Squirm

rocket.jpgHmmm, I wonder how many points “squirm” would net me on a nice dark blue square..?

Anyway, good day to you all, and here are some things that make me squirm:

1) Chewing a wooden ice-cream stick (or thinking about chewing a wooden ice-cream stick)

2) Finding one of those brown bits in the middle of a potato

3) People who have those bluetooth headsets stuck permanently to their heads as if they are very important and have loads of phone calls to handle

4) Rocket (ruccola for the Swedes)

That is all.

/ paddy

16 Responses to “Squirm”

  1. ullis Says:

    I’m still convinced that rocket is a weed and it tastes thereafter. Yuck.

  2. OR Melling Says:

    What on earth have you guys got against rocket?! I LOVE rocket. It’s peppery, and the only thing that makes lettuce edible. Now fresh coriander, that’s like eating dishwashing liquid. Yet strangely enough, I love it too. And then there’s French soft cheese which smells like a dirty nappy and Parmesan which smells like vomit. Yet, somehow … But what makes me squirm? Worms. Big fat worms squirming out of the soil as I try to plant things.

  3. csrster Says:

    I think my problem with rocket is the way every once in while an entire leaf will slide halfway down your threat leaving you gagging and retching helplessly while you try to force your fingers down far enough to allow you drag it up again from your spasmic gullet.

    Apart from that, I’m fine with rocket.

    What really makes me squirm is the though of letting somebody else have a bite of my ice lolly. If somebody could explain to my wife that _nevertheless I really do love her_ it would make life easier.

  4. csrster Says:

    Just to clarify, “ice lolly” in the above is not a metaphor.

  5. paddyK Says:

    OR Melling: It’s genetic. I lack the bitterness gene. Or, actually, you other people only like it because YOU lack a gene. Mutants, the lot of you…

    csrster: Oh yes it is…..

  6. Alex Foster Says:

    And to the US people reading this, rocket is arugula.

  7. csrster Says:

    Isn’t “Arugula” the “Red Alert” noise on the original Enterprise?

  8. Tor Says:

    _Chewing_ the ice cream stick should be OK, I think. But biting down on it with your front teeth and then moving your jaw right and left… no, best avoid that.

  9. paddyK Says:

    Alex: How many names does this thing have?!?

    csrster: No, that would be arooooga.

    Tor: Stop that right now, it’s not funny.

  10. Niamh Says:

    Lol. Nice post. I love rocket, not an issue, however, I hate the sound of yardbrushes, goes right through me, can’t bear it. Shudder.

  11. Alex Foster Says:

    csrster: That made me laugh. :)

    Quite a few, Paddy: Vernacular names include Garden Rocket,[3] Rocket,[2] Eruca,[2] Rocketsalad,[6] Arugula (American English), Rucola (Italian),[7][8] Rugola (Italian), Roquette (French), Rokka (Greek), Ruchetta (Italian)[8] and Rughetta (Italian).

    Blame the Italians–they have four names for it alone. It’s like Eskimos and ’snow’.

  12. paddyK Says:

    Niamh: Yardbrushes, eh? Interesting…

    Alex: Yes I do like to blame the Italians for things.

  13. Glen Gordon Says:

    “1) Chewing a wooden ice-cream stick (or thinking about chewing a wooden ice-cream stick).”

    Hahaha, I love this blog because it always manages to confirm my several neuroses. I thought I was the only one that nearly gagged from wooden sticks because, I figured, why on earth would they invent such a thing if it made EVERYONE gag profusely. CRINGE!!!!! This is related to the idea of being at the doctor’s office for a checkup when he gets out his wooden stick to check your uvula. BLEH!!!! I would try so hard not to hurl all over the doc’s face in disgust. That’s how violent my reaction is to wooden sticks. Hahaha.

    “2) Finding one of those brown bits in the middle of a potato”

    Now that’s just crazy. However, I admit that when I was young, I was afraid of half-cooked egg, like “[r/s]unny side up” style. I was afraid that the gooey membrane would come alive in my throat. It was like the extra cooking protected me from alien possession.

    “3) People who have those bluetooth headsets stuck permanently to their heads as if they are very important and have loads of phone calls to handle”

    This is similar to when I see a crowded Starbucks when the cafe next to it is empty. CRINGE. Naturally the bluetooth posers all go to Starbucks, waiting to infect and assimilate an incoming patron.

    “4) Rocket (ruccola for the Swedes)”

    Almost sounds like Ricola and that commercial makes me cringe. But then when you guys describe the taste, it must be a lot like Buckley’s Mixture.

  14. paddyK Says:

    Glen: Yes, also those doctor sticks! Christ how I hate them. I would much prefer a chain-smoking doctor’s finger in my gob than one of those things.

  15. Mr Glancetts Says:

    I’m with you on the accidental biting of wooden lolly sticks. I also have a major squirmy thing that involves some kind of combination of fabric or fibrous material being either scraped or caught on a hard edge or touching the tips of my fingers when my skin is dry. As you cam see, I haven’t narrowed down the precise combination of objects and circumstances involved in this one, but it quite literally makes me shudder and cringe and want to run away and hide or possibly cut off my hands. How’s THAT for a couple of run-on sentences?

  16. Mr Glancetts Says:

    Oh, but I do love rocket. It really makes a salad, in my experience. You just have to cut it up finely and sprinkle it around so that it doesn’t try to choke or overpower you.

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