Pet Peeves: Aka Things That Make You Go "Gah!"

[Bastet]

Ultra-organized.  I don't care if other people don't have a system, so it's not a peeve, it's just something to which I can't relate; I like knowing exactly where everything is and thus how to instantly locate it.  Clothes are organized by color, books/CDs/DVDs alphabetically, etc. 

[JTMacc99]

2 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Ultra-organized.  I don't care if other people don't have a system, so it's not a peeve, it's just something to which I can't relate; I like knowing exactly where everything is and thus how to instantly locate it.  Clothes are organized by color, books/CDs/DVDs alphabetically, etc. 

I have specific things that NEED TO BE WHERE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE, and then there is stuff that just thrown in a pile.  Keys, wallet, phone, kitchen tools, scissors, lighter, tape measure. All of these things will send me into an immediate drop everything and find it should they not be there when I need them.

But then there are just as many things where I have no problem with "where the heck did I put that?" as the norm.  It's like instead of blending together my mom and my dad, I just got my organizational skills shoved into my head like a box of vanilla and chocolate ice cream.

 

14 hours ago, AgentRXS said:

During their whole meal, the son was wearing his Beats by Dr Dre headphones and playing on his phone the whole time.

I have a son who has some social issues, and I allow him to bring his phone along at times to things where I think some sort of anxiety might set in. Restaurant dinners are one of those things, as he kind of loses it when service drags out past when his internal clock says it should be done. However, it wouldn't be likely that it would be at a dinner where it was just the two of us and for him to be on the phone the entire time like the kid in your story.  (I wouldn't bring him at all if that were the case.) That does sound a little bit off.

[backformore]

34 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Ultra-organized.  I don't care if other people don't have a system, so it's not a peeve, it's just something to which I can't relate; I like knowing exactly where everything is and thus how to instantly locate it.  Clothes are organized by color, books/CDs/DVDs alphabetically, etc. 

And may be that's my problem.   I can't decide if clothes should be organized by color, or by type, or by outfits - maybe by size?   Books  -alphabetically?  by title or author?   or by genre?  By title if I want to find a certain book, but sometimes I like having one author's books all in the same place.   DVD's -  do I want all the sci fi stuff together, the comedy stuff together, so I can browse by what I feel like watching?  Or alphabetically so I can find a specific movie?  

See the problem?  If I knew the "RIGHT"  way to organize stuff, I would do it. 

[DeLurker]

6 minutes ago, backformore said:

And may be that's my problem.   I can't decide if clothes should be organized by color, or by type, or by outfits - maybe by size?   Books  -alphabetically?  by title or author?   or by genre?

Clothes should be alphabetical by brand and books by color then size.

[auntlada]

9 minutes ago, backformore said:

And may be that's my problem.   I can't decide if clothes should be organized by color, or by type, or by outfits - maybe by size?   Books  -alphabetically?  by title or author?   or by genre?  By title if I want to find a certain book, but sometimes I like having one author's books all in the same place.   DVD's -  do I want all the sci fi stuff together, the comedy stuff together, so I can browse by what I feel like watching?  Or alphabetically so I can find a specific movie?  

See the problem?  If I knew the "RIGHT"  way to organize stuff, I would do it. 

You're a frustrated perfectionist.

[Bastet]

Quote

But then there are just as many things where I have no problem with "where the heck did I put that?" as the norm.

That's what I was thinking about when I said I don't care about someone's lack of a system, but I just can't relate -- unless I put something in the wrong place, "Where the hell is that?" is just not part of my life.  I do have one "junk drawer" that isn't particularly organized and has a much wider variety of items in it than any other drawer, but I still know what's in it.

Quote

See the problem?  If I knew the "RIGHT"  way to organize stuff, I would do it. 

The right way is whatever way you'll remember. 

[backformore]

32 minutes ago, auntlada said:

You're a frustrated perfectionist.

Yes, it's the dark side of perfectionism -  you procrastinate everything until you can do it perfectly, so most things don't get done. 

(don't ask me about my dissertation)

[ganesh]

Ha. "Don't you want your dissertation to be perfect?" "Nope. I want it to be just good enough to get the signatures on the title page."

[JTMacc99]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

That's what I was thinking about when I said I don't care about someone's lack of a system, but I just can't relate -- unless I put something in the wrong place, "Where the hell is that?" is just not part of my life. 

I have to admit, I think my tolerance for "Where the hell is that?" became much, much higher when I got married and just gave up. In a bit of snap-psychoanalysis, which I am actually very good at doing to myself these days, I'm guessing that's why the few things I listed above got the all caps treatment. It's like I focused all of that desire to know where my shit is on that small group. If I at least had that group all in their places, the need is satisfied.

[janestclair]

Clothes are hung in the closet with shirts on one side, pants on the other. By season (all the short sleeves together, all the capris together,all the jeans together) and then also by color.  My mom always used to say I hang things up backwards though, so I guess I'm not as much of a perfectionist as she is, since the hangers go up whichever way I feel like.  CDs, books, and movies are alphabetical, and then in order of release date in the case of multiples from the same artist or author.  

I had some serious road rage earlier, to the point where I actually laid on my horn.  I never ever do that.  I was stopped directly behind a school bus, at a light that was not working properly.  Now, I get stuck behind this damn bus every single morning, so I know he's not going to (can't maybe?) make a right turn on red. I've accepted that.  But the light was flashing red, clearly not operational.  He sat there for a good 4 minutes before finally deciding to turn because there was a line of cars honking.  He could've gone at least half a dozen times when the road was wide open, but he's just sitting there. Buddy, the light's broken - it's never going to be green, no matter how long you sit. Go, for chrissakes.  We have places to be.  People on the other side got to make lefts before we ever got to move.  Infuriating.   Adding insult to injury - my horn is pathetic. I've never really used it, but it's not forceful at all.  

[zxy556575]

17 minutes ago, janestclair said:

Adding insult to injury - my horn is pathetic. I've never really used it, but it's not forceful at all.

Ha! Most horns are very anemic these days. It is peeve-ly.

[Moose135]

16 minutes ago, janestclair said:

Now, I get stuck behind this damn bus every single morning, so I know he's not going to (can't maybe?) make a right turn on red.

In most places, it is illegal for a school bus to make a right on red.  But it does seem as if many people don't know what to do when they get to a flashing red - either they sit there waiting for it to turn green, or they roll on through like it isn't there.  Yield signs often cause similar fun and games.

[BooksRule]

I don't know if this was a decision made by the manager of my local Wal-Mart, or if the directive came from the head honchos at Wal-Mart central, but somebody made a decision to rearrange most of my local store.  The food section was still where it was the last time I was there, the clothes, etc. but much of what was in each area was moved around.  Some aisles had just been flipped, so that what was at one end was now at the other.  Other areas were two or three aisles over from where they had been.  Among other things, I needed almonds, Craisins, popcorn and popcorn oil.  They used to be all together.  Now, the popcorn and oil was in one place, the almonds were on another aisle and I had to ask two people before I found the Crasins (and I knew to ask for raisins--I've had to explain what Craisins were to more than one store clerk).  I don't know what it is about Crasins, but they can be found all over the place at different stores.  The cat products are always together, the coffee-themed stuff is together, but Craisins are sometimes with the nuts/popcorn, sometimes with the canned fruit, sometimes with the trail mix and (at this store) they were with the baking goods.  It took me twice as long to shop as usual.

[zxy556575]

4 hours ago, BooksRule said:

I don't know if this was a decision made by the manager of my local Wal-Mart, or if the directive came from the head honchos at Wal-Mart central, but somebody made a decision to rearrange most of my local store.

That is so disorienting! Particularly in our regular grocery stores because we generally have locations memorized. On the plus side, I can now make my grocery lists online and include the locations/aisle numbers, allowing me to whip around the store without doubling back. Anything to shorten the trip! Stupid grocery shopping. Some people enjoy it but I'm not one.

Edited October 12, 2016 by lordonia

[bilgistic]

4 hours ago, janestclair said:

I had some serious road rage earlier, to the point where I actually laid on my horn.  I never ever do that.  I was stopped directly behind a school bus, at a light that was not working properly.  Now, I get stuck behind this damn bus every single morning, so I know he's not going to (can't maybe?) make a right turn on red. I've accepted that.  But the light was flashing red, clearly not operational.  He sat there for a good 4 minutes before finally deciding to turn because there was a line of cars honking.  He could've gone at least half a dozen times when the road was wide open, but he's just sitting there. Buddy, the light's broken - it's never going to be green, no matter how long you sit. Go, for chrissakes.  We have places to be.  People on the other side got to make lefts before we ever got to move.  Infuriating.   Adding insult to injury - my horn is pathetic. I've never really used it, but it's not forceful at all.  

My horn sounds like a nasally "meeep!" Not impressive.

I've been honked at three times in two days. Yesterday morning on the way to work, a school bus was stopping on the other side of the road, and popping out its side stop sign. I slowed to a stop in my lane because it's the law to stop for school buses. Some fucknut behind me laid on the horn. I hope he/she felt like a piece of shit when he/she saw why I, and the driver in the lane to my right, stopped. And no, there was no median. I know one doesn't have to stop if there is a median.

This morning, two dumb shits beeped at me at two separate lights because I dared not jump the light. I actually wait until the light turns green until I put my foot on the accelerator. Crazy, I know! I gave both of those drivers a heaping helping of the one-finger salute. Driver #2 slowed down when he eventually passed me on the right (I was turning into the deck) and beeped at me again to flip me off. Whatever, asshole.

[backformore]

5 hours ago, BooksRule said:

I don't know if this was a decision made by the manager of my local Wal-Mart, or if the directive came from the head honchos at Wal-Mart central, but somebody made a decision to rearrange most of my local store.  The food section was still where it was the last time I was there, the clothes, etc. but much of what was in each area was moved around.  Some aisles had just been flipped, so that what was at one end was now at the other.  Other areas were two or three aisles over from where they had been.  Among other things, I needed almonds, Craisins, popcorn and popcorn oil.  They used to be all together.  Now, the popcorn and oil was in one place, the almonds were on another aisle and I had to ask two people before I found the Crasins (and I knew to ask for raisins--I've had to explain what Craisins were to more than one store clerk).  I don't know what it is about Crasins, but they can be found all over the place at different stores.  The cat products are always together, the coffee-themed stuff is together, but Craisins are sometimes with the nuts/popcorn, sometimes with the canned fruit, sometimes with the trail mix and (at this store) they were with the baking goods.  It took me twice as long to shop as usual.

I hate when stores do that!   As it is, grocery shopping is exhausting.   Not so much physically (though I swear I put a mile on my fitbit dong grocery shopping)  but mentally.  All the decision-making!  There are too many choices.  Stores used to be about 1/10 of that size.  I swear when I was a kid there were probably 10 or 12 kinds of cereal.   Now, there are 6 different kinds of cheerios, 5 kinds of Special K, there are well over 100 choices just in the cereal aisle -  and 30 choices of oatmeal.  and that's just aisle one of 16.

And for me - I can never find the jarred sundried tomatoes packed in oil.  I  use them in salads, pizza, sandwiches, eggs -  a large jar lasts me months.  But when I need a new jar, I can't find them.  The pasta aisle, then the canned food aisle,  last time I wanted some I found them in the produce aisle! 

[Maizie131]

8 hours ago, bilgistic said:

 

I've been honked at three times in two days. Yesterday morning on the way to work, a school bus was stopping on the other side of the road, and popping out its side stop sign. I slowed to a stop in my lane because it's the law to stop for school buses. Some fucknut behind me laid on the horn. I hope he/she felt like a piece of shit when he/she saw why I, and the driver in the lane to my right, stopped. And no, there was no median. I know one doesn't have to stop if there is a median.

This morning, two dumb shits beeped at me at two separate lights because I dared not jump the light. I actually wait until the light turns green until I put my foot on the accelerator. Crazy, I know! I gave both of those drivers a heaping helping of the one-finger salute. Driver #2 slowed down when he eventually passed me on the right (I was turning into the deck) and beeped at me again to flip me off. Whatever, asshole.

bilgistic - ahhh....road rage - one of my fave topics because I so often feel it while I'm driving!  Just yesterday I was sitting at a busy intersection in the left turn lane waiting for light to turn (green arrow for left turn), but I saw 2 teens on the corner waiting to walk across.  Green arrow goes on & of course, I wait til the kids cross.  The asshole behind me lays on his horn because he couldn't see the kids.  And as you said, "I hope he/she felt like a piece of shit when he/she saw why..." I was waiting to turn.  BTW, bilgistic - good use of the word "fucknut!"  I'm gonna have to incorporate that into my vocabulary - perfect adjective in so many situations! 

[DeLurker]

Since we are on driving peeves...I don't know who did it, but someone most have put a sign on my car that says "Drive in my blind spot" because that has happened 3 times today already!  They used to put signs that said "Cut me off" but that hasn't happened in a bit.

[TattleTeeny]

Oh my god, good lord, it's hard to eat when the person next to me at my office has a lunch that smells as if it's made up of nothing but raw green onions. Ugh, I'm trying not to lose it (literally) over here.

E.T.A. I smeared some antibacterial gel under my nose! 

Edited October 12, 2016 by TattleTeeny

[bmasters9]

12 hours ago, backformore said:

I hate when stores do that!   As it is, grocery shopping is exhausting.   Not so much physically (though I swear I put a mile on my fitbit dong grocery shopping)  but mentally.  All the decision-making!

That's how it is when my mother and I go shopping at the Wal-Mart: my mother says sometimes that she wants to hurry and get it done, but then she'll look at several options for a given thing (spices, for instance), and it'll end up taking a lot longer to get the shopping done. Not that I blame her for looking for bargains, but when she says she wants to hurry, and then she takes forever making up her mind, it drives me crazy. Granted, I do the same thing when shopping for DVDs in the entertainment/electronics section, but then, I don't always make a purchase from that area-- only if I find something that somewhat appeals to me do I make one.

[potatoradio]

18 hours ago, BooksRule said:

 I don't know what it is about Crasins, but they can be found all over the place at different stores

Oh, wow, that is one my huge peeves with enormous stores like Target, Home Depot, etc. I always seem to need one little thing that could be a million different places in the store, depending on marketing strategy, stock, etc. It's to the point where if I need batteries or a replacement doo-hickey for something electronic, I'm hyperventilating before I'm halfway to the store, thinking of the hours I'll spend wandering up and down the aisles, finding everything from circus peanuts to bird feeders to martini glasses, but nooooo sign of what I need. Bonus points if I find an associate who then scratches h/her head and calls someone else, who then pages the store for someone else...until the end result is "sorry, maybe we don't have any." 

My wife and I are both messy, but in different ways. She has tons of stuff. Granted, it's all stacked and ordered and she knows where things are, but it's a lot. I have less stuff, but I'm a bonafide slob and if it were up to me, I'd randomly go through and throw out everything in sight once in a while - mostly because I've never been good at designating a "home" for stuff.  Best I can do is keep up with the dishes and put my keys in the same place. And that took years. 

I grew up with forced family dinners and I loathed them - mostly because I was the youngest and not really included in conversation, so I was bored to tears and really just wanted to read my books or watch television. It got really awkward when my siblings all left for college and it was just me, a sullen, withdrawn teen and my parents, sitting around this huge dining table in silence. I think it's why I'm such a fast eater to this day - could not wait to scarf and bolt.

I had to relearn the  art of talking and eating and it peeves me now when I go out with someone who has not figured out the give and take of eating/talking. I am dreading the dinner I have this week because my friend has a habit of talking a mile a minute until the food arrives, then, as I take my first bite, asks, "and how are things with you? Tell me about your life" And promptly starts shoveling food into her mouth as though I'm now supposed to be the entertainment. First, my life isnt' that entertaining. Second, I want to eat, dang it. I usually say, "oh, well, X happened recently...what you think of that?" 

Also, peeve about eating with someone - if you think my food looks good, you can ask for a taste or order it yourself or ask me how it is. Once. Please do not spend the entire meal talking about what I'm eating. It's not like I'm Andrew Zimmerman sitting across from you eating urine basted bull horns, OK? 

[TattleTeeny]

Quote

Also, peeve about eating with someone - if you think my food looks good, you can ask for a taste or order it yourself or ask me how it is. Once. Please do not spend the entire meal talking about what I'm eating. It's not like I'm Andrew Zimmerman sitting across from you eating urine basted bull horns, OK? 

This is why I try to keep a low profile when ordering/eating with non-vegans. In addition to the questions, one also apparently has to justify this decision. 

[Wiendish Fitch]

24 minutes ago, potatoradio said:

 

Also, peeve about eating with someone - if you think my food looks good, you can ask for a taste or order it yourself or ask me how it is. Once. Please do not spend the entire meal talking about what I'm eating. 

Whenever I would have a Lean Cuisine for lunch at my old job, a co-worker always said wistfully how good it smelled. I told her she could always buy her own, but she lamented that they were "too expensive"... despite the fact that she earned more than me, worked more hours than I did, had no children, so there was no reason why she couldn't afford them. 

People, right?

[Maharincess]

On 10/11/2016 at 10:55 AM, Bastet said:

Ultra-organized.  I don't care if other people don't have a system, so it's not a peeve, it's just something to which I can't relate; I like knowing exactly where everything is and thus how to instantly locate it.  Clothes are organized by color, books/CDs/DVDs alphabetically, etc. 

You took my answer!  I'm super organized, like Bastet I need to know where everything is and that it will be there when I go get it. I do my books by size and music and movies in alphabetical order.   My friend laughed at me one day when she came into my bedroom. I have an old computer desk that I transformed into an organizer for my pet supplies. She was looking at it telling me I have OCD then when she pulled out the keyboard tray and saw the dog and cat brushes neatly lined up, she told me I was weird. 

My daughter was an odd duck with organizing. When she was a teenager her room would always be messy but her closet was so organized it looked like it was done by a professional. 

Edited October 12, 2016 by Maharincess

[JTMacc99]

5 minutes ago, Maharincess said:

My daughter was an odd duck with organizing. When she was a teenager her room would always be messy but her closet was so organized it looked like it was done by a professional. 

That's more in line with me when I was a teenager. My baseball cards were all organized in whatever system I determined was correct. If I were to obtain a new one that fit somewhere in the middle, I could easily spend an hour moving everything else one space over to make room.  Back then, my music (CDs and cassettes, heh) were all in alphabetical order, because that was important. I think the posters in my were carefully spaced in a way that had the least possible wall showing without any poster overlap. But other stuff, like the clothes in my closet, was a little more relaxed.  

[backformore]

35 minutes ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

Whenever I would have a Lean Cuisine for lunch at my old job, a co-worker always said wistfully how good it smelled. I told her she could always buy her own, but she lamented that they were "too expensive"... despite the fact that she earned more than me, worked more hours than I did, had no children, so there was no reason why she couldn't afford them. 

People, right?

 UGH!  People told me that lean Cuisines were expensive AND "Loaded with sodium".  as they ate sub sandwiches, chips, etc.   I always said I stock up when they're on sale for $2.50.  Seriously?  You just got a $9 rice bowl at Chipotle, don't tell me what's expensive!  And sodium?  If the recommended amount is between 1500 and 2000 Mg daily, then eating getting 500 mg at one meal is not a problem.   How much sodium in those tortilla chips you're eating again?  Shut up!  

[topanga]

1 hour ago, Maharincess said:

You took my answer!  I'm super organized, like Bastet I need to know where everything is and that it will be there when I go get it. I do my books by size and music and movies in alphabetical order.   My friend laughed at me one day when she came into my bedroom. I have an old computer desk that I transformed into an organizer for my pet supplies. She was looking at it telling me I have OCD then when she pulled out the keyboard tray and saw the dog and cat brushes neatly lined up, she told me I was weird. 

My daughter was an odd duck with organizing. When she was a teenager her room would always be messy but her closet was so organized it looked like it was done by a professional. 

I think I'm like your daughter (though my teenage years were long, long ago). Certain areas in my life are ultra-organized, but the other areas leave much to be desired. e.g. the drawers and cabinets in my kitchen are neat and organized  (except the junk drawer), I arrange the clothes in my closet by color, and nothing is out of place my linen closet.  And I make piles when I fold laundry--I've learned that not everyone does that. Funny that those are the things most people don't see. I wonder what that says about my personality.

• But I'm terrible about hanging up my clothes when I come from work--so there's always a big pile of clothing on the bench at the foot of my bed. I usually hang up everything once a week.
• My dish washing practices are okay, but not admirable. Having a few dirty dishes in the sink really doesn't bother me. 
• I don't make my bed every day. I do at least straighten it up every day. There's nothing worse than a top sheet that's not tucked at the bottom or twisted blankets that don't cover you completely. 
• I only iron my kids' school uniforms. Everything else gets steamed when I take a shower.
• Basic household chores like mopping, dusting, and weekly bathroom cleaning ... uh yeah, I need a maid. 

[Wiendish Fitch]

40 minutes ago, backformore said:

 UGH!  People told me that lean Cuisines were expensive AND "Loaded with sodium".  as they ate sub sandwiches, chips, etc.   I always said I stock up when they're on sale for $2.50.  Seriously?  You just got a $9 rice bowl at Chipotle, don't tell me what's expensive!  And sodium?  If the recommended amount is between 1500 and 2000 Mg daily, then eating getting 500 mg at one meal is not a problem.   How much sodium in those tortilla chips you're eating again?  Shut up!  

Damn to the skippy! Seriously, I had a co-worker who had no qualms about eating at McDonald's 2 or 3 meals a day, but probably thought Lean Cuisines were "too expensive".

She also couldn't figure out why her damn underwear didn't fit. Do I need to tell you that worked at the same place as the co-worker I previously mentioned? And that I am so caroling-to-the-heavens grateful that I no longer work there?!

[Maharincess]

56 minutes ago, topanga said:

I think I'm like your daughter (though my teenage years were long, long ago). Certain areas in my life are ultra-organized, but the other areas leave much to be desired. e.g. the drawers and cabinets in my kitchen are neat and organized  (except the junk drawer), I arrange the clothes in my closet by color, and nothing is out of place my linen closet.  And I make piles when I fold laundry--I've learned that not everyone does that. Funny that those are the things most people don't see. I wonder what that says about my personality.

• But I'm terrible about hanging up my clothes when I come from work--so there's always a big pile of clothing on the bench at the foot of my bed. I usually hang up everything once a week.
• My dish washing practices are okay, but not admirable. Having a few dirty dishes in the sink really doesn't bother me. 
• I don't make my bed every day. I do at least straighten it up every day. There's nothing worse than a top sheet that's not tucked at the bottom or twisted blankets that don't cover you completely. 
• I only iron my kids' school uniforms. Everything else gets steamed when I take a shower.
• Basic household chores like mopping, dusting, and weekly bathroom cleaning ... uh yeah, I need a maid. 

My daughter is still that way to an extent.   She has two kids, a dog and 2 cats so her house gets messy but her pantry looks like the cupboards in Sleeping with the Enemy. Everything is neatly lined up with the labels facing outward.  I love going to her house and moving stuff in her pantry around when she's not looking.

[auntlada]

You are evil, @Maharincess. But in the good way.

[Bastet]

I do the opposite to my mom -- organize her mess of a pantry when she's out of town.  She has the organizational skills of a watermelon, so when I'm kitty sitting for any length of time, I organize things so I can find what I'm looking for while I'm there.  (And, oh my, the freezer -- steaks, fish, and chicken just all hanging out haphazardly with one another; it will not do.)  My dad comes home thrilled, and my mom doesn't really care that I've moved stuff around, but as she adds new things she does it randomly, so the organization doesn't last long.

One time I got bored and arranged my dad's side of the closet by color, but my mom is the one who puts the laundry away, so that didn't last long, either.

Oh, well - it was still fun to do.  I love organizing. 

My friend always laughs when she comes home after I've been feeding her cats -- she opens the cat food cupboard and finds the cans all facing the same way.

[bilgistic]

Y'all must've gotten into my subconscious because I took the giant pile of laundry off the top of the dryer and put it away. I don't actually fold anything but towels because they have to fit in the linen closet. My sleepy clothes (giant, ratty t-shirts and comfy pajama pants) get shoved into their respective drawers. Who needs to fold something they'll be sleeping in...with the cat? I wear a rotating set of work clothes that I wash and hang to dry once a week, and they don't get folded.

There were socks in that pile from late winter. I'm not proud.

Edited October 13, 2016 by bilgistic

[StatisticalOutlier]

5 hours ago, backformore said:

 UGH!  People told me that lean Cuisines were expensive AND "Loaded with sodium".  as they ate sub sandwiches, chips, etc.   I always said I stock up when they're on sale for $2.50.  Seriously?  You just got a $9 rice bowl at Chipotle, don't tell me what's expensive! 

Now that so many restaurants have nutrition information, I've been unleashing my inner cheapskate and trying to get the most calories for my dining-out dollar.  A Lean Cuisine has probably 250 calories for $2.50.  The burrito I get at Chipotle has 1,120 calories for $7.50.  So per calorie, my Chipotle burrito IS cheaper than a Lean Cuisine.  (Mr. Outlier and I split it (not exactly half and half); if it were just me, I'd eat the rest some other time.)

I was actually disappointed to notice that my favorite sandwich at this one place is on the "under 600 calories" menu--what kind of mad calorie spendthrift am I?

[Maharincess]

@Bastet, the freezer is one of the things I try to keep really organized. I have meats on top, vegetables on the second shelf, fries, frozen waffles and things like that on the third and the yummy stuff like my cream puffs, ice cream and my beloved Toaster Streudel go in the drawer on the bottom.   The way my freezer is set up is really stupid so if I don't keep it totally organized I can't find anything. 

I also love organizing. I got all of the drawers in my bedroom tonight, put them on my bed and cleaned them all out while I watched TV.  I'm phasing out the summer clothes and making a list of what I need to buy for winter.   It's amazing how much crap I throw away when I clean drawers. 

Edited October 13, 2016 by Maharincess

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

I do the opposite to my mom -- organize her mess of a pantry when she's out of town.  She has the organizational skills of a watermelon, so when I'm kitty sitting for any length of time, I organize things so I can find what I'm looking for while I'm there.  (And, oh my, the freezer -- steaks, fish, and chicken just all hanging out haphazardly with one another; it will not do.)  My dad comes home thrilled, and my mom doesn't really care that I've moved stuff around, but as she adds new things she does it randomly, so the organization doesn't last long.

One time I got bored and arranged my dad's side of the closet by color, but my mom is the one who puts the laundry away, so that didn't last long, either.

Oh, well - it was still fun to do.  I love organizing. 

My friend always laughs when she comes home after I've been feeding her cats -- she opens the cat food cupboard and finds the cans all facing the same way.

You would make me crazy :)

My mom used to reorganize my cabinets because apparently there is an appropriate cabinet for dishes determined by placement of the washer.  Except then she knew where my stuff was and I would have no idea,  I would move where I stored the vacuum cleaner as an experiment to determine if she would find it on each visit.  I have actually lost my vacuum in my own house before as a result and its not a big house.

I decide every six months that there is a better configuration for the cabinets and move everything.  But I know where it is and its organized, just rotating.

[bilgistic]

I invite you all over to organize my things. I don't keep a lot of stuff because I live in a one-bedroom apartment and I can't stand clutter. But I'm bad about "if I can't see it, it doesn't exist", hence the dryer pile, which was behind the laundry closet door.

I'm not necessarily lazy, but I just don't rationally see the point in folding holey clothes I'm going to sleep in. I do realize they might fit better in the drawer if they were folded, but I don't care enough to find out. I'd rather watch TV while cuddling with the cat.

[DeLurker]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

she opens the cat food cupboard and finds the cans all facing the same way.

I misread this as "she opens the cat food cupboard and finds the cats all facing the same way".

[zxy556575]

Is it time to discuss voting peeves yet? Waiting in lines, clueless volunteers, ineffective/broken machines (that cost Gore the Presidency, ahem), recounts that come up with different totals every time ... how much of a damned margin of error is there? Redistricting, voter ID laws, and reducing voting stations in minority areas are of course super fucked up.

I vote by mail and have zero confidence that it will be tallied correctly. Maybe all ballots from registered Democrats are thrown away in my 81.2% Republican area. Who knows? I don't believe there's any outright voter fraud going on, but there sure is rampant mismanagement.

[topanga]

8 hours ago, lordonia said:

Is it time to discuss voting peeves yet? Waiting in lines, clueless volunteers, ineffective/broken machines (that cost Gore the Presidency, ahem), recounts that come up with different totals every time ... how much of a damned margin of error is there? Redistricting, voter ID laws, and reducing voting stations in minority areas are of course super fucked up.

I vote by mail and have zero confidence that it will be tallied correctly. Maybe all ballots from registered Democrats are thrown away in my 81.2% Republican area. Who knows? I don't believe there's any outright voter fraud going on, but there sure is rampant mismanagement.

Yes, those things are crazy. And they occur in poor, largely Democratic districts. I've been fortunate in that my polling place (a local high school) usually has working equipment. And I have no right to complain about this, but the volunteers are almost to freakin happy! And energetic. At eight in the morning, why are you yelling, "GOOD MORNING!!!" to me? There must be a little cocaine in that doughnuts and juice.

 

And back to the organizational enthusiasts among us:  Show of hands, how many people fix toilet paper roll in someone else's bathroom? Seeing the toilet paper face the wrong way is a big pet peeve of mine, so I always switch it around when I see it. Rude? Maybe. But it makes me feel good.  (I deliberately didn't mention which way is the right way, but I think we all know which direction is the right one, correct?).

Edited October 13, 2016 by topanga

[Popples]

On 10/11/2016 at 8:14 PM, BooksRule said:

I don't know if this was a decision made by the manager of my local Wal-Mart, or if the directive came from the head honchos at Wal-Mart central, but somebody made a decision to rearrange most of my local store.  The food section was still where it was the last time I was there, the clothes, etc. but much of what was in each area was moved around.  Some aisles had just been flipped, so that what was at one end was now at the other.  Other areas were two or three aisles over from where they had been.  Among other things, I needed almonds, Craisins, popcorn and popcorn oil.  They used to be all together.  Now, the popcorn and oil was in one place, the almonds were on another aisle and I had to ask two people before I found the Crasins (and I knew to ask for raisins--I've had to explain what Craisins were to more than one store clerk).  I don't know what it is about Crasins, but they can be found all over the place at different stores.  The cat products are always together, the coffee-themed stuff is together, but Craisins are sometimes with the nuts/popcorn, sometimes with the canned fruit, sometimes with the trail mix and (at this store) they were with the baking goods.  It took me twice as long to shop as usual.

My local grocery store just rearranged everything a couple weeks ago, but they helpfully put flyers at the entrances with a list of the aisles where the products moved. It definitely made writing up the shopping list easier.

[JTMacc99]

1 hour ago, topanga said:

And back to the organizational enthusiasts among us:  Show of hands, how many people fix toilet paper roll in someone else's bathroom? Seeing the toilet paper face the wrong way is a big pet peeve of mine, so I always switch it around when I see it. Rude? Maybe. But it makes me feel good.  (I deliberately didn't mention which way is the right way, but I think we all know which direction is the right one, correct?).

Depends on my relationship with the person who lives there. But yes, I've done that.

We have a style of paper towel holder here in the break rooms at work. If the roll is on the "wrong" way, I fix it. Every single time.

[potatoradio]

3 hours ago, topanga said:

And back to the organizational enthusiasts among us:  Show of hands, how many people fix toilet paper roll in someone else's bathroom?

Uh......do you mean "fix" as in finally bring in a new roll to the bathroom from the closet? Or do you mean moving the new roll from the sink to the roller thingy? Because what if your roller thingy is broken and it's one of those thingies that requires a trip to the bowels of Menards or Walgreens to try to find? 

Oh, wait...you're totally talking about a whole other ballgame. You're talking about this backwards/forwards conundrum once the roll actually gets ON the roller thingie. I have heard this may be grounds for full on family war and I am fascinated. Why does it make a difference which way it...er...hangs? Does one way prevent it from spilling or is it more hygienic or is it a southern/northern thing? "Yanks do it backwards - that front-loading roll is barbaric!"

All I know is that our cat doesn't care - he'll shred the roll backwards or forwards, no problem.

Grammar peeve - people who refuse to believe there's a difference between "roll" and "role." There may very well be "rolls" and "roles" at a business meeting, but please be clear about which are for eating/slathering with butter and which are not. 

Quote

Is it time to discuss voting peeves yet?

I hear there are already Fourth of July, 2017 aisles at Target, so, we'd better peeve the voting season before it's gone, right? My voting place is a church, which...OK, fine, I need to vote somewhere, but I really resent having to walk down halls that are plastered with LGBT hate/conversion/h*llfire and d*mnation, so I can cast my vote at a fairly hardcore anti-gay place of worship. 

On occasion, there is a churchgoer sitting in the lobby with leftover donated bread from a food shelf or something, and offering leftover loaves to people. My wife always comes home with several loaves - says since she's going to h*ll anyway and didn't promise to vote a certain way for a free loaf of Wonder Whole Wheat, may as well enjoy free bread while still on Earth. 

But I do like the markers we use for our ballots. I try not to steal them. I'm a total pen kleptomaniac. And I love our senior citizen officials. Very thorough and ready to answer questions - you are not stepping into that booth until they're convinced you know what you're doing!

Edited October 13, 2016 by potatoradio

[NutMeg]

Chiming in to say that not only do I not organize some areas in my life/home, it's totally on purpose, because I like, no, LOVE, the randomness of looking for a book that could be on any shelf and finding another book I had totally forgotten and want to reread. Or looking at my CDs - yes, I *still* do like and occasionally buy CD albums, the art is sometimes interesting and the sound beats mp3, I'm a dinosaur and I'm ok with it - and seeing one I hadn't listened to in ages but that's absolutely perfect for right this moment. Same with my clothes, I want them to surprise me, so I put them away almost randomly (but always folded!). Ditto for toiletries and cosmetics, I move them around often, I like the Here you are! feeling.

Then again, in the kitchen, everything better be in the right place (i.e. cupboard), because in the kitchen I need to be efficient and whimsiness is only welcome when I have tons of time to make breakfast, lunch or dinner, which is almost never. Ditto for any cleaning product, they'd better be exactly where they should be because I have better things to do with my life than track one of these. And (hi topanga!) toilet paper roll has to be THIS way and not THAT.  Bed not made? Who cares, good to air the sheets anyway :) 

Weird how we all prioritise differently, right? 

[potatoradio]

OK, rollers...out with it. What is this "right" way? Uncouth slobs like me need a clue. And a reason. A data-driven, proven hypothesis that shows with a 99% confidence interval that putting the roll on "THIS" way is better than "THAT" way because....

Because why? Is this the table setting equivalent of putting the fork on the wrong side? Or am I going to catch a dread amoeba disease if I roll the paper wrong? Maybe one way shakes off the cooties better?

I am at work and do not want to Google anything about toilet paper* and risk those Charmin bears popping up on my ad banner, but I must know. I really must. 

*Yeah, right. Like I wasn't going to. OK, so the Good Housekeeping theories include:

1. "Over" may pick up fewer germs from the bathroom wall

2. "Under" may prevent cats and todders from completely destroying it

3. "Over" encourages you to use less because you can see it better

4. Hotels always hang "over" so that's right because Anthony Melchiorri

5. "Over" is easier to fold with a fancy "twist." 

My God. I cannot un-know this. 

I'm buying a bidet.

Edited October 13, 2016 by potatoradio
Because Google is irresistible.

[Bastet]

Over is how the person who developed the toilet paper holder intended the roll to be hung, if that helps.

The one person I know who is an "under" says she read you're supposed to do it that way if you have cats, to keep them from unrolling it.  Forty-plus years worth of cats here, and not one of them has gone after the toilet paper, so I'll stick with over.  Reasons?  That's how I grew up.  It seems logical.  Maybe a little easier to grab.

[JTMacc99]

2 hours ago, potatoradio said:

Why does it make a difference which way it...er...hangs?

Despite your research and possible logical explanations, the answer is pretty much because the other way is wrong. Period. End of story.

[potatoradio]

*sings in Aladdin voice*

"A whole new world...."

I promise, I will respect the roll. 

I am still dying of laughter over here, but maybe I can now fit in better with civilized society. 

[Maharincess]

7 hours ago, topanga said:

Yes, those things are crazy. And they occur in poor, largely Democratic districts. I've been fortunate in that my polling place (a local high school) usually has working equipment. And I have no right to complain about this, but the volunteers are almost to freakin happy! And energetic. At eight in the morning, why are you yelling, "GOOD MORNING!!!" to me? There must be a little cocaine in that doughnuts and juice.

 

And back to the organizational enthusiasts among us:  Show of hands, how many people fix toilet paper roll in someone else's bathroom? Seeing the toilet paper face the wrong way is a big pet peeve of mine, so I always switch it around when I see it. Rude? Maybe. But it makes me feel good.  (I deliberately didn't mention which way is the right way, but I think we all know which direction is the right one, correct?).

For 30 years my brother and I have switched the toilet paper in each other's houses. He does his from the back which is just wrong and I do mine from the front, which is the right way.  It's been a running joke with us forever. 

[Guest]

5 hours ago, potatoradio said:

OK, rollers...out with it. What is this "right" way? Uncouth slobs like me need a clue. And a reason. A data-driven, proven hypothesis that shows with a 99% confidence interval that putting the roll on "THIS" way is better than "THAT" way because....

I have no way that I do it.  I throw it on the holder whatever way it goes.  But I did an experiment and under is better.  Under tears the sheet at the perforation.   Over tears the sheet jaggedly mid sheet.   This does not mean I am going to spend the extra second figuring out which way to put it on the holder.

[auntlada]

I don't like under because then my hand touches the wall. When it's just me, that's not so bad, but if anyone else uses that toilet, that's one other place where my hand must touch that their hands have touched, possibly after they have wiped if they get more toilet paper. I know it's probably no more germs than anything else, but I can't stop thinking about it.

Also, my hand just doesn't like bumping into the wall. It wants space.