Can't. Stop.

The linky luv is everywhere! My friend, Mrs. Yammering, has tagged me with a "7 Weird Things About Me Meme". What this means, is that I'm supposed to tell you seven weird things about me, then I have to call out five people to pay-it-forward...

I'll confess here... Mrs. Y actually tagged me last June with what was my first-ever blog tag and should have been my first meme, but being the shy person that I am, I just couldn't muster the confidence to go through with it (if you're not laughing by now, go ahead... no, really!). So, if this "seven things" thing hasn't completely sucked the life outta me, I just might hold up my end of my inaugural meme... we'll see.

1) I really am a very shy person. If ever I'm guilty of thinking myself the center of attention, it's only that I'm thinking people are thinking horrible, rotten things about me. My self-confidence is zero, zilch, nada. Logically, I may know that I a good person and am good at some things, but actually feeling it... well, that's next to impossible for me. Growing up, I was often perceived as a snob, which I always thought a bit funny, as it couldn't have been further from the truth!

2) I am completely repulsed by feet. Yep, repulsed. In a really strange, can't look away from a train wreck sort of way, I can't take my eyes off of them sometimes, either. I should say that I think I have pretty decent feet and I do my best to keep them pretty, especially during summer, when people are most likely to see them. At the same time, I expect that others should do the same. I nearly vomit when I see feet with layers upon layers of dead, scales which are usually partnered with thick, yellow nasty, funky toenails that are only half polished. Don't worry, I'm absolutely positive it is in no way a fetish, I'm sure. And I hate to have mine touched. Even if it's touching in a nice way... Steve has tried to rub my feet before and I just can't stand it. Never mind that the slightest graze will send me into a tickled frenzy, even the firm kind of touches that don't tickle at all make my skin crawl. However, throw me some baby feet and I am all about ‘em! I’ll kiss ‘em, munch on ‘em, rub, tickle, whatever… I love me some baby feet! Especially my babies’ feet! Even now, with the oldest being nine, I’ve not become the slightest bit turned off of them, yet. And, in the last year or so, I’ve warmed to Steve’s feet a bit (he has really nice feet)… he’s often begging for foot rubs, and recently, I’ve even initiated, where used to, I’d only touch them if they were under a blanket or something.

3) I only passed my driving test by two points. Yep. Nearly failed the damn thing. This kinda goes back to #1 somewhat... see, I just knew the test administrator was sitting over thinking awful things about me like, "Why in the hell does she think she's worthy of a driver's license?" or "OMG! She's really got some nerve, coming down here, wasting my time, asking for permission to drive! Fail!" So, I was a wee bit nervous, you could say. I was nearly side-swiped pulling out from parallel parking because I forgot to look in my side mirror to see if anyone was coming. I suppose the fact that I passed is what matters.

4) I have this thing about socks (ask Mrs. Y!). Generally speaking, I have three rules about socks… 1-your socks must match, or at very least coordinate with, your shirt. Steve refuses to go along with me here, so, given the chance, I’ll ‘help’ him grab his clothes for the day. He’s happy to grab the next t-shirt off the stack (which is fine), but then he goes on to simply grab whatever pair of socks his hand blindly falls on when he reaches into the drawer. He can often be seen wearing maroon socks with a green sweatshirt. If it ain’t Christmas, that’s just wrong!!! I’ve learned to just not look anymore. 2-always, always, always wear white socks when wearing sneakers. Another ack! when this one is broken!!! Wrong, wrong, wrong! And 3-never, ever, ever wear white socks with black shoes. Again… wrong… just wrong! Rules 2 and 3 trump rule number 1 when conflicts occur.

5) I always have gum on me, usually in my mouth. I go into a kind of panic if I’m out, so I often stock pile packs and packs of it so that I never run out. I put this one in the ‘weird’ category because, as a teacher, I don’t allow it in my classroom. Hypocrite? Maybe. But, I’m a very polite chewer… often, people don’t even know I’m chewing it. Besides, being the teacher has to have some perks, right?

6) I *have* to lay out clothes for my two youngest kids the night before (not so weird, right?) and for myself. I absolutely will not sleep if I haven’t picked out everything, laid it out just right (over the treadmill – ha!), so that I can swoop it up in my still-asleep stupor on my way out of the bedroom headed to the bathroom. Along with this, I must have my shoes out in the living room so that I do not have to find one single thing in my bedroom in the morning. Mostly, this would be so that I don’t risk waking Steve up on those mornings he doesn’t have to get up early (how nice am I???), but even on the mornings he wakes up with me, if I haven’t organized my outfit for the next day, I will not sleep until it’s done.

7) I have a pen and post-it fetish. Seriously! I am completely and utterly obsessed with finding that just right pen (my quest continues) and I love any and all post-its. I can’t exactly tell you what constitutes the just right pen, as the requirements may change from day to day, project to project. Some days, it’s gel… others it may be rollerball. And, depending on the surface on which the paper I’m writing on is placed, it can get totally changed up. You should so see my desk drawer at school. I can’t bring them home, ‘cuz Steve steals them from me. All the while he’s making fun of me and my pen-thang, he’s secretly in awe at my pen-choosing ability… he totally gets it, but will never admit it! As for the post-its, well, YES, please!

Ok… so that’s it. That was harder than I thought it would be! I’m tuckered out and don’t think I can manage the other meme I thought I’d be able to tackle. I promise I’ll get it on my to-do list for another day.

Now, for the five lucky contestants who get to keep it goin’ (If they so chose)…

SteveB (I know he’ll never do these, but doesn’t stop me from tryin’!)

Magneto Bold Too! (although, she just sorted through a bunch of fodder, so she may be plum worn out with memes)

Canape (who just has tons and tons of spare time lately, what with just having what might quite possibly be the cutest baby on the planet)

WhyMommy (‘cuz, yeah, right… she’s got nothin’ else to do :p)

Skschein (my school bud… who doesn’t actually have her own blog, yet, but certainly has a place to put it and is dipping her toes in slowly!!)