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Sunday, June 08, 2008

Meme...hee hee...

Let me start by saying I am having so much fun reading all the entries in the contest to win the Turkish bowls. So fun for me! The contest lines are open until midnight on Monday. If you haven't entered yet click here to read about it and enter.

Now moving right along. I have to write another post. Not have to as in someone is forcing me to, but have to in the my-hands-might-shrivel-up-and-fall-off kind of way if I don't. I didn't write one yesterday, and I feel it. Am I weird? Really? Yeah, I knew that already.

Ok...moving along...again. I have been tagged by the Over-Thinker for a
meme. And since she called me one of her favorite bloggers I feel compelled (read...forced) to comply. Actually I love the Over-Thinker. She is funny, and she makes French Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Butter Cream frosting. Not that I have ever had one of her cupcakes...nor did I win the secret recipe in a recent contest of hers...but I've been told they are to die for. And one of my other favorite things about her blog is that she actually takes advantage of the font size and color buttons as she writes her posts. I plan to adopt this strategy as of this post. Now on to the meme...



5 quirky things about me
1. The word meme makes me giggle every time I read it. I don't know how to pronounce the word for sure...I've heard two different pronunciations. The reason it makes me giggle is because the word meme is a Turkish word. In Turkish it means "nipple, teat, boob, breast". I know...I'm like a junior-high boy.
2. I have to use a sponge when I am washing dishes. Like the kind that has one spongy side and one scratchy side. A dishrag just doesn't cut it for me. When I am done with the dishes I switch to a rag to wipe down the counters and the table. A sponge just won't do for the counters. I need both!
3. I organize my linen closet according to sheet size and which beds they go on. There are labels that say "girls", "boys", "master", and "couches" on the shelves under the appropriate sheets. These labels are written in both English and Turkish. My Turkish house helper never reads them when she changes the sheets so we always end up with the wrong sheets on the beds. I mean why would you put a full size sheet on a twin bed? I don't get it. Drives me...wait...these are quirks...not pet peeves. Ok...I label my linen shelves.
4. I lather, rinse, and repeat when I wash my hair. Except I always use a different kind of shampoo for the second washing. I NEVER repeat with the same shampoo. I have no idea why.
5. I can't make rice in Turkey. Either it is too crunchy or too mushy. There is no in between. In the states I had no problems making rice. I used converted rice and it always came out perfect. Not sticky, not crunchy...just right. And I am not a fan of minute rice. It doesn't have any flavor to me. (Side note - Our Iranian friends make the best rice I have ever eaten in Turkey. I must get her recipe before I leave!)

Ok...that's it. 5 of my quirks. To see more you can go read this post. Or not. You can just skip it and leave some mystery to this relationship.

To tag or not to tag. I have never actually tagged anyone when I've done a meme before. This time I think I will. Just to see how much pull I have in these people's lives. Will they do what I tell them to do? So...

Charlie Girl, Sharon, Derya, and Tamara
I tag you.

I thought about tagging Mentanna and HeyJoe as well, but they wouldn't succumb to the pressure. (And if for some reason they choose to do this meme I will dance a little I-have-absolute-power dance as I revel in my absolute power. Because I am like that. A control-freak. Well not really, but as AG loves to say, "I'm in charge!"

Oh, and the rules...simple.
Post 5 quirky things about yourself.
Post a recent picture so we can all look at you and laugh as we read about how interesting (weird) you are.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have to go hmmmm... here!

So, you think you have THAT much power?? I will have to ponder that and see what I come up with...

I will also post it on the "Out of the Weeds" blog,so that your readers can have a place to look...

Wait, Did I just say I would post it? That means I agreed to this?

Man (not the word I want to use) I guess you do have absolute and ultimate power over me... must be the eyes??

Nope, that is not it...

Maybe the threat of dropping me off in the middle of Turkey and leaving me there??

Yep... that is IT!

Jennifer S said...

I'm going to say meme all the time now. All the time. Because I'm also a junior high boy at heart.

You've inspired me to label my next linen closet. It would make my husband happy, for sure, since he's the organized one. So I would do it as an investment on future good will (read: staying home with kids while I go out) from him. :-)

About the shampooing (and I beg you to forgive me for sharing this)...I read somewhere that "Repeat" was added to shampoo bottles as a marketing strategy to get people to buy shampoo twice as often. Could be an urban myth, though. Never know. (Still like me?)

This was a great list!

The Over-Thinker said...

Whoo hoo! Well done! A+++++

And how cute are you?? I love the photos.

I've never known anyone who actually did the the "repeat" part of "lather, rinse, repeat"---I am super intrigued. Does it dry out your hair? How long does it take to do this?

Also, what is the list on your fridge?

Thank you for completing your assignment in a timely matter. Santa is happy and will bring you bunches of gifts this year.

maris said...

As you wish, my dear lady...

Sharon said...

Okay, I'll comply but not because you have power over me but because I think it might be fun--this is my first official tag.

Anonymous said...

Not sure if you've tried this, but I thought I'd chime in because if I couldn't have rice? I would die? But I use a rice cooker. And it comes out perfectly every time.

Anonymous said...

Mine are posted...

Natalie said...

charlie girl - i had no doubt you would post a list. because you are just that way. a great friend who loves me!

jennifer h - wow! i inspired you to label their linen closet. you know if i wasn't so tired of the linens being put on the wrong beds i would never have labeled mine. obviously it did absolutely no good. oh well...

and the shampoo thing. i'm sure you're right. i wonder if i should try to stop repeating. i wonder if i could actually do it. of course i still like you! somebody has to tell me when i am wasting shampoo and money!

over-thinker - those were my thinking about my quirks photos. i took them right before i wrote my post! i never have pictures of myself on the other camera because i always am the one taking the pictures!

and now for the shampoo thing. i think that tomorrow morning i will try to only shampoo my hair once. i don't know if i will be able to do it. my hair does tend to dry out, but i assumed it was because i color it not because i repeat. mercy me i never thought about the fact that my incessant shampooing could be the culprit. i'll let you know how i fair. how long does it take me to shower? i have no idea. it can be anywhere from 8 minutes to 20 when i feel like i have time to just stand there. those are the days! and that probably dries out my hair even more!

the list on my fridge is a phone number list. nothing exciting at all! i wish i could have said it was a list of life goals i wanted to accomplish, but alas...it's just phone numbers.

tell santa i want a puppy for christmas. i'll be living in america by then and we'll have a backyard!

derya - thanks! good list!

sharon - i know. as i said on your blog i have no power over anyone really. even my husband and kids seem immune to it at times!

la - i had a rice cooker once in america. i always made great rice there and never used it. they don't sell rice cookers here or i would have invested in one a long time ago!

charlie girl - they are good ones.

LiteralDan said...

You are indeed quirky, but I find the word meme amusing as well. And those are nice pictures-- no laughing needed

Anonymous said...

I'm so impressed that you have enough linens to have an organizational system. I have exactly one set of sheets for each bed - I strip them off, wash them, put them right back on.

The lather, rinse, repeat with a different shampoo one made me laugh.

HeyJoe said...

Wait, I already did this.

http://joeprose.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/01/curses-ive-been.html

There, THAT was easy.

And yes, nice pics btw.

Mike S said...

Hah!! 'meme' is an old Passamaquoddy word stolen by Turkish traders. The true original meaning is 'word I can use to make you say embarrassing things'. Just thought a wordsmith of your stature could use this info for future reference:)

Natalie said...

literaldan - thanks for the quirky vote of confidence! i love my quirks most of the time!

citizen of the world - i can't stand not having enough sheets for the beds. and my mom is a linen-aholic so i was destined to have more than i need.

glad to make you laugh. today i am going to take a shower and wash my hair once. i'll let you know how it goes!

heyjoe - that is a copout! i had already done one too but did it again! maybe you just don't have any more quirks to share with the world.

mike s - thanks! you, my friend, fix me up with lots of great words!

Tamara said...

OK...so you've never tagged and I've never been tagged...this is a first for both of us. I'll work on the meme (blushing even as I type it, knowing what I now know). Meme sounds like fun. Pictures of me? Not so much. But if it makes you feel powerful, I'll do it. Eventually! :)

By the way...what's this about the Pioneer Woman? Were you featured? I haven't found a reference, but I keep seeing people commenting about finding you through her site. Inquiring minds....oh, you know.

Natalie said...

tamara - i was just about to email you and let you know i tagged you. i totally forgot to do that part! i look forward to reading about your quirks!

oh...and i think what those people mean is that they clicked on my name from the pioneer woman's site when i left a comment. i said i was having a contest after i left a comment. PW has no idea who i am!

Sra said...

I love doener kababs SO MUCH.

Natalie said...

sra - i was just telling my husband yesterday that i was craving an ekmek arasi doner! that is basically the doner stuffed in a big piece of turkish bread. pickles, onions, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and sometimes even french fries are added on top. yum!

Tamara said...

Guess what? I finally did the meme! It's not very exciting, but it's done.

Tamara

Natalie said...

tamara - wow. i had no idea it had been so long since i tagged you! way to go remembering it after all this time!