January 3, 2007

Why is an elevator still called an "elevator" even when its going down?

Life is good right now. I'm on a steady, droll cycle of Rinse, Repeat and I have no complaints. NO COMPLAINTS. Bring on the Boring, I say.

Anyway, a LONG time ago, I was tagged for a meme by Jenny, then later again by Average Jane. Better late than never, right?

5 Weird Things About Me

  1. Once I start a collection of something, it drives me nuts until it is finished. I just recently bought the last season of Arrested Development, so I can sleep at night now. Let's not get started on the various series of book series I own - let's just say that eBay is a gift from the Collecting Gods. And it bothers me that my Harry Potter series doesn't all match - they started the fancy, deluxe versions with the 5th book.
  2. I have a slight obsession with foreign languages. I love to eavesdrop on people speaking them so that 1) I can try and identify where the speakers are from (Arabs and Israelis always trip me up because Hebrew and Arabic sound very similar) and 2) to see if I can gather what they are saying (foreigners often mix English into their conversation and you can sometimes get a lot out of context). When signs, brochures, products, etc are printed in multiple languages, I like to read ALL of them and try to identify the different words. Watching movies or TV shows with subtitles can be distracting because I will try to listen and read at the same time - I have to force myself to pay attention to the subtitles. I've given up hope of ever being fluent in a foreign language, but that won't stop me from studying them. And no, it doesn't matter if I know any of the language or not - I only know a few words in Japanese and every week I watch Heroes, I struggle to pay attention to what Hiro is saying because I'm too busy listening instead of reading (this is probably where I noticed that maybe I do have a slight tick in this area).
  3. I hate putting on lotion because it makes my skin feel yucky. I am finally at a point where I can make myself put it on night at least during the winter. Ditto with lip balm. Stupidly, I actually buy quite a bit of lotion and lip balm because I get sucked in by the nice smelling stuff. Because I can't through it fast enough, I can report that lotion only has a shelf life of about 18 months max.
  4. I have this compulsion where the last bit of drop of shampoo, soap, whatever MUST BE USED. I will leave containers tipped upside down for days so that nary a drop is wasted.It doesn't matter if it contained Estee Lauder or Dial. Leave no drop behind!
  5. I love high places and I usually ask for the highest floor possible when staying in a hotel. What I don't like is an elevator. Seriously. It's one of my recurring nightmares - different variations of being stuck in an elevator, being injured in an elevator and having it go up and down and up and down without letting me off. I've only been stuck twice in an elevator and I had a panic attack both times. Both incidences were brief but I dread the day I get stuck for a lengthy period of time. And that opening scene in the movie Speed where Keanu Reeves has to rescue an elevatorful of people? That totally FREAKED me OUT because it was as if they had put my nightmares on film JUST FOR ME. But I still love high places and therefore, will always have to deal with elevators. And yes, I wasn't bothered at all by all those stairs up to the top of St. Peter's Basilica.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

RE: #4 - I thought guiltily of you when I was doing my bathroom cabinet purge the other day. The victims included a bunch of hotel toiletries.

If you suddenly felt a random wave of disapproval wash over you on Monday night, now you know why!

Leah said...

Hee - I think I tagged you at some point too. You're popular!

Anonymous said...

I am with you on elevators. I once had to ride to the 23rd story of a hotel in a glass elevator on the outside of the building and it scared the bejeebers out of me everytime I had to get on it. I still break out in a cold sweat when I think about it and that was almost 6 years ago.

Min-tea said...

#1 and #4. So totally me. I hate it when I've placed all my bottles neatly tipped upside down and someone insists on righting them up. Drives me insane when they do that.

Lisa said...

COngrats on getting through your first trimester! Yeay!

Also very interesting list. I totally agree on the lotion. But because my skin breaks out. (arms, legs, stomach.)

Hope your 2007 turns out to be a very healthy, fun one filled with sleep. (heehee. Hope that new baby's going to be a good sleeper!)

Anonymous said...

I am an elevator-phobe. I got completely freaked out watching Speed also, and when I was about 10? We went up this tower (a bit like Centrepoint Tower in Sydney) in Canberra, and there was a hole in the carpet and I SWEAR you could see all the mechanics. I sat on the floor in a huddle for the whole trip.

You should've seen me in the Eiffel Tower elevator. Freak-in! But I love heights too. I even love rollercoasters. Am weird.

ami said...

#3 for me! I thought I was the only person who hated lotion and lipbalm! I do buy a ton of them as well - and rarely use them. The few times I do wear lip balm, I find myself rubbing it off with a napkin soon after.


Happy New Year =)

Dee said...

I'm completely addicted to both lotion and lip balm. So, if you need to get rid of some you can pass it my way. I have very dry skin and lips! I hate it when I buy the bottles with the pump in it because I can never get all of the lotion out of the bottom and I feel like it is a waste of money.

Oh, and I totally love heights too!

FFF said...

What a great list! i loved hearing about your foreign language obsession. I think English spoken with an accent is really sexy. What's not to love about the British or Australian English. But I also think if Spanish or Arabic is your first language, it is awesome to hear!