Quirky valis quirks of quirkitude

[valis2]

There was a meme at some point about quirks. I started to quirkify an entry. Then pandora_nervosa tagged me. So here. Quirks!

• At work I have to do tons of cut and paste in Word, and the find/replace function is essential. Occasionally I use the wildcard option, and when I do, I often imagine I'm sending out a feral girl to savage the document, jumping into the words and screeching and growling as she runs on all fours through the pages. Sometimes she comes back with exactly what I'm looking for; sometimes she grabs nearly the whole document and drags it back to me, baring her ink-stained broken teeth, letters sticking out from underneath her dirty fingernails.


• My work involves five-digit numbers used to report medical procedures called CPT codes. (For example, 97010 is used to report having a hot or cold pack applied to a patient's body.) The description for one code always cracks me up: Prothrombin Time. Whenever I see that code, I imagine a medical superhero team shouting, "It's Prothrombin Time!" and shaking their pill jars furiously. Even sillier, it was mentioned on a recent CSI episode, and I nearly giggled myself off the couch.


• I am a fidgeter. A world-class fidgeter, if you will. My family sought to break me of it, and they succeeded. To a degree. Now I stealth fidget. If I'm seated while I'm talking to you, for instance, I will be making small right-angle triangles with my big toe. Or both big toes. Each corner of the triangle will have a musical tone and I will repeat this in my head over and over again as I move my toe(s) through their triangular paces. I also flex the muscles in my thighs or calves. All while listening to you and carrying on my side of the conversation. You probably had no idea, did you?


• iibnf is right. If you change your LJ name, I will completely forget who you are. I am so sorry. You could even begin every second entry with "OH HAI I USED TO BE NREXERSTEBBER, NOW I STEBBERNREXER" and I would still be lost on the very next entry. Even if it's only an hour later. I have successfully managed to remember two people who changed names, and that was only because one of them uses icons of herself and I actually know her in RL.


• When I used to work at Waldenhell, I would have Tuesday/Wednesday off. I worked every weekend because I didn't really mind, and I wanted to give other people the chance to do things with their loved ones. But I grew used to having days off during the week, and I began to like it very much. In fact, at this point, I absolutely abhor working on a Monday, and I will not if I can avoid it. In fact, I usually have Monday and Friday off, and just work Tues/Weds or T/W/Th. Having a day off during the week is quite wonderful; fewer people at the malls, at the bookstore, etc. Though there are slower people at the grocery store.


• Whenever I dispense liquid dishwashing soap at the kitchen sink, I am required by law to squeeze the bottle again when it's upright so that it dispenses a few teeny tiny bubbles.


• I eat my cereal without milk. Soggy cereal is an abomination.


• Must write in silence. Very few exceptions.


• Must craft with TV shows or movies or music. Very few exceptions.


• If I start watching a terrible movie halfway through, it will intrigue me far more than watching it from the beginning.


• When I work at the day job, the last day of the work week is Rock Out Day. That's the day where I listen to nü-metal in the afternoon. Generally I try not to, because I don't want to alarm everyone there with the noise coming out of my headphones (well, I do have nice headphones that work pretty well at filtering out the noise), but also, I don't want to get sick of Disturbed too quickly, y'know? I like to keep it special.

Comments

[iibnf.livejournal.com]

I've had so many people change their LJ names in the past few months. It's kind of sad - because I'm losing the old friend and ending up with all these strangers. I have no idea who they are/used to be.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Totally. I feel the same way--I know that people do it to get a "fresh start," but still, I get so terribly confused. Especially when I go away and come back--I just groan when I start reading the flist, because I have more than a few unknowns on there, and I daren't defriend them because they are probably dear LJ friends in a different dress.

[todayiamadaisy]

On LJ, as in real life, I'm not too bad with names; I usually remember who's changed and what they've changed to. But I'm in trouble when they change (or don't use) their default icon. I've also confused myself a few times by assigning two different people the same colour combination on my f-list. :-)

I've got your craft thing in reverse: I can't watch TV at all without doing craft, or at least holding a book. Also, I have days off mid-week and it's great. It's just so much easier.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

But I'm in trouble when they change (or don't use) their default icon.

The worst is when two people have the same icon--eee! Makes me crazy!

I've got your craft thing in reverse: I can't watch TV at all without doing craft, or at least holding a book.

Sounds like my mom...but then again, she does everything while holding a book, lol!

[cactus-wren.livejournal.com]

Must craft with TV shows or movies or music. Very few exceptions.


Absolutely! But there are NO exceptions for me, must have TV on, even if it is a CSI repeat I have seen a dozen times. (really that makes it easier, b/c I know what's happening without even looking at the TV).

[valis2.livejournal.com]

haha! Yes, exactly!

I especially like watching movies I've seen a billion times, like Flash Gordon or the Black Swan. I mean, I don't actually watch them, more like I listen and look up for the good parts.

I don't generally listen to music much at home anymore--I live in an apartment, and I don't want to disturb the neighbors.

[snarkysneak.livejournal.com]

Must giggle at the Black Swan....

[catsintheattic.livejournal.com]

I absolutely second the writing in silence thing. I can't think with music in the air, at least not in a very straight way. Actually, I do almost everything in silence with the exception of cleaning. In the car, it's different - music can be inspiring. But even then, when inspiration strikes, I turn the music down to its lowest level and try to write on the steering well. *g*

I like your ritual of the Rock Out Day. :-)

I admire you for being able to take week-days off. I try, but with a bad conscience, even if I've worked at the weekend. I get better, though. I manage to sit at the computer and use my time for writing. But leaving the flat and doing something nice outside is really hard for me.

Yay for soap bubbles!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I absolutely second the writing in silence thing. I can't think with music in the air, at least not in a very straight way.

If I'm really concentrating, music completely derails me. I can't focus on one thing easily, and if I hear music I think of lots and lots of other things and then I get frustrated.

There is one big exception, and that is if I'm writing a chapter I've written in my head over and over again--then I'll use music, usually one song over and over again.

I admire you for being able to take week-days off. I try, but with a bad conscience, even if I've worked at the weekend.

Well, I'm taking days off from my day job, but I'm still working at home, lol. I just like to be able to shop when I need to and not have to worry about lots of people.

It's hard for me to take a day totally off--there's always something business that needs to be done.

[catsintheattic.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm taking days off from my day job, but I'm still working at home, lol.

I see... So it's like with my job, when I'm working at home - which I do all the time when I'm not running a course.

And there is always something to be done! That's so true! But I work on ignoring this stuff - otherwise, I won't have free time at all. :-)

[melusinahp.livejournal.com]

You are so awesome. :D

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Admit it, you want your own feral find and replace girl! ;)

[jaelle-n-gilla.livejournal.com]

I'd love to have a weekday off. Monday or Friday would make for a nice long weekend. Or Wednesday to get a break in the middle. Since Sunday everything is closed in Germany, I could work any Sunday, provided it would align with J's work schedule, too.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Weekdays off are vital to my mental health, hee!

I really need that time...for shopping, for appointments, for anything that needs doing out in the public eye.

[ldybastet.livejournal.com]

Love your quirks :-)

People changing names confuses me too, but thank god, I am able to translate their new names into their old in my head after a while... But I still think of them under their old name. *g*

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I get very confused. There are people on my flist now whom I don't remember, and I can't remember if they're just really new or they changed their names. *sigh*

[wiccarowan.livejournal.com]

The movie thing - YES! Even if you spend half the time thinking "wtf is going on here?" The other thing I'll do is if a movie is on that I own on DVD, I'll start watching it in the middle with some of my brain going "aww, I missed the start" EVEN THOUGH I could get off my lazy arse and put the DVD in.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

The movie thing - YES! Even if you spend half the time thinking "wtf is going on here?"

Oh, totally!! My brain gets engaged, it starts thinking of backstory, it fills in gaps and tries to guess what's going on--which turns it into a better movie, lol! Even if it's the very worst Van Damme ever made.

The other thing I'll do is if a movie is on that I own on DVD, I'll start watching it in the middle with some of my brain going "aww, I missed the start" EVEN THOUGH I could get off my lazy arse and put the DVD in.

AHAHAHA! It's even worse when it's cut up for commercials and edited for content, and I still keep watching it.

[pandora-nervosa.livejournal.com]

Oooo...another thing we have in common. I love Disturbed. Their first album was the soundtrack of my life when I was pregnant with Coconut. Seriously, I wore that thing out!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

ahaha! I totally love Disturbed. They were my fandom soundtrack when I was first in the Mummy fandom, lol.

New album coming out--the local station keeps playing one of the tracks, and I keep drooling!!

[tudorpot.livejournal.com]

Prothrombin Time- laughs, in the biz we call it a PT. I'm sure a lot of the words we use make you crack up. In charting we have a lot of short forms- SOB- short of breath, LOL in NAD - little old lady in no acute distress-

[valis2.livejournal.com]

ahaha! Those are great!

Yeah, I see some acronyms from the nurses, POS and LOS and stuff, but because I don't interact with them enough, I miss out on all the good abbreviations!

I'm still giggling about LOL in NAD. hee!!

[tudorpot.livejournal.com]

Oh, and people who change their real life name are definitely to be watched carefully. Never known one who wasn't a few bricks short of a load. Lj is hard enough without new names for old flist members.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I have a terrible time with new names. I don't mean to sound so much like a griper, but I associate names with facts, which is how I keep track of the fandomers. Once the name changes, I'm lost.

cool list!

[florence-craye.livejournal.com]

If I'm seated while I'm talking to you, for instance, I will be making small right-angle triangles with my big toe.

I totally used to do this all the time as a teenager, except mine were equilateral triangles and there were no tones for each corner. I would count out syllables of tv theme songs and dialogues while watching tv, and if the song or bit of script didn't end at the top of the triangle, I'd have to keep doing it until one did. Yeah, just a bit OCD. lol Sometimes I still fall back into it without realizing what I'm doing. But at least now it's not a compulsive anxiety-producing thing.

Whenever I dispense liquid dishwashing soap at the kitchen sink, I am required by law to squeeze the bottle again when it's upright so that it dispenses a few teeny tiny bubbles.
Another one I do, too! XD I've found Ajax creates the most bubbles for this purpose.

I also have a hard time writing with music or tv on, as well as crafting. If I do, it has to be instrumental only. I can't process art/writing and lyrics at the same time.

Re: cool list!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I totally used to do this all the time as a teenager, except mine were equilateral triangles and there were no tones for each corner.

No tones?! But it doesn't work without the tone! lol

I would count out syllables of tv theme songs and dialogues while watching tv, and if the song or bit of script didn't end at the top of the triangle, I'd have to keep doing it until one did.

I'm glad I never heard (or thought of) that when I was young--I would still be doing it today, I'm certain. ha!


I've found Ajax creates the most bubbles for this purpose.

Ooh, thanks for the tip!

I also have a hard time writing with music or tv on, as well as crafting. If I do, it has to be instrumental only. I can't process art/writing and lyrics at the same time.

Ooh, even for crafting? I can generally process stuff while crafting, and I can even hold reasonably normal phone conversations as well--but not during the design portion, only during the execution.

Re: cool list!

[florence-craye.livejournal.com]

Even for crafting! Even for writing out lj comments, like this one. I have a problems with hearing things when music is on in the background, especially if it has lyrics. If the car radio is on and I'm trying to have a conversation with someone, I have to turn off the radio. Otherwise, I can't distinguish between the radio and the conversation- it's just confusing noise to me and then I get anxious and cranky. No good!

With crafting, if I'm watching or listening to something, I get caught up in the music or show and then I forget what I'm doing on my project. I think I'm just very bad at multi-tasking and blocking out sounds. And I can't do anything else when I'm talking on the phone... I start reading or doing something, and then realize I haven't heard anything the other person said. XD

[trickofthedark.livejournal.com]

Oh, god. The changing LJ names thing. And they change their icons too and then it's all, do I know you? Why are we friends? Buh?

[valis2.livejournal.com]

My brain just can't handle it--especially if they change icons. At that point, they become a new person to me, adrift from any connection I might have recognized otherwise. ;)

[verdenia.livejournal.com]

Feral find and replace girl FTW! :D

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I love her! She rocks.

[adrrianne72.livejournal.com]

You totally should.