Triskaidekaphobia

Tomorrow is Friday the 13th.

Some people get freaked out about that. I'm more afraid of today -- I have a bunch of proposal concept papers due, and am afraid I'm not going to have enought time to edit them properly. I really enjoy this part of the job, but because of the time constraints, it does tend to stress me a bit.

Why do I enjoy editing these documents? Because I work with some off-the-charts smart people who come up with utterly fascinating ideas about energy technologies...and I get to read about their inventions long before the topics reach the eyes of the general public. This round of submittals includes revolutionary ideas for more efficient fuel cells, new types of high-capacity batteries, and even a cheaper way to manufacture lighting panels. I won't bore you with the science behind all these concepts (mainly because my understanding of it is just the teensiest bit fuzzy), but I'm not kidding when I say that some of these ideas could have a HUGE impact on the world.

The only problem is that these mad scientist-type guys spent their high school years surrounded by beakers and test tubes rather than English textbooks. In most cases, they are more than happy to let me worry about telling their story on paper -- they just want to get back to their calculators, graph paper, and plasma machines. Therefore, I have a LOT of work to do to get these documents ready to upload to the government.

Tomorrow? I plan to relax. Friday the 13th should be a most excellent day for me.

But the question of the day does relate to that topic. What are your phobias?

Oh, I'm not talking about fear of snakes, brussels sprouts, Rosie O'Donnell, or large Asian men with hats. Those are universal. I'm looking for something interesting. Something unusual. Let me know.

Are you afraid of Christmas trees? Orange shag carpet? Incumbent Senators? Grapefruit spoons? What?

I'd also be happy to write about any superstitious behaviors you might have. Do you have to adjust your ballcap after each pitch? Rotate three times before getting in bed? Perform the "Pull my finger" gag at each and every party you attend? I'd even be interested in habits such as taking your vitamins in a specific sequence, or eating your chocolage cream pie from the crust end rather than the pointy part.

As for me, well, I happen to be completely normal in every conceivable way, so I have nothing to write about regarding my own idiosyncrasies. I must rely upon all you weirdos for material. Please don't disappoint me. In the meantime, if you enjoyed the "plasma" link song above, check out the video below. And good luck on Friday the 13th!