Alright, Kate, I will participate…but only if you’ll promise to add your growing collection of aquatic equipment to your own list. 
I’m supposed to make a list of six of my “unspectacular” quirks (not that I’m quirky or anything). Here goes…
1. I am addicted to Milo’s. Especially after an extremely stressful day at work. (Not so much in the summer time…thank goodness for that with swimsuit season and all.) So addicted, in fact, that I can quote to you the exact amounts of their most recent price increases to my usual order (hamburger combo, just sauce, sweet tea to drink, and a to-go sauce please). About a year ago, my “usual” only cost $4.89. Then it was $5.11. Now they want me to pay $5.38!
Ridiculous, but oh, so worth it.
2. I rub my nose up and down when I’m tired. I don’t even realize I do this, but I must do it ALL the time because EVERYONE tells me…friends, family, even my students! My nose rubbing apparently increases in frequency and speed the more sleepy I become. When I was little, my dad told tell me that I would look like Miss Piggy if I didn’t stop. While I managed to escape the Miss Piggy fate, I do have a very distinct crease across the center of my nose.
3. Once I am really into a book, I am incapable of doing anything else until I finish reading it. I’m not exaggerating. This is why I can only read books over the holidays and during the summer (and the occasional non-busy weekend). I have to know what happens, even if it means staying up all night to finish. This can get a little annoying on beach trips, especially for normal people who are able to shift from reading-on-the-beach mode to socializing-in-the condo mode. I’m not so good at that.
4. I love to dance, but only if it’s choreographed. Cannot, cannot, CANNOT freestyle. I mean I won’t even try. Put me in any situation involving freestyle dancing, and I will stand completely motionless like a moron. Well, maybe not completely motionless. You might also notice me looking frantically around the room, wondering if anyone is…shudder…watching. Kind of ironic for the girl who once included swing dancing on her list of top five marriage requirements. (It’s still in my top ten.)
5. I overuse infinitives. Only an English teacher would notice this. I’m working on it though. I’ve only used nine in this post so far. In case you are wondering what an infinitive is (or maybe thinking the fact that I’m talking about them is another quirk), an infinitive is a verbal made up of the word “to” plus a verb. (For example, I need to go to bed. “To go” is an infinitive while “to bed” is a prepositional phrase.) I also overuse parentheses (eight sets so far, including this one) and ellipses…
6. I make huge messes whenever I try to cook. Don’t get me wrong; it usually tastes good. The clean-up process is a beast though. I’m talking flour all over the floor, noodles in my hair, candy sprinkles between the appliances, batter splattered on the wall kind of disasters. Which reminds me…I’ve been meaning to post an article about my domestic quirkiness that I’m considering sending to a publisher. I need a little assistance with the revision process. That will have to be my next post.
I’m supposed to be tagging six people with the “Quirky Game,” but I’m breaking the rules. I like getting random forwards and reading other peoples’ responses, but I hate passing them along. I guess that’s my seventh quirk. Sorry, Kate.
Final infinitive count: 15
Final parentheses count: 8
Final ellipses count: 7
Final nose rub count: no clue
