116) Not So Laidback

In general I am a laid back person who is more about the big picture than the details.  And for me the big picture eventually traces back to balance and happiness, as opposed to wealth and accomplishment. However, there are things in this world that I am quite particular over.  Almost to an irrational degree. Following is a small list of things I am painstakingly particular about:

• Dirty Dishes. I cannot handle dirty dishes in the sink.  I think this one makes me a great catch, as I have not met one girl who has this same issue.  Quite the opposite, actually.  Most girls I have met do not mind filling a dish with a little water and letting it sit in the sink for as long as a week or more, as if the little bit of water and drop of soap will magically make that dish clean itself.  For me, I do not get upset about it.  I understand that dishes are not fun to clean (even though I think it is fairly harmless to give a dish one solid wipe and place in the dishwasher instead of stacking them into a messy pile, but whatever).  The bottom line is I cannot handle it, so anytime there is a dish in the sink I stop what I am doing and I clean it.  Almost like the Leprechaun and his need to shine shoes.

• Macintosh.  I do not like spending more money than is necessary.  I consider myself to be money conscientious as it pertains to most things.  But not computers.  When we buy a computer for the house, we buy the expensive Mac.  We usually get the one with the bigger screen and the larger processor, too.  I have had a Mac since 2002 and will not go back.  In fact, the one I have from 2002 still works.  We had to upgrade because we wanted software that was no longer available for it.  

• Not feeding the dog from the table.  There are two reasons I am completely against feeding the dog from the table.  The first reason, but not necessarily the strongest reason, is for the dog's health.  Eating human food is not good for dogs, especially if they are smaller breeds and they eat too much on a consistent basis.  I am not appalled when she gets food that falls to the ground, but I try to keep her as healthy as I can.  Now the main reason I am against this is because I cannot handle begging/rooting around my feet like a psycho-rat.  It bothers me to such a degree that when she starts doing it I have to insist that she leave the room.  L. calls me mean, and she will sometimes eat with the dog in her lap, which I do not understand. 

• Drying laundry. I do not dry my shirts (including T-shirts) for longer than 6-7 minutes.  I dry them on low heat for a short period of time and then take them out of the dryer to hang over chairs and doors until they are completely dry.  I have not always done this.  When L. and I struggled to live month to month (which we did for several years just after college) I recognized my clothes shrinking, developing holes and/or fading much more quickly than I thought they should.  L. explained to me that using the dryer was tough on clothes (something most guys do not inherently know). It was at that time I started the process of figuring out how long to dry clothes so that they did not need to hang up longer than a day, but would help maximize their life expectancy.  Incidentally, I still have clothes I wear from early to mid 2000's because they are still in great condition.  

• Open windows or open front/back door.  There is something unsettling to me about an open window or an open front/back door.  I have a difficult time relaxing if there is fresh air blowing through the house.  I don't know if this is a practical thing (like worried about a cat getting out or bugs getting in) or if there is something else happening.  Either way, I do not care for it and will have to fight the urge to close the windows the 2 days a year it is nice enough to turn off the air conditioner and let the fresh air course through the house.  

• Showering before bed.  I have to shower before I can go to sleep.  I am not sure if this is something everyone does, but for some reason I feel like most people shower in the mornings.  I do not.  I MUST shower before bed, otherwise I cannot go to sleep because I do not feel right.  This is not bad to be particular about, but it does sometimes lead to multiple showers in a day.  For instance, a Saturday almost 2 months ago I got a hair cut after lunch and took a shower.  Then I played soccer in the evening and took a shower.  And then I drank lots of wine, stayed up late and then took a third shower before bed.  

• Pens.  I am particular about what pens I write with.  My favorite is the light blue Pilot Precise V5 with the Rolling Ball.  Strangely, I remember when I first bought this pen.  I purchased it from the Baylor Bookstore in 1998 and accidentally threw it away in a garbage can on my walk back to my apartment.  When I got home and realized it was gone, I was upset and bought it again.  Now I have a box of them handy at my house so that I never have to be upset about throwing my pen away again.

• Coasters.  Similar to dirty dishes, I do not like when a cup sits unbuffered upon our tables, nightstands or even our TV trays.  I am like a ruthless grandmother following people around the house with coasters hidden in every nook, just waiting for someone to put their drink down.  I don't know why I am like this.  We have some nice furniture, allowing for this behavior to be warranted.  But our nightstands, TV trays and other random pieces are very old and most likely purchased at Ikea or Target.  Still, they've lasted so long because grandma is watching.

• The Airport.  I'm not usually stressed, but going to the airport puts me on edge all the way up until I am sitting comfortably at the gate waiting to board the plane.  This means I like to leave for the airport early, making sure I am there in plenty of time.  However, L. (and my mother when I was growing up) prefers to arrive at the airport as the plane is preparing to shut its doors so that we have to run to our terminal and hope they are nice enough to let us on.  And I simply do not get this.  I hate the feeling that we are going to possibly miss our flight, especially when there are many factors that are completely unpredictable (checking luggage including the weight distribution game, the frisk center, our carry ons too big to fit under the seat in front).  Without fail, leaving for the airport ends in an argument.  I argue, "what is so wrong with giving us a 30 minute buffer so I don't have to be stressed?"  She argues, "We have plenty of time, why can't you just relax?"  

• Waiting for a haircut.  I won't wait for a haircut.  I am a patient person, but when it comes to the barbershop I will NOT wait.  This most recent haircut was three weeks overdue because the 2 times I drove by I saw people waiting.  I finally got in on Friday because I got off work early.  I stopped in and the woman pulled me up in their system.  She said, "It's been 7 weeks since you got a haircut?"  I nodded.  She said, "That's too long!  You should have been here at least 3 weeks ago."  If there had been one person sitting in the waiting area I would have left and it could have been 3 more weeks...