Friday, March 12, 2010

Day 12: Honey, The Kids Think You're Strange

When you live with someone for a while, whether they are roommate, partner or spouse, you start to see your own habits reflected back at you. Or, perhaps, the other person lets you know that--despite your insistence to the contrary--"that thing you do" is strange. Here are a few of my "endearing quirks," according to David.

1. Before we watch TV in the evening, I make David adjust all the lights just so. I can't focus on the TV if the room is a little too bright or a little too dim. He is pretty skilled at getting the levels spot-on, because he knows I'll make him go fix them again if they're not right.

2. I drink lime seltzer in my cranberry juice, but when the bottle has about an inch left, it becomes anathema to me. I will then start a new bottle. Sometimes, if I'm feeling energetic, I'll pour the old inch into the new bottle, since I believe it will then become as one with the new seltzer. More often, I'll just use the new bottle to push the old ones to the back of the fridge, where they remain to drive David mad.

3. We received a very generous gift of an entire silverware service for our wedding, one we had registered for at Macy's. Of course, we already had other utensils in daily usage. Now they co-mingle in the drawer, but I insist on the new stuff. I just really like how simple and streamlined the new forks are, compared to the more ornate, fussier original forks. If someone sets the table and gives me an "old" fork, I have been known to hold it aloft and say "Unhhh!" Which David understands to mean, "There has been an egregious error in my table setting which I would like to see rectified post haste." He finds this very odd and frequently tells Jarrah that she and he are the only normal fork-users in the house. Which is obviously ridiculous, right?

How about you, Readers? Do you live with any unreasonable people who insist that your simple tastes are somehow left of center? (Or any other direction, for that matter?)

11 comments:

miss. chief said...

When I ask for a glass of water I mean: Hot tap water, out of a plastic blue cup.

MrCMichaels said...

Is it weird to want the door closed whenever I'm in a room? I thought it was just common sense, but more and more it seems like I'm the only one.

Samantha said...

@miss.chief: WHA? Really? Now that is strange. :)

@Cheri: I am fortified in my belief that there's nothing wrong with us wanting a little ambiance. ;)

@Calvin: Common sense? You mean, cuz it might prevent someone from coming in and killing you? :)

Anonymous said...

Your lime seltzer thing makes total sense to me. I believe I use that philosophy with most beverages (except coffee).

erin said...

I do 2 and 3 totally. Not lime seltzer but gingerale...

and I have my own favorite forks and spoons...they're littler than the usual set and have a tiny little rosette at the bottom. I bought them at a garage sale when I was pregnant with Rose. With a tiny little sterling bowl set.

Samantha said...

@C and Erin: I can't believe other people do the liquid inch thing! That really surprises me. Hmmm.

katydidnot said...

I don't do anything like that.

(Yes, I do.)

(No, I don't.)

(Yes, I do.)

Stephanie said...

Personally, I want to see the killer coming, so doors most often remain open.

I can't stand to hear clocks ticking, so most of the decorative clocks in my house don't have batteries and are set to midnight permanently. Surprisingly, I'm pretty punctual.

Shaun and I could never share a checkbook, I have never balanced my account, ever.

Samantha said...

@Steph: I'm with you, dahling. Raising my hand for the unbalanced checkbook. Those things they send every month? Good for Jarrah to draw on?

I also want to see the killer coming, and also can't stand clocks ticking! It also bums people out that wind chimes drive me bats as well. ;)

DrSpouse said...

Mr Spouse claims my habit of leaving about an inch in the bottom of all hot drinks is a) crazy and b) crazy-inducing. I'm not clear on b) but as I drink them all without milk, the last inch can be pretty disgusting. And cold, since I generally leave them to be only medium warm before I start drinking, and I then drink very slowly anyway.

Mrs. Chapman's 2nd Grade Class said...

Ha! I am the same way about the lighting. I can't stand a glare on the tv. It makes it too hard to watch. Here's something that had my husband laughing today. We were playing cards and I had to have them just so. I needed lined up perfectly. There are just soooo many things about me that drive him a bit crazy. I think it's because I am organized and a neat freak and he is SO not!