Thursday's Thoughts

While this may come as a shock to many people, I have actually been accused of being a control freak before. (Personally, I've always thought the phrase "control freak" seemed a bit reactionary. Is it really so wrong to know how you like things? I love diet coke, but I do not love diet coke in a plastic bottle. Fountain soda is the best, and coke in an aluminum can comes in a close second. I will occasionally choose restaurants or convenience stores based on these criteria, but is that really so wrong? Although, I suppose the answer to that question depends on whether or not you're on a road trip with me, but bygones...) Now, sure there are times when I've wanted to ask the Subway sandwich artists if I could come behind the counter and make my own hoagie because it is maddening to watch their technique with the spicy mustard, and I do have a 3-step process for cleaning my rugs, but I still think "control freak" goes too far. Plus, I don't think enough people acknowledge how much better I've gotten in the last few years. My underwear drawer isn't hyper-organized anymore. (I used to have a system based on color, fabric, and style that also involved a sliding scale of general preference, the least favorites being farthest back in the drawer, etc.) Everything still has to be folded, but the categories are gone. I don't always rewind videos when I'm done watching them. I can wait a whole thirty minutes to pre-treat a stain. And sometimes, when I'm feeling really confident, I let other people mail letters for me, and I actually do a fairly convincing face that lets others think I almost trust them and that I don't have sweaty palms thinking about whether or not my bills will be paid on time. Yes sir, I've come a long way baby. But, I will say that on days like today - which, incidentally, is Laurel's Seasonal Decor Day when she takes out her home accessories for the coming fall season and realizes that she really is turning into her mother - my "controlling" ways can come in quite handy. All of my pumpkins and gourds were exactly where I put them and nicely separated from the Christmas decorations which will not be needed until the day after Thanksgiving. It was the easiest Seasonal Decor Day on record, and none of that would have been possible without the power of organization. And, now, if you will excuse me, I think I should stop writing. With these confessions about my underwear and love of gourds, I feel like I've already said too much.