I feel your cat-mother pain.

Cat-moms unite!

The point is moot, anyway: he comes running when he hears my car pull up in the driveway and stands at attention in the foyer like a butler. He used to do this for my exBF as well. He now does it for my roommate.

He'll do it whether he's been fed or not--he just loves greeting people. When we have big parties, he sits in the middle of the room and purrs. We were accused of feeding our cat Kitty Valium once.

umm okay, here's somemore things I must do:

-read a magazine cover to cover whether I like every article or not. even ads must be read; even small print like on those vodka ads where it says, "anything goes, but drinking irresponsibly" or something like that. bleh.

-I must have food as bland as possible and I don't mix foods either. I hate the idea of "the bad burp" so I can't stand having food with taste. I can't even eat chocolate because it leaves a bad burp in me. I have to eat sugar or butter cookies most often since those are the only ones that don't leave bad burp. I'm weird, yo!

-doors shut when sleeping; blinds down; two pillow; it doesn't matter about comforter except I don't like to wrinkle it much or pull it down, I flap over one piece and crawl in and leave my feet sticking out. it ends up tangled by morning but I can't sleep unless it is this way when falling asleep.

-I always must brush my hair once I get out of bed for the day and no one must see me before I do this. it's a must!!!

-I get in a bad mood for the whole day if I miss my soap at 1pm. if I wake up late or something I'm horribly pissed off and no one better get in my way.

-mom just reminded me that I always put my left hand in a fist and rub the thumb over my nose till it flattens over and over again; ya know, when I'm just idely sitting.
I also tend to massage the back of my leg alot when I'm jittery.

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Originally posted by Jamie:
1. Socks first, then shoes. I feel weird all day if this is out of order.

2. When I'm reading Romance or Germanic language text, it must be left-to-right.

3. I *always* wake up *before* I get out of bed. No exceptions.

4. I have to unbuckle my seatbelt before exiting my car.

5. Dirty clothes go on the floor in the *same* corner of the room until I get around to doing laundry.

I'm sure there are more...

[This message has been edited by Jamie (edited December 07, 2000).]

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LMAO!

You're such a wiseass!

You so crazy, girl.

My husband has all his radio pre-sets in ascending numerical order. How dorky. I arrange mine in whatever order I feel like, but usually in order of my favorites from most liked station to least. And, no, I don't check them all. I hear something I like, I stop. And sing.

The burner pans on the stove must be cleaned after using the stove. I hate grimy burner pans. Ew.

I like to have 'backup' soap, toothpaste, deodorant, etc on hand. It's a drag to find only a teaspoon of shampoo left while you're in the shower. Gotta have a backup handy. Usually I have several.

I hate really strong smells. I don't care if it's your favorite perfume. Don't come near me after you just doused yourself.

Must have a To Do List or not a damn thing gets done. I'm a list freak.

Will read at any and all opportunities. And I read lightening fast. My husband says that buying reading material for me is just not a good investment. hee!

I take pride in being a strong independent woman. I have muscles. I cuss. But seeing a bug in my house will make me want to vomit. Oh man. Hate it.

I also walk down the street, close my eyes, and see how long I can keep them closed for. Since I seem to do most of my walking at night (no public transport, after all), I don't worry about bumping into people; it's mostly tree branches.

CD's are alphabetised within categories; I remember seeing a friend's collection which was organised by colour and thinking how *wrong* it was. CD's are also placed back in the cover (have to keep the cover) aligned perfectly, with anything on the CD facing the right way up. Something it can be kind of hard to tell about some CD designs.

I peel the layers of a Little Debbie "chocolate roll"

I break cookies into bite size pieces when I eat them (back from the braces days)

I'm on the internet wayyy too much.

I read girly magazines like its nobody's business.

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Originally posted by Gadge:
CD's are alphabetised within categories; I remember seeing a friend's collection which was organised by colour and thinking how *wrong* it was. CD's are also placed back in the cover (have to keep the cover) aligned perfectly, with anything on the CD facing the right way up. Something it can be kind of hard to tell about some CD designs.

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I just talked about something similar in my last journal entry.

I can't buy junk food at the supermarket - it just looks wrong. However on the way home I'll be craving it & pissy with myself for not getting any.

I procrastinate. Badly.

The right contact must come out/go on first.

I can't stand milk without flavouring... it gives me the creeps. It has to have Milo or something similar.

I have an unhealthy obsession with muppet songs.

When cooking with bacon it must have all the fatty white bits removed.

And guaranteed I'll be wrapping/making all my christmas gifts at 2am christmas morning in a panic.

I name everything. My chair. My plants. My computer. Most names are alliterative, e.g., Calvin the Calculator and Parker the Plant. My computer is the exception--his name is Rufus just because it fit. And name changes require the changing of the "my computer" icon to person who "looks like" your computer and also changing the network identity.

I count. And make lists. And do that thing with dates, times, and phone numbers to make little mathematical equations.

Gold and silver simply do not go together. It's the law.

Pizza eaten with a group of people requires a clockwise motion. People who simply choose the piece closest to them or the biggest one or whatever will be shot.

I must sit in the same place everyday, even if it's a lecture hall. If someone else is in my spot, I get confused.

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Originally posted by Lorelei_Lee:
When little, I used to "make soup" with my ice cream after having eaten most of it.

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Our parents tried to discourage us, but my sisters and I (and our friends) had to do that with our ice cream. We even had a little chant to go along with the actions:

"Mash! And! Stirr-rrr! Mash! And! Stirr-rrr!"

(C'mon, everybody say it with me now.)

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Originally posted by Mogs:

I have an unhealthy obsession with muppet songs.

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Originally posted by MadderRose:
The sheets and blankets on the bed have to be tucked-in, hospital corners, on the bed. I cannot sleep with loose, uneven sheets and blankets tangling round my feet. I've been known to wake up in the middle of the night, sensing Mr. Punch has 'liberated' the bedclothes, and pull them back down and tuck everything back in. I turn the light on to do this.

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...Boy, this particular quirk is NOT popular with my significant other. I'm amazed he's stayed with me this long. Um...I think it's the light-turning-on thing, especially.

Actually, I am royally compulsive about Bedtime in general. Must have Quiet. Must have Tucked-in Sheets. Must Have Correct Pillow. Blinds Must be Correctly Drawn. Otherwise, tossing, turning, and whining ensue. It ain't pretty.

Other than this, I actually have very few quirks. I do hate damp towels lying around, which is a source of conflict since my boyfriend says they don't dry right in our bathroom. (He's actually right. We live in a "historic" house with no vent or fan. I don't even care. I Just Hate towels everywhere, even for drying purposes.It makes me feel like I live in filth.)

I also almost always have to leave a little bit of food on my plate. I do it subconsciously; I think it's a signal to myself ("You are full. Stop eating.") This habit inspires ire in obsessive plate-cleaner types (hey man, that's YOUR problem) and in the person who has to scrape my plate.

I also don't ever count anything, but maybe that's because I suck at math.

I did, however, put the question to the shelter this weekend, after watching *Sleeping With The Enemy".

Kerri said that she has a book thing-- books must be lined up on shelves in the following order: Width height, colour. She says its an interior decorator thing.

Jess said she has a kitchen thing. Everything has a specific area-- dishes, saucers, pots, pans, etc. Dishtowels must never be left on a countertop; but must be threaded through drawer handles, with the ends even.

Bev says her thing is her desk. Everything has a "right" place, and if it isn't *in* that place, it just bugs her and bugs her and bugs her until she has to get up and put it back.

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Originally posted by Jamie:

Pish tosh, there is no such thing. I have all the songs from The Great Muppet Caper and a few from The Muppet Movie and Muppet Take Manhattan on my mp3 list. I fully intend to make a mix CD of it all. I've already got the muppets singing the 12 Days of Christmas on a Christmas mix CD.

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cool, I'm not alone with the whole muppet songs thing. I just wish my co-workers would see it that way...

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Originally posted by jateke:
I do the walking-with-eyes-closed thing, too, Gadge. But I'm really paranoid about stumbling, or running into things, so it becomes a contest of wills between my two compulsions. I must look like I have eye problems, with all the opening and closing I do as I walk along.

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Originally posted by Lorelei_Lee:
I dance with my eyes closed (or at least more often than not they're closed).

Like the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast, I figure that if I can't see you, then you can't see me making a fool of myself. I'm slightly smarter, at least I so hope, but the principle is the same.

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Originally posted by Lorelei_Lee:
I dance with my eyes closed (or at least more often than not they're closed).

Like the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast, I figure that if I can't see you, then you can't see me making a fool of myself. I'm slightly smarter, at least I so hope, but the principle is the same.

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I have to sleep with this stuffed animal I've had since I was two or else I'll get nightmares. It's true. I've tested it. Scary nightmares, yo.

I have to wear Chuck Taylors at least once during the day or else my feet feel weird.

It takes me at least 5 tries to record an answering machine greeting.

I watch any show that's live video; from World's Worst Car Chases to America's Funniest Home Videos. Love that crap. I can't find Rescue 911 anymore. That used to be my favorite show back in the day.

Where to start:

I program my radio buttons in ascending order. I thought everyone did.

My CDs are sorted first by category (rock, classical, soundtracks, etc) and then alphabetically.

Closet doors MUST always be shut; especially before going to bed.

Kitchen drawers and cabinets are not to be left open.

Eating utensils are carefully sorted -- dinner forks and salad forks do not cohabitate.

Toilet paper always comes over the top of the roll. I've been known to "fix" it in other people's homes.

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Originally posted by mis:
Instead of letting it rinse down the drain where it might get on my (gag) feet or stuck in the drain, or worse, float around and torture me for a while, I stick it on the shower wall. For some reason it makes me feel better knowing it is there and not in danger of touching me. So basically until I know someone is coming over or I feel ashamed enough to clean it, I end up with a shower wall that closely resembles Robin William's ass.

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I'm not sickened by hair strands getting on my hands or feet, but I don't like the feel of it, so I do the same thing. And yes, sometimes it takes me a little bit of time before I clean it off. So glad I'm not the only one!

I was thinking I don't have too many hang-ups (though a friend recently called me neurotic because I was rearranging stuff in my amusement park fanny pack so I could zip the damned thing shut, funny what some people think is neurotic). I don't care which way TP sits on the holder (though I will replace a roll in other people's homes if I can find one in the bathroom-yes, I even go through cupboards to do this) and I don't care how the sheets and blankets are on my bed, as long as I'm covered.

But. CDs must be in alphabetical order by artist, then by release date. I recently separated my Broadway cast recordings from my other CDs, and I'm immensely happier because they couldn't be arranged by artist, so they were arranged by show name. Kinda threw things off.

My books (of which I have a decent amount) are grouped by subject, then arranged in order of my favorite author/series (ie, in mysteries, original Sherlock Holmes stories are first, then Holmes reference, then the Holmes pastiches, then books kinda related to Holmes, then Nero Wolfe, etc.) then grouped by author (in the cases where several authors write a series), then by release date. It sounds terribly complicated, but it's not. When I lived with the ex, all the books in the bookcase were thrown in willy-nilly and it bugged the hell out of me. When I suggested that I should organize them, he thought I wanted to separate my books from his and was very offended. I told him that I just wanted to organize by subject, but he still pouted, so I left it alone. For two and a half years I lived with unorganized books. *shudder* About a month or so after he moved out (and took his books) I got frustrated when I couldn't find a book I wanted, so I stopped what I was doing and spent the next few days organizing my books according to my system. *sigh* Life was good.

Clothes in the closet are also organized in a very specific way, but at the same time I don't get all bent out of shape if a couple of pieces swap places. But they do all need to be facing to the left, all skirts must be in order of length, and everything is grouped together according to type of clothing. If it's a two piece suit (which usually consists of a blazer and pants for me), then the suits hang between the blazers and the pants. Seems logical, no?

My jewelry for the day must coordinate. I'm happy I have a silver watch with gold accents, because then I can wear silver or gold without freaking out. I'm either all silver or all gold. I must match my jewelry to my clothes (today I'm wearing a red mock tutleneck and a black/red skirt, so my earrings are silver and red, and my necklace is a silver charm on a long black cord). If I mix silver and gold (or gold and copper or different pieces of any metals), I'm an unhappy camper.

Man, maybe I am neurotic.

[This message has been edited by Carol (edited December 12, 2000).]

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Originally posted by twinmom:
Closet doors MUST always be shut; especially before going to bed.

Kitchen drawers and cabinets are not to be left open.

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To me, this isn't a "thing", it's just good sense. Maybe it's because I have four cats, so I'm always trying to make sure they don't get stuck anywhere (I have baby latches on all floor level cabinets so they don't open them.

But even before I got the cats I hated for any cabinet door that swung outward or any drawer to be left open. Mainly because people (like me, for instance) could get hurt smacking into those things. I was less anal about sliding closet doors. That is, until I got cats and they started using my clothes for ladders, then walked on top of the hangers with their claws grabbing hold of my clothes to keep from sliding off.

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Originally posted by LeeRoy:
I can't fart outside on a cold day because I'm scared that you'll be able to see the vapors.

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Originally posted by Kinipela6:
So what are your "weird things"? What are the silly things you have to do?

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-I MUST have lipgloss with me at all times...usually in multiple places: one in my pocket, two in my purse, 30 in my car. The funny thing is that I usually forget I have them when I need them.

-I can't breathe hot air, especially from the car heater. It makes me feel like I'm suffocating, so the vent is carfully placed pointing to the floor, or I will blast the heater on "defrost."

-Bedroom celing must be checked before bedtime for spiders and other nasty bugs.

-If aforementioned bug *does* exist and it is flushed (although I hate doing it), I must use the other bathroom until I forget that I flushed it.

I'm a freak.

What?

When making a sandwich, the bread must go back together the same way it came apart. If one piece of the bread flips over during the making of the sandwich, it will not match up properly when the time comes to put them back together. Also, I don't like to eat the first 2 or 3 pieces of bread in the loaf. I reach to the back for the "good stuff".

In my apartment, the light switches must be up when the light is on and down when the light is off. I have two lights that each have two switches. If I turn the light on with one switch, I have to turn it off with that same switch, so that the switch is then down when the light is off. If I use the other switch to turn it off, they'll both be up, but the light will be off and that's just wrong.

When pumping gas, the amount of gas pumped must end in some denomination of 25 cents (25, 50, 75, or 00). I prefer it to end at an even dollar amount, but will settle for a quarter more or less.

I must have background noise. If I'm in the car, the radio must be on. Even if I'm primarily talking to someone in the car, the radio still has to be on quietly. Same thing in my house, even if I'm doing something else like cooking or playing on the computer, or talking to someone on the phone, the tv must be on.

I don't like to step on cracks when I'm walking down the sidewalk. I'll adjust my walking so that I won't step on one. My mom's back is *safe*!