grit and glory

fun. now i know not to “lol” in our online chats :)

i also check email and reader several times a day and leave messenger on so that i know the instant i get an email. this is my morning routine too (and mid morning, and afternoon :) )

i also will not use bars of soap - ick.

i don’t like touching stryofoam or walking barefoot on wood (like a deck). something about those textures. and whatever you do, please do not pull styrofoam out of a box while i am in the room.

everything around me is usually messy but my internet bookmarks are all filed neatly and only our bank, igoogle and facebook are left unfiled (the ones i use the most).

this is the opposite of ocd…i will put things in the microwave for something 63 seconds or set the alarm for 8:32 just because i get a rise out of daniel. he he.

that’s funny about the hotdogs - i do not like eating the ends either. i usually get some grief for that and then hand it to daniel to finish.

i have to eat foods that “go together”. for instance, i wouldn’t eat tacos with mashed potatoes. tacos are paired with spanish rice or refried beans. mashed potatoes match up with a meat dish or a vegetable (corn mixed in…mmm)

loved this post. always fun 2 get 2 know u a little better :-)

This was a way fun post (haha - bad grammar). Well, I certainly did learn some new things about you! The biggest ‘wow’ for me was barefoot. “Are you serious?” I think I always thought there must be someone in the world opposite of me on this, but I (thought I) never have met any. Well, now I know. ;) Yes, I love barefoot. Hate shoes. Got married barefoot. Like summer more than anything else for the sandals aspect because sandals are the closest I can get to barefoot and still be allowed in stores. LOVE barefeet.

Secondarily, I suppose I was surprised by the British accent! That’s funny - I wonder if you had a bad experience with someone with a British accent when you were little. I love all accents, and every UK is my favorite.

Ok, similarities - I have the same aversion to internet/text shorthand. My stuff just has to be spelled, capitalized, and punctuated correctly. I too never ever use bars of soap. They make your skin feel … dry and sticky. And I too check my e-mail and blogs religiously (and somewhat compulsively).

Hot dogs … I actually like the ends of hotdogs and sausages. The texture is different, which I like. Bananas - I have no opinion about. I like em.

Thanks for the fun post!

I knew some of these about you, but not all.

I also don’t like abbreviating while writing, but do 4 2 reasons ;
) 1- if I don’t while sending an SMS then I use up my bundle waaaaayy toooooooo quickly!!! so, it’s ecominical 2lv out spaces, apostrophies (sp?), and the like 2- like now, Lily is asleep on my lap and trying to write with 1 hand is taking waaaaayy tooooooo long!!!

my ocd? i really love to have my cupboard organized by color and item… blue shirts, red, white, etc… then somewhere else r my pants, then skirts & dresses…c u soon just had 2do it again!!

i cant remember my blogger name & password!!! X, Christen

p.s.- i love British accent and thoroughly do NOT like 98% of English speaking SA accents, be it from an English, Afrikaans, or native mother tongue. Ewww, just can’t stand it!

I never knew about the no barefoot Kitty! I love to be barefoot… strange, strange…

So when I was reading your post I was thinking I’d have to write a long comment about my hot-dog and banana weirdness… b/c I too, can only eat the beginning… not the “butt”… and I laughed so hard when I read you’re the same way… I never knew that either… but the more I find out we have some of the same weirdnesses… the less I’m surprised :) love you…

i can’t go to sleep with bare feet… i have to wear socks, to have some sort of pressure on my feet to feel snug

i also can’t stand wrinkly sheets/blankets. drives my husband CRAZY.

i’m embarrassed at the number of times i’m on the internet each day.

i have MAJOR issues about spit. i think its the grossest thing known to mankind!

and, this is the mother of all weirdnesses in me: i can’t finish a drink… i HAVE to leave the last little bit in the bottom of the glass - you know, for spit and backwash and floaty stuff and all.
UGH! i’ve gotta stop thinking about it!!!!

It has been nice to get to know everyone a bit. Great discussion starter post.

Four children, a third world country, too many funny looks on other people’s faces and a stint of poverty in the past have pretty much ironed out all the ocd I ever had. I am sure there are a few things that I do compulsively, but I can’t think of any right now.

Okay, Mandy jogged my mind too. I can’t stand wrinkly, bunched up sheets. Drives my hubby crazy too, because his preferred mode of sleep is on top of the sheets will all covers shoved over on my side, and bunched at his feet. He hates the sheets tucked in, and will rip them out on purpose. sigh. How do we people manage all this???!?!

I also refused to use bar soap. my mom instilled her germophobic distaste for them when i was a small child.

when putting sheets on my bed, the tag has to be at the bottom left corner and all the wrinkles must be tucked in and smoothed out.

I can’t work on my computer without some form of music on.

I hate using sponges.

when i sweep a floor and the little dust bunnies stick to the broom… i get very irritated if they do not slide into the dust pan.

You just plain have an aversion to all butts. You should have mentioned the bread butts, you know.

I have to eat M&Ms in the same color, and in even numbers.

When I’m feeling especially rebellious, I will put the microwave on some obscure number, like 7:02. But I typically shudder at even the thought.

I order my books by the frequency in which they’re read, not by author. It seems harder to locate them otherwise.

I hate using anything other than blue pens.

I have to agree with the first comment about the styrofoam being pulled from a box (or rubbing against more styrofoam in my case). It sends chills down my spine.

I love the cartoon! It reminds me of the fact that if I wear a sweatshirt or jacket that has strings for the hood, they have to be even (I also have the “even” issue in other situations).

The British accent thing made me laugh. I love listening to different accents, unless it’s on a helpline and I am getting nowhere because I cannot understand what the person is saying… This happens a lot at work.

THIS has been so fun. i love hearing about our similarities and differences.

yeller - i’m totally with you on the styrofoam (getting the willies just thinking of that horrible noise!). and yes! food totally has to “match”! :-)

annie - the thought of people loving barefootedness astounds me. you’d love it here…you can go into stores with no shoes on!

christen - your incredibly-abbreviated comment made me laugh! you are queen at that!

amers - i can just picture you: barefoot and pregnant! i love it! (man, i miss you…) i’m glad you don’t eat hot dog butts either. (boerewors, anyone?!)

mandy - you can’t finish a drink, eh?! too funny!

angie - you can’t think of ANYTHING? c’mon!

hannah - let’s start a coalition against bars of soap.

becca - you’re right. my aversion to bread butts is high up on there on my OCD list. some sacrifices just don’t need to be made. i knew you ate M&Ms by color, but i didn’t know about the even numbers…

jen - yeah, i like things being even, too — and i ALWAYS fix the strings of my hoodies so they are equal in length.

and i’m glad i’m not the only one who checks emails/blogs compulsively!

Ok ok ok … I am going to sit here (unless I get interrupted by my toddler) and think of something that I obsess about. Hmmm… Maybe this is one… I have to have something to write on and with where ever I am. If I find that my handy dandy notebook has been accidentally left at home, or if my pen runs out of ink I reassure myself that I can punch it into my phone as a reminder if I really do need to write something down. Sometimes I grab a napkin from the restaurant just in case a writing emergency should arise. (I’m back - had to help a little one with juice) What was I saying? Ok, yes, obsessive. Let’s see, I eat my potato chips from smallest to largest - save the best for last kind of thing. I also eat the food on my plate that I don’t like first so that I can savor the stuff I do like. And if it is all new food to me I will try a little bit of everything so I know what I need to finish first and what to save for last.

I knew that there was something I did. I just had to think about it for a bit.

:-) lol, rofl, lylas, bff, ttfn, wwJd, urgr8, tks, xoxo, i<3u, brb - because I love your weblog.

(The facct ath I jsut readd thaat coment thru thre times luking fr speling erors, might be evidence of obsessive compulsive behavior as well.) hee hee hee

I just thought of one more: whenever it is possible I avoid being the 1st or the 13th commenter on a blog. So now it is going to bug me for a bit that my previous comment was in fact the 13th. Dag nabit! :-) I am posting this comment to compensate for my slip.

way to go, angie. i also have to always have something with me that i can write on and with.

you reminded me of another weird one of mine: fat french fries—i eat only the thinnest/crispiest ones. skinny french fries—i eat out only the softest ones.

i could figure out all your abbreviations, except “tks”…

you try to avoid being the 1st or 13th commenter? hmmm. (i recently pointed out to a friend that i think it’s so odd that there are no 13th rows on airplanes…)

and i’m very curious about the comment you wrote and deleted.

I did discover some things about you here.

I have to signal correctly even if no one else is on the road.

If someone mispronounces or misuses a word, I have to say the right word three times to myself.

All my other ones seem to come and go, so I don’t know if they really count.

Fun post!

We sometimes have a slow moving internet. So I clicked the 14th comment once and it was taking a long time - so I impulsively clicked the post button again - and voila - double comment. oops. Sorry it wasn’t something cooler like a deep dark secret that I have been hiding from the whole world. :o)

First - it’s ok, but I’d rather get a feel for the way the comment conversation is going and add on from there.

13th - a silly superstition. (blush) Many tall buildings do not have a 13th floor either, just like no 13th row on an airplane.

tks - thanks

hm. most of mine have been mentioned. although i disagree with becca’s m&m thing. with those and skittles, i like doing combos of 2, or 3. but i can’t eat the same combo twice in a row.

i can’t clean my room very often because it has to be JUST RIGHT when i do–and i don’t often have time to get it that far. :)

i won’t let my food touch, and usually eat all of one thing before i move on to the next item on my plate.

i can NOT put a shoe on if my socks aren’t tight as skin. if there are any wrinkles, i have to take my shoe off and start again.

i will only wake up when the clock hits a :_5 or :_0. only on those “evens” will i venture out of bed. so i set my alarm for weird times, so i can convince myself i have a couple more minutes of sleep every time my alarm rings.

heehee!

holy smokes! this generated a lot of converstaion. did you add the barefoot one after i first read it or did i miss it? i do like being barefoot except in certain conditions. (i LOVE flip flop season)

reading these reminded me of others:

no bread butt, candy in colors, skinny crisp fries and this is a funny one:

i will often be tapping my finger and thumb spelling out the last word that was spoken along with the number of items in a room like picture frames or hooks on the wall OR just writing out the word on my leg/the table. i’m not sure if that makes sense or not OR if that classifies me as autistic. LOL

there you go…it’s not a secret but it’s never come up before!

What do you all mean by bread butts? Maybe I’m just too tired right now for my mind to comprehend like it should…

(does this mean you’ve gotten more comments than when you posted the lovely drapery given to you by Joyce??)

oh, i totally agree with danielle. i often imagine myself typing (on a keyboard) the words being spoken. :)

talia - i had to smile at the thought of you saying the correct word 3 times in your head anytime someone misspeaks…

angie - i NEVER would have guessed that “tks” stood for “thanks”!

roo - i never knew your food couldn’t touch, and we’ve eaten together quite a few times over the years. hmmm.

yeller - i made some edits/changes after i initially posted it; i have a feeling i was editing and you were commenting all at the same time.

jen - bread butts: the ends of a loaf of bread. i refuse to eat them. no one should have to, in my opinion. they are for the birds. or the trash.

roo/yeller - i totally spell out words during conversations as well — either writing them out (on my leg, a pillow, the table…), “typing” them on an imaginary keyboard, or signing them with the sign alphabet.

rhubarb - oh my goat. yes. somehow this generated more comments than my lovely bathroom decor post. i can’t think of that post, or the frilly lacyness that abounded in my bathroom, without remembering the first time you ever used my bathroom. and all the wednesday afternoons we shared.

You make me laugh :-)

That was amazing–I learned a lot. I think the hotdog butt one was by far the best! Don’t think I knew about your anti-barefootedness either. I can totally relate to the shorthand, although mine is more for those who don’t use spell check in e-mail. I hate moths, too! They’re just dirty little creatures. The one about having to cut a burger/sandwich was funny, too. I’ve never thought about it, but I always eat mine from the inside out as well!

Hmmm…what I’m OCD about…

Punctuality- My mantra is “If you’re on time you’re late.” Tardiness drives me nuts.

Keeping a “to-do” list- I cannot function until my desk is clear and my weekly to-do list is typed out and taped to my desk. I HAVE to have check boxes so that I can feel a sense of accomplishment once the project has been completed. (I even make check-boxes when I hand-write my lists. How terrible is that?)

Checking my e-mail- I (also) can’t do work until I’ve checked Facebook, work email and personal email. I also feel like it’s a way to stay connected to those that I love who are far away.

Defensive driving- I am especially perturbed when people pull out in front of me and go slowly. I am a fast driver by nature, so even when I’m not headed anywhere I tend to drive a little over the speed limit.

Working out with music- Similar to your aversion to driving without music…I have to work extra hard to get motivated in the gym without my music.

I’m kind of a germaphobe. I need to be able to use a paper towel to dry my hands, then use one to open the door. I hate the heated and blower things. I just can’t stand the thought of all of those germs getting from the door handle getting on my hands.

Huh…guess I’m wound pretty tight! This was such a fun post!!

shea, i’m excited that you jumped in on this one. i learned so much about you!

i love that you even draw check-boxes when you handwrite lists!

i’m the same way on the driving bit. someone once pointed out that i’m an offensive driver, not an aggressive one. i think she was just trying to nicely tell me she thought i was going too fast or being too impatient. but i took it as a compliment.

hilarious. i have OCD tendencies, too! i have to check emails and read blogs in the morning before i do my regular work…i just can’t focus if i haven’t! and i also hit refresh a million times a day too!

Yer all NUTZ! You do know that - Right?

Anyone who lets their irrational delusions control their behaviour has a SERIOUS mental problme and needs professional HELP!

OhOh - i mis-spelled ‘problem’ - now i have to tap my left foot three times (tap-tap-tap) and turn around anti-clockwise while patting my head and rubbing my tummy and repeating ” I shall NOT make a mistake. I shall NOT make a mistake. I shall NOT make a mistake.”…

Now - where was i ???

Oh Yes - SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP! ;-)

( but don’t ever lose that wonderful sense of Humour! )

No, I don’t have ANY trace of OCD - that’s foolish talk! We men are FAR too level-headed and rational to be as crazy as that! :-)

(are men allowed to post here??)

love <3

tsk tsk Love, I would venture to guess your love of all things numbers is an OCD trait? No? A good one however. ;-) heehee

Oh, haha, HI! I see you around Love’s and Tam’s blogs so I thought I’d pop on over and check you out and I am LOVING this post. LOVE IT!

The cartoon made me bust out laughing b/c I have an obsession with things being even. Drives my husband nuts. This is not a good trait to have when setting up a new house. I can spot “unevennes” a mile away. UGH!

I love to be barefoot. When you described having slippers on all the time my feet were ITCHING. :lol: I hate having anything on my feet and only do b/c I have to. Uh-oh, I just abbreviated something. :shock: Sawreeee. :lol:

Your friend up there /\ who has to leave a little bit in her glass…. I was SHOCKED :shock: b/c I do the same thing. I thought that was a weirdness only I possessed…. but I guess not. :lol:

Music on while driving, I am SOOO with you on that one.

I too have a serious obsession with my computer and all things internet. :oops: It’s bad. Really bad. Hi, my name is Brandy, and I am an internetaholic. Nice to meet you Alece. :D

My smileys aren’t working. Do you hate smileys as well?? ;-) haha

brandy - thanks for popping on over and jumping in on the dialogue. i loved your comment! YES - i agree that Love’s number fetish is a bit ocd…

hi. my name is alece and i’m an internetaholic too.

i do NOT have a number ‘fetish’….

it’s a pure healthy wholesome LOVE!

One i am sure i share with and because of Him!

<B

admit it, bub. you are OCD about numbers!

Love, you just stated you don’t have a numbers fetish?? Did you not read your own blog post today?? haha! You even like SONGS about numbers! heehee

ahhh, I love ya Love! ♥

Alece, we should start an IAA. ;-)

I do believe we all have a little, in fact I believe it is most likely an extension of a necessary ingredient of our species’ survival. But what I wonder is what if you (and your exact same chemicals) were born in a country where you were too poor to buy shoes, or you were born in England, or lived in a place where moths were all around. Another way of asking is, do you think only one’s obsessive tendencies are in our chemicals and the details of our behavior are shaped by one’s environment?

bran — yes! absolutely. “hi. my name is alece. and i’m an internet-aholic.”

warrenty — i like your question here. i am intrigued by that thought, and i think you’re absolutely right. i think our ocd tendencies (or anything we see as routine in our lives) is very much culturally- and environmentally-driven. so interesting.

This was great!!! Thanks :)

Heidi

Hi Alece :) I came across your blog through Mandy and thought I’d stop by.

I am definitely OCD on a few things:

*I absolutely cannot sleep with the television on!
*I have to eat dessert with dinner. Something sweet. It doesn’t have to be anything extravagent but I have to HAVE TO eat something sweet after dinner.
*I am an internetaholic too. We all need to just form a support group for each other [and one for our husbands/significant others LAUGH OUT LOUD (hehe)]
*I am obsessive about spelling. I get mad at myself when I check back on a blog, email, comment, IM and see that I messed up on my spelling. I have to correct with a * as soon as I notice it unless I’m able to edit which I can’t with emails or IMs that have already been sent
*I am obsessed with taking and displaying pictures. Our apartment is full of them [on the tv, computer table, shelf, on top of the microwave, they are EVERYWHERE]

Nice to meet you Alece and looking forward to sharing more with you :)

G - i loved reading your list of OCDisms. i’m the same exact way about spelling!

M&ms Picture Frames…

I enjoyed reading your blog. What a great thing it is to be able to share information like this on the Internet….

Funny. You reminded me of a moment I suffered a few months back in a bible study. My better half was trying to help someone feel better about his or her (I cannot remember. You will understand why in a moment.) quirky behaviors.

So I am sitting there minding my own business when I hear Patti say, “Oh,don’t feel bad. Ric re-folds all his clothes as he puts them away.”

I look at my wife in shock (revealing such personal Monk-level details an all). I can feel “Big Dan’s” widening eyes on me.

I say, “No, not ALL my clothes.”

It was not the best defense.

ha ha ha. what a fantastic story! nope, probably not your best defense!