I'm back... from where I don't know

Here I am, at long last. Sorry to worry you, and after I promised I wouldn't stay away so long. I've just been keeping busy and taking a break from blog land. But I'm OK, and all is well. I'm still looking for the right position to take the place of the others. In the mean time I've been working on putting some business deals together and getting closer to finishing the movie room project (pictures to follow soon).

For now, let me do the little meme that I was tagged with some time ago. It is the one called 6 Weird Things About Me that has been around for a while. But I've never done it, and I said I would, so here it is.

1) Socks
I wear my socks inside out. All colors, always. I believe that socks are made wrong with the seam that runs across the toes being on the inside. Therefore it is more comfortable to wear them inside out. Plus, there are some cultures that say it is good luck to wear a piece of clothing inside out. Who knows, but it can't hurt. 500 points to whoever knows what movie character agrees with me on this.

2) Jeans
Not only do I not wear them, I don't own a single pair. I used to just because everyone else did, but I have never thought that they are very comfortable. I don't like pants that start out stiff and have to be loosened up. I think pants should be comfortable without me convincing them to act right. Also, I think jeans come with an inherent sense of being casual. They are even the bottom marker of how casual an event is, as in "It's not a dressy place, but I wouldn't wear jeans." So, sometime early on in college I made a conscious decision to give them up and I've never looked back. I'm not against them on anyone else, they're just not for me.

3) Cheesecake
Speaking of things that aren't for me, add cheesecake to that list. I know, I know, it seems downright un-American. I get the same reaction from people whenever they learn this about me, like there is something wrong with me, or maybe I just haven't tried the right one. Trust me, I've tried many different types, never with success. And I don't mean that I just prefer other things, cheesecake almost makes me feel a little sick. Even if it's hidden in some other evil dessert, I'll know with the first bite.

4) Iced-tea
So, let's move on to something I do like: iced-tea for example. I love it, all different types and kinds from green tea to sweet tea to raspberry tea, you name it. The weird thing is that since I like it so much that I'm very picky about it. I can taste if a restaurant hasn't cleaned their tea machine in a while. I can taste if the tea has been sitting around too long. And I can't stand tea that hasn't been brewed. You know, a drink that is tea flavored but put together like a cola (one part syrup and one part carbonation). This is something that I have in common with Asians and people from the southern part of the U.S., we all take our tea pretty seriously.

5) A kitchen
For me, it has to be clean. I enjoy cooking and food in general, and I think that where it comes from should be clean. Now, I don't get all obsessive compulsive about it, but a camera in our house would catch me giving the kitchen a good night-time wipe down after the day's various activities. This may stem from my childhood when I used to wipe my high-chair tray clean onto the floor. Apparently back then as long as I didn't have to see the mess it was OK. It also may stem from having to see far too many nasty kitchens in the apartments of my tenants. Again, I'm not here to pass judgment on other people's kitchens. Unless of course that person is making something they would like me to eat, then I may think twice.

6) Facial hair
My German/Irish heritage does not lend me to being a particularly hairy guy, although my facial hair tends to come in pretty thick. I have to shave every day, or twice a day if I'm going out in the evening. This is not a strange thing, what is weird is that the hair grows in a spiral pattern. I only know this because as a young man when my peach fuzz was growing in I could see it. I had the distinct feeling that if I had let it go I would have had two cones growing out from under my jaw bones. The fun thing about this is that I have to shave both down and then up to even look like I shaved. If I really want to be smooth, I have to shave every which way. Good times.

So there you have it. Even a handsome, intelligent, modest guy like me can think of six weird things. And like usual, no tagging, just steal if you'd like.