Idiosyncrasies

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 3:22 pm

Tell us.

I have a million of them. Things that are out of alphabetical order or numerical order stick out like a neon sign, chaffing at my nerve endings, for example. This is a pretty common one and at work another guy is exactly like me while yet another worker has no problems with it and will intentionally number things out of order to mess with us. It's kind of funny. Kinda. Just a sec, I need to rename all these adapters...

The one that made me create this thread however is a strange one that I can't nail down. I need a new microSD card for my daughter. The one she was using recently failed (see computing forum). There are several B&M stores around here (such as Best Buy, Canada Computers) but for my own reasons, I don't want to shop at any of them. One option is ordering online.

I feel a significant weight/anchor holding me back from ordering such a small, inexpensive item and having it delivered. I'm pissed that I didn't just order a microsd card when I ordered the bargain video card (also see the computing forum). The idea of spending 10-20 bucks and having a TINY item delivered to my house makes me uncomfortable. I don't know what it is. it's either the waste of having such a tiny item special delivered to my doorstep, or, and I'm dead serious here, the guilt of utilizing free delivery on such a low cost item. Neither of these reasons are particularly rational, and I'm not even sure either of them are the real reason I hesitate.

Why in the freakin' hell would I have a problem ordering a tiny, cheap item and having it delivered to my house for free? What is wrong with me?

Better yet, what is wrong with you?

edit: The internet says I can't spell Idiosyncracsies

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 3:36 pm

I have a handful of potato chips with my sandwich each day. I eat the broken pieces first, sorting the whole chips into piles by size and shape as I go. When the broken ones are gone I start on the whole ones from smallest to largest. Take a bite of sandwich, have a sip of milk, eat three chips, repeat until gone.

I eat all of the crust off my sandwich before I start on the inside.

IDK if those qualify as compulsions, because I don't do it if I'm eating in public. But when eating alone, as I usually do, I am compelled. I have a few similar neurotic behaviors that I can suppress when I want to...I just usually don't have a reason to want to.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 3:38 pm

The other day I ordered a set screw from Amazon for my kitchen faucet. You'd be hard pressed to find a tinier product, and I couldn't care less that it only costs $5. Free Prime shipping FTW.

My main thing I guess is that I hate to be late. Since having a family, the power to control this has been taken out of my hands, and that frustrates me.

And cilantro. Can't stand the stuff.

Paingod · Post by **Paingod** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 3:45 pm

I like to organize everything, even sometimes food on a plate. When I was younger, I'd eat Italian sandwiches one layer at a time. I'm completely tactless - not out of cruelty, but because it doesn't occur to me to sugarcoat things and/or I don't get social cues/norms. I'm socially oblivious, historically not noticing when a girl is into me - or - not noticing when I'm offending someone. I don't need music in my life - I like the way some sounds, but if you told me I'd never hear it again, I'd shrug.

Jeff V wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 3:38 pmAnd cilantro. Can't stand the stuff.

That's because it tastes like soap. Completely ruins meals. It's a damn shame Chipotle infuses almost everything with it.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 3:54 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 3:36 pm I have a handful of potato chips with my sandwich each day. I eat the broken pieces first, sorting the whole chips into piles by size and shape as I go.

I have something for everything but I always finish my fries, if present, before eating any else. Cold fries are nasty. Hot fries are yummy. I think this set in motion me eating meals one food stuff at a time. I used to do this compulsively. I've learned to calm that down but it's still my unconscious go to. I've mitigated the tendancy by mixing food together. So now, say I'm out on a rare occasion. I get a steak, mashed potatoes, and corn. What do I do? I cut up my steak into cubes, dip a cube in the mashed potatoes, and the dip the potato in the corn. Viola! I am not eating all the corn, then all the potato, then all of the steak, forcing everyone at the table to notice my eating habits (and they always do)... while still satisfying the eat one thing at a time requirement.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 4:15 pm

Jeff V wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 3:38 pm My main thing I guess is that I hate to be late. Since having a family, the power to control this has been taken out of my hands, and that frustrates me.

Very much this. I'm the guy that arrives 5-10 minutes early to everything. Unfortunately, Mrs. Skinypupy is the person who arrives 15-20 minutes late to everything, and thinks that's perfectly acceptable. I find it to be terribly rude.

This has led to many an argument over our 20+ years together.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 4:31 pm

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 4:15 pm
Jeff V wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 3:38 pm My main thing I guess is that I hate to be late. Since having a family, the power to control this has been taken out of my hands, and that frustrates me.
Very much this. I'm the guy that arrives 5-10 minutes early to everything. Unfortunately, Mrs. Skinypupy is the person who arrives 15-20 minutes late to everything, and thinks that's perfectly acceptable. I find it to be terribly rude.

This has led to many an argument over our 20+ years together.

My wife observes what is called "Filipino Time." That calls for arrival a minimum of one hour late. It's a losing battle when it comes to parties, but I think I have on board with being timely for appointments.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 5:35 pm

Food is a good one. I think most people have habits that border on compulsions when it comes to food and eating.

A typical one is to eat one item at a time: All your carrots then all your peas then all your meat.
Another opposite but less frequent one is to mash everything together, turning every meal into a stew/casserole.
Cutting all your meat into bite sized pieces before eating any of it is another one.

There are just so, so many eating idiosyncrasies I probably should have excluded all but the more interesting ones.

Kraken's are pretty interesting.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 5:38 pm

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 4:15 pm
Jeff V wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 3:38 pm My main thing I guess is that I hate to be late. Since having a family, the power to control this has been taken out of my hands, and that frustrates me.
Very much this. I'm the guy that arrives 5-10 minutes early to everything. Unfortunately, Mrs. Skinypupy is the person who arrives 15-20 minutes late to everything, and thinks that's perfectly acceptable. I find it to be terribly rude.

This has led to many an argument over our 20+ years together.

As a kid I was chronically late for everything.

As an adult I am borderline compulsive about being on time. Except for work. My schedule there is flexible, as a result, so is my attitude. Probably too flexible.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 5:41 pm

GreenGoo wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 5:35 pm Cutting all your meat into bite sized pieces before eating any of it is another one.

That's not quirky. Cutting all your meat before eating allows you to free yourself of the need for a knife for the rest of the meal.

Harumph!

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 5:43 pm

LordMortis wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 5:41 pm
GreenGoo wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 5:35 pm Cutting all your meat into bite sized pieces before eating any of it is another one.
That's not quirky. Cutting all your meat before eating allows you to free yourself of the need for a knife for the rest of the meal.

Harumph!

Heh, right.

Not that it matters to many people any more (and certainly not me, as I eat many of my meals alone), but it's also counter to good table manners.

Freyland · Post by **Freyland** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 6:07 pm

Obsessive compulsive personality disorder vs obsessive compulsive disorder.

The latter is associated with intrusive thoughts, while the former is associated with more a detail-driven lifestyle that doesn't affect daily function in a detrimental manner. Frugality, unless a function of recurrent spontaneous intrusive thoughts, is an example of OCPD.

Cilantro involves a completely different medical problem.

geezer · Post by **geezer** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 6:41 pm

An almost pathological aversion to being told what to do, being babied, or being "mothered." I felt like I was ready to leave and go to college when I was 13, and when I left for real a month after I turned 17 I wanted as little as possible to do with any authority figure, ever. This has driven my career, my relationships, and most other things I guess, all of which surprisingly have turned out mostly ok, if a little chaotic

killbot737 · Post by **killbot737** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 6:47 pm

I spent $100 on Amazon Prime. I sure as hell am going to get that value back in shipping costs!'

But, on to my flaws/idiosyncrasies/OCD behaviors. Most of these are due to owning and tolerating elderly cats that pee all over the place. Most.

No clothes/cloth items on horizontal surfaces, because the cat(s) will pee on them.
Shoes must be vertically stored (soles off the ground). Perfect impromptu litterbox.
Check hidden corners of the house - behinds desks, lounge chairs, sofas, beds, etc. We could have a secret pee location going on!

I really was too damn nice to those cats.

My keys and wallet go on the kitchen counter next to the door when I am at home. If I do something odd (need wallet for pizza or internet purchase or keys for car in the garage) and I forget to put them back in their spot it becomes a crisis until they are both reunited.

I always, always, always lock my car, even though I always, always, always park it in the garage. Always. ALWAYS.

I never leave food garbage in my car. Really I never leave (anything other than clean-ish paper) garbage in my car. My car is not lived in, and I never have to clear the seat off for my passengers. I also have a prepper-load of tools and junk in the back that I've barely ever had to use, but you'll thank me when we need it!

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 7:10 pm

Jeff V wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 4:31 pm
Skinypupy wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 4:15 pm
Jeff V wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 3:38 pm My main thing I guess is that I hate to be late. Since having a family, the power to control this has been taken out of my hands, and that frustrates me.
Very much this. I'm the guy that arrives 5-10 minutes early to everything. Unfortunately, Mrs. Skinypupy is the person who arrives 15-20 minutes late to everything, and thinks that's perfectly acceptable. I find it to be terribly rude.

This has led to many an argument over our 20+ years together.
My wife observes what is called "Filipino Time." That calls for arrival a minimum of one hour late. It's a losing battle when it comes to parties, but I think I have on board with being timely for appointments.

We have "daddy time" and "mommy time. "Daddy time means we will arrive on time regardless of traffic, missed busses, etc. Mommy time means getting there maybe on time, maybe late, depends on how the wind blows.

Mommy time means no rush getting ready or getting out the door but panic all the way there. Daddy time means gtf out the door but then relax on the way and arrive without fluster. When we leave for something, the kids will ask if we're on Daddy time or Mommy time. They're always relieved when it's daddy time.

I'm fine with arriving "fashionably late" but I don't decode or translate. If 7:00 is fine for a 6:00 event, the wife has to tell me 7, not 6.

Other than that, can't think of much. I can eat my food in any order, I don't sort stuff unless it's supposed to be sorted...

Maybe I'm hyper-aware in public. I know which restaurant patrons are pissed about waiting for an order, I check eveyone who walks into a place, I figure out why so and so is doing such and such, that kind of stuff. If I see some random person somewhere and then somewhere else 20 minutes later, I notice and make note. But it's not anything I try to do.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 7:18 pm

Oh, wait, I know. I can not set a themostat to an odd number. 62, 72, sure. 63, 71, never!

killbot737 · Post by **killbot737** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 7:20 pm

Don't get me started on being late. Which I never am. Being habitually late means that you don't care about the other people you are meeting.

To be early is to be on time,
To be on time is to be late,
To be late is to be left behind!

I have done the third stanza to the "terminally late" before. Your ass needs to be here at X o'clock. You weren't there, too fucking bad.

Jaymann · Post by **Jaymann** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 7:20 pm

I always watch sports with the sound off so I don't have to listen to annoying announcers and can focus on video games. If I miss something interesting I can always rewind. And if my team falls significantly behind, I immediately turn it off. Later I will check the scores, and if my team made a comeback I will pick up the thread or watch the highlights.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 7:54 pm

My OCD that is entirely limited to door-locking. Four out of five times I will lock a door (leaving the house, leaving the car), walk about ten steps away, then have to turn around and go back to make sure I *really* locked it.

The only counter to this is saying to myself "I am locking the door, I am locking the door," while I do it, but I usually forget.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 7:57 pm

This doesn't count as OCD, but one of my idiosyncrazies is that I simply cannot get into an unmade bed. If I somehow get to bedtime without having made the bed already, I'll make it then and there, and I'll do it as neatly as I possibly can. No just pulling the covers straight--everything must be crisp and even.

When my family is away and I sleep alone, sometimes I'll just sleep on top of the covers to avoid unmaking them.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 7:59 pm

I really hate sitting with my back to the door or to the room in a restaurant. Ideally I want to be able to watch both the door and the room. If that's not possible, I'll turn my back on the door to watch the room. I get anxious if I can't see either one and am most relaxed when I can see both. I like to say that it's because both Bonnie Parker and the Sundance Kid were among my ancestors, but it's really not borne of any rational fear.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 8:02 pm

Freyland wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 6:07 pm Cilantro involves a completely different medical problem.

We had a party for the kids a few weeks ago. I invited the whole subdivision, only two came. One, his girls come here to play sometimes and they were geeked for this party and the other lives a few blocks away but offered to help and lent a table and cooler. She and her husband seemed really nice, but then the other day they dropped off some chimichurri sauce. They obviously want me dead for reasons I can't begin to comprehend.

disarm · Post by **disarm** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 8:10 pm

Jeff V wrote:
Freyland wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 6:07 pm Cilantro involves a completely different medical problem.
We had a party for the kids a few weeks ago. I invited the whole subdivision, only two came. One, his girls come here to play sometimes and they were geeked for this party and the other lives a few blocks away but offered to help and lent a table and cooler. She and her husband seemed really nice, but then the other day they dropped off some chimichurri sauce. They obviously want me dead for reasons I can't begin to comprehend.

But chimichurri isn't made with cilantro...

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 8:23 pm

Hers is. She even printed a label that she put on the jar. Wife and MIL will try it with steak tomorrow.

killbot737 · Post by **killbot737** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 8:45 pm

"making a bed"? interesting. I swoosh the covers once in a while but that's it.

Oh, I remembered something. It seems like I would want the opposite of order, but I don't.

Back in the HS days, the MAN visited my school and we all had to take the ASVAB. I was totally into the military gung-ho mindset at the time, even though I had awful vision. I had the usual adolescent "Soldier of Fortune" romantic view of that life.

One day in my Catholic (college-prep) school all of us kids are required to take the ASVAB. I am a monster on scantrons, so I get started. "mildude" (I really don't know what his rank was, nor do I care) comes up to my desk and tells me I have to use one of his pencils, and not the mechanical pencil I have been using since grade school to do my pencil work. The pencil my mom gave me when I was 9 and she began her journey to being a PhD. The pencil that had never failed me on any scantron test, ever.

Nope, mildude said I had to use garbage wood pencils to fill in the circles on his garbage test. I complied. I was some HS kid, who am I to complain? He made his point. I realized I was not military material. I question everything.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 9:31 pm

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 7:18 pm Oh, wait, I know. I can not set a themostat to an odd number. 62, 72, sure. 63, 71, never!

Good one!

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 9:32 pm

Holman wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 7:57 pm This doesn't count as OCD, but one of my idiosyncrazies is that I simply cannot get into an unmade bed. If I somehow get to bedtime without having made the bed already, I'll make it then and there, and I'll do it as neatly as I possibly can. No just pulling the covers straight--everything must be crisp and even.

When my family is away and I sleep alone, sometimes I'll just sleep on top of the covers to avoid unmaking them.

Awesome!

dfs · Post by **dfs** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 9:53 pm

LordMortis wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 3:54 pmI have something for everything but I always finish my fries, if present, before eating any else. Cold fries are nasty. Hot fries are yummy.

I don't eat many fries, but I vastly prefer lukewarm fries over hot fries. I have actually put hot fries in the fridge to cool down and be edible. Different strokes.

I was raised in a community where to be on time meant that you were 15 minutes early. To this day I can't break that habit.

I also sit in corners or at least with my back to the wall when eating out. Oldest child has the same compunction and we've been known to fight over who gets the corner.

Like Killbot I have my spot for my keys and wallet. God help me if they aren't in that spot because I will freeze unable to comprehend how could they NOT be there.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 10:42 pm

When I get fries, I have to line them up parallel to one another. They don't taste right when they're all higgledy-piggledy.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 10:50 pm

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Fri Sep 21, 2018 1:28 am

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 10:50 pm

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Fri Sep 21, 2018 3:22 am

99.9% of mutations result in that line of genes dying off.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Fri Sep 21, 2018 8:20 am

dfs wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 9:53 pm
Like Killbot I have my spot for my keys and wallet. God help me if they aren't in that spot because I will freeze unable to comprehend how could they NOT be there.

My keys/wallet/phone have one resting place and only one. They always have.

Is this an idiosyncrasy? To me it just means I'm the one person I know who has never lost his keys, not once.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Fri Sep 21, 2018 9:08 am

Jaymann wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 7:20 pm I always watch sports with the sound off so I don't have to listen to annoying announcers and can focus on video games. If I miss something interesting I can always rewind. And if my team falls significantly behind, I immediately turn it off. Later I will check the scores, and if my team made a comeback I will pick up the thread or watch the highlights.

I've become this way as well. I used to plan entire Saturdays around watching Utah away games on TV, but now I give it very little consideration. I have gone from being glued to the TV for every play to usually listening to the radio broadcast while I play a game instead. And I have no qualms about walking away from the game and catching highlights later if something else comes up. I do still attend every home game though, and almost always stay until the end because I love the stadium atmosphere.

As I've gotten older with more responsibilities, sports have become far less important in general. I'm disappointed when we lose, but it's not something that puts me in a bad mood for an entire day like it used to. Partly because other things take priority, and partly because the way the college game is structured, no individual game really means much in the grand scheme of things unless you're a team named Alabama, Ohio State, etc. For "mid-tier" teams that aren't likely to end up in the playoffs, it all just feels a little...anticlimatic, I suppose.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Fri Sep 21, 2018 9:10 am

Holman wrote: ↑Fri Sep 21, 2018 8:20 am My keys/wallet/phone have one resting place and only one. They always have.

Is this an idiosyncrasy? To me it just means I'm the one person I know who has never lost his keys, not once.

No, it's just a typical strategy that most people use for not losing stuff.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Fri Sep 21, 2018 9:11 am

Kraken wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 10:42 pm When I get fries, I have to line them up parallel to one another. They don't taste right when they're all higgledy-piggledy.

I can't imagine the eternal struggle you'd have doing this with curly fries.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Fri Sep 21, 2018 9:13 am

Jeff V wrote: ↑Fri Sep 21, 2018 9:11 am
Kraken wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 10:42 pm When I get fries, I have to line them up parallel to one another. They don't taste right when they're all higgledy-piggledy.
I can't imagine the eternal struggle you'd have doing this with curly fries.

I think the fry lining up thing is exactly what this thread was made for. That is one serious...idiosyncrasy.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Fri Sep 21, 2018 9:16 am

For the record I ordered a 14 dollar microSD card last night. I knew I was being irrational and knowing Jeff V. orders whatever he wants whenever he wants because free shipping made it easier.

Next up, ordering something for 5 bucks or less at some point. If I can do that, I think I'll have this beat.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Fri Sep 21, 2018 9:23 am

GreenGoo wrote: ↑Fri Sep 21, 2018 9:16 am
Next up, ordering something for 5 bucks or less at some point. If I can do that, I think I'll have this beat.

Back in olden times, keys scratching the screen was always a problem with laptops. After ordering a $3500 laptop from Dell (this was in the day when a truly tricked out machine cost about $7K), I ordered a piece of black leather that would lay across the keys and protect the screen. It cost $2...and shipped from China!

Paingod · Post by **Paingod** » Fri Sep 21, 2018 9:37 am

Holman wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 7:54 pm My OCD that is entirely limited to door-locking. Four out of five times I will lock a door (leaving the house, leaving the car), walk about ten steps away, then have to turn around and go back to make sure I *really* locked it.

The only counter to this is saying to myself "I am locking the door, I am locking the door," while I do it, but I usually forget.

I lock a door and turn the handle as I close it to ensure it won't turn, and then give it a nudge after I close it before I walk away. Every time. A habit I picked up working as a security guard, apparently. Sometimes it kicks in unconsciously and I lock myself out of the house when I'm just stepping outside to do something. It really pisses my wife off, and is the entire reason we have a key hidden away out there.