idiosyncrasies

Everyone has some kind of idiosyncrasy that makes us unique. I live with five females and it's always funny to see what everyone's is.

Liz abhors anything that resembles the animal it came from. No bones, no skin, no shells.
I've discovered that Sheila has a similar dislike. While she can handle bone, pulling bones apart or stuffing a turkey are high on her no tolerance list.

Right now I'm just going to tell stories about these two idiosyncrasies.

The other night, Sheila wanted to make shrimp kabobs. That's fine and everything but she went out and bought fresh shrimp. Now, in my mind, fresh shrimp means that the heads are still on the creature. Well, Sheila lucked out and ended up with headless shrimp (I have no idea what she would've done had the heads been included). I walk into the kitchen shortly after she's finished shelling the shrimp and ask the general "What's up?" question.

Sheila gives me this nauseated look and says, "I think I'm going to be sick. I just had to shell a pound of shrimp."

"...okay..."

"I had the rip the legs off. Ugh!"

I laughed and told her that she should've called me since I don't have a problem with that. Her response was "Now you tell me!"

She continues with her project while I watch and I finally ask, "Are you going to devein them?"

"De-what?"

"Devein them. You know, remove the vein."

"I guess not because I have no idea how to do that."

"What? You grew up in Florida, how do you not know how to do that?"

"What does my growing up in Florida have to do with it?"

"I'm sure you've eaten far more sea-food than I have in my life. I did the deveining growing up."

"How is it done?"

"You take a knife, cut down the back, and remove the vein."

"I really will throw up if I do that."

"I'll devein them."

I proceed to devein a pound of shrimp while Sheila tries her best to ignore me. Finally, she says that she has to have Hannah repierce her ears and I tell her to make sure I'm no where around because that will make me sick.

"How can you not handle that but rip the shells and veins off of shrimp?"

"The shrimp is dead, Sheila. It can't feel anything. You're alive."

".... You're so weird."

"Me? Weird? It's just a shrimp!"

"That's why I'm a pharmasist and not a surgeon!"

"It's dead! Can you stuff a turkey? That's dead."

"If I had to though I wouldn't feel very good....."

"You're almost as bad as Liz."

"Hey!"

She watches me a moment longer before stating, "So that's why they're split down the back."

"Umm... yeah."

Today, Hannah's pig was delivered. Yes, a pig. She ordered half a pig from some farmer and it came in today. So, over 100-pounds of pork are in this huge black trashbag. Liz is talking to me, asking where Hannah was and when she was getting back and finally sees the black bag and has to ask what it is. Nonchalantly I say, "That's Hannah's pig."

She gives me this horrified look. "You're kidding, right?"

"No, it's half a pig."

"You're not serious! What's it doing in our kitchen?! What's it doing in a trashbag in our kitchen?!"

"It's just meat!"

"Ugh! I'm not going to be able to eat now."

"You haven't even seen it!"

"Why'd you have to tell me?"

"You asked."

Hannah got home a few minutes ago and celebrated and check out her pig. It's cut up and packaged much like it would be in a grocery store. All rather tame.