Thursday, November 15, 2007

My Work Spouse


I have shared a small office with the same excellent guy for something like 8 years now. We call eachother "work spouse" because we likely spend more time together than we do with our respective significant others. Forty hours a week is a lot of time to spend with one person. After all these years, you think you know everything there is to know about a person, but today we discovered something peculiar that we have in common.

We already knew that we both had extensive experience in apparel retail in our earlier years, but what we thought was amusing are the little anal retail habits that we have not been able to shake. Neither of us can wander around in a department store without colorizing and straightening. But it's even queerer than that.

We both fold our t-shirts in vertical thirds, then in half, then in half again, and store them stacked in the drawer with the neckline centered and facing up. Dress shirts are placed on hangers and all together, facing the same direction in the closet. Dress pants are hung with side seams matched up, resulting in a vertical fold that is perfectly centered. Jeans are flattened out so side seams are on the outside, folded in half lengthwise, fronts together and pockets visible. He then folds his twice horizontally; I do one horizontal fold. Clothing is grouped in the closet according to category--I guess that goes without saying. Socks are lined up together and the top of one is folded over both, leaving the toes free. Bath towels are folded in thirds vertically, then twice horizontally. And folding a fitted sheet produces considerable anxiety because there's no way to get them all neat and pretty.

As we blushingly described in minute detail how we fold, hang and store our clothes, we were finishing eachother's sentences. I'm comforted to know that there's another anal freak out there--and he's sitting right next to me! I think to most outsiders, we appear to be quite normal.

8 comments:

JB said...

Can you plaese come over and just look at my closet? I think you would cry and then throw up.

Larry Cook said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Larry Cook said...

I have to admit that your matchy poo poo strengths are more developed than most...

Unknown said...

Going out tonight for some steak and kidney pudding great diet food
and i've lost 49lbs Stubblejumper.

Janine Serresseque said...

Robert, you deserve a treat now and then! We miss you all!

Unknown said...

Hey Lady! It's your cousin John. Mom shared with me your blog...I LOVE it. I was reading it and know exactly what you are saying. I worked in retail for many years and do the same thing. I am lucky enough to have the experience from working at "Linens N Things" that I CAN fold a fitted sheet perfectly. :) I will have to share with you sometime! E-mail me soon at john@themarketinggroup.net. Love you lots!

Anonymous said...

Neen! I just discovered your blog...and this posting made me laugh out loud! Sometimes I iron my bedsheets...if important people are coming over...TMI!

Laila said...

oh my...i wish i could be that 'clean and crisp' in closets and drawers....mine are a MESS even though i can be so anal sometimes....