Top Ten Thursday - Specifically

Welcome back to Top Ten Thursday!

Today we're exploring the top ten things we're super particular about. The things that need to be done just the way we want them done, like does the toilet paper roll go under or over ;-)

Let's kick this off with a true story about Wayne Gretzky: he had a tradition when it came to his refreshments in between periods:
The Great One would drink these four beverages in this order during intermission. He would start with a Diet Coke, he would follow it up with an ice water, next in line was a Gatorade and then he finished it off with a second Diet Coke.
It was a weird tradition for Gretzky, but you can't argue and say that it didn't help him in the long run.

As a decade long Diet Coke consumer I can relate, of course. This is why my number one is about soda, too:

1. Coke or Pepsi? Definitely Coke. Coke Zero, to be specific. I don't even like Diet Coke anymore, but I'll take it over Pepsi. I don't do Pepsi, even if that's all the hotel vending machine offers. I'll have some water and / or wait till I leave the house to get a proper Coke Zero.
2. I like to keep my phone conversations to myself, and I'd appreciate it if other people did so, too. I think it's annoying when people have the person they're talking to on speaker phone while waiting at the airport or riding the commuter train. We don't need to listen to this!
3. Speaking of air travel: "Please remain seated with your seat belt fastened until the Captain turns off the Fasten Seat Belt sign." This rule exists for a reason (in case the pilot needs to brake abruptly), and the door won't open faster if you unbuckle and jump up, sticking your butt in seated passengers' faces!
4. No Christmas stuff before Thanksgiving, and especially not before Halloween, come on, guys, there will be more than enough time to set up your Christmas tree and eat gingerbread and mandarines, can we please first enjoy fall? After all it's the best season of the year - according to me!
5. Punctuality: call me Swiss, but if I have an appointment at 8, I don't appreciate to be kept waiting till 8:30 or 9. Also if you announce that an event will be over between 7 and 7:30pm it freaking stresses me out to get a message at 6:15 "you may pick up your kids now, we're wrapping it up." I live 45 - 50 minutes away!! At least 60 during rush hour! More about this shortly.
6. Promises: goes without saying, one would think. Underpromise - overdeliver! Not the other way round. Especially not delivering at all is not cool!
7. Confidentiality! I'm on a roll now. Things you're telling me in confidence, are for my ears only, and you'll keep whatever I am telling you, to yourself. This especially applies to my former supervisor if it involves my being 5 weeks pregnant. It's my secret to tell, at the time I see fit, not yours, bitch! If the HR Director can't keep a secret, then who does?
8. Loading the dishwasher (OK, deep breath): the correct order is to put the dirty dishes in the back, so the new ones come in front. Why don't other people, especially the one who lives in my house, get that?
9. Work before play. I know it's no fun, but frankly, procrastinating won't make things better. I ask Colin to do homework and clean up his room before I let him use the iPad. I'll do the same: kitchen, laundry, trash,.. Sometimes by the time I'm done, the next duty is coming up. No fun, as I was saying. On the other hand I'd have a hard time "relaxing" if I knew I'd still have to do X and Y. So, let's get sh** done!
10. Reserved parking. They are reserved for groups of people I don't belong to, and most of the other people don't either: handicapped, family with babies, car seats, strollers, you name it. Drives me crazy to see young, healthy, single people use those spots. Show some respect and be grateful for the fact that you can walk! Also enjoy the privilege to go shopping alone!

I feel I could go on and on. 

The other day I found this article describing how the city of Geneva in the French speaking part of Switzerland, hired actors dressed up as British characters: the queen, a guard and a gentleman. Their job was to "help" commuters board a train properly, wait their turn in line, it's called queuing, just to be polite in general. Gotta love it!

Source: the Local

What are the things you are very specific about? Let me know down below or link up your own post.

Here's a treat for next week, Thursday, November 23rd: list your top ten favorite cakes, pastries, cookies or pies. I've been looking forward to this one! The good news is: There is no harm in just looking at them or writing about them, so let's go! Sign up here.

November 30: Being assertive is hard. At least for me. So listing the top ten situations I enforced my point, stood up for myself, for somebody else or for the right thing will be difficult to say the least. That's why it's called a challenge, though, right? Here's the link to sign up.