I'm supposed to be working, not downloading lovely, lovely MP3s and writing blog entries, dammit.

In seven days I'll find out if R and I made it into this. When it comes to such finger crossers, I assume nothing, if not the worst. Life has taught me the value of lowering one's expectations to avoid disappointment.

Please please please let us get in!

I'm reading a book about eccentrics (see article here) and am still not convinced if I fall under that demographic. It's kinda like the way people desperately want to call themselves artists. Or writers. There's this cachet to it that many of us want to be associated with. Then again, I suppose not everyone wants to be a weirdo. I've always enjoyed being different, though, despite all the hassle that entails.

Of course, we don't realize we're weird until people (society -- bah!) make us aware of the fact. After being informed of my strangeness more than once in my childhood, I remember asking a friend if I was as odd as people said I was. The response was: "You're weird, but in a nice way."

Here's an excerpt from the book: a list of the 15 characteristics that applied to most eccentrics, more or less in descending order of frequency:
- nonconforming;
- creative;
- strongly motivated by curiosity;
- idealistic: he wants to make the world a better place and the people in it happier;
- happily obsessed with one or more hobbyhorses (usually five or six);
- aware from early childhood that he is different;
- intelligent;
- opinionated and outspoken, convinced that he is right and that the rest of the world is out of step;
- noncompetetive, not in need of reassurance or reinforcement from society;
- unusual in his eating habits and living arrangements;
- not particularly interested in the opinions or company of other people, except in order to persuade them to his -- the correct -- point of view;
- possessed of a mischievous sense of humor;
- single;
- usually the eldest or an only child; and
- a bad speller.

The first five characteristics are the most important and apply to virtually every eccentric.

Okay, so the last two don't apply to me. So what?

Speaking of weirdos, we've hired a new bunch of trainers recently. It's nice to have new faces around the office. I've taken quite a shine to one in particular. First of all, P's into grammar and that racks up a lot of points in my book (of geekdom). She's also very individualistic. One of her main concerns when she was applying was if she'd be able to bare her tattoo at work. (In case you're wondering, it's the words "LOVE THY SELF" -- in reverse Old English calligraphy -- on her forearm.) Heck, as long as you can do the job and have the right attitude, you can have three tits for all we care. Just don't bare them.

Having new people around might bring up an annoying issue, though. I am not looking forward to having to share my workstation. That would suck, big time.

Add this to the list: Weirdos don't like to share, dammit.