22.1 Grams of Belly Button Lint

As you may know from reading my blog earlier this year, I really enjoy reading strange and bizarre news stories on the internet. I know that they may not always be true or might be exaggerated, but usually I am pretty good at telling which ones are just ridiculous. I find my articles by reading headlines, then clicking on new headlines, each one weirder than the last if possible.

Today I found this delightful article in the Daily Mail about an Australian librarian who has a record breaking belly button lint collection. Please re-read that description and let it sink in. Now you may proceed to read the article.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1323477/Record-breaking-belly-fluff-collection-Graham-Barker-collected-22-1g-26-years.html


At first I was amused, then a little disgusted, then amused again. But as I read more of the article, I began to become alarmed. Mr. Barker started collecting belly button lint because he was curious. He pulled out belly button lint one day while waiting for his shower to warm up, and he started to wonder how much belly button one person can accumulate. (Hilarious side note: Mr. Barker says he "harvests" the belly button lint.) 

This got me to thinking. I get curious about things all the time. I am weird. I try little experiments in my home quite often. Also, I live with my cat who, while quite vocal, really can't tell me that she doesn't like me collecting my belly button lint in a jar on the sink. How long will it be before I start some weird, record-breaking habit? And what will it be?

Possible weird,(possibly disgusting), record-breaking habits I could possibly start:
* number of times I can use a tea bag before it either tastes awful or tastes just like water
* How many times my cat will meow back to me in the morning vs. evening
* how long can my armpit hair really grow?
* collecting tissues - how many of these do I use in a month?
* tally marks to keep track of how many cups of tea I really drink

And the list goes on and on. Or it could. Any extra ideas? All it takes is one day for me to actually act on the impulse to answer one of the millions of ridiculous questions that run through my head every day.

Please try not to judge too much if next time you see me I have armpit hair hanging down to my elbows, carrying a basket of used tissues and meowing.