Foibles

My Foibles

Sometimes I feel sorry for my poor husband who has to put up with my foibles. Looking at the definition above I prefer when it refers to an idiosyncrasy, quirk or eccentricity than to weakness, failing etc. Some might say it is borderline OCD (Obsessive/Compulsive/Disorder).

One foible is apparent in the sentence above. No Oxford comma, one of the main areas of dispute in our marriage. Another is my love of the word albeit.

I'm a neat freak, but my definition of neat. 

• Neat means clear surfaces and if there is sculpture or a decoration there, just that, nothing else. 
• I shudder at dishes in the sink unless soaking. If you put it down in the sink it is just as easy to put it in the dishwasher, one step instead of two or worse leaving it for someone else. This does not apply to Geneva. Don't ask me why. I don't know. I haven't claimed rational.
• I love color coded coat hangers (red me, purple him, white for things to be ironed, BUT its okay to have closets that are stuffed in any order.) I would love to have everything arranged in rainbow order on the racks and all things neatly folded. I often arrange things that way, but keeping it is hard. No, make it impossible.
• We have wonderful steak knives bought when we went through the knife-making village in France. I always take the far right one(s) and rotate the rest up so none will be used more than another.

I believe I am not 100% OCD because although I like the bath towels hung with the rough edges to the left and the patterns matching and overlapping, I can survive when they don't end up that way.

I need systems. Every centime I spend, goes into an Excel spread sheet. I usually plan what I am going to wear the night before or two nights or more. The same with meals when it is my day to cook.

A foible is not wanting to shop if there is an alternative and to spend minimal time in a shopping mall. My idea to go directly to the store needed, don't look left or right, get what I need and escape as fast as possible. He is more than welcome to browse all he wants. I'll wait in the car with a book.

I also never, ever want to buy a replacement for anything that still works nor to have two of anything when one will do or three of something when two will do, etc. 

I know my husband loves me because he keeps his eye rolling to a minimum.

At the same time I am OCD that he has a warm robe and towel, his pjs are preheated in the winter and that he plays golf whenever he wants. I want him to feel free to tell me what he did wrong (as I do him when I've blown something) and that he can talk to me about anything. I want him to be able to follow whatever passions he has. He can be free to tease me about my foibles. 

In the bigger picture my foibles are not so important to me, that I can't laugh at myself for them.

Excuse me now, I have to go check out the bathroom towels.