Algebraists

So sure I'm a mathematician, but more precisely (yet not as precisely as possible) I'm an algebraist. (Even more precisely I'm probably going to be a computational algebraic geometer, but that's too much information.) This means that I've taken a large number of algebra classes (I know you're tempted to say something like, "I took algebra in high school", but I warn you that that joke is old. If you do say something about your high school algebra, then your originality will be brought into question and no one wants to be deemed an owner of suspect originality.) So in the course of these many algebra classes, I've observed a lot of algebraists. I've noticed a common thread among the vast majority of these algebraists. They are all at least a little bit obsessive compulsive (or for lack of a better word anal.) My first abstract algebra teacher has the most beautiful and uniform handwriting that I've ever seen, and he rarely ever used logic symbols (like => instead of therefore). Then my graduate algebra teacher would write out everything that he would say beforehand on paper. I agree, this in and of itself is probably good teaching practice, but he would keep these papers and whenever he made changes he would tape an addendum onto this paper. I remember going to his office to ask him questions and he would grab his folder and pull out his lecture notes from the day in question, which was actually four or five quarters or fifths of paper all taped together. In my opinion, just slightly overboard. Then there's my adviser. This guy is awesome! We share so much in common when it comes to mathematical interest, and he is so easy to get along with (I hear that is a great thing to have). Well, there are occasional times when I'll be in his office and we'll both be trying to think of how to write a particular piece of code. Whenever there is any creative downtime, he'll save the file 4 or 5 times in quick succession. Backing up your data is a great thing, but wouldn't one consider the latter 3 or 4 saves somewhat superfluous? Finally the winner is my commutative algebra teacher. Every class period she would get to class 10 to 15 minutes early and clean the board with wet wipes until that sucker shined (I'm being completely honest here!). Occasionally one of the students would ask if they could help and of course she had to do it on her own.
Now I don't mean to deride these individuals in any way. I highly respect their knowledge and mathematical abilities. Furthermore if a little bit of OCD is their biggest flaw then they've really got their acts together. I guess it's time to admit that they are not really the point of this entry. It's my blog, so of course I'm the focus ( :) ). The thing is that in the last couple years more and more I've been accused of being anal. For the most part I've come to accept this, but I'm still slightly in denial. So what if when I make myself sandwiches I put effort into making them look pretty even though another piece of bread will go on top. Is it such a bad thing to add a little work for transient aesthetic pleasure? So what if I can't stand it when other people wrap up the cables to my laptop. The way I wrap it looks SO much more pleasing to the eye. I could come up with a few more instances, but this is enough... The thing is that only in the last couple years has anyone ever accused me of being anal. So I wonder if it's the algebraist in me showing itself or if algebra anal-izes people or maybe it's the influence of the anal algebraists around me. Have I been anal all my life and it's only now been noticed? Have I matured into an anal 25-year-old? I just do not know. I think I'll just stick with: I'm not anal...
Ohh and a side note, it seems that female algebraists are really interested in Judaism and things Jewish.