More Ways I'm Getting Weirder As I Get Older

Weather: 80 & breezy
Drinks: Lemon Punch

I don't think we've ever had a discussion about how much I loathe my skin touching my own skin, have we?

I can't believe we've known each other this long and never discussed this. I guess if we had been sleeping in the same bed you'd know, but that's neither here nor there.

Bottom line, shortly after my divorce I began sleeping with a fan on and with a blanket. You know, a blanket besides my regular bedding. Now don't get thinking I was doing some sort of childhood regression thing or anything, because as a kid I never slept with a blanket, but as an adult I found it a very good way to get comfortable. Instead of fussing with my pillow to get my head positioned just right I stuff the blanket under there and it's oh so comfortable.

And after four or five years of sleeping with a blanket I noticed something - I'm a side sleeper mind you -the blanket not only has to be stuffed under my head just right, it also has to go down between my arms just so and then between my knees down to my feet. . And the blanket has to be of a certain fluffy material, too, like thick fleece. So . . . the blanket keeps my arms and legs propped apart and safely away from touching each other.

After a few nights away from home without my blankie I realized just how much I despise when my skin touches my own skin when I sleep. Why don't you just wear pants? Can't sleep with pants - I also despise the way pants ride up my calves in the night - that nightmare is just as bad as the no blanket issue.

I don't know what it is about feeling one arm touch the other, or one leg laying on top of the other but it's just plain awful. I don't mind feeling MM's body parts on me - I just don't like my own on me at night. During the day I can wear shorts and cross my legs or wear short sleeves and cross my arms just fine, there's just something about it in the night since I hit my late 20's that completely skeeves me out.

Side note: Another important function of the blankie is to keep my breath off my arms. Can't stand feeling breathing on my skin either - mine or anyone else's. Even the kids', and especially another adult's. But I must sleep with a fan on and love the air moving over my skin. There's just something about that rhythmic movement of air that bothers.

Ready to put me in a straight jacket yet? Hold your horses - I haven't even gotten to the REAL story yet.

So knowing I have this skin touching issue with myself, last night I came home from work and was getting ready to change into my 'play clothes' and thought to myself - I really want to wear a tank top so there's no fabric touching in my armpits.

Really? Really???

Apparently subconsciously I've been building up a dislike for fabric touching my pits and summer was a good occasion to take a break from it, and now that I'm back at work and have to wear sleeves my issue is coming to the surface. . .

You know we all have that Crazy Aunt Linda in our family tree, right? And we all get more opinionated as we get older. I'm just thinking that with my skin touching issues and now fabric touching issues I'm going to have a real conundrum to face if it gets worse as I age. I plan to have a lot more years on this planet so here's to hoping that the fashion of the future can keep up with this weirdo.