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Originally posted by Rachael:
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 drink Coke out of cans a lot. At work, the can must have a straw when I'm drinking it (because we have straws at work). If I get back to my desk from the drink machine and I forgot to grab a straw, I have to go back to the kitchen to grab one or I can't drink the Coke. I buy Coke in the cans at home too, but I don't buy straws. I don't find anything wrong with not using a straw at home, but if I'm at work, the can must have a straw. Weird!

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I share these quirks. The gasoline thing in particular. I ALWAYS fill up my car (as opposed to getting five dollars worth here and ten dollars worth there), and get annoyed if the amount isn't "even"--only 25 cent increments are "okay".

The "Coke at work with a straw" thing actually makes some sense--if you don't rinse off the top of the Coke can, you're getting a nonillion germs in your mouth all at once. Yuck.

I don't answer my modem line, ever, should it ring. And I answer the main line only after it has rung twice. Then again, we get a LOT of wrong numbers.

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Originally posted by Rachael:
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".

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This is my preference, too. I don't freak out if the edges don't match up, but the sandwich is so much more aesthetically pleasing if they do. In addition, I just bypass the heel of the loaf, because the only thing that the heel is good for is to toast, spread with a little margarine, then dip in tomato soup. All other slices of bread are equal to me.

quote:

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Originally posted by Rachael:
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.

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I almost always can’t let my typos go. I always fix them, unless I’m in a REALLY BIG hurry.

Along the same lines, if someone else is typing, and I’m watching, I always point out their typos. I do this in emails and letters, too. Missing punctuation bugs the crap out of me. It’s like not resolving the end of a song and leaving it on a wrong chord. (Damn, can you tell I’m a music major?)

I don’t sleep with a top sheet either. I find no point to it. Maybe because I hate having my feet not wrapped up in the blankets – they’re the part of me that always is cold. I wrap my feet in them, unless I’m really hot, and then the blanket just kinda goes over me a bit. I always have to have a blanket on me somehow, whether it’s just touching my back as I sleep on my side, or SOMETHING. I feel naked without it.

I usually sleep on my left side. I don’t know why I noticed this, but I think that someone once told me that it depends on which hand your mother fed you a bottle with…like, if she fed you with her right hand, your right side was most likely against her. My mom is left-handed. I think it makes you feel secure or something.

When I walk back from class here, there’s this one sidewalk with funny-sized cement pieces. I try to make my steps fit in it, 3 in one, 2 in the next, and keep that pattern. I’ll actually change the size of my step to fit it. I like the swing kind of rhythm when I step unevenly down stairs. (da DUM, da DUM, da DUM!!) If there aren’t enough stairs to make the rhythm feel complete, I’ll add the next few steps in my head to finish it.

I think this one is a marching band throwback. I’m almost always humming a song, and my steps have to be in time with it, and I HAVE to be on the ‘correct’ marching foot. I feel weird if I’m not.

Oh my god, reading in the bathroom…I have read the damn bottle of Plax SO many times, it’s not even funny. I look for patterns in the wallpaper. I have to do SOMETHING. The one thing I hate here is that they put stuff up on the stall walls in the bathroom, but they don’t change it often enough. I mean, you go at LEAST 3 times a day, and it’s the same thing for weeks…I hate reading the same things over and over again, but I have to have SOMETHING to do. I had a random discussion with two girls I hardly know in my hall because one of them randomly mentioned that she tried to look for patterns in the weirdly tiled floor of our bathroom, and we were like, “Oh my god, me too!!”

I don’t always have to have things clean and organized, but sometimes it just grates on me so much that I HAVE to organize it, and will spend all day going through the shit in my room in order to make it clean.

I will flip through the channels mindlessly until I find something to watch. However, this has ceased now that we have digital TV at my house – they have these things like radio stations where they play music, and that keeps me satisfied if nothing is on.

And personally, I LIKE ellipses. It makes me feel like my typing is more like talking. It adds that little pause in there, you know? When I type on AIM and such, I’ll put stuff I say on different lines, just so it has that effective pause. (Drama queen, much?)

My bras and panties usually don’t match, but I try to coordinate my panties with the shirt I’m wearing. This is because NO jeans fit me right, and my underwear always show in the back between the bottom of my shirt and my jeans. I think it should at least look decent if everyone behind me has to see it.

My clothes are also in my closet in order, t shirts, long sleeved shirts, dress clothes.

I am BEYOND addicted to chapstick and brushing my hair. I MUST have chapstick on me at all times. If I’m distracted, I don’t pay as much attention to it, but I have torn rooms apart trying to find some sort of lip moisturizer.

I don’t wear gold jewelry ever. I don’t like it. It feels cheap to me.

I check and check and recheck and double recheck my alarm before I go to sleep. I check to make sure the volume is up right, and that the time is right, and that it’s set for AM, and that the hour is right, and that my clock isn’t off, and I’ll turn it off and back on again just in case pushing that sleep button that turns the radio on makes the alarm not work.

I won’t drink the last bit of pop in a bottle or can that’s in the fridge. If there’s only a few swallows left, and I haven’t been drinking it as I’ve been sitting there, I’ll throw it out. I have this thing with flat pop. *Shudder*

Every once in a while, I buy a pint of ice cream and, over the course of a few days or whatever, eat it. The thing, though, is that when I stop eating it for the moment, it has to have a flat surface on top. No craters, no sloping, none of that crap.

I must not have anything end with more than one six in it or odd numbers since that's just bad feng shui. it is. I can feel the bad energy and must correct it.

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Originally posted by Ludicrous Lurker:
I have this thing where I'll see numbers on a digital clock and make some kind of math problem out of it.

Like if it's 12:34 I'll think "hmmm...12 divided by 3 equal 4."

The sad thing is that I'm very anti-math.

*registers the time on the clock*

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Oh. My. God.
Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!

I have NEVER told anyone that i do this, because i thought i was the only one who did it and i was afraid people would look at me funny. Oh, i'm so happy!

Oh hey, look, it's 11:43 - 1 x 1 taken from 4 is 3!

Phew. I feel so good!

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Originally posted by mis:
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 just had to tell you that i am now cleaning up snarfed cream soda from my desk.

I mumble stuff when I can't find something like, "damnit, mom'll kill me if I can't find it. where's the saran wrap? where is it?" now, this may seem normal but it's not because I'm not actually saying those things; I'm thinking them and then saying mumbled spurts of drivel like, "mrmll ..mmmph damn ..saran ..*croak* waah...? grrr"

I don't know; it's crazy. if anyone was to hear me they'd wonder. I sound perfectly correct and normal in my head, but not when I realise I'm speaking outloud. and I caught myself tonight while looking for the stupid saranwrap to wrap my cookies up.

I also notice I lick my lips too often. picture 3 on my weblog is an example of what I do. well, I can link straight to it even though this isn't the photo page: here

when i sleep my room has to be COLD. if its warm, cant sleep. no top sheet either, i mean what's the point of it?? and my quilt - i have a duvet - must be tucked UNDER my feet. that and i rock back and forth before falling alseep to tuck the quilt around my sides too. i used to always sleep on my left side.. (i like right better but there's a security light on some apartments that shines right through that microscopic crack in my curtains and falls.. you got it - right where my head is ) but now for some odd reason i sleep on my stomach.. with the quilt over my head except for a vent to breathe through. i dont like recirculated breath to breathe.

except in the summer - then i always hang my feet over the end of my bed.

i count things. distances. times. whatever. i know how many kilometres (im in canada) it is to most of my friends houses/places i go often. when i look at times i always find out some strange kind of number pattern. maybe this is just some way of avoiding sleep... in titanic i counted how many times they played that damn celine song (i was BORED)

answer the phone on the *second* ring.

left contact in first.

i have this whole routine in the shower of washing. i do my hair, face and then body. ALWAYS in that order. something about washing the shampoo/conditioner residue off my body - i only want my hair to feel like that... and then, how i dry too. its weird, cuz ive been doing it for ages and dont know how long for now...

i want to solve the damn rubik's cube. im *thisclose*.

i rarely ever use any utensils besides a fork. i used to eat soup with a fork. ice cream. you name it.

i NEVER use capitals at the beginning of a sentence/names when i type. NEVER. which makes school work thats typed a bigger obstacle...

i have this one tape in the car. 90 minutes. i love it. but its fully a mix of EVERYTHING i like so so many ppl are like "what the hell is this and why are you making me listen to it" but i dont change it. not for anyone.

thats all for now..

[This message has been edited by stircrazy (edited December 19, 2000).]

If drinking from a can, the ring pull has to be turned to the side after opening. I do this because if it's left straight, I catch it in my nostril. No, my nose is a normal size; obviously I drink very strangely.

Must have one foot sticking out of the covers at all time whilst in bed.

I'm sure there are dozens more...

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Originally posted by gothique:
Must have one foot sticking out of the covers at all time whilst in bed.

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yep, me too. I thought that was just a given. I mean, my feet would die if both were under the covers at all times. I at least have to have one toe sticking out, even if frikkin cold.

Edited to add, if I put a piece of clothing on inside out, it has to stay that way ALL day, period. No cheating and taking a mid-day shower to have an excuse to turn the item right side out.

Never eat the heel of the bread.

Have to have fan blowing on me when I sleep...not sure if its just white noise or what but I can't sleep unless it's on.

Must uncover one foot when sleeping.

These are all I can think of at this time....

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Originally posted by BillW:
Have to have fan blowing on me when I sleep...

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when I first read this sentence I read it as 'have to have fun blowing on me when I sleep'

::giggle:: just thought I'd share.

And I silently count syllables out on my teeth. I click my teeth together starting at the eye teeth (the pointy ones) and work my way in to my front teeth. If the sentence has an even number, I'll click right on the tooth, if it has an odd number, I'll click between each one, end right in the front and go back to the eye teeth if the sentence is long.

I can't touch cotton balls, it's making me cringe just to think about it. The potential of the cotton squeaking against itself is just too powerful and scary. Same with frosted glass, I can't touch it, it freaks me out.

Napkins. I always have to unfold my napkin, then fold it back inside out and with the fold the opposite way.

Tons of weird food things. If I'm eating something like stirfry, I have to make sure every bite has a little of each thing. Some rice, a veggie, a piece of chicken or whatever it is.

I have to rearrange my sandwiches before eating them for the same reason. Especially when I get them at a deli or restaurant. They don't care if all my onions are on one side of the sandwich! They don't distribute the mustard evenly. So I have to fix it. And I have to have the sandwich cut in half and then I turn the top half of the piece of bread around. That way, one edge isn't all double crust and the other edge no crust.

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Originally posted by deelia:
I can't touch cotton balls, it's making me cringe just to think about it. The potential of the cotton squeaking against itself is just too powerful and scary.

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mine is cardboard. i will not touch cardboard if i can help it. the very thought makes me shudder.

and i always thought i was just crazy ....

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Originally posted by sarabee:
I have another "thing". I can't sleep with sleeves on my arms. I. Must. Wear. A. Tank-top. I don't care how cold it is in my room, for some unexplained reason, I cannot sleep with sleeves on my arms.

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i dont like long sleeves either.. i used to frequently sleep wearing a hoody - but those days are over. same with sweats - i can wear my pyjama pants but not sweats to sleep either...

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Originally posted by deelia:
Hey, I do the math thing with the digital clock too! But I usually try to make fractions from the time. Is it 9:27? No. It's 1/3..

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thats a good one too.. just anything that relates to the numbers.. or thinking of any number that can be make of 5 of those little green (red if your clock's red) lines.. something like that. or just being mesmerised by watching the minute change.

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Originally posted by deelia:
I can't touch cotton balls, it's making me cringe just to think about it. The potential of the cotton squeaking against itself is just too powerful and scary. Same with frosted glass, I can't touch it, it freaks me out..

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wanna know why? its because they are NOT made of cotton anymore!!! its NASTY! frosted glass is ok for me but not those impostor cotton balls. yugh. i looked on the bag - 100% rayon yeugh.

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Originally posted by deelia:
Tons of weird food things. If I'm eating something like stirfry, I have to make sure every bite has a little of each thing. Some rice, a veggie, a piece of chicken or whatever it is. .

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when i eat something i usually make sure that its only a certan number of parts of each or that something will go alone, and last or that i'll eat the best parts first.. like at my friends house her dad makes the *best* pork stirfry. eat pork first, broccoli last. it makes sense.

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Originally posted by deelia:
I am a salt freak. Everything I eat, except sweet things, is covered with a visible coat of salt. I know, it's bad. I salt my things in rows so I know it's evenly distributed. I have to resalt throughout the meal because the salt dissolves. It's to the point that I have to salt things when my boyfriend, or whoever, goes to use the bathroom or isn't looking, because everyone yells at me.

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Originally posted by gothique:
[. . .]For me, letters and numbers have their own colour and gender (eg. C is green and female, M is red and female, N is brown and male and smaller than the M)...

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There's actually a name for this phenomenon -- synaesthesia, where one perceives (most commonly) numbers as colors or smells or even tastes. In extreme cases, you can ask someone what (for example) 5 plus 2 is, and they will reply (for example) "yellow."

L

I count different colored cars on the highway. At the end of a long trip I can tell you exactly how many red cars, blue cars, etc. have passed.

I also have to have the toilet paper over the top.

There cannot be ANY water spots on my bathroom sink. I rinse it off everytime I go into the bathroom.

I have to have my ring on at all times or something bad will happen to me.

When I knock on wood it's a big, long, drawn out affair. I have a routine of knocking 2 times lifting my right foot and knocking 3 times, then putting my foot back down and knocking 4 more times and I will only knock with the second knuckle down on my right hand. If a different knuckle or finger knocks I have to start all over again.

I MUST have a spoon with me at every meal. Even if I don't need the spoon to eat with... it has to be there. In college if there were no spoons left in the cafeteria, I would go back into the kitchen and have them wash one for me.

When I go under a yellow light I HAVE to kiss my fingers and touch the roof of the car. It started out as a good luck gesture and quickly became part of my Obsessive Compulsive routine.

I spell every word in my head as people say them and as they come out of my mouth. Due to this, spelling errors and typos jump out at me. Although they don't bother me unless they are my own.

Oh I have so many more "things," from biting the skin around my fingers, to making sure my rug is straight to every single thing having to line up and not be crooked.

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Originally posted by Winddance:
I have to mash up ice cream, mix it, and make it all creamy. I swear it tastes better this way. It's extra effort, but...stop looking at me like that!!!

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Of course it tastes better that way. That doesn't make us crazy; it makes the people who don't eat it that way crazy. (I loved Katrin's "Mash! And! Stir-r!" chant a few pages back.)

LOL!!!!

Happy to be another grape in the bunch!!!!!

I'm a neurotic cat mom, too!!! I simply have to know where my cats are at all times!

I have OCD and it was really bad until I started yelling 'Stop' out loud until I got myself a little better. I used to have a crazy ritual about leaving the apartment. Checking the stove, the coffee pot, in an order only I would know and every electrical appliance in the house. No kidding. And if the cats weren't in a 'right' spot...I'd chase them and re-do everything I had just done. And do it over and over and over. I finally moved out of that apartment just to stop doing the same thing over and over. Prozac helped alot. Alot alot alot!!!!
Now, since most things are in check...I'm much better and happier.

As far as the tp....I don't care anymore...I just leave it off the hanger...that way I don't have to buy kleenex all the time. Just grab the roll and rip off a square. I used to be completely obsessed about that and lived with someone who was the total opposite of me...I liked it over, he liked it under. Drove me nuts. So I started leaving it off.

I'm obsessive with having no sheet...just a comforter...and I have to have the room at about 75 degrees at all times to be comfy. I always always always have to fall asleep on my stomach. Otherwise I toss and turn all night.

See! You learn something new everyday at the Squishy forums!

I absolutely cannot eat in a messy kitchen. No plates in the sink, spatters on the counter, towels bunched up on the counter, anything. I have to clean it before i can even make a sandwich. It's sick, I know.

I only drink out of pop cans if I have a straw. And not even for health/sanitary reasons. I mean, it's a bonus and all. But it's not the reason. I just think it tastes funny if you taste the metal, too.

I never ever eat the heels of bread.