Thursday, July 17, 2008

Snoop much?


I writing a story right now with a heroine who is a compulsive snooper. Any chance she gets, she'll crack open a friend's medicine cabinet to browse, flip down the hero's glove compartment (bad idea), or even get lost in a grocery store snooping about the aisles. She's a familiar, which means she's a cat-shapeshifter. So it's a curiosity and the cat thing.

But it got me to wondering about us. That's me and you. Do you snoop? I've heard that a lot of people do. If they're at a friends house, they use the bathroom, then check out the medicine cabinet while they're in there. They might check cupboards, fridges, bookshelves, the cat's bed, anything is fair game.

I suppose it might be helpful on that first date if you discover your potential new boyfriend keeps a gallon of fungus cream at the back of his bathroom closet. Also, if you stumble across a few of those books you borrowed your friend last year, that she insists she lost, that's another clue for you.

So I want to know: Do you snoop? And if you do, why? Are you just trying to gain more insight on the person you're snooping on? Are you hoping to uncover some skeletons in the closet? Or is it a safety measure for that first date?

And if you are a snoop, I want to hear about fascinating discoveries. Or horrifying ones! Come on, tell all.

Michele, who can honestly say she has never felt the compulsion to snoop. Though, after writing today's post, my friends better keep one eye over their shoulder next time I visit. :-)

23 comments:

Jane said...

This reminds me of a Seinfeld episode where Jerry finds a tube of fungus cream in his girlfriend's medicine cabinet. He assumes she has something and begins to act weird towards her, but we find out later that the cream was for her cat. I have snooped in someone's bathroom cabinet a couple of times. I guess I'm just nosy and curious as to what they have.

Playground Monitor said...

I like to look at what people have in their bookcases, on their mantles, in their curio cabinets, hanging on the walls. I'll roam around and look, and I'll ask questions about what things are and where they came from. I guess that's being a snoop.

Marilyn

Helen Brenna said...

Nope, I'm not a snooper. At least, I don't think I am.

I know a few people who do, though, and they always seem to be the first to know all kinds of stuff! They're curious about everything.

I would think this is a big writer trait :))

Unknown said...

I'm not a snooper, but my sister (oh, she'll kill me if she reads this!) is world class. She can't stand for anyone around her to have secrets she doesn't know. She used to track down Christmas presents like a bloodhound-- even re-wrapped them identically after the snoop. To this day, if she thinks somebody's holding out on her secret-wise, she can be relentless.

You know, I've never written a character like that,but I've thought about it. That's a GREAT concept Michele! And a shifter to boot! Can't wait to get this one!

Michele Hauf said...

Hmm, yes, I would think it would be a writer trait. But so far, doesn't seem we have too many snoops here.

I like what Betina said about her sister not wanting anyone else to know something she doesn't know. Is that? Maybe snoopers think there are no secrets and they're being left out of the loop, so snooping is a natural impulse to fill up on missing info?

Debra Dixon said...

I'm not a snoop, but I'm very observant and can do math. I will put 2+2 together. That drives people nuts. LOL!

I don't open medicine cabinets. I'm in and out of my sister's and mom's homes all the time and don't scout around. So, I'd say I'm not a snoop. I never snooped in the kid's room.

Keri Ford said...

I'm not a snoop--too afraid I'll get caught! I will however study anything and everything. If you've got it in the open, then it's fair game. Be it your clothes (which I will study descretly if you're anywhere nearby and could chance catching me) or purse or picture on the wall.

Last year at Dallas I had a woman standing next to me and said, "You're very, uh, alert" The first words out of her mouth.

Michele Hauf said...

Yeah, I'm not a kid's room snooper either. Do some consider that a parental duty? I'm neither for or against it, just curious about what others do with their kids.
I look at my 18-yr old son's room, the clothes scattered about, the magazines, the computer parts, and don't even want to wade into that mess. Something's are better left unsnooped.

:-)

Keri Ford said...

Yikes! should have been clear! I wasn't staring at that lady in dallas--not to her knowledge anyway ;) but I was staring and assessing the other 100 people in the room, the carpet, the signs, and the fake plants that needed dusting.

Debra Dixon said...

Keri -- LOL! Too funny.

Kathleen Eagle said...

I'm not a snooper--unless bookshelves and stuff that's out in plain view counts (I'd never open a drawer or a medicine cabinet, so please don't open mine!)--but I confess to being an eavesdropper.

Leah Braemel said...

I'm with Kathleen - I'm an eavesdropper - I can't help it. I guess I snoop in a way - if it's out in the open, like a curio cabinet, I figure people want you to look at their stuff, otherwise why put it on display? But I don't look in medicine cabinets. Although if I were dating, I might look in the guy's medicine cabinet. Hmm, have to think about that one. But no, you invite me over, drawers and closets stay closed and unchecked.

However, when my mother-in-law came over, she was a horrendous snooper. I hated it because I'm a very private person - my husband used to laugh at it and say we should make up something incriminating for her to find and see how she reacts. Or do the old fill the medicine cabinet with marbles trick. Never did, mores the pity.

Anonymous said...

Shyly raising hand... Snooper (and up to now lurker)! One of the best jobs I did was working with my dad. He was a real estate appraiser. I'd go into million dollar homes, look, measure, and draw the house. If I happened to see something in a closet or behind a door, well, I couldn't help it. Right?

And Betina - I could be your sister. I used to unwrap and rewrap presents! I got good, I could remove the tape, slide the item out of the Christmas paper, slide it back it and retape.

Michele Hauf said...

Marbles in the medicine cabinet! Oh, how I'd love to see that one work.

I think I'd become a snooper if I got to go into million dollar homes. How could you resist?

Oh, I should mention, ever since Deb's post on Monday I have been furminating like a mad woman! My one cat is so pleased. I've taken an entire cat of hair out of him. He sits on the bed now with a smug smile. I can hear his thoughts "I'm so pretty, oh so pretty..."

Anonymous said...

I check out the bookshelves in any house I enter. For one story I wrote, I went to real estate open houses in a particular area to get a feel for the people who live there. Most of the books looked like they were ordered by an interior designer, not for reading!

I was the victim of snooping. We had a Christmas open house for the neighbors and walked into my bedroom to find a neighbor looking in my dresser!

Estella said...

I don't snoop---I'm afraid of what I might find if I did.

Unknown said...

Arkansas Cyndi-- is there a secret newsletter that you guys all get? My sister did the same thing-- slip the presents out of the paper, then slip them back in and re-tape! She was awesome. And scary.

Hey, Fiona. . . I've heard stories of people doing the same thing at real estate open houses. Going to a neighbor's house that's up for sale and going through closets and drawers and garages! I couldn't believe it, but I know a couple of people it happened to! AGhhhhh!

Anonymous said...

Yes Betina. There is a newsletter. Sorry. Your sister said not to tell you! LOL

catslady said...

I'm not a snooper but I too will look at anything that is in the open. I can't imagine going through someone's stuff. I had to yell at my husband for opening my two daughter's mail.

Dina said...

I don't snoop either, I just look around to things that are out.

Nikki said...

But really, is looking at stuff that is out in the open, like bookshelves, snooping? I expect people to look at my books and such, and that is why I hide the erotica in my nightstand.

Anonymous said...

I did NOT snoop in private areas at the open houses----medicine cabinets and dressers were not opened.

I did open cabinets in the kitchen, but I think that is reasonable. And look in the closets in the bathroom. Again, normal when looking to assess a house.

I also like looking in other peoples' grocery carts. I have developed two characters by starting with grocery items.

Michele Hauf said...

I love doing the grocery cart thing! So maybe I am a snoop? I like to watch the person in front of me in the grocery line. Do they get all processed food? All veggies and fruits? Oh, a lots of kiddie TV dinners. She must be a mom. It's fun to try figure them out from their grocery list.