Strange skills, do you have any?
We all have some sort of skillset that we were pretty much born with and then there's skills that we've worked on to perfect, or at least get as close to perfection as possible. I think I was born with the skill of research. I also was born with the ability to swim and ice skate; no one taught me either of those, I just did those things as a toddler / small child. Maybe it was as simple as just watching people, or research if you will and I picked it up just from that. I was always curious about mechanical things; I even would sit on the fender of our 77 Chevy Nova to watch my dad perform some sort of work on it. One instance in particular, he changed a cam shaft. I knew what wrenches or screwdrivers he needed upon request even though I was only 4 or so; and even today, he can't believe I sat there the whole time being that little.
My husband gets upset with me sometimes, because he says that I learn things too easily or that I seem to have an answer all the time. It's not my intention to be cocky or a know-it-all or whatever the case may be. I just research anything that I'm interested in or even need to research; prescriptions are one of many instances that I feel that I NEED to research. I was "burned" by side effects of Imitrex because I didn't research it; my joints ached far worse than my head ever could after taking Imitrex for a migraine. I learned that I need to research prescriptions from then on. My sleep specialist suggested I go into medicine, but I already know that's not a job for me. Besides, I'm 41; I'm not going to go back to college for another decade and working in a hospital is something I NEVER want to do for any reason whatsoever. I LOATHE hospitals.
Anyways, I initially went to school [right after graduating HS] for aircraft maintenance and repair, which got me into prototype mechanical work. I returned to school in my mid-30s for a BBA in Operations Management and was in Quality for quite some time. Now, I'm in the IT department and so far, most of what I know or have learned was self-taught. My one hobby, rebuilding my Firebird is now complete and I had a lot of help from my husband; he seemed to know the things I did not and I knew the things that he did not and we taught each other. We're a good team. My other hobbies however, are more artistic in nature, and in some instances edible too. I like baking, but not really cooking; I cook, but it's simply to fill our bellies. I used to help my mom bake cookies and cakes and I took a class at Michael's for cake decorating and those classes taught me how to work with royal icing, fondant, and different techniques for buttercream and the usage of several of the 100s of tips available. I also like home renovations and my husband and I do those together too... like I said, we're a good team. I do the research on codes and the best products as well as figure out the budget [including 10-15% contingency] and we perform the labor together.
Some of the cakes, cars, and home renovations:
BEFORE RENO OF BATHROOM
AFTER RENO OF BATHROOM
Some of you have seen this cake already.
So, what are the skills you enjoy showing off? How did you come across these skills? Were you born with strange skills?
**NO POLITICS**
I also have the skills of falling over flat surfaces, falling up the stairs, and choking on air.
I roller skate and ice skate better than I walk. I cannot explain it.
I like the cakes and ya, that is a skill. Nice work!
So, what are the skills you enjoy showing off?
Winning. (I realized at some point that it was all about showing off)
How did you come across these skills?
I grew up in Somerville MA.
Were you born with strange skills?
No, they were acquired!
Not really all that strange i'm told but i can close my left eyelid completely without moving my right but not vice versa. And i have no idea how that started. I could always just do it.
And nice powder blue fixtures. I had nasty burnt orange kitchen appliances in my home built in the early 70's. They were awful until that color came back in style. Just before they all crapped out
Those were actually the ones we replaced and in natural light, they were seafoam green. That apron front tub was longer than standard and it was HEAVY!!! I had to call in help from my younger stepbrother and his "meat-head" friends. They even said, "Don't EVER call us to move anything ever again."
I know and the remods look nice. Especially the old school chain flush toilet.
The 60's and 70's WERE NOT good color decades for finishes. I think a lot of the designers were on acid at the time ....
Ya think?
Ironically, the fixtures, after researching them, were from the 20s. Richmond was the brand and they became Rheem-Richmond in the late 30s or early 40s [If I remember correctly] and then later, only Rheem, but no longer made bathroom fixtures.
Wow, i wouldn't have guessed they were that old.
The farm my dad grew up on still had "outdoor" plumbing into the early 70's.
A one holer with a bag of lime on the floor next to you ........
Oh... and if you can believe it... we completely gutted and rebuilt that bathroom for UNDER $3000. The vanity was an old dresser from my parent's basement (free). The toilet and bathtub [and faucet set up with the shower head and ring], Craigslist. The toilet was $100 and tub with fixtures was $300. The only thing I had to do was clean the tub, paint the outer part, and replace the pipes for the toilet. Albeit, the pipes were hard to find and were $210; however, the replacements were solid copper with chrome coating and a reproduction high tank toilet is anywhere from $700 - $2700 depending on make, model, and materials it's made from, so I think we got a pretty good deal. Then, after researching the tub faucet, because I needed the little hot / cold / shower buttons, I found out that the fixture set up [that was included in the $300 price for the tub] new is $1500! Made in California [and if it's good for CA code, it's good for ANY state's code], solid copper with chrome coating, has internal reverse flow prevention valve, and was recreated to look just like the original fixtures. I only paid $12 for the replacement buttons.
My home was built in 1906. That bathroom was not the right one for it. However, I wasn't about to build an outhouse either.
I have had so many freak accidents and weird illnesses that my medical file is thicker than War And Peace. Here are a few on a very long list.
Typhoid Fever, torn ligament in thumb, and food poisoning. All happened in May 1981.
Malfunctioning ball return at the bowling alley. I broke two fingers and a large toe.
Rear ended and the next day, I tripped going up the front steps and face planted the just removed old toilet.....broken nose #7.
Pitchfork through the foot.
My troops release the support lines to a GP Large with me still inside. I was literally buried under hundreds of pounds of canvas, a cross support trapping my legs.
Walking to the bathroom, popped a flexor tendon. (Most recent accident)
I had that unique one too. A kid hit me on his bicycle [I was 13], I fell backward and landed on my thumb, snapping the ligament and tendon. My mother refused to take me to the hospital. I had to have surgery when I was 26 to repair it because it was in a lot of pain daily.
OUCH!!! OMG! That sounds horrible!
It was courtesy of my bf at the time who decided to play hero.
Those cakes a beautiful...too pretty to eat.
I have no talent except for getting into trouble.
But they're SO delicious!!!
That's just fun.
I actually had a cake business from home when I lived in AK.....porn cakes.
I could see that being big business there
My boob cakes and my flat cakes with naughty scenes sold the best.
If I put a ball cap on the floor, my cat will crap in it.
Does that count?
Is it some sort of cat whisper skill gone bad?
My husband brought a tuxedo cat and a husky into our household when we got together; both animals were 11 or so before I knew them. Well... despite that, I became "mom" immediately to both pets. The cat loved me so much that he laid on everything of mine... he was a frequent puker. My favorite purse, my detachable radio face, my shoes, my blankets, my pillow, etc... I think you get the point; he puked on it all.
Knowing it was love puke probably helped.