stereotypical single woman

I love that NaBloPoMo has allowed me to find so many more great blogs. Because, in all honesty, before joining I was starting to think that there wasn’t anything else good out there. You have the wonder team of Dooce, Mighty Girl, and the gang; Crazy Aunt Purl and some other essential knit blogs to read; and then there’s also The Superficial (my deep, dark, shameful little secret, nothing makes me feel better about my life than following the train wrecks that are Britney and Paris) but was there anything else worth reading out there?

Happily, I’ve found that there’s LOTS more out there worth my time. Lately I’ve found so many great blogs to read, and continue to find even more every day, that I haven’t even had time to update my Blogroll because the list on my Google Reader grows every day. So I was very geeked when tearsinmycoffee tagged me for a meme. Because not only does she have a great blog, but it also means that I can have a lazy Sunday. I don’t actually have to come up with a topic for today, just fill in the blanks, so here goes nothing -

In case you’re unfamiliar with what ‘being tagged’ is (and if you are, well, welcome to the 21st century. how was your decade long nap?), here’s the breakdown:

1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 random and or weird things about yourself.
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

7 Random Facts about yours truly:

1. You know those old school notepads that have glue binding the pages together? So that when you’ve pulled off enough sheets you have the rubbery glue left over above the remaining sheets? That drives me absolutely insane. It HAS to be taken off. It doesn’t matter that it’s not my notepad, the compulsion to get it off and make things look neat and tidy wins every time. I’ve caught myself doing that to notepads on coworker’s desks and at checkout counters. It’s embarrassing, even more to the people I’m with than to myself.
2. My feet are very ticklish. I’m not talking about giggling every time someone touches them. If it even looks like someone is going to touch them they usually respond with a involuntary and violent kick, which has gotten poor Marty in the face a couple of times when he’s tried to cuddle with them while I’m sleeping. I’d really like to get a pedicure, but the idea of being the one that breaks the Cosmetician’s nose is enough to keep me away.
3. I am empathetic to a fault. And in the weirdest circumstances. Not only do I feel pain, embarrassment, and awkwardness for my family and friends when they’re in bad situations; but also for characters in books, TV shows, and movies. Even though I know that it’s all just a story, and (sometimes) intregal to the plot, I either have to leave the room or skip past the violent/embarrassing scenes because it’s just too much for me to handle.
4. Years ago, sometime when I was a very young teenager, I had read that if you fidgeted you burned more calories. So, being an overweight and unhappy adolescent, I forced myself to start fidgeting. Starting with my legs. And now I can’t stop. 15+ years later not only am I not exactly tiny but I also annoy the shit out of people sitting next to me.
5. I can’t leave my house/apt without going around and doing a “safety check.” I’m paranoid that the coffee maker may have been left on, the cat’s water will be gone, the stove burners are on and the cats will jump up there, my iron will spontaneously plug itself in and burn down the house, etc… And I have to do it right before I leave, otherwise I’ll forget that I’ve done it and have to go back and do it again. It drives whoever is coming to pick me up absolutely nuts.
6. Whenever I open the door after being gone for a while I sing the “kitty cat song” to greet the boys. It goes something like this “kitty cat, kitty cats, kitty, kitty, kitty cats…..kitty cats.” Yeah, it’s obvious even to me that I need a man.
7. If I like a book I will re-read it year after year until I wear it out. And then I will buy a new copy to replace it, and continue re-reading it, because there’s something so comforting about occasionally reconnecting with a fictional character you know and love so well that they might as well be a family member. Just recently I’ve had to buy new copies of Summer Sisters and Rachel’s Holiday.

So who am I tagging? Stella Divine, Professor Art Nerd, Indigo Mouse, Are We There Yet?, Type (little) a, Evolving Revolver, and Cigars on the Front Porch, - wanna play along?