Not long ago I was chatting with a friend of mine about some of my quirks.  We got to laughing and she said that she loved me even though I had some weird hangups!  I jokingly said “My quirks might make a good blog post!” to which she responded “Absolutely!  That would make for some funny reading!”

So tonight, on the way home from our weekly frozen yogurt date, I mentioned to Chris that I might share some of my quirks or things that freak me out.  He immediately started naming things that I could share.  Wow!  I truly do have issues!

So here we go!

1)  I have FREAKISH hearing!

I have had the most remarkable hearing for as long as I can remember.  I really struggle concentrating when I’m in a large group setting because I can hear so many different conversations going on at once.  Chris totally laughs at me because I can give him details about people (usually the kind that people don’t want you to know) after being together at some type of gathering.  My freakish hearing leads to my next item.

2)  I can’t stand loud eating or gum smacking!

Going to the movies has always been a complete stressor for me!  Hearing all those people chow down on their popcorn & nachos is seriously a nightmare.  We used to have to get to the movies at least 30 minutes early to ensure that I could get a seat in the very back of the theatre.  I could still hear people eating in front of me, but it wasn’t as bad as someone sitting directly behind me.

Last year we got to a movie late and the gentleman sitting behind me had to have been the LOUDEST eater I had ever encountered!  Chris was a doll & went out to the lobby to ask if they happened to have any earplugs.  They didn’t, but he came back with one of those headsets that plays the audio to the movie.  Amazingly, went I put the headset on, I couldn’t hear anything around me!  It. Was. AWESOME!  It has been a total lifechanger for me!

About the gum…that is pretty self-explanatory.  I especially can’t stand when someone pops and cracks their gum.  The worst is when they do it in church! Seriously people, don’t pop your gum in church!  I don’t think that’s a lot to ask!

3)  Clowns freak me out!

Not really sure when it started, but I remember having really bad dreams about clowns when I was a kid.  Anything clown related scares me!  Clown dolls, pictures, art, and especially actual clowns.  I have come face to face with people dressed as clowns and I literally freeze. I get heart palpitations & become sweaty.

I’ve never taken my kids to the circus.  I don’t feel guilty about it at all!  Chris took them once & said they weren’t all that thrilled anyway.

When I was pregnant with Hailey, I had an appointment with my OB on Halloween. I remember Chris coming around the corner & saying “Honey, stay where you are!” followed by “Excuse me Ma’am, can I ask you to step into that room while my wife comes down the hall?”  She laughed and made a joke and he quickly told her “I’m totally not kidding!  My wife is deathly afraid of clowns!”  She was nice enough to comply and I realized at that exact moment that Chris would do ANYTHING for me, even if it made me or him look like a total freak!  He’s my hero!

4)  I have been forbidden to read any novel written by Jodi Picoult!

In 2007 I read My Sister’s Keeper.  I was literally weeping as I read it.  In the days that followed, I was so depressed I almost couldn’t function.  This book just absolutely rocked me!  I was waking up in the middle of the night and crawling into bed with each of my girls.  I would hold them & rock them as tears fell onto their sleeping faces.

A couple of weeks later my sister finally said “What is wrong with you?  You have been in this major funk for a couple of weeks!”  As I told her about the book I started sobbing!  She said “Um, stop reading those kinds of books!”  Chris totally agreed, gathered all the rest of the Jodi Picoult books off my bookshelf & donated them to Goodwill the following day.

5)  I only like to eat scrambled eggs if Chris or my mom has made them!

Not exactly sure what it is about their eggs that make them so much better than anyone else’s, but I’m pretty sure that the fact that my mom uses an insane amout of butter is what draws me to her eggs & Chris uses lots of cheese.  When others offer to make me scrambled eggs, I politely decline or request them to be made a different way. Just a personal choice.  Some people in my family call me an “egg snob” and I can totally handle it!

6)  I really dislike coconut!

Love the smell, just really dislike the taste and especially the texture.  Seriously, it’s like eating grass.  No thanks!

My close friends and family know my aversion to coconut. A couple of years ago we were having a celebration at church and I went to grab a cookie that I thought looked like a butterscotch cookie and my friend, Ruthie, had this weird look on her face and she just blurted out “COCONUT! COCONUT!”  I immediately put the cookie down & then busted out laughing.  She started laughing and said “I couldn’t get the right words out, but I wanted to warn you.  All I could think to do was to start yelling ‘Coconut’!  I hugged her & thanked her for saving me from a total coconut disaster!  That’s true friendship!

7)  I truly believe that Miracle Whip is evil!

Ok, so maybe not evil, but truly disgusting!  I grew up in a household that only used Miracle Whip.  It wasn’t until I was in high school that one of my friends introduced me to actual mayo.  Oh my word!  I had no idea what I was missing out on.

My parents still razz me when they come to visit that I only keep mayo in our fridge. I always like to tease my dad when he tells me how good the sandwiches are that I make him while he’s here.  I usually say “You know dad, the reason that sandwich is so good is that I used mayo & not Miracle Whip.  Miracle Whip ruins everything!”

8)  I have to fall asleep with the TV on!

I know, I know!  I’ve read the studies that say it is so much better to not do that. Believe me, I don’t need you to send me any newspaper clippings or foward me any articles because my mom already does that!  I know it isn’t ideal, but it is what helps me to fall asleep.  It totally helps me to decompress.  I set the sleeper and I’m totally happy!

9) I am fascinated by both the Royals and the Amish!

I know, totally weird combination!  Many years ago my folks took me on a trip to Lancaster, PA to visit Amish country.  I love their minimalist lifestyle, their total devotion to hard work, & their cute buggies!  I love to watch movies & read books about them.

I’ve always enjoyed reading about the royal family.  It started young.  Yes, I know that they are just regular people, but the concept of royalty has always intrigued me.  And yes, I’ve been super happy the past few days with all the royal baby stuff.

Well there you have it!  Hopefully this post has given you a deeper glimpse into what makes me tick and what ticks me off! I’d love to know that I am not alone, so please share any of your silly quirks or odd things that might bring you joy in the comments below!

Hope you are having a fantastic week!

Make it great!

JuJu