Five Things

Following the lead of other bloggers, here are five things most people don't know about me:

1- I have a difficult time leaving projects unfinished. For example, currently I have a taxing project at work. I need to run over forty pieces of CAT5 wire throughout the UpperSchool, which involves pushing up ceiling tiles and getting into hard to reach places. All of this so we can add wireless access points. It is an immense project, and it took me three hours to run five wires yesterday. However, in leaving work yesterday, I didn't leave the project behind in my head. I thought about it the entire drive home, throughout the night, and even awakened during the night thinking about it. I even feel like going in today (Saturday) just so I can get it finished. Another example (Jeff can appreciate this), on President's Day I received new car speakers for Nancy's car. I started the installation around 3:00, and worked until 7:00 before stopping to eat dinner, and spend time with Nancy. This meant going to bed with three speakers finished and one not. I couldn't sleep all night, so I got out of bed at 3:00 A.M. and finished wiring and installing the final speaker sometime after 5:00 A.M.

2- Some might consider me a perfectionist, but this isn't necessarily something people don't know about me. However, there is one aspect of it that you probably don't know...I feel like things I write for others to read must be perfect. I can spend loads of time writing what someone might consider a simple e-mail. I even try to follow a pattern my Jr. High teacher Mrs. Bean taught me. She has a list of words called the "to be" verbs. In writing you should try not to use the words is, am, were, was, be, being, been. It is tougher than you might think not to use these words, but when I don't, it forces me to write better. Try it and see. If you received a wedding thank you card from me, see if any of those words are in it. I think not. Another example, I compose what I want to write in a greeting card using Microsoft Word before writing in the card.

I felt like my first blog post needed to be perfect, and considered whether I could handle a blogging site. I ultimately decided my posts didn't need to be perfect, and I didn't care what people thought about my writing. This is a-typical for me.

3- I need things (within reason) to be the best they can be. For example, when purchasing knives, I'd rather buy one Henckel for $100 than a block set of KitchenAid knives for a similar price. I'd rather buy an All-Clad pan for $150 than a set of FarberWare for $70. I think about the future, and even fantasize about Olivia (our fake child) having these types of things passed down to her. My Grandma Adamson said it is better to do without than to buy something you don't really want just because you can afford it at the time. It is better to save, and buy what you really want later. Maybe that is why it took me over two years to buy a house. If a product has a series with different tiers, I always want to buy from the top tier, perhaps even the top dog itself. I just bought a razor on Wednesday. It was the Norelco 9195, the very best razor they make.

On a related note, the speakers I bought for Nancy come from the lowest of three tiers http://www.almaniaudio.com. I bought speakers from the 3-series, and I really wanted to get something from either the 5-series or the 7-series. I struggled greatly with this. The speakers sound great, and I am sure I wouldn't really have noticed too much of a difference had I paid the difference of $70 and gone with the 7-series, but it still drives me crazy wondering.

4- Mistakes I make can drive me nuts for a long time. This mostly relates to house projects. If I do something, and it isn't quite right, it stays on my mind forever. I think about it, and think about it, and think about it. I think about how it is, and how I wish it was. I don't like this, but I can't seem to help it.

5- I do not like people by default. I guard myself from people, do not enjoy interaction, and mostly do not want to bother with them. However, since I do not live in a bubble, interaction is inevitable, and this results in my friendships. I have many dear friends, and value them immensely. I know I can count on them, and I hope they feel they can count on me.