Seven weird habits/things about me.

7 weird habits/things about me (taken from my submission to another blogging/social site):

1) I go through "phases." My phases generally are periods of time where I collect things of a specific nature, although they also be phases of things that I do for entertainment...and even sometimes what food or drinks that I will consume. Items that I've collected during these phases (in the last six or seven years) have included gargoyle/dragons, memorabilia from the late great band Faith No More (including subway posters from the UK and a picture signed by the band during their "The Real Thing" era), Star Wars figures (mostly from the revival in the mid 90s through the "Attack of the Clones" offerings), hockey jerseys (personalized, preferred, with a player's name on the back), and most recently, hockey pucks. Drink-wise, I'm currently on a "triple venti nonfat cappuccino with one pump of peppermint syrup" kick. I recently dropped the "slightly dry" modification because I've found that Starbucks never seems to know what I mean by "slightly dry." I'm currently NOT on a Panera Bread sesame seed bagel, not toasted, with tomato basil cream cheese kick...but that was the last one (and before that it was an asiago bagel with veggie cheese)...so I guess my current "food phase" is NOT stopping at least three times a week at Panera for a bagel. And lastly, I'm currently not on a "reading" kick...but I'm sure I will be once I get some book money after the holidays. I've often been curious why I am this way, but I really don't have any solid leads. The "buying and collecting" things I suspect has to do with my childhood relationship with my father. I would often try to convince him into buying some kind of trinket when I'd visit him and we be out doing something. My mother used to speculate that it was because I knew that he WOULD buy me what I wanted, but I speculate that a lot of it was that I was trying to fill that empty spot of not having him around in my daily life...thus I'd have an "object" with me everyday that somehow was a reflection of our time together. Deep huh?

2) I refuse to turn left onto a busy road where there is no stoplight. I will go out of my way to avoid having to do this...sometimes circumventing an entire city block JUST to avoid having to do so. Lindsay will back me up on this as it drives her crazy. I have no real reason for why I DON'T do this, other than I just don't enjoy doing it. Just one of those things I get paranoid about, I guess.

3) My dream vacation would be to drive across America and do it at a leisurely pace. I honestly would not want to do it in an RV or anything like that, preferring to keep to a comfortable but economical car. I also would not want to do the camping thing, because personally I'd like to have at least SOME comfort along the trip...preferring to stay at a motel each night. I would try to spread it out as best as I could, visiting nooks and crannies along the way, but with the "Mother Road" of Route 66 bridging the two coasts (well, Chicago's SORT of a coast) along the way. I'd bring along a camera (nothing fancy and frankly I wouldn't try to get all artsy during and afterward) and take a lot of pictures...but frankly I think it would be cool to just see how people LIVE across this country. You know, see what it'd be like to stay in a remote farmhouse in Kansas or see what it would be like to stay in the French Quarter of New Orleans and NOT take part in the touristy stuff. So many "road purists" seem to focus on the natural beauty of this country (which is all well and good....), but I think it would be a rewarding experience to just see how people "live." Not sure why I feel that way, but I do. I'd love to have Lindsay and the dogs come along...but I'm not sure that the wife would be as keen on that one.

4) I struggle a lot with my identity as a Christian "by Faith"...but not "by membership." I'm not a churchgoer. I don't know that I've been to one since the spring (and even then it was spotty). It would be easy to cop-out and say that it's because I was made to go as a kid or something along those lines, but that would be a lie. A lot of it, when I think about it, has to do with the things that I've seen and witnessed going on in the church that has made me skeptical about "church" itself. An example would be the church that I just made mention to...we've gotten letters asking us to pitch in for "staff appreciation" but we've never gotten one call about why we don't go there any more. The church before that was even worse...sending offering envelopes in MY name when I wasn't even a member there (Lindsay joined), and they did so for years after we hadn't gone there. Again, no Pastor called to ask why we weren't attending or to see if there had been any crises had arisen. However, despite all of that, I have an unwavering Faith that goes beyond all rationality (I pride myself on thinking too much...therefore I'm amazed at how resolute my Faith has remained despite much in my life that I've personally experienced or witnessed). But, being a Christian by Faith and not by Membership isn't always an easy thing and I hope that at some point I will find a church that I can feel comfortable being a part of and I do feel that if it's God's will that I will indeed find that church. That's probably a very controversial look on things, but it's something I believe truly.

5) Like Ed, I'd probably surprise some folks by admitting that I'm actually fairly shy. I get fired up about a lot of things and often put my foot in my mouth...but more often than not after one of those episodes, I end up ruing something I said and feel guilty about it for a long time afterward. I guess I just struggle with foot-in-mouth disease that comes with the side effect of guilt. There have been several instances in my life that I can think back on even now and be both proud that I stood up for myself...but also still feel a little ashamed that I hurt the other person's feelings in the process.

6) I'm not sure what I would say if given the chance to live "anywhere" in world. Lindsay told me the other day that I wouldn't be happy if we lived in a nice house right on Palm Beach...and I wonder if there's some truth to it. I know I'd like to live somewhere where it's warm a lot...but I don't know that that would be "enough." It's funny, but I struggle with that a lot even living here in North Carolina. I miss the heck out of a lot of things in Michigan, but I would never move back now that I've escape the harsh winters. On the other hand, I really enjoy living here in NC, but I often feel truly "displaced" in terms of how I was brought up and lived for most of my life. There truly IS a difference in living in the North as opposed to the South...and much of it is subtle.

7) I have a weird aversion to talking on the phone. I always have had this. I can talk for hours with maybe on or two friends, but that's about it. Order a pizza? Is Lindsay around to do it? Complain about an error on a bill? Again...see if Lindsay will do it. My mom once said that my dad was the same way...maybe it's a thing of nature. But I really don't enjoy talking on the phone. I don't know if it's because I can't see the person face to face to read body language or what, but it just gives me the heebie-jeebies. Now, if you've gotten me on a platitude about what I think about health care coverage for the disabled in the United States, then you've got me screaming into the phone for a good 60 minutes at minimum....