POLL: OK, Here goes... what's the most ANAL thing you have ever done?!!!!

[Lynn B]

Ok, here's a POLL for you!!!

Wondering what's the most ANAL thing you have ever done?! Nothing bad or personal, of course http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif -- just benignly, hopelessly, even ENDEARINGLY neurotic/OCD/or otherwise... well, ANAL!!!

ONE of mine would probably have to be the wallpaper that is in my entry-way, up the stairs and continues throughout my upstairs. It's a darling sponged background with little cabins and such... doesn't sound too anal (YET!), does it?

Well... here's the thing... it isn't wallpaper!!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif Yep, you read that right... I did it all by hand! Almost 500 of those little cabins (each about 1" square)... plus each cabin has a tree, and a moon or a star. (Each tree is shaded, each cabin is also striped and shaded, with paned windows, a door and doorknob, a shaded chimney... well, you get the idea!)

Actually, I saw a wallpaper I loved and decided to just "reproduce" it. It was an entire winter project last year... I don't know HOW many hours I have in it. But I LOVE it, and do I get so many compliments on it.

The whole family loves it, too, but DS said I really shouldn't tell people that it isn't wallpaper because "...it doesn't look good for you"!!!!!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

So... OK, now, share yours, please!!! Don't leave me hanging here alone! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Lynn

[charlie]

OK, I read your post and while I admire your thoroughness, I'm thinking that that is not really ANAL, more like obsessive.
Anal to me is more like the glasses have to be all the same in a row, you know how you "collect" giveaways and they need to be next to each other in the cabinet? Or dish towels can only be folded one way, otherwise they won't fit in the drawer? Or is that obsessive and your compulsive? What exactly is ANAL then?

[Chefzhat]

When we sold our home last year I went through and scrubbed it stem to stern, and as the new folks were driving in the driveway with their moving van I was scrubbing the tile with a toothbrush on my knees while I backed out the door. Then lovingly laid down plastic wrap for them to walk on while moving in. Good girl, right? They unloaded with their 3 dogs, 2 cats and 1 infant, who vomited on the carpet the minute he walked in the door. What a total waste of my time they didn't even appreciate it!

[Lynn B]

Hmmmmmm, charlie, good question...

I guess I figured it was anal because I was determined to copy that wallpaper and see the project through. And I was DOGGED till it was done! (every spare minute... etc) I mean, I could have just BOUGHT the darn paper for a whole lot less than I have in it (if you even count my time at even just $1/hour!!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif )

But noooooooo, I wanted it just perfect, no seams, no scratches, tears or peels (stairways are at high risk for that, you know!!!) etc., etc., etc...

I've never denied that I might also be (a tad!) neurotic, OCD, etc http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif -- so if that's the better title here, I can accept it!!!

What do the rest of you think?!!

Lynn

BTW, poor chefzhat!!! What an exercise in futility, huh?!!!

[LaraW]

I have recently been accused of being anal regarding our move. I made DH number and inventory every single box that we have moved, where it is (in storage, at his aunt's, still in Iowa, etc).

We have a list that has each box number and the contents of each. Our furniture is also labeled/numbered (actually, lettered, since the numbers were used for the boxes).

The area that I get accused of being too anal with is our bed. I like to have the bed made a certain way, with hospital corners, and the pillows sit on the bed with the seam side down, and the open end of the pillowcase facing out.

I just want it the way I want it...what's wrong with that? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by LaraW (edited 06-18-2001).]

[lindrusso]

Charlie could be right, but I won't mince words http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif . The word anal does suggest more of a preoccupation with having everything just so, so in a roundabout way it could apply to your wallpaper, Lynn! WOW! I thought I was crazy when I stenciled my sons border in his room. It was quite a few bugs and designs, but I don't think it amounts to 500 cabins!

Anal to me is like when I refold the towels and sheets in the linen closet after my husband puts them away because he doesn't do it neatly enough. I don't do it when he's around - but he knows I do it and laughs about it! His method of folding a fitted sheet is the "roll it into a ball" method http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif !

Well, I have a long list of anal tendencies, but lest I embarass myself further....

[This message has been edited by lindrusso (edited 06-18-2001).]

[charlie]

Ahhhh! Kindered Spirits...who cares what the label says. After the dishwasher is unloaded, not my job, I go and look at the glasses, just to make sure!
When we make the bed (notice I said we, it's a big bed and I'm not the only one sleeping in it) I have to give a lesson every week and after 20+ years you'd think he'd get "it"!!!!
I gave up years ago about anyone else being able to fold correctly-just one of those things you just have to do yourself!

[Meg O'C]

I'm not sure of the semantics - anal, obsessive compulsive, whatever, but the better question is . . . what is the most anal thing you have done this week?

I don't have any long-term anal projects like the stenciling (other than planning my wedding - which was a series of anal/OC activites) but I do re-fold towels my husband has folded. I reload the dishwasher if I don't think the dishes, silverware, etc. are in there the "right" way. I re-wrap the saran wrap around things in the frig that I don't think have been wrapped the "right" way. The list goes on but you all are probably getting scared!

[Beth]

When I told DH about this thread, his response was, "Yeah, who keeps track of those things?" Guess he has a point.

[charlie]

So, I guess your or your dh not being Anal or O/C would explain your not keeping track? And my DH is definitely not but he knows that I am and therefore RESPECTS those differences rather than saying they are not important!!!!

[hlao23]

I can't think of a story off-hand. Just wanted to chime in on the obsessive-compulsive question. Obsessions are the thoughts, compulsions the actions. I think that generally when someone is refered to as "anal" it is a comment on their actions (but, of course, there are thoughts going along with these http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif). Hope this helps.

[BarbaraL]

My "anal" behavior consists of compulsively checking that the iron, curling iron, stove, any appliances, etc are off and that the doors are locked before leaving the house for the day or an extended period of time. Sometimes I check and then go back and recheck! Maybe I'm neurotic; but maybe it's because other family members NEVER check -- I came home once (no one home) and the door was not only unlocked, it was swinging open --DH had just pulled it closed behind him, and it hadn't latched. I almost thought we'd been robbed!

[Dorothy]

When my daughter was a baby she had bibs with the day on the week on them. I would only put the bib with that day on her; if it got messy, I would put a non-day bib on her until the next day. Is that anal or what? BarbaraL, I too am always checking the iron because my daughter (who is now 21) has a tendency to leave it on. I just recently bought one that will turn itself off after an hour.

[emilycat]

hlao -- I was going to clarify that, but you beat me to it! I want to add something, though. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is just that -- a disorder, and it's characterized by obsessive, consistent thought patterns that lead to compulsive actions intended to alleviate the stress of the obsessions. There is a world of difference between having OCD, exhibiting obsessive-compulsive tendencies, and simply being meticulous. Having stringent preferences for how the bed is made and doing it over again if someone else's job doesn't suffice is notOCD. Worrying all day, over and over again, that the bed isn't made properly to the extent that you can't concentrate on your work and perhaps even drive home during your lunch hour to remake it is OCD. Granted, cases run the gamut from extremely mild to very serious, but it cannot be equated with being anal, which is just a personality trait.

[Jewel]

Hot Food...I can't stand food on my plate if it's not steaming. If I don't burn my mouth it ain't hot enough! I'll get up two times minimum during dinner to nuke my plate. If I'm at a restaurant and my food gets cold (or is even moderately hot which is not good) I almost get the shakes. I fully believe there should be a mini-microwave at each restaurant table.

DH has the opposite problem, and can't understand why I take his plate out from in front of him just to nuke it. He says he'll just get the plate to a 'consumable without injury' temperature and I'm grabbing it out from under him! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by Jewel (edited 06-19-2001).]

[valeriek]

I have a problem with airline tickets. I know where they are in my bag, but I must check them 50 times between the time I leave the house and the time I actually board the plane. You think e-tickets solved my problem? No way, I check to make sure my confirmation number is where I put it along with the car rental and hotel confirmation numbers. I visualize losing the tickets and being stranding in some awful place (like the airport). I worry that someone has taken the ticket out of my bag.

Now that is obsessive-compulsive. It's not strong enough to be a disorder, but it is a little wierd. Thank goodness it only happens when I travel.

[This message has been edited by valeriek (edited 06-19-2001).]

[GayeC]

I am compelled to re-load the dishwasher if it has not been loaded "correctly!" I actually have a physical reaction (sort of like being startled) if I open the dishwasher and it is a jumble of plates, glasses, and containers! My colleague says that the only thing that keeps this from being totally anal (or whatever we are calling it) is that it only applies to my dishwasher! I can look at your jumbled dishwasher all day long without being fazed!

I don't think this is anal -- maybe just neurotic. I will only eat even numbers of certain foods -- cookies, pieces of candy, chips, etc. You could not pay me enough to eat 3 cookies, but 4 -- bring them on! I don't carry this all the way to its logical conclusion -- i.e. I only eat one hamburger or chicken breast (thank goodness!). I think this started out as a control mechanism to avoid overeating, but got messed up along the way.

[aggie94]

Lara: I did the exact same thing when DH & I moved to Oregon from Texas! We had at least 50 identical boxes, all numbered and inventoried on a pad of a paper that I carried around with me faithfully on our drive out here. It got so carried away that I actually had clothes inventoried (Box 28: blue long-sleeved button-down shirt, yellow & white sweatshirt, etc.). DH laughed at me, but when he needed to find something, and I could tell him right away, "It's in Box 19," he was much more appreciative.

My office desk has to be TIDY every night before I leave work. Pens, pencils, and highlighters all have to be in their respective holders, rubber bands & paper clips have to be put away in the drawer, in their respective trays, and all papers have to be neatly stacked. The big mat/blotter that covers a large part of the top of the desk has to be completely clear and free of junk. Oh, and everything is set at 90 degree angles. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[Lynn B]

Enjoying reading all your posts -- thanks!!!

Hmmmm, I've been giving it some serious thought and I think we're just a METICULOUS bunch! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Lynn

[SusieO]

Lynn,
I don't think you're anal at all. I think you set a goal and worked hard to achieve it!

I will say that I see myself in more of the above posts than I care to admit. I don't think it's at all strange to put glasses in the cabinet in a certain order, or to load the dishwasher a certain way. That's just efficiency! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

Oh, and valeriek, don't forget with an e-ticket you have to double-check for your ID. For some reason I have this idea that my driver's license could have disappeared from my wallet, and check for it at least once while waiting in line to check in.

[gertdog]

Lists, lists, lists. Things to buy at the grocery store, errands I need to run, things to do at work, things to pack for my vacation, menus for this month, menu for a dinner party I haven't even invited anyone to yet, songs I don't want played at my wedding, etc.

I have a list notebook that just hangs out in the family room, and whenever the need strikes, I pick it up and make a list. Some are useful, some decidedly not. Some (grocery lists and menus) I might copy over 3 or more times until I'm satisfied with them. If my fiance adds "milk" to the wrong place on the grocery list, it's gotta be copied anew on a fresh piece of paper.

This is anal from my perspective, as I am an incredibly messy person (hate dirt, mess doesn't bother me a whit)!

[aggie94]

gertdog: Your post reminded me of another one of my anal behaviors, which is cross-outs in address books. In the past, I've told my friends and family that they can NEVER move, because I can't stand cross-outs in my address book. And writing them in with pencil doesn't work either, because I hate using pencils. So if someone moves, I have to get a new address book and re-enter everyone's info. Hopefully that's all in the past, now that I have a Handspring Visor. I can delete and change entries without having to worry about those ugly cross-outs.

[LaraW]

aggie94: You might try my solution to that problem with the address book...I got a small one that was a 3 ring binder with fillers. THen when someone moves I only have recopy that page...not the whole book.

Isn't it good to know that we have company with our neuroses?

[Beth]

Originally posted by Beth:
When I told DH about this thread, his response was, "Yeah, who keeps track of those things?" Guess he has a point.

Charlie, I think you missed the point (probably a lot easier to do when you miss out on the voice inflection), which was that
keeping track of your compulsions is entirely consistent with, if not itself, complusive behavior. We just thought it was an entertaining question and had a chuckle. Sounds like you took offense where none was intended. DH has, however, given me permission to refer to him here as the insensitive one. Using IH instead of DH could lead to all kinds of possibilities... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif



[This message has been edited by Beth (edited 06-19-2001).]

[SusanMac]

I'm in the same category as ValerieK and BarbaraL....I'll check, recheck, recheck & check again that I have my airline info or boarding pass with me. Or check that I unplugged the iron. I always, always, always ask DH if he has his keys before I shut either the house door or the car door. He always has his keys, but I always ask anyway.

Anyone anal about pet hair? When we first got our dog I would vacuum every day. That lasted about a week. 5 years later we've resigned ourselves to constantly being covered in dog hair. It's just useless.

[comabri]

Originally posted by Jewel:
Ho Food...I can't stand food on my plate if it's not steaming.

I'm sorry Jewel. I can't get past your wonderfully vivid typo. Giggle giggle.. I know that wasn't intentional but it made my day.

Oh - and I'm anal about typos and spelling errors. When my sister sends me cards and misspells something, I make sure to mention it in our next phone call. She ignores me ... she knows it's just part of my personality.

Also - on OCD - I'll admit I used to have OCD. I used to check the locks on my apartment doors every 5 minutes through the night. I don't know how I functioned throughout the day. It was very interesting and educational now that I look back on it. But my spelling anal-ness (I know - that's wrong) is not even close to qualifying as OCD - and neither is yours Lynn. Here here to our neuroses! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Jewel]

Originally posted by comabri:
I'm sorry Jewel. I can't get past your wonderfully vivid typo. Giggle giggle.. I know that wasn't intentional but it made my day.



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