Thursday, May 15, 2008

How I know I have O.C.D.

For all of you who think I'm weird...I am now going to confirm it.
I honestly believe that everyone has some degree of obsessive compulsive disorder. While I was driving today I started thinking about all the little "systems" I have while in the car. And that led me to think about the things I do during my day that make some people look at me and scratch their head. I decided to make a list here for everyone to see that there is no shame in being weird. (of course from reading some of your posts and comments, I can see that some of you have no shame. lol)

In the car:
  • Because of my job I am in the car for an average of 4 hours a day. I always try to have water and baby carrots with me to snack on. So lately I have a system of watching for speed limit signs and whenever I see one I eat a carrot, then take a drink of water, and then wait for the next speed limit sign before I will eat another one.
  • The first thing I do when I get in the car is turn on the radio and find some music, it doesn't matter what kind of music, just music. I will listen to that station until either a commercial or a D.J. comes on, then I will wait for exactly 1 minute and if a new song hasn't started, I will scan to the next station that has music on it. I continue this the whole time I'm in the car.
At home:
  • I use my cell phone for my alarm. Before I go to bed, I set the alarm, and then make sure it is enabled. Then immediately I check to make sure I set the right time, then I think "I better check in case I accidentally disabled it the last time I checked it." I repeat this over and over again for about 5 minutes, and then I get pissed at myself and say "screw it, if I'm late, I'm late."
  • When I am watching T.V. the volume has to be in increments of 5...5,10,15,20. If it is on anything else it will drive my crazy and I will either fix the volume or turn off the T.V.
  • Okay, this next one I have been able to break out of over the last couple of years...I used to think about what I was going to say, and figure out how many syllables it had all together. If it had an odd number of syllables, I would add or subtract words in my head to make it even.
  • People hate to play card games with me because every time somebody draws or discards, I have to straighten the deck. Also, when playing cards, they say I take too long organizing my hand.
  • All of my money in my wallet has to go from lowest to highest denomination, and it all has to be facing the same way, and right side up.
  • In my fridge, and cupboards, every shelf is for a specific purpose..dairy has a shelf, meat, misc. liquids, etc. And in addition to having their own shelves, everything has to be facing with the label forward.
Out to eat:
  • The first thing I do when I sit down at a table in a restaurant is make sure my silverware is straight and even on the napkin. I also make sure that everything on the table is straight.
  • If I have more than one item on my plate, I will take a bite of each item, then take a drink, then continue in the exact same order for the rest of the meal.
Wow, I think there are a lot more, but after writing this I am thinking that I'm not weird....I'm freaking INSANE! Oh well, hope this makes the rest of you feel okay about any little quirks you may have. :)

21 comments:

Ann said...

BB: you defintely have OCD...more than a touch of it! :)

I have no room to talk though, anyone who's read my blog knows I'm strange!

Here's to being weird!! ;)

FLHX_Dave said...

$50 bucks and hour and I can cure you of that little problem or you can go out and get that bike. Your choice. I'm glad that you at least admit it. "knowing is half the battle!" Your already on the road to recovery! However you are selective OCD, remember that time the cops searched your house? yeah, nuff said.

Mimi said...

Hey, as the saying goes "whatever gets you through your life", right?

-Connie said...

I'm the same as you on most of your OCD stuff!! It drives Josh nuts!!
This is off-topic, but I had to tell you! I've been teaching Alexis to say "bike" and she'll say "by" when she sees one. But she pointed to the pic of you on that bike and said "bike!" for the first time With the K on it!! :)

Ronman said...

Too funny.........oh and four hours in a vehicle isn't bad. try 10 to 14.....


Ronman

"Joker" said...

You hit the nail right on the head at the start - everyone has a certain degree of OCD. I don't mind admitting mine.

First, during sex, I shout out my own name twice every minute with a 30 second pause every five minutes, and then I repeat the cycle. If it's doggie style, I make these really bizzare noises that sound something like someone beating a Llama to death with a croquet mallet... :o) Alright, I'm just kidding! Joker never kisses and tells! Well, I do keep my junk on the left side when I get dressed; does that count? )~~~~~~

Seriously, when I put bottled beers in the fridge, I can't stand it unless the labels are all facing out. For some strange reason, I don't care about the orientation of anything else in the fridge. I'm with you on the wallet, I have to have all my money turned right-side-up and facing the same way, with highest denominations at the back to lowest in the front. That does not apply to the money I tuck away in other parts of my wallet so my wife can't find it.

Many times my home office desk is a mess, yet I can't stand my bike being dirty, or the contents of the saddlebags disorganized. My closet is a train wreck, but at the same time, my underwear and sock drawers have to be neatly organized with everything stacked like it was in my Army locker.

Yep, I'm just as much a weirdo as you are, so don't sweat it. Everyone's a bit of a nut in some way, that's what makes us all human.

Here's a question for you OCD ladies: When you put a bra on, do you tuck the tag up and in under the back strap, or let it hang down...or...do you cut it off completely? My wife is a "tucker," but don't tell her I told you! Shhhhhhhh!

B.B. said...

Ann- yeah, it seems worse now that I actually put it in writing.

Dave- why did you have to bring that up? You make me sound like a criminal.

Connie- That is so cute! I mean Alexis, not your OCD. :) Thank you for sharing that with me. I'm a sucker for cute kids, and she is darling.

Ronman- no thanks, 4 is just fine for me.

Joker- Somehow the fact that I'm as weird as you isn't that comforting. :) Just kidding...I would consider you good company. I have to say I was very relieved when you said you were just kidding about your sex quirks. I was feeling bad for the wife.
And I know what you mean about some things being a mess, but others have to be perfect. That's why Dave calls mine selective OCD.
By the way...I'm a tucker.

Thanks all, I feel better after talking to you....I was starting to think I was going to need extensive therapy. I think Dave is right, I need to get my bike soon!!!!

FLHX_Dave said...

"Beating a llama to death with a croquet mallet"...lol, oh...whew. lol, lol, lol, lol...

Mr. Motorcycle said...

B.B.,
You made me laugh. That is really funny stuff. Both my wife and myself are totally O.C.D. All our friends give us crap about it. I feel better now knowing at least one person out there is a bit more O.C.D. than us!

Joker. You are just too funny. Hence the name I guess. I have tears streaming down my cheek still.

P.S.
I check my posts, and comments many times till perfect since I'm a sucky typist. And I still F-up!

B.B. said...

Mr. M- you should see Dave typing his posts and comments. I tease him because he will type something then backspace, and then type the exact same thing. He does this over and over again, it's funny. I guess we all have our issues.

"Joker" said...

Bec, you have just inadvertently revealed to us that Dave must be one of the world's greatest lovers!

That's why I always loved dating a school teacher. If you did something wrong, she'd make you do it over again.

B.B. said...

Well Joker, I don't kiss and tell either, so you'll just have to draw your own conclusions.

Lady R (Di) said...

I must have selective O.C.D. You can look around my house on any given day and see that it's "lived" in, but you open a cabinet door, and it looks like a Tupperware ad. Plates, glasses, food, ect. has to be an organized deal for me, but I will go days before I worry about the dusting, or vacuuming or other shit like that.

Joker.. I'm a tucker. Also,I know it's hard to stay quiet when your beating the Llama, but don't use a croquet mallet, you might hurt yourself! LOL!

Dean "D-Day" said...

Don't seem weird to me either. I was reading your list of issues and thinking to myself, "So? What's the problem?" I do the same thing with the TV volume. Same thing with the money in my wallet. (It grates my nerves when someone takes money and just crams it into their pocket.)Dishes in the dishwasher have to be stacked a certain way. I only shake it an even number of times. And on, and on, and on....

Anonymous said...

erqapap-B.B.- WOLF HERE, I KNOW YOU ARE STRANGE AND UOU HAVE QUIRKS, BUT DON'T WE ALL- SO EVEN THO YOU ARE WEIRD YOU ARE THE NICEST FEMALE FRIEND I HAVE EVER HAD EXCEPT MY WIFE- AFTER HER YOU ARE NUMBER 1- I HOPE YOU STAY WEIRD BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT MAKES YOU, YOU
WOLF

B.B. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
B.B. said...

Lady R- Exactly.

Dean- I think it might have something to do with creative minds.

Wolf- Thank you. Your friendship means a lot to me. I promise I will stay weird. :)

May 16, 2008 10:13 AM

Anonymous said...

I am definitely anal about how the dishwasher needs to be loaded, canned goods all in a neat row of each kind with labels facing front, money organized in my wallet, clothes organized in drawers, etc. I must have the absolute most sharpest pencils ever, and they must be real wood not that cheesy plasticky crap!

As far as the bra, I only wear front-close styles, and they generally have the tag in the side, facing into the cup...so no tucking is necessary. :-)

B.B. said...

Mrs. RC- good to see you, I've been wondering where you've been. :)
Oh yeah, I'm totally with you on the pencils.

Anonymous said...

Becky,
Everyone keeps saying that! I've been here, just swamped with work! I've even gone a day or two without checking any email in the past few weeks!!! :-O

I've been trying to at least drop in and see what's going on on a few of my favorite blogs (yours included), but I haven't had time to fully read articles or even think about leaving comments!

It's nice to know people miss me though...

Moonlight said...

wow, I sure picked the right time to check in on you! I posted a link on my page when you put up your first post and just now have time to see what you're up to. I won't wait so long again...lol. Ok, now I'm going to have to check myself when I go back to work tomorrow night. My life on the road used to be all over the place and I couldn't get into any established patterns, but these days it's up and down the same roads...something to think about, but I'm telling you I laughed til I cried reading these comments!!