7 Things Meme, pt 1
December 7, 2007 | Memes
JayAre, a frequent and appreciated commenter here at Zesty Enterprise, has tagged me with the 7 Things Meme. I’m going to do it in 2 parts because I don’t think you can handle so much weirdness in one go.
Weird Thing the First:
I have a thing for even numbers. I appreciate their roundness and their symmetry. I don’t know what it’s all about, but I just feel better about even numbers. I’m not sure it really would have influenced such a huge decision, but I was relieved when the house we bought had an even address. I always set my alarm for an even number, as well as the thermostat. If we are going to a show, and I have both tickets in my hand, I will hand you the one with the odd numbered seat. If I am buying fruit or bagels, I will always buy four or six, never five or seven.
Weird Thing the Second:
I am super super organized. I do not say this to brag. When certain things aren’t organized, I feel like my life is in chaos and then I get unhappy in various ways. See exhibit A:
Every Sunday night I set out all 5 outfits for the week on the guest bed, including undergarments, accessories and shoes.
Weird Thing the Third:
In the back of my mind, I always think I probably have a fatal illness. My usual obsessions are skin cancer and MS. (I know a ridiculously high number of people with this disease) This isn’t necessarily hypochondria, however, because I don’t ever want these suspicions confirmed. I would never go to the doctor for any of my perceived symptoms because I’m afraid I would be right, and then I would be dying for the rest of my life. If I actually do have a fatal illness, I don’t want to know.
Weird Thing the Fourth:
IRL friends are familiar with these stories, but I once was a spy. Well, not really. But close! I responded to an ad in the paper that read, “Bilingual Office Help Needed’. I was then contacted by a grim, government-type character who mysteriously requested I come in for a test. I was so desperate for a job at the time, I just jumped through all the hoops without knowing exactly what the job actually was, just that it involved translation somehow. A year or so later, my incredibly extensive background check was finished and they called me in to start. With great joy, I quit my waitressing gig, and showed up at the huge, unmarked, bunker-type building downtown the next day. I tried to act like this was all normal as I was shown through 3 security checkpoints and then seated in a meeting where the US Attorney began laying out the case. Again, I tried to pretend this was all very routine as I attempted to take notes and tried not to gawk at the pictures of the suspects lining the walls, the whiteboards with clues and codenames, and all the agents with guns and badges milling about. Shortly after this presentation, I was sent to fill out some paperwork. There was another guy there doing the same thing, and I whispered to him, “Dude! Where ARE we? What are we DOING here?” and he goes, “Have you ever seen the movie, Traffic?” I nodded solemnly, my eyes widening to abnormal proportions. “You know the guys in the van?” he asked, “That’s you, only there’s no van.” And thus began my short career translating and transcribing surveillance for the DEA.
That’s enough weirdness for one day, don’t you think? 
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December 9th, 2007 at 3:17 pm, JayAre Says:
I’m so with you on the fatal illness thing! I’m totally paranoid that I have a brain tumor everytime I have a weird headache, but if I really do have one, I’d rather not know. (My husband and I call this faux tumor “Toothy,” because we think perhaps it is one of those un-developed twins, and is therefore a mass of hair and teeth, and maybe a tongue. Husband says that the headaches are caused by Toothy licking my brain.)
That is probably enough gross. Sorry. Sometimes I have trouble controlling my own weird.
Also, so cool about the spy thing!
December 9th, 2007 at 6:21 pm, dahli Says:
I have a thing about numbers too, only I prefer them to be odd (then there’s a centerpiece) and even better yet, a multiple of three..this means that even numbers such as 6, 12, 18 & 24 are okay..8 is also okay because it’s comprised of 3 + 5. that’s pretty weird too.
xo
December 9th, 2007 at 7:09 pm, Swistle Says:
Okay, I feel funny confessing this, but I was upset–ACTUALLY UPSET–that Henry was born on an odd date. All of the other four children were born on even days, and I like even numbers. I actually LAY AWAKE AT NIGHT over this, and I STILL don’t like it.
The outfits thing I would call “weird but enviable.”
That job is AWESOME.
December 9th, 2007 at 9:21 pm, Heather Says:
Um, I love you…hliv
December 9th, 2007 at 9:22 pm, ~e Says:
What’s a “meme?” Will one come around to me sometime? Is there an expectation once you get a “meme?” It seems like it’s supposed to be a memo but I want to make sure that I have my pop-insider-culture-dictionary all updated. Meme that!
Related: this may freak you out…Since moving to Hong Kong we have yet to coordinate a space for all our major files (bills, credit card reciepts, the like) and passport info. This would normally keep me up at night but for some reason it seems Heather and I could care less. Weird. Additionally, not having a television has unplugged us both from taking any time (even on line, hello!) to keep up with world/US news. Again, seemingly we care less. More weird.
December 10th, 2007 at 10:55 am, Camille Says:
I have a thing for even numbers too. Glad it’s not just me! :S
December 10th, 2007 at 7:54 pm, Noreen Says:
I love this post. I am such a person who likes to know these kinds of things about people. I feel like as friend IRL none of these things are terribly shocking, but it’s fun to hear you expound on it. I didn’t know you laid out all your clothes, though. That rocks! And it makes sense as you get up at the a$$ crack and it’s necessary to be prepared!
December 12th, 2007 at 7:56 am, Dar Says:
Jenny, you’re weird. Everyone knows odd numbers rule! If you had a mantel, would you actually put 2 candles on it? Horrors! It’s gotta be 3 things. Ask any designer.
December 12th, 2007 at 10:22 am, Jenny Says:
JayAre: OH MY GOD. Toothy! I am stealing that!
dahli: I love that other people have weird inexplicable number issues, too.
Swistle: I see only one solution to this problem. You must have 4 more shildren born on odd dates to even it out.
hliv: I love you too!
e: from the Urban Dictionary: in blogspeak, an idea that is spread from blog to blog
I am not happy with this definition, though. In my blogging experience, a meme is like one of those emails that you get every now and then where you are supposed to fill in what time you get up and what season you prefer or whatever then you send it off to your friends to do, too. There are memes about all kinds of topics. Here is one on my friend Sarah’s blog about you iPod I thought you might like:
http://sarahandthegoonsquad.com/2007/12/04/seven-more-things-about-me-plus-bonus-itunes-meme/
December 12th, 2007 at 10:25 am, Jenny Says:
(it is SO LAME when I lose a long ass comment. breaking this in half)
Camille: Yay! Another weirdo!
Noreen: Consider yourself tagged.
Dar: I see your point and I agree where design is concerned. But then, to me it is visual and that is where odd ammounts are necessary for symmetry, which feeds back into my nuttiness.
December 12th, 2007 at 11:18 am, Kate Says:
Jenny: I have the same fatal illness thing. But I think mine’s actually out of control. I always think I have something. Ask Noreen. I wish I had had your job, btw.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:56 am, Zesty Enterprise » …tumbleweeds… Says:
[...] Because of my thing for even numbers, I’m feeling good about being in an even numbered year and an even numbered age. 32 in 2008 feels better than 31 in 2007. Yes, I know this is very weird. [...]
May 21st, 2008 at 12:29 pm, Zesty Enterprise » The Great Interview Experiment Says:
[...] I did a meme about my weird things once, and my IRL friends are still teasing/secretly admiring me about my Sunday Night Clothing Habit. I hesitate to own up to other anal-retentive activities. Well, here’s one. I keep a lot of logs. I keep a work out log. I can tell you how much and which kind of exercise I’ve done each day over the past 3 years or so. I do it to make myself feel good, or feel like a slacker, depending on how I’m doing. I also log my gas mileage. (I know! So nerdy!) I can tell you that I’ve gotten better at driving my Prius and maximizing her potential. At first I was averaging *only* about 47 or 48 miles per gallon, but now I’m getting between 50 and 53. Booyah! Because of my careful logging, I can also tell you that when I bought the car in October of last year, it was about $27 to fill up and now its $39. [...]
October 8th, 2009 at 3:11 pm, Zesty Enterprise » Flotsam Pt. 6 Says:
[...] shit, translating and transcribing surveillance for the DEA. (The details of getting this job are here. Good story!) The whole reason I took such a lame job at Whole Foods in the first place was because [...]