Quirky No Question

September Writing Challenge - Prompt # 19:

Quirky

We’re all a little quirky, right? Some quirks can be frustrating but some are endearing. I think it's important to be able to recognize and laugh at some of our own quirks and embrace the quirkiness in others. Here are some of the ways we are quirky at the Brittish household:

My fly is not down, despite how it looks

(Just one of my quirks)

Scotty:

1. Is obsessed with maps. He looks at maps all day long, and I don’t think an hour goes by where he doesn’t open some kind of map app on his phone unless he’s asleep. But even then, I bet he wakes up in the middle of the night and looks at maps a few times a week.

2. Wiggles his feet when he’s tired.

3. Whistles all the time. The alternative to whistling is making a “Tsh, tsh, tsh” noise, and if we are somewhere he absolutely can’t make noise, he wiggles. 

4. Likes to stick a frayed shoelace in his ear and twist it around. For our entire marriage he has kept an old shoelace near his bed for ear tickling, and if he can’t find it, he gets quite distressed. 

5. Clips his toenails outside. Usually on the front porch. I hope the Amazon folks don’t find the clippings.

Nicky: 

1. Finds stuff everywhere he goes. This was true in childhood and now as a developing grown up. One time our friend Chad lost his wedding ring in a lake. We joked that Nicky could find it, and it took him less than ten seconds to surface with the ring in hand. 

2. Has sideways toes. 

3. Is really good at holding still because he was cast as a character in a play that turned into a statue, and he had to hold still for a really long time. Sometimes on our video chats, he will act like he’s frozen, and we honestly can’t tell if he’s faking or if he truly lost cell service. 

4. Doesn't like new stuff. He will wear a pit-stained shirt he found on the side of the road any day over a new shirt from the store. I have to remind him to replace things like toothbrushes once in a while. 

Daisy:

1. Used to use a sleeping mask every night but insisted on having a night light.

2. Has psychosomatic symptoms as soon as she is asked to do any kind of chore.  

3. Has a a creepy sounding pop in her shoulder. 

Zoe: 

1. Doesn’t like to touch wood. She has a hard time with picnic tables, wooden playsets, etc. 

2. Doesn’t like cheese. 

3. Can spread her toes apart like jazz hands. 

4. Does a really accurate (and annoying) impersonation of a turkey. 

5. Cries when we get new things - like a couch or a car. She doesn't like change. 

Eva: 

1. Has a crush on Jack Black. 

2. Loves to roll her eyes back in her head and pull a creepy face. It's rare to get a nice photo of her. 

3. Likes getting shots at the doctor’s office and often asks if she can get "another one.”

And then there’s me. I:

1. Need to stretch my nostrils sometimes. 

2. Do not like sea creatures. I find starfish repulsive. Touch pools are my worst nightmare. 

3. Hate cornhole and BINGO (and many other activities, but I'll keep the list short so I don't sound like a terrible person). 

4. Love the smell of Cabbage Patch dolls and would love to just hold a fresh one to my nose and sniff it all day. 

5. Like to chew on the plastic part of clothing tags and even broke my front tooth from it.