Ten ways that I am different...

I recently got tagged in a blog from a very dear friend of mine to write a list of ten ways that I am different, a list of ten different things that set me apart from everyone else. I am a writer by nature, always have been, and I am very introspective and know myself well, so this challenge is right up my alley, although it has been awhile since I have attempted anything so literary and thoughtful. So, my interest piqued, I have accepted the challenge and now I have to filter through my sleep-deprived mind for ten things that make me utterly unique, ten things that are purely me. So here we go:

Ten Ways that I am different:

1. I am not a dog person.

I 'm not exactly sure that this is worthy of number one, exactly, but it was the first thing that came to mind. Most people seem to love dogs, and I don't know, perhaps it was the fact that I was bitten twice in my childhood by very large, very mean dogs, but I am just not a dog person. Small dogs tend to be yappy, needy and annoying (not all of them, but most of them) and large dogs smell and leave slobber and hair everywhere. Yuck. I will tolerate dogs alright, the smarter the better; we have even owned a few, and my mother owns one right now, but I have little patience for dogs. I have little patience for stupidity in general, and most dogs will stare at your finger when you point to something. Let the hate mail commence.

2. I love seafood.

Sure, lots of people love seafood, but I ridiculously love seafood. Shellfish especially. You have to respect a creature that makes you work for your meal, even in death.

3. I clean when I'm upset. Or sing. Or both.

I am not a neat freak by anyone's standards, so if you catch me cleaning something unnecessary, I'm probably pissed about something. I figure it's a good way to burn off energy and get things done at the same time. I have sung my whole life, and music is a big part of my life, but it is the most necessary when I'm upset.

4. I love independent films

Don't get me wrong, I love a good mainstream flick, too. But Jackass is not fine cinema. I love independent films because they unfold like novels and they give a very clear and in-depth look at the characters themselves, who they are as people in the world. That seems to be lacking in mainstream cinema for some reason. Call me crazy, but since your brain is more active when you're asleep than when you're watching something on screen, I respect a movie that makes you think.

5. I love TV.

I know, I know. TV is bad for you, and given what I just said about your brain being more active when you're asleep, I am a total hypocrite right now, but I love TV! Our big screen has a name, Stevie the TV. There is such a grand scope of things to watch, and it both holds up a mirror to reality and provides an escape from it at the same time. I think that as long as you  have a balance, just like everything else, there's nothing wrong with it. There are times where I enjoy the quiet as well, times where I just want silence, but for the most part, there is a television going in our house twenty-four hours a day.

6. I love trashy romance novels

Like literary candy, there is something to be said for a good, juicy novel that is all fluff and no substance. I do respect a good, cerebral literary work of genius, but sometimes, it's just as good and as necessary not to think. The predictable plot-lines and arbitrary characters are almost laughable at times, and it kind of makes me feel superior knowing that I could probably write a better novel. In my sleep. When my brain is more active than when I'm watching TV.

7. I love pretty clothes, but I hate dressing up.

I am an old-fashioned kind of girl. I love pretty clothes and shoes, I love the elegance and style and grace that the right outfit can lend to a woman. On most days, however, unless someone died, (since there is really no other occasion that would warrant me to dress up anymore), you will catch me in jeans, a t-shirt, a hoodie and Converse. And that's if we ran into each other on the street. At home, sweats and pj's. Given my current lifestyle, I'm sure it's no surprise to anyone that I prefer comfort in an outfit over style. But I've kind of always been this way. I like to look as cute as the next girl but much of my adult life has been centered around children, and heels and silk are not exactly conducive to running around after kids, especially when you're a cancer mom running back and forth between clinic and hospital.

8. My chips have to match my sandwich

I know, this is weird, and I am rarely this anal about anything, but there it is. It's not like I won't eat it if the chips don't match the sandwich, I just have a preference is all. For cold cut sandwiches, I prefer Lay's, plain if possible, but flavored will work. For turkey sandwiches I prefer a cheese type of chip, although the Lay's will work for that as well, and Doritos are reserved for pb&j.

9. For a Gemini, I am surprisingly steadfast

Geminis are known for their fluid nature, for being fickle, even. While I can see some of this in myself, and I am definitely open to change and trying new things, I am surprisingly predictable and steadfast. I always order the same thing at every restaurant. I read the same books over and over again. I pretty much listen to the same type of music that I have since high school, although my music taste is broad and eclectic. I am not a music snob. Music is music, non-music (ahem, death metal, electronica, "house") is just that. Annoying noise. No more musical than a car alarm going off. I cringe when my mother and husband want to rearrange the furniture every month, and I swear, one day, I am bolting everything to the floor. I like knowing where things are. I like knowing that in a world that is crazy and chaotic and ever-changing that some things are always the same, and never change. It is comforting to me.

10. I love food.

I think this may be one of the most defining things about me, and unless you've known me since birth, not too many people know this. It is definitely a defining thing about being a Gonzalez, at least our branch of the Gonzalez family. My father has six children living, and we are all the same in at least two things, which I am positive we get from him. We are all obsessive about our hair, and we all LOVE food. My father, on a day off, spends all day cooking, and force feeding everyone within a ten mile radius. And he's good at it. When Sarah won't eat, I take her to Apa's, and he gets her to eat all day long. Before bed, since we were small, we always ate a pan dulce and a glass of milk, or some other such delicacy. Now I can't sleep without a snack. If I'm fat, it's his fault! :)

Again, I am not a snob when it comes to food. I love vegetables and healthy food as much as I love it's disgustingly unhealthy counterparts. It either tastes good, or it doesn't, and this is my one criterion for what I eat. I don't worry about my weight. The doctor says that I am healthy, and the food is too good to give up. Have you seen what most skinny girls eat, at least the ones who have to work to be skinny? No, thank you. Pass the cheesecake, please. I ate strawberries dipped in chocolate pudding as a snack last night. You know you're jealous.

Okay, so that's it. I am almost positive that half of these are crap, and given more thought and a lot more sleep, I am sure that I could come up with some that are way better. We may have to revisit this later. But for now, I am proud of myself for completing the challenge, and I will keep thinking to come up with some better things that define me. If you have had more sleep and can think better than I can, and you've known me longer than 30 seconds (that should be number 11. I can't stand when people run their mouths when they have no idea what they're talking about), feel free to suggest some things I may have left out.