January 12, 2001
Quote of the day:
"Everything you see I owe to spaghetti."
- Sophia Loren
Yesterday, a group of us went out to the Hilton for reconnaisance as preparations for SimuCon shift into higher gear. The place really is lovely and although it doesn't have quite the space for some functions as Henry VIII had, I think it will work out nicely for us. Although it is much more modern than the other hotel, it still has plenty of public space that the gang is going to appreciate. If the weather is good, there's even quite a bit of outdoor space we can use for this or that.
The highlight of the trip was lunch, which we ate at the hotel restaurant. Although the food was really wonderful, the company was even better. So Mike, Mike, Bubba, Beth, and Melissa - thanks. You're all very good company. :)
During lunch, the subject of quirks came up. (Can't imagine why.) Melissa mentioned that she had expected to see a list of other peoples' quirks after my own. I couldn't quite tell if she was disappointed or relieved that I haven't done that yet though. (Then again, Melissa claims she has no quirks - only faults. So she should have nothing to worry about, right? ;)
Thus, the conversation turned into admissions by a few of the gang about their own quirks - past and present. I was surprised at the variety, and also by the fact that a lot of quirks seem to revolve around food. And you thought "eating disorder" was referring to anorexia or bulimia. Ha!
So, here are some food quirks. Some are from yesterday, some are from people I've known over the years, some are my own. No names will be mentioned to protect the uhh.. quirky. :)
- No food on a plate may touch any other food. The mashed potatoes can't be nestled too closely to the turkey, for example. (I get this one, because I don't like some foods mixed with each other. Like... I don't want to taste potato salad when I take a bite of ham.)
- All food of one type must be finished before taking a bite of something else. If you have a mexican plate, the enchilada must be eaten in its entirety before you take a bite of the rice. Rice must be finished before you taste the flautas, etc.
- Catsup on turkey.
- Eating pizza with a knife and fork.
- Salting everything, including ham and green salad.
- Finding a hair on or in a dish means that all the food on that plate must be discarded.
- Chewing every bite a specific number of times before swallowing. (While I agree that it is much better for your digestion to chew food into a liquid or mush-like state before swallowing, how exactly can one chew something like oatmeal or Jell-O 40+ times? I know someone who does this.)
- Food must be chewed equally on each side of the mouth. A crouton, for example, has to be split in half and chewed equally on both the right and left molars. M&M's must be eaten in pairs of matching colors, etc.
- When making a sandwich, both slices of bread must be spread with something - butter, mayonnaise, dressing - something. (This is mine. I hate dry bread with a passion.)
- When eating a sandwich, the "mayo" side must be up. It tastes better that way, I swear!
- Baked potatoes deserve butter, sour cream, and gravy if available. Bleah. (This is my step-father's, and although I love him dearly, it is one of the nastiest-looking concotions you can imagine. He swears by it, though.)
- Catsup on french toast.
- Hamburgers must be as grease-free as possible. (This is another one of mine. When I have a burger at home, I press it between paper towels to get as much grease out of it as I can. I really, really, really despise greasy food.)
- Pizza is best when dipped in ranch dressing. (A friend from Texas did this and I considered it a quirk till I tried it. The combination is surprisingly good and can vastly improve the taste of a mediocre pizza.)
- Food must be eaten in a clockwise fashion. Start at 12:00 and work your way around the plate. (See also the second entry above.)
I'll probably think of many others later on. If so, maybe I'll come back and add more. In the meantime, I'm still looking for your quirk-admissions! ("I don't have any" is not acceptable. Everyone has quirks!)
I'm honored to think that I provide occasional inspiration for you, Dave. The feeling is mutual, actually. :) You even mentioned one or two things that are also quirks of mine. Isn't it interesting that as you learn more about other people, you sometimes find that you have a lot more in common than originally thought?
It's very cool. I don't feel nearly as weird when others admit to the same kinds of quirks I have. Thanks, Dave. :)
