Quirky Weird
Blogs tend to be very curated. Mine’s no exception. Most of us post photos of ourselves where we’re showing our good side. The ones you see of me are usually from days when I’ve showered (hint: it doesn’t happen very often). We style our workspace strategically. We every-so-lightly edit.
The manicured life can be beautiful. Inspiring. So, so clean. But in reality – my life is not like that at all. Don’t get me wrong. My life is wonderful but it’s also really weird. I’m quirky. And gosh am I particular.
I found this photo while looking through my camera uploads. It’s from the weekend at my family’s lakehouse. I didn’t shower the entire 3 days we were there. I wore my pajamas the whole time. I’m eating ice cream for lunch. I passed on the makeup. And I’m about to laugh because my friend Ben is about to fake punch me in the head. This photo feels more like me than any other photo on the internet.
At WMC Fest last weekend, I had a nice chat with my friend Lisa. We discussed how weird it is to be known online by strangers, acquaintances and friends. You really have to be intentional about being your true self because it’s easy to curate this life online. After blogging for 4.5 years – it’s starting to feel foreign when I don’t let the weird out a little.
So in effort to keep this space real, here are some unique facts about me:
- My sense of smell is reallllllly strong. Like, I think I might be a superhero. But because of my sensitive nose, I sneeze and get really overwhelmed by smells too. To the point where I’m overly dramatic (I’m sure).
- I’ve shared this before but I’m a huge slob. I currently have a pile of clothes sitting next to my bed on the floor. A glass of wine from last night at my desk. None of my dishes are washed from dinner. Tumbleweeds. All over.
- I make up words constantly and use them in ordinary conversation with Adam. He fully supports this and has jumped on the bandwagon.
- I have the weirdest nicknames for Desh. So weird that I don’t even know how to share or spell them. Okay fine I’ll try. Deedersplob. Splodie-Cat. Bubberwubbers. Yeah, it’s nauseating.
- Some nights I go to bed around 3-4am and sleep for a full 8-9 hours. But no matter what time I go to bed, I ALWAYS get 8 hours of sleep. That’s one reason my boss is so cool (it’s funny because I am that boss).
- I still can’t properly shave my legs. It’s like my knees have a force field and no matter how hard I try….fail.
- I rarely get offended. The most raunchy joke will still make me laugh.
- When I was 5, I used to get this “weird feeling.” I explained it to my mom and she tells me it was probably when I started to become self-aware. Ha. I basically realized that if I were to die – the world would keep going. It was a very overwhelming feeling as a five-year-old.
- After binge watching The Walking Dead earlier this year, I almost mistook a mouth-breather for a walker. I was in TJ Maxx.
- If I’m really hungry, I wonder what my dog’s food tastes like. I’ve still never tried it.
How are you quirky? Is it cool if I start letting it get a little weird up in here?
A Consideration
A weekly email where I share things that made me stop and consider. Never sponsored, no affiliate links.
Comments (54)
-
-
Hahaha pet names can be pretty hilarious. And I agree – I feel a bit disconnected from a blog when I don’t think they’re being real or their true selves.
-
-
-
-
Haha I love that you’re getting weird! Confession time: I haven’t shaved my legs in 3 months. I have the blondest leg hair so even though it’s a little long (ok that sounds gross) it’s blonde and soft so you can’t tell!
xo Becky
-
My wife and a mutual female friend of ours went for over a year without shaving legs or pits. It was strange at first, but it was interesting to question why it’s “gross” for women but not for men, and then coming to terms with how our social expectations can be super ridiculous (which really isn’t a surprise but it’s different when you see how you react when the social rules are broken).
-
-
Yeah girl!! If I had blonde leg hair, I would do the same. Lately I’ve just been wearing pants even though it’s hot out because I have no idea what that situation is like…
-
-
Maybe you’re like Gus (from Psych) and have a super sniffer. You just have a refined sense of smell :)
-
-
YES! That weird feeling is the oddest realization. Even sometimes today I have that feeling. It’s a strange feeling of mortality.
-
It sure is. I think it’s good that we still get that feeling. I never want to take it all for granted. PS we’re going to be neighbors soon!!!!
-
-
Ha, quirky weird is my jam. When I was working ridiculously early hours at a TV news station for a year and only getting an average of 5-6 hours of sleep per night, I was sort of zoned out for that whole year. Then I shifted back to being myself when I got a new, normal-hour job, and my wife Kelly told me that she forgot how weird I really am. Most of my quirky weird behaviors are related to making weird voices, singing “operatic” falsetto, and having sudden unplanned outbursts of dancing.
So yes, bring on the weird!
Also, now that you’ve binge-watched Walking Dead, you should definitely use the Zombies, Run! app when you go for a run.
-
YEAH! Isn’t it so weird how bad jobs and lack of sleep can minimize our weirdness? So sad.
As for the Zombie, Run app. I will definitely get it. But I don’t run so maybe when it’s dark out and I’m alone and need to get to my car?
-
-
-
-
I love this and totally agree that its good to mix up the curating and pretty pictures. I just recently shared a blog post with 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Me and it was well received.
Ps; Dog food, no matter how organic or fancy, is gross. I’ve tried it haha.
-
I love that series you started. It makes me feel like I’m actually a friend of yours :)
I’m cracking up that you tried dog food. Is it weird that I STILL want to try it??
-
-
Thanks for sharing this!
It’s always nice to see people get real on the internet; it’s so lacking in the world of blogging for the most part.Maybe some time next week I’ll share a Quirky Weird post on my blog. :)
-
-
I love this.
I have a super smeller nose, too, and let me tell you- it only got worse with pregnancy. It is fun to feel sortof like a detective with it, though. ;) <—-see, I'm weird, too. ;)-
People have told me about when I get pregnant someday…it’s gunna be BAD haha. I totally feel ya on the detective thing. I’ll walk into our house and sniff the air like a dog haha.
-
-
Love this! Number one I can totally relate to. I’m super senstive to smells of meat (pollotarian over here!) and perfumes and scented lotions all gross me out. They are over bearing. I can’t stand to be in the same room as someone who has on too much fragrance. (same goes for stinky smells as well)! And 5 is me right now, because I just woke up. But seriously, love this post.
-
I actually used to make fun of a teacher who had a sensitive nose and would forbid perfume or scented lotions. BUT I AM HER NOW!
Yay for lots of sleep. I embrace it.
-
-
This is awesome! And that picture of you is adorable. I almost always get 8 hours of sleep too. If I go 3-4 days without 8 hours of sleep (which obviously happens more often than I’d like), my body hates me.
-
-
Love this post. And my super power is that I have a weirdly strong memory. Like creepily remember what people were wearing on a certain date in 1996. It makes me feel both stalkerish and like a superhero at once. :)
-
-
Best piece I’ve read all day! Love the weirdness. One of my weird things is that I hate washing my hair and will avoid it as long as possible. Yay ponytails! Doesn’t go well in adulthood sometimes. Also, I can’t stand the sound of a TV in the morning. Too loud, too much.
-
Thanks Leslie!!!! Yeah I probably wash my hair once a week. I just cut it and got it back to my original darker color too so when she washed and dried it I was like “Score. I don’t need to watch my hair for awhile.”
Yeah I don’t like the tv in the AM either. My mom used to have the news on in the morning and it was TOO EARLY FOR THAT SHIZ.
-
-
Eva Bengtsson
It’s refreshing when bloggers share their real life and who/how they really are, instead of the “everything is oh so perfect”. I hope that when I start blogging I’ll be able to keep it real (sometimes at least :)
-
I agree!! And it’s difficult sometimes to keep it real. And I’m all about a curated life online. I don’t think we should share EVERYTHING but it’s important to keep it real.
-
-
I’m a super smeller too. I wish I could market the talent because otherwise it’s annoying – I can’t stand over-saturated scents, the smell of my old dog, etc. And it did get worse when I was pregnant!
-
When Desh was little, I could always tell if he went inside before seeing it. I’ll let you know if I find a way to market our noses.
-
-
Hhahahahahaha this makes me laugh so so so hard. Because its totally me. I really want a nickname so I’ve been subdy hinting for years for people to call me whiskers. I make explosion sounds and sound effects for everything. When I was a kid I wouldn’t swallow my spit because I thought it would kill me… So I spit behind my parents couch. I’m inspired to write a post like this too! Would you be totally mad at me if I copied you? Because the last thing I want is to be fake.
-
I laughed reading your comment. AMAZING. The spit thing really got me. My sister used to pee on her stuffed animals in the basement because she didn’t want to go upstairs. LOL kids are hilarious.
And you should TOTALLY copy me! More weirdness, please.
-
-
The weird is seriously what keeps me coming back to most blogs…
I have issues shaving my legs properly, too… Or really, at all. I skip over it most of the time and when I do, I usually miss a huge spot.
-
I’m glad I’m not the only one. The other day I felt like there were bugs on the back of my legs but it was just the wind catching the areas I totally missed. AWK.
-
-
Oh man, those 8 hours of sleep sound like a dream these days…you have the coolest boss! :P Every morning when I have to wake up at 5:00-5:30am to get ready for work, I feel like calling in and quitting. It makes me want to start working for myself right away, so I can make my own schedule and generally take back control of how I spend my time (and I’m talking about both quantity and quality of work), but then I remind myself it doesn’t happen just like that, and I have to be a little patient. I think that’s one of the best things about self-employment, and it’s so great to see you’re taking advantage of it, and always make sure to put sleep first.
Loved reading all these little details about you. Wishing you a great weekend!
-
Ugh I feel your pain. I worked for about 3 years at the most boring jobs before I quit. But it’s great to ease into it so it’s not overwhelming. Hope you have a great weekend too, Ana!
-
-
Pingback: Starred this Week
-
I love this post! I love this photo! Bring on the weird :) I am right there with you on the pile of clothes thing- although my pile is on a chair in the living room, we call it the laundry chair. Oh and the knee force field when shaving… how does that happen!?
-
YAY! I’ll bring it on (good movie too). I also have laundry closets and laundry chairs too. We are too cool, huh? Also – someone in the comment section said to shave your knee standing straight up. Totally worked.
-
-
I’m 29 and I just learned how to shave my knees last month (via a totally random dialogue in the book Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld). You’re supposed to shave your knees with your legs completely straight. I was dubious, but IT WORKS. Now I just sit around stroking my knees all the time, amazed by their smoothness.
-
-
i’m weird beyond compare. but i don’t really care to try to blend in, so it’s pretty evident if you spend more than 5 minutes with me.
i will only drink Mexican Cokes that have been opened with my chainsaw bottle opener. i don’t like people touching me. my hair is blue. i save all bugs, including spiders by catching them by hand and relocating them outside…and i will kick your ass if you squish bugs in front of me. i don’t wear pants in public…a lot. i forget to wear shoes, so i sneak into the grocery store or restaurant barefoot. i don’t shave my legs. i will do almost anything to avoid a phone conversation, and I mean anything. i unexpectedly yell really loud, obnoxious things out of the blue. even if i have a huge cut that is bleeding all over the place, i have to finish reading whatever i started reading, even if it is just a receipt or a really terrible book about crocheting. i also only like other weird people…or at least, i like them much, much better. not a single best friend in my life is not the weirdest fucker i’ve met. i’m basically curating awesome weird people.
-
-
Oh, #9 just made me laugh so hard! But I’m a Doctor Who fan who once came around a corner, almost walked right into a statue of a weeping angel, and may have let out a slight scream.
I think we tend to look at our favorite bloggers and think “Oh, they have a perfect life,” when the reality is we’re all struggling to get by. I tried an experiment a couple weeks ago – I was going to have the “perfect blogger day.” I woke up at a reasonable time, I spent a little time catching up on my Bloglovin’ feed, I went for a run, I did some yoga, I showered and put on a cute outfit, and then I went to run my errands with the intention of getting the groceries to make a delicious meal that night. Instead, I got to the library and went in to return my books – and when I came out my car wouldn’t start. I then spent half an hour waiting for the person next to me to come out of the library in hopes of getting a jump (because of course, there was only ONE place that someone could actually be in order to jump my car), was rudely told off, and then, almost in tears, had a couple of lovely people jump my car. I then prayed it would stay moving all the way to the nearest Walmart (a couple red lights almost killed it), spent THREE HOURS waiting for them to put a new battery in, and came home a tired, frustrated mess who grabbed something out of a box and ate it for dinner.
So – the long and short – we all try to be perfect, but then this thing called “life” happens.
-
I totally feel ya. The perfect day takes shape and looks different for everyone too. Sometimes my perfect day is busy. Sometimes it’s when I’m lazy. Sometimes it’s when I cook. Or maybe order pizza. But I guarantee my hair is dirty and I’m ready for a nap :) Thanks for sharing!!
-
-
Number 6…I’m there. What is the deal with knee hair?
Number 8, I HAD A SIMILAR KIND OF REALIZATION. I remember that I was about 7 at the time and was in Hong Kong with my family, and I got this weird feeling that maybe none of what I was experiencing was actually happening. That everything I was seeing and hearing wasn’t real and didn’t matter. Hmm okay this is harder to explain than I’d thought. Maybe I’ll try to write a blog post about it and post it. But it used to freak me out, and I kept having these moments of that kind of feeling for the next, like, five years.
-
So true about “curating” our online lives. I’ll never forget what it felt like the first time a stranger introduced themselves to me as a reader of my blog. I felt like leonardo decaprio for a second – then i thought “Oh shit, I hope she still thinks im cool.”
Then I realized how weird that whole conversation with myself sounded – most notably comparing myself to Leo.
-
DEF let out the weird!!! Bloggers’ lives can seem so perfect, it’s almost surreal. I mean, I’m a slob too, I hate washing my hair, and I am SOOO not a morning person! Like, I will not talk to anyone until I’m ready to get up. If I run into my mom on the way to the bathroom, she knows not to talk to me cuz I won’t talk back. On roadtrips, however, I have been known to sing along to the radio…while SLEEPING! Haaa! How’s that for weird? Oh and from 3 on I used to cry to my mom that someday we all were going to die. I’ve always felt this real sense of urgency to remember that. Weird little kid. lol
-
Lisa
LOVE IT! I let all of my subscriptions die with Google Reader (probably on purpose), and finally started up again with Bloglovin’. Naturally, I’m catching up here. Do you know how happy it makes me that you don’t shower every day? I don’t either. It just doesn’t feel right.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ -
I seriously love this, Allie! I think I need a little quirky weird on my blog, as well! :)
Kayta
Its the weird stuff that the people behind the blogs need to share more of, I think. For me it makes reading posts feel like they’re more personal, rather than completely curated.
I do the same pet name thing to my boyfriend… I’m pretty sure he hates it, haha!