Many years ago, when I was in the midst of a divorce, I reluctantly signed up for a dating service. One particularly persistent guy kept messaging me, asking if he could call me. Though I was quite cynical and skeptical, and didn’t think the guy was really my type, I acquiesced. He called me, and right off the bat came across as extremely controlling, but what really ruined any chance he ever had to ever go on a date with me was his admission of several strange quirks. After about five minutes of strained conversation, this man told me that if I went on a date with him, that I HAD TO get my nails done in a French manicure beforehand. He stated that I could choose any salon to fulfill this request, and that he would pay for the service in advance. He then told me that he was fastidious about wiping down his vehicle twice a day with a soft chamois cloth. I didn’t think that was too odd, but it did seem a bit excessive to perform the car-buffing ritual twice a day. Obviously this guy was financially well off and flaunted it in a bizarre way. I have never been impressed by affluent men, especially those who are nuts like this guy was.

Somehow we got on the subject of weightlifting, which caused more oddities to come crawling out. He explained his pre-lift routine and post-lift regimen in great detail, emphasizing the fact that he had a tall dresser jammed full of brand new white athletic socks, and that he wore a fresh, BRAND NEW pair of socks for every workout. Once he returned home, he would immediately remove his shoes and socks, then toss the socks in the trash. Considering the fact that this man worked out six days a week, that meant that he threw out six pairs of brand new athletic socks per week! His garage was also full of boxes of brand new socks to ensure that he would have a steady supply. What made the whole ritual even worse was that he didn’t give those socks to charity, he just threw them in the regular trash bin, which meant that his once-used socks were contributing in a big way to landfill overflow. It was such an obsessive-compulsive, extravagant, wasteful habit that I couldn’t wait to get off the phone with this weirdo!