I used to have a spider phobia. I was able to pretty much cure it through desensitization – I simply spent 10-20 minutes each night before sleeping visualizing the most horrid spider situations – huge hairy spiders frantically crawling all over my body, biting, etc. I tried to not only visualize, but to feel, hear and smell it happening. At first I could feel my heart racing, sweats and an unbearable urge to stop. But after about a week, when the lizard-brain finally realized that nothing bad was actually happening, I didn’t freak out anymore. Now I can squash the dammned things with my bare hands. (And I think I could now actually hold one in my hand without showing outward discomfort, but really, what would be the point? I’d just drop it to the floor and grind it under my heel as soon as I possibly could – as any sane person would surely do. Yeah, I’m ‘cured”.)

Anyway, I don’t know if this exercise would help you desensitize your “B-spot”, but it might be worth a shot. Problem is, I can’t imagine what you’d visualize to trigger the response. A lone b on the table? A bowlful of b’s that you mistakenly plunge your hand into, expecting M&Ms? Rolling inside a rotating polishing drum filled with cascading b’s inside a b factory?

It’s definitely the object that bothers me. I think the word bothers me only by association with the object. And no, I don’t have any trouble with pushbuttons.

The phobia seems to have something to do with the buttons being attached by threads and the threat of them becoming unattached. And something about the plastic they are made of and the look of them. Like most phobias, I really can’t explain it. It just is.

I am this close to being driven insane by the continuing winter storms. I’ve lived in Colorado since 1970 and have never witnessed anything like this before. And it looks like we’re going to get #4 this coming weekend. I’m glad my driveway is not as long as yours! My car is going to need new shocks soon – driving on the ice-chunked streets is like hitting one pothole after another.

[Flasshe hasn't mentioned yet that we just had our -third- dump of snow here. My sense of humor is somewhat a-tilt as I just got back in from shovelling it off our 100 foot driveway ]

It’s a good thing you don’t have any evil co-workers who might use this information to torment you. Don’t worry – we’ll leave it up to your family to mentally abuse you.

I despise button-down shirts for other reasons entirely. I know I must have some phobias, but I think they’re masked by my general anti-social tendencies.

happy new year , and the best to you in 2007!!!!