43 weird facts about myself

I have never in my life had a brain freeze.
I get a back freeze. TG thinks I’m weird.
But I’m sure someone else knows what that is.

I didn’t have anyplace else to list this, and it’s kinda important.

As some of you may have figured out (from that little mood-meter thing, which I couldn’t figure out how to lie to), the last week or so has been kind of rough. I won’t go into it, ‘cause it’s private family stuff, but it’s getting better, I think.

One of the things that’s helping is that my company just got its first contract. Now I’m not doing cartwheels because it’s a very temporary, one-task gig; it’s only 50 hours or so of work. But it’s a real contract for the company that I incorporated myself…which is pretty good and it’s a real, actual accomplishment that I did. It gives my company a past performance and makes it more attractive for clients – plus all of the paperwork and accounting for having employees will be established, so I won’t screw anything up later when it might matter more.

34. I am an engineer, and enjoy all manner of electronic devices, except that I detest remote controls, particularly for the TV. I live in fear of the day that mankind will remain permanently on the couch because they can’t get up and change the damn channel themselves. Mostly, I prefer turning the thing off.

I also dislike power windows in cars. I’ll crank the window myself. I’ve thrown fits in car showrooms because they kept trying to install power windows in my car. My car currently has them, but that’s because we bought it used. They come standard on just about everything now, and that’s just silly. I’ve gone nuts in the dark trying to figure out which button goes to which window, and watched them roll right past where I want them due to some “helpful” feature that causes them to open all the way down if I look at them funny.

And if I buy a computer, the first thing I do is throw out all those “helpful” little offers. “If you act now, we’ll connect you to the Internet through…!” NO. Screw you and get off my computer. Nowadays, it takes me something like two hours to assassinate all the damn little doohickeys that they contaminate my computer with. Pfeh.

I think i cry really easy. Sometimes i don’t cry when i have issues. But watching TV anything emotional makes me cry, news, movies, animal planet, tv spots, cartoons. I cry for sadness and happiness. I almost cry every day or at least i feel a knot in my throat. It’s silly.

33. It only occurred to me somewhat recently that this habit of mine might be considered a bit, emmm, unusual after reading the Crazy Prepared trope on the TV Tropes Web page. Warning! For those who have not visited that page, it can turn into a tremendous time sink!

My lovely wife should have gotten the clue about me when she remarked one day when I was in my first year at college that I’d missed a spot shaving that morning…and I reached into my book bag, pulled out my electric razor, and headed off to the bathroom for an outlet and a touch-up on my chin.

Fast-forward to today, when I take my computer case to work with me. It has, of course, my computer, as well as about a dozen or so cables and adapters and some tools – that sort of stands to reason, given my job.

It also has (reciting from memory) my planner journal, my separate engineering journal, napkins, my map case (with maps of several major cities on the East Coast and at least one on the West, bus schedules, Metro, commuter rail and Amtrak schedules, plus pre-purchased tickets to multiple common destinations, just in case), a first aid kit (containing band-aids, antibiotic cream, ibuprofen and other analgesics, antacids, gauze, dental floss picks, vitamins, cold sore cream, medical tape…), a nail care kit (with tweezers, clippers, nail scissors and a file), business card case, brochures for my company, book of New York Times crossword puzzles and/or what paperback I’m reading at the time, USB flash drive, collapsible umbrella, a second wallet (mostly with store-specific discount and membership cards), blank CD-ROMs, pens, flashlight, key fob, bottle opener, stapler, small book of mathematical and measurement conversion factors, mp3 player with an earphone case, moisturizing cream, toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, checkbook, facial tissues, lighter (I don’t smoke), pocketknife, a few dollars in change for emergency parking meter feedage, and a shot of Scotch in a small flask. I think that’s it. (My cel phone is at my belt, my work ID is around my neck, and my keys are in my pocket.)

I purchased a foldable luggage trolley to roll it all around with.

(Shucks, now that I think of it, I used to carry a packet of peanuts or trail mix and a bottle of water with me in there as well. I need to start doing that again.)

31. My nose is ticklish.

32. Paul Lynde, the actor and comedian from Hollywood Squares, once met me and said that I had “a lovely voice”.

I never sleep with my feets uncover or out of the bed because i feel scared and insecure.

30. I am a warm weather person to a large degree. I am never prepared for winter and dislike being cold pretty intensely. Paradoxically, I often wear warm weather clothing long into the winter season, or at least the fall…because I don’t want to surrender my summer. The hair on my arms, probably as a consequence, ends right at the point where the t-shirt begins.

If the cans in the pantry are stored upside-down, they’ll get a headache so I have to store them right-side-up.

For some reason I like the feel of warm mud between my toes. As a kid there wasn’t a mud puddle safe from me.