Now that that unpleasantness has past, I give you without further ado: 6 THINGS!
1) I have different rules for reading books and magazines. Books must always be read from front to back, no cheating by looking ahead. Magazines, on the other hand, must always be paged through from back to front. I have no idea when I started doing this and only consciously recognized it about a year ago. I think it has to do with the differences in content, and not wanting to waste my time on a magazine article unless it has a good ending. I actually read it backwards, paragraph by paragraph, and if it sucks I skip to the end of the next article.
2) Though I work with computers every day I really don't care for them much. When I first started out in the field I LOVED them. I was so into the specs and tweaking etc. After 12 years or so... not so much. I like what they can do, I'm interested in what I can do WITH computers, but computers themselves don't interest me much anymore. I don't care about the new graphics card, or the new front-side bus architecture. I used to, but after the 5th generation or so came out, it all started to feel like so much mental wankery. Not that I have a problem with other people being interested. People regularly assume I care or know about the latest trends in computers. I usually just smile.
3) Love/hate with pets. I love animals - I really do! But I'm not much for pets. There are a lot of reasons why. First is that I've already had the perfect pet, everything since then has seemed... second best. I had a dog that was just about perfect, obedient without being subservient and scared, strong, healthy, loved to play, was great with kids, calm like no other dog I ever met. Since we had to put him down I've had a few other dogs, but I never felt connected to them like I did with him. With him it was almost like being with one of my human buddies. Second reason is that I went to Uruguay. Lots of the domestic animals there had mange. Imagine a nation of naked dogs and cats. Not just fur-less, but bleeding, weeping skin. On top of that lots of them had ticks. Ticks as big as your thumb, swollen and gross. In giant clusters anywhere it was hard for the dog to reach. Fleas down there were so prevalent that I took to wearing a flea collar around my ankle, even to bed, and this despite the wide-spread rumor that they caused infertility. (side note: when I told my mom about that she said "why would you wear it then?" and I said, "Well Ma, it was infertility, not impotence." My dad laughed and laughed but mom blushed a storm) It took me about 3 years after i got back to be able to touch any adult dog or cat. Lastly, I'm allergic to cats. Touching them makes my eyes swell and skin burn.
4)I live with my married friends. It's a little strange, and I'm sure lots of people think it's dysfunctional or sad, but it seems to work for me at least. When I lost my job in Albuquerque right after my divorce and in the middle of huge infighting with my family my friends offered me a place to stay. Parents on both sides of my friend's marriage were pretty concerned for a while about what exactly was going on. I felt a little less than welcome sometimes during my first year here (in all fairness, lots of that was probably just me feeling self-conscious). In time they saw that I wasn't trying to break up any marriages and things have gotten pretty much back to normal now. I actually sleep next door in an apartment owned by them, which is the only thing keeping me from total loserdom, at least in that domain, but I spend the majority of my waking hours in the house with them.
5) I'm bi-polar to some degree or another. Probably type 2, which basically means that I get all of the depression of bi-polar, but very little of the mania. I'm on meds for it now and it's calmed immensely but I still get little ups and downs from time to time usually lasting only a few days. The mania usually manifests itself as a very upbeat and gregarious outlook on my part. I joke around, my mind feels faster and more witty. People seem to like Manic-Meme when I'm at social situations that aren't too formal. I feel good when I'm manic, but there's always an undercurrent of fear because I know that sooner or later it's going to stop and then WHAM I'm depressed for 3-7 days after. In between I can have long periods of no ups and downs.
6) I like being anonymous on the web. I don't get why anyone would want to be easily found on the internet. Myspace mystifies me. I think that part of it is not wanting old friends to look me up. I don't have any friends from before my 25th year, and I prefer to keep it that way. I parted well with all of them, but we've all moved on, aren't the same people anymore, and to try to rekindle would only be a disappointment. This place is different because I have a nom de guerre and It's not linked to my real name anywhere (please keep it that way, those who know). While other people take pride in being famous on the web I feel exactly opposite, I'm proud that I've been active online for 10 years now and my name still doesn't pop in Google anywhere.
Whew, made it. 6 things! Next installment! - Goatees: Real Ultimate Power? Why babies say YES!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
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6 comments:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme
http://thedailymeme.com/what-is-a-meme/
http://www.memecentral.com/
http://meme.sdsc.edu/meme4/intro.html
http://memex.org/meme.html
Duude, you are totally All over the intarwebs?! I demand a recount of #6! (kidding)
It's a shame, too, because all the damn animals love you. For those who know her, Ripley almost head-bonked Meme from the back of the couch the other day, and only swift intervention saved the day.
About living with us: honestly, I kind of grew up this way. Mom and Dad often had people staying with us for one reason or another - that's why they got the duplex in the first place. I've lived with uncles, aunts, cousins, great grandparents, also friends who needed a place to stay... I hear that it's unusual, but I kind of like it. I think it's good for kids involved, too, because you get a much more broad experience of adult lives, styles, relationships. I learned that my Mom and Pop's ways weren't the only ways, that people we loved and respected had different ideas of life and the way it is best lived.
On a personal note, I'm glad you're here. You're one of my best friends, and it's fun to be able to do stuff together. (Speaking of which, I moved some of your carving stuff to the dining room - didn't want to forget to tell you.)
It's neat to hear about you. I knew most of those things, but not in the depth you put them here, you reading freak type boy. ;)
<3
I never thought that number 4 was particularly odd or a sign of loserdom - but then, I did once live with both Maebius and Mr. Helen. At the same time.
And I know that if my life was to totally unhinge and I needed a place to stay, there are two that I know would be offered before I even needed to ask - so it wasn't much of a surprise when I heard that you had moved in. I think my reaction was something along the lines of "oh, can't wait to meet him." Family is family, even if it has funny ways of becoming that way.
I see your point Nettle, I didn't mean to imply that everyone who lived like I do was a loser, only that I felt that way about myself sometimes. I should have articulated it better. I've come to realize that many of the "issues" I have stem from a belief about how I should be, what I should be doing, how I should be doing it and with whom.
I can only assume that these were ingrained in me as a youth, and possibly with the church helping, because while I was in that lifestyle I felt like a success. Miserable as hell, but successful. I guess in a worldly sense I was. I had perfect credit, a house, 2 cars and money left over at the end of every month. Contrast that to now, where I have 1 car that I'm way behind on payments on, no space of my own that isn't graciously granted me, and struggling to make ends meet despite having nothing. If you looked at it from a worldly sense I think most people would label that as a failure. (I know it's a factor in why I never date. Heck, I'd probably warn my sister against dating a guy who lived with his friends and had no real prospects to improve his situation.)
But you're absolutely right Robin. In a much more enlightened sense my life is "full of win" because despite the fact that I'm unable to provide for myself like I used to, I still live a damn good life because I have friends who care enough to want to help me. Thanks for pointing it out. I always see the downside much more clearly than the up.
I guess it's frustrating to me because *I* used to be the helper. I took friends in, gave away money, helped people when they couldn't help themselves because I loved them. I suppose if I looked at it the right way I could say that I'm learning what it feels like to be on the other side. I just hope that someday the Universe gives me a chance to be on the other side again. I much prefer it.
Thanks again for the insight.
I feel much the same way you do at times myself Meme. And am at times envious of you for part of your situation.
If it wasn't for your current situation I wouldn't know you and I think that would have been bad. I'm glad I know you and look forward to reading more of what makes you, you.
I'm horrible at this type of thing and hope I didn't offend.
Varulv,
Offend? No way.
I can see where you are coming from. Ideally I would be as close as I am but not NEED to be that close. Does that make sense? Closeness without dependence.
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