It's the little things

I think everyone likes to believe they are a little obsessive compulsive. It shows attention to detail and just a hint of charming quirkiness. Of course, when it veers into "disorder" territory, that's quite another matter, and that's when it ceases to be charmingly quirky.

I am not OCD, but I do believe I'm a little obsessive compulsive. Little imperfections in the environment around me drive me just a little nuts. I can't keep my eyes off the minor flaws that I really, really, really want to fix!

Here are a few. Maybe by sharing them, I will finally be released from my obsession with them. Or I'll at least have some company in staring at the things that aren't quite right.
 

In the not-too-distant past, I had the unfortunate experience of having to see this crooked exit sign every time I looked up from my computer. I thought I might die! Or at least have to start closing my door...but fortunately they fixed it. Also of note, the angled line at the bottom of the picture? The one that isn't quite perpendicular to the vertical lines around it? That's the top of my monitor. Can you imagine how much distress that caused me on a daily basis? Until I got the monitor replaced, anyway.

The tape in the dispenser in my office used to always become detached from the little cutting ledge, as shown above. Every time I saw it, I would patiently stick the tape back down where it belonged, neat and tidy. And then the next time I came by...surprise! Rogue tape making its escape! I finally solved this problem by getting a new tape dispenser...

But then my tape dispenser and my stapler didn't match any more! That was almost just as bad. Finally, I am pleased to say, I got black stapler to go with my black tape dispenser, and all is right with my world again.

Except when I have to look at these recycling bins in the Metro stations. What kind of nincompoop designed these things? Why did they pair the huge extra bold initial caps with the italicized normal text next to it? Why is that newspaper just kind of cut off at the bottom when all the other icons on the bin fit in their entirety into a small square space? These are the kind of things that especially bother people who have been to design school. Kind of like bad kerning and leading.

You can bet I'm not the one who drew that little clover on my whiteboard, because I never would have returned the red marker in such a haphazard manner! No way!

And last but not least, I bring you my ceiling fan! What's wrong with the fan? Well, it has 5 blades, but only 3 lights. Whenever I sit under it, I look up and wish that each of the lights would line up perfectly with one of the fan blades, or fit exactly into the gaps between them. Alas, this is a mathematical impossibility. This might be the worst of the bunch because I have to look at it every day, and unlike office equipment, I can't just swap it out for something less distressing.