I Am Not Alone

Many of you know my OCD tendencies. Until this point I thought I had created them all by my lonesome. Growing up introverted allows you a lot of time to play games with your mind. My most well-known one is the whole number thing. I thought this was so weird and freakish that Hubby only found out about it five years ago. I was at a Pampered Chef Party and had added all the totals up to the tax part because I didn't want to figure the 6.25% tax that needed to be added. When I got it back from the hostess my total had doubled! I saw she had not realized that everything had been added for her and had re-added everything to the total. She said she's not used to people adding things for her. I informed her I had a "Math Compulsory Disorder." She laughed and one of the girls said "Is that what it's called?" I had only been kidding and this was the first reference in public I had ever made to my Problem. Turns out she does some of the same things I do; add numbers on license plates, count the lines on the road, give crazy change in order to get back a round amount, etc. When I worked at Target I would race the cash register to figure out how much change should be given to a person paying with cash. Playing BUNCO last weekend I became a favorite at the table with some of the girls cuz I can't help but count everyone’s total, not just my own. All this time I thought I was alone with this number craziness.

Saturday, at Aunt Jeri's, she was putting away food. She had filled a baggie with brownie bites and handed them to my uncle. He said "I'm not taking these home!" (Now I know how they stay skinny) She replied, "Just close the bag." "Well, it's too full." And he tossed a few brownies out. Jeri cried, "Now there isn't an even number in there!" Hubby was sitting at the counter and was dumbstruck. His jaw slacked wide, eyes popped open, and he looked at me in awe. Little did we know I didn’t make this up all by myself, I inherited from the very Aunts I looked like!

When we were eating dessert I had broken up my angel food cake so it would be bite size. Same Uncle asked “What are you doing?” “I’m breaking them bite size so I don’t have to cut them up while I eat.” “My wife’s doing the exact same thing!” And sure enough, right next to me Aunt Marti was breaking her cake up into bite size pieces!

Several years ago Sister Sally’s family was visiting. As her Hubby opened the obvious drawer for silverware and saw a multitude of silverware just thrown in the drawer and scattered all over he exclaimed, “This can’t be D’s silverware!” It was the daycare silverware thrown in a drawer I never look in and can ignore. I know the difference between the silverwares and put them away accordingly. Saturday as Aunt Marti was helping put silverware away Aunt Jeri stopped her and said “That silverware doesn’t go there.” Where does it go? Aunt Jeri has two sets of silverware also! But her second set is nice and put away nicely. But how many people have two sets of silverware and separate them? I have seen plenty of mixed silverware in one drawer and no one else with two drawers of silverware!

As we were getting ready to drive off into the sunset I had my trusty Atlas at my side. I love maps! It is so nice to see everything right in front of you! I don’t care for GPS’. I don’t know where I’m going and my parents GPS constantly gets me lost. “Bear right” can mean anything from exit highway, turn right at the corner, follow the road as it barely curves to the right, or follow one of the right-veering roads at a 5+ intersection corner. I prefer to have my Atlas ready to check for any questions or problems. Same Uncle once again accosted me, “What is that thing?” “It’s my Atlas. We have to drive home and I brought it.” I’m sure he knew we were taking two roads to get home, Highway 99 to Interstate 80, how lost can we get? Once again, “You’re just like me wife!” She pipes up, “I love the Atlas and take it with us whenever we go anywhere.” Me too!

I couldn’t believe how enlightening four hours in California would be to me & Hubby! I am not alone!