!

The rules:

1. Link the person who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules on your blog.
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged bloggers’ blogs letting them know
they’ve been tagged.

1. I believe if mechanical things don't have souls (I'm still not convinced) that
they at least have personalities. I talk to them, have spent a fair amount of
time coaxing them through the years, and have felt guilt at abandoning the ones
that didn't leave my hands "alive"!

2. I tend to overthink things to the point of inaction. Be it spending more time
reading how to do something than it would take to just go do it, or reading so
many viewpoints that they all become mush in my brain and lead to confusion. This
is one I'm working on.

3. Closely related to #2, I have poor budgeting skills concerning time. If I make a
"to-do" list for the day, I'll be lucky to be 1/3 of the way through it by day's
end. This may or may not have anything to do with the distractions of Blogger,
MSNBC, G4TV, FuelTV, or MusicChoice...

4. As I've grown older, being in crowds bothers me more and more. From sharing an
aircraft carrier with 5,000 other guys 35 years ago being "normal", I now cringe
at the thought of a mall during the holidays.

5. Which leads to the fact I've been Christmas shopping for months now, though not
as much has been put away as I'd like, having to do with those lists that never
show up until Thanksgiving. Of course, the ultimate goal of having it all wrapped
by Thanksgiving like my Grandma used to will never be achieved!

6. I've never been an "assertive" person, part of why I don't capitalize the first
letter of my name here or when I visit you; part of why I always ended up with
extra work on my jobs through the years that no one else could or would do; part
of why I just can't bring myself to tag people when I do things like this. Many
of you have gotten e-mails from me through the years that open with my apology
for intruding, etc.. More of you would have had I an address!

So, now that those who are still here are bored to tears...

Dottie was off yesterday and after our errands, we went to Lawrence to watch one of my younger nephew's last football games as he graduates this next spring. John, Noel and the grandkids also went, and though it was very cool and had rained most of the day, we all had a good time. The grandsons talked Cindy into keeping them overnight, so Dottie invited Talia to come home with us. She is in the living room watching Barbie's "Nutcracker" as I write, and has a model she picked out, a C5 Corvette, that she wants to put together later this afternoon or tomorrow. (I'm very glad I won't be keeping her in rolling stock when she comes of age!)

When I click "publish" I'm going to wander downstairs and spend some time lifting and doing laundry, and decide which way I plan to grill the chicken for dinner tonight. I bought some "raspberry chipotle" marinade, but Talia isn't much for "different" things right now (neither is her Grandma, actually, and that word chipotle drew quite a reaction when it was seen on the bottle).

About 3 times a year I allow myself a glass or two of wine (some years not at all) and the other week, having been through all my bloodwork and such for the year, I thought a treat was in order so I picked up a bottle of chardonnay...Newman's Own "Top Hat"...

Since tonight will be the first IRL race since Paul departed, and since Carl Haas announced earlier in the week that as long as there is a team, Paul's name will stay on the cars (that had been decided in advance, he said) it seems like a very appropriate time to pop a cork and think fondly of someone who did so much for the world!

May the weekend be kind to you all!

alan

12 comments:

Jennifer said...

:-)

We have a few things in common. I'm ashamed to admit thought, that I'm more likely to curse at a machine that isn't working properly than I am to coax it. I can tinker, a little, and I will do basic wiring such as doorbells or lighting fixtures; I'm not afraid of the gunk a pipe wrench might reveal if I disassemble the trap; but if the space is cramped or inconvenient to access or possibly full of spiders, I hire it done.

I hate crowds, too, but the last time I was anywhere near an aircraft carrier I was probably a twinkle in my dad's eye :-) Downtown during the week of Christmas doesn't make me panic like the mall does, especially if it's snowing. My favorite Christmas song is "Silver Bells," and I love hearing it downtown, after dark, the week of Christmas.

We must stop mentioning Christmas before I panic and order goats from heifer.org on behalf of everyone on my list :-)

Don't apologize, ever, for being friendly. (Please)

The nice thing about grilled chicken is you can use a variety of sauces or marinades -- something different on every piece to suit for everyone's differing taste. Most of the bottled sauces keep well -- I've got a fridgeful to prove it!

Now I shall go hang my head in shame for not knowing there's a chardonnay to Paul's credit, on top of everything else! If I ever find it, I'll try it!

Jennifer said...

PS: Please ignore the typos -- I was in the middle of trying not to burn the kids' chicken wings. And there may have been a tiny little happy hour cocktail involved ;-)

Kranki said...

Cheers, Alan! Have a great rest of the weekend.

Puffer said...

A good weekend 2 u 2!

CrackerLilo said...

OhmyGods, I totally have #1 and #2 in common with you! While I am not a mechanic, I feel that my work and home computers have distinct personalities, and so does every car I rent. I coax, I talk, I soothe. (When others aren't around, of course!) Sometimes I do cuss. I think it's to do with all the people it takes to make a machine, from design to repair. I don't think all those people can touch it and work on it without leaving something behind.

Which means the Newman cars must be exceptionally cool. :-)

#2, overthinking...well, I'm working on it, too!

Have a happy week!

Shinigami Liz said...

Time to give out a secret so 'shush' don't tell anyone I let this slip. I don't know exactly the breakdown for what type of soul goes into which machine, other than the one the concerns myself (always nice to know where I will end up.) The souls of schizophrenic people go into the timing mechanisms of toasters. Don't believe me? Go make a few batches of toast then try to deny it, MUHAHAHA.

Sassy said...

Will you come and do my laundry next? Oh yeah AND cook me dinner?!

*bats eyes*

haha

Anji said...

I always read the instructions, much to everyone's amusement, but sometimes I come in useful.

I hope that you enjoyed your wine. I see they don't export to France!!

Casdok said...

Mechanical things definetly have personalities, cant say i have thought of them having souls! So something to think on!

chosha said...

Right with you on #2 and #3. #4 is a little different for me. I've never enjoyed crowds in general terms, but I did always love being in the hot, sweaty crowd at a rock concert, even up until a few years ago. But lately I have no patience for it at all. I haven't quite got to the point where I'd rather be in the stands at the side than in front of the stage, but I do love seated shows now like I never used to before.

Chandira said...

It's ok Alan, I talk to inanimate objects too. I do think they have personalities! We're not crazy. ;-)

And no, that wasn't boring at all.

Hope you enjoyed your wine. That's about as much as I ever drink. The odd glass of Merlot once or twice or thrice a year. But thank God for fake beer!!! It's actually pretty good, and tastes like the real thing.

Green tea said...

You need to come train my Hubba..LOL