Week 17... Neat, Freak, or OCD

Greetings:

This week, I'll have a little fun again at my own expense.  Regarding my title this week, I would say I'm nothing more than your average "Neat Freak."  My Step-Daughters and maybe even Donna would argue I hope jokingly that I am approaching some level bordering on OCD.  Ha!!!  I just like things to be put away and/or placed "neatly."  You be the Judge.

While growing up, my Mother was very neat and tidy around the house and one thing she instilled in me was cleaning up after myself.  Saturday mornings were for "cleaning my room."  I did not need to make any plans til "after" my room was done.  That is when and where I learned to make my bed, vacuum the carpet, polish the furniture, fold and put away or hang my clothes, etc.  Somewhere along the way, neatness, at least for me, "sunk in" and became the standard.  While helping my Dad mow the yard each week, neatness was taught outside as well as I learned from my Dad to keep the lawn mower "wheel lines" straight and equal widths on each path back and forth and the edge razor sharp.  It was easy to find things in our garage because my Dad had everything "squared" away.  

Dictionary.com defines neat as:  Habitually orderly and clean in appearance or habits; a neat person.  Well...  that pretty much describes me in detail.  Everybody around me just needs to get on board with the "neat" train and all would be perfect in a perfect world.  But, you gotta know that's where the problem(s) begin.  For some reason, not everybody wants to "ride the train."

I remember the first time Donna stayed over in my apartment after we met, where I lived alone.  I left for work early the next morning while she stayed there all day til I got home later that afternoon.  Once home, she told me she could not help, after opening the fridge and cabinets and seeing perfectly placed labels, etc., but open my closet and take a peek inside there too.  There, she saw perfectly spaced hangers holding my shirts and pants.  She said she opened what could be referred to as my "junk" drawer in the kitchen and was stunned to see everything so neatly placed, and "twist-tied" together.  Ha!!!  It's just how I roll.  She also told me and I quote, "I can't be you."  Wow...  did she ever mean that!!!  She might as well have been speaking for her two daughters as well.  They had no idea what was coming:  Felix Ungar from "The Odd Couple."  Nor did I for that matter...  "Hurricane Carla"  was in my future.

Now, when one neat-freak "moves in" with others that maybe are not so inclined, well, along the way, something has to give.  It can be "my way or the highway" or "their way or no way."  Or, there can be some give and take and maybe a meeting somewhere in the middle maybe leaning somewhat in my favor.  Somehow, someway, through the next few years, a kinda, sorta, meeting in the middle occurred and we all survived.  These days, Donna and I are at a place where I can be happy most of the time (the kids are gone... mostly) and Miss Lucy comes every Saturday afternoon and makes me really happy.  

I Love Lucy!!!  No, not the TV Show...  Miss Lucy, our weekly Cleaning Lady.  When we pull into the garage on Saturday evenings, you can just "smell" the "clean" coming from the inside.  Now, I do have my little ritual where I have to go around and "correct" the "little" things after she leaves.  Each week, I have to move my Surround Sound speaker stands back a few inches to where I had them.  I have to center the couch that is slightly off to the framed picture hanging above it.  I have to "square" the dining room chairs to the table.  And I have to move my bedroom nightstand back into its rightful space by moving it about an inch so that the leg/foot fits back into the the carpet "dimple" it was in before.  I have to go around to each bathroom floor rug and "tuck" the tags back underneath them.  Ha!!!  Pretty normal, right???

When we lived in our house, I experimented with having a Lawn Service each week so I could have my weekends back.  That lasted about a month.  They were "here and gone" in a flash and did not seem to care that the lawnmower wheel lines were just "all over the place" and not in perfectly straight lines.  They did not seem to care that Ray Charles could have edged a straighter and cleaner line.  The weed-eater man might as well have been sleeping.  For my sanity, I had to let them go.  They clearly had not been to the "Herman Sluder School of Lawn Maintenance," as I had.  So, there went my weekends again.  When we moved into our apartment, I had to wonder if that same Lawn Service was responsible for our apartment lawn maintenance...  Yikes!!!

Toilet paper...  I have argued for years with anybody that would listen that there is a "right way" and a wrong way" to place the toilet paper roll on the roller or dispenser.  Some Sami have said that I was crazy.  I have always said that my proof is in every Hotel.  When the Hotel or Motel room has been cleaned and is ready for guest's, the toilet paper is hung with the paper coming over the top.  Our Miss Lucy follows in that same vein and even puts a pretty "point" on it (see picture below).  

Miss Lucy's "Point"

I so love this...  Validation!!!

My Step-Daughter, Sami, has argued with me for years on this issue saying there was not a "right way" or a "wrong way," that I'm just a freak.  Well, lookie here...  Sami sent me the picture to the right and a message on Facebook a week or two ago and her message said:  "I'll admit this is true...  Thanks for ruining me Steve :)"  Ha!!!

Oh what "lurks" behind this door

A sample of mine...

Closets...  Oh, to have "His & Hers" closets.  Donna has hers and I have mine and that's the way it should be.  Now, I poked my head into Donna's closet the other day and wondered aloud just how in the world she functions inside her closet???  She quickly answered back by saying, "Babe, I'm in and I'm out."  I said, "But, how?" Mine, on the other hand, shows a little about what "freaked" Donna out that first visit into my closet several years ago.  As you can see, nothing has changed.

My Fridge...  Pretty empty here, but, you get the idea

My Spice Cabinet...

Several years ago, when the Houston Texans were first starting out, I heard an interview on the radio with the Texans new General Manager, Charlie Casserly.  Charlie had long been in the Washington Redskins organization.  He started at the bottom of the "totem pole" and worked his way up to General Manager there as well.  In the early years, he recalled an interview he had with then Head Coach, George Allen.  Charlie said he could not help but notice that George seemed uncomfortable with an object sitting atop his desk.  Ultimately, Charlie said that George reached up and "straightened" the object, that to him, was "crooked."  I remember saying to myself, "That's me."  Ha!!!  OCD???  Not even close.  Freak???  Maybe.  Neat???  Absolutely.  Thankfully, Donna has "grounded" me somewhat.  Brought me a little closer to the "middle."  You know what they say...  opposites attract.  And I have to tell ya, we really are a good "team" together.

Houston Texans Football:  Week 1 was a success.  A 30 to 10 win over Miami.  A 1 & 0 record and 1st Place in our division.  All 3 other teams in the division lost.  This week, we travel to Jacksonville and play the 0 & 1 Jaguars.  Currently, we are -7 Point favorites.  Week 1 Wagers:  I went 3 & 1 (75%) with my NFL Picks and I am at +$19...

Recipe's:  I prepared a meal this week that I want to share with you.  Again, from my "go-to" site, Skinnytaste, I got the "We could serve this to company" from Donna, so I hope you will check it out and enjoy some Turkey Chili Taco Soup.   Ladle over your favorite style of chip (we use "scoops"), add some grated cheese and fresh cilantro on top, and you will find your smile.

Gotta Love It...

Libations Anyone???:  I could not pass this up...  Donna sent me a pic this week, knowing I'm a "Jack" kind of guy, that I'll share here.  We like to keep it "All in the Family."  I've sung the "praises" of Jack before in this space, but liked this pic too much to pass it up.  Enjoy.

Market Watch:  This week, after reaching new lows last week, Facebook seems to be making a tee-tiny move upward.  Yesterday, it closed at 20.71...  But nothing to get too excited about.

The End:  Again, Thank You very much for stopping by.  Your time is very much appreciated.  I hope you will come back next week...  Possibly a story on our Casino Trip this weekend but ONLY if it's a winning trip.  Ha!!!

Be safe, be smart, and always smile...  It's "Happy Friday"

adios