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Wednesday, May 10, 2017

One of These Things Is Not Like the Other: On Tater Tots and OCD

I've been prepping big batches of freezer meals lately because my sweet, beautiful, kind, generous cousin has Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. Since I live half a state away, this is one of the only ways I can do something concrete to help.

(If you're so inclined, you can donate here to help with living and medical expenses for her and her 10 yr old daughter.)

Since I'm staring down marathon training, I've also been prepping them in multiples because I'll be happy to have some easy freezer meals on hand once those long runs get reaaaaaally long.

Both of us being down to earth Midwestern girls with a foodie side, I've made a variety wide range of dishes for her freezer and mine. A recent week of chilly rain had me craving something warm and homey, which of course meant comfort food hall of fame contender Tater Tot Casserole.

I had about half the stuff on hand for a single batch. I hit the store to get stuff for a triple batch.

I ended up with far more than the triple batch I was aiming for, so winning!

But.

As I started with the tot layer, I noticed a problem.


Yes. I had to rearrange them for symmetry and retake the photo.
Because if I didn't, the world would end. Obviously.

If your brain is wired like mine, you will spot the problem right away.

If your brain is not wired like mine, you are rolling your eyes right now.

And let's be real, if you're not a Midwesterner or raised in a church social atmosphere you're probably wondering what the hell this and why anyone would want to eat it.

Figured it out yet?  No? Here's a hint...

Houston, we have a problem.

If your brain is wired like mine, you are now filing away the fact that these two distinct products exist so you will not find yourself trapped in the same OCD hell at some future date.

If your brain is not wired like mine, you are wondering how I survived this long and putting me on your mental list of easy targets in the zombies apocalypse.

It is exhausting living with a brain that turns something like this into a heart pounding, short of breath, paralyzed with indecision problem.

But it also makes us creative and resourceful. We do what we've gotta do. Even if that means an impromptu jigsaw puzzle session with frozen tater tots so the crazy people who live in our heads will shut up for a while.

It may be hard to live with, but at least we have the comfort of  knowing when the zombies come, we OCD folk will be the ones with generators and a freezer full of casseroles.

The Follweiler Cycle
This is how an OCD brain works, y'all.
And knowing is half the battle.

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