Embracing Your Quirks

Quirks, those peculiar behavioral habits that can make a person more charming or annoying; we all have them. Sometimes others tell you about your quirks, but then sometimes you notice them about yourself too. I am confident enough to acknowledge that I have a lot of quirks, and a lot of them deal with food. I qualify the behaviors in this post as quirks and not compulsions, because I do not experience any anxiety if I cannot enforce the behavior or preference. Listed below are quirks I have noticed about myself:

• I know it's hypocritical, but I think that Raisin Bran needs to double the amount of raisins in their cereal, and Lucky Charms needs to quadruple the number of marshmallows in their cereal or just make a box of Lucky Charms with only marshmallows. For St. Patrick's Day, I poured the entire Family-size box of Lucky Charms on a cookie sheet and separated the marshmallows from the frosted oats, and then I proceeded to just put only the marshmallows in a bowl. Yep, I had an entire bowl of marshmallows for breakfast to celebrate all the Irish Leprechauns in the world.
• I hate grocery shopping. If I am out shopping, it means I am either out of toilet paper, coffee, and/or cookie butter.
• I have bangs for two reasons: to cover up my big forehead, and so I don't have to do the constant upkeep on my Middle Eastern eyebrows.
• Since finding my first and only white hair, my morning routine now includes me going through every hair follicle looking for the possible "two new white hairs"that grew when I pulled that one white hair out....thankfully, there seems to be no survivors.
• One of my favorite "homemade" desserts is cinnamon and sugar toast.
• I eat dill pickles straight out of the jar like someone eating potato chips out of a bag.
• I will immediately heat up my black coffee in the microwave the moment it goes from hot to warm. Warm coffee is gross and cold coffee should be outlawed.
• I was the kid that got excited at trick-or-treating when I got a miniature box of Sun-maid raisins. Those four raisins in the box were more delicious than any chocolate candy bar... yuck chocolate!
• My crossword puzzle solving method: I always do them in pencil. I do all the clues I know (which usually isn't that many). Then I begin googling clues that I know will have a concrete/specific answer, and fill them into the puzzle. Then I try to work off those letters. Repeat that process as much as I can, and then I full on cheat and look at the answer key for the puzzle.
• I absolutely judge books by their cover.
• The TV shows that I tend to watch, showcase their characters eating take-out in a lot of scenes (i.e. Big Bang Theory, Friends, Gilmore Girls); therefore, there's always pizza and frozen chinese meals in my freezer.
• I am rarely on Facebook (more of an Instagram user), but when I read an article or watch a video that I like, I share it on my newsfeed so I can go back and enjoy it again in the future.
• I find cellphone alerts/ringers to be one of the worst  and annoying sounds in the world; therefore, I have always had my cell phone on silent/vibrate.
• When I am sick, all I want to do is watch animation movies, especially Disney and Pixar movies.
• I have been recycling my entire life, and Seattle has mandatory recycling and composting laws. I am horrible at rinsing out jars before placing them in recycling. It's the only part of recycling that I cannot fully commit to.
• I haven't washed or vacuumed my car since moving to Seattle in 2012, but probably I would be only to know this, because the only thing you will find in my car is empty water bottles and mud from hiking trips. And of course, the rainfall in Seattle provides "nature's" car wash. I feel that my "green" approach to my car maintenance absolutely makes up for me not rinsing out my jars completely before I put them in recycling.
• I have been guilty of eating cereal for every meal of the same day on multiple occasions.
• I mostly walk everywhere in Seattle and I live downtown; therefore, dealing with tourist are a part of my commute. I absolutely judge tourist on what they take pictures of and what they think is appropriate footwear to wear in Seattle. 
• I binge-read books, especially if it is a book series; therefore, I made a rule for myself that I cannot start a new novel after 8pm, because I won't stop til I finish it. P.S. I never follow my own rules; it's good thing that I am a functional insomniac.
• Food logic: Skittles and Starburst absolutely qualify as part of my fruit servings for the day. Newest fruit addiction are mini Starburst.
• I get pretty excited when I throw away my old toothbrush and I get to use a new one.
• The ratio of my pants that are elastic to nonelastic pants (i.e. jeans, dress pants) is 10:1, and I am not ashamed of this fact; I bet I am more comfortable in my outfit than you. 
• I absolutely love desserts. I have been known to make entire meals of just dessert items. For me, ice cream is my least favorite dessert, and a pint of ice cream can last me an entire year. 
• I am an incessant fidgeter; I am constantly moving my hands.
• I do not like ice in my drinks, but I do like my beverages to be cold (just not my coffee).
• When I see an actor/actress in a movie/TV show that looks familiar, I have to figure out what else I have seen them in; otherwise, it will bother me.
• I prefer shoes that do not have shoelaces.
• I never use arm rests; I always have my arms/hands in my lap when sitting on a plane or in a theater...you are welcome person who sits next to me in the middle seat on a Southwest plane.