Thursday, July 17, 2008

Bring on the Quirks

Quirks. We've all got them. Right? Well, I like to think so. I'd like to share with you a few family members who have some fun quirks. I tease because I love.


The Light Nazi - He's a wonderful man I really look up to, admire and love. But, he cannot leave a light on. He seems to have a compulsion to turn off each and every night he passes. Now, I try to turn off lights if no one's in a room to save electricity and all that...but if I plan to return to that room soon, I leave it on in the interim. He doesn't.



This prompted discussion. Does it cost/use more electricity to turn lights on and off so much....or to leave them on? Well, we looked it up and talked about it a lot...and it turns out that turning lights off does the most benefit. Well, I'll be. He's right.










He's still the Light Nazi, but at least he's RIGHT.


Next there's the No-Left-Turn, Slightly-Looney Lady - Another person I love and has so many wonderful qualities, but today we're going to focus on her quirks. Because they're so fun to share. As you probably guessed, this family member does NOT make left turns. She will go out of her way (way out of her way) to take a different route to avoid all left-hand turns. It's mystifying, mind-boggling and a complete maze to follow.



She also doesn't like gated communities. She thinks they're snooty. And, garages on the front of the house? Nope, she doesn't like those either. Tacky, in her opinion.




So, what did we do? We moved into a house in a gated community with a front-facing garage on a left-turn only street. hehe Ok, our neighborhood isn't gated, but the rest is true!


Another quirky family member is the Blood Hounder. She is smart, intelligent and a good person...but she won't give blood. She feels like she is giving away her life force. I'm not making this stuff up people.



Can you imagine her hatred of mosquitos? Those little bastards have been draining my kids' life force all summer!


And, finally, at least for tonight, our last quirky relative is the Doomsdayer. Surely everyone has a person like this in their family. He fell for the Y2K conspiracists. He had stockpiles of cash, cans and guns in his home. And, he also tends to fall for those religious nuts that have totally bizarre beliefs that the rest of us gawk at in amazement. Bless his heart, he wants to believe in something. He's just a bit dramatic about it.





Once again, I feel like I need to remind everyone that I love these people listed above. All of em. And, I'm not denying my own quirks. (surely I have some?) We all have quirks or weirdness that others would be amazed at. Are you brave enough to share yours?


Here are a few hints at mine:








28 comments:

CrystalChick said...

YAY! First to comment!

CrystalChick said...

Oh, okay in my excitement I forgot to actually write something in the box......

I have/had lots of quirky relatives AND friends!! But I don't know that I could describe them without sounding mean. You did a great job and I can tell you love yours lots so I'll have to think about how to word mine........
......
......
Hmmm, I'm not sure I'm getting what you are quirky about? Being the first car to GO when the light changes???
Pedal to the metal Mama and you have a need for speed?
You drop the kids off at daycare and hit the track for an afternoon of gambling and carousing?
You like to sniff model car glue?

OH wait, no, I was describing ME. LOL

Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? said...

You hate yellow lights?

Those are some funny quirks! So, does the no left lady seriously make three rights to convert to a left? Even if there is an arrow?

Jennifer said...

LOL!! these were good. :)

i'm sure I have a million and one quirks, but for some reason they aren't coming to me right now... maybe that is one of my newest quirks, failure to think on the spot... oh... that wouldn't really be a quirk, huh??

lemme think about this and get back to you...

xoxoxo

Jennifer said...

PS... love the pics. AND I think it is hilarious that you live in a house with the garage on the front and it's a left hand turn... hope your family memeber still comes to visit you. :)


xoxoxo

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

My mom is the no left turn lady. She also despises changing lanes. So, if 40 miles up...she HAS to make a left...she'll get in that left lane. Much to the chagrin of everyone else who thinks it is supposed to be used as a passing lane. She also refuses to drive above the speed limit.

I got tagged for a 6 quirks meme. I need to think of some :-)

Aunt Julie said...

Hey there! I was *tagged* for a quirky *meme* the other day, and think I'll be doing it later this week. Your list is fun to read--especially with the accompanying illustrations!

Maternal Mirth said...

Hey! I am a FORMER no-left-turner!! I didn't think there were any others out there!

How did I overcome the no-left-turn-itis, you ask??? I moved to Los Angeles and I would drive my car over a median, mowing down trees if it got me there quicker.

Mama Dawg said...

LOL! Too funny.

I know I have quirks but I can't think of them right now.

Hmmm...I smell a growth opportunity here.

The CDM said...

As far as the lights go, yes it saves money to keep them off. Now, if were talking bulb life savings, that may be different. I use CFL's and they have been a GREAT contributor to lowering my electric bill. However, the ballasts in the bulbs aren't that great at handling the stress of constant on/off switching throughout the day. In that case, it's best to leave them on.

On the giving blood thing, I donated one time since moving here and those people won't leave me the hell alone. I used to get phone calls at least twice a week til finally I told them to take me off their contact list and I'd show up when I felt like it. They're like Jehovah's Witness people.

Rhea said...

If I'm first at a stoplight, I feel the need to race. The other cars may not (and likely have no idea) know they are racing me, but I have to be first out. I am getting better about this....but I used to be horrible. I'm slowly down some in my old age. hehe

About the giving blood. I used to do that also, and because my blood was kind of rare, I got called A LOT to donate, so Complaint Department Manager, I hear ya!!

I can't believe there are other no-left-turners out there!! wow!

Jen said...

I don't get the blood one. I am a nurse so I guess you can see why I don't get it. The left turn is funny and baffling. I do the racing thing too, me and my mini-van.

BTW, I have something for you. Come check it out.

Heather said...

Ah, yes...I have a Doomsdayer in my family. Wears. Me. Out.

Debbie said...

Someone tagged me this week for a quirky listing about myself. I need to ponder on it, however, I do fall into one of your categories...yes, I won't give blood. I have pushed out a 9 pound baby, but I am afraid to give blood. Lame. I know.

Angie's Spot said...

Rhea, I didn't realize that you knew my hubby...the light nazi. They must've been separated at birth.

And I'm terrified of giving blood. It's my needle-phobia that gets in the way. That, and an unfortunate incident during my hubby's last blood donation session. Eek!

Some of my quirks include all laundry that MUST be folded a certain way and the order that I eat certain foods. :-)

trublmaka said...

Hmm, this is an interesting one..
Well, we all know you're not a malicious person, so of course, Rhea, everything is said with love for you wonderfully quirky family..

My quirks..
I have to ask Crazy... Would 'easy to bait' be a quirk?
If I have a shower at night (and not going out), I HAVE to go straight to bed. If I sit around - even only for an hour, I just can't sleep, I feel so grotty!

I'm sure I got heaps, but I just can't think of them!!

Anonymous said...

I'm totally drawing a blank on quirks right now...but I can honestly say that I have never known anyone that doesn't do left turns!! Too funny!

angela | the painted house said...

I don't like garages in front either...but all the houses I've ever owned had them right smack in front. Oh well.

KG said...

My parents are BOTH anti-left-turners. They'll drive REALLY far out of their way to avoid turning left at a stoplight. I don't get it. It makes me deranged! They do it EVEN THOUGH I have proved to them (by having 2 cars leave the same point at the same time to arrive at the same destination) that doing the left turn is far faster than driving 4000 extra miles. Oh well.

Insane Mama said...

I'm so with the left hand turn lady, I hate left handed turning, I do not like gated communities for the same reasons and I prefer garages in the BACK. Wow, am I related or something?

Anonymous said...

Huh. I refuse to give blood, too. But only because the last 2 times I gave I passed out AND I seem to have small veins and because of that I can never fill up an entire bag.

I used to have a weird quirk that none of my good could be touching. If I had chicken, potatoes and green beans, none of them could touch each other and I had to eat all the chicken first, then all the potatoes, then the green beans. I stopped doing that about 10 years ago, though.

Anonymous said...

RHEA!! I HAVE GIVEN YOU AN AWARD!! PLEASE STOP BY MY BLOG TO ACCEPT IT! CONGRATS!

Aunt Julie said...

BTW: Since you've made me laugh more than once, Rhea, I've posted a "funny" this morning that's guaranteed to give you a little ol' chuckle!

The CDM said...

Kim, for someone who has small veins and passes out easily, you sure had a death grip on that banana.

Cristin said...

I am a self proclaimed light nazi and felt sooooo justified when I saw the Mythbusters episode that proved me right, much to the chagrin of my electricity wasting husband.

I will take extra right turns if it means avoiding taking a left onto a busy street.

What if she had to take a left to avoid entering a gated community???

I have no opinion on gated communities and I do give blood.

Anonymous said...

ooh, thought-provoking. i'm guessing u don't like when people speed up for yellow lights. I can't stand the sound of people chewing. I esp. hate it when someone eats while they're on the phone with me. it's like nails on a chalkboard.

Anonymous said...

What on earth? None of my GOODS? Ummmm, that should be FOOD. LOL!

Yeah, CDM...gotta love those bananas! When the banana is good, the grip is great. ;-)

Jules said...

OMG! Your husband has the same quirk(s) as mine....... and you know those nifty pictures at the bottom of the post? That's me! That's me!