Only a few weeks ago, my boyfriend and I adopted a new kitten from Forgotten Felines, a program that rescues cats and kittens and helps get them adopted. We named out brand new kitten Madeline; she is a five month old, Bengal-Tabby cat mix, and she's beautiful. We were convinced that she was perfect, and had the softest, smoothest fur I had ever felt before. Like all kittens, I expected her to be a little rambunctious, and get into some things that she wasn't supposed to get into. But what I didn't expect was that my beautiful, little kitten is actually a cat from Hell. From breaking and tearing things apart, to drawing blood and showing her true wild side, Madeline is definitely the craziest cat I ever have, and will ever own.
When we brought Madeline home, we immediately discovered that she has a fascination with paper. If she gets a hold of anything paper, she will hold it between her paws and shred it to a million little pieces with her teeth. If there are any cardboard boxes laying around the house, she will find them and tear those to pieces as well. One her favorite toys, other than her play mice and jingle-balls that she has to play with, are my pretty purple curtains. She will be walking by the window going towards her food, when all of a sudden she'll turn around and pounce on the curtains, and try to climb to the top. I didn't realize how many breakable possessions I owned until I brought Madeline into my family!
My least favorite part about Madeline's upbeat personality is her "playful" aggression. One night while I was asleep, she discovered that feet were another one of her favorite things to play with. I woke up to a very sharp pain in my foot, and realized a cat was clinging to it for dear life, teeth, claws, and all. I yelled and tried to kick her off as gently as I could, which ended with five large, deep scratches on the top of my foot. Five days later, those scratches are still there, and they still hurt. Maybe it's the Bengal cat in her, but I have never had a cat who was strong enough to hold on so tightly and draw blood like Madeline did. I have had many scratches and bites from her before that incident, and since then, too.
Ever since we found out that Madeline has Bengal cat in her blood, we knew she was going to be really wild, but we have been truly surprise at some of the things that we have caught her doing. Not too long ago, I walked out of my bedroom to find her clinging, with all four paws, to the back of the couch, and just hanging there effortlessly. She can use her claws to crawl all over things, including curtains and chairs. she can run and move very fast, using her back paws a lot like the big, wild cats do.
Our cat may be destructive, vicious, and wild, but have grown to really love our "Hell Cat." She definitely adds energy to our home, and she is well worth the consequences of adopting her! As long as she stops attacking my feet at night, I think I will decide to keep her for as long as possible.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Process Essay (#7)
My palms are sweaty. So many different questions and answers are
coursing through my mind. I feel as if the people here are judging me,
or sizing me up. My breathing has accelerated from the nerves. A
life-changing event is about to occur, and I'm trying hard not to let my
panic show through. I sit down in my chair across from the person who
will choose my fate. Job interviews are a trying experience for anyone,
and anyone who has had one has probably felt like this at least their
first time around. There are many things that I have learned to do and say during my interviews that make them so much easier, and a success.
I remember my very first interview. It took place after a school day in one of the final days of my Freshman year in High School. I remember that when the last bell rang that ended the day, I was instantly in a nervous sweat. I had been dreading going to this interview all day long, and nothing that anyone had ever taught me about interviews was relevant anymore. I was so nervous, that I stood at the front desk for several minutes before I decided to tell them that I had an interview, and needed to be shown where to go. When I finally sat down with the woman who was going to interview me, my hands were visibly shaking, and I couldn't sit still. I think the woman could tell I was nervous, because she asked me if it was my first interview. Still nervous, I said yes, and she started to ask me a bunch of questions about what I would do in certain situations, and what I have accomplished so far in my life. Most of my answers took me a little while to come up with, and there was a lot of silence. I tried not to be so nervous, but no matter what I did I was still sitting there shaking, trying to catch my breath. Near the end of the interview, the lady started talking to me like any other person, and asked me what I usually do after school, and continued by talking about her granddaughter who shared my name. By the end, I wasn't so nervous, and I was able to talk to her and be myself. I learned that if you are in the mind set of talking to just a normal person, anyone that you could be talking to at school, in a store, or even a friend or family member. I just act like I'm having a conversation with someone about me and what I want, and my nerves calm down nicely!
After experiencing a couple of easy-peasy interviews, I was surprised when I went to a not so easy one, and I had a difficult time answering their questions. The interviewer started asking me questions like, "Can you think of a time where you had great customer service and your customer was extremely satisfied with you?" I find those questions difficult, because I have a hard time with self recognition. I don't want to feel like I am bragging. After the interview, I decided that it would be a good idea to think ahead about all the answers to those questions before actually entering an interview. I go back through my work history and try to remember different occurrences that stick out in my mind, and remember them to use during my interview.
My most favorite interview I have had was for a dog washing position at PetSmart. The whole interview was giving me opportunities to tell stories, talk about my feelings, and give lots of information about myself. The interviewer was an older woman who was one of those people that loves to tell stories all the time. The interview was about an hour of us talking about our past pets, our family, our experiences, and why I wanted to wash dogs. (Because dogs are so much fun to wash!!) This was the best lesson that I had ever gotten from an interview. Any chance that you can take to tell stories and talk personally with your interviewer, take the chance! I discovered that this makes them more comfortable with you as it does you with them! They're probably more likely to hire you if they have had a real discussion with you and have related to you on a personal level. This is my KEY goal in interviews now!
When I walk into an interview, I remind myself to pretend like it's a normal, every day conversation, I remember the answers to the normal interview questions, and I remember to look for any chance I can get to talk personally with my interviewer! Since I have started using these tips, and I have been hired for every job I have interviewed for, (2 so far using my tips!). But one thing you shouldn't do is ramble, which I have also found out. The interviewer may like stories, but they despise rambling. I kissed that job goodbye!
I remember my very first interview. It took place after a school day in one of the final days of my Freshman year in High School. I remember that when the last bell rang that ended the day, I was instantly in a nervous sweat. I had been dreading going to this interview all day long, and nothing that anyone had ever taught me about interviews was relevant anymore. I was so nervous, that I stood at the front desk for several minutes before I decided to tell them that I had an interview, and needed to be shown where to go. When I finally sat down with the woman who was going to interview me, my hands were visibly shaking, and I couldn't sit still. I think the woman could tell I was nervous, because she asked me if it was my first interview. Still nervous, I said yes, and she started to ask me a bunch of questions about what I would do in certain situations, and what I have accomplished so far in my life. Most of my answers took me a little while to come up with, and there was a lot of silence. I tried not to be so nervous, but no matter what I did I was still sitting there shaking, trying to catch my breath. Near the end of the interview, the lady started talking to me like any other person, and asked me what I usually do after school, and continued by talking about her granddaughter who shared my name. By the end, I wasn't so nervous, and I was able to talk to her and be myself. I learned that if you are in the mind set of talking to just a normal person, anyone that you could be talking to at school, in a store, or even a friend or family member. I just act like I'm having a conversation with someone about me and what I want, and my nerves calm down nicely!
After experiencing a couple of easy-peasy interviews, I was surprised when I went to a not so easy one, and I had a difficult time answering their questions. The interviewer started asking me questions like, "Can you think of a time where you had great customer service and your customer was extremely satisfied with you?" I find those questions difficult, because I have a hard time with self recognition. I don't want to feel like I am bragging. After the interview, I decided that it would be a good idea to think ahead about all the answers to those questions before actually entering an interview. I go back through my work history and try to remember different occurrences that stick out in my mind, and remember them to use during my interview.
My most favorite interview I have had was for a dog washing position at PetSmart. The whole interview was giving me opportunities to tell stories, talk about my feelings, and give lots of information about myself. The interviewer was an older woman who was one of those people that loves to tell stories all the time. The interview was about an hour of us talking about our past pets, our family, our experiences, and why I wanted to wash dogs. (Because dogs are so much fun to wash!!) This was the best lesson that I had ever gotten from an interview. Any chance that you can take to tell stories and talk personally with your interviewer, take the chance! I discovered that this makes them more comfortable with you as it does you with them! They're probably more likely to hire you if they have had a real discussion with you and have related to you on a personal level. This is my KEY goal in interviews now!
When I walk into an interview, I remind myself to pretend like it's a normal, every day conversation, I remember the answers to the normal interview questions, and I remember to look for any chance I can get to talk personally with my interviewer! Since I have started using these tips, and I have been hired for every job I have interviewed for, (2 so far using my tips!). But one thing you shouldn't do is ramble, which I have also found out. The interviewer may like stories, but they despise rambling. I kissed that job goodbye!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
3 iSearch Annotations
Wilson, Tracy. N.p.. Web. 8 Nov 2012.
<http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/beauty/skin-and-lifestyle/tattoo.htm/printable>.
This website is very helpful if you want to know the basics of tattooing and how the ink-in-skin thing works. I liked it because it's very detailed and easy to read.
NCSL, . "Tattooing and Body Piercing." NCSL. National Conference of State Lagislatures, n.d. Web. 8 Nov 2012. <http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/health/tattooing-and-body-piercing.aspx
This website is great for tattoo laws PER state, and I liked it because it explained why the laws went into effect in the first place.
Joseph, Peter. "The Morality of Tattoos and Vody Piercing." Latin Mass Magazine. 2002: n. page. Web. 8 Nov. 2012. <http://www.latinmassmagazine.com/articles/articles_2002_SU_Joseph.html>.
This website is a perfect example of religious views against tattoos. I believe it's completely opinionated by this Pastor.
This website is very helpful if you want to know the basics of tattooing and how the ink-in-skin thing works. I liked it because it's very detailed and easy to read.
NCSL, . "Tattooing and Body Piercing." NCSL. National Conference of State Lagislatures, n.d. Web. 8 Nov 2012. <http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/health/tattooing-and-body-piercing.aspx
This website is great for tattoo laws PER state, and I liked it because it explained why the laws went into effect in the first place.
Joseph, Peter. "The Morality of Tattoos and Vody Piercing." Latin Mass Magazine. 2002: n. page. Web. 8 Nov. 2012. <http://www.latinmassmagazine.com/articles/articles_2002_SU_Joseph.html>.
This website is a perfect example of religious views against tattoos. I believe it's completely opinionated by this Pastor.
Process Essay Intro Graf
My palms are sweaty. So many different questions and answers are coursing through my mind. I feel as if the people here are judging me, or sizing me up. My breathing has accelerated from the nerves. A life-changing event is about to occur, and I'm trying hard not to let my panic show through. I sit down in my chair across from the person who will choose my fate. Job interviews are a trying experience for anyone, and anyone who has had one has probably felt like this at least their first time around. There are many things that you can do in order to make this experience less frightening, and there are ways to impress your interviewer without a sweat! (Well, maybe a little sweat.)
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Essay #6 (Effect Essay)
Sometimes it seems that we would go to the end of the earth for the ones that we love, and would do anything for our best friends, even if we have reservations about these things. I would do anything for my best friend, from being anywhere at anytime if she needed me, or letting her borrow my things. But sometimes, even when our friends have the best intentions, you end up losing things that are important to you. When I let my best friend borrow my car, one of the most important things in my life, and it came back totaled, it gave me second thoughts about our friendship, a huge problem with my parents, and a loss of freedom.
Not only was it a really cold, winter day, but I knew that she wasn't the best driver. When I got the call that my best friend had gotten into a "little accident" with my car, I tried my best not to get angry and ask her what the hell she was thinking, but the impending doom that was certain to come from the situation was taking over my thoughts. When my car was ruled totaled, it took all of my sanity and concentration not to lose it on my best friend. In my mind, I wanted to tell her that I couldn't forgive her after wrecking one of the biggest parts of my life, the tool I use every single day, something I need to pretty much survive. At that point in time, I didn't know what I was going to do.
The next thing I thought was "oh, crap. My parents are going to kill me." My mom especially always told me to never, ever, EVER let anyone use my car, because nothing good could ever come out of it. The condition was if they found out that anyone uses my car, it was to be taken away from me. I decided that this was more of a phone conversation, more for my safety than anything, I worked up the courage to call my mom and tell her the news. The impending doom was now actual doom. I'm very surprised that my mom did not lose her voice that day, and that I am not deaf in my right ear. To this day, I'm constantly reminded that my car is MY car, and nobody else should get behind the wheel.
Of course, since my car had been totaled, the worst thing to come from it was my loss of freedom. For months I had to depend on others for rides whenever I wanted to go anywhere. If I was bored, I had to find something to do around the house, because I couldn't go anywhere. I was harshly reminded of the boring years before my sixteenth birthday, and it was awful. For those 4 months, I did a lot of reading, surfing the internet, and endless amounts of homework.
In the end, I ended up forgiving my best friend. After all, it was only a car, and even though my car was one of the most important tools in my life, I definitely believe that having my best friend is even more important. I eventually got a new car, and my life was saved! The lesson I learned from this is quite obvious: never let anyone use your car. But the not so obvious twist to this story, is that my boyfriend drives my car almost every day. Some people don't learn, but there will always be consequences on way or another!
Not only was it a really cold, winter day, but I knew that she wasn't the best driver. When I got the call that my best friend had gotten into a "little accident" with my car, I tried my best not to get angry and ask her what the hell she was thinking, but the impending doom that was certain to come from the situation was taking over my thoughts. When my car was ruled totaled, it took all of my sanity and concentration not to lose it on my best friend. In my mind, I wanted to tell her that I couldn't forgive her after wrecking one of the biggest parts of my life, the tool I use every single day, something I need to pretty much survive. At that point in time, I didn't know what I was going to do.
The next thing I thought was "oh, crap. My parents are going to kill me." My mom especially always told me to never, ever, EVER let anyone use my car, because nothing good could ever come out of it. The condition was if they found out that anyone uses my car, it was to be taken away from me. I decided that this was more of a phone conversation, more for my safety than anything, I worked up the courage to call my mom and tell her the news. The impending doom was now actual doom. I'm very surprised that my mom did not lose her voice that day, and that I am not deaf in my right ear. To this day, I'm constantly reminded that my car is MY car, and nobody else should get behind the wheel.
Of course, since my car had been totaled, the worst thing to come from it was my loss of freedom. For months I had to depend on others for rides whenever I wanted to go anywhere. If I was bored, I had to find something to do around the house, because I couldn't go anywhere. I was harshly reminded of the boring years before my sixteenth birthday, and it was awful. For those 4 months, I did a lot of reading, surfing the internet, and endless amounts of homework.
In the end, I ended up forgiving my best friend. After all, it was only a car, and even though my car was one of the most important tools in my life, I definitely believe that having my best friend is even more important. I eventually got a new car, and my life was saved! The lesson I learned from this is quite obvious: never let anyone use your car. But the not so obvious twist to this story, is that my boyfriend drives my car almost every day. Some people don't learn, but there will always be consequences on way or another!
Friday, November 2, 2012
iSearch RESTART!
What do you want to write about? My obsession with tattoos
What do you want to find out about your topic?
The history of tattoos and how they work.
What are your questions about the topic?
Where did the idea of tattoos come from?
How were the first tattoos done?
How does the ink stay in your skin?
Why are some people against tattoos?
Subquestion?
Is it stressful for tattoo artists when they worry about how their work will come out?
Why are there tattoo age laws?
Why are they considered sinful?
Do you have to be good at all art to be good at tattooing?
Give three reasons why you like the topic:
I have a fascination with tattoos.
I'd like to know how the equipment that is being used on my skin is made.
It bothers me when people don't get jobs or are looked down upon for tattoos, so I would like to know why people think that way.
Give three ways your life might change if you answer your questions:
I'll feel more comfortable with the equipment.
I'll be able to explain to people why it isn't a bad thing to get tattoos. (Hopefully)
I'll be able to tell people cool facts that they might not know :)
BRAINSTORM
What did tattoos mean when they first came about?
What year did they originate?
Which country/culture started doing tattoos?
How were tattoos done when they first originated?
How does the ink stay in your skin?
When did the tattoo age law get put into place, and why?
What are some reasons to be against tattoos?
Why are visible tattoos a problem in professional places?
Can tattoos do damage to your body? Are they safe?
BACKGROUND
Years before I even turned 18, I had a growing interest in tattoos. I loved seeing other people's tattoos, and I loved hearing the stories about the meanings behind them. Some stories are simple or silly, such as the tattoos gotten by a girl I know, a big flower on her left side, and a coy fish on her right side, only because she wanted to cover up her stretch marks from being pregnant twice. Some stories are sad or meaningful, like the giant cross on the back of a man I know, with his passed mother's name on it, and lilies, his mother's favorite flower, laid all around it. I was always coming up with new ideas about what my first tattoo would be when I turned 18. Some of these ideas included simple things, like my favorite quote "Never regret anything that once made you smile," or maybe the Chinese symbol for "Love." More complex things, like a big, beautiful, detailed, realistic owl sitting in a tree on my back (ow, that would hurt), or a bouquet of beautiful lupines tied with ribbon, with the initials EMRK, for my passed grandmother. I constantly drew out pictures that I thought would make great tattoos that I still have, such as two doves carrying a banner that says "Always Have Faith," or this silly, comic picture of a long-necked dinosaur with no real meaning; only that it's just a silly, fun thing to do.
On December 7th, 2011, or the day that I turned 18 years old, I was immediately in a tattoo chair. My very first tattoo ended up being a piece of flash art from my favorite movie of all time, The Lion King, which was a picture Rafiki's tree drawing of Simba. This year I'll be nineteen, and I have a total of 5 tattoos, and I don't plan of stopping there
WHY I'M WRITING
On top of my love for getting tattoos, I have always wanted to know how the idea came about, and how it was done before vibrating tattoo guns and tattoo ink.
I want to know:
ISEARCH RESEARCH PLAN
I'm going to do a lot of Google research when I deal with the history part. AVOID WIKIPEDIA! I have gotten into a lot of trouble using Wikipedia before, because it provided me with incorrect information.
Use personal experiences if I end up talking about what it's like getting a tattoo or the conversations had with the artist while they're working.
I'm planning on going to local tattoo shops as well as doing some research about famous tattoo artists and asking them questions about how they got into tattooing, how they learned to tattoo, if it's stressful, and if it's hard to do.
I'm going to ask a lot of people their opinions about tattoos, including people with tattoos, people without, professionals in business where you cannot have visible tattoos, older people, parents, etc.
I don't see problems with my research. There
What do you want to find out about your topic?
The history of tattoos and how they work.
What are your questions about the topic?
Where did the idea of tattoos come from?
How were the first tattoos done?
How does the ink stay in your skin?
Why are some people against tattoos?
Subquestion?
Is it stressful for tattoo artists when they worry about how their work will come out?
Why are there tattoo age laws?
Why are they considered sinful?
Do you have to be good at all art to be good at tattooing?
Give three reasons why you like the topic:
I have a fascination with tattoos.
I'd like to know how the equipment that is being used on my skin is made.
It bothers me when people don't get jobs or are looked down upon for tattoos, so I would like to know why people think that way.
Give three ways your life might change if you answer your questions:
I'll feel more comfortable with the equipment.
I'll be able to explain to people why it isn't a bad thing to get tattoos. (Hopefully)
I'll be able to tell people cool facts that they might not know :)
BRAINSTORM
What did tattoos mean when they first came about?
What year did they originate?
Which country/culture started doing tattoos?
How were tattoos done when they first originated?
How does the ink stay in your skin?
When did the tattoo age law get put into place, and why?
What are some reasons to be against tattoos?
Why are visible tattoos a problem in professional places?
Can tattoos do damage to your body? Are they safe?
BACKGROUND
Years before I even turned 18, I had a growing interest in tattoos. I loved seeing other people's tattoos, and I loved hearing the stories about the meanings behind them. Some stories are simple or silly, such as the tattoos gotten by a girl I know, a big flower on her left side, and a coy fish on her right side, only because she wanted to cover up her stretch marks from being pregnant twice. Some stories are sad or meaningful, like the giant cross on the back of a man I know, with his passed mother's name on it, and lilies, his mother's favorite flower, laid all around it. I was always coming up with new ideas about what my first tattoo would be when I turned 18. Some of these ideas included simple things, like my favorite quote "Never regret anything that once made you smile," or maybe the Chinese symbol for "Love." More complex things, like a big, beautiful, detailed, realistic owl sitting in a tree on my back (ow, that would hurt), or a bouquet of beautiful lupines tied with ribbon, with the initials EMRK, for my passed grandmother. I constantly drew out pictures that I thought would make great tattoos that I still have, such as two doves carrying a banner that says "Always Have Faith," or this silly, comic picture of a long-necked dinosaur with no real meaning; only that it's just a silly, fun thing to do.
On December 7th, 2011, or the day that I turned 18 years old, I was immediately in a tattoo chair. My very first tattoo ended up being a piece of flash art from my favorite movie of all time, The Lion King, which was a picture Rafiki's tree drawing of Simba. This year I'll be nineteen, and I have a total of 5 tattoos, and I don't plan of stopping there
WHY I'M WRITING
On top of my love for getting tattoos, I have always wanted to know how the idea came about, and how it was done before vibrating tattoo guns and tattoo ink.
I want to know:
What were the meanings of the very first tattoos?What is the years and the origins of tattoos?How were tattoos done when they first originated?- How does the ink stay in place in your skin? Why doesn't the body reject it?
- Why did age restrictions on tattoos get put into place, and when?
- Many people think of tattoos as immoral and sinful. Why?
- Why do places of business look down upon tattoos?
- Can tattoos do damage to your body? Are they safe?
- Do tattoo artists suffer from a lot of stress from putting personal work on people's bodies?
ISEARCH RESEARCH PLAN
I'm going to do a lot of Google research when I deal with the history part. AVOID WIKIPEDIA! I have gotten into a lot of trouble using Wikipedia before, because it provided me with incorrect information.
Use personal experiences if I end up talking about what it's like getting a tattoo or the conversations had with the artist while they're working.
I'm planning on going to local tattoo shops as well as doing some research about famous tattoo artists and asking them questions about how they got into tattooing, how they learned to tattoo, if it's stressful, and if it's hard to do.
I'm going to ask a lot of people their opinions about tattoos, including people with tattoos, people without, professionals in business where you cannot have visible tattoos, older people, parents, etc.
I don't see problems with my research. There
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Example Essay (Essay #5)
Although I have been convinced my entire life that I definitely do not
have OCD, there are tendencies that I have where one would think
otherwise. There are many occasions where I have to stop what I'm doing
in order to organize something that bothers me, or times that I can't
continue what I'm doing until what I have done is perfect. There are
even times where I get frustrated with others when they don't understand
that I need to have some things a specific way, or I can't go on with
my day.
I work at a hospital in Food Service, and one of the areas of the kitchen is dedicated to putting together trays for patients. There is a cart with slots for each of the "dry" items they could get, such as salt and pepper packets, jelly packets, etc. I was walking by on my way back to work, when I noticed that someone mixed packets of honey, lemon, vinegar, and jelly all together in two different containers. I considered just walking away, but I knew that it was going to bother me for the rest of the day if I left them mixed up. So I stopped what I was working on, and I took my time to organize the condiment packets. When each item had their own, separate home, I felt comfortable getting back to work.
Another one of my OCD tendencies, not being able to continue things unless I've made something perfect, makes me an impossible writer. The whole idea of "just a rough draft" where there can be grammatical and spelling errors sounds wonderful to me, but when I begin that process of writing, I have to make sure my grammar and spelling is perfect as I go. I have a need to self-edit as I write, instead of worrying about the content and going back to the basics later. This makes my writing take forever, and it also makes my school assignments that include multiple drafts with significant changes in each impossible to achieve. But if I continue writing knowing I had an easily changeable spelling error, my brain will be stuck on that one word instead of the content I should be writing.
I have a very small apartment. For the amount of money I make, and because there are only two of us living here, it's the perfect size. When we moved in, I took the time to make everything look almost perfect. I placed everything where it wouldn't look too crowded or messy. But as it is with a good majority of men, if you live with them, you can't expect things to ever stay clean, or stay where they belong. This is the case with my boyfriend, who messes with my stuff and my OCD tendencies quite frequently. If one day he decides to have his dinner on the couch in front of the TV, he will move the coffee table up to the couch, move things off of the table, and move all the cushions around. This would be fine if he put it back how it was when he was finished, but instead, he gets up and leaves everything moved, and leaves all of his dishes and trash on the table. Out of all of my tendencies, this one drives me the most crazy. Immediately I have to put everything back, and throw things away, and wash the dishes he has left.
Now I wouldn't necessarily consider these OCD tendencies to be "bad" ones. I like to keep things clean and neat, which is a good quality in all people, especially house owners. But maybe I just think that because I don't want people to think I'm going insane... completely insane, at least! I do have to apologize a lot for it affecting what I'm doing, or for it making me take more time to do things. Hopefully one day I can break out of some of these habits, so maybe my boyfriend doesn't have to hear "Michael, clean up after yourself!" for the rest of his life!
I work at a hospital in Food Service, and one of the areas of the kitchen is dedicated to putting together trays for patients. There is a cart with slots for each of the "dry" items they could get, such as salt and pepper packets, jelly packets, etc. I was walking by on my way back to work, when I noticed that someone mixed packets of honey, lemon, vinegar, and jelly all together in two different containers. I considered just walking away, but I knew that it was going to bother me for the rest of the day if I left them mixed up. So I stopped what I was working on, and I took my time to organize the condiment packets. When each item had their own, separate home, I felt comfortable getting back to work.
Another one of my OCD tendencies, not being able to continue things unless I've made something perfect, makes me an impossible writer. The whole idea of "just a rough draft" where there can be grammatical and spelling errors sounds wonderful to me, but when I begin that process of writing, I have to make sure my grammar and spelling is perfect as I go. I have a need to self-edit as I write, instead of worrying about the content and going back to the basics later. This makes my writing take forever, and it also makes my school assignments that include multiple drafts with significant changes in each impossible to achieve. But if I continue writing knowing I had an easily changeable spelling error, my brain will be stuck on that one word instead of the content I should be writing.
I have a very small apartment. For the amount of money I make, and because there are only two of us living here, it's the perfect size. When we moved in, I took the time to make everything look almost perfect. I placed everything where it wouldn't look too crowded or messy. But as it is with a good majority of men, if you live with them, you can't expect things to ever stay clean, or stay where they belong. This is the case with my boyfriend, who messes with my stuff and my OCD tendencies quite frequently. If one day he decides to have his dinner on the couch in front of the TV, he will move the coffee table up to the couch, move things off of the table, and move all the cushions around. This would be fine if he put it back how it was when he was finished, but instead, he gets up and leaves everything moved, and leaves all of his dishes and trash on the table. Out of all of my tendencies, this one drives me the most crazy. Immediately I have to put everything back, and throw things away, and wash the dishes he has left.
Now I wouldn't necessarily consider these OCD tendencies to be "bad" ones. I like to keep things clean and neat, which is a good quality in all people, especially house owners. But maybe I just think that because I don't want people to think I'm going insane... completely insane, at least! I do have to apologize a lot for it affecting what I'm doing, or for it making me take more time to do things. Hopefully one day I can break out of some of these habits, so maybe my boyfriend doesn't have to hear "Michael, clean up after yourself!" for the rest of his life!
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