Peculiarities

Holly had a hodge-podge collection of stuffed animals - ‘friends,’ she calls them - that she’s had almost from Day One.

Truthfully, some of them belonged to Paul at one point but they’ve now been rolled into one large collection that belongs the one once referred to as 'The Boss.’

Holly insists that 'the friends’ be treated with the utmost of respect. With that in mind, when we recently did a massive clean-up/straighten-up, Lisa made sure at the end of the day, we constructed a place of honor atop a pyramid of storage totes.

When it comes to good friends, you have to take care of them.

Truth is, her reverence of 'the friends’ is just one of many peculiarities she has. In this house, she’s in good company. We all have them.

From the time I was a little kid, I’ve always enjoyed putting my yellow whole kernel corn on top of my mashed potatoes (especially if the potatoes are, shall we say, 'ordinary.’ Now for the gourmet variety…all bets are off! Corn on the side).

I told you, recently, that we purchased a second hand pool table from a good friend of mine. We’ve already gotten our money’s worth. Paul has really been enjoying it.

One thing I noticed recently. He has already developed a peculiar habit of arranging the 15 balls when he 'racks them up.’ I’ve never really understood exactly what he’s doing. I know it involves balancing colors. A green solid balances a green stripe; a blue balances a blue.

It’s peculiar.

Back in his baseball days, I would see Paul on the pitching mound…talking to himself. I asked him about it one time. I didn’t know if he even knew he was doing it. Or was it some sort of baseball superstition.

No. It was none of that. Paul, as a pitcher, was a darn good pitching coach. Often, if he discovered some mechanical flaw in his own pitching delivery, he’d coach himself on how to correct the flaw.

And Lisa. Well, she’ll talk to you about anything anytime. And she’s a good listener, too - just not when she’s reading and eating. If she’s reading and eating (which is a peculiar combo on its own merits), don’t talk to her. It’s just her thing. When she’s eating and reading, she doesn’t like you talking.

And if chocolate is involved…forget it…and if it is dark chocolate…well…

Not even Roger is immune to these household eccentricities. He’s got more of them than the rest of us combined.

But then again, he’d tell you he is 'the boss.’

JG

Originally posted 7/22/2012