Tagged by the meme from Adventures in Ethics and Science and Retrospectacle…
- I have OCD tendencies. All the hangers in my closet have to be the same color and oriented in the same direction. A stain on my clothing, no matter how small, will cause me to change clothes. My cd, books, and everything else in my life is close to alphabetized as humanly possible. I can organize the same set of items mutiple times in row and still not be happy. Any deviation from organization or a plan will completely shut me down for the day.
- I do not have toenails on either my left or right big toe. They look like Chicken McNuggets.
- I am overly sensitive to criticism about my appearance, this website, my science, my writing, etc. I take it as a sign of personal failure if I am not the best. Yet, I chose science where rejections for jobs, grants, and papers are the norm.
- I did not plan to pursue deep-sea biology, but now I would choose nothing else.
- I cannot resist macaroni salad or macaroni & cheese, no matter how prentenious my other tastes get. I may also be the only person who likes fruitcake.
- I cannot snap my fingers on my left hand or whistle with the right, left, or no hand at all.
- Despite my size (6’2”, 240lbs) and what I am told is a formidable appearance, I am not particularly tough or strong. I despise physical altercations and avoid them at all costs even it means swallowing my pride. I lost more fights in my youth than won.
- I have had more jobs than a majority of the population. Most required a shower after a day’s work as opposed to before. They include: handyman at a Motel 6; busboy at a Bonanza; cleanup boy at small supermarket; every position at a Hardee’s; janitor for McDonald’s; cook at a Pizza Inn; clerk at Service Merchandise; cook at the Ol’ Van Buren Inn; general lacky for a construction company; line worker at foldable table factory; truck loader at a Wal-Mart distribution center; art teacher at a Girl’s Club; art teacher at Boy’s Club; muralist; radio dj; mover; desk help at a Ryder Rental; boxer for Hiram Walker; subsitute teacher; host at a Cracker Barrel; lab technician; lab assistant; lab instructor; course instructor; EEG tech in seizure observation unit; salesperson at Power’s Wine Merchants; and a post-doctoral fellow. Yet I have never been fired and only quit all but one job because I moved or was starting school.
- I had a 67 Ford Fairlane. 289 V-8 White 4-Door. The horn and driver’s side door didn’t work. It was missing trim and it was held together with love and rust. When I donated it before I moved to Albuquerque, I wept.
- I have a minor in religion. I have enough classes for a major but failed to take the senior comps. Despite the unanswered question of why a god would let really evil things (disease, death, rape, genocide, and any number of other atrocities) happen to good people, I still believe there is one. I am agnostic at best, but never atheist. I despise ignorance, whether it be scientist of religion or of religious of science. I despise fundamentalism of anything. It represents the worst of Christianity when people use a literal translation of the bible to support their own hatred, such as homosexuality is wrong but don’t follow…1 Corinthians 14:34, women should be silent in church; Leviticus 20:9, cursing your parents is punishable by death; Leviticus 11:7, no pork!; Leviticus 19:19, no polyester; etc.
Thanks for following the meme! :) You know i found what you said in #10 really refreshing. Except, I really do think polyester is evil!
If you want a very unfullfilling answer to #10, a reader pointed me to the Watchtower. Typical stock fall from grace stuff and if anything exemplifies the struggle to answer this fundamental question.
http://watchtower.org/e/pr/index.htm?article=article_06.htm
Lemme get this straight: you can’t wistle with your left hand and you had a car with a broken horn on the driver’s side door? How weird.
Your list of jobs has given me hope that a doctorate is still not yet out of the realm of possibility for me. Though not sure what I would do with one. Maintain a better blog maybe? :)
No, I like fruitcake too.
I had a ’67 Cutlass Supreme and I cried when I had to sell it.
Are you congenitally sans toenails, or did you lose them in a deep-sea fracas or other accident?
Alan had ’69 Buick 2-door Special when I married him that I called “Buck” since the ‘i’ was missing on the trunk. It was a large part of the attraction. I have a long list of jobs as well, including many on your list. I have not been a handyman, but have driven a limo. I bought “Wayne’s World” after it came out on VHS primarily for the opening scene where he displays all of his work name tags. So you have a pasta fetish? Now I know what I can get you for your birthday.
I would like to say I lost them in some heralding fight with a white whale or in dangerous journey to the dark depths but always been without them.
So you mention you are married. How does your wife deal with your OCD or is she OCD also? Are there as many men OCD as women? Interesting thought.
Another comment and question, Your wife, family, and friends must be very proud of your accomplishments. What was your least and most favorite non-science related jobs?
My odd tendencies have not been a burden as of yet, so my wife pretty much roles with the punches. My least favorite job was probably line worker at foldable table factory. Lousy hours 3pm to 3am in the morning. I basically slept and worked. My favorite non-science job was working at the wine merchant.