a study in single behavior

Those of you who are Sex and the City fans. . . remember the one where the girls sit around and talk about their "single person" behavior? Miranda liked to watch infomercials and lotion her hands or something, Charlotte liked to stare at her pores, Carrie ate saltines with jelly on them in the kitchen while reading a magazine.

I can't decide if it is sad that I remember this or impressive.

Anyway. . .

Today I was thinking about my "single person" behaviors. For a while I didn't really think I had any. I've always lived with someone. These days it happens to be three other girls. Our lives move around and sometimes intersect but for the most part we live very singly. Which is why Ido have single person behavior. Plus I have never shared my time and space with a guy so my habits are well worn in. Here are some:

1. I eat cereal for dinner about twice a week. Or I eat it for dessert. I always eat it out of a mug. My old roommate thought this was weird.

2. The other 5 nights I eat a variation of pasta with something, turkey meatballs, veggies, fruit and yogurt. I get most of my protein and such from eating out. Which I also do once or twice a week.

3. I watch the Today Show while I get dressed in the morning. If I hit "Uncle Willie" I'm runningvery late.

4. I have a pillow top mattress (a side effect from sleeping on a Coleman air mattress for my first month in NY -- I bought the softest, most fluffy bed I could find.) Something I kind of regret. You can tell exactly where I sleep. Every night I try to "wear in" a new part of the bed but gravity always finds me in the same place. Plus, unless I'm really tired, the difference in the mattress bugs me.

5. I watch Teen Mom 2, some of the Real Housewives, and other crappy reality TV shows constantly. By watch I mean I usually have them in the background. My new thing, if I'm home, is to sit on the couch, surf the net, and "watch" Beverly Hills 90210 and Gilmore Girls on SOAP network on Saturdays/Sundays.

6. I sleep with everything but the kitchen sink on my bed. My room is small and my bed takes up a large part of it. I've gotten better about this but I go to sleep with my keys, my mail, my laptop, the remote, books, kleenex boxes, etc. on my bed. Not all at once, of course, but usually if I can't find my keys in the morning it is because they are underneath the extra blanket at the foot of the bed.

7. I sleep with one pillow (sometimes two) under my head and then one on each side of me.

8. OK, this isn't necessarily "single person behavior" but I was thinking about it today. I always give a dollar or some coins to buskers on the subway who make me smile. Especially if I've had a hard day. I dunno, I guess I kind of believe in karma.

9. I stop to pet dogs and smile at babies. I tone it down a lot when I'm with other people, especially guys because I don't want to send them running for hills just because they interpret that as MUST HAVE BABY NOW. MUST BUILD NEST NOW. As I always say, for the right guy and at the right time, I'll let the crazy out a bit more.

10. I take Sunday afternoon naps, go for random walks with Pandora playing in my ears, book solo trips to foreign countries, and have gone on dates with a cowboy, a gin maker, and a total heartbreaker. A couple in fact.

Someday I will find someone completely content with eating cereal out of a mug for dinner right along with me. Until then. . .