Obsessive-Compulsive Sarah

Some of you are already nodding or shaking your head. Yes, I know. It's bad. I can't help it! It's been bred into me, I swear! Allow me to explain.

My father cracks me up. The best example of the obsessive-compulsive nature of my dad has to do with "The Godfather" films. (Dad, if you're reading this, I love you so much! You are truly an inspiration to me, and your quirks only make you more wonderful!)

When my Dad decides to watch "The Godfather" films, he has to watch them in order. Not just in the normal order, like film #1, film #2, then film #3, but in chronological story order. He starts with "The Godfather: Part Two," and watches the story from the beginning of the flashbacks (when Vito Corleone was young). He will watch only the flashback chapters, and then will continue to skip around and flip discs until he's watched the entire trilogy in order. Once, when I was at my parents' house, I witnessed this. My thoughts were, "What in the world is that man doing? Is something wrong with the DVD? Why is he turning it on and off?" I looked at my mother with raised eyebrows, and she rolled her eyes as she explained, "Your dad HAS to watch the movies in chronological order."

I can't say a word, and neither can my mother, because we have the same tendencies. For my part, I don't usually eat M&M's unless I've put them into color groups first, I prefer to have things in even numbers, I have an alphabetized (and numbered) list of all the movies I own, and I get twitchy if my kids' toys aren't grouped/put away in exactly the same spot every single day. These are just a few examples...there are lots and lots (and lots and lots) more.

Stay away from me. I'm dangerously freakish.