Friday five, because I'm out of inspiration for today.

2004-12-03 at 5:06 p.m.

1. If you have a phobia (or something close to one), what is it?

Rats. I can't. They. I just. Yeah. Rats.

2. How long have you had the phobia (or something close to it)?

I didn't know I hated rats until I babysat for a kid with the most horrid animal in a cage that had red eyes and that awful hairless tail. I could handle the eyes, but the hairless tail still makes me feel skittery inside. Like that tail might... touch me or something. Just. Ew.

And then, in college, the house I was living in was infested with mice. We could hear them in the walls. I had a bag--sealed!--of chocolate chips, and one night you could hear them nibbling on the corner of the bag. I was trying to sleep up on my six-foot-plus loft, and hearing the rustle of little feet kept me awake all night. I finally had to get out of my bed because I was having recurring semi-awake dreams of them rushing my bed six-foot-plus in the air and overwhelming me. I went and slept on the couch out in the lounge, because that was clearly much safer from the onrushing hoard of semi-sweet-chocolate-craving mice. Whom I am sure had hairless tails.

3. If you know anyone with a phobia (or something close to it), how does s/he act when s/he is experiencing it?

My husband can't handle spiders. I mean, actually he handles them quite well, it's just he can't function if there's a live one around. If he sees a spider, all activities stop until the spider is squooshed quite squooshedly. Seriously. You wouldn't believe what Spider Sightings have interrupted around these parts.

I have another friend who can't watch anything remotely ghostly or spooky. Previews, ads, doesn't matter. She can't, she knows she can't, so she doesn't. When we were roommates, she used to check every door and every closet before she went to bed. Hey, whatever helps you sleep at night.

4. What is one phobia you would wish not to have?

Eh, I'm fine with the rats thing. I'm glad I don't have a debilitating phobia, like being outside or being in crowds or being alone or flying or eating or shopping or buying shoes or something.

5. What is one phobia you wouldn't mind having, if you were to face one?

I'm not sure what this question is asking. A phobia? I guess I wouldn't midn being afraid of biting my nails or something, because then maybe I wouldn't. That'd be nice.

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