Driving a stick shift Picking out various currents and features on a tidal beach to watch out for/steer clear of Tetris Packing (a bag, a car, etc. It's like 3D Tetris.) Being the youth track team French braider until the girls start doing it themselves
I have very good visual/spacial abilities. I can look at an object and know if it will fit in a given space and I can rearrange items in my head to make them fit most efficiently. This lends itself very well to packing into suitcases, suitcases into cars, organizing closets and cupboards, etc. I can also pick out furniture without measuring it and know if it will fit in a certain space at home. I can layer colours and items together like a Pinterest board in my brain. I can always visualize the end result of a reno/decor project.
First off, this was before I was a parent, so when I was a teenager through my very early 30s. I'm lucky to get through 100 books a year now. I was a hyperlexic child and very verbal. It's really just an interesting party trick in the day of chat GBT, and I suspect it's more common on this board than the general population. One of the reasons I'm here at all was I was looking for things to read, lol. It would have been really helpful if I say, worked in publishing 50 years ago. My husband reads not quite as fast but just about and started his career in publishing.
Were these short books? Like short stories or a novella? No. Just regular novels. Something challenging or unexpectedly long would take longer but most American fiction goes very quickly for me.
Do you have a job? Yes, I have an executive-level marketing position. My career started in journalism, where being able to digest a large amount of information quickly is quite helpful! I'm also a very fast writer and sometimes wrote 5-7 articles a day.
How long does it take you to finish a 200-page book? I haven't timed myself lately but probably an hour and a half, depending on the topic. Nonfiction/academic reading is different than reading for pleasure.
How often do you go to the library or buy books to go through 6 a day? I have always been a heavy user of the library. I would typically take about a dozen out at a time. But I also spent a lot of money on books before readers. We have three rooms in our house that you could consider a "library" between me and my husband and I probably haven't bought a physical book since 2010 or so. We've purged over the years but own thousands of books between us.
ETA: I am *spectacularly* bad at math. Really, really bad.
Thank you for answering my questions haha. Even if it takes you only 1 hour to read a book, reading for 6 hours a day seems like a lot haha. That’s why I asked if you had a job Can’t imagine spending 6 hours a day regularly doing something before or after work. Def a unique hobby!
I have 3 DDs and consider myself a master French braider, but they are tweens now and are less interested. They are dancers and other Moms would ask me in the dressing rooms to do their daughter’s hair. I loved helping out!
ETA: My Mom actually asked me to do/ braid her hair for my brother’s wedding!
Post by ellipses84 on Jul 17, 2024 23:59:33 GMT -5
I’m great at putting together IKEA and other furniture (and following LEGO instructions). I’m good at spatial things like estimating length, if something will fit, be centered, hung at the right height or if something is uneven, etc. I’m great at Car Jenga (or Packing Tetris, using every possible inch of space when packing).
I’m great at parallel parking, a skill I had to use a lot living in Seattle (on hills too). It’s partly a mental / confidence issue, in addition to understanding the alignment and maneuvering required. I’ll never forget going to a house party with a group of friends and our driver failed spectacularly at “parallel parking” but all she was doing was pulling up to a long curb with no other cars anywhere on that section of the block. I was not sure how she passed her driver test.
I can build rapport with nearly anyone. It’s a superpower for my job.
What are your tips for building rapport? My DH is great at it in his job too. Often the easiest thing to connect on first is location, because he has a lot of out of state customers, he’s lived in so many states, traveled a lot, has friends everywhere and a connection to all the many places I have lived.
Post by starburst604 on Jul 18, 2024 0:13:57 GMT -5
Sleuthing/finding out information about someone. Even before the internet I had a knack for it. My friends know I’m the one you come to if you need the lowdown on someone.
Post by mysteriouswife on Jul 18, 2024 0:23:52 GMT -5
Falling over for no reason at all. I have the worst balance. It has gotten better since having tubes placed in my ears. I can be standing and just topple over. I have asked multiple doctors and no one can tell me why.
Finding good deals without trying.
My most favorite flex… winning contest. This year alone I have won 6 or 7 pairs of concert tickets, tickets to a theme park, gift cards, and other misc. things. One year I won $1000 DSW shopping spree. H and I had more shoes and bags than we could ever need. After about $700 we started grabbing random items to give away.
Post by basilosaurus on Jul 18, 2024 4:49:49 GMT -5
Tying bbowline (boat knot) without looking. Dad made me learn blindfolded because in a storm you might not see. Weird flex I wouldn't have thought about had you not mentioned knots.
It was actually a negative in nursing school when they were teaching us slip knots for restraints. I was utterly incapable if I looked. CLose my eyes or look away, and I can do it faster than anyone as it's the first part of a bowline.
I am thoroughly impressed by braiding/french braiding. That is a skill that’s beyond my stubby fingers.
My little sister had to teach me how to make a ponytail when I was in 4th grade. I was incapable. It's not entirely my fault. When your mom dies when you're young and dad has to take over, it was basically a bowl cut for years. I can now kinda sorta do that braid. I can definitely plait threads for friendship bracelets (I rock those!), but my own self is pretty weak.
Guessing the time. Like if I am out somewhere and not paying attention to what time it is, my guess is pretty close to the actual time once I check. This skill has become less useful now than everyone has their phone on them all the time.
Also travel planning. I don't think it's that hard with so much info available on the internet, but it's something that takes some practice and I know some people find overwhelming. I think our trips have been pretty good and my travel companions always say I am good at it!
This cracks me up because it asks more questions than it answers! Clear as in drug test, and what's almost?! Not peeing on the seats? Able to hover for long times?
I can type really fast. When we were in the office a lot more, people were amazed when they would walk by my office.
I have a good memory for things that aren't important, esp stupid facts. A friend said she doesn't get why I don't do bar trivia or something.
Do you have a background in piano? Even in high school my dad, an eece, would comment he heard me typing quickly, loudly, forcefully. I credit years and years of piano practice. I haven't tested in a very long time, but it's well over 100 wpm. I don't think that's particularly unique, but I will watch old L&O and see the hunt and peck and realize, yeah, maybe I'm actually decent.
I literally typed this at my coffee shop without looking at the keyboard. Is that a skill to be proud of? I think I assume every gen x or millenial has this ability. Mabye not the same speed, but close enough
I am really good at directions. And while I am terrible at holding my breath, I have a freakish capacity to blow something up. We had a rubber boat that sat 3 people and forgot the pump for it and I blew that sucker up in less than 30 minutes.
I am the ultimate hype woman, and that one I am actually proud of. It is a trait I get complimented on a lot and it makes me genuinely happy to tell people how great they are doing.
This cracks me up because it asks more questions than it answers! Clear as in drug test, and what's almost?! Not peeing on the seats? Able to hover for long times?
I think she means she is really hydrated so her pee has almost no yellow in it. I used to drink a gallon of water a day, but that was a habit I couldn't keep up.
basilosaurus, I don't think I knew about your mom. I'm sorry to learn that, and that your dad wasn't good with hair. I taught my dh how to do a pony tail and a simple braid on my dd's hair early on, although he def. can't French braid. DD learned to do her own at about 10, but she still can't French braid either.
I'm good with French braiding, although I'm better on my own hair than others. But dd's friends at school often do her hair for her in fishtail braids or the ones where the braid part sticks out (I think you braid underhanded for that one), and they are much better than me lol. I could probably figure them out if I youtubed, but DD doesn't have the patience for me to learn on her, and my hair is chin-length at the moment.
Oh, I can also do waves in my hair with a flat-iron, and people seem to be impressed by that.
I can type really fast. When we were in the office a lot more, people were amazed when they would walk by my office.
I have a good memory for things that aren't important, esp stupid facts. A friend said she doesn't get why I don't do bar trivia or something.
Do you have a background in piano? Even in high school my dad, an eece, would comment he heard me typing quickly, loudly, forcefully. I credit years and years of piano practice. I haven't tested in a very long time, but it's well over 100 wpm. I don't think that's particularly unique, but I will watch old L&O and see the hunt and peck and realize, yeah, maybe I'm actually decent.
I literally typed this at my coffee shop without looking at the keyboard. Is that a skill to be proud of? I think I assume every gen x or millenial has this ability. Mabye not the same speed, but close enough
No piano here, always wanted to learn, but only played violin.
I don't know if typing is something they still teach in school or not.