What things do you have to have just so?

[katiesue]

What things do you have to have a certian way? Even if it's not logical.

My shower has sliding glass doors. The doors must always be shut.

I don't like my food mixed together. I'd be happy if everyone used lunch trays.

I'm a total slob with the rest of the kitchen but the stovetop must be clean.

My TV is on an arm that you pull out from the wall to view. I have to push it back to the wall when not in use.

[Kevy Baby]

Interesting topic.

One I can think of off the top of my head has to do with emails here at work. If someone sends me a message in plain text format, when I reply, I 1) change to HTML, 2) make sure my signature is properly formatted, 3) change the black text in my signature to blue (as with replies to HTML), and 4) change my reply text to blue. I think this alone gives me the A.R. trophy.

Any email with a background gets the background deleted on a reply

I'll add more as I remember them.

Originally Posted by katiesue

I don't like my food mixed together. I'd be happy if everyone used lunch trays.

On this, you have a kindred spirit with Susan.

[flippyshark]

I can't eat off of a cafeteria tray, of the sort I might carry when I eat at Sweet Tomatoes. I have to take all the items off, and then place the tray somewhere entirely out of sight. (Below the chair, on another table, on top of the trash receptacle, into the hands of a helpful employee, whatever.) I'm simillarly troubled when others at my table go ahead and eat off their plates while said plates are still on the damned plastic trays. Clatter-clatter, thunk thunk. I guess it's a combination of the sudden uselessness of the tray and its inevitable warped shakiness.

Lunch trays of the sort that actually contain the food in separate compartments? Gosh, I haven't eaten that way in so long, I don't know how I'd respond.

I'm a "one thing at a time" eater. If I have steak, potatoes and a vegetable, I will start with the veggies, eat the steak and save the potatoes for last.

I don't like mixing, with a few exceptions. If it's a chicken-fried steak served with mashed potatoes and gravy, then steak, potatoes and gravy are going to be combined on my fork in varying ratios throughout the meal. any Mexican combo plate with beans and rice, well, I'll combine said beans and rice with the enchiladas or whatever else with reckless abandon. But in general, I'm with katiesue in principle.

I have a strong averse reaction to the sight of chewed gum being parked plateside, or on the rim of a glass, or anywhere where I will be in any way aware of its presence. This one makes me crazy!

[flippyshark]

And really, after your wet gum has been exposed to the air, every virus and microbe in the room sticking to it with glee, you're going to put the damn thing back in your mouth? AAAAAAAAAAAA!



Okay, calming down .....

[katiesue]

Glasses in the cupboard have to be rim down.

[Kevy Baby]

Originally Posted by flippyshark

I can't eat off of a cafeteria tray

Add this one to my list!

Originally Posted by katiesue

Glasses in the cupboard have to be rim down.

Doesn't EVERYONE do this?

Also, I don't know if this falls into this category, but I cannot stand being able to hear someone chew; it makes my skin crawl. Doesn't matter who it is and the person doesn't have to be a loud chewer.

Originally Posted by flippyshark

I don't like mixing [food], with a few exceptions.

I have to relate this story about watching my father eat.

With few exceptions, he mixes EVERYTHING. But he takes the weirdness to a whole new level. He will shape the new mixed goulash into a square. He then cuts a square corner off and puts that into his mouth to eat. As he is eating that bite, he will re-square the pile on his plate.

Needless to say, we make fun of him a lot.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Originally Posted by Kevy Baby

Doesn't EVERYONE do this?

No. I find it a bit annoying to have to turn over the glass every time. Also, cabinet shelves aren't exactly spotless. The argument that it keeps the inside of the glass clean doesn't hold water with me. If it's in there long enough to get dusty you have to wash the exterior anyway.

Get it? Hold water? Glass?

If I'm not watching the TV it needs to be turned off. The chatter of commercials or even a good movie in the background makes me crazy when I'm trying to do something else. Even on mute, the visuals are very distracting for me. If we're watching TV I close the laptop. If I don't, I can't pay attention to either well and end up in a sort of limbo.

My food can be separate or mixed, though I have a pet peeve about white rice being soaked by whatever sauce goes with the entree. A certain amount is good, but I'm out once the sauce dominates all of the rice.

[JWBear]

Add me to the "food must not mix" crowd. When we have pot lucks here at work, I rarely get much. I just can not pile everything on top of everything else on the plate. Also, if meat juice gets into my mashed potatoes, I can't eat them. <shudder>

I also hate when you order pasta in a restaurant and they set the garlic bread right on top of the sauce. I've been known to send the bread back and request a fresh piece on a separate plate.

I grew up in a “glasses rim down” family. That’s the way I still do it.

Bill insists that TP and paper towels roll over the front, never down the back. Personally, I don’t care either way.

Oh, and I always eat regular M&Ms in twos. I don’t know why, I just do.

[katiesue]

Oh - I have to sort M&M's and skittles by color. Then I eat one color at a time.

[Not Afraid]

I do the M&M thing.

I'm not sure I have to have anything "just so". I think I would probably end up frustrated if I attempted to have ANYTHING just so in my chaotic life.