Monday, July 17, 2006

it's not totally freakish, right?

I'm sure there are tons, but here are a few of the things I do that brings my OCD to center stage:

  1. I always pull 3 paper towels out of the dispenser in the bathrooms at work. Never more, never less. Always 3. Always.
  2. Since we've moved into the house, the towels in the kitchen now get folded in the following manner exclusively: in half long ways, in half again the opposite direction and then rolled up like a tube. Why? Because they look super effin' cute on the baker's rack that way.
  3. I refuse to answer the phone unless I know who is calling. Unknown Number? Answering machine. Private Number? Answering machine. Caller ID failed to register? An.swer.ing.Machine.

Now, as much as you might try and deny it, we are all a little OCD. What makes you that way?

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

If there happen to be some pens or pencil crayons lying around I have to arrange them in colour order then they all have to be perfectly in line with each other. If something can't be put in colour order I go for size order with books, towels or anything I'm piling up.

Now go answer my question!

Bob said...

I have enough problems in my life without being OCD. I can't really think of anything. I seem to thrive on disorder.

Barry Wallace said...

Maybe everybody does this, but when I take a shower and dry myself, every move is choreographed exactly the same way every time. Every arm movement, every hand movement, which leg first, which arm last, whatever gets washed and dried is in exactly the same order and method every time. Like clockwork.

Holly {ArtistMotherTeacher} said...

Sarah—I think that's charming.

Nobody—But is it really a problem (ocd that is)?

Barry—I do that too. I decided not to meniton it because I posted about it once before, a long time ago. Drying isn't as methodical, but the shower is the same every time.

Anonymous said...

Honestly, I'm not sure if I want to put all my OCD tendencies out there. You might just think I'm a total freak!

Ok, here's a few:

1. When going into any bathroom with a shower curtain, I MUST open it. Doesn't matter whose house, I must peek. Not for nosiness either.

2. My towels MUST be folded the same way. Every time. When Chuck came to visit, he folded a towel for me and I had to refold. Sad, but true.

3. Cash in my wallet MUST be put in order and must all face the same way. I will hold up a line, even traffic, to fix it.

There. Now I feel like a freak. ;)

Holly {ArtistMotherTeacher} said...

QoP—I've refolded towels before. Did you ever wait tables, bartend, or work with $$? If so, the cash thing makes total sense. If not, well...it still makes sense to me.

Blogarita said...

1. CDs must be in order. First sorted into "Country or anything remotely country" and "Everything else". Then alphabetized.

2. Checkbook must balance to the penny. Every time. No matter what.

3. All mini-blinds in the house must be at the same level at all times, whether that's up or down. And they must all be open or all be closed.

4. I hang laundry to dry, and I want all the towels together, all the jeans together, all the t-shirts together, etc. I will move and re-hang things if I make a mistake.

But I'm not OCD.

Lisa Armsweat said...

I also take exactly 3 paper towels out of the work bathroom dispenser! Woo hoo! We are paper towel twins. :)

Like Queen of Pink up there, I too look behind the shower curtains-- I really half expect to see a pervert in there every time. Weird.

I can't think of anything I do that's really full-out OCD because I have new obsessions about every other week. I do, however, always "save the best for last" when I eat. I eat my favorite food item last, every time. That's pretty boring, I know. Oh well. Win some, OC over some.

Lisa said...

Pixie:
I have ALL your OCD behaviors except for the paper towels. In addition, I have to:

1. make sure my daughter's toys containing small pieces (legos, barbie shoes, polly pockets) are NOT in the wrong container. I have been know to stay up late at night until all the barbie shoes can be accounted for.

2. The wine glasses in my china cabinet must be arranged in neat rows like soldiers. NO staggering of glasses allowed.

3. The flat sheet MUST be tucked under the mattress with military corners. My husband kicks off the sheet every night and I put it back the way it belongs.

Whew. I didn't know I was so crazy.

Jen said...

I love caller ID.
I love answerring machines.
I love satellite t.v. that shows you who is calling without even approaching the phone to read it's caller ID display.
I love customizing cell phone ringers so I know who's calling without even having to look in the direction of (much less find) the phone.

Actually, I love even more leaving my phone in the car so I don't know if anybody called me or not. If it's important, they'll leave a message.

Except that now, my friends and my mother know I emply that tactic and they tend to club me over the head with it and make me feel guilty.

Cute idea for the towels!

Let's see...how OCD am I...?
I cannot tell you how many times each day I straighten the pillows on the couch. See, I made them, so there's a seam where they were stuffed that I don't like to show. ANd I have this husband who actually uses these pillows to rest his head on (which is why I had to re-cover them and quit using them on the bed- he got them dirty and misshapen...)and a few pets that mess things up. Every time I pass the couch I have to put the bigger two behind the smaller two, all seams facing downward...

All towels in the bathroom have to be level. I re-hang DH's every day because he just throws it on the rack haphazardly. It must be neatly folded in thirds and hung even with mine.

How many times each day to I realign the rug in front of the back door so that it's neatly in front, instead of crooked or shoved up against the threshhold?

Anonymous said...

I have a few:

1. I worked at a bank for such a long time that my cash, like Queen of Pink, has to be face-up, in denominational order. (when I have cash).

2. I can't eat a sandwich unless it's cut diagonally. I've thrown away sandwiches my wife made that were cut horizontally, and I always specially request this at restaurants and delis. It's better if they dont' cut it at all, and then I can do it myself.

3. TP has to go flap over the top. I change TP in people's houses so it goes this way. This is the correct way.

4. I have to drink beer out of a glass. Not a can. Not a bottle. It has to be poured into a glass. I don't know why.

5. I can't sleep with the closet door open, even a little bit.

I'm nuts.

Kelwhy said...

Yeah, i've got a few too...

1. when i'm walking down a hall i ALWAYS count the doors, I try to make out a pattern between the doors on the right side of the hall and the doors on the left side of the hall. I do this in EVERY building that I go into. ALL of them.

2. The TP and paper towels have to be pulled over the top.

I'm sure there are others...can't list them all here... sigh

Bob said...

I arrange cash a certain way, all bills face the same way, in order of value, etc. I spent over ten years working with cash so I have an excuse for that one.

Mad Ethel said...

3 is the magic number baby. Maybe if the paper towels in bathrooms were thicker and didn't tear apart or where big enough that they weren't completely saturated after half a hand, then one might suffice. But this is not the case so it must be three. One, because it usually tears b/c it's too wet, two because that's barely enough to finish the first hand, and three because you need both of your hands completely dry.
And tp must roll over the top.
And I have a method for showering and drying off that is most effective and I cannot break the cycle. I don't care how long it takes - it must be done in order. And the kitchen has to be clean. Has to. And everything in my kitchen has it's place. Eff up the order and you're on my shit list.

Anonymous said...

ooh ooh! I just thought of another one. I hate having web addresses in the address bar the only one I have there is fuzzy muffin because I don't like having that in my links. I search EVERYTHING through google even when I know the address. If google was a person I would hug it and never let go.

Meme said...

1. I don't do that.
2. That's the sort of thing i WOULD do, and then after a few days I would 'forget' and they would end up as a pile instead.
3. I do that too, usually. When I don't I regret it.

What other OCD tendencies do I have? um.

If I crack my knuckles I have to do them ALL.
I have to make my bed EVERY day. If I don't it will do my head in all day, and it is the first thing I will do as soon as I get home.
My CD's all have to be the right way up in their cases.
I'm sure I have loooade more. Obviously I'm not actually OCD though. Obviously.

egan said...

Along the lines of your three paper towel thing. I can't walk out of a public bathroom without wiping down the entire sink area. I don't like the sight of standing water around the sink or counter.

Meme said...

We're just all a bit weird I guess. Loving it though.

Anonymous said...

Hey, I like all those habits. You're perfect, not OCD.

Lisa said...

I think the money OCD thing is common for ex-bank people and waiters. I waitressed during college, and once I didn't stack my money properly - large bills to smallest, face up, none upside down - at the end of my shift and the manager threw it on the floor, yelled, "This is f**ked" and made me pick it all up.

Speckledpup said...

I'm pretty fluid on most things... however,
toilet seat down
toilet paper rolls from the top (yes I've changed it at other people's houses)
guitars in their cases, not on the rack
cd's/dvds/vhs movies in their cases not left out.
eyeliner. my husband says if I'm dying, I'll ask for eyeliner before I go... well yeah..

Brandon said...

this is sad, but i don't even answer the phone when i know who it is.

i'll see your OCD and raise you one anti-social personality disorder.

Holly {ArtistMotherTeacher} said...

ducky—Don't tell but I do that too. I hate talking on the phone anymore. It's like a chore.

Lynda said...

I use to be in banking, but I did the money thing way before I was in banking.

I have to have any shower curtain open when I use the bathroom. Just because someone wasn't there before doesn't mean they aren't there now.

I feel compelled to wash my hands after shaking hands with people, petting animals, touching anything, about 50 times while cooking dinner, etc. etc. I wash may hands after touching almost anything.

If someone I don't know well touches my bare shoulder, I will go to the bathroom at my earliest conveinence and wash my whole arm down. This also holds true with houseflies.

When we go on a trip, I have to unplug EVERYTHING! With a few exceptions.

If someone touches my hair, I will try to rub my hair down with a paper towel. Just don't touch the hair.

I am sure there are more, I just can't think of them right now.

Lynda said...

Oh, when I was younger, and I bought a CD, each CD had to be in the order I bought it. I remembered. When I moved in with my husband, he wanted everything alphabetical. We went with his way, even though he puts A on the right and I like it to start on the left.

Spinning Girl said...

I totally have OCD. I always smell the towels that come out of the dryer, and the coffee bag when I open it. Items on the table in front of me need to be parallel and perpendicular to the sides of the table.

Also, I was my hands 27 times before I eat. So what?

Cupcake Blonde said...

I am so OCD! I do the towel thing too, 3 towels! And god forbid there's a blower because I have a mini freak out. I have to have all my CDs and DVDs alphabetized or I go nuts. I get ready the same way every day and if I miss a step I am frazzled for the rest of the day. I think I need serious help.

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