day 24 – pet to the peeve
Pet Peeve: n. an opportunity for complaint that is seldom missed; a minor annoyance that can instill great frustration in an individual.
I’m all about balance in life. Two days ago, when the world was spinning on its natural axis and I was not “afflicted” and life was beautiful, I brought you fluffy favorites. Today’s post is sponsored by estrogen, the silent killer. I strive for Zen, I do. There’s no place like Zen, but estrogen is stronger than Zen, it is a swift karate kick to Zen’s head. Je ne peux rien y faire (there is nothing I can do about it). So in the spirit of all that is annoying, I present to you things that drive me crazy on a normal day and completely up the wall on days such as these.
- Hair. I only like it when it’s on my head (and even that is debatable). Not when it sticks to my fingers as I’m doing the dishes or washing the bath tub. Especially not when I’m cleaning the fridge because what the F is it doing in the fridge with my cheese and veggies? But the worst is an elusive, single hair hidden in my shirt. One tiny hair is enough to make me show my “pointer sisters” should a lifting of the shirt be required in order to get rid of it. Because I must, at all cost, get rid of it.
- The way the guy at the video store reads the names of my DVDs out loud (like, much louder than needed, I’m right in front of you dude) and pauses as if waiting for me to confirm that, yes, indeed, I’m renting Legally Blonde & 13 going on 30. What y’all looking at?
- The sound of people chewing with their mouth so wide open that I’m convinced they are about to dislocate their jaw. Any repetitive noise, for that matter. But when there is the added visual of half masticated food involved and my gag reflexes are activated? Beep Beep! Yeap! That’s me you see, driving myself up the wall.
- Talking during movies. My own private hell.
- Loud cell phone talkers on the bus. I’m so glad you’ll be having spaghetti for dinner and how nice of you to share your recipe with all us bus folk.
- The sound of sniffling, constantly, with no end in sight and just when you think there is nothing left to sniffle, there comes another drop. Although even worse is when you’re walking down the street and you see people doing the “block left nostril and blow onto the sidewalk, then repeat with other nostril” move. Naaaasty. I’m just sayin’ there’s are reason tissues were invented in 1924.
- To me, it is common sense that the left lane is the passing lane, whether you be driving, biking, walking on the sidewalk or up an escalator. Am I on crack or does this not make perfect sense? So why? Whyyyyyyy do people stand still on the left side of the escalator blocking all us stressed out fast walking freaks, preventing us from doing what we do best, which is zoom past all the chill people of the world, in a mad rush towards our destination, our next big item on our long to do list? I’m all for you stopping, sure take a break, no problem, but do it in your lane, the right lane, the lane that was intended for those who need a rest, who are out of gas. We all need a rest from time to time. Heck, I need a rest too when my hands are full of shopping bags, but before I stall and ultimately park my butt, I move to a nice little spot on the right hand side and let all the fast people zoom by, as urban nature intended.
There you have it. My not so pretty side. It’s actually downright ugly, enough to make me press delete but I’m too tired to come up with another post and it is a pet peeve post, after all (I guess it’s not meant to be pretty). I may have a little angel on my right shoulder but there’s also a red dude with horns on my left and it appears he isn’t giving the angel any air time tonight.
What is your pet peeve?
wonderingsandwanderings.com 
I’m with you on that hair thing. I’ve stripped down many a time.
You know those plastic cups you chill in the freezer and then put your beverage in? Well those left sitting on a table, without a coaster as the condensation drips all over the place.
Empty pop bottles, milk cartons, juice cartons, whatever left sitting around as if they’ll walk themselves to the sink and the recycling bin.
Wet washclothes left balled up in a corner of the tub.
Shoes left in the middle of the room.
Now those are pet peeves that bother me about others. In all honesty I have one that bothers me about me. I’ll be doing dishes or reaching for something while my mind is completely captivated by other ridiculous thoughts to the point where my body doesn’t seem to be following orders. So I’ll reach for an object only to have it fall immediately from my fingers as if I’d never had any intention of actually holding it, and I do this on a regular basis. Drives me nuts. 🙂
I adore your photography. My pet peeve is that I can’t take pictures that turn out as beautifully as yours do – but it also makes me addicted to both your blog, and improving my skills.
The hair thing must be a girl thing. All that trouble for one hair?
I typically just take life as it comes but they say confession is good for the soul. People that use fast food drive throughs to feed entire family’s or those who have to ponder the entire menu before ordering give me road rage.
Get the hell outa the way and let me get my coffee and biscuit!
RJ
I’m right there with you on the left lane – speed lane thing….GOD it would drive me MAD to get stuck behind a staller in the left lane. Also, those who get IN the elevator before you get out. What’s up with that?
People who are afraid of the back of the bus.
Anything a guy leaves laying around – except cash, cash is al’IGHT
Those who take their sweet time validating lotery tickets or counting change while your waiting behing a huge line with your arms full of heavy groceries and two screaming kids.
Wet toilet seats. Come on ladies!
Oh, how I could go on and on….
idiot drivers. shopping carts with 4-free-wheeling wheels. waiting for people who never bothered to call and say they would be late. waiting in general, actually.
I just saw your new (?) banner – love it!
You guys are killing me here! These pet peeves are SO good and funny, I’m getting a real kick out of them. Thanks for playing along.
Chris I’m with you on the elevator thing, even worse is when people won’t let you off the metro ’cause they’re pushing to be able to get a seat.
People eating while talking on the phone…gross
Lack of self awareness in general, and many many more things.
In keeping with the “get out of the way people” theme, it drives me nuts when people stand in a doorway to chat. Could you kindly step aside so I can get in or out before I kick the living shit out of you?
Alison, I liked that you were fair enough to include a pet peeve about yourself. Mine is that I can’t cook. Seriously. No matter how hard I try I’ll screw it up every single time.
How about when you’re walking down the path and a group of people are walking towards you (maybe 3 or more), you’re by yourself (on the right hand side of course) and you’re playing chicken with the person on your side for the final few steps. And then, they don’t move out of the way(?). I’ve never walked into them, I politely step off the sidewalk, but I’m tempted.
Oooh…. pet peeves. I has so many.
I dislike people who are super nice one moment and then turn around and pretend they don’t really know you the next. I also dislike people who follow the rules just for the sake of the rules, without giving any thought to why they exist or are in place in the first place.
I’m with people on the train pet peeve – don’t people understand that it will be easier to get ON the train if you let the people standing in the door OFF? A similar one is people who stop two steps from the bottom of the escalator and then stand there and talk or think about where they are going thus blocking everyone else who is getting off the escalator.
These days my hair is one of my pet peeves, especially with it falling out due to post-pregnancy hormones. It wouldn’t be a good time to visit my apartment if you hate having hairs on you because they cannot/will not be contained.
As with Megan it drives me nuts when people take up the whole sidewalk and don’t move over. These days it is even worse because we have a baby and no one wants to get out of the way for our stroller (which is purposely small because we hate strollers that take up the whole sidewalk) or even for me when I am wearing her. We always have to stop the stroller and wait for people to go around us (at this point I’m usually standing behind the Mister because, you know, we moved into single file to let people by) and they often bump into him as though they didn’t notice he was there. I’m getting angry just writing this!
People who chew with their mouths open is a big one for me and I will tell people to close their mouths. I have also been known to hand people a tissue and tell them to stop sniffling and blow their damn nose. 🙂
I’m into pet peeves and pet hates too – big time! If you’re interested, you might check out my cartoon blog at http://www.cartoonsbysheila.wordpress.com
Cheers, Sheila