Sunday TeaRoom 7/19/09 NON tea idiosyncrasies?

[Chip]

Hello and good TeaDay everyone. As always, I hope you stop in and share what is in your cup with us throughout the day.

Yesterday responders revealed their pet peeves. You can still vote and discuss yesterday's topic.

Today's TeaRoom poll and discussion topic. NON tea idiosyncrasies? You got 'em, we want to hear about 'em! So, let's have fun today and share a little about ourselves.

I am looking forward to sharing this TeaDay with everyone. Bottoms up.

[sriracha]

What, no "I got loads of 'em" option?

[Geekgirl]

Oh yes, indeed I do! I collect and photograph toys. I know that's not exactly a secret, as the poppets have been frequent visitors in my pictures. But I also collect robots and a few other things.





I also occasionally write stories about toys, or starring toys...

Of course there are the usual idiosyncracies, like - my toast must be buttered all the way to the edges, and I'm a compulsive paper straightener, and I can't use a tablet after it is too battered to straighten, and I MUST remove price tags and labels within minutes of purchase of a book... I mean, don't we all have our share of quirks like that?

Well, it's just rolled over from Saturday here, so no tea of course, but I just put a batch of momo black from Lupicia in the fridge to cool for tomorrow. We are dismantling our deck and will need all the tea-help we can get.

[kymidwife]

Hmmm, I voted I have at least one... and I'm sure by the time I finish reading everyone else's responses, I'll be more deeply in touch with my own oddity.

The first thing that came to mind is my foot "thing". Basically, I constantly twirl my right foot... my great toe, specifically. When I am relaxed, I twirl it around in slow circles or figure-of-eight shapes. When I am anxious, I shake it, more like a very rapid vibration, lightening-fast. On the occasions I have had surgery and been put under general anesthesia I always awaken doing fast foot-shake. The recovery nurse thought I was having some kind of seizure a few years ago.

So, I don't know why I do it. I don't think about it or plan it... the foot just always moves. It is in some type of nonproductive motion any time I am awake and not walking/standing. I think it stops most of the time when I sleep, although I've been told I sometimes do this in my sleep too. My sister and my dad both do this too, but to a much lesser degree than me. My sister can do a much faster fast-shake, it looks like hummingbird wings.

When I'm doing the slower foot motions, it seems to not bother others, but the fast shake can jiggle the sofa or bed etc. if others are on it.

I know... weird. Like a silent Tourette's Syndrome of the Big Toe.

Sipping some Castleton Moonlight 2nd Flush 09 before heading to bed. G'nite all.

Sarah

[Salsero]

Nothing too stunning by way of idiosyncrasies ... unless you want to list photographing tea stuff for no apparent reason.

Sincha Houryoku was one of the treats enjoyed by the Gainesville T’Buzz™ this week as well as 3 aged puerh from Nada.

[Drax]

Something tells me there is an all-too-close relationship between pet peeves and idiosyncrasies. Probably better not to go down that path, though, haha!

I skipped my tea time this morning (sacrilege!), but I will try to make up for it this afternoon...

[Intuit]

Well yeah, Drax. There is a connection between being overly critical, harshly judgmental, easily offended, and hypocritical responses - and having idiosyncratic, and often pointless, behaviors.

Idiosyncratic: individualizing quality or characteristic of a person or group, and is often used to express eccentricity or peculiarity.

The root cause is physiological: inadequate stress tolerance, low stress threshold, and either excessive stress hormone release or inappropriate release that disturbs sleep cycling and associated neurological repair. Tics and compulsive behaviors, mentioned above, are said to be associated with prenatal exposure to stimulants (nicotine, caffeine) and maternal emotional stress. Since stress hormone crosses the placental barrier, from a biochemical viewpoint, it makes sense that it might condition an infants response to and tolerance of negative stress.

In young children with perinatal exposure to maternal stress, often exhibit an early indicator of impaired socialization and stress tolerance: rocking, head banging, or other repeat motions are soothing, calming. These are akin to rocking chair or maternal rocking of infants. The rhythmic sensations induce release of feel-good neurochemicals that relieve transient excitotoxic states in the nervous system.

The psychological component is interesting. Idiosyncratic behaviors may substitute for stressful social interaction in the stress intolerance individual, providing an alternative focal activity to the mental stimulation of learning or socializing with peers. OCD and attention deficit disorders are often, but not always, seen with social avoidance.

Recognizing that these behaviors are becoming increasingly common, that they may range substantially in intensity, and that they represent a complex adaptive behavior to negative emotional stress with poor tolerance and/or inadequate coping mechanisms/stress relief practices is quite important.

It suggests that environmental physical (like chemical, noise and light pollution) and social factors (increased crowding and decreased 'down time' in our busy lives) are resulting in ever higher loads of daily oxidative damage that our bodies are forced to neutralize with antioxidants and repair free-radical damage to our cells. At the same time, we have well-documented erosion of general populace nutritional status and physical activity that negatively impact antioxidant production and cellular repair programming.

Little wonder that wear and tear on our bodies is most easily observed in our behaviors because they reflect our nervous system health and mental well being.

Tea drinking helps.

Nice cuppa of a better grade twisted and aged Taiwanese oolong in my cup.

[augie]

Well yeah, Drax. There is a connection between being overly critical, harshly judgmental, easily offended, and hypocritical responses - and having idiosyncratic, and often pointless, behaviors.

Idiosyncratic: individualizing quality or characteristic of a person or group, and is often used to express eccentricity or peculiarity.

I got confused. At first I thought Chip wanted us to confess our character flaws. Then a few folks started talking about collecting stuff . . . hmmm . . .

I collect penguins and quilts. But as for character flaws, you'd probably have to ask someone in my family about that.

It's cool here in Indiana, but humid. Good day for iced tea.

[Artemis]

Recognizing that these behaviors are becoming increasingly common, that they may range substantially in intensity, and that they represent a complex adaptive behavior to negative emotional stress with poor tolerance and/or inadequate coping mechanisms/stress relief practices is quite important.

I disagree. I think my ticks are awesome. I have a very high emotional stress tolerance due to a lifetime of growing up with an ill sister and a ton of harmless habits. My habits don't make me less stressed, and most of the time, they're just my preference for having warm feet or a cold beverage. Anyway, my point is that for me, my quirks don't factor into the coping mechanism. My major sources of stress relief are writing, listening to music, and/or emotionally disconnecting.

Onto the weirdness:

- I do not like eating huge pieces of meat. The larger the piece of meat, the more I inherently dislike it. This can be fixed if the meat has been cut into little pieces (normally by someone else). I also don't eat beef, seafood, or pork because I hate the taste.

- I like socks because my feet get cold easily (ice cold). I have them with me on most occasions.

- I like traveling with a blanket (NAP Dream from Brookstone), because my legs get cold.

- I do not like other people's fingers in my food (snatching, grabbing, etc) before I am done eating. While I am eating, my food is mine. When I'm done, I give the rest to friends. Furthermore, I do not like other people taking/eating/messing with my food (in my kitchen).

umm... I will think of more.

[Cinnamon Kitty]

I am a constant fidget. I cannot sit perfectly still. Even if I am doing something else, my foot taps, my fingers move, my leg gets bounced up and down, or I doodle. The only time I don't fidget is while reading, but I think that has to do with actually holding the book and turning the pages. I often have to chew gum or have something to occupy my hands like a travel mug or a pen that I can hold so I don't fidget constantly. I actually didn't realize how much I fidgeted until last fall when my fiance and I had a class together and he had to keep telling me to stop because it was distracting him.

This morning's tea is Organic High Mountain Green from the NM Tea Co. Good stuff.

[Victoria]

I probably have a few, maybe those are best pointed out by other people.
I guess one that comes to mind is I have to fall asleep with the sheet on
at least partially, no matter how hot it is. I know why, yet knowing why has not seemed to help me over come it. It stems from having wasps in my room as a young child. I can however nap with out a sheet. Crazy.

In my cup this morning Darjeeling Oolong from Camellia Sinensis.

Have a nice day everyone!

[Riene]

People who fidget, swing a foot, etc, burn more calories than the rest of us, so that's good. I tend to pull on or twist my earrings around when I'm thinking.

Hmm. I get cold easily, never travel without my own pillow, find sudoku and murder mysteries soothing, use a dark blue font on every board on which I post, cannot stand anything atonal--jazz, off-key singing, out of tune instruments, etc, have to have at least a sheet over me when I sleep, and am very untidy.

Yunnan gold this morning, but I'm still not awake.

[geeber1]

Riene and Victoria, I'm the same about the sheet - so I don't really think it's an idiosyncracy!

Let's see - eating one item on my plate at a time, always sleeping on the left side of the bed, hanging my clothes in a certain order in the closet - and I'm sure many more that I can't recall right now!

Iced Red Rose so far this morning, not sure what is to come later.

[Geekgirl]

... The root cause is physiological: inadequate stress tolerance, low stress threshold, and either excessive stress hormone release or inappropriate release that disturbs sleep cycling and associated neurological repair. Tics and compulsive behaviors, mentioned above, are said to be associated with prenatal exposure to stimulants (nicotine, caffeine) and maternal emotional stress...

Sometimes a quirk is just a quirk. But thank you, Doctor Nick, for that compelling medical diagnosis. Tell me, when and where was it that you obtained your license to practice medicine?

[Chester Copperpot]

Ha! Idiosyncrasies, let's see... Yep, I've got some. The one that keeps coming to mind is that I cannot sleep with my socks on, no matter what the temp is! I've tried it when it's really cold, but I just end up tossing and turning until I eventually kick them off.