Things you may not know about me

I am passionate about taps (faucets for US readers). In days gone by when doing up houses, I’d spend more time browsing and hunting down the perfect taps than any other purchase. Indeed, I bonded with one of my close friends when we discovered we shared this trait.

I used to have curly hair, but it went straight after I had cancer. Not caused by cancer, nor chemo (which I luckily didn’t need), but the unexpectedly long time I spent under general anaesthetic. I had no idea this was a thing until my hairdresser informed me.

A good friend of mine calls me Debris. He has a penchant for nicknames and I quite like the fact that he’s given me one. I actually LOL’d when his daughter shared that while reading for a play, she burst out laughing when she came to the line “debris was strewn across the runway”.

I suffer from motion sickness so struggle with travel in the rear seat of a car, with the sole exception of Himself’s old Saab which also had the most comfortable seats I’ve ever sat in. I mourned the death of that car…

Despite having a rodent phobia, I once cared for a field mouse which my cat caught and brought indoors. My boyfriend of the time insisted the weather was too cold (feel free to roll your eyes) for it to be released outside, and I’m sure no-one will be surprised that it was me who ended up taking care of it…

That when I’m going through something especially difficult, I’ve a tendency to withdraw into myself while I figure things out. I’m much more comfortable being the person other people reach out to. While having been on the receiving end of some truly amazing support, when my self-esteem is lacking, the prospect of reaching out is too much because of those times I’ve picked the wrong person in whom to place my trust (it used to be my mother, who I now realise has NPD).

My first ever online name (don’t laugh) was debs50 – chosen because my name is Debs and I was 50 years old at the time😳 I promise you I’ve been more creative in my choices subsequently, even though I’ve come back to using my name once again. The fact of the matter is I’m the same person online as I am in real life, so I never saw any reason to hide behind a front. I may not be quite as open as I used to be, but I’m still essentially and recognisably myself.

I was born and brought up in India but, while I love the food and enjoy the flavour of spices, I can only eat a mild curry and avoid chillis unless I am 100% confident all the seeds have been removed. Yes, my parents and grandparents despaired of me.

While my wardrobe is predominantly black, navy or grey, my pyjamas are brightly coloured and patterned.

Any unusual titbits or oddities about yourself you’d be willing to share?

Β© Debs Carey, 2026

20 thoughts on “Things you may not know about me

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  1. Oh I love a bold Hawaiian shirt – both my Dad and my grandfather were very fond of them. If only I could persuade Himself into them, but he’s like me, monochrome.

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  2. I know! I’d forgotten about it until recently, or it may’ve been an alternative internet ID. I’m the opposite way round with strawberries and strawberry preserve. It’s been a long time since I’ve flown, but I can concur on airplane bathrooms (or ones on trains). That said, not a fan of public bathrooms anywhere…

    I tend to have this type of post in drafts for months while I remember bits & pieces to add to them.

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  3. I have trouble reaching out for support, too, and for a very similar reason (pretty sure my mother has N.P.D., too). But about a year ago, I got into a relationship, and I’ve slowly come to realize that I can trust my significant other with pretty much anything.

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  4. Enjoyed reading this Debs. The possible odd bits about people are fascinating. I know I have my own stuff but I’ve been rather sick for days now and my brain isn’t functioning well enough pull anything out to write about at this time πŸ™‚

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  5. I’ve been told that my grandpa had red wavy hair when he was young, and he hated it. When he was in his early 20s, he got sick with something–I’ve forgotten what–and his hair turned brown and straight. What a blessing! he thought. (That’s my hair-color-change story.

    My nickname has always been Nicki, but I was born Nicole Jacqueline Cromarty. My dad wanted to name me Jacqueline after my mom. Not surprisingly, she refused but allowed it as a middle name.

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  6. James, I’m sorry to hear that you’ve had to go through that too with your mother, but I am really happy to hear that you now have a relationship with someone who you can trust. It makes life feel so much better having that safe space doesn’t it.

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  7. Thanks Deb, I must admit I find it fascinating too, and love it when people feel able to share.

    I am so sorry to hear that you’re struggling with illness and hope that you make a full recovery soon.

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  8. Gosh Nicki, that’s an even better hair change story. I wonder if he missed it later in life. I used to hate having curly hair, but cannot deny missing it now it’s gone. Or maybe I’m the only contrarian in this hair change story! πŸ˜‰

    I think your mother made a good call. I know it’s a thing to share names from generation to generation, but unless there’s a way to have different diminutives, it’s so confusing for others. More importantly, I wonder how difficult it can make it to be your own person.

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  9. Thanks Debs, getting better slowly but this crud is sticking around longer than I want. I can’t remember the last time I coughed, sneezed and wanted to sleep so much.

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  10. I’ve heard of chemo curls from cancer patients, but not anesthesia as an anti-curl agent. Very interesting. I, too, am much more comfortable giving support than taking it. I don’t get motion sickness unless I’m trying to read or paint my toenails in the car (or read microfiche, back in the day while researching the Vietnam War).

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  11. Deb, that sounds like you’ve got something horrid. I’m sure you’re already doing the sleeping and the self-care, but all that coughing and sneezing sounds absolutely exhausting. On this side of the pond people are complaining about some sort of virus which just hangs on and on, I wonder if that’s what you have. I’ve felt fed up enough with just a rebounding cold. Take good care m’dear.

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  12. Yup, me too Autumn, which is why I was so puzzled afterwards. As I proved allergic to all forms of plasters, I was patched together with surgical tape so wasn’t allowed in a shower for a couple of weeks, so my hairdressers took pity on me and washed my hair. I thought it was going straight because they were blow drying it after, until my regular haircutting appointment when I learned the truth.

    There should be a club for those of us who are helpers and not askers.

    Painting your toenails in the car? I’m impressed at that level of dexterity! And your mention of microfiche reminded me of quite how aged I am πŸ˜€ And yes, I also felt nauseous when it scanned too fast.

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  13. I’m sort of wondering if it’s a Covid variant…was reading about one here with lots of the same symptoms… Pretty sure whatever it is I got from the youngest grands friend who was in the house about a week ago, obviously sick and just spreading germs everywhere. I’ve had both flu and Covid vaccines so if it’s either one of those I’m a bit ticked off that those might not be working as planned. On a bright note, I’m actually functional today πŸ™‚

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  14. Ah, I wondered… but was trying to avoid the C word. The way I look at the vaccines is that if I felt bad after them, imagine how dreadful I’d have felt without it. Not always a true reflection, but having grown up taking regular vaccinations for the horrid stuff (cholera, TB & the like), that mindset has remained with me. But I agree, I’d still be inclined to be grumpy about it.

    Good to hear things are getting better. Don’t rush it now.

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  15. I’m laughing hard at the “Debris” moment for your friend’s daughter. πŸ™‚

    There’s nothing wrong with that screen name of yours. We’ve all seen MUCH worse, especially here in the blogosphere. πŸ˜† I think you were BRAVE to carry that mouse. You wore the pants that day! I used to love spicy food, but as I’ve gotten older I can only eat the mild ones now too. I guess there are worse things about aging, eh???

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  16. I so felt for her Marty, what a time for her father’s notorious sense of humour to come to the fore! But I also laughed like mad at the mental image πŸ˜€

    Oh yeah, lots of worse things about aging. I was swearing about the arrival of plantar fascitis only this week…

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